APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR SAFE NAVIGATION OF ROBOTIC DEVICES

• US 20160375592A1
• Filed: 06/24/2015
• Published: 12/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brain Corporation
• Original Assignee: Brain Corporation
• Inventors: Szatmary, Botond, Richert, Micah
• Granted Patent: US 9,840,003 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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;

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.

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 graphics 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 direct visibility of the robot, thereby reducing a probability of a collision between 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 apparatus of claim 7, wherein:

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

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

9. The apparatus 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 apparatus 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 warning to a human 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 to a light emitting apparatus;

configuring an image comprising a graphical representation of the parameter; and

causing the light emitting apparatus to emit a light pattern comprising the image, thereby causing a projection of the graphical representation of the parameter onto a surface.

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 the human and the robotic device;

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

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

17. A method for detecting objects by a computerized robotic apparatus configured to clean surfaces, the method comprising:

configuring a reference pattern;

projecting the reference pattern onto a surface in front of the robotic apparatus using a light emitter component;

detecting a reflected pattern by a camera component, the camera component being configured to produce a digital image;

analyzing the digital image to determine a parameter of the reflected pattern; and

based on the parameter of the reflected pattern breaching a threshold, producing an indication of an object being present in front of the robotic apparatus.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein:

the projected pattern comprises an encoded portion comprising a plurality of elements and a background portion; and

the encoded portion is configured to produce the reflected pattern characterized by a first area of increased contrast compared to a second area associated with the background portion.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein:

the act of configuring the reference pattern comprises selecting a pattern width in accordance with a width of the robotic apparatus; and

selecting a pattern length in accordance with a speed of the robotic apparatus.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein:

the encoded portion comprises a plurality of lines arranged in a grid configuration; and

the act of configuring the reference pattern further comprises selecting one or more of a line width and the grid configuration.