Infantry robotic porter system and methods useful in conjunction therewith
First Claim
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1. A robotic system comprising:
- a robotic platform;
a follow-path functionality enabling the robotic platform to follow a leading soldier, at least selectably, without reliance on GPS; and
a Human Machine Interface between the platform and a leading soldier,wherein said follow-path functionality defines a current position of the robotic platform by its relationship to the soldier and enables the robotic platform to follow the route of the soldier'"'"'s footsteps,wherein said follow-path functionality includes;
driving apparatus operative for driving to an individual waypoint along the path and measuring the robot position in a relative coordinate system and measuring the distance and angle between the robot and the leader;
leader position computation apparatus operative for computing the leader position in a relative coordinate system and storing the leader position as a highest waypoint in a memory device;
waypoint extraction apparatus operative, when the robot-leader distance is pre-determinedy large and the robot-waypoint distance is pre-determinedly small, to extract a next highest waypoint from the memory device and to return to said driving using said next highest waypoint as said individual waypoint; and
wherein, when the robot-leader distance is pre-determinedly small, the robot waits a predetermined time period then returns to said driving, otherwise, when the robot-waypoint distance is not pre-determinedly small, the robot returns to said driving.
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Abstract
A robotic system comprising a robotic platform; a follow-path functionality enabling the robotic platform to follow a leading soldier, at least selectably, without reliance on GPS; and a Human Machine Interface between the platform and a leading soldier.
69 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A robotic system comprising:
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a robotic platform; a follow-path functionality enabling the robotic platform to follow a leading soldier, at least selectably, without reliance on GPS; and a Human Machine Interface between the platform and a leading soldier, wherein said follow-path functionality defines a current position of the robotic platform by its relationship to the soldier and enables the robotic platform to follow the route of the soldier'"'"'s footsteps, wherein said follow-path functionality includes; driving apparatus operative for driving to an individual waypoint along the path and measuring the robot position in a relative coordinate system and measuring the distance and angle between the robot and the leader; leader position computation apparatus operative for computing the leader position in a relative coordinate system and storing the leader position as a highest waypoint in a memory device; waypoint extraction apparatus operative, when the robot-leader distance is pre-determinedy large and the robot-waypoint distance is pre-determinedly small, to extract a next highest waypoint from the memory device and to return to said driving using said next highest waypoint as said individual waypoint; and wherein, when the robot-leader distance is pre-determinedly small, the robot waits a predetermined time period then returns to said driving, otherwise, when the robot-waypoint distance is not pre-determinedly small, the robot returns to said driving. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A robotic system comprising:
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a robotic platform; a follow-path functionality enabling the robotic platform to follow a leading soldier; and a Human Machine Interface between the platform and a leading soldier, wherein the interface is operative to provide to the robotic platform, the robotic platform is operative to carry out, a set of dog-training commands, and said follow-path functionality defines a current position of the robotic platform by its relationship to the soldier and enables the robotic platform to follow the route of the soldier'"'"'s footsteps, wherein said follow-path functionality includes; driving apparatus operative for driving to an individual waypoint along the path and measuring the robot position in a relative coordinate system and measuring the distance and angle between the robot and the leader; leader position computation apparatus operative for computing the leader position in a relative coordinate system and storing the leader position as a highest waypoint in a memory device, waypoint extraction apparatus operative, when the robot-leader distance is pre-determinedy large and the robot-waypoint distance is pre-determinedly small, to extract a next highest waypoint from the memory device and to return to said driving using said next highest waypoint as said individual waypoint; and wherein, when the robot-leader distance is pre-determinedly small, the robot waits a predetermined time period then returns to said driving, otherwise, when the robot-waypoint distance is not pre-determinedly small, the robot returns to said driving. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12)
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13. A method for operating a robotic system comprising:
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providing a follow-path functionality enabling a robotic platform to follow a leading soldier; and using a Human Machine Interface between the platform and a leading soldier to provide to the robotic platform, and using the robotic platform to carry out, a set of dog-training commands, wherein said follow-path functionality defines a current position of the robotic platform by its relationship to the soldier and enables the robotic platform to follow the route of the soldier'"'"'s footsteps, wherein said follow-path functionality includes; driving to an individual waypoint along the path and measuring the robot position in a relative coordinate system and measuring the distance and angle between the robot and the leader; computing the leader position in a relative coordinate system and storing the leader position as a highest waypoint in a memory device; when the robot-leader distance is pre-determinedly large and the robot-waypoint distance is pre-determinedly small, to extract a next highest waypoint from the memory device and to return to said driving using said next highest waypoint as said individual waypoint; and wherein, when the robot-leader distance is pre-determinedly small, the robotic platform waits a predetermined time period then returns to said driving, otherwise, when the robot-waypoint distance is not pre-determinedly small, the robotic platform returns to said driving.
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14. A robot-leader tracking system comprising:
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a robot operative to identify a path being followed by a leader and to advance along said path, wherein said robot includes; driving apparatus operative for driving to an individual waypoint along the path and measuring the robot position in a relative coordinate system and measuring the distance and angle between the robot and the leader; leader position computation apparatus operative for computing the leader position in a relative coordinate system and storing the leader position as a highest waypoint in a memory device; waypoint extraction apparatus operative, when the robot-leader distance is pre-determinedly large and the robot-waypoint distance is pre-determinedly small, to extract a next highest waypoint from the memory device and to return to said driving using said next highest waypoint as said individual waypoint; and wherein, when the robot-leader distance is pre-determinedly small, the robot waits a predetermined time period then returns to said driving, otherwise, when the robot-waypoint distance is not pre-determinedly small, the robot returns to said driving.
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15. A robot-leader tracking method comprising:
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using a robot to identify a path being followed by a leader and to advance along said path, wherein said using comprises; driving to an individual waypoint along the path and measuring the robot position in a relative coordinate system and measuring the distance and angle between the robot and the leader; computing the leader position in a relative coordinate system and storing the leader position as a highest waypoint in a memory device; when the robot-leader distance is pre-determinedly large and the robot-waypoint distance is pre-determinedly small, extract a next highest waypoint from the memory device and return to said driving using said next highest waypoint as said individual waypoint; and when the robot-leader distance is pre-determinedly small, wait a predetermined time period then return to said driving, otherwise, when the robot-waypoint distance is not pre-determinedly small, return to said, driving.
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16. A method for operating a robotic system comprising:
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providing a follow-path functionality enabling a robotic platform to follow a leading soldier, at least selectably, without reliance on GPS; and providing a Human Machine Interface between the platform and a leading soldier, wherein said follow-path functionality defines a current position of the robotic platform by its relationship to the soldier and enables the robotic platform to follow the route of the soldier'"'"'s footsteps, wherein said follow-path functionality includes; driving to an individual waypoint along the path and measuring the robot position in a relative coordinate system and measuring the distance and angle between the robot and the leader; computing the leader position in a relative coordinate system and storing the leader position as a highest waypoint in a memory device; when the robot-leader distance is pre-determinedly large and the robot-waypoint distance is pre-determinedly small, to extract a next highest waypoint from the memory device and to return to said driving using said next highest waypoint as said individual waypoint; and wherein, when the robot-leader distance is pre-determinedly small, the robotic platform waits a predetermined time period then returns to said driving, otherwise, when the robot-waypoint distance is not pre-determinedly small, the robotic platform returns to said driving. - View Dependent Claims (17)
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18. A computer program product, comprising a tangible computer-usable medium having a computer-readable program code embodied therein, said computer-readable program code adapted to be executed to implement a robot-leader tracking method comprising:
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using a robot to identify a path being followed by a leader and to advance along said path, wherein said using comprises; controlling the robot for driving to an individual waypoint along the path and measuring the robot position in a relative coordinate system and measuring the distance and angle between the robot and the leader; computing the leader position in a relative coordinate system and storing the leader position as a highest waypoint in a memory device; when the robot-leader distance is pre-determinedly large and the robot-waypoint distance is pre-determinedly small, extracting a next highest waypoint from the memory device and controlling the robot for return to said driving using said next highest waypoint as said individual waypoint; and when the robot-leader distance is pre-determinedly small, waiting a predetermined time period then controlling the robot for return to said driving, otherwise, when the robot-waypoint distance is not pre-determinedly small, controlling the robot for return to said driving.
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19. A computer program product, comprising a tangible computer-usable medium having a computer-readable program code embodied therein, said computer-readable program code adapted to be executed to implement a method for operating a robotic system comprising:
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providing a follow-path functionality enabling a robotic platform to follow a leading soldier; and controlling the robotic platform to carry out a set of dog-training commands provided by a Human Machine Interface between the platform and a leading soldier, wherein said follow-path functionality defines a current position of the robotic platform by its relationship to the soldier and enables the robotic platform to follow the route of the soldier'"'"'s footsteps, wherein said follow-path functionality includes; driving to an individual waypoint along the path and measuring the robot position in a relative coordinate system and measuring the distance and angle between the robot and the leader; computing the leader position in a relative coordinate system and storing the leader position as a highest waypoint in a memory device; when the robot-leader distance is pre-determinedly large and the robot-waypoint distance is pre-determinedly small, to extract a next highest waypoint from the memory device and to return to said driving using said next highest waypoint as said individual waypoint; and wherein, when the robot-leader distance is pre-determinedly small, the robotic platform waits a predetermined time period then returns to said driving, otherwise, when the robot-waypoint distance is not pre-determinedly small, the robotic platform returns to said driving.
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Specification