Programming of a robotic arm using a motion capture system

• US 9,056,396 B1
• Filed: 03/03/2014
• Issued: 06/16/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intrinsic Innovation LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Autofuss, Co.
• Inventors: Linnell, Jeffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): MANCHO, RONNIE M
• Application Number:
  US14/195,412
• Time in Patent Office: 470 Days
• Field of Search: 701/408, 345/156, 700/245, 700/264, 700/253, 700/259, 700/258, 901/1, 901/47, 901/46, 414/1, 414/3, 414/2
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1664 characterised by motion, path, trajectory planning
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1697 Vision controlled systems
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/427 Teaching successive positions by tracking the position of a joystick or handle to control the positioning servo of the tool head, master-slave control G05B19/423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/36442 Automatically teaching, teach by showing
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/37563 Ccd, tv camera
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/46 Sensing device
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/47 Optical

Abstract

Example systems and methods allow for capturing motions of a demonstration tool and using the captured motions to cause a robotic device to replicate motions of the demonstration tool with a robot tool. One example method includes receiving data from one or more cameras indicative of position of a demonstration tool. Based on the received data, the method may further include determining a motion path of the demonstration tool, where the motion path includes a sequence of positions of the demonstration tool. The method may also include determining a replication control path for a robotic device, where the replication control path includes one or more robot movements that cause the robotic device to move a robot tool through a motion path that corresponds to the motion path of the demonstration tool. The method may further include causing the robotic device to move the robot tool using the one or more robot movements within the replication control path.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving data from one or more cameras indicative of position of a demonstration tool;

based on the received data, determining a motion path of the demonstration tool, wherein the motion path comprises a sequence of positions of the demonstration tool;

determining a replication control path for a robotic device, wherein the replication control path comprises one or more robot movements that cause the robotic device to move a robot tool through a motion path that corresponds to the motion path of the demonstration tool;

causing the robotic device to move the robot tool using the one or more robot movements within the replication control path.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the demonstration tool is a camera used to film a scene; and

the robot tool is a camera used by the robotic device to film a different iteration of the scene.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the demonstration tool is a manufacturing tool used to fabricate an output product; and

the robot tool is a manufacturing tool used by the robotic device to fabricate a copy of the output product.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

while receiving data from the one or more cameras indicative of position of the demonstration tool, providing for display of a visual simulation of the robot movements within the replication control path.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the visual simulation comprises a visual representation of a virtual robot performing the robot movements within the replication control path.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the visual simulation comprises a warning signal indicating when the replication control path violates one or more predefined physical constraints of the robotic device.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein:

the demonstration tool comprises a display screen; and

the visual simulation is displayed within the display screen.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining one or more refinements to the robot movements within the replication control path in order to smooth one or more curves of robot movements within the replication control path before causing the robotic device to move the robot tool using the one or more robot movements within the replication control path.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a user interface comprising a visual demonstration of the robot movements within the replication control path for the robotic device; and

receiving one or more refinements to the robot movements within the replication control path via the user interface before causing the robotic device to move the robot tool using the robot movements within the replication control path.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein data from the one or more cameras is received while a button on the demonstration tool indicative of when to record movements is pressed.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the motion path of the robot tool comprises scaled positions from the motion path of the demonstration tool.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving data from one or more cameras indicative of position of the robot tool while causing the robotic device to move the robot tool using the one or more robot movements within the replication control path;

determining one or more differences between positions of the robot tool and corresponding positions within the motion path of the demonstration tool; and

adjusting the replication control path based on the determined differences.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the data received from the one or more cameras comprises data indicative of position of one or more control markers attached to the demonstration tool.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein:

the one or more control markers comprise one or more light emitting diode markers.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein:

the light emitting diode markers have a distinguishing characteristic that is distinguishable by the one or more cameras; and

determining the motion path of the demonstration tool comprises identifying the distinguishing characteristic of the light emitting diode markers using the one or more cameras.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the sequence of positions within the motion path of the demonstration tool comprises a sequence of positions resulting from a force of nature applied to the demonstration tool.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the force of nature comprises gravity.

18. A system comprising:

a demonstration tool;

a robotic device;

at least one camera; and

a control system configured to;

receive data from the at least one camera indicative of position of the demonstration tool;

based on the received data, determine a motion path of the demonstration tool, wherein the motion path comprises a sequence of positions of the demonstration tool;

determine a replication control path for the robotic device, wherein the replication control path comprises one or more robot movements that cause the robotic device to move a robot tool through a motion path that corresponds to the motion path of the demonstration tool;

cause the robotic device to move the robot tool using the one or more robot movements within the replication control path.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the control system is further configured to provide for display of a visual simulation of the robot movements within the replication control path while receiving data from the one or more cameras indicative of position of the demonstration tool.

20. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored therein instructions, that when executed by a computing system, cause the computing system to perform functions comprising:

receiving data from one or more cameras indicative of position of a demonstration tool;

based on the received data, determining a motion path of the demonstration tool, wherein the motion path comprises a sequence of positions of the demonstration tool;

determining a replication control path for a robotic device, wherein the replication control path comprises one or more robot movements that cause the robotic device to move a robot tool through a motion path that corresponds to the motion path of the demonstration tool;

causing the robotic device to move the robot tool using the one or more robot movements within the replication control path.