Methods and systems for an autonomous robotic platform

• US 8,346,391 B1
• Filed: 12/28/2006
• Issued: 01/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Leidos, Inc. (Leidos Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Science Applications International Corporation
• Inventors: Anhalt, David, Gremban, Keith D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): MOYER, DALE S
• Application Number:
  US11/646,451
• Time in Patent Office: 2,196 Days
• Field of Search: 89/11.1, 361/679.03, 700245-264, 706 45- 62, 434/11
• US Class Current: 700/248
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 11/002 Manipulators for defensive or military tasks
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/163 learning, adaptive, model based, rule based expert control
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 7/005 Unmanned ground vehicles, i.e. robotic, remote controlled or autonomous, mobile platforms carrying equipment for performing a military or police role, e.g. weapon systems or reconnaissance sensors F41H11/16 takes precedence
• 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: G06N 5/02 Knowledge representation; Symbolic representation

Abstract

A system and method can provide a command and control paradigm for integrating robotic assets into human teams. By integrating sensor to detect human interaction, movement, physiology, and location, a net-centric system can permit command of a robotic platform without an OCU. By eliminating the OCU and maintaining the advantages of a robotic platform, a robot can be used in the place of a human without fatigue, being immune to physiological effects, capable of non-humanoid tactics, a longer potential of hours per day on-station, capable of rapid and structured information transfer, has a personality-free response, can operate in contaminated areas, and is line-replaceable with identical responses. A system for controlling a robotic platform can comprise at least one perceiver for collecting information from a human or the environment; a reasoner for processing the information from the at least one perceiver and providing a directive; and at least one behavior for executing the directive of the reasoner.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a plurality of sensors worn by a first team member providing first team member information including at least location, heart rate and blood pressure of the first team member;

a plurality of sensors worn by a second team member providing second team member information including at least location, heart rate and blood pressure of the second team member;

a plurality of sensors attached to a weapon of the first team member providing first weapon information selected from the group consisting of ammunition supply, direction of aim, safety status and trigger pull from the weapon of the first team member;

a plurality of sensors attached to a weapon of the second team member providing second weapon information selected from the group consisting of ammunition supply, direction of aim, safety status and trigger pull from the weapon of the second team member;

a robotic platform comprising;

a team member perceiver for receiving the first and second team member information;

a weapon perceiver for receiving the first and second weapon information;

a team perceiver for receiving team formation information;

a reasoner in communication with the team member perceiver, weapon perceiver and team perceiver for querying the team member perceiver, weapon perceiver and team perceiver and for interpreting the first and second team member information, the team formation information, and the first and second weapon information in order to estimate a team intent based on the first and second team member information, the team formation information, and the first and second weapon information and determine a directive based on the estimated team intent; and

a control unit in communication with the reasoner, for executing the directive.

2. A method for controlling a robotic platform comprising:

receiving, by a reasoner of the robotic platform, first team member information including at least location, heart rate and blood pressure of a first team member from a team member perceiver queried by the reasoner;

receiving, by the reasoner, second team member information including at least location, heart rate and blood pressure of a second team member from the team member perceiver queried by the reasoner;

receiving, by the reasoner, first weapon information selected from the group consisting of ammunition supply, direction of aim, safety status and trigger pull from a weapon of the first team member from a weapon perceiver queried by the reasoner;

receiving, by the reasoner, second weapon information selected from the group consisting of ammunition supply, direction of aim, safety status and trigger pull from a weapon of the second team member from the weapon perceiver queried by the reasoner;

determining, by the reasoner, team formation information;

estimating, by the reasoner, a team intent based on the first and second team member information, the team formation information, and the first and second weapon information;

determining, by the reasoner a directive based on the estimated team intent; and

executing, by a control unit, the directive.