Integration of an automated order-picking system

The large variety of items that is present in a warehouse makes automation of an order-picking workstation a challenging task. It is shown that automation of the item-picking functionality can be achieved by combining an underactuated gripper design and a robust vision system with a commercial-of-the-shelf approach for a robot arm. The demonstrator shows the applicability of the gripping and vision technology developed in the Falcon project. By using weight and stiffness control for the robot and force control for the gripper, the relatively limited accuracy of the vision system can be compensated. The integration of these technologies results in a system that is able to pick a wide range of items, including irregularly-shaped and soft items, and items wrapped in plastic. The realised demonstrator can be used for testing future developments of gripping and vision technologies.