Robotic systems and methods of operating robotic systems

• US 9,579,797 B2
• Filed: 04/10/2015
• Issued: 02/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Quanser Consulting Inc.
• Original Assignee: Quanser Consulting Inc.
• Inventors: Apkarian, Agop Jean Georges, Haddadi, Amir, Lai, Gilbert Ming Yeung, Lacheray, Herv Jean-Pierre, Karam, Paul, Erickson, David Ryan
• Primary Examiner(s): Figueroa, Jaime
• Application Number:
  US14/683,737
• Publication Number:
  US 20160303739A1
• Time in Patent Office: 690 Days
• Field of Search: 700/245, 700/247, 700/248, 700/249, 700/250, 700/253, 700/255, 700/257, 700/264
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 3/04 involving servo mechanisms servo-actuated heads B25J15/02
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1674 characterised by safety, monitoring, diagnostic
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1689 Teleoperation
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/39082 Collision, real time collision avoidance
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40164 Fault recovery from task execution errors
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40184 Compliant teleoperation, operator controls motion, system controls contact, force
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40333 Singularity, at least one movement not possible, kinematic redundancy
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/49 Protective device

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for operating various robotic systems. The methods and systems involve applications of platforms that enable multiple-input teleoperation and a high degree of immersiveness for the user. The robotic systems may include multiple arms for manipulators and retrieving information from the environment and/or the robotic system. The robotic methods may include control modification modules for detecting that an operation of a robotic device based on the control commands fails to comply with one or more operational parameters; identifying the non-compliant control command; and generating a modifier for the secondary device to adjust the non-compliant control command to comply with the set of operational parameters.

Claims

1. A robotic system comprising:

an input module operable to receive a set of input signals from one or more primary devices, the set of input signals including one or more input signals;

a storage module operable to provide a configuration profile, the configuration profile comprising a set of operational parameters for the robotic system;

a processing module configured to generate one or more control commands based on at least the set of input signals and the configuration profile, the one or more control commands being generated for one or more secondary devices, the processing module being in electronic communication with the input module and the storage module, each control command being indicative of an operation to be conducted by at least one secondary device of the one or more secondary devices; and

a set of control modification modules for managing an operation of the robotic system, each control modification module managing an operation of a respective secondary device, each control modification module being configured to;

detect whether the operation of the respective secondary device fails to comply with the set of operational parameters;

in response to detecting the operation of the respective secondary device fails to comply with the set of operational parameters, identify a non-compliant control command from the one or more control commands, the non-compliant control command being a control command causing the operation of the respective secondary device to be non-compliant with the set of operational parameters; and

generate a modifier to adjust the non-compliant control command to comply with the set of operational parameters;

wherein the robotic system is responsive to the one or more control commands and each modifier generated by the respective control modification modules.

2. The robotic system of claim 1 further comprises:

an output module for combining the one or more control commands and the modifier to provide an output signal, the robotic system being responsive to the output signal.

3. The robotic system of claim 1, wherein:

the configuration profile comprises a mapped association between each primary device and the at least one secondary device;

each input signal is associated with a primary device identifier corresponding to the primary device providing that input signal; and

the processing module is configured to generate the one or more control commands by, for each input signal,

identifying, from the configuration profile, the at least one secondary device in mapped association with the primary device corresponding to the respective primary device identifier; and

associating that input signal with the identified at least one secondary device.

4. The robotic system of claim 3, wherein the processing module is further configured to, for each secondary device,

determine whether that secondary device is associated with two or more input signals;

and

in response to determining that secondary device is associated with two or more input signals, combine the two or more input signals to generate the respective control command for that secondary device.

5. The robotic system of claim 4, wherein the two or more input signals comprise a first input signal defining a first aspect of the operation to be conducted by the respective secondary device and a second input signal defining a second aspect of the operation to be conducted by the respective secondary device, the second aspect being different from the first aspect.

6. The robotic system of claim 1, wherein:

the input module is further operable to receive a state change indicator from the at least one secondary device, the state change indicator representing an adjustment of at least one of the primary device and the secondary device; and

the robotic system further comprises a mapping module for updating the configuration profile in response to the state change indicator.

7. The robotic system of claim 6, wherein:

the storage module stores a plurality of configuration profiles, each configuration profile comprising a different respective set of operational parameters; and

the mapping module is further configured to select one of the plurality of configuration profiles based on the state change indicator.

8. The robotic system of claim 6, wherein the adjustment of the at least one of the primary device and the secondary device comprises a change to a mapped association between a primary device and a respective secondary device.

9. The robotic system of claim 6, wherein the adjustment of the at least one of the primary device and the secondary device comprises an occurrence of a closed kinematic loop at the secondary device.

10. The robotic system of claim 1, wherein each control modification module is further configured to:

generate an operational model based on the one or more control commands;

identify, from the operational model, a collision between at least one of the one or more secondary devices and one or more segments of a secondary device; and

in response to identifying the collision, generate the modifier for preventing the collision, the modifier including a removal of one or more components of the non-compliant control command causing the collision based on the operational model.

11. The robotic system of claim 1, wherein:

the configuration profile comprises a compliance threshold; and

each control modification module is further configured to;

receive a sensed value from the secondary device;

determine whether the sensed value exceeds the compliance threshold; and

in response to determining the sensed value exceeds the compliance threshold, generate the modifier for reducing at least one of a force and a torque exerted by the secondary device, the modifier including a removal of one or more components of the non-compliant control command causing the sensed value to exceed the compliance threshold.

12. The robotic system of claim 1, wherein:

the configuration profile comprises a singularity threshold; and

each control modification module is further configured to;

receive a pose information associated with the secondary device, the pose information comprising a position data and an orientation data;

determine whether the pose information exceeds the singularity threshold; and

in response to determining the pose information exceeds the singularity threshold, generate the modifier for reducing a movement of the secondary device to reduce a change in the pose information, the modifier including a removal of one or more components of the non-compliant control command causing the pose information to exceed the singularity threshold.

13. A method for operating a robotic system, the method comprising:

receiving, at an input module, a set of input signals from one or more primary devices, the set of input signals including one or more input signals;

providing a configuration profile, the configuration profile comprising a set of operational parameters for the robotic system;

generating, by a processing module, one or more control commands based on at least the set of input signals and the configuration profile, the one or more control commands being generated for one or more secondary devices, each control command being indicative of an operation to be conducted by at least one secondary device of the one or more secondary devices; and

managing, by a set of control modification modules, an operation of the robotic system, each control modification module managing an operation of a respective secondary device, the managing comprising;

detecting whether the operation of the respective secondary device fails to comply with the set of operational parameters;

in response to detecting the operation of the respective secondary device fails to comply with the set of operational parameters, identifying a non-compliant control command from the one or more control commands, the non-compliant control command being a control command causing the operation of the respective secondary device to be non-compliant with the set of operational parameters; and

generating a modifier to adjust the non-compliant control command to comply with the set of operational parameters;

wherein the robotic system is responsive to the one or more control commands and each modifier generated by the respective control modification modules.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprises:

combining the one or more control commands and the modifier to provide an output signal, the robotic system being responsive to the output signal.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein:

the configuration profile comprises a mapped association between each primary device and the at least one secondary device;

each input signal is associated with a primary device identifier corresponding to the primary device providing that input signal; and

generating the one or more control commands comprises, for each input signal,

identifying, from the configuration profile, the at least one secondary device in mapped association with the primary device corresponding to the respective primary device identifier; and

associating that input signal with the identified at least one secondary device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein generating the one or more control commands comprises, for each secondary device,

determining whether that secondary device is associated with two or more input signals;

and

in response to determining that secondary device is associated with two or more input signals, combining the two or more input signals to generate the respective control command for that secondary device.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the two or more input signals comprises a first input signal defining a first aspect of the operation to be conducted by the respective secondary device and a second input signal defining a second aspect of the operation to be conducted by the respective secondary device, the second aspect being different from the first aspect.

18. The method of claim 13 further comprises:

receiving, at the input module, a state change indicator from the at least one secondary device, the state change indicator representing an adjustment of at least one of the primary device and the secondary device; and

generating the one or more control commands comprises updating, by a mapping module, the configuration profile in response to the state change indicator.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprises operating the mapping module to select one of a plurality of configuration profiles based on the state change indicator, each configuration profile in the plurality of configuration profiles comprising a different respective set of operational parameters.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein managing the operation of the robotic system comprises operating each control modification module to:

generate an operational model based on the one or more control commands;

identify, from the operational model, a collision between at least one of the one or more secondary devices and one or more segments of a secondary device; and

in response to identifying the collision, generate the modifier for preventing the collision, the modifier including a removal of one or more components of the non-compliant control command causing the collision based on the operational model.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein:

the configuration profile comprises a compliance threshold; and

managing the operation of the robotic system comprises operating each control modification module to;

receive a sensed value from the secondary device;

determine whether the sensed value exceeds the compliance threshold; and

in response to determining the sensed value exceeds the compliance threshold, generate the modifier for reducing at least one of a force and a torque exerted by the secondary device, the modifier including a removal of one or more components of the non-compliant control command causing the sensed value to exceed the compliance threshold.

22. The method of claim 13, wherein:

the configuration profile comprises a singularity threshold; and

managing the operation of the robotic system comprises operating each control modification module to;

receive a pose information associated with the secondary device, the pose information comprising a position data and an orientation data;

determine whether the pose information exceeds the singularity threshold; and

in response to determining the pose information exceeds the singularity threshold, generate the modifier for reducing a movement of the secondary device to reduce a change in the pose information, the modifier including a removal of one or more components of the non-compliant control command causing the pose information to exceed the singularity threshold.