BACKGROUND

Unless otherwise indicated herein, the materials described in this section are not prior art to the claims in this application and are not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.

Robotic systems, such as a robotic arm containing a gripping component, may be used for applications involving picking up or moving objects. For instance, a robotic device may be used to fill a container with objects, create a stack of objects, or unload objects from a truck bed. In some cases, all of the objects may be of the same type. In other cases, a container or truck may contain a mix of different types of objects, such as boxed items, cans, tires, or other stackable objects. Such robotic systems may direct a robotic arm to pick up objects based on predetermined knowledge of where objects are in the environment.

SUMMARY

A robotic device may include a robotic arm that may be equipped with a gripper, such as a suction gripper, in order to move objects to specified locations. In some examples, a grasp point on the object may be selected for the gripper based on global considerations such as motion planning and collision avoidance, among other possibilities. Therefore, a robotic device may be configured to identify characteristics of the object and the physical environment in order to determine potential grasp points on the object. The robotic device may also be configured to determine a motion path for the gripper to follow in order to place the object at a drop-off location. The robotic device may then be configured to select a grasp point from the potential grasp points based on a variety of factors such as the determined motion path.

In one aspect, a method is provided. The method involves identifying one or more characteristics of a physical object within a physical environment. The method also involves, based on the identified one or more characteristics, determining one or more potential grasp points on the physical object, by a computing device, corresponding to points at which a gripper attached to a robotic manipulator is operable to grip the physical object. Additionally, the method involves determining a motion path for the gripper to follow in order to move the physical object to a drop-off location for the physical object. Further, the method also involves selecting a grasp point from the one or more potential grasp points based on the determined motion path. Yet further, the method also involves providing instructions to cause the robotic manipulator to grip the physical object at the selected grasp point with the gripper and move the physical object through the determined motion path to the drop-off location.

In another aspect, a system is provided. The system includes a robotic manipulator, a gripper attached to the robotic manipulator, and a control system configured to perform functions. The functions include identifying one or more characteristics of a physical object within a physical environment. The functions also include, based on the identified one or more characteristics, determining one or more potential grasp points on the physical object corresponding to points at which the gripper is operable to grip the physical object. Additionally, the functions also include determining a motion path for the gripper to follow in order to move the physical object to a drop-off location for the physical object. Further, the functions also include selecting a grasp point from the one or more potential grasp points based on the determined motion path. Yet further, the functions also include providing instructions to cause the robotic manipulator to grip the physical object at the selected grasp point with the gripper and move the physical object through the determined motion path to the drop-off location.

In yet another aspect, a non-transitory computer readable medium is provided. The non-transitory computer readable medium has stored therein instructions, that when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform functions. The functions include identifying one or more characteristics of a physical object within a physical environment. The functions also include, based on the identified one or more characteristics, determining one or more potential grasp points on the physical object corresponding to points at which a gripper attached to a robotic manipulator is operable to grip the physical object. Additionally, the functions also include determining a motion path for the gripper to follow in order to move the physical object to a drop-off location for the physical object. Further, the functions also include selecting a grasp point from the one or more potential grasp points based on the determined motion path. Yet further, the functions also include providing instructions to cause the robotic manipulator to grip the physical object at the selected grasp point with the gripper and move the physical object through the determined motion path to the drop-off location.

In yet another aspect, a system is provided. The system may include: (a) means for identifying one or more characteristics of a physical object within a physical environment, (b) means for, based on the identified one or more characteristics, determining one or more potential grasp points on the physical object corresponding to points at which a gripper attached to a robotic manipulator is operable to grip the physical object, (c) means for determining a motion path for the gripper to follow in order to move the physical object to a drop-off location for the physical object, (d) means for selecting a grasp point from the one or more potential grasp points based on the determined motion path, and (e) means for providing instructions to cause the robotic manipulator to grip the physical object at the selected grasp point with the gripper and move the physical object through the determined motion path to the drop-off location.

The foregoing summary is illustrative only and is not intended to be in any way limiting. In addition to the illustrative aspects, embodiments, and features described above, further aspects, embodiments, and features will become apparent by reference to the figures and the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings.

