Modular Reconfigurable Workcell for Quick Connection of Peripherals

• US 20140379129A1
• Filed: 02/27/2014
• Published: 12/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: X Development LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Redwood Robotics, Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Edsinger, Aaron, Jules, Anthony Sean, Nusser, Stefan, Jain, Advait, Vines, James Nicholas
• Granted Patent: US 9,346,160 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/254
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/0009 Constructional details, e.g. manipulator supports, bases
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/0084 comprising a plurality of manipulators
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/0096 co-operating with a working support, e.g. work-table

Abstract

An example modular reconfigurable workcell for quick connection of peripherals is described. In one example, a modular reconfigurable workcell comprises modular docking bays on a surface of the workcell that support attachment of docking modules in a fixed geometric configuration, and respective modular docking bays include electrical connections for a variety of power and communication busses of the docking modules to be attached. The workcell also includes an electrical subsystem for coupling the communication busses between the modular docking bays and providing power circuitry to the modular docking bays, and structural features in the modular docking bays to enable insertion of the docking modules in the fixed geometric configuration. The workcell also includes a processor for determining a geometric calibration of attached peripherals based on a location and the orientation of corresponding docking modules attached to the modular docking bays and based on an identification of the attached peripherals.

Claims

1. A modular reconfigurable workcell comprising:

one or more modular docking bays on a surface of the workcell that support attachment of one or more docking modules in a fixed geometric configuration, wherein respective modular docking bays include a plurality of electrical connections for a variety of power and communication busses of the one or more docking modules to be attached, and wherein the one or more docking modules provide an electrical and mechanical interface between a respective peripheral and the workcell;

an electrical subsystem for coupling the communication busses between the one or more modular docking bays and providing power circuitry to the one or more modular docking bays;

one or more structural features in the one or more modular docking bays to enable insertion of the one or more docking modules in the fixed geometric configuration such that an orientation of the one or more docking modules relative to the workcell is uniquely defined; and

a processor for determining a geometric calibration of attached peripherals based on a location and the orientation of corresponding one or more docking modules attached to the one or more modular docking bays and based on an identification of the attached peripherals of the corresponding one or more docking modules.

2. The modular reconfigurable workcell of claim 1, further comprising the one or more docking modules inserted within the one or more modular docking bays, wherein the one or more docking modules include electrical connectors to couple to the one or more modular docking bays, wherein the electrical connectors include one or more of a spring loaded pin connector and a metal blade connector.

3. The modular reconfigurable workcell of claim 1, further comprising the one or more docking modules inserted within the one or more modular docking bays, wherein the one or more docking modules includes one or more lever arms to engage with the one or more structural features in the one or more modular docking bays and to create a rigid connection between the one or more docking modules and the workcell.

4. The modular reconfigurable workcell of claim 1, wherein the one or more modular docking bays couple to the one or more docking modules through the electrical subsystem and via a printed circuit board (PCB) card edge connector or a wire harness.

5. The modular reconfigurable workcell of claim 1, wherein the plurality of electrical connections include Ethernet and USB connections.

6. The modular reconfigurable workcell of claim 1, wherein a given peripheral may include one or more of a robot arm, a camera, a gripper, a seven degree of freedom (DOF) arm with a camera, a device for assessing device-under-test functionality, a sensor for measuring a location of a device-under-test, and an input/output (I/O) peripheral for interfacing to an external device.

7. The modular reconfigurable workcell of claim 1, wherein the one or more modular docking bays are arranged in an M×

N array, and wherein the power circuitry and the processor are arranged between rows of the modular docking bays.

8. The modular reconfigurable workcell of claim 1, wherein the one or more modular docking bays are arranged in a 1×

M array, and wherein the power circuitry and the processor are arranged underneath a row of the modular docking bays.

9. The modular reconfigurable workcell of claim 1, further comprising a cover secured over a given modular docking bay that is without a corresponding docking module.

10. The modular reconfigurable workcell of claim 1, wherein the one or more modular docking bays are identical.

11. The modular reconfigurable workcell of claim 1, wherein the processor further receives from a respective attached peripheral a description of the respective attached peripheral including geometric features of the attached peripheral upon attachment of a corresponding docking module of the respective attached peripheral to the one or more modular docking bays.

12. The modular reconfigurable workcell of claim 1, wherein the processor further determines the geometric calibration based on the location of the one or more docking modules with respect to each other.

13. The modular reconfigurable workcell of claim 1, further comprising a power supply and a central backplane circuitry board that provides electrical interconnects between the one or more docking modules and the power supply and between the one or more docking modules and the processor.

14. The modular reconfigurable workcell of claim 1, further comprising an enclosure including:

the one or more modular docking bays accessible through the surface of the workcell;

the electrical subsystem; and

the processor,

wherein the enclosure is sealed to an outside environment.

15. The modular reconfigurable workcell of claim 1, further comprising:

an inertial measurement unit (IMU) to determine one or more of an acceleration experienced by the workcell and an orientation of the workcell,

wherein the processor is coupled to the IMU to receive the one or more of the acceleration and the orientation of the workcell and to determine an indication of a malfunctioning peripheral or contact of a peripheral with another element.

16. A modular reconfigurable workcell comprising:

one or more modular docking bays on a surface of the workcell that support attachment of docking modules in a fixed geometric configuration, wherein respective modular docking bays include a plurality of electrical connections for a variety of power and communication busses of the docking modules to be attached;

one or more docking modules inserted within the one or more modular docking bays, wherein the one or more docking modules provide an electrical and mechanical interface between a respective peripheral and the workcell; and

a processor for determining a geometric calibration of attached peripherals based on a location and an orientation of corresponding one or more docking modules attached to the one or more modular docking bays and based on an identification of the attached peripherals of the corresponding one or more docking modules.

17. The modular reconfigurable workcell of claim 16, wherein the one or more docking modules includes one or more lever arms to engage with one or more structural features in the one or more modular docking bays and to create a rigid connection between the one or more docking modules and the workcell.

18. The modular reconfigurable workcell of claim 16, wherein the one or more modular docking bays are arranged in an M×

N array, and wherein the power circuitry and the processor are arranged between rows of the modular docking bays.

19. A modular reconfigurable workcell comprising:

an enclosure including;

one or more modular docking bays on a surface of the enclosure that support attachment of docking modules in a fixed geometric configuration, wherein respective modular docking bays include a plurality of electrical connections for a variety of power and communication busses of the docking modules to be attached;

an electrical subsystem for coupling the communication busses between the one or more modular docking bays and providing power circuitry to the one or more modular docking bays; and

one or more docking modules inserted within the one or more modular docking bays, wherein the one or more docking modules provide an electrical and mechanical interface between a respective peripheral and the workcell.

20. The modular reconfigurable workcell of claim 19, further comprising:

a processor for determining a geometric calibration of attached peripherals based on a location and an orientation of corresponding one or more docking modules attached to the one or more modular docking bays and based on an identification of the attached peripherals of the corresponding one or more docking modules; and

wherein the processor further determines the geometric calibration based on the location of the one or more docking modules with respect to each other.