SELF-STABILIZING AUTONOMOUS DEVICES AND USE THEREOF IN AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES

• US 20200132466A1
• Filed: 10/29/2018
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: MacNeille, Perry, Wu, Bo
• Granted Patent: US 10,816,340 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/18 Stabilised platforms, e.g. by gyroscope
• 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 1/0246 using a video camera in combination with image processing means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/027 comprising intertial navigation means, e.g. azimuth detector inertial navigation G01C21/16; inertial navigation combined with non-inertial navigation instruments G01C21/165
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0891 specially adapted for land vehicles

Abstract

Self-stabilizing autonomous devices and use thereof in autonomous vehicles are disclosed herein. An example device can include a body member having a central axis extending therethrough, a delivery platform disposed on a first end of the body member, a translation assembly disposed on a second end of the body member, a ballast assembly, and a controller that is configured to control operation of at least one of the translation assembly or the ballast assembly so as to balance forces exerted on the device and maintain the delivery platform in a desired orientation as the device moves across an operating surface.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a body member having a central axis extending therethrough, the body member having a first end and a second end;

a delivery platform disposed on the first end of the body member and orthogonal to the central axis;

a translation assembly disposed on the second end of the body member providing for movement of the device;

a ballast assembly; and

a controller that is configured to control operation of at least one of the translation assembly or the ballast assembly so as to balance forces exerted on the device and maintain the delivery platform in a desired orientation as the device moves across an operating surface.

2. The device according to claim 1, further comprising one or more delivery platform sensors that are configured to measure delivery platform forces comprising at least one of shear, normal, or torque forces applied to the delivery platform by one or more objects placed onto the delivery platform.

3. The device according to claim 2, further comprising a camera that is configured to capture camera input comprising at least one of:

a slope of the operating surface that is contacted by the translation assembly;

movement of the translation assembly relative to the operating surface;

or

identification, location, and orientation of fiduciary objects on the operating surface.

4. The device according to claim 3, further comprising an inertial measurement unit configured to measure the forces exerted on the device at a contact point where the translation assembly contacts the operating surface, wherein the forces exerted on the device comprise device motion forces due to motion of the device and gravity force.

5. The device according to claim 4, wherein the inertial measurement unit is further configured to:

sense an orientation of the device relative to vehicle coordinates when the device is operating within a transit vehicle; and

receive a transit vehicle slope from the transit vehicle.

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein the inertial measurement unit is further configured to receive transit vehicle force components that are indicative of forces of the transit vehicle provided by vehicle force sensors, as well as suspension signals and steering signals.

7. The device according to claim 6, wherein balancing forces exerted on the device comprise compensating for a shift in a center of mass of the device, wherein the shift in the center of mass is a function of:

the transit vehicle force components;

the delivery platform force components;

the device motion forces due to motion of the device;

the gravity force on the device;

the transit vehicle slope;

the slope of the operating surface; and

the orientation of the device.

8. The device according to claim 7, wherein the ballast assembly comprises a plurality of ballasts that are each rotatably and hingedly coupled to the body member, and provide movement in two axes of motion relative to the body member, wherein the controller causes at least one of selective movement of one or more of the plurality of ballasts or directional movement of the translation assembly in order to produce the compensation for the shift of the center of mass of the device.

9. The device according to claim 8, wherein the controller is further configured to:

read data encoded into the fiduciary objects for navigating the device on the operating surface; and

selectively control the translation assembly to perform the navigation.

10. The device according to claim 9, wherein the controller is further configured to utilize an intended motion of the device during navigation, and the orientation of the device is computed by the inertial measurement unit to further control the selective movement of one or more of the plurality of ballasts or directional movement of the translation assembly.

11. The device according to claim 1, wherein the desired orientation includes the delivery platform held at a position that prevents objects contacting an upper surface of the delivery platform from sliding off of the delivery platform when the device is in motion.

12. A method, comprising:

determining, by one or more processors coupled to at least one memory, a location of a contact point between a translation assembly of a ballbot and an operating surface of a transit vehicle;

sensing a slope and movement of the ballbot on the operating surface using camera input from a camera;

receiving transit vehicle force components for the transit vehicle;

computing a slope of the operating surface with respect to gravity;

sensing a location of the ballbot within the transit vehicle;

determining forces on the ballbot at the contact point comprising any of the transit vehicle force components, the location of the contact point, the slope, the movement of the ballbot, the slope of the operating surface with respect to gravity, and the location of the contact point of the ballbot, or any combination thereof; and

selectively controlling at least one of a ballast assembly and a translation assembly of the ballbot so as to balance the forces on the ballbot at the contact point.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising measuring delivery platform force components comprising at least one of shear, normal, or torque forces of a delivery platform of the ballbot.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the ballbot further senses identification, location, and orientation of fiduciary objects on the operating surface.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the ballbot navigates through the transit vehicle using the fiduciary objects.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising sensing:

an orientation of the ballbot relative to vehicle coordinates when the device is operating within a transit vehicle; and

gravity and motion forces created by movement of the device along the operating surface.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising receiving the transit vehicle force components from signals provided by vehicle force sensors, as well as suspension signals and steering signals of the transit vehicle.

18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising causing at least one of pivoting or hinging of one or more of a plurality of ballasts or directional movement of the translation assembly in order to balance the forces exerted on the device.

19. The method according to claim 18, further comprising:

reading data encoded into the fiduciary objects for navigating the ballbot on the operating surface;

selectively controlling the translation assembly to perform the navigation; and

wherein the controller is further configured to utilize an intended motion of the ballbot during navigation and the orientation of the ballbot to further control the selective movement of one or more of the plurality of ballasts or the directional movement of the translation assembly.

20. A system, comprising:

a transit vehicle comprising an operating surface having one or more fiduciary objects positioned thereon; and

a ballbot configured to move around the transit vehicle on the operating surface using the one or more fiduciary objects for navigation, wherein the ballbot transports at least one object placed on a delivery platform, the ballbot being configured to balance forces measured at a contact point between the ballbot and the operating surface, wherein the forces are caused by at least one of motion of the transit vehicle, motion of the ballbot, or gravity, wherein the ballbot balances the forces using at least one of a ballast assembly of the ballbot, a translation assembly of the ballbot, or a combination thereof, the forces being balanced so as to stabilize the ballbot and to prevent the at least one object from sliding off the delivery platform.