Generic robot architecture

• US 7,801,644 B2
• Filed: 07/05/2006
• Issued: 09/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Humatics Corporation
• Original Assignee: Battelle Energy Alliance LLC (Battelle Memorial Institute)
• Inventors: Bruemmer, David J., Few, Douglas A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Black; Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Behncke; Christine M
• Application Number:
  US11/428,729
• Publication Number:
  US 20080009968A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,539 Days
• Field of Search: 700/245, 700/247, 700/249, 700/3, 700/246, 701/23, 701/27, 701/36, 701/1, 318/568.2, 318/568.24, 318/568.17, 712/28, 901/1, 901/50, 706/10, 706/28
• US Class Current: 700/249
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 3/008 based on physical entities controlled by simulated intelligence so as to replicate intelligent life forms, e.g. based on robots replicating pets or humans in their appearance or behaviour

Abstract

The present invention provides methods, computer readable media, and apparatuses for a generic robot architecture providing a framework that is easily portable to a variety of robot platforms and is configured to provide hardware abstractions, abstractions for generic robot attributes, environment abstractions, and robot behaviors. The generic robot architecture includes a hardware abstraction level and a robot abstraction level. The hardware abstraction level is configured for developing hardware abstractions that define, monitor, and control hardware modules available on a robot platform. The robot abstraction level is configured for defining robot attributes and provides a software framework for building robot behaviors from the robot attributes. Each of the robot attributes includes hardware information from at least one hardware abstraction. In addition, each robot attribute is configured to substantially isolate the robot behaviors from the at least one hardware abstraction.

Claims

1. A method for providing a generic robot architecture for robot control software, comprising:

providing a hardware abstraction level configured for developing a plurality of hardware abstractions for defining, monitoring, and controlling a plurality of hardware modules available on a robot platform;

providing a robot abstraction level configured for defining a plurality of robot attributes comprising at least one of the plurality of hardware abstractions; and

providing a robot behavior level configured for defining a plurality of robot behaviors comprising at least one of the plurality of robot attributes;

wherein;

each robot attribute of the plurality is configured for substantially isolating the robot behaviors from the plurality of hardware abstractions;

each hardware abstraction of the plurality is configured for substantially isolating the plurality of robot attributes from a corresponding hardware module of the plurality;

at least two hardware abstractions are configured to provide substantially similar hardware information to at least one of the plurality of robot attributes; and

the at least one of the plurality of robot attributes is configured to combine the hardware information from each of the at least two hardware abstractions to form attribute information for the at least one of the plurality of robot attributes and can disregard the hardware information from one of the at least two hardware abstractions in forming the attribute information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the plurality of robot attributes disregards the hardware information because the hardware module corresponding to the hardware information is absent or non-functional.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein at least two hardware abstractions provide substantially different hardware information to at least one of the plurality of robot attributes, and wherein the at least one of the plurality of robot attributes combines the different hardware information from each of the at least two hardware abstractions to form the attribute information for the at least one of the plurality of robot attributes when the attribute information involves a combination of the different hardware information.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of hardware abstractions are selected from the group consisting of manipulation abstractions of manipulation type devices, communication abstractions of communication media and communication protocols, locomotion abstractions of locomotion hardware, and perception abstractions of perception type devices.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of robot attributes are selected from the group consisting of robot health, camera view, resistance to motion, robot position, robot motion, robot attitude, robot bounding shape, and range.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the robot abstraction level further comprises providing a plurality of environment abstractions wherein the plurality of environment abstractions provide environment information about an environment around the robot to an operator, to the robot behaviors, to another robot, or to combinations thereof.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the plurality of environment abstractions are selected from the group consisting of an occupancy grid, a robot map position, an obstruction abstraction, an environment feature abstraction, a target abstraction, and an entity abstraction.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the robot behaviors are selected from the group consisting of reactive behaviors and deliberative behaviors.

9. A computer readable medium having computer executable instructions thereon, which when executed on a processor provide a generic robot architecture, comprising:

a hardware abstraction level configured for developing a plurality of hardware abstractions for defining, monitoring, and controlling a plurality of hardware modules available on a robot platform;

a robot abstraction level configured for defining a plurality of robot attributes comprising at least one of the plurality of hardware abstractions; and

providing a robot behavior level configured for defining a plurality of robot behaviors comprising at least one of the plurality of robot attributes;

wherein;

each robot attribute of the plurality is configured for substantially isolating the robot behaviors from the plurality of hardware abstractions;

each hardware abstraction of the plurality is configured for substantially isolating the plurality of robot attributes from a corresponding hardware module of the plurality;

at least two hardware abstractions provide substantially similar hardware information to at least one of the plurality of robot attributes; and

the at least one of the plurality of robot attributes combines the hardware information from each of the at least two hardware abstractions to form attribute information for the at least one of the plurality of robot attributes and can disregard the hardware information from one of the at least two hardware abstractions in forming the attribute information.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the at least one of the plurality of robot attributes disregards the hardware information because the hardware module corresponding to the hardware information is absent or non-functional.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein at least two hardware abstractions provide substantially different hardware information to at least one of the plurality of robot attributes, and wherein the at least one of the plurality of robot attributes combines the different hardware information from each of the at least two hardware abstractions to form the attribute information for the at least one of the plurality of robot attributes when the attribute information involves a combination of the different hardware information.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the plurality of hardware abstractions are selected from the group consisting of manipulation abstractions of manipulation type devices, communication abstractions of communication media and communication protocols, locomotion abstractions of locomotion hardware, and perception abstractions of perception type devices.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the plurality of robot attributes are selected from the group consisting of robot health, camera view, resistance to motion, robot position, robot motion, robot attitude, robot bounding shape, and range.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the robot abstraction level further comprises a plurality of environment abstractions wherein the plurality of environment abstractions provide environment information about an environment around the robot to an operator, to the robot behaviors, to another robot, or to combinations thereof.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the plurality of environment abstractions are selected from the group consisting of an occupancy grid, a robot map position, an obstruction abstraction, an environment feature abstraction, a target abstraction, and an entity abstraction.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the robot behaviors are selected from the group consisting of reactive behaviors and deliberative behaviors.

17. A robot platform, comprising:

at least one perceptor configured for perceiving environmental variables of interest;

at least one locomotor configured for providing mobility to the robot platform;

a system controller configured for executing a generic robot architecture, the generic robot architecture comprising;

a hardware abstraction level configured for developing a plurality of hardware abstractions for defining, monitoring, and controlling a plurality of hardware modules available on the robot platform;

a robot abstraction level configured for defining a plurality of robot attributes comprising at least one of the plurality of hardware abstractions; and

a robot behavior level configured for defining a plurality of robot behaviors comprising at least one of the plurality of robot attributes;

wherein;

each robot attribute of the plurality is configured for substantially isolating the robot behaviors from the plurality of hardware abstractions;

each hardware abstraction of the plurality is configured for substantially isolating the plurality of robot attributes from a corresponding hardware module of the plurality;

at least two hardware abstractions are configured to provide substantially similar hardware information to at least one of the plurality of robot attributes; and

the at least one of the plurality of robot attributes is configured to combine the hardware information from each of the at least two hardware abstractions to form attribute information for the at least one of the plurality of robot attributes and can disregard the hardware information from one of the at least two hardware abstractions in forming the attribute information.

18. The robot platform of claim 17, wherein the at least one of the plurality of robot attributes disregards the hardware information because the hardware module corresponding to the hardware information is absent or non-functional.

19. The robot platform of claim 17, wherein at least two hardware abstractions provide substantially different hardware information to at least one of the plurality of robot attributes, and wherein the at least one of the plurality of robot attributes combines different hardware information from each of the at least two hardware abstractions to form the attribute information for the at least one of the plurality of robot attributes when the attribute information involves a combination of the different hardware information.

20. The robot platform of claim 17, wherein the plurality of hardware abstractions are selected from the group consisting of manipulation abstractions of manipulation type devices, communication abstractions of communication media and communication protocols, locomotion abstractions of locomotion hardware, and perception abstractions of perception type devices.

21. The robot platform of claim 17, wherein the plurality of robot attributes are selected from the group consisting of robot health, camera view, resistance to motion, robot position, robot motion, robot attitude, robot bounding shape, and range.

22. The robot platform of claim 17, wherein the robot abstraction level further comprises a plurality of environment abstractions, and wherein the plurality of environment abstractions provide environment information about an environment around the robot to an operator, to the robot behaviors, to another robot, or to combinations thereof.

23. The robot platform of claim 22, wherein the plurality of environment abstractions are selected from the group consisting of an occupancy grid, a robot map position, an obstruction abstraction, and environment feature abstraction, a target abstraction, and an entity abstraction.

24. The robot platform of claim 17, wherein the robot behaviors are selected from the group consisting of reactive behaviors and deliberative behaviors.