Patent ID: 8418830

Claim:
A method for removing sticks and other items from a moving conveyor belt using a robot, comprising the steps of: said robot visually detecting and distinguishing sticks and other items for selection for removal from other elements on a moving conveyor belt, including identifying the shape, the position, and the orientation of the items for selection, selecting a group of sticks or other items for removal, gripping the selected group of sticks or other items for removal, raising the selected group of sticks or other items for removal off of the moving conveyor belt, manipulating the selected group of sticks or other items for removal away from said moving conveyor belt, and releasing the selected group of sticks or other items for removal into a container; wherein said robot includes an anthropomorphous robotic arm of at least 5 degrees of freedom provided with a gripping mechanism and fingers; a vision or detection system with at least one camera for capturing images of items moving on a conveyor belt; a logic processing unit for processing images captured by said camera to recognize objects on said conveyor belt and their orientation, shape, and position and thereby determining which objects to select for removal; a control, communication and programming unit for remote communications and control of the robotic arm; and an electric supply system.