An adaptive robot grasp planning technique for bin picking. Workpieces in a bin having random positions and poses are to be grasped by a robot and placed in a goal position and pose. The workpiece shape is analyzed to identify a plurality of robust grasp options, each grasp option having a position and orientation. The workpiece shape is also analyzed to determine a plurality of stable intermediate poses. Each individual workpiece in the bin is evaluated to identity a set of feasible grasps, and the workpiece is moved to the goal pose if such direct movement is possible. If direct movement is not possible, a search problem is formulated, where each stable intermediate pose is a node. The search problem is solved by evaluating the feasibility and optimality of each link between nodes. Feasibility of each link is evaluated in terms of collision avoidance constraints and robot joint motion constraints.

A handling device according to an embodiment has an arm, a holder, a storage, and a controller. The arm includes at least one joint. The holder is attached to the arm and is configured to hold an object. The storage stores a function map including at least one of information about holdable positions of the holder and information about possible postures of the holder. The detector is configured to detect information about the object. The controller is configured to generate holdable candidate points on the basis of the information detected by the detector, to search the function map for a position in an environment in which the object is present, the position being associated with the generated holdable candidate points, and to determine a holding posture of the holder on the basis of the searched position. The function map associates a manipulability with each position in the environment in which the object is present. The manipulability is a parameter calculated from at least one joint angle of the holder.

An information processing apparatus to output control information for controlling a suction device configured to suction a packaged object includes an input unit and an output unit. The input unit inputs an image obtained by performing image capturing of a surface of the packaged object. The output unit outputs the control information to control timing at which suction is started by the suction device, based on a state of the surface of the packaged object specified from the image.

Systems, methods, and computer-readable media are disclosed for concentric suction cup tools with parallel pistons. In one embodiment, an example picking assembly may include a first piston subassembly with a first air cylinder, a first sliding rail that slides relative to the first air cylinder, and a first suction cup. The example picking assembly may include a second piston subassembly comprising a second air cylinder, a second sliding rail that slides relative to the second air cylinder, and a second suction cup, where the first and second piston subassemblies may be configured to independently actuate from a retracted position to an extended position. The example picking assembly may include a first guide plate with a first aperture for the first piston subassembly and a second aperture for the second piston subassembly, a shell that forms a housing for the picking assembly, and an airflow coupler.

A controller for a vacuum cleaner includes a processor and a memory. The memory includes instructions that program the processor to operate a motor at a first power level, receive a temperature of a drive component associated with the motor from a temperature sensor, and compare the temperature of the drive component associated with the motor to a first threshold temperature. The processor operates the motor at a second power level lower than the first power level for a period of time when the temperature of the drive component associated with the motor is greater than or equal to the first temperature threshold, and continues operating the motor at the first power level when the temperature of the drive component associated with the motor is less than the first temperature threshold.

Methods and apparatus for determining a grasp strategy to grasp an object with a gripper of a robotic device are described. The method comprises generating a set of grasp candidates to grasp a target object, wherein each of the grasp candidates includes information about a gripper placement relative to the target object, determining, for each of the grasp candidates in the set, a grasp quality, wherein the grasp quality is determined using a physical-interaction model including one or more forces between the target object and the gripper located at the gripper placement for the respective grasp candidate, selecting, based at least in part on the determined grasp qualities, one of the grasp candidates, and controlling the robotic device to attempt to grasp the target object using the selected grasp candidate.

Some robotic arms may include vacuum-based grippers. Detecting the seal quality between each vacuum assembly of the gripper and a grasped object may enable reactivation of some vacuum assemblies, thereby improving the grasp. One embodiment of a method may include activating each of a plurality of vacuum assemblies of a robotic gripper by supplying a vacuum to each vacuum assembly, determining, for each of the activated vacuum assemblies, a first respective seal quality of the vacuum assembly with a first grasped object, deactivating one or more of the activated vacuum assemblies based, at least in part, on the first respective seal qualities, and reactivating each of the deactivated vacuum assemblies within a reactivation interval.

Systems and methods related to intelligent grippers with individual cup control are disclosed. One aspect of the disclosure provides a method of determining grip quality between a robotic gripper and an object. The method comprises applying a vacuum to two or more cup assemblies of the robotic gripper in contact with the object, moving the object with the robotic gripper after applying the vacuum to the two or more cup assemblies, and determining, using at least one pressure sensor associated with each of the two or more cup assemblies, a grip quality between the robotic gripper and the object.

A vacuum cleaner includes a housing, a debris chamber defined within the housing, and a motor assembly connected to the housing and operable to generate airflow through the debris chamber. The motor assembly includes a motor, an impeller, an impeller housing, and a controller. The impeller is connected to the motor and operable to generate airflow upon operation of the motor. The impeller housing is constructed of an electrically-conductive material. The impeller is positioned within the impeller housing. The controller includes a circuit board assembly. The circuit board assembly including a common circuit, and the impeller housing is electrically connected to the common circuit.

An article handling device includes: a gripper that grips an article; a driver that moves the gripper; an article recognition unit that recognizes a state of the article; a gripping recognition unit that recognizes a gripping state of the gripper; a determination unit that determines whether the gripping state is stable or unstable based on a recognition result of the gripping recognition unit; and a controller that controls a first gripping operation in which the gripper grips the article by a gripping position determined based on the recognition result of the article recognition unit, and, when the gripping state is determined as unstable, controls a second gripping operation in which the gripping position is changed and the gripper re-grips the article.