System and method for determining and promoting safety of a robotic payload

• US 9,943,963 B2
• Filed: 04/12/2016
• Issued: 04/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zebra Technologies Corporation
• Original Assignee: Fetch Robotics, Inc. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Wise, Melonee
• Primary Examiner(s): Amin, Bhavesh V
• Application Number:
  US15/096,921
• Publication Number:
  US 20170291315A1
• Time in Patent Office: 735 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/162 Mobile manipulator, movable base with manipulator arm mounted on it
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1674 characterised by safety, monitoring, diagnostic
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41895 using automatic guided vehicles [AGV] control of position or course of AGV's G05D1/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0055 with safety arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0223 involving speed control of the vehicle vehicle fittings for automatically controlling, i.e. preventing speed from exceeding an arbitrarily established velocity or maintaining speed at a particular velocity, as selected by the vehicle operator B60K31/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/60 Electric or hybrid propulsion means for production processes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot

Abstract

A system for determining and promoting safety of a robotic payload, including: a controller; and a robot controllable by the controller, the robot comprising: at least one payload region configured to carry a payload; a sensor configured to detect at least one of a payload mass and a payload distribution, the sensor further configured to alert the controller regarding the one or more of a payload mass and a payload distribution, the controller further configured to perform, in response to the alert, one or more of determining safety of the payload and promoting the safety of the payload.

Claims

1. A system for determining and promoting safety of a robotic payload, comprising:

a controller; and

a robot controllable by the controller,

the robot comprising;

at least one payload region configured to carry a payload;

a sensor array configured to detect a payload parameter, wherein

 

the payload parameter comprises one or more of a payload mass and a payload distribution,

 

the sensor array further configured to alert the controller regarding the payload parameter,

 

the controller further configured to use the alert to generate a safety message, the controller further configured to send the safety message to a user.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the alert reports a change in the payload parameter.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the robot comprises the controller.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the robot comprises a robotic base, the robotic base comprising the sensor array.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the robotic base comprises a mobile robotic base.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor array comprises at least two sensors.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to determine if a payload mass differs significantly from an expected payload mass.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to determine if a payload distribution needs to be adjusted.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to determine whether it is safe for the robot to continue operating.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the controller is configured, upon determining that it is not safe for the robot to continue operating, to order the robot to stop.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to adjust, in response to the alert, one or more of a linear velocity, an angular velocity, a path, and a payload of the robot.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to perform, in response to the alert, one or more of stopping the robot, notifying a human operator, reconfiguring the payload, and taking an other step to promote payload safety.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the alert comprises notification of one or more of a change in payload mass and a change in payload distribution.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the safety message comprises one or more of a safety determination and a safety promotion order.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor array comprises a Wheatstone bridge.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to compute a center of mass of the robotic payload.

13. A system for determining and promoting safety of a robotic payload, comprising:

a controller; and

a robot controllable by the controller,

the robot comprising;

at least one payload region configured to carry a payload;

a sensor array configured to detect a payload parameter,

 

the sensor array further configured to alert the controller regarding the payload parameter,

 

the controller further configured to use the alert to generate a safety message, the controller further configured to send the safety message to a user, wherein the controller is further configured to perform, in response to the alert, one or more of stopping the robot, notifying a human operator, reconfiguring the payload, and taking an other step to promote payload safety, wherein the controller provides instructions to a user to reconfigure the payload.

14. A system for determining and promoting safety of a robotic payload, comprising:

a controller; and

a robot controllable by the controller,

the robot comprising;

at least one payload region configured to carry a payload;

a sensor array configured to detect a payload parameter,

 

the sensor array further configured to alert the controller regarding the payload parameter,

 

the controller further configured to use the alert to generate a safety message, the controller further configured to send the safety message to a user, wherein the controller is further configured to perform, in response to the alert, one or more of stopping the robot, notifying a human operator, reconfiguring the payload, and taking an other step to promote payload safety, wherein the controller directs a robotic appendage to reconfigure the payload.

19. A system for determining and promoting safety of a robotic payload, comprising:

a controller; and

a robot controllable by the controller,

the robot comprising;

at least one payload region configured to carry a payload;

a sensor array configured to detect a payload parameter,

 

the sensor array further configured to alert the controller regarding the payload parameter,

 

the controller further configured to use the alert to generate a safety message, the controller further configured to send the safety message to a user, wherein the controller is further configured to compute a center of mass of the robotic payload, wherein the x and y coordinates of the center of mass x_cm and y_cm are computed as follows;

20. A system for determining and promoting safety of a robotic payload, comprising:

a controller; and

a robot controllable by the controller,

the robot comprising;

at least one payload region configured to carry a payload;

a sensor array configured to detect a payload parameter,

 

the sensor array further configured to alert the controller regarding the payload parameter,

 

the controller further configured to use the alert to generate a safety message, the controller further configured to send the safety message to a user, wherein the controller is configured to adjust, in response to the alert, one or more of a linear velocity, an angular velocity, a path, and a payload of the robot, wherein the linear velocity is computed as follows;

21. A system for determining and promoting safety of a robotic payload, comprising:

a controller; and

a robot controllable by the controller,

the robot comprising;

at least one payload region configured to carry a payload;

a sensor array configured to detect a payload parameter,

 

the sensor array further configured to alert the controller regarding the payload parameter,

 

the controller further configured to use the alert to generate a safety message, the controller further configured to send the safety message to a user, wherein the controller is configured to adjust, in response to the alert, one or more of a linear velocity, an angular velocity, a path, and a payload of the robot, wherein the angular velocity is computed as follows;

22. A method for determining and promoting safety of a robotic payload, comprising:

detecting, by a sensor comprised in a robot controllable by a controller, the robot comprising at least one payload region configured to carry a payload, at least one of a payload mass and a payload distribution; and

alerting the controller, by the sensor, regarding the one or more of a payload mass and a payload distribution.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the step of alerting comprises notifying the controller of one or more of a change in payload mass and a change in payload distribution.

24. A method for determining and promoting safety of a robotic payload, comprising:

receiving, by a controller controlling a robot that comprises a sensor and further comprises at least one payload region configured to carry a payload, from the sensor, at least one of a payload mass and a payload distribution;

receiving, by the controller, from the sensor, an alert regarding the one or more of a payload mass and a payload distribution;

generating, by the controller, using the alert, a safety message; and

sending, by the controller, to a user, the safety message.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the step of sending comprises sending one or more of a safety determination and an order.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the step of generating comprises generating an order promoting the safety of the payload.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein the step of generating comprises determining if the payload mass differs significantly from an expected payload mass.

28. The method of claim 24, wherein the step of generating comprises determining if the payload distribution needs to be adjusted.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein the step of generating further comprises generating one or more of an order to adjust the robot'"'"'s movement, an order notifying a human operator, an order ordering the robot to stop and an order taking another step to promote payload safety.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the step of generating an order to adjust the robot'"'"'s movement further comprises adjusting one or more of the robot'"'"'s path, the robot'"'"'s linear velocity, the robot'"'"'s angular velocity, and the robot'"'"'s acceleration.

33. The method of claim 24, wherein the step of generating comprises determining whether it is safe for the robot to continue operating.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the step of generating comprises, upon determining that it is not safe for the robot to continue operating, ordering the robot to stop.

37. The method of claim 24, wherein the step of generating comprises computing a center of mass of the robotic payload.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the step of computing a center of mass of the robotic payload comprises computing the x and y coordinates of the center of mass x_cm and y_cm as follows:

31. A method for determining and promoting safety of a robotic payload, comprising:

receiving, by a controller controlling a robot that comprises a sensor and further comprises at least one payload region configured to carry a payload, from the sensor, at least one of a payload mass and a payload distribution;

receiving, by the controller, from the sensor, an alert regarding the one or more of a payload mass and a payload distribution;

generating, by the controller, using the alert, a safety message; and

sending, by the controller, to a user, the safety message, wherein the step of generating comprises generating an order promoting the safety of the payload, wherein the step of generating further comprises generating one or more of an order to adjust the robot'"'"'s movement, an order notifying a human operator, an order ordering the robot to stop and an order taking another step to promote payload safety, wherein the step of generating an order to adjust

the robot'"'"'s linear velocity comprises computing the robot'"'"'s linear velocity as follows;

32. A method for determining and promoting safety of a robotic payload, comprising:

receiving, by a controller controlling a robot that comprises a sensor and further comprises at least one payload region configured to carry a payload, from the sensor, at least one of a payload mass and a payload distribution;

receiving, by the controller, from the sensor, an alert regarding the one or more of a payload mass and a payload distribution;

generating, by the controller, using the alert, a safety message; and

sending, by the controller, to a user, the safety message, wherein the step of generating

comprises generating an order promoting the safety of the payload, wherein the step of generating further comprises generating one or more of an order to adjust the robot'"'"'s movement, an order notifying a human operator, an order ordering the robot to stop and an order taking another step to promote payload safety, wherein the step of generating an order to adjust

the robot'"'"'s angular velocity comprises computing the robot'"'"'s angular velocity as follows;

35. A method for determining and promoting safety of a robotic payload, comprising:

receiving, by a controller controlling a robot that comprises a sensor and further comprises at least one payload region configured to carry a payload, from the sensor, at least one of a payload mass and a payload distribution;

receiving, by the controller, from the sensor, an alert regarding the one or more of a payload mass and a payload distribution;

generating, by the controller, using the alert, a safety message; and

sending, by the controller, to a user, the safety message, wherein the step of sending comprises providing instructions to a user to reconfigure the payload.

36. A method for determining and promoting safety of a robotic payload, comprising:

receiving, by a controller controlling a robot that comprises a sensor and further comprises at least one payload region configured to carry a payload, from the sensor, at least one of a payload mass and a payload distribution;

receiving, by the controller, from the sensor, an alert regarding the one or more of a payload mass and a payload distribution;

generating, by the controller, using the alert, a safety message; and

sending, by the controller, to a user, the safety message, wherein the step of sending comprises directing a robotic appendage to reconfigure the payload.