Robot control information

• US 9,025,856 B2
• Filed: 09/05/2012
• Issued: 05/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Ramachandran, Mahesh, Brunner, Christopher, Ramanandan, Arvind, Tyagi, Abhishek, Chari, Murali Ramaswamy
• Primary Examiner(s): Koziol, Stephen R
• Assistant Examiner(s): LE, TOTAM HA
• Application Number:
  US13/604,470
• Publication Number:
  US 20140064601A1
• Time in Patent Office: 972 Days
• Field of Search: 382/153
• US Class Current: 382/153
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1697 Vision controlled systems
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/36488 Record motion and emotion, mimics
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/39449 Pendant, pda displaying camera images overlayed with graphics, augmented reality

Abstract

Vision based tracking of a mobile device is used to remotely control a robot. For example, images captured by a mobile device, e.g., in a video stream, are used for vision based tracking of the pose of the mobile device with respect to the imaged environment. Changes in the pose of the mobile device, i.e., the trajectory of the mobile device, are determined and converted to a desired motion of a robot that is remote from the mobile device. The robot is then controlled to move with the desired motion. The trajectory of the mobile device is converted to the desired motion of the robot using a transformation generated by inverting a hand-eye calibration transformation.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

moving a mobile device with a desired motion for a robot that is remote from the mobile device, the mobile device having a camera;

determining a trajectory of the mobile device using images captured by the camera;

converting the trajectory of the mobile device into the desired motion of the robot;

generating control information for the robot to move with the desired motion;

the method further comprises calibrating a transformation that converts the trajectory of the mobile device to the desired motion of the robot, wherein converting the trajectory of the mobile device into the desired motion of the robot comprises using the transformation, wherein calibrating the transformation comprises;

coupling the mobile device to the robot;

moving the robot while determining a training trajectory of the mobile device;

using movement of the robot and the training trajectory of the mobile device to generate a calibration transformation of the movement of the robot to the training trajectory of the mobile device; and

inverting the calibration transformation to produce the transformation of the trajectory of the mobile device to the desired motion of the robot.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein generating control information for the robot to move with the desired motion comprises programming the robot with the desired motion.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein generating control information for the robot to move with the desired motion comprises controlling the robot in real-time or offline.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the trajectory of the mobile device using the images captured by the camera comprises detecting changes in a pose between the mobile device and an imaged object.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the robot is a robot arm.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the trajectory of the mobile device is converted into an internal coordinate system for the robot.

7. A mobile device comprising:

a camera for capturing images of an environment while the mobile device is moved;

a wireless interface for communicating with a remote robot controller; and

a processor coupled to receive captured images from the camera and coupled to the wireless interface, the processor configured to determine a trajectory of the mobile device using the captured images, convert the trajectory of the mobile device into a desired motion of a remote robot, and to cause the wireless interface to transmit the desired motion of the remote robot to the remote robot controller, the processor being further configured to calibrate a transformation that converts the trajectory of the mobile device to the desired motion of the remote robot, wherein the processor is configured to convert the trajectory of the mobile device into the desired motion of the remote robot using the transformation, wherein the processor is configured to calibrate the transformation that converts the trajectory of the mobile device to the desired motion of the remote robot by being configured to;

determine a training trajectory of the mobile device while the remote robot holds the mobile device and during movement of the remote robot;

use the movement of the remote robot and the training trajectory to generate a calibration transformation of the movement of the remote robot to the training trajectory of the mobile device; and

invert the calibration transformation to produce the transformation of the trajectory of the mobile device to the desired motion of the remote robot.

8. The mobile device of claim 7, wherein the processor is configured to determine the trajectory of the mobile device using the captured images by being configured to detect changes in a pose between the mobile device and an imaged object.

9. A controller for controlling a robot, the controller comprising:

an external interface for communicating with a remote mobile device that has a camera for capturing images of an environment while moving with a desired motion for the robot;

a robot interface for communicating and controlling the robot; and

a processor coupled to the external interface and the robot interface, the processor being configured to convert a trajectory of the remote mobile device determined using captured images from the camera to the desired motion of the robot, and control the robot to move with the desired motion through the robot interface, wherein the processor is further configured to calibrate a transformation that converts the trajectory of the remote mobile device to the desired motion of the robot, wherein the processor is configured to convert the trajectory of the remote mobile device into the desired motion of the robot using the transformation, wherein the processor is configured to calibrate the transformation that converts the trajectory of the remote mobile device to the desired motion of the robot by being configured to;

cause movement of the robot while the robot holds the remote mobile device;

use the movement of the robot and a training trajectory of the remote mobile device determined from the movement of the robot while holding the remote mobile device to generate a calibration transformation of the movement of the robot to the training trajectory of the remote mobile device; and

invert the calibration transformation to produce the transformation of the trajectory of the remote mobile device to the desired motion of the robot.

10. The controller of claim 9, wherein the processor receives the trajectory from the remote mobile device through the external interface.

11. The controller of claim 9, wherein the processor receives pose data from the remote mobile device through the external interface, the processor being further configured to determine the trajectory of the remote mobile device using the pose data.

12. The controller of claim 9, wherein the processor receives image data from the remote mobile device through the external interface, the processor being further configured to determine the trajectory of the remote mobile device using the image data.

13. The controller of claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to determine the trajectory of the remote mobile device using the image data by being configured to detect changes in a pose between the remote mobile device and an imaged object.

14. The controller of claim 9, wherein the processor is configured to control the robot to move with the desired motion by being configured to program the robot with the desired motion.

15. The controller of claim 9, wherein the processor is configured to control the robot to move with the desired motion by being configured to control the robot in real-time or offline.

16. The controller of claim 9, wherein the robot is a robot arm.

17. The controller of claim 9, wherein the trajectory of the remote mobile device is converted into an internal coordinate system for the robot.

18. A system comprising:

means for determining a trajectory of a mobile device using images captured by the mobile device while the mobile device is moved with a desired motion for a robot that is remote from the mobile device;

means for converting the trajectory of the mobile device into the desired motion of the robot;

means for generating control information for the robot to move with the desired motion; and

means for calibrating a transformation that converts the trajectory of the mobile device to the desired motion of the robot, wherein the means for converting the trajectory of the mobile device into the desired motion of the robot uses the transformation, wherein the means for calibrating the transformation determines a training trajectory of the mobile device while the robot holds the mobile device and during movement of the robot, uses the movement of the robot and the training trajectory to generate a calibration transformation of the movement of the robot to the training trajectory of the mobile device; and

inverts the calibration transformation to produce the transformation of the trajectory of the mobile device to the desired motion of the robot.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the means for generating control information for the robot programs the robot with the desired motion.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the means for generating control information for the robot controls the robot in real-time or offline.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein the means for determining the trajectory of the mobile device using the images captured by the mobile device detects changes in a pose between the mobile device and an imaged object.

22. The system of claim 18, wherein the trajectory of the mobile device is converted into an internal coordinate system for the robot.

23. A storage medium including program code stored thereon, comprising:

program code to determine a trajectory of a mobile device using images captured by the mobile device while the mobile device is moved with a desired motion for a robot that is remote from the mobile device;

program code to convert the trajectory of the mobile device into the desired motion of the robot;

program code to generate control information for the robot to move with the desired motion; and

program code to calibrate a transformation that converts the trajectory of the mobile device to the desired motion of the robot, wherein the program code to convert the trajectory of the mobile device into the desired motion of the robot uses the transformation, the program code to calibrate the transformation comprises;

program code to determine a training trajectory of the mobile device while the robot holds the mobile device and during movement of the robot;

program code to use the movement of the robot and the training trajectory to generate a calibration transformation of the movement of the robot to the training trajectory of the mobile device; and

program code to invert the calibration transformation to produce the transformation of the trajectory of the mobile device to the desired motion of the robot.