Smart Exit

Owned by Csaba Mucsi
Last updated: Sept 13, 2023 by Csaba Mucsi
4 min read

Smart exit search area defines a rectangular area - relative to the actual pick position - where the path planning algorithm can search for an intermediate waypoint between pickup and approach position, to perform linear movements without collision to the robot base, conveyor, or other boxes in the current layer.

The left and right pallet can have individual smart exit settings.

How it works

The path planning algorithm starts with finding a collision-free waypoint between the pick and drop positions. The waypoint has to be in the rectangle defined by the smart exit search range parameters.

When the algorithm cannot find a waypoint that meets all criteria:

  • it will use the smart exit minimum X and minimum Y values as defaults, and

  • the box will be moved on an elevated path above all other boxes to avoid collisions

How to customize

The smart exit search area can be customized by setting minimum and maximum X and Y offsets, measured from the center point of the box where the box has been picked.

To understand the X and Y offsets, follow the rules below:

  • A positive Y value defines an offset in the traveling direction on the conveyor.

  • A positive X value defines an offset perpendicular to the conveyor direction and towards the current pallet.

Negative offsets can be also defined. Especially negative Y offsets are common in the following setups:

  • boxes arriving from the left and moving towards the left pallet (moving the box above other boxes on the conveyor) and

  • boxes arriving from the right and moving towards the right pallet (moving the box above other boxes on the conveyor)

Negative X offsets are not used normally.

The smart exit X and Y parameters are set relative to the conveyor direction, and the origin is the point from where the gripper picks the box in the center.

For multi-pick cases the zero point is the center point of the bounding rectangle around the boxes being picked together.

 

Box moves through the smart exit search area before descending down to the pallet

 

Robot movement when placing box:

Pickup position → Box free height → Smart Exit → Extra waypoint → Approach Position → Target Position

 

The following examples show possible smart exit settings for conveyors in Front, Left and Right. You can see that the X(red)-axis and Y(green)-axis is rotating with the conveyor position.

Smart Exit: box arrival in front

Left pallet

  • Opposite of the red arrow direction is the positive X-axis

  • Green arrow is the positive Y-axis

Right pallet

  • Red arrow is the positive X-axis

  • Green arrow is the positive Y-axis

Smart exit settings for conveyor in Front

 

Smart Exit: box arrival from left

Left pallet

  • Opposite of the red arrow direction is the positive X-axis

  • Green arrow is the positive Y-axis

Right pallet

  • Opposite of the red arrow direction is the positive X-axis

  • Green arrow is the positive Y-axis

Smart exit settings for conveyor in Left

 

Smart Exit: box arrival from right

Left pallet

  • Red arrow is the positive X-axis

  • Green arrow is the positive Y-axis

Right pallet

  • Red arrow is the positive X-axis

  • Green arrow is the positive Y-axis

Smart exit settings for conveyor in Right

 

 

Example

The yellow box below shows the Smart Exit search range if the values are as follows for the right pallet

  • X: [-100, -150]

  • Y: [-300, -400]

The center of the box will move inside the yellow area before moving down to the pallet

 

The following video explains Smart Exit