Robot having additional computing device

• US 8,364,310 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2011
• Issued: 01/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Original Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Inventors: Jones, Joseph Lee, Sandin, Paul Eric, Adams, Bryan Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sample, Jonathan L
• Application Number:
  US13/314,556
• Publication Number:
  US 20120083924A1
• Time in Patent Office: 418 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 700/245
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 5/007 mounted on wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/08 characterised by modular constructions
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0088 characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0227 using mechanical sensing means, e.g. for sensing treated area

Abstract

A modular robot development kit includes an extensible mobile robot platform and a programmable development module that connects to the mobile robot platform. The mobile robot platform includes a controller that executes robot behaviors concurrently and performs robot actions in accordance with robot control signals received from the development module, as modified by the concurrently running robot behaviors, as a safeguard against performing potentially damaging robot actions. Also, the user can develop software that is executed on the development module and which transmits the robot control signals to the mobile robot platform over the data communication link using a robot interface protocol. The robot interface protocol encapsulates potentially harmful user-developed software routines from the controller instructions executed by the controller of the mobile robot platform, while nonetheless enabling the user to effectively control the mobile robot platform using the robot control signals of the robot interface protocol.

Claims

1. A robot comprising:

a proximity sensor directed toward a forward end of a chassis of the robot;

a cliff sensor positioned toward the forward end of the chassis;

a sensor circuit connected to the proximity sensor and to the cliff sensor;

an I/O circuit including at least one input and one output;

at least one external computing device having a connection interface to the chassis;

a control circuit including a microprocessor and connected to the sensor circuit and to the I/O circuit;

a communication port provided within the chassis and configured to connect the connection interface of the at least one external computing device to the control circuit via the I/O circuit; and

a computer memory configured to store robot control instructions executable by the control circuit, the robot control instructions including a command interpreter routine and a serial input handler,

wherein the command interpreter routine is configured to cause the control circuit to receive one or more formatted commands via the communication port and to respond to the one or more formatted commands by initiating the serial input handler, and

wherein the serial input handler is configured to cause the control circuit to communicate with the proximity sensor, the cliff sensor, the I/O circuit, the sensor circuit, and the communication port.

2. The robot of claim 1, wherein the control circuit, the communication port and the computer memory are disposed in a detachable module configured to detachably connect to a bed of the chassis.

3. The robot of claim 1, further comprising:

a motorized drive system including a drive virtualization level;

at least one obstacle sensor including a sensor virtualization level; and

a command input routine configured to relay data command packets to one or more serial input handlers, the serial input handlers configured to interpret header arguments of data command packets and responsively do one or both of;

(i) execute one or more sensor virtualization routines configured to retrieve and format native sensor data into digital logic signals, and/or

(ii) execute one or more drive virtualization functions configured to retrieve and format bearing and speed navigation instructions into native motor control signals.

4. A robot comprising:

a chassis configured to detachably receive at least one external computing device; and

a control circuit connected to a sensor circuit and an I/O circuit, the control circuit including a microprocessor and a computer memory, the computer memory configured to store robot control instructions executable by the microprocessor, the robot control instructions including;

a command interface configured to receive one or more external commands from the at least one external computing device and to convert the external commands into internal control values, each external command including a header argument;

a sensor virtualization level including a plurality of virtual sensor functions corresponding to a sensor and configured to retrieve native sensor data and to convert the native sensor data into sensor logic levels associated with the native sensor data; and

a drive virtualization level including a plurality of virtual drive functions configured to convert the sensor logic levels and the internal control values into a set of native motor controls.

5. The robot of claim 4, further comprising:

a command input routine configured to relay commands to serial input handlers that are configured to interpret the header arguments of communication data packets

and responsively call sensor virtualization routines that retrieve and format native sensor data into digital logic signals;

a set of predefined behaviors, each predefined behavior configured to control a motorized drive system in accordance with a finite state machine including

a sensor routine configured to monitor sensor virtualization function output and the serial input handlers for events,

a drive routine configured to actuate one or more virtual drive functions configured to convert bearing and speed navigation instructions into motor control signals, and

a response routine configured to respond to an arbiter, allowing the behavior to operate the virtual drive functions, the set of predefined behaviors including an obstacle avoidance behavior configured to monitor an obstacle sensor virtualization function output, to actuate one or more virtual drive functions configured to move the robot substantially away from a detected obstacle, and to provide telemetry information regarding the detection and avoidance of the obstacle.

6. The robot of claim 5, wherein the behaviors operate based on a set of modes, each mode corresponding to a state in which the robot can operate, and being configured to execute in parallel with one or more of other modes.

7. A robot comprising:

a robot platform including a sensor, a drive train, an on-board controller, an expansion bay, and a first data communication port, the on-board controller including a first set of computer software instructions configured to communicate via the first data communication port in accordance with a predetermined robot interface protocol, to receive and process input from the sensor, to operate the robot platform in accordance with one or more robot behaviors, and to operate the robot platform to perform one or more robot actions; and

an external computing device configured to detachably interface with the robot platform and including

a programmable processor, a second data communication port configured to interface with the first data communication port, and a computer memory,

a second set of computer software instructions configured to transmit a first robot control signal to the robot platform in accordance with the robot interface protocol, the first robot control signal corresponding to at least one robot action or robot behavior, and

a third set of computer software instructions configured to transmit a second robot control signal querying the sensor of the robot platform in accordance with the robot interface protocol and to receive sensor data from the robot platform;

wherein the robot platform is configured to perform the robot behavior corresponding to the first robot control signal; and

wherein the robot platform is configured to transmit sensor data to the external computing device in accordance with the robot interface protocol.

8. The robot of claim 7, wherein the first and second data ports are configured to communicate in accordance with a serial data communication protocol selected from the group consisting essentially of RS-232, USB, IEEE 1394, or 1.sup.2C.

9. The robot of claim 7, wherein the robot platform further comprises:

first and second differentially driven drive wheels configured to propel the robot platform and disposed at first and second laterally opposed positions on the robot platform across a central longitudinal axis of the robot platform, the external computing device having a lateral position substantially between the first and second wheels.

10. The robot of claim 7, further comprising:

an auxiliary component including at least one of a sensor and an actuator, the auxiliary component being configured to connect to the robot platform.

11. The robot of claim 10, wherein the auxiliary component communicates with the robot platform in accordance with the robot interface protocol.

12. The robot of claim 11, wherein the robot interface protocol comprises:

a first set of datagrams configured to operate the robot platform of a corresponding robot action; and

a second set of datagrams configured to establish communication in accordance with the robot interface protocol.

13. The robot of claim 12, wherein the robot interface protocol further comprises a datagram configured to override at least one of the robot behaviors.

14. The robot of claim 7, wherein the second and third sets of computer software instructions are generated by a user using a computer programming language and installed to the robot by the user.

15. The robot of claim 7, wherein the robot interface protocol does not include a datagram capable of altering the first set of computer instructions on the robot platform.

16. The robot of claim 7, wherein the robot behaviors include at least one safety behavior configured to prevent the robot from performing a robot action that damages the robot.

17. The robot of claim 7, wherein the on-board controller is configured to execute a plurality of robot behaviors concurrently,

wherein the first set of computer software further includes an arbitration routine configured to select one robot behavior among the concurrently executing robot behaviors based on a priority determination routine, and

wherein the on-board controller is further configured to control the robot based on the selected robot behavior.

18. The robot of claim 17, wherein the first robot control signal is configured to alter the selection of the arbitration routine.

19. The robot of claim 7, further comprising a plurality of parameterized navigational operations having one or more quantitative parameters,

wherein the robot interface protocol includes a predetermined specification for transmission of the one or more quantitative parameters corresponding to the parameterized navigational operation.

20. The robot of claim 19, wherein the first robot control signal includes a parameterized navigational operation, and

wherein the on-board controller of the robot platform is further configured to process the first robot control signal and to control the drive train in accordance with the first robot control signal.