Programming of a robotic arm using a motion capture system

• US 9,925,669 B2
• Filed: 08/22/2016
• Issued: 03/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intrinsic Innovation LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: X Development LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Linnell, Jeffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): MANCHO, RONNIE M
• Application Number:
  US15/242,875
• Publication Number:
  US 20160354930A1
• Time in Patent Office: 582 Days
• Field of Search: 700245, 700259
• 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

An example method includes receiving position data indicative of position of a demonstration tool. Based on the received position data, the method further includes determining a motion path of the demonstration tool, wherein the motion path comprises a sequence of positions of the demonstration tool. The method additionally includes 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 also includes providing for display of a visual simulation of the one or more robot movements within the replication control path.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving position data indicative of position of a demonstration tool;

based on the received position 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;

determining that the replication control path for the robotic device violates one or more predefined physical constraints of the robotic device; and

providing a warning signal in response to determining that the replication control path for the robotic device violates the one or more predefined physical constraints of the robotic device.

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 providing the warning signal while receiving the position data indicative of the position of the demonstration tool.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing the warning signal as part of a visual simulation.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the warning signal indicates an unreachable configuration of the robotic device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the demonstration tool comprises a display screen; and

the warning signal is displayed within the display screen.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining one or more refinements to the one or more robot movements within the replication control path in order to smooth one or more curves of robot movements within the replication control path.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving one or more refinements to the one or more robot movements within the replication control path via a user interface; and

updating a displayed visual simulation of the one or more robot movements within the replication control path to reflect the one or more refinements.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the position data indicative of the position of the demonstration tool only 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 the position data indicative of the position of the demonstration tool from one or more cameras.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the position 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 one or more 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 one or more 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; and

a control system configured to;

receive position data indicative of position of the demonstration tool;

based on the received position 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 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;

determine that the replication control path for the robotic device violates one or more predefined physical constraints of the robotic device; and

provide a warning signal in response to determining that the replication control path for the robotic device violates the one or more predefined physical constraints of the robotic device.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the control system is further configured to provide the warning signal while receiving the position data indicative of the 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 position data indicative of position of a demonstration tool;

based on the received position 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;

determining that the replication control path for the robotic device violates one or more predefined physical constraints of the robotic device; and

providing a warning signal in response to determining that the replication control path for the robotic device violates the one or more predefined physical constraints of the robotic device.