Robot having additional computing device
First Claim
1. A robot comprising:
- a proximity sensor directed toward a forward end of a chassis of the robot;
a cliff sensor positioned toward the forward end of the chassis;
a sensor circuit connected to the proximity sensor and to the cliff sensor;
an I/O circuit including at least one input and one output;
at least one external computing device having a connection interface to the chassis;
a control circuit including a microprocessor and connected to the sensor circuit and to the I/O circuit;
a communication port provided within the chassis and configured to connect the connection interface of the at least one external computing device to the control circuit via the I/O circuit; and
a computer memory configured to store robot control instructions executable by the control circuit, the robot control instructions including a command interpreter routine and a serial input handler,wherein the command interpreter routine is configured to cause the control circuit to receive one or more formatted commands via the communication port and to respond to the one or more formatted commands by initiating the serial input handler, andwherein the serial input handler is configured to cause the control circuit to communicate with the proximity sensor, the cliff sensor, the I/O circuit, the sensor circuit, and the communication port.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A modular robot development kit includes an extensible mobile robot platform and a programmable development module that connects to the mobile robot platform. The mobile robot platform includes a controller that executes robot behaviors concurrently and performs robot actions in accordance with robot control signals received from the development module, as modified by the concurrently running robot behaviors, as a safeguard against performing potentially damaging robot actions. Also, the user can develop software that is executed on the development module and which transmits the robot control signals to the mobile robot platform over the data communication link using a robot interface protocol. The robot interface protocol encapsulates potentially harmful user-developed software routines from the controller instructions executed by the controller of the mobile robot platform, while nonetheless enabling the user to effectively control the mobile robot platform using the robot control signals of the robot interface protocol.
51 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A robot comprising:
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a proximity sensor directed toward a forward end of a chassis of the robot; a cliff sensor positioned toward the forward end of the chassis; a sensor circuit connected to the proximity sensor and to the cliff sensor; an I/O circuit including at least one input and one output; at least one external computing device having a connection interface to the chassis; a control circuit including a microprocessor and connected to the sensor circuit and to the I/O circuit; a communication port provided within the chassis and configured to connect the connection interface of the at least one external computing device to the control circuit via the I/O circuit; and a computer memory configured to store robot control instructions executable by the control circuit, the robot control instructions including a command interpreter routine and a serial input handler, wherein the command interpreter routine is configured to cause the control circuit to receive one or more formatted commands via the communication port and to respond to the one or more formatted commands by initiating the serial input handler, and wherein the serial input handler is configured to cause the control circuit to communicate with the proximity sensor, the cliff sensor, the I/O circuit, the sensor circuit, and the communication port. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A robot comprising:
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a chassis configured to detachably receive at least one external computing device; and a control circuit connected to a sensor circuit and an I/O circuit, the control circuit including a microprocessor and a computer memory, the computer memory configured to store robot control instructions executable by the microprocessor, the robot control instructions including; a command interface configured to receive one or more external commands from the at least one external computing device and to convert the external commands into internal control values, each external command including a header argument; a sensor virtualization level including a plurality of virtual sensor functions corresponding to a sensor and configured to retrieve native sensor data and to convert the native sensor data into sensor logic levels associated with the native sensor data; and a drive virtualization level including a plurality of virtual drive functions configured to convert the sensor logic levels and the internal control values into a set of native motor controls. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6)
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7. A robot comprising:
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a robot platform including a sensor, a drive train, an on-board controller, an expansion bay, and a first data communication port, the on-board controller including a first set of computer software instructions configured to communicate via the first data communication port in accordance with a predetermined robot interface protocol, to receive and process input from the sensor, to operate the robot platform in accordance with one or more robot behaviors, and to operate the robot platform to perform one or more robot actions; and an external computing device configured to detachably interface with the robot platform and including a programmable processor, a second data communication port configured to interface with the first data communication port, and a computer memory, a second set of computer software instructions configured to transmit a first robot control signal to the robot platform in accordance with the robot interface protocol, the first robot control signal corresponding to at least one robot action or robot behavior, and a third set of computer software instructions configured to transmit a second robot control signal querying the sensor of the robot platform in accordance with the robot interface protocol and to receive sensor data from the robot platform; wherein the robot platform is configured to perform the robot behavior corresponding to the first robot control signal; and wherein the robot platform is configured to transmit sensor data to the external computing device in accordance with the robot interface protocol. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification