Our work on parts feeding has focused on feeding parts on a conveyor belt using a system that is very simple, yet still programmable to allow feeding different types of parts. We have shown that a one joint revolute robot, operating above a fixed-speed conveyor belt, can position and orient any polygonal part. We call the system 1JOC (1 Joint Over Conveyor). The power of the system comes from its "understanding" of stable pushing mechanics. The 2JOC is a variant of the 1JOC that can orient 3D parts by knocking them over (toppling).

See also Dynamic Manipulation with Flatland.

References to relevant papers are given below.

• S. Akella, W. Huang, K. M. Lynch, and M. T. Mason. Parts feeding on a conveyor with a one joint robot. Algorithmica, 26(3):313-344, March-April 2000. abstract, postscript (2800 K), pdf (193 K), and final pdf version in Algorithmica (440 K)

• S. Akella, W. Huang, K. M. Lynch, and M. T. Mason. Sensorless parts orienting with a one-joint manipulator. 1997 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, Albuquerque, NM, April 1997. abstract, postscript (2900 K), pdf (115 K)

• S. Akella, W. Huang, K. M. Lynch, and M. T. Mason. Sensorless parts feeding with a one joint robot. Robotic Motion and Manipulation, J.-P. Laumond and M. Overmars, eds., A. K. Peters, Boston, MA, 1997. abstract, postscript (2269 K), pdf (129 K)

• S. Akella, W. H. Huang, K. M. Lynch, and M. T. Mason. From robotic juggling to robotic parts feeding. 1996 Yale Workshop on Adaptive and Learning Systems, New Haven, CT. abstract, postscript (2364 K), pdf (134 K)

• S. Akella, W. Huang, K. M. Lynch, and M. T. Mason. Planar manipulation on a conveyor with a one joint robot. 1995 International Symposium on Robotics Research, pp. 265-276, Munich, Germany, October 1995. abstract, postscript (1691 K), pdf (127 K)