Patents by Inventor Karl Pauwels

Karl Pauwels has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20240001537
    Abstract: A method of manipulating boxes includes receiving a minimum box size for a plurality of boxes varying in size located in a walled container. The method also includes dividing a grip area of a gripper into a plurality of zones. The method further includes locating a set of candidate boxes based on an image from a visual sensor. For each zone, the method additionally includes, determining an overlap of a respective zone with one or more neighboring boxes to the set of candidate boxes. The method also includes determining a grasp pose for a target candidate box that avoids one or more walls of the walled container. The method further includes executing the grasp pose to lift the target candidate box by the gripper where the gripper activates each zone of the plurality of zones that does not overlap a respective neighboring box to the target candidate box.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 7, 2023
    Publication date: January 4, 2024
    Inventors: Sachin Chitta, David Hershberger, Karl Pauwels
  • Patent number: 11731267
    Abstract: A method of manipulating boxes includes receiving a minimum box size for a plurality of boxes varying in size located in a walled container. The method also includes dividing a grip area of a gripper into a plurality of zones. The method further includes locating a set of candidate boxes based on an image from a visual sensor. For each zone, the method additionally includes, determining an overlap of a respective zone with one or more neighboring boxes to the set of candidate boxes. The method also includes determining a grasp pose for a target candidate box that avoids one or more walls of the walled container. The method further includes executing the grasp pose to lift the target candidate box by the gripper where the gripper activates each zone of the plurality of zones that does not overlap a respective neighboring box to the target candidate box.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: Boston Dynamics, Inc.
    Inventors: Sachin Chitta, David Hershberger, Karl Pauwels
  • Publication number: 20230186609
    Abstract: Method and apparatus for object detection by a robot are provided. The method comprises analyzing using a set of trained detection models, one or more first images of an environment of the robot to detect one or more objects in the environment of the robot, generating at least one fine-tuned model by training one or more of the trained detection models in the set, wherein the training is based on a second image of the environment of the robot and annotations associated with the second image, wherein the annotations identify one or more objects in the second image, updating the set of trained detection models to include the generated at least one fine-tuned model, and analyzing using the updated set of trained detection models, one or more third images of the environment of the robot to detect one or more objects in the environment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2022
    Publication date: June 15, 2023
    Applicant: Boston Dynamics, Inc.
    Inventors: Karl Pauwels, Ran Tao
  • Publication number: 20220118606
    Abstract: A method of manipulating boxes includes receiving a minimum box size for a plurality of boxes varying in size located in a walled container. The method also includes dividing a grip area of a gripper into a plurality of zones. The method further includes locating a set of candidate boxes based on an image from a visual sensor. For each zone, the method additionally includes, determining an overlap of a respective zone with one or more neighboring boxes to the set of candidate boxes. The method also includes determining a grasp pose for a target candidate box that avoids one or more walls of the walled container. The method further includes executing the grasp pose to lift the target candidate box by the gripper where the gripper activates each zone of the plurality of zones that does not overlap a respective neighboring box to the target candidate box.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2021
    Publication date: April 21, 2022
    Applicant: Kinema Systems Inc.
    Inventors: Sachin Chitta, David Hershberger, Karl Pauwels
  • Patent number: 11235458
    Abstract: A method of manipulating boxes includes receiving a minimum box size for a plurality of boxes varying in size located in a walled container. The method also includes dividing a grip area of a gripper into a plurality of zones. The method further includes locating a set of candidate boxes based on an image from a visual sensor. For each zone, the method additionally includes, determining an overlap of a respective zone with one or more neighboring boxes to the set of candidate boxes. The method also includes determining a grasp pose for a target candidate box that avoids one or more walls of the walled container. The method further includes executing the grasp pose to lift the target candidate box by the gripper where the gripper activates each zone of the plurality of zones that does not overlap a respective neighboring box to the target candidate box.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: Boston Dynamics, Inc.
    Inventors: Sachin Chitta, David Hershberger, Karl Pauwels
  • Publication number: 20200047331
    Abstract: A method of manipulating boxes includes receiving a minimum box size for a plurality of boxes varying in size located in a walled container. The method also includes dividing a grip area of a gripper into a plurality of zones. The method further includes locating a set of candidate boxes based on an image from a visual sensor. For each zone, the method additionally includes, determining an overlap of a respective zone with one or more neighboring boxes to the set of candidate boxes. The method also includes determining a grasp pose for a target candidate box that avoids one or more walls of the walled container. The method further includes executing the grasp pose to lift the target candidate box by the gripper where the gripper activates each zone of the plurality of zones that does not overlap a respective neighboring box to the target candidate box.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2019
    Publication date: February 13, 2020
    Applicant: Boston Dynamics, Inc.
    Inventors: Sachin Chitta, Dave Hershberger, Karl Pauwels
  • Patent number: 10124489
    Abstract: Techniques are described that enable robotic picking systems to locate and pick boxes from an unstructured pallet using computer vision and/or one or more “exploratory picks” to determine the sizes and locations of boxes on the pallet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: Kinema Systems Inc.
    Inventors: Sachin Chitta, David Hershberger, Karl Pauwels
  • Publication number: 20170246744
    Abstract: Techniques are described that enable robotic picking systems to locate and pick boxes from an unstructured pallet using computer vision and/or one or more “exploratory picks” to determine the sizes and locations of boxes on the pallet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2017
    Publication date: August 31, 2017
    Inventors: Sachin Chitta, David Hershberger, Karl Pauwels