Trainer for robotic vehicle

• US 7,860,614 B1
• Filed: 09/11/2006
• Issued: 12/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: U.S. Government
• Original Assignee: The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Army
• Inventors: Reger, Bernard D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): JEN, MINGJEN
• Application Number:
  US11/530,509
• Time in Patent Office: 1,569 Days
• Field of Search: 700/1, 700/245, 700/246, 700/247, 700/250, 700/258, 700/9, 700/10, 700/47, 700/83, 700/84, 700/85, 700/87, 700/86, 700/88, 700/89, 700/264, 901/1, 901/3, 901/4, 901/5, 901/6
• US Class Current: 700/264
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 11/0025 handling explosives, bombs or hazardous objects
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1671 characterised by simulation, either to verify existing program or to create and verify new program, CAD/CAM oriented, graphic oriented programming systems
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40129 Virtual graphic 3-D pointer, manipulator commands real manipulator
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40298 Manipulator on vehicle, wheels, mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40314 Simulation of program locally before remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40323 Modeling robot environment for sensor based robot system

Abstract

A trainer for training a human to use a physical robot in a physical environment, the physical robot being controlled in the physical environment by an operator control unit, the trainer comprising an input device; a visual display; a computer connected to the input device and the visual display; and computer software disposed in the computer for creating a virtual robot and a virtual environment on the visual display, the virtual robot and the virtual environment being simulations of the physical robot and the physical environment wherein interaction between the virtual robot and the virtual environment simulates interaction between the physical robot and the physical environment.

Claims

1. A trainer device for training a human to use a physical robot in a physical environment, said physical robot including a segmented arm and at least one camera and being controlled in the physical environment by a physical operator control unit, and said trainer device including a virtual operator control unit that is substantially the same as the physical operator control unit in appearance and function;

a visual display;

a computer connected to the virtual operator control unit and the visual display; and

computer software disposed in the computer wherein the computer software includes a training application having a graphical user interface for creating a virtual robot and a virtual environment on the visual display, the virtual robot simulating the segmented arm and the at least one camera, wherein the virtual robot and the virtual environment become simulations of the physical robot and the physical environment, and wherein interaction between the virtual robot and the virtual environment simulates interaction between the physical robot and the physical environment substantially in accord with Newtonian physics, and wherein the training application includes a simulation of explosive disposal methods wherein the virtual robot interacts with the virtual environment wherein the simulation includes one of timed and un-timed incident training.

2. A trainer device for training a human to use a physical robot in a physical environment, said physical robot including a segmented arm and at least one camera and being controlled in the physical environment by a physical operator control unit, and said trainer device including a virtual operator control unit that is substantially the same as the physical operator control unit in appearance and function;

a visual display;

a computer connected to the virtual operator control unit and the visual display;

and computer software disposed in the computer wherein the computer software includes a training application having a graphical user interface for creating a virtual robot and a virtual environment on the visual display, the virtual robot additionally simulating the segmented arm and the at least one camera, wherein the virtual robot and the virtual environment become simulations of the physical robot and the physical environment, and wherein interaction between the virtual robot and the virtual environment simulates interaction between the physical robot and the physical environment substantially in accord with Newtonian physics, and wherein the training application includes a simulation of explosive disposal methods wherein the virtual robot interacts with the virtual environment, wherein the simulation includes explosive disposal methods for IEDs, at least one of standard IEDs, timed IEDs, movable IEDs and daisy chain IEDs.

3. The trainer device of claim 2 wherein the training application includes an IED Manager for managing the IEDs.

4. The trainer device of claim 2 wherein the computer software includes Karma physics.

5. The trainer device of claim 4 wherein the virtual robot comprises a chassis and components connected to the chassis, the chassis and the components comprising Karma Actors and connections between the Karma Actors comprising Karma Hinges.

6. The trainer device of claim 2 wherein the physical robot is one of a mobile tracked vehicle and a mobile wheeled vehicle and the virtual robot simulates one of the mobile tracked vehicle and the mobile wheeled vehicle, respectively.