Apparatus and methods for safe navigation of robotic devices

• US 9,840,003 B2
• Filed: 06/24/2015
• Issued: 12/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brain Corporation
• Original Assignee: Brain Corporation
• Inventors: Szatmary, Botond, Richert, Micah
• Primary Examiner(s): HOLLOWAY, JASON R
• Application Number:
  US14/749,423
• Publication Number:
  US 20160375592A1
• Time in Patent Office: 902 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 11/0085 Cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 19/06 Safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 5/00 Manipulators mounted on wheels or on carriages B25J1/00 takes precedence; programme-controlled manipulators B25J9/00 ; vehicle aspects B60, B62, e.g. remote-controlled steering for motor vehicles B62D1/24; control of position of vehicles G05D1/00
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1674 characterised by safety, monitoring, diagnostic
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1676 Avoiding collision or forbidden zones
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/54 for indicating speed outside of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/008 for anti-collision purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/003 Bistatic lidar systems; Multistatic lidar systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/04 Systems determining the presence of a target
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/46 Indirect determination of position data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/89 for mapping or imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/51 Display arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0214 in accordance with safety or protection criteria, e.g. avoiding hazardous areas monitoring the location of vehicles within a certain area, e.g. forbidden or allowed areas, in traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/13
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0238 using obstacle or wall sensors G05D1/0246 and G05D1/0289 take precedence; lidar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S17/93
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0242 using non-visible light signals, e.g. IR or UV signals
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/22 Matching criteria, e.g. proximity measures
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/145 Illumination specially adapted for pattern recognition, e.g. using gratings
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/10 : Terrestrial scenes scenes under surveillance with static cameras G06V20/52; scenes perceived from the exterior of a vehicle G06V20/56; scenes perceived from the interior of a vehicle G06V20/59
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/52 : Surveillance or monitoring of activities, e.g. for recognising suspicious objects recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/58 : Recognition of moving objects or obstacles, e.g. vehicles or pedestrians; Recognition of traffic objects, e.g. traffic signs, traffic lights or roads
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 : Mobile robot

Abstract

Apparatus and methods for navigation of a robotic device configured to operate in an environment comprising objects and/or persons. Location of objects and/or persons may changed prior and/or during operation of the robot. In one embodiment, a bistatic sensor comprises a transmitter and a receiver. The receiver may be spatially displaced from the transmitter. The transmitter may project a pattern on a surface in the direction of robot movement. In one variant, the pattern comprises an encoded portion and an information portion. The information portion may be used to communicate information related to robot movement to one or more persons. The encoded portion may be used to determine presence of one or more object in the path of the robot. The receiver may sample a reflected pattern and compare it with the transmitted pattern. Based on a similarity measure breaching a threshold, indication of object present may be produced.

Claims

1. A computerized system configured to communicate a parameter related to a trajectory of a robot, the system comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising a plurality of computer executable instructions, the instructions, when executed, being configured to determine the parameter;

a processing component configured to execute the plurality of computer executable instructions; and

a transmitter component in operable communication with the processing component, the transmitter being configured to transmit a pattern comprising a graphical representation of the parameter;

a camera and/or audio sensor, the camera and/or audio sensor in combination with the processing component and the plurality of computer executable instructions being configured to detect behavior characteristics associated with a human;

wherein;

the trajectory of the robot corresponds to a task being executed by the robot; and

the graphical representation of the parameter is configured to communicate human-readable information related to the trajectory and further configured to change responsive to a change in the parameter, the communicated human-readable information further configured to change based at least in part on the detected behavior characteristics associated with the human.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the task comprises a path navigation by the robot along a surface;

the transmitter component comprises a visible light source; and

the graphical representation comprises a graphic displayed on the surface.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the graphical representation comprises a graphical animation.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein:

the parameter comprises a motion characteristic of the trajectory of the robot; and

the communication of the human-readable information related to the trajectory is configured to provide a warning, the warning being associated with a motion of the robot.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the warning is effectuated in an absence of an awareness of a presence or the trajectory of the robot by an entity, thereby reducing a probability of a collision with the robot.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the reduction of the probability of collision is based on a rate of change of distance between a target and the robot as compared to the rate of change of distance immediately prior the transmission of the pattern.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the motion characteristic comprises a speed of the robotic device.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein:

the graphical representation comprises an arrow characterized by an arrow length; and

the arrow length is configured in accordance with a value of the speed of the robotic device.

9. The system of claim 2, wherein:

the transmitter component comprises a digital light projector operably coupled to the processing component, the digital light projector being configured to produce the pattern;

the graphical representation is characterized by a longitudinal dimension; and

the transmitter is configured to dynamically adjust a transverse dimension based on a signal from the processing component, the signal being indicative of a speed of motion of the robot.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein:

the graphical representation is characterized by an orientation value; and

the transmitter component is configured to dynamically adjust the orientation value based on another signal from the processing component, the another signal being indicative of a direction of the motion of the robot.

11. The system of claim 2, wherein:

the parameter comprises a motion characteristic of the trajectory of the robot;

the surface comprises a tarmac for aircraft landing;

the robot comprises a cleaning device configured to maintain the tarmac; and

the graphical representation comprises an arrow projected onto the tarmac.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein a size of the arrow is selected from a range between 0.02 meter and 10 meters, inclusive.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the parameter comprises at least one of:

a motion speed or a motion direction of the robot.

14. A method for providing a projection by a robotic device executing a task on retail premises, the method comprising:

determining a parameter associated with the task being executed on the premises;

communicating the parameter associated with the task to a light emitting apparatus of the robotic device using a processor apparatus;

detecting a behavior characteristic associated with a human using a camera and/or audio sensor;

configuring a first image comprising a graphical representation of the parameter associated with the task using the processor apparatus;

configuring a second image based on the detected behavior characteristic associated with the human using the processor apparatus; and

while the robotic device is executing the task along a trajectory, causing the light emitting apparatus of the robotic device to emit a light pattern comprising the first image, thereby causing the projection of the graphical representation of the parameter associated with the task onto a surface as well as causing a human-machine interface to display the second image.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein:

the premises comprises a plurality of aisles separating a plurality of shelves;

the task comprises a cleaning of at least one aisle of the plurality of aisles; and

the parameter comprises a speed of the robotic device.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

navigating the at least one aisle, wherein the robotic device is characterized to operate without a direct line of sight between an estimated position of a human and the robotic device;

identifying the surface based at least in part on an estimated line of sight to the estimated position; and

wherein the emitted light pattern is configured to effectuate a warning.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable apparatus comprising a storage medium, the storage medium having a plurality of computer-executable instructions therein, the plurality of instructions being configured to, when executed by a processor apparatus, cause a robotic platform to:

determine a parameter associated with a task executed by the robotic platform within premises;

communicate the parameter associated with the task to a transmitter apparatus;

detect a behavior characteristic associated with a human;

configure a first digital image comprising a graphical representation of the parameter associated with the task;

configure a second digital image based on the detected behavior characteristic associated with the human;

during an execution of the task by the robotic platform along a given trajectory, cause the transmitter apparatus to emit a light pattern onto a surface, the light pattern comprising the first digital image, the emission of the light pattern on the surface comprising a projection of the graphical representation of the parameter associated with the task onto the surface as well as cause a human-machine interface to display the second digital image.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable apparatus of claim 17, wherein:

the premises comprises a plurality of aisles;

the task comprises a cleaning of at least one aisle of the plurality of aisles; and

the parameter comprises a speed of the robotic device.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable apparatus of claim 18, wherein the plurality of instructions are further configured to, when executed by the processor apparatus, cause the robotic platform to:

navigate the at least one aisle;

identifying the surface based at least in part on an entity proximate in distance to the robotic platform within the premises;

effectuate a warning to the entity within the premises via the emitted light pattern onto the identified surface.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable apparatus of claim 17, wherein the graphical representation of the parameter is configured to change responsive to a change in the parameter.