A system comprises a database; at least one hardware processor coupled with the database; and one or more software modules that, when executed by the at least one hardware processor, receive at least one of sensory data from a robot and images from a camera, identify and build models of objects in an environment, wherein the model encompasses immutable properties of identified objects including mass and geometry, and wherein the geometry is assumed not to change, estimate the state including position, orientation, and velocity, of the identified objects, determine based on the state and model, potential configurations, or pre-grasp poses, for grasping the identified objects and return multiple grasping configurations per identified object, determine an object to be picked based on a quality metric, translate the pre-grasp poses into behaviors that define motor forces and torques, communicate the motor forces and torques to the robot in order to allow the robot to perform a complex behavior generated from the behaviors.

A robotic system and method includes at least one robot actively or passively mobile between at least first and second locations, and a first safety configuration being defined at least for said first location. A first data carrier associated to the first safety configuration is located in said first location, and the robot comprises a reader adapted to read the first data carrier when the robot is in said first location.

A robot comprising: a chopstick, configured for at least four degrees of freedom of movement, a stiff body of shape and proportions approximate to a pool cue; an electromagnetic actuator, comprising a motor, for each degree of freedom of movement coupled with the stiff body, wherein the functional mapping from each actuator's motor current to torque output along an axis of motion is stored, and used in concert with a calibrated model of the robot for effective impedance control; and a 6-axis force/torque sensor mounted inline between the actuators and each chopstick.

A system includes a robotic system including a robot disposable at a mobile workstation, where the robot is configured to perform an automated operation on a workpiece. The system includes one or more transfer robots configured to transfer the robotic system to or from the mobile workstation. The system includes a control system configured to command the transfer robot to perform a transfer operation of the robotic system, where the transfer operation includes at least one of disposing the robotic system at the mobile workstation or retrieving the robotic system from the mobile workstation. The control system is configured to control the mobile workstation and the robotic system based on image data from the one or more infrastructure sensors, position data from the one or more on-board position sensors, the automated operation to be performed by the robot, or a combination thereof.

A mobile manipulator robot for retrieving inventory items from a storage system. The robot includes a body, a wheel assembly, a sensor to locate a position of the robot within the storage system, an interface configured to send processor readable data to a remote processor and to an operator interface, and receive processor executable instructions from the remote processor and from the operator interface, an imaging device to capture images of the inventory items, a picking manipulator, first and second pneumatic gripping elements for grasping the inventory items, and a coupler configured to mate with a valve to access a pneumatic supply for operating at least one of the first or second pneumatic gripping elements. The robot is configured to transition the valve from a closed condition to an open condition and selectively place one of the first or the second pneumatic gripping elements in communication with the pneumatic supply.

A mobile manipulator robot for retrieving inventory items from a storage system. The robot includes a body, a wheel assembly, a sensor to locate a position of the robot within the storage system, an interface configured to send processor readable data to a remote processor and to an operator interface, and receive processor executable instructions from the remote processor and from the operator interface, an imaging device to capture images of the inventory items, a picking manipulator, first and second pneumatic gripping elements for grasping the inventory items, and a coupler configured to mate with a valve to access a pneumatic supply for operating at least one of the first or second pneumatic gripping elements. The robot is configured to transition the valve from a closed condition to an open condition and selectively place one of the first or the second pneumatic gripping elements in communication with the pneumatic supply.

A mobile manipulator robot for retrieving inventory items from a storage system. The robot includes a body, a wheel assembly, a sensor to locate a position of the robot within the storage system, an interface configured to send processor readable data to a remote processor and to an operator interface, and receive processor executable instructions from the remote processor and from the operator interface, an imaging device to capture images of the inventory items, a picking manipulator, first and second pneumatic gripping elements for grasping the inventory items, and a coupler configured to mate with a valve to access a pneumatic supply for operating at least one of the first or second pneumatic gripping elements. The robot is configured to transition the valve from a closed condition to an open condition and selectively place one of the first or the second pneumatic gripping elements in communication with the pneumatic supply.

A storage system configured to house a plurality of containers housing inventory items includes support members, a first set of parallel rails to support a mobile, manipulator robot, and a fluid supply line having a plurality of valves disposed within the fluid supply line. Each of the valves having a closed condition in which the supply line is in fluid isolation from an outside environment and an open condition in which the supply line is in fluid communication with the environment such that the supply line is configured to supply fluid to a mobile, manipulator robot. Mobile, manipulator robots for retrieving inventory items stored within the containers and retrieval methods are also disclosed herein.

A mobile manipulator robot for retrieving inventory items from a storage system. The robot includes a body, a wheel assembly, a sensor to locate a position of the robot within the storage system, an interface configured to send processor readable data to a remote processor and to an operator interface, and receive processor executable instructions from the remote processor and from the operator interface, an imaging device to capture images of the inventory items, a picking manipulator, first and second pneumatic gripping elements for grasping the inventory items, and a coupler configured to mate with a valve to access a pneumatic supply for operating at least one of the first or second pneumatic gripping elements. The robot is configured to transition the valve from a closed condition to an open condition and selectively place one of the first or the second pneumatic gripping elements in communication with the pneumatic supply.

A system comprising: a database configured to store a multi-body model of a robot, the robot comprising a plurality of manipulators, and a plurality of joints and plurality of actuators and actuator motors configured to move the joints, and wherein the multi-body model includes a kinematic and geometric model of each manipulator, a catalog of models for objects to be manipulated, the models comprising a current configuration and a target configuration, and a functional mapping of sensory data to configurations of the robot and the manipulators needed to manipulate the objects; at least one hardware processor coupled with the database; and one or more software modules that, when executed by the at least one hardware processor, receive sensory data from within a constrained space, identify objects in the constrained space based on the received sensory data and the catalog of models, determine a target pose for the joints and the manipulators based on the sensory data and the current and target configurations associated with the identified object, and compute joint space positions to necessary to realize the target pose.