Characterising robot environments
First Claim
1. A method of characterising the environment of a first robot, the first robot having a base, a flexible arm extending from the base and having a plurality of joints whereby the configuration of the arm can be altered, a first datum carried by the arm, a plurality of drivers arranged to drive the joints to move and a plurality of position sensors configured to sense the position of each of the joints, the method comprising:
- mating the first datum carried by the arm of the first robot with a second datum on a second robot in the environment of the first robot, wherein the second robot has a base, a flexible arm extending from the base and having a plurality of joints whereby the configuration of the arm can be altered, and a plurality of drivers arranged to drive those joints to move, and the datum carried by the arm of the first robot and the datum on the second robot are mutually configured so that the configuration of the first robot arm is dependent on the orientation of the second datum when the datums are mated;
calculating in dependence on the outputs of the position sensors when the first and second datums are mated a distance between a reference location defined in a frame of reference local to the first robot and the second robot and an orientation of the first robot relative to the second robot; and
controlling the drivers to reconfigure the first arm in dependence on at least the calculated distance and orientation.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method for characterizing the environment of a robot, the robot having a flexible arm having a plurality of joints, a datum carried by the arm, a plurality of drivers arranged to drive the joints to move and a plurality of position sensors for sensing the position of each of the joints, the method comprising: contacting the datum carried by the arm with a first datum on a second robot in the environment of the first robot, wherein the second robot has a flexible arm having a plurality of joints, and a plurality of drivers arranged to drive those joints to move; calculating in dependence on the outputs of the position sensors a distance between a reference location defined in a frame of reference local to the robot and the first datum; and controlling the drivers to reconfigure the first arm in dependence on at least the calculated distance.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A method of characterising the environment of a first robot, the first robot having a base, a flexible arm extending from the base and having a plurality of joints whereby the configuration of the arm can be altered, a first datum carried by the arm, a plurality of drivers arranged to drive the joints to move and a plurality of position sensors configured to sense the position of each of the joints, the method comprising:
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mating the first datum carried by the arm of the first robot with a second datum on a second robot in the environment of the first robot, wherein the second robot has a base, a flexible arm extending from the base and having a plurality of joints whereby the configuration of the arm can be altered, and a plurality of drivers arranged to drive those joints to move, and the datum carried by the arm of the first robot and the datum on the second robot are mutually configured so that the configuration of the first robot arm is dependent on the orientation of the second datum when the datums are mated; calculating in dependence on the outputs of the position sensors when the first and second datums are mated a distance between a reference location defined in a frame of reference local to the first robot and the second robot and an orientation of the first robot relative to the second robot; and controlling the drivers to reconfigure the first arm in dependence on at least the calculated distance and orientation. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A robotic system comprising:
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a first and second robot, each comprising; a base; a flexible arm extending from the base and having a plurality of joints whereby the configuration of the arm can be altered; a plurality of drivers arranged to drive the joints to move; and a plurality of position sensors configured to sense the position of each of the joints; wherein the first robot further comprises a first datum carried by its arm and the second robot comprises a second datum, the first and second datums being mutually configured so that the configuration of the first robot arm is dependent on the orientation of the second datum when the datums are mated; and wherein the first robot further comprises a control unit configured to;
(i) calculate, in dependence on the outputs of the position sensors when the first datum carried by the arm of the first robot is mated with the second datum on the second robot, a distance between a reference location defined in a frame of reference local to the first robot and the second robot and an orientation of the first robot relative to the second robot; and
(ii) subsequently control the drivers to reconfigure the first arm in dependence on at least the calculated distance and orientation.
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10. A method of characterising the environment of a first and second robot, each of the robots having a base, a flexible arm extending from the base and having a plurality of joints whereby the configuration of the arm can be altered, a plurality of drivers arranged to drive the joints to move and a plurality of sensors configured to sense the positions of each of the joints, wherein the arm of the first robot comprises an interface carrying a first datum, the method comprising:
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mating the first datum carried by the interface of the first robot with an interface in the shape of a proximal instrument or endoscope end of a second datum in the environment of the first and second robots, the first datum of the first robot and the second datum being mutually configured so that when the first datum and the second datum are mated the orientation of the first datum is fixed with respect to the orientation of the second datum and the second datum has a known relationship to the second robot arm; calculating, in dependence on the outputs of the position sensors of the first robot arm when the first datum and the second datum are mated, an orientation and position of the second robot relative to the first robot; and controlling the drivers to reconfigure at least one of the first and second robot arms in dependence on at least the calculated orientation and/or position. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification