Low-cost, high-reliability controller for remotely operated robots

• US 9,043,031 B1
• Filed: 02/20/2014
• Issued: 05/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Westlake & Eanes Science & Technology Association
• Original Assignee: Westlake & Eanes Science & Technology Association
• Inventors: Gardner, Rachel, Prakash, Akshay, Gorr, Benjamin Jared, Rothfus, Eric J.
• Primary Examiner(s): PATTON, SPENCER D
• Application Number:
  US14/185,548
• Time in Patent Office: 460 Days
• Field of Search: 700/245, 700/257, 700/264, 701/2, 901/1, 901/6, 901/50, 318/568.12, 318/568.13, 318/568.17, 318/581, 463/36, 463/40
• US Class Current: 700/264
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0016 characterised by the operator's input device input arrangements for computing systems in general G06F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0022 characterised by the communication link data switching networks in general H04L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0033 by having the operator tracking the vehicle either by direct line of sight or via one or more cameras located remotely from the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/028 using a RF signal
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot

Abstract

Provided is a device for wirelessly controlling robots suitable for competition or educational purposes, the device including: an input module configured to receive commands from a human user interface, the human user interface sending signals indicative of inputs by a user to control a robot; a protocol translator configured to translate the received commands into a protocol to which the robot is responsive; a wireless output module configured to wirelessly transmit the translated commands to the robot such that the robot executes the commands.

Claims

1. A device configured to interface between a game controller and a robot suitable for competition, the device comprising:

a case sized to fit in a user'"'"'s hand;

a battery;

a printed circuit board having less than 20 square inches of area and four or fewer layers of conductive traces;

two chorded input buttons that correspond to different commands depending on whether multiple buttons are pressed concurrently or individual buttons are pressed;

a speaker and one or more lights that operate as a user interface of the device;

a 16-bit or smaller microprocessor configured to operate at 64 megahertz or slower consuming less than 300 milliamps of current;

a wireless interface;

memory storing instructions that when executed by the microprocessor cause the device to translate commands from a hand-held game controller into a protocol suitable for a competition robot, the instructions providing for modules comprising;

an input module configured to poll periodically memory in which digital signals from the hand-held game controller are stored to identify new commands;

a protocol translator configured to identify a stored translation profile and translate identified commands into a protocol to which the robot is responsive based on a mapping of input command codes to output command codes; and

a wireless output module configured to cause the wireless interface to wirelessly transmit the translated commands to the robot such that the robot executes the commands,

wherein the device is a hand-held portable battery powered device that does not have an operating system or display screen.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein

the instructions provide for modules consisting essentially of:

the input module;

the protocol translator, the protocol translator having means for translating input command codes to output command codes;

the wireless output module; and

means for providing a user interface via the speaker and one or more lights,

the battery is configured to deliver 10 volts or less of voltage and 1200 milliamper-hours or less of charge,

the memory comprises less than 256 kilobytes, and

the device uses less than 250 ma power when controlling the robot.

3. A device for wirelessly controlling robots, the device comprising:

an input module configured to receive commands from a human user interface, the human user interface sending signals indicative of inputs by a user to control a robot;

a protocol translator configured to translate the received commands into a protocol to which the robot is responsive;

a wireless output module configured to wirelessly transmit the translated commands to the robot such that the robot executes the commands, wherein the device is a dedicated controller that is not a general purpose computer; and

a switch that, when selected, causes a wireless start signal to be sent by the wireless output module, wherein the wireless start signal simulates a wireless signal transmitted by an operator of a robotics competition, the operator being different from a competitor using the device, according to a competition protocol that precludes driving an actuator of the robot before the operator of the robotics competition transmits the signal being simulated, and wherein the wireless start signal is configured to cause the robot to determine that a wait-for-start condition that precedes physical actions involving actuators has been satisfied, such that the same code used in competitions under the control of an operator and a competitor is used in testing in the absence of the operator of the robotics competition transmitting the wireless start signal;

wherein the switch is one of only two user-selectable buttons on the device.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the device comprises:

another human user interface configured to receive a start command and a kill command respectively indicating the start and end of a robotics competition;

wherein the protocol translator is further configured to translate the start and kill commands to the protocol to which the robot is responsive, wherein the robot is immobile prior to receipt of the translated start command and is mobile after receipt of the translated start command.

5. The device of claim 3, wherein the device comprises:

a chassis sized to fit in the user'"'"'s hand; and

a battery.

6. The device of claim 3, wherein the protocol translator comprises:

memory mapping commands conveyed via USB from a joystick to the input module to translated commands conveyed via Bluetooth to the robot.

7. The device of claim 3, wherein the wireless output module comprises:

non-volatile memory configured to store an identifier of the robot and a pairing state indicative of whether the device is wirelessly paired with the robot;

a light; and

a light-controller coupled to the light and configured to indicate the pairing state with the light.

8. The device of claim 3, wherein the protocol translator is configured to periodically poll the input module to determine whether a command has been received.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the protocol translator is configured to stop polling after more than a threshold duration of time passes without a command being received.

10. The device of claim 3, comprising:

a wired interface configured to communicate with the robot via a cable, wherein the output module is operative to pair with the robot via the cable and wirelessly communicate with the robot after pairing.

11. The device of claim 3, wherein the device has a processor configured to operate at a clock speed of less than 64 MHz.

12. The device of claim 3, wherein the device does not have a display configured to present a graphical user interface.

13. The device of claim 3, wherein the device uses less than 250 ma power when controlling a robot.

14. The device of claim 3, wherein the protocol translator comprises:

memory mapping commands conveyed via USB from a joystick to the input module to translated commands conveyed via wireless communication to the robot.

15. The device of claim 3, wherein the protocol translator is configured to translate a robot-routine-start command into a translated command to be conveyed wirelessly by the wireless output module to the robot that, when received, causes the robot to execute a pre-configured routine stored in memory of the robot.

16. The device of claim 3, comprising a kill switch, wherein the protocol translator is configured to translate a kill switch command into a translated command to be conveyed wirelessly by the wireless output module to the robot that, when received, causes the robot to stop executing a routine.

17. The device of claim 3, wherein the input module is operative to couple to a serial interface, receive device configuration commands, and change configuration values in memory in response to the device configuration commands.

18. The device of claim 3, wherein the input module is operative to couple to a flash drive, retrieve from the flash drive device configuration commands, and change configuration values in memory in response to the device configuration commands.

19. The device of claim 3, wherein the command translator comprises memory storing a plurality of robot command protocols, each robot command protocol corresponding to a different robot having a different hardware control system, software control system, dynamic mechanical properties, or a combination thereof.

20. The device of claim 3, wherein the command translator is configured to translate a mode command from the input module into a command that selects a competition run-time configuration on the robot, the run time configuration being a configuration in which the robot operates in an autonomous mode or in a tele-operated mode.

21. The device of claim 3, wherein the command translator comprises a user-accessible lag-value memory and is configured to delay a transmission of commands by an amount of time corresponding to a lag value stored in the lag-value memory to simulate lags that occur during robotics competitions for training human operators.

22. The device of claim 3, wherein the wireless output module is coupled to two switches, and wherein the wireless output module is configured to enter a pairing mode for Bluetooth pairing with a robot in response to both switches being operated at the same time.

23. The device of claim 3, wherein the protocol translator is configured to translate a break-point command into a translated command to be conveyed wirelessly by the wireless output module to the robot that, when received, causes the robot to advance from a debug-break point in a routine being executed by the robot.

24. The device of claim 3, comprising a power-management module and a clock, wherein the power management module is configured to turn off the device in response to the clock indicating that more than a threshold amount of time has elapsed since a command was received.

25. The device of claim 3, wherein the wireless output module comprises a user-accessible broadcast-power memory and a broadcast power controller operative to adjust broadcast power of the wireless output module based on a value stored in the broadcast-power memory.