Self-assembling robotics for disaster applications

• US 10,035,259 B1
• Filed: 09/15/2017
• Issued: 07/31/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Cheng, Zhao, Li, Luyao, Raj, Ramesh V., Robeson, Kyle D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sample, Jonathan L
• Application Number:
  US15/705,656
• Time in Patent Office: 319 Days
• Field of Search: 700245-264
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 27/00 Fire-fighting land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 11/0025 handling explosives, bombs or hazardous objects
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/0084 comprising a plurality of manipulators
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/08 characterised by modular constructions
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 11/13 Systems specially adapted for detection of landmines
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 11/16 Self-propelled mine-clearing vehicles; Mine-clearing devices attachable to vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 13/00 Means of attack or defence not otherwise provided for details of radar or sonar systems G01S7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/265 Personal security, identity or safety

Abstract

In an approach to creating assembly plan for disaster mitigation, one or more computer processors identify one or more triggering events. The one or more computer processors receive one or more configuration parameters for one or more assembly plans pertaining to the one or more triggering events. The one or more computer processors analyze the one or more configuration parameters to determine necessary configuration parameters based upon the identified one or more triggering events. The one or more computer processors create the one or more assembly plans containing one or more instructions for one or more self-assembling robots based on the determined necessary configuration parameters. The one or more computer processors send the one or more assembly plans to one or more self-assembling robots.

Claims

1. A method for managing self-assembling robots for disaster mitigation, the method comprising:

identifying, by the one or more computer processors, one or more triggering events;

receiving, by one or more computer processors, configuration parameters, wherein the configuration parameters include;

global positioning coordinates, robot data, topography data, wind speed data, weather forecasts, task data, and standard disaster mitigation protocols, wherein standard disaster mitigation protocols include;

fire disaster mitigation protocols and shelter-based disaster mitigation protocols, for one or more assembly plans pertaining to the one or more triggering events;

analyzing, by the one or more computer processors, the one or more configuration parameters to determine configuration parameters based upon the identified one or more triggering events;

creating, by the one or more computer processors, the one or more assembly plans containing one or more instructions for one or more self-assembling robots based on the determined necessary configuration parameters;

sending, by the one or more computer processors, the one or more assembly plans to the one or more self-assembling robots;

verifying, by the one or more computer processors, receipt of the one or more assembly plans by the one or more self-assembling robots;

determining, by the one or more computer processors, whether the one or more self-assembling robots achieved one or more correct configurations, wherein determining whether the one or more self-assembling robots achieved the one or more correct configurations is determined using a threshold inquiry for whether the one or more self-assembling robots achieved the one or more configurations meeting one or more standard disaster mitigation protocols;

responsive to determining that the one or more self-assembling robots did not achieve the one or more correct configurations, creating, by the one or more computer processors, one or more modified assembly plans that include modified instructions for the one or more self-assembling robots, wherein the one or more modified assembly plans are sent to a sub-group of self-assembling robots; and

assembling the sub-group of self-assembling robots utilizing a magnetic attachment mechanism to create a structure detailed in the modified assembly plan.