Natural pitch and roll

• US 9,662,792 B2
• Filed: 03/16/2015
• Issued: 05/30/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boston Dynamics, Inc. (SoftBank Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Khripin, Alex, Rizzi, Alfred Anthony
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): PECHE, JORGE O
• Application Number:
  US14/659,012
• Publication Number:
  US 20160052136A1
• Time in Patent Office: 806 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1664 characterised by motion, path, trajectory planning
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1694 characterised by use of sensors other than normal servo-feedback from position, speed or acceleration sensors, perception control, multi-sensor controlled systems, sensor fusion
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 57/032 with alternately or sequentially lifted supporting base and legs; with alternately or sequentially lifted feet or skid B62D57/024 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/39082 Collision, real time collision avoidance
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/39215 Adaptive control with stabilizing compensation
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/39325 External force control, additional loop comparing forces corrects position
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/09 Closed loop, sensor feedback controls arm movement
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/46 Sensing device

Abstract

A control system may receive a first plurality of measurements indicative of respective joint angles corresponding to a plurality of sensors connected to a robot. The robot may include a body and a plurality of jointed limbs connected to the body associated with respective properties. The control system may also receive a body orientation measurement indicative of an orientation of the body of the robot. The control system may further determine a relationship between the first plurality of measurements and the body orientation measurement based on the properties associated with the jointed limbs of the robot. Additionally, the control system may estimate an aggregate orientation of the robot based on the first plurality of measurements, the body orientation measurement, and the determined relationship. Further, the control system may provide instructions to control at least one jointed limb of the robot based on the estimated aggregate orientation of the robot.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a robot, a first plurality of measurements indicative of respective joint angles corresponding to a plurality of sensors connected to the robot, wherein the robot comprises a body and a plurality of jointed limbs connected to the body, and wherein the jointed limbs are associated with respective properties;

receiving a body orientation measurement indicative of an orientation of the body of the robot;

determining a relationship between the first plurality of measurements and the body orientation measurement based on the respective properties associated with the jointed limbs of the robot;

determining, based on the first plurality of measurements, the body orientation measurement, and the determined relationship, that at a future time the robot is predicted to be in an unstable aggregate orientation; and

in response to determining that at the future time the robot is predicted to be in the unstable aggregate orientation, providing instructions to control at least one jointed limb of the robot to cause the robot to assume an alternative aggregate orientation that is more stable than the unstable aggregate orientation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determined relationship is a first relationship, and wherein the method further comprises:

determining a particular mode of operation of the robot corresponding to one or more of the first plurality of measurements being within one or more respective operating ranges; and

determining a second relationship between the first plurality of measurements and the body orientation measurement associated with the particular mode of operation based on (i) the respective properties associated with the jointed limbs of the robot and (ii) the determined particular mode of operation of the robot.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein determining that at the future time the robot is predicted to be in the unstable aggregate orientation comprises:

based on determining that the robot is operating in the particular mode of operation, estimating the orientation of the robot at the future time based on the first plurality of measurements, the body orientation measurement, and the second relationship.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein providing instructions to control the at least one jointed limb of the robot comprises:

based on the unstable aggregate orientation, determining an extent of force with which to place a particular jointed limb of the robot on a surface to cause the robot to assume the alternative aggregate orientation; and

providing instructions to place the particular jointed limb of the robot on the surface using the determined extent of force.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein providing instructions to control the at least one jointed limb of the robot comprises:

based on the unstable aggregate orientation, determining a location to which to move a particular jointed limb of the robot to cause the robot to assume the alternative aggregate orientation; and

providing instructions to move the particular jointed limb of the robot to the determined location.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing the unstable aggregate orientation of the robot to a control system, wherein the control system is configured to maintain a balance of the robot by determining the alternative aggregate orientation.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the provided instructions are first instructions, and wherein the method further comprises:

determining a path indicative of an expected trajectory of the robot based on the unstable aggregate orientation;

determining that an object is present within the determined path; and

based on determining that the object is present within the determined path, providing second instructions to control at least one jointed limb of the robot to avoid colliding with the object.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

estimating an angular velocity of the robot based on the unstable aggregate orientation of the robot, wherein the instructions to control the at least one jointed limb of the robot are further based on the estimated angular velocity.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the provided instructions are first instructions, and wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a second plurality of measurements indicative of external forces exerted on the robot;

based on the received second plurality of measurements and the estimated angular velocity of the robot, determining a component of the estimated angular velocity caused by the external forces exerted on the robot; and

providing second instructions to control at least one jointed limb of the robot based on the determined component of the estimated angular velocity caused by the external forces exerted on the robot.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the provided instructions are first instructions, and wherein the method further comprises:

providing a path indicative of a desired trajectory of the robot; and

based on the provided path and the unstable aggregate orientation of the robot, providing second instructions to control at least one jointed limb of the robot to maneuver the robot to travel along the provided path.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the provided instructions are first instructions, and wherein the method further comprises:

determining whether a stance of the robot is stable based on the unstable aggregate orientation; and

based on determining that the stance of the robot is not stable, providing second instructions to control at least one jointed limb of the robot to adjust the stance of the robot to cause the robot to assume the alternative aggregate orientation.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the provided instructions are first instructions, and wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a second plurality of measurements indicative of external forces exerted on the robot;

determining an estimated angular velocity of the robot based on the unstable aggregate orientation of the robot;

determining a component of the estimated angular velocity caused by movements of the jointed limbs of the robot; and

providing second instructions to control at least one jointed limb of the robot based on the determined component of the estimated angular velocity caused by movements of the jointed limbs of the robot.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the provided instructions are first instructions, and wherein the method further comprises:

determining whether an object is in front of the robot; and

providing second instructions to stop the robot responsive to determining that the object is in front of the robot.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the provided instructions are first instructions, and wherein the method further comprises:

determining whether an object is within reach of a particular jointed limb of the robot; and

providing second instructions to limit an angle through which the particular jointed limb can move to avoid making contact with the object.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the provided instructions are first instructions, wherein the robot is in midair above a surface, and wherein the method further comprises:

determining an angle by which to adjust a given jointed limb from among the plurality of jointed limbs based on the estimated unstable aggregate orientation to balance the robot when the given jointed limb lands on the surface; and

providing second instructions to adjust the given jointed limb to the determined angle.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a second plurality of measurements indicative of external forces exerted on the robot;

determining a measured angular momentum of the robot based on the second plurality of measurements, at least one of the first plurality of measurements, and the body orientation measurement, wherein the measured angular momentum includes noise having a first average amplitude;

estimating an angular velocity of the robot based on the unstable aggregate orientation of the robot; and

determining an estimated angular momentum based on the measured angular momentum and the estimated angular velocity, wherein the estimated angular momentum includes noise having a second average amplitude, wherein the second average amplitude is less than the first average amplitude.

17. A robot comprising:

a body;

a plurality of jointed limbs connected to the body, wherein the jointed limbs are associated with respective properties;

a first plurality of sensors configured to provide a first plurality of measurements indicative of respective joint angles of the jointed limbs;

a second sensor configured to provide a body orientation measurement indicative of an orientation of the body of the robot, wherein the second sensor is coupled to the body;

a processing system configured to (i) determine a relationship between the first plurality of measurements and the body orientation measurement based on the respective properties associated with the jointed limbs and (ii) determine that at a future time the robot is predicted to be in an unstable aggregate orientation based on the first plurality of measurements, the body orientation measurement, and the determined relationship; and

a control system configured to provide instructions to control at least one jointed limb of the robot to cause the robot to assume an alternative aggregate orientation that is more stable than the unstable aggregate orientation in response to the processing system determining that at the future time the robot is predicted to be in the unstable aggregate orientation.

18. The robot of claim 17, wherein the respective properties associated with the jointed limbs include a mass of each jointed limb and a shape of each jointed limb, and wherein the determined relationship further indicates a relationship between a torque produced from moving a given jointed limb and a torque applied to a portion of the robot.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions that, upon execution by at least one processor, cause a robot to perform operations comprising:

receiving a first plurality of measurements indicative of respective joint angles corresponding to a plurality of sensors connected to the robot, wherein the robot comprises a plurality of jointed limbs and respective properties associated with the jointed limbs;

receiving a body orientation measurement indicative of an orientation of a portion of the robot;

determining a relationship between the first plurality of measurements and the body orientation measurement based on the respective properties associated with the jointed limbs of the robot;

determining, based on the first plurality of measurements, the body orientation measurement, and the determined relationship, that at a future time the robot is predicted to be in an unstable aggregate orientation; and

in response to determining that at the future time the robot is predicted to be in the unstable aggregate orientation, providing instructions to control at least one jointed limb of the robot to cause the robot to assume an alternative aggregate orientation that is more stable than the unstable aggregate orientation.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the operations further comprise:

providing the unstable aggregate orientation of the robot to a control system,

wherein the control system is configured to maintain a balance of the robot by determining the alternative aggregate orientation.