Multi-resolution localization system

• US 10,500,732 B1
• Filed: 07/31/2018
• Issued: 12/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intrinsic Innovation LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: X Development LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Linnell, Jeff, Michalowski, Marek, Jules, Anthony Sean
• Primary Examiner(s): Amin, Bhavesh V
• Application Number:
  US16/050,471
• Time in Patent Office: 497 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1664 characterised by motion, path, trajectory planning
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1692 Calibration of manipulator
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1697 Vision controlled systems
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40601 Reference sensors
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/09 Closed loop, sensor feedback controls arm movement

Abstract

In one aspect, a method is described. The method may include providing an end effector tool of a robotic device configured to perform a task on a work surface within a worksite coordinate frame. The method may further include providing first location data indicating a first location of the end effector tool with respect to the work surface, providing second location data indicating a second location of the end effector tool within the worksite coordinate frame, and providing third location data indicating a third location of the end effector tool within the worksite coordinate frame. The method may further include tracking the location of the end effector tool based on the first, second, and third location data, and, based on the tracked location of the tool, instructing the robotic device to manipulate the end effector tool to perform a task on the work surface.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, by a robot controller and from a worker robot, location data that reflects a location that the worker robot estimates for an end effector tool that is mounted on the worker robot, wherein the location data is provided to the robot controller from the worker robot at a first rate;

receiving, by the robot controller and from an observer robot, location data that reflects a location that the observer robot estimates for the end effector tool that is mounted on the worker robot, wherein the location data is provided to the robot controller from the observer robot at a second rate that is slower than the first rate; and

in response to receiving the location data from the worker robot and the location data from the observer robot, providing, by the robot controller and to the worker robot, location data indicating a location that the robot controller estimates for the end effector tool that is mounted on the worker robot.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the worker robot includes a sensor that generates location data at a higher rate than a sensor on the observer robot that generates location data.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the sensor on the observer robot has a higher spatial accuracy than the sensor on the worker robot.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the observer robot generates the location data using dead reckoning.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the observer robot generates the location data using optical flow.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the location that the observer robot estimates for the end effector tool is specified in relation to a worksite coordinate frame.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the location that the observer robot estimates for the end effector tool is specified in relation to a work surface.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the worker robot includes visual markers for use by the observer in generating the location data that reflects the location that the observer robot estimates for the end effector tool that is mounted on the worker robot.

9. A system comprising:

one or more computers; and

a non-transitory computer-readable medium coupled to the one or more computers having instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the one or more computers, cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising;

receiving, by a robot controller and from a worker robot, location data that reflects a location that the worker robot estimates for an end effector tool that is mounted on the worker robot, wherein the location data is provided to the robot controller from the worker robot at a first rate;

receiving, by the robot controller and from an observer robot, location data that reflects a location that the observer robot estimates for the end effector tool that is mounted on the worker robot, wherein the location data is provided to the robot controller from the observer robot at a second rate that is slower than the first rate; and

in response to receiving the location data from the worker robot and the location data from the observer robot, providing, by the robot controller and to the worker robot, location data indicating a location that the robot controller estimates for the end effector tool that is mounted on the worker robot.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the worker robot includes a sensor that generates location data at a higher rate than a sensor on the observer robot that generates location data.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the sensor on the observer robot has a higher spatial accuracy than the sensor on the worker robot.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the observer robot generates the location data using dead reckoning.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the observer robot generates the location data using optical flow.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the location that the observer robot estimates for the end effector tool is specified in relation to a worksite coordinate frame.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the location that the observer robot estimates for the end effector tool is specified in relation to a work surface.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the worker robot includes visual markers for use by the observer in generating the location data that reflects the location that the observer robot estimates for the end effector tool that is mounted on the worker robot.

17. A non-transitory computer storage medium encoded with a computer program, the computer program comprising instructions that when executed by one or more processors cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

receiving, by a robot controller and from a worker robot, location data that reflects a location that the worker robot estimates for an end effector tool that is mounted on the worker robot, wherein the location data is provided to the robot controller from the worker robot at a first rate;

receiving, by the robot controller and from an observer robot, location data that reflects a location that the observer robot estimates for the end effector tool that is mounted on the worker robot, wherein the location data is provided to the robot controller from the observer robot at a second rate that is slower than the first rate; and

in response to receiving the location data from the worker robot and the location data from the observer robot, providing, by the robot controller and to the worker robot, location data indicating a location that the robot controller estimates for the end effector tool that is mounted on the worker robot.

18. The medium of claim 17, wherein the worker robot includes a sensor that generates location data at a higher rate than a sensor on the observer robot that generates location data.

19. The medium of claim 18, wherein the sensor on the observer robot has a higher spatial accuracy than the sensor on the worker robot.

20. The medium of claim 17, wherein the observer robot generates the location data using dead reckoning.