Remotely controlled self-balancing robot including a stabilized laser pointer

• US 8,442,661 B1
• Filed: 11/25/2008
• Issued: 05/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Anybots 2.0, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Anybots 2.0, Inc.
• Inventors: Blackwell, Trevor, Casner, Daniel, Wiley, Scott, Nelson, Benjamin
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Amin, Bhavesh V
• Application Number:
  US12/277,872
• Time in Patent Office: 1,631 Days
• Field of Search: 31856816-56818, 700245-264, 900 1- 50, 250/203.1
• US Class Current: 700/54
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 19/021 Optical sensing devices
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 5/007 mounted on wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1689 Teleoperation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/16 Single-axle vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2220/46 Wheel motors, i.e. motor connected to only one wheel
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/20 angular
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/70 Interactions with external data bases, e.g. traffic centres
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/34 Stabilising upright position of vehicles, e.g. of single axle vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40574 Laserscanner combined with tactile sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40613 Camera, laser scanner on end effector, hand eye manipulator, local
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0038 by providing the operator with simple or augmented images from one or more cameras located onboard the vehicle, e.g. tele-operation images analyzed by a computer and used for automatic navigation G05D1/0246
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0891 specially adapted for land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for projecting a stabilized laser beam from a robot being controlled through a human interface. The laser beam can be stabilized through the use of optics that continuously adjust the aim of the laser beam in response to measurements of the orientation of the robot. The human interface allows the operator to both observe the visual environment of the robot and also to aim the laser beam. The projected laser beam allows the operator to communicate from the perspective of the robot by pointing to objects or locations within the robot'"'"'s visual environment, creating symbols with the laser beam, and make gestures with the laser beam.

Claims

1. A robotic system comprising:

a remotely controllable inverted pendulum robot including

a video camera,

an orientation sensor, and

a steerable laser system configured to project a laser beam and also configured to use information about the orientation of the robot received from the orientation sensor to stabilize the laser beam; and

a human interface in communication with the robot across a network and configured to allow an operator to view the visual environment of the robot and also configured to allow the operator to aim the laser beam.

2. The robotic system of claim 1 wherein the laser system comprises

a laser defining a beam axis,

a first mirror situated along the beam axis,

a first motor defining a first axis of rotation and configured to rotate the first mirror around the first axis of rotation, and

a controller

configured to drive the first motor to rotate the first mirror responsive to orientation information from the orientation sensor to stabilize the laser beam, and

configured to aim the laser beam responsive to signals received from the human interface for aiming the laser beam.

3. The robotic system of claim 2 wherein the first motor comprises a stepper motor.

4. The robotic system of claim 3 wherein the laser system further comprises a digital to analog converter in electrical communication between the controller and the stepper motor.

5. The robotic system of claim 3 wherein the laser system further comprises a hard stop positioned to provide a fixed position reference for open loop control of the first motor.

6. The robotic system of claim 2 wherein the first motor comprises a galvanometer.

7. The robotic system of claim 2 wherein the laser system further comprises a second motor defining a second axis of rotation and configured to rotate a second mirror around the second axis of rotation wherein the laser system is configured such that the laser beam is reflected off of the first mirror onto the second mirror.

8. The robotic system of claim 7 wherein the second axis of rotation is perpendicular to the first axis of rotation.

9. The robotic system of claim 2 wherein the laser system is attached to a head of the robot proximate to the video camera.

10. The robotic system of claim 2 wherein the first mirror comprises a back surface mirror.

11. The robotic system of claim 1 wherein the orientation sensor comprises an IMU.

12. The robotic system of claim 1 wherein the human interface comprises an input device configured to allow the operator to aim the laser beam.

13. A method comprising:

dynamically balancing a robot such that the robot has no more than two wheels in contact with the ground, and where dynamically balancing the robot includes rotating the wheels so that the wheels stay approximately centered beneath the center of gravity of the robot; and

projecting a stabilized laser beam from the robot while maintaining the balance.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the stabilized laser beam is projected by a laser system attached to the robot and the laser system includes optics for projecting the stabilized laser beam.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein projecting the stabilized laser beam comprises

obtaining an orientation measurement of the laser system, and

adjusting the optics to compensate the aim of the laser beam, responsive to the orientation measurement, so that the laser beam remains stable in a frame of reference that is external to the robot.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein obtaining the orientation measurement comprises measuring a change in the pitch of the robot.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein adjusting the optics includes microstepping two stepper motors having axes of rotation disposed perpendicular to one another.

19. The method of claim 13 wherein projecting the stabilized laser beam comprises creating a symbol.

20. The method of claim 13 wherein projecting the stabilized laser beam comprises gesturing.

21. The method of claim 13 wherein projecting the stabilized laser beam comprises receiving an operator input for aiming the laser beam.

22. The method of claim 13 wherein projecting the stabilized laser beam comprises determining a distance to a surface on which the laser beam is being projected.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising moving the robot and wherein projecting the stabilized laser beam further comprises adjusting the aim of the laser beam to keep the laser beam fixed on the surface.

24. The method of claim 13 further comprising, before projecting the stabilized laser beam, performing an initialization of a laser system including initializing a mirror assembly by stepping a stepper motor of the mirror assembly so that a mirror of the mirror assembly contacts a hard stop of the mirror assembly.

14. A method comprising:

dynamically balancing a robot by measuring a change in a base angle of the robot, the base angle being defined between a first reference plane having a fixed relationship to a base of the robot and a second reference plane having a fixed relationship to an external frame of reference, and

rotating wheels of the robot to correct for the change so that the wheels stay approximately centered beneath the center of gravity of the robot; and

projecting a stabilized laser beam from the robot while maintaining the balance.

25. A method comprising:

dynamically balancing a robot, the robot including

a video camera, and

a laser system attached to the robot and including optics for projecting a stabilized laser beam; and

projecting the stabilized laser beam from the laser system while maintaining the balance, wherein projecting the stabilized laser beam comprises utilizing imagery produced by the video camera to control the optics to compensate the aim of the laser beam.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein utilizing imagery produced by the video camera comprises calculating an optic flow.

27. The method of claim 25 wherein utilizing imagery produced by the video camera comprises tracking a feature in the robot'"'"'s visual environment.

28. A method comprising:

remotely operating an inverted pendulum robot; and

projecting a stabilized laser beam from the robot.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein the stabilized laser beam is projected by a laser system attached to the robot and the laser system includes optics for projecting the stabilized laser beam.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein projecting the stabilized laser beam comprises

obtaining an orientation measurement of the laser system, and

adjusting the optics to compensate the aim of the laser beam, responsive to the orientation measurement, so that the laser beam remains stable in a frame of reference that is external to the robot.

31. The method of claim 28 wherein remotely operating the robot includes viewing a visual environment of the robot.