Control synchronization for high-latency teleoperation

• US 9,144,907 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2013
• Issued: 09/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harris Corporation (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Harris Corporation (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Summer, Matthew D., Bosscher, Paul M., Summer, Michael J., Ortega-Morales, Miguel
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): RINK, RYAN J
• Application Number:
  US14/062,632
• Publication Number:
  US 20150120048A1
• Time in Patent Office: 705 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1689 Teleoperation
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1692 Calibration of manipulator
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40147 Variable time delay, through internet
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40149 Local intelligence for global planning, remote intelligence for tuning
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40151 Time delay, problems caused by time delay between local and remote
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40174 Robot teleoperation through internet
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0022 characterised by the communication link data switching networks in general H04L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/02 Arm motion controller

Abstract

Robotic system (100) includes a processing device (512) and a plurality of robot actuators (501) to cause a specified motion of the robot (102). The processing device (512) responds to one or more user robot commands (115) initiated by a control operator input at a remote control console (108). A user robot command will specify a first movement of the robot from a first position to a second position. The processing device will compare a current pose of the robot to an earlier pose of the robot to determine a difference between the current pose and the earlier pose. Based on this comparing, the processing device will selectively transform the user robot command to a latency-corrected robot command which specifies a second movement for the robot which is different from the first movement.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a robotic system, comprising:

receiving, at a control console, a user input to generate a user robot command specifying a first action involving a change of position for at least one portion of a robot;

comparing a current pose of the robot to an earlier pose of the robot, where the earlier pose comprises a pose of the robot at a time when the user input was received by the control console; and

responsive to determining a difference between the current pose and the earlier pose, selectively transforming the user robot command to a latency-corrected robot command that will cause the at least one portion of the robot to transition from a current position to a desired position indicated by the user input;

wherein the transforming step comprises determining a trajectory of motion that would have resulted from the robot'"'"'s performance of the first action specified by the user robot command if the robot had remained in the earlier pose, determining an intersect movement that will cause the at least one portion of the robot to transition from the current position displaced from the trajectory of motion to an intermediate position which is disposed along the trajectory of motion, and determining an alignment movement that will cause the robot to transition from said intermediate position to the desired position along the trajectory of motion.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said first action includes a change of orientation for the at least one portion of the robot.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein said comparing further comprises comparing a current orientation of the robot to an earlier orientation of the robot.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising selecting the current pose to comprise a pose of the robot at a time when the user robot command is received at the robot.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said intersect movement is exclusive of said trajectory of motion.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said comparing is performed at said robot, remote from said control console.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein said selectively transforming is performed at said robot, remote from said control console.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising communicating the user robot command and at least one metadata corresponding to said user robot command from said control console to said robot over a wireless data link.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising determining at said robot said earlier pose based on said metadata.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising accessing at said robot a database containing a plurality of state definitions, each said state definition specifying a state of said robot at a point in time preceding receipt of said user robot command at said robot, and selecting an earlier state from said plurality of state definitions based on said metadata.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the current pose and the earlier pose each specify a position of a manipulator of said robot with respect to a base of said robot.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the current pose and the earlier pose each specify a geographic position of the base with respect to the earth.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the current pose and the earlier pose each specify an orientation of the base with respect to earth.

14. The method according to claim 1, further comprising estimating said earlier pose based on an evaluation of communication conditions existing on a data link between said robot and said control console.

22. The method according to claim 1, wherein the intersect movement is determined so as to maximize the alignment movement.

15. A robot, comprising:

a processing device;

a plurality of actuators responsive to said processing device for causing motion of said robot;

wherein said processing device is configured to

respond to a user robot command initiated by a control operator input at a remote control console, said user robot command specifying a first action involving a change of position for at least one portion of the robot,

compare a current pose of the robot to an earlier pose of the robot, where the earlier pose comprises a pose of the robot at a time when the control operator input was received by the remote control console; and

responsive to determining a difference between the current pose and the earlier pose, selectively transform the user robot command to a latency-corrected robot command that will cause at least one portion of the robot to transition from a current position to a desired position indicated by the user robot command;

wherein the transform comprises determining a trajectory of motion that would have resulted from the robot'"'"'s performance of the first action specified by the user robot command if the robot had remained in the earlier pose, determining an intersect movement that will cause the at least one portion of the robot to transition from the current position displaced from the trajectory of motion to an intermediate position which is disposed along the trajectory of motion, and determining an alignment movement that will cause the robot to transition from said intermediate position to the desired position along the trajectory of motion.

16. The robot according to claim 15, wherein the first action includes a change of orientation for the at least one portion of the robot.

17. The robot according to claim 15, wherein the current pose includes a current orientation of the robot.

18. The robot according to claim 15, wherein the current pose is a pose of the robot at the time when the user robot command is received at the robot.

19. The robot according to claim 15, wherein said intersect movement is exclusive of said trajectory of motion.

20. The robot according to claim 15, wherein said processing device is further configured to determine said earlier pose based on metadata communicated from said remote control console.

21. The robot according to claim 20, wherein said processing device is further configured to access a local database at said robot containing a plurality of state definitions, each said state definition specifying a state of said robot at a point in time preceding receipt of said user robot command at said robot, and to select an earlier state from said plurality of state definitions based on said metadata.

23. The robot according to claim 15, wherein the intersect movement is determined so as to maximize the alignment movement.