Hardware abstraction layer (HAL) for a robot

• US 20050021186A1
• Filed: 08/23/2004
• Published: 01/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Original Assignee: Evolution Robotics Inc. (iRobot Corporation)
• Inventors: Pirjanian, Paolo, Pham, Baoquoc N., Murray, Thomas J. IV
• Granted Patent: US 7,076,336 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/245
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/161 Hardware, e.g. neural networks, fuzzy logic, interfaces, processor
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1661 characterised by task planning, object-oriented languages
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1666 Avoiding collision or forbidden zones
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40389 Use robot control language also to write non robotic user, application programs
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40397 Programming language for robots, universal, user oriented
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0088 characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 2201/02 Control of position of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/455 Emulation; Interpretation; Software simulation, e.g. virtualisation or emulation of application or operating system execution engines
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 3/008 based on physical entities controlled by simulated intelligence so as to replicate intelligent life forms, e.g. based on robots replicating pets or humans in their appearance or behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/11 Automated chemical analysis

Abstract

Methods and apparatus that provide a hardware abstraction layer (HAL) for a robot are disclosed. A HAL can reside as a software layer or as a firmware layer residing between robot control software and underlying robot hardware and/or an operating system for the hardware. The HAL provides a relatively uniform abstract for aggregates of underlying hardware such that the underlying robotic hardware is transparent to perception and control software, i.e., robot control software. This advantageously permits robot control software to be written in a robot-independent manner. Developers of robot control software are then freed from tedious lower level tasks. Portability is another advantage. For example, the HAL efficiently permits robot control software developed for one robot to be ported to another. In one example, the HAL permits the same navigation algorithm to be ported from a wheeled robot and used on a humanoid legged robot.

Claims

1. A hardware abstraction layer (HAL) in a robot software architecture, the HAL comprising:

software interfaces to higher-level software, wherein the software interfaces are configured to communicate with the higher-level robotic software with real-world measurements relating to robot interaction with an environment;

a resource configuration that provides an indication of available resources the higher-level software;

a plurality of resource drivers, wherein at least a portion of the resource drivers correspond to the available resources in the resource configuration, wherein at least two of the resource drivers overlap in functionality, where only one of the at least two resource drivers has a corresponding resource available, where a resource driver for an available resource is configured to translate between real-world measurements for the robot and device-level measurements for a device; and

an interface to lower-level device drivers, wherein the lower-level device drivers communicate with corresponding hardware at a device level, and where the interface to lower-level device drivers communicates to the higher-level software via a resource driver.

2. The HAL as defined in claim 1, wherein the resource configuration further comprises an indication of where a device is structurally coupled to the robot.

3. The HAL as defined in claim 1, wherein the higher-level software includes at least one selected from the group consisting of a planner, an application, a behavior, and a task.

4. The HAL as defined in claim 1, wherein the higher-level software comprises at least one of a planner, an application, a behavior, or a task.

5. The HAL as defined in claim 1, wherein a device driver corresponds to a motor driver and wherein a corresponding resource driver uses a wheel diameter and a gear ratio to compute speed given a motor angular velocity such that the resource driver translates between motor angular velocity for the motor driver and linear velocity for the high-level software.

6. The HAL as defined in claim 1, where the resource drivers reside in an application program interface (API) layer between the higher level software and the lower-level device drivers.

7. A hardware abstraction layer (HAL) in a robot for robot control software, the HAL comprising:

means for providing a plurality of resource drivers for the robot, where the plurality of resource drivers includes resource drivers for which no corresponding hardware is present on the robot;

means for detecting a hardware configuration for the robot;

means for automatically detecting resources that are available on the robot based on the detected hardware configuration;

means for receiving a request from the robot control software to use a type of resource;

means for automatically selecting a resource from the available resources that corresponds to the type of resource requested by the robot control software;

means for exchanging a first information with the robot control software, where the first information is related to use of the selected resource and is provided in a unit of measure that is related to a robot;

means for exchanging a second information with a low-level device driver corresponding to the resource, where the second information is related to the use requested by the robot control software, where the second information is provided in a unit of measure that is related to a corresponding device, and where the second information is different than the first information; and

means for converting between the first information and the second information based on the detected configuration of the robot.