A box handling system is disclosed for use in an object processing system. The box handling system includes a box tray including a recessed area for receiving a box, and the recessed area includes a plurality of floor and edge portions for receiving the box that contains objects to be processed.

An information processing apparatus obtains a plurality of combinations of a position of a work target candidate and a transport machine optimum control parameter which is a control parameter of the transport machine that maximizes performance of the work on a work target when the work target candidate is set as the work target, based on a captured image obtained by capturing an area including a plurality of the work target candidates transported by the transport machine, determines the work target from among the work target candidates based on the combinations, controls the transport machine based on the transport machine optimum control parameter of the determined work target, generates a control plan of the robot based on a position of the determined work target and the transport machine optimum control parameter of the work target and controls the robot according to the generated control plan.

A work robot system including a conveying apparatus that conveys an object in one direction; a robot that performs a predetermined task on a target portion of the object being conveyed by the conveying apparatus, a movement amount detector that sequentially detects the movement amount of the object moved by the conveying apparatus, and a force detector that detects a force generated by contact between a tool supported by the robot and the object. Then, when the predetermined task is performed, a controller performs force control based on a value detected by the force detector while performing control of the robot by use of information about the position of the target portion and a value detected by the movement amount detector.

In some embodiments, apparatuses and methods are provided herein useful to track objects on a moving conveyor system. In some embodiments, an RFID based tracking system comprises a conveyor system to move and transport objects along a conveyance path, wherein each object includes a near field only RFID tag associated therewith and identifying the object. Each near field only RFID tag is not coupled to a far field antenna such that it is not readable in a far field of RFID communication and communicates only in a near field of RFID communication. An RFID tag reader is positioned to attempt to read the near field only RFID tag of each object. And a control circuit processes reads of the near field only RFID tags by the first RFID reader to determine an order of the objects being conveyed.

An article transfer apparatus includes: a conveyor configured to transfer workpieces; a photographing unit that acquires a three-dimensional image by photographing the transferred workpieces; a workpiece distinguishing unit that detects three-dimensional shapes and postures of the workpieces on the basis of the three-dimensional image acquired by the photographing unit; a storage unit that stores therein three-dimensional shapes of reference workpieces and postures of the reference workpieces in a state in which the reference workpieces do not overlap with another workpiece; and an overlap judgement unit that judges whether there is an overlap between the workpieces on the basis of the three-dimensional shapes and the postures of the reference workpieces stored in the storage unit, and the three-dimensional shapes and the postures of the workpieces detected by the workpiece distinguishing unit.

The present invention relates to a picking system for order-related picking of goods stockpiled in racks, with an automated picking cell including a gripper for gripping and picking the goods and a cell control unit for actuating the gripper, with a transport system for conveying the racks a picking position near the picking cell, wherein the racks have shelves and/or containers on and/or in which goods are stored, wherein at least one shelf and/or container of a rack arranged in the picking position can be conveyed from a storage position inside the rack into a removal position in which the at least one shelf and/or container is at least partially arranged in front of the rack, wherein the gripper is actuated by the cell control unit to grip the goods stockpiled on the shelf and/or in the container while the shelf and/or container is in the removal position.

A three-dimensional detailed position/orientation estimation apparatus includes a first position/orientation estimation unit and a second position/orientation estimation unit that are configured to estimate three-dimensional position and orientation. The first position/orientation estimation unit optimizes six parameters (translations x, y, and z, and rotations , , and ) using 3D data, and the second position/orientation estimation unit optimizes only three parameters (translations x and y, and rotation ) that can be estimated with high accuracy using a 2D image, based on the result of the three-dimensional position/orientation estimation performed by the first position/orientation estimation unit using the 3D data.

An automatic feeding system adapted to arrange a variety of components having different shapes comprises a storage apparatus and a first conveying device. The storage apparatus includes loaded storage devices loaded with the components and unloaded storage devices unloaded with the components. The first conveying apparatus includes a pair of first support frames disposed opposite to each other, a loading conveying apparatus mounted between the first support frames and configured to convey the unloaded storage devices to a loading position to load the components thereon and change the unloaded storage devices to loaded storage devices, and an unloading conveying apparatus mounted between the first support frames and configured to receive the loaded storage devices conveyed from the loading position. The unloading conveying apparatus conveys the unloaded storage devices to the loading conveying apparatus after the components on the loaded storage devices are picked up by a pick-up apparatus.

A system for measuring physical properties of a workpiece in motion which includes a conveyance assembly for conveying the workpiece, a scanning assembly for scanning the workpiece, and a measurement assembly for measuring at least one physical property of the workpiece while the workpiece is in motion.

An apparatus for setting a conveyor coordinate system in a robot system. The apparatus includes features provided on a movable part of a conveyor; a sensor provided on a robot; a first coordinate acquiring section for making the sensor detect positions of two features, when the movable part is in a first position, and acquiring two first coordinates in a base coordinate system of the robot; a conveying operation executing section for making the movable part perform a conveying operation from the first position toward a second position; a second coordinate acquiring section for making the sensor detect a position of one feature, when the movable part is in the second position, and acquiring one second coordinate in the base coordinate system; and a coordinate system determining section for determining the conveyor coordinate system based on a conveying operation direction, two first coordinates and one second coordinate.