Cooperative system and method using mobile robots for testing a cooperative search controller

• US 6,408,226 B1
• Filed: 04/24/2001
• Issued: 06/18/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: National Technology & Engineering Solutions Of Sandia LLC (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Sandia Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: Harrington, John J., Eskridge, Steven E., Byrne, Raymond H., Hurtado, John E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Marc, McDieunel, Marc, McDieunel
• Application Number:
  US09/841,846
• Time in Patent Office: 420 Days
• Field of Search: 700/245, 700/258, 700/259, 700/96, 700/39, 700/94, 700/250, 318/568.11, 318/568.12, 701/28, 701/1, 701/200, 701/207, 701/213, 701/23, 701/217, 701/220, 701/225, 701/300, 382/153, 348/113, 348/120, 901/47
• US Class Current: 700/258
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/39168 Multiple robots searching an object
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0246 using a video camera in combination with image processing means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0297 by controlling means in a control room

Abstract

A test system for testing a controller provides a way to use large numbers of miniature mobile robots to test a cooperative search controller in a test area, where each mobile robot has a sensor, a communication device, a processor, and a memory. A method of using a test system provides a way for testing a cooperative search controller using multiple robots sharing information and communicating over a communication network.

Claims

1. A cooperative system using mobile robots for testing a source localization controller to locate a source in a test area, comprising:

a) a source, having a detectable attribute;

b) a plurality of mobile robots, cooperatively locating the source, each mobile robot controlled by the source localization controller, each mobile robot comprising;

i) a sensor, mounted with the mobile robot, generating a sensor reading of the source;

ii) a robot communication device, mounted with the mobile robot;

iii) a robot processor, mounted with the mobile robot, interfacing to the robot communication device, and running the source localization controller; and

iv) a memory, mounted with the mobile robot, accessible to the robot processor; and

c) a communication network, in communication with each robot communication device, and interfacing the plurality of mobile robots.

2. The cooperative system of claim 1, further comprising a source generator, wherein the source is generated by the source generator.

3. The cooperative system of claim 2, wherein the source generator is a thermal source.

4. The cooperative system of claim 3, wherein the thermal source is a cold source comprising dry ice.

5. The cooperative system of claim 1, wherein each mobile robot comprises a miniature mobile robot.

6. The cooperative system of claim 1, wherein the source comprises a mobile source.

7. The cooperative system of claim 1, wherein the communication network comprises a reconfigurable network.

8. The cooperative system of claim 1, further comprising:

a) a base station, collecting test information on the source localization controller;

b) wherein the base station comprises a base station communication device;

c) wherein each mobile robot communicates with the base station communication device over the communication network.

9. The cooperative system of claim 8, further comprising:

a) a camera system, locatable to observe the plurality of mobile robots in the test area, and generating a position update for each mobile robot;

b) wherein each robot processor is capable of determining a robot position using the position update.

10. The cooperative system of claim 9, wherein the base station further comprises:

a) a base station processor; and

b) a video interface card, mounted with the base station processor, capable of interfacing to the camera system.

11. The cooperative system of claim 10, wherein the video interface card comprises a frame grabber card.

12. The cooperative system of claim 10, wherein the base station further comprises:

a) an operator command device, in communication with the base station processor, and accepting an operator input; and

b) a display device, adapted to display the robot position for each mobile robot.

13. The robotic system of claim 10, wherein the base station further comprises:

a) a memory, in communication with the base station processor; and

b) a data logger, capable of storing data in the memory.

14. A test system for testing a cooperative search controller using a mobile robot team to search an area for an objective, comprising:

a) a plurality of cooperating robots, operating within the area, each cooperating robot comprising;

i) a sensor, mounted with the mobile robot, generating a robot sensor reading on the objective;

ii) a communication device, mounted with the mobile robot, communicating the robot sensor reading to the other cooperating robots;

iii) a memory, mounted with the mobile robot, capable of storing a received sensor reading communicated from the other cooperating robots; and

iv) a processor, mounted with the mobile robot, in communication with the sensor and the memory;

v) wherein the processor executes the cooperative search controller, using the received sensor reading and the robot sensor reading to generate a cooperative search update; and

b) a tracking device, indicating a position for each mobile robot.

15. The test system of claim 14, wherein for each cooperating robot, the tracking device comprises a location sensor, mounted with the cooperating robot.

16. The test system of claim 14, further comprising a base station,

a) wherein the tracking device comprises:

i) a camera system, in communication with the base station, generating a position update for each of the cooperating robots;

b) wherein the base station comprises;

i) a video receiver, accepting input from the camera system; and

ii) a base station communication device, capable of communicating the position update to each cooperating robot.

17. The test system of claim 14, wherein each cooperating robot further comprises a collision avoidance device, mounted with the cooperating robot.

18. A method of using a test system for testing a cooperative search controller, the test system comprising a plurality of mobile robots cooperating to locate a source in a test area, each mobile robot comprising a sensor, a robot processor, a memory, and a communication device;

the test system comprising a tracking device and a communication network;

each communication device interfacing with the communication network, the method comprising;

a) for each mobile robot, generating a robot sensor reading on the source using the sensor;

b) for each mobile robot, determining a robot location in the test area using the tracking device;

c) for each mobile robot, communicating the robot sensor reading and the robot location to the other mobile robots using the communication device;

d) for each mobile robot, storing a received sensor reading and a received robot location in the memory;

e) for each mobile robot, executing the cooperative search controller on the robot processor to generate a cooperative search update using the received sensor reading, the received robot location, the robot sensor reading, and the robot location;

f) for each robot, moving the mobile robot substantially toward the objective, according to the cooperative search update; and

g) for each robot, repeating steps a) through f) until a stop criterion is met.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the test system further comprises a base station comprising a base station video receiver and a base station processor, wherein, for each mobile robot, the step of determining the robot location in the test area, comprises:

a) determining a position update for the mobile robot using the tracking device;

b) communicating the position update from the tracking device to the base station video receiver;

c) communicating the position update from the base station to the mobile robot, using the communication network; and

d) generating the robot location from the position update using the robot processor.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the test system further comprises a source generator, wherein the method further comprises generating the source using the source generator.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the test system further comprises an operator command device, wherein the method further comprises:

a) accepting an operator input from the operator command device;

b) generating a robot command on the base station processor from the operator input; and

c) transmitting the robot command to each robot over the communication network.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the test system further comprises a display device, wherein the method further comprises:

a) receiving the robot position from each robot over the communication network; and

b) displaying a robot position for each mobile robot on the display device.