Methods of determining complete sensor requirements for autonomous mobility

• US 8,160,728 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2009
• Issued: 04/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United States Of America As Represented By The Administrator Of The National Aeronautics And Space Administration
• Original Assignee: United States Of America As Represented By The Administrator Of The National Aeronautics And Space Administration
• Inventors: Curtis, Steven A.
• Primary Examiner(s): MANCHO, RONNIE M
• Application Number:
  US12/558,672
• Publication Number:
  US 20110066284A1
• Time in Patent Office: 946 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 700/28, 700/30, 700/31, 700/47, 700/245, 700/253, 700/48, 700/246, 700/258
• US Class Current: 700/30
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/161 Hardware, e.g. neural networks, fuzzy logic, interfaces, processor
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40616 Sensor planning, sensor configuration, parameters as function of task

Abstract

A method of determining complete sensor requirements for autonomous mobility of an autonomous system includes computing a time variation of each behavior of a set of behaviors of the autonomous system, determining mobility sensitivity to each behavior of the autonomous system, and computing a change in mobility based upon the mobility sensitivity to each behavior and the time variation of each behavior. The method further includes determining the complete sensor requirements of the autonomous system through analysis of the relative magnitude of the change in mobility, the mobility sensitivity to each behavior, and the time variation of each behavior, wherein the relative magnitude of the change in mobility, the mobility sensitivity to each behavior, and the time variation of each behavior are characteristic of the stability of the autonomous system.

Claims

1. A computer readable storage medium having computer executable instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by a computer processor, direct the computer processor to perform a method of determining complete sensor requirements for autonomous mobility of an autonomous system, the method comprising:

computing a time variation of each behavior of a set of behaviors of the autonomous system;

determining mobility sensitivity to each behavior of the autonomous system;

computing a change in mobility based upon the mobility sensitivity to each behavior and the time variation of each behavior; and

determining the complete sensor requirements of the autonomous system through analysis of the relative magnitude of the change in mobility, the mobility sensitivity to each behavior, and the time variation of each behavior, wherein the relative magnitude of the change in mobility, the mobility sensitivity to each behavior, and the time variation of each behavior are characteristic of the stability of the autonomous system.

2. The storage medium of claim 1, wherein determining the complete sensor requirements includes determining sensor requirements based on increasing the stability of the autonomous system.

3. The storage medium of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

determining a set of behaviors of the autonomous system; and

determining behavioral sensitivity of each behavior of the set of behaviors to spectral changes of a plurality of sensors.

4. The storage medium of claim 3, wherein the method further comprises:

determining an absolute time variability of the spectral changes of the plurality of sensors;

determining spectral changes of the plurality of sensors caused by movement of the autonomous system;

determining the behavioral sensitivity of each behavior of the set of behaviors to the spectral changes of the plurality of sensors.

5. The storage medium of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

determining a set of power spectra of stimuli of a plurality of sensors; and

determining a characteristic parameter range for the plurality of sensors;

wherein the time variation of each behavior of a set of behaviors of the autonomous system is based on summation of behavioral sensitivities to spectral changes of the plurality of sensors over the set of power spectra and the characteristic parameter range.

6. The storage medium of claim 1, wherein the autonomous system is configured to include a neural base function bi-level neural system, the neural system including at least one heuristic portion and at least one autonomous portion, and the at least one heuristic portion and the at least one autonomous portion receiving sensory input from a plurality of sensors for which the sensor requirements are computed.

7. The storage system of claim 1, wherein the autonomous system is configured to include a synthetic skeletal muscular system (SSMS), the SSMS including a plurality of sensor for which the sensor requirements are computed.

8. The storage medium of claim 1, wherein the complete sensor requirements are a collective set of sensor requirements for a plurality of sensors providing the most stability to the autonomous system.

9. The storage medium of claim 1, wherein the complete sensor requirements are a collective set of sensor requirements for a plurality of sensors configured to provide sensory input to the autonomous system.

10. The storage medium of claim 1, wherein the complete set of sensor requirements are a collective set of sensor requirements for a plurality of sensors, the plurality of sensors including at least one of an electromagnetic sensor, an acoustic sensor, an accelerometer, and a chemical-sensor.

11. A method of determining complete sensor requirements for autonomous mobility of an autonomous system, the method comprising:

computing a time variation of each behavior of a set of behaviors of the autonomous system;

determining mobility sensitivity to each behavior of the autonomous system;

computing a change in mobility based upon the mobility sensitivity to each behavior and the time variation of each behavior; and

determining the complete sensor requirements of the autonomous system through analysis of the relative magnitude of the change in mobility, the mobility sensitivity to each behavior, and the time variation of each behavior, wherein the relative magnitude of the change in mobility, the mobility sensitivity to each behavior, and the time variation of each behavior are characteristic of the stability of the autonomous system.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein determining the complete sensor requirements includes determining sensor requirements based on increasing the stability of the autonomous system.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining a set of behaviors of the autonomous system; and

determining behavioral sensitivity of each behavior of the set of behaviors to spectral changes of a plurality of sensors.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

determining an absolute time variability of the spectral changes of the plurality of sensors;

determining spectral changes of the plurality of sensors caused by movement of the autonomous system;

determining the behavioral sensitivity of each behavior of the set of behaviors to the spectral changes of the plurality of sensors.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining a set of power spectra of stimuli of a plurality of sensors; and

determining a characteristic parameter range for the plurality of sensors;

wherein the time variation of each behavior of a set of behaviors of the autonomous system is based on summation of behavioral sensitivities to spectral changes of the plurality of sensors over the set of power spectra and the characteristic parameter range.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the autonomous system is configured to include a neural base function bi-level neural system, the neural system including at least one heuristic portion and at least one autonomous portion, and the at least one heuristic portion and the at least one autonomous portion receiving sensory input from a plurality of sensors for which the sensor requirements are computed.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the autonomous system is configured to include a synthetic skeletal muscular system (SSMS), the SSMS including a plurality of sensor for which the sensor requirements are computed.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the complete sensor requirements are a collective set of sensor requirements for a plurality of sensors providing the most stability to the autonomous system.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the complete sensor requirements are a collective set of sensor requirements for a plurality of sensors configured to provide sensory input to the autonomous system.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the complete set of sensor requirements are a collective set of sensor requirements for a plurality of sensors, the plurality of sensors including at least one of an electromagnetic sensor, an acoustic sensor, an accelerometer, and a chemical-sensor.