Adaptable container handling system

Abstract

An adaptable handling system featuring a boundary subsystem and one or more robots. Each robot typically includes a chassis, a container lift mechanism moveable with respect to the robot chassis for transporting at least one container, a drive subsystem for maneuvering the chassis, a boundary sensing subsystem, a container detection subsystem, and a controller. The controller is responsive to the boundary sensing subsystem and the container detection subsystem and is configured to control the drive subsystem to follow a boundary once intercepted until a container is detected and turn until another container is detected. The controller then controls the container lift mechanism to place a transported container proximate the second detected container.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 - 52 . (canceled) 
     
     
         53 . An autonomous mobile object handling robot comprising:
 a chassis;   an object lift mechanism movably mounted on the chassis for retrieving objects at a source location and depositing the objects at a destination location;   a drive subsystem for maneuvering the chassis to transport objects from the source location to the destination location;   a boundary sensing subsystem for detecting a boundary;   an object detection subsystem for detecting objects; and   a controller receiving outputs from and being responsive to the boundary sensing subsystem and the object detection subsystem, said controller comprising one or more processors programmed with logic instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
 control the object lift mechanism to retrieve an object at the source location; 
 control the drive subsystem to travel from the source location towards the destination location, and to intercept the boundary and to follow the boundary once intercepted; and 
 control the object lift mechanism to place the object at a given position relative to the boundary in the destination location. 
   
     
     
         54 . The robot of  claim 53 , wherein the controller further controls the drive subsystem to return the robot to the source location, and controls the object lift mechanism to retrieve another object to be transported to the destination location. 
     
     
         55 . The robot of  claim 53 , wherein the controller, using the object detection subsystem, detects another object proximate the boundary at the destination location, and controls the object lift mechanism to deposit the object carried by the robot at a position relative to the detected object. 
     
     
         56 . The robot of  claim 53 , wherein the boundary comprises reflective tape. 
     
     
         57 . The robot of  claim 53 , wherein the boundary sensing subsystem includes at least one infrared emitter and at least one infrared detector. 
     
     
         58 . The robot of  claim 53 , wherein the object detection subsystem includes a linear array of infrared emitters and infrared detectors. 
     
     
         59 . The robot of  claim 53 , wherein the object detection subsystem includes a camera based subsystem. 
     
     
         60 . The robot of  claim 59 , wherein the camera based subsystem includes a laser source which emits a beam intersecting a field of view of a camera between x min  and x max . 
     
     
         61 . The robot of  claim 60 , wherein the object detection subsystem determines the distance between the robot and an object as a function of an angle of the beam. 
     
     
         62 . The robot of  claim 60 , wherein the camera is mounted such that pixels are read out as columns rather than rows. 
     
     
         63 . The robot of  claim 60 , wherein the beam is turned off between read outs of adjacent columns and laser off columns are subtracted from laser on columns. 
     
     
         64 . The robot of  claim 53 , wherein the object detection subsystem includes a system configured to detect if an object is present in said object lift mechanism. 
     
     
         65 . The robot of  claim 53 , wherein the object detection subsystem includes an infrared source and an infrared detector. 
     
     
         66 . The robot of  claim 53 , wherein the drive subsystem includes a pair of driven wheels one on each side of the chassis. 
     
     
         67 . An automated method of depositing objects in given locations using an autonomous mobile object handling robot comprising a chassis, an object lift mechanism movably mounted on the chassis, a drive subsystem for maneuvering the chassis, a boundary sensing subsystem, an object detection subsystem, and a controller, the method, implemented in one or more processors of the controller, comprising the steps of:
 receiving outputs from the boundary sensing subsystem and the object detection subsystem;   controlling the object lift mechanism to retrieve an object at the source location;   controlling the drive subsystem to travel from the source location towards the destination location, and to intercept the boundary and to follow the boundary once intercepted; and   controlling the object lift mechanism to place the object at a given position relative to the boundary in the destination location.   
     
     
         68 . The method of  claim 67 , further comprising controlling the drive subsystem to return the robot to a given object source location, and controlling the object lift mechanism to retrieve another object to be transported at the object source location. 
     
     
         69 . The method of  claim 67 , further comprising detecting another object proximate the boundary at the destination location, and controlling the object lift mechanism to deposit the object carried by the robot at a position relative to the detected object. 
     
     
         70 . The method of  claim 67 , wherein the boundary comprises reflective tape. 
     
     
         71 . The method of  claim 67 , wherein the boundary sensing subsystem includes at least one infrared emitter and at least one infrared detector. 
     
     
         72 . The method of  claim 67 , wherein the object detection subsystem includes a linear array of infrared emitters and infrared detectors. 
     
     
         73 . The method of  claim 67 , wherein the object detection subsystem includes a camera based subsystem. 
     
     
         74 . The method of  claim 67 , further comprising detecting if an object is present in said object lift mechanism.