Domestic Robotic System

• US 20170113342A1
• Filed: 10/21/2016
• Published: 04/27/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mtd Products Incorporated (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: F Robotics Acquisitions Ltd. (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Inventors: Abramson, Shai
• Granted Patent: US 10,315,306 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/0003 Home robots, i.e. small robots for domestic use
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1697 Vision controlled systems
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0221 involving a learning process
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0225 involving docking at a fixed facility, e.g. base station or loading bay parking aids B62D15/027
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0234 using optical markers or beacons optical beacons per se G01S1/70
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0246 using a video camera in combination with image processing means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0278 using satellite positioning signals, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/2244 Optic
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/24 Arrangements for determining position or orientation
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/243 Means capturing signals occurring naturally from the environment, e.g. ambient optical, acoustic, gravitational or magnetic signals using passive navigation aids external to the vehicle G05D1/244; using signals from positioning sensors located off-board the vehicle G05D1/249
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/248 generated by satellites, e.g. GPS

Abstract

A domestic robotic system, for example for mowing the lawn, including a robot, which includes: a movement system having wheels or the like for moving the robot over a surface; an image obtaining device, such as a camera, for obtaining images of the exterior environment of the robot; and at least one processor in electronic communication with the movement system and the image obtaining device. The at least one processor is programmed to: detect a predetermined pattern within at least one of the images, with this predetermined pattern being associated with a marker provided on a base station; respond to the detection of the predetermined pattern by determining, by a first process, an estimate of the robot'"'"'s position and/or orientation, this estimate of the robot'"'"'s position and orientation being relative to the base station, the at least one processor and the image obtaining device thereby forming part of a first positioning system for the robot; determine, by a second process, an alternative estimate of the robot'"'"'s position and/or orientation, the at least one processor thereby forming part of a second positioning system for the robot; and perform at least one calibration of the second positioning system using the first positioning system.

Claims

1. A domestic robotic system including a robot, the robot comprising:

a movement system for moving the robot over a surface;

an image obtaining device for obtaining images of the exterior environment of the robot; and

,

at least one processor in electronic communication with the movement system and the image obtaining device, the at least one processor programmed to;

detect a predetermined pattern within at least one of the obtained images, the predetermined pattern being associated with a marker provided on a base station;

respond to the detection of the predetermined pattern by determining, by a first process, an estimate of at least one of the position and orientation of the robot, said estimate of the position and orientation of the robot being relative to the base station, the at least one processor and image obtaining device thereby forming at least part of a first navigation system for the robot;

determine, by a second process, an alternative estimate of at least one of the robot'"'"'s position and orientation, the at least one processor thereby forming part of a second navigation system for the robot; and

,

perform at least one calibration of said second navigation system using said first navigation system.

2. The domestic robotic system of claim 1, additionally comprising, a base station, and, wherein said alternative estimate of said at least one the position and orientation of the robot is relative to the base station.

3. The domestic robotic system of claim 1, wherein the robot additionally comprises:

one or more sensors in electronic communication with the at least one processor, the at least one processor receiving output from said one or more sensors to determine, by said second process, said alternative estimate of at least one of the robot'"'"'s position and orientation, said one or more sensors forming said part of said second navigation system.

4. The domestic robotic system of claim 3, wherein said one or more sensors forming said part of said second navigation system are configured to sense relative motion of the robot.

6. The domestic robotic system of claim 2, wherein the at least one processor is programmed such that said at least one calibration includes a base station calibration that takes place when the robot is docked at said base station.

7. The domestic robotic system of claim 6, wherein said base station calibration comprises refining the second process such that said alternative estimate of the robot'"'"'s orientation is set to be equal to said first estimate of the robot'"'"'s orientation relative to the base station or is set to be offset from said first estimate of the robot'"'"'s orientation by a predetermined amount.

8. The domestic robotic system of claim 7, wherein said base station calibration further comprises at least one of:

refining the second process such that said alternative estimate of the position of the robot is set to be equal to a predetermined co-ordinate; and

correcting the second process such that said alternative estimate of the position of the robot is set to be equal to said first estimate of the position of the robot or is set to be offset from said first estimate of the position of the robot by a predetermined amount.

10. The domestic robotic system of claim 6, wherein the robot further comprises a satellite navigation system receiver, the at least one processor being programmed to determine a further estimate of the robot'"'"'s position using said satellite navigation system receiver, the at least one processor and the satellite navigation system receiver forming at least part of a third navigation system for the robot;

wherein the at least one processor is programmed to calculate a time-averaged value of the further estimate of the robot'"'"'s position when the robot is docked at said base station, the time-averaged value being stored on data storage provided by the robot and used to transform at least one of robot positions and robot orientations determined at least one of said first navigation system and said second navigation system into a universal co-ordinate system.

11. The domestic robotic system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is programmed such that said at least one calibration comprises one or more measurement error calibrations, each of which comprises determining values for one or more adjustment parameters, which account for measurement errors that are expected to result from typical operation of the robot within the working environment, with the one or more adjustment parameters being utilised by said second process.

14. The domestic robotic system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is programmed such that said at least one calibration includes one or more movement pattern calibrations, each of which comprises causing the movement system to perform a movement pattern, each movement pattern having a predetermined form.

15. The domestic robotic system of claim 14, wherein at least one of said one or more movement pattern calibrations includes comparing the estimate of said at least one of the position and orientation of the robot, at one or more points during the movement pattern, from said first navigation system with the corresponding estimate of said at least one of the position and orientation of the robot, at the same one or more points during the movement pattern, from said second navigation system.

16. The domestic robotic system of claim 14, wherein at least one of said one or more movement pattern calibrations includes comparing the change, as determined by said first navigation system, in said at least one of the robot'"'"'s position and orientation between a first point and a second point of the movement pattern, with the change, as determined by said second navigation system, in said at least one of the position of the robot and orientation between the same first point and second point of the movement pattern.

17. The domestic robotic system of claim 16, wherein at least one of said one or more movement pattern calibrations is a path-following calibration, whose corresponding movement pattern includes a path having a predetermined shape that the robot follows.

18. The domestic robotic system of claim 17, wherein for each path-following calibration the corresponding movement pattern comprises a straight line having a predetermined length.

20. The domestic robotic system of claim 17, wherein each path-following calibration refines the way in which the second process determines the position of the robot.

21. The domestic robotic system of claim 16, wherein at least one of said one or more movement pattern calibrations is a rotating calibration, whose corresponding movement pattern comprises a rotation of the robot through a predetermined angle.

23. The domestic robotic system of claim 21, wherein each rotating calibration refines the way in which the second process determines the orientation of the robot.

25. The domestic robotic system of claim 14, wherein the at least one processor is programmed so as to move the robot, using the movement system, from the base station to a start point, and wherein the robot thereafter performs respective movement patterns according to at least one of the one or more movement pattern calibrations, wherein the robot thereafter returns to the base station, using the movement system.

27. The domestic robotic system of claim 14, wherein the at least one processor is programmed such that each movement pattern calibration is a measurement error calibration and comprises determining values for one or more adjustment parameters, which account for measurement errors that are expected to result from typical operation of the robot within the working environment, with the one or more adjustment parameters being utilised by said second process.

28. The domestic robotic system of claim 27, wherein each path-following calibration includes determining adjustment parameters that are used by the second process to determine an alternative estimate of the position of the robot.

29. The domestic robotic system of claim 27, wherein at least one of said one or more movement pattern calibrations is a rotating calibration, whose corresponding movement pattern comprises a rotation of the robot through a predetermined angle;

and wherein each rotating calibration includes determining adjustment parameters that are used by the second process to determine an alternative estimate of the orientation of the robot.

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