In a clamping device, the number of components for an article detection means is reduced. In a stacker, a tire is placed on the carry surface. The first gripping member and the second gripping member grip a side of tire placed on the carry surface and include an abutment surface having a bent portion and are capable of abutting with the side of tire. The first sensor and the second sensor include a light axis in a direction along the article. The controller moves the first gripping member and the second gripping member close to each other to the first position where the tire is not gripped. When the tire is detected with the first sensor and second sensor, the controller moves the first gripping member and the second gripping member close to each other to the second position where the tire is gripped.

Embodiments of the disclosure provide a box retrieval method and apparatus, a system, a robot, and a storage medium. The method is applied to a warehouse robot, and includes: acquiring a detection image, where the detection image includes an image of a target box and neighboring objects; determining a box spacing between the target box and each neighboring object according to the detection image; and if the box spacing satisfies retrieval conditions for a warehouse robot, retrieving the target box. Automatic detection of the box spacing is achieved with low detection cost and high detection accuracy, and goods is retrieved only when the spacing satisfies conditions, such that goods retrieval safety is increased, and the probability of goods damage and falling down of shelves during a retrieval process is greatly lowered.

The invention relates to a handling device and/or layer forming device (10) and a method for forming piece good layers. Piece goods (14, 14a) are conveyed on a horizontal conveying device (16) to a grouping station and/or layer forming station (12) comprising a manipulator (20). In a work cycle the manipulator (20) seizes at least one piece good (14, 14a) and moves it into a defined relative target position and/or target alignment, in particular with regard to a piece good layer to be formed.

The horizontal conveying device (16), which is arranged upstream of the grouping station and/or layer forming station (12) in the transport direction (18) of the piece goods (14, 14a), comprises at least one sensor device (24) for obtaining positional data and/or dimensional data and/or alignment data of the transported piece goods (14, 14a). Electronic output signals (26) are generated from the obtained data, which processed in a control device (28). The control device (28) controls the movements of the manipulator (20) within the movement range (22) for the purpose of the layer formation.

The invention relates to a device (10) for at least one industrial automated process (110), in particular a weighing and/or packing and/or arranging and/or packing process, comprising: at least one sensor (30) for determining at least one process data value which is relevant to the entire process by detecting at least one partial process parameter of the device (10), which parameter is relevant to the entire process, a processing device (40), which is electrically connected to the sensor (30) for processing the process data value, an interface device (50) for data connection and for forwarding the process data value to at least one individual machine (2a, 2b, 2c) located upstream and/or downstream in the process (110), wherein the total process (110) can be evaluated with reference to the process data value by comparison with a pre-defined process instruction (130).

A system and method for providing power to moving elements on a conveyor system while the moving elements are moving. An accessory for mounting on one or more of the moving elements, which receives power from the system. Various accessories for using the power provided. In one case, the accessory is a rotary gripper that includes a body; a gripper motor; a rotation motor; and a plurality of grippers, wherein the gripper motor is mechanically connected with and configured to open and close the plurality of grippers, the rotation motor is mechanically connected with and configured to rotate the plurality of grippers. Other accessories include a gripper, a vacuum system, a heater, and a cooler.

A robotic line kitting system is disclosed. In various embodiments, a signal associated with an unsafe condition is received via a communication interface. In response to the signal, a controlled operation to reduce a speed of movement of a robotic instrumentality is performed prior to a safety stop of the robotic instrumentality being triggered.

The transfer operation C of moving the slider between one fixed linear module M2 and the movable linear module M5 while locating the movable linear module M5 in the facing range Fb2 facing toward the one fixed linear module M2, out of the plurality of linear modules M1 to M5 arranged in parallel, is performed. At this time, a judgement process (Step S105) of judging whether or not the coordinate axis A2 (one coordinate axis) of the one fixed linear module M2 and the coordinate axis A5 (other coordinate axis) of the movable linear module M5 are continuous is performed (Step S105). If it is judged in the judgment process before the transfer operation C that the coordinate axes A2, A5 are not continuous, the transfer operation C is performed (Step S107) while the speed control (not the position control) is executed for the slider 4. Thus, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of a situation where the transfer operation C of moving the slider 4 between the movable linear module M1 and the movable linear module M5 cannot be performed due to the discontinuity of the coordinate axes A2, A5 respectively set for the movable linear module M1 and the movable linear module M5.

The operator may first place a blank device in a first socket in a first site. The APS may self-teach the position and orientation of that first socket by removing and replacing the device in the socket one or more times, and by detecting the position of the device in the socket or by monitoring a change in position of the device as it is placed into the socket. The APS then picks the device from the first socket (or from the input tray) and moves it in succession through the rest of the sockets to establish position and orientation of each socket. After all sockets are taught, the APS loads all sockets with blank devices, and programming begins. Alternatively, the programming job begins as each site is taught and before the remaining sites are taught so that production output can begin “immediately.”

Techniques are disclosed to use a robotic arm to palletize or depalletize diverse items. In various embodiments, data associated with a plurality of items to be stacked on or in a destination location is received. A plan to stack the items on or in the destination location is generated based at least in part on the received data. The plan is implemented at least in part by controlling a robotic arm of the robot to pick up the items and stack them on or in the receptacle according to the plan, including by for each item: using one or more first order sensors to move the item to a first approximation of a destination position for that item at the destination location; and using one or more second order sensors to snug the item into a final position.

An automated storage and retrieval system stores multi-stock bins each holding different stock-keeping units (SKUs). Records dynamically track which SKUs are in each bin. A controller tracks a stock waitlist indicating quantities of SKUs still required to be delivered to a workstation in order to fulfil current orders assigned to the workstation. When a robot is available, the controller selects a multi-stock bin that has a highest number of unique ones of the required SKUs indicated on the stock waitlist and commands the robot to fetch and deliver the selected bin to the workstation. For new orders, the controller may determine if direct assignment can be done to a workstation without additional bins being scheduled. For other pending orders, the controller may assume each pending order is assigned to the workstation and then pick the order that would require a lowest number of bins to be delivered to the workstation.