ROBOTIC PLATFORM WITH TEACH-REPEAT MODE

• US 20180361577A1
• Filed: 08/23/2018
• Published: 12/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nexus Robotics LLC
• Original Assignee: Discovery Robotics
• Inventors: Williams, Larry J., Rajendran, Vivek, Kadem, Dharmateja, Blum, Jeffrey, Bal, Manomit, Ulm, Britta Kathleen, Shah, Hardik, Shah, Ishit, Callen, David, Kumar, Sujith Vijaya
• Granted Patent: US 10,328,573 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/00 Machines for cleaning floors, carpets, furniture, walls, or wall coverings
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/20 combined with vacuum cleaning devices
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4002 Installations of electric equipment
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4008 Arrangements of switches, indicators or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4011 Regulation of the cleaning machine by electric means; Control systems and remote control systems therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/04 Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/06 Control of the cleaning action for autonomous devices; Automatic detection of the surface condition before, during or after cleaning
• 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 9/1679 characterised by the tasks executed
• CPC Class Codes: E01H 1/00 Removing undesirable matter from roads or like surfaces, with or without moistening of the surface for snow or ice E01H5/00; cleaning tramway rails E01H8/00; obstruction removers on vehicles B60R19/00; in combination with application of bitumen or the like E01C19/16; in combination with application of traffic line E01C23/16 ; Sweeping apparatus, particularly for lawns A01G20/30, A01G20/40; removing undesirable matter from floors and similar surfaces A47L5/00 - A47L13/00
• CPC Class Codes: E01H 1/053 having vertical axes
• CPC Class Codes: E01H 1/103 in which the soiled loosening or washing liquid is removed, e.g. by suction removing liquids in general E01H1/108
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02 using radio waves using satellite radio beacon systems for determining position G01S19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases

Abstract

A method and system for a robotic device comprising a propulsion mechanism, an orientation sensor, a stored digital map of a service area, a sensor for sensing objects, a navigation and orientation system, and a processing facility comprising a processor and a memory, the processing facility causing the robotic device to determine and store a pose position of the robotic device at a plurality of sequential locations as the robotic device is guided by a user along a path from a start location to an end location through the service area, and as commanded by the user and utilizing the navigation and orientation system, re-trace the path from the start location to the end location replicating the stored pose position of the robotic device at the plurality of sequential locations.

Claims

1. A robotic device comprising:

a propulsion mechanism to move the robotic device;

at least one orientation sensor for sensing a pose position of the robotic device;

at least one sensor for sensing objects in a service area;

a stored digital map of a service area;

a navigation and orientation system utilizing the at least one sensor, the at least one orientation sensor, and the stored digital map for navigating within the service area and determining the pose position and location of the robotic device; and

a processing facility comprising a processor and a memory, the processing facility storing a set of instructions that, when executed, cause the robotic device to;

determine and store a pose position of the robotic device at a plurality of sequential locations as the robotic device is guided by a user along a path from a start location to an end location through the service area, and

as commanded by the user and utilizing the navigation and orientation system, re-trace the path from the start location to the end location replicating the stored pose position of the robotic device at the plurality of sequential locations.

2. The robotic device of claim 1, wherein the set of instructions that, when executed, cause the robotic device to execute a smoothing algorithm to smooth motion of the robotic device as it is replicating the stored pose position of the robotic device at the plurality of sequential locations along the path.

3. The robotic device of claim 1, wherein the at least one orientation sensor is an inertial measurement unit (IMU) sensor.

4. The robotic device of claim 1, wherein the path creates a perimeter for an area within the service area, and the robotic device executes a cleaning service to at least a portion of the area.

5. The robotic device of claim 4, wherein the cleaning service is at least one of vacuuming, wet mopping, dry mopping, sweeping, or polishing.

6. The robotic device of claim 1, wherein the path creates a service area boundary for providing a cleaning service to the service area.

7. The robotic device of claim 6, wherein the service area boundary is a wall that sets an outer boundary for providing the cleaning service to the service area.

8. The robotic device of claim 1, wherein the set of instructions that, when executed, cause the robotic device to add the path to the digital map as an update to the digital map.

9. The robotic device of claim 8, wherein the update to the digital map is used to provide a service to the service area.

10. The robotic device of claim 1, further comprising a user interface on the robotic device, wherein the user utilizes the user interface on the robotic device to guide the robotic device along the path.

11. The robotic device of claim 1, further comprising a remote user interface for control of the robotic device, wherein the user utilizes the remote user interface to guide the robotic device along the path.

12. The robotic device of claim 1, the robotic device further comprising a main robotic device portion and a service module portion, the service module portion adapted to perform a service task, wherein the service module portion is removable from the main robotic device portion.

13. A method comprising:

determining and storing a pose position of a robotic device at a plurality of sequential locations as the robotic device is guided by a user along a path from a start location to an end location through a service area, wherein the robotic device comprises a propulsion mechanism, at least one orientation sensor for sensing the pose position of the robotic device, a stored digital map of a service area, at least one sensor for sensing objects in the service area, and a navigation and orientation system; and

as commanded by the user and utilizing the navigation and orientation system, re-trace the path from the start location to the end location replicating the stored pose position of the robotic device at the plurality of sequential locations.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein a smoothing algorithm smooths motion of the robotic device as it is replicating the stored pose position of the robotic device at the plurality of sequential locations along the path.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the at least one orientation sensor is an inertial measurement unit (IMU) sensor.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the path creates a perimeter for an area within the service area, and the robotic device executes a cleaning service to at least a portion of the area.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the cleaning service is at least one of vacuuming, wet mopping, dry mopping, or polishing.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the path creates a service area boundary for providing a cleaning service to the service area.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the service area boundary is a wall that sets an outer boundary for providing the cleaning service to the service area.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the path is added to the digital map as an update to the digital map.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the update to the digital map is used to provide a service to the service area.

22. The method of claim 13, wherein the user utilizes a user interface on the robotic device to guide the robotic device along the path.

23. The method of claim 13, wherein the user utilizes a remote user interface to guide the robotic device along the path.

24. The method of claim 13, the robotic device further comprising a main robotic device portion and a service module portion, the service module portion adapted to perform a service task, wherein the service module portion is removable from the main robotic device portion.