FedEx’s New Robot Loads Delivery Trucks Like It’s Playing 3D Tetris
FedEx is adding to its robot workforce. In theory stacking a bunch of cuboids seems like it would be an easy task for a robot. In practice it is much harder. There is still an overwhelming amount of unpredictability. Via Wired:
That task is far from easy for a machine. “Packages come in different sizes, shapes, weights, and packaging materials, and they come randomized,” says Rebecca Yeung, vice president of operations and advanced technology at FedEx. The robot uses cameras and lidar sensors to perceive the packages and must then plan how to configure the available boxes to make a neat wall, place them snugly without crushing anything, and react appropriately if any packages slip.
Each time it places a box in a stack, the system uses force-feedback to ensure the package fits tightly, and it also scans the stack using cameras and depth sensors to see how it compares to its existing model. Any discrepancy will require the robot to adapt its stacking plan as it goes along.
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