Method and apparatus for controlling robots and the like using a bubble data hierarchy placed along a medial axis
First Claim
1. A machine having a memory which contains a data structure which represents the shape of a physical object in a position and/or motion control machine as a hierarchy of bubbles generated by a method comprising the steps of:
- first locating the medial axis of the object andthen creating a hierarchy of bubbles on the medial axis.
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Abstract
A robotic controller or similar machine represents the shape of an object as a hierarchy of bubbles. The position and radius of each of the bubbles is determined by first calculating the coordinates of the medial axis of the object and then creating a hierarchy of bubbles all of which are disposed on the medial axis. The bubbles may be generated using a top-down algorithm which sequentially places bubbles around portions of the object represented by sub-divisions of branches of the medial axis. Alternatively the bubbles may be placed by using a bottom-up algorithm which combines the smallest of a large number of bubbles centered on the medial axis with its smallest neighbor to generate successively higher level bubbles in the hierarchy.
92 Citations
5 Claims
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1. A machine having a memory which contains a data structure which represents the shape of a physical object in a position and/or motion control machine as a hierarchy of bubbles generated by a method comprising the steps of:
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first locating the medial axis of the object and then creating a hierarchy of bubbles on the medial axis. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A robotic controller comprising:
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means for controlling the motion of one or more objects, said means for controlling responsive to a means for generating a data structure; said means for generating a data structure representative of the shape of one or more of said objects which includes; a) means for calculating the position of the medial axis of said object and b) means for creating the hierarchy of bubbles all of which have centers which are disposed on the medial axis.
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Specification