Digital proxy simulation of robotic hardware

• US 10,078,712 B2
• Filed: 01/14/2014
• Issued: 09/18/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Universal Robots USA Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Energid Technologies Corporation (Teradyne Incorporated)
• Inventors: Bacon, James A., Barker, Douglas E., Chen, Xi, English, James D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gebresilassie, Kibrom K
• Application Number:
  US14/154,873
• Publication Number:
  US 20150199458A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,708 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1605 Simulation of manipulator lay-out, design, modelling of manipulator
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/163 learning, adaptive, model based, rule based expert control
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1664 characterised by motion, path, trajectory planning
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1671 characterised by simulation, either to verify existing program or to create and verify new program, CAD/CAM oriented, graphic oriented programming systems
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0405 Programme-control specially adapted for machine tool control and not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/37092 Display position actual and or target
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40131 Virtual reality control, programming of manipulator
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/20 Design optimisation, verification or simulation optimisation, verification or simulation of circuit designs G06F30/30
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/41 Tool

Abstract

A computer-implemented method, computer program product, and computing system is provided for a digital proxy simulation of robotic hardware. In an implementation, a method may include creating a digital proxy simulation for a robotic hardware wherein the digital simulation and the robotic hardware may share a network interface. a user may be provided with an option to switch between the robotic hardware and the digital proxy simulation. The switch may be executed, upon receiving a user selection, between the robotic hardware and the digital proxy simulation, wherein executing the switch includes transferring input and output signals between the digital proxy simulation and the robotic hardware.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

creating, by one or more processors, a digital proxy simulation for a robotic hardware wherein the digital proxy simulation and the robotic hardware share a network interface;

providing, by one or more processors, a user with an option to switch between the robotic hardware and the digital proxy simulation; and

upon receiving a user selection, executing, by one or more processors, the switch between the robotic hardware and the digital proxy simulation, wherein executing the switch includes transferring sensor or user-interface driven input and output signals during or before operation between the digital proxy simulation and the robotic hardware, wherein the digital proxy simulation includes receiving a plurality of channel images for multi-channel camera simulation, wherein, after the switch, the user is controlling one of the robotic hardware or the digital proxy simulation but not both at a given point in time.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the robotic hardware is at least one of a mobile robot, a fixed base articulated serial manipulator, a moving base articulated serial manipulator, a fixed base articulated robot with branching links, and a moving base articulated robot with branching links.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the digital proxy simulation includes, at least in part, a sensor simulation, a kinematic simulation, a dynamic simulation, and an environment simulation.

4. The method of claim 1, further includes executing, by one or more processors, the digital proxy simulation using at least one of network communications and network communications over the Internet.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the network communications and the network communication over the Internet are provided using Data Distribution Service (DDS) for real-time systems.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the robotic hardware and the digital proxy simulation have the same network interface.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the environment simulation includes, at least in part, a terrain simulation and an interaction with the robotic hardware.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the movement of the robotic hardware is rendered at least on one of a computer and a handheld electronic device.

9. The method of claim 3, wherein the dynamic simulation includes numerical integration of Newton'"'"'s and Euler'"'"'s dynamic equations for moving parts.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein digital proxy simulation includes:

receiving, by one or more processors, at least one channel image for multi-channel camera simulation;

applying, by one or more processors, one or more textures to a terrain node for each channel image; and

viewing, by one or more processors, the one or more textures through one or more of a custom vertex shader and a custom fragment shader.

10. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium having a plurality of instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations including:

creating a digital proxy simulation for a robotic hardware wherein the digital proxy simulation and the robotic hardware share a network interface;

providing a user with an option to switch between the robotic hardware and the digital proxy simulation; and

upon receiving a user selection, executing the switch between the robotic hardware and the digital proxy simulation, wherein executing the switch includes transferring sensor or user-interface driven input and output signals during or before operation between the digital proxy simulation and the robotic hardware, wherein the robotic hardware includes one or more of a stereo camera and a lidar sensor, wherein, after the switch, the user is controlling one of the robotic hardware or the digital proxy simulation but not both at a given point in time.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the robotic hardware is at least one of a mobile robot, a fixed base articulated serial manipulator, a moving base articulated serial manipulator, a fixed base articulated robot with branching links, and a moving base articulated robot with branching links.

12. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the digital proxy simulation includes, at least in part, a sensor simulation, a kinematic simulation, a dynamic simulation, and an environment simulation.

13. The computer program product of claim 10, further includes executing, by one or more processors, the digital proxy simulation using at least one of network communications and network communications over the Internet.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the network communications and the network communication over the Internet are provided using Data Distribution Service (DDS) for real-time systems.

15. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the robotic hardware and the digital proxy simulation have the same network interface.

16. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the environment simulation includes, at least in part, a terrain simulation and an interaction with the robotic hardware.

17. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the movement of the robotic hardware is rendered at least on one of a computer and a handheld electronic device.

18. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the dynamic simulation includes numerical integration of Newton'"'"'s and Euler'"'"'s dynamic equations for moving parts.

19. A computing system comprising:

at least one processor, and at least one memory architecture coupled with the at least one processor;

the at least one processor configured to;

create a digital proxy simulation for a robotic hardware wherein the digital proxy simulation and the robotic hardware share a network interface;

provide a user with an option to switch between the robotic hardware and the digital proxy simulation; and

upon receiving a user selection, execute the switch between the robotic hardware and the digital proxy simulation, wherein executing the switch includes transferring sensor or user-interface driven input and output signals during or before operation between the digital proxy simulation and the robotic hardware, wherein the robotic hardware includes one or more of a stereo camera and a lidar sensor, wherein, after the switch, the user is controlling one of the robotic hardware or the digital proxy simulation but not both at a given point in time.

20. The computing system of claim 19, wherein the robotic hardware is at least one of a mobile robot, a fixed base articulated serial manipulator, a moving base articulated serial manipulator, a fixed base articulated robot with branching links, and a moving base articulated robot with branching links.

21. The computing system of claim 19, wherein the digital proxy simulation includes, at least in part, a sensor simulation, a kinematic simulation, a dynamic simulation, and an environment simulation.

22. The computing system of claim 19, further includes executing, by one or more processors, the digital proxy simulation using at least one of network communications and network communications over the Internet.

23. The computing system of claim 22, wherein the network communications and the network communication over the Internet are provided using Data Distribution Service (DDS) for real-time systems.

24. The computing system of claim 19, wherein the robotic hardware and the digital proxy simulation have the same network interface.

25. The computing system of claim 21, wherein the environment simulation includes, at least in part, a terrain simulation and an interaction with the robotic hardware.

26. The computing system of claim 19, wherein the movement of the robotic hardware is rendered at least on one of a computer and a handheld electronic device.

27. The computing system of claim 21, wherein the dynamic simulation includes numerical integration of Newton'"'"'s and Euler'"'"'s dynamic equations for moving parts.