Patent ID: 8688264

Claim:
A method for distributing objects having a random weight distribution, the method comprising: cyclically detecting presence of one of a plurality of objects, grasping the object detected with a gripper mounted on a robot, measuring, with a sensor mounted on the robot, weight of the object grasped, associating the weight that has been measured with the object grasped, and repeating the detecting, grasping, measuring, and associating steps for other objects of the plurality of objects; filling containers with objects of the plurality of objects that have been weighed until a minimum weight is accumulated in each container, wherein filling the containers comprises searching in a collection of containers for an optimal container in which to deposit one of the objects using a sorting algorithm employing a statistical distribution of the weights of the objects, depositing one of the objects with an associated weight in the optimal container identified using the sorting algorithm, increasing the collection of containers by adding a container within an accessibility field of the robot, and reducing the collection of containers by removing a container from the accessibility field of the robot; and conveying one of the objects on a first conveyor into the accessibility field of the robot; conveying one of the containers on a second conveyor into the accessibility field of the robot a first time; and conveying the container on a third conveyor into the accessibility field of the robot a second time if the container has left the accessibility field of the robot without having been completely filled.