Operating a mobile robot

• US 9,211,648 B2
• Filed: 04/03/2013
• Issued: 12/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Flir Detection, Inc. (Teledyne Technologies Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Inventors: Grinstead, Marshall, Hoffman, Orin P.F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Holloway, Jason
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bendidi, Rachid
• Application Number:
  US13/856,048
• Publication Number:
  US 20130268118A1
• Time in Patent Office: 986 Days
• Field of Search: 700245-264
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 13/006 by means of a wireless system for controlling one or several manipulators
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 15/0028 with movable, e.g. pivoting gripping jaw surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 19/023 including video camera means
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 5/005 mounted on endless tracks or belts
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0022 characterised by the communication link data switching networks in general H04L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/15514 for shadowing compensation for satellite mobile telephony service systems H04B7/18536

Abstract

A robot system that includes an operator control unit, mission robot, and a repeater. The operator control unit has a display. The robot includes a robot body, a drive system supporting the robot body and configured to maneuver the robot over a work surface, and a controller in communication with the drive system and the operator control unit. The repeater receives a communication signal between the operator control unit and the robot and retransmits the signal.

Claims

1. A method of operating a mobile mission robot, the method comprising:

driving the mobile mission robot according to a drive command issued by a remote operator control unit in communication with the mobile mission robot, the mobile mission robot having a gripper thereon for retaining and transporting a repeater robot in communication with the operator control unit and the mobile mission robot, the repeater robot comprising;

a robot body;

a drive system supporting the robot body and configured to maneuver the repeater robot over a work surface;

a sensor system disposed on the robot body; and

a controller in communication with the drive system, the sensor system, and the operator control unit, the controller configured to execute a control arbitration system and a behavior system in communication with each other, the behavior system executing at least one behavior that influences execution of commands by the control arbitration system based on sensor signals received from the sensor system, the controller having a communication system configured to;

receive a first communication signal from the operator control unit and retransmit the first communication signal to the mobile mission robot; and

/or

receive a second communication signal from the mobile mission robot and retransmit the second communication signal to the operator control unit;

deploying the repeater robot by releasing the repeater robot from the gripper at a first distance from the operator control unit; and

driving the mobile mission robot to a second distance from the operator control unit, the second distance being greater than the first distance.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second distance is beyond a threshold communication range of the operator control unit and the operator control unit is unable to directly transmit the first communication signal to the mobile mission robot at the second distance.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising deploying the repeater robot near a threshold communication range between the mobile mission robot and the operator control unit.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the repeater robot retransmits the first communication signal and/or the second communication signal at a power level greater than or equal to a power level of the respective first communication signal and/or the respective second communication signal.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying on the operator control unit multiple views of at least one of images and video captured by imaging sensors on the mobile mission robot and the repeater robot.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the repeater robot at the first distance receives images or videos captured by imaging sensors on the mobile mission robot and transmits images or videos captured by the imaging sensors on the mobile mission robot and the repeater robot to the operator control unit.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising executing a self-righting behavior on the behavior system, the self-righting behavior causing execution of commands in response to receiving an indication of a non-upright orientation to rotate at least one flipper rotatably coupled to the robot body a continuous 360 degrees, causing the robot body to flip 180 degrees, a center of gravity of the repeater robot located within a rotation envelope of the at least one flipper.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising executing a find deployer behavior on the behavior system, the find deployer behavior causing execution of commands to:

ascertain imagery of a surrounding environment using an imaging sensor in communication with the controller of the repeater robot;

identify a deployer of the repeater robot; and

orient the repeater robot to capture the deployer in a field of view of the imaging sensor of the repeater robot.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising retaining a repeater beacon with the gripper and deploying the repeater beacon by releasing the repeater beacon from the gripper at a third distance from the operator control unit, the repeater beacon comprising:

a battery base;

an electronics enclosure supported by the battery base; and

at least one antenna supported by at least one of the battery base and the electronics enclosure;

wherein a product of a center of mass and a height of the electronics enclosure is less than a product of a center of mass and a height of the battery base.

10. A method of operating a mobile mission robot, the method comprising:

driving the mobile mission robot into a tunnel according to a drive command issued by a remote operator control unit in communication with the mobile mission robot; and

deploying a repeater robot at an entrance of the tunnel along an axis defined by the tunnel, the repeater robot having a direct line of sight into the tunnel along or in parallel to the tunnel axis, the repeater robot comprising;

a robot body;

a drive system supporting the robot body and configured to maneuver the repeater robot over a work surface;

a sensor system disposed on the robot body; and

a controller in communication with the drive system, the sensor system, and the operator control unit, the controller configured to execute a control arbitration system and a behavior system in communication with each other, the behavior system executing at least one behavior that influences execution of commands by the control arbitration system based on sensor signals received from the sensor system, the controller having a communication system configured to;

receive a communication signal from the operator control unit and retransmit that communication signal to the mobile mission robot positioned in the tunnel; and

/or

receive a communication signal from the mobile mission robot and retransmit that communication signal to the operator control unit.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the operator control unit is unable to directly transmit a communication signal to the mobile mission robot positioned in the tunnel.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the robot comprises a gripper configured to grasp, transport, and release the repeater robot.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising driving the repeater robot to the tunnel entrance according to a drive command issued by the remote operator control unit.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising driving the repeater robot around the tunnel entrance or into the tunnel along the tunnel axis to improve communication connectivity with the mobile mission robot in the tunnel.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising deploying two or more repeater robots sequentially along the tunnel axis at different distances from the operator control unit, the repeater robot having the greatest distant from the operator control unit being closest to and in communication with the mobile mission robot.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising displaying on the operator control unit multiple views of at least one of images and video captured by imaging sensors on the mobile mission robot and the repeater robot.

17. A remote controller comprising:

a computing processor;

a display in communication with the computing processor; and

a network interface in communication with the computing processor, the network interface receiving and displaying on the display images or video from first and second robots simultaneously, the first robot being an access point for the second robot by transporting and routing signals from both robots to the network interface, the first robot comprising;

a robot body;

a drive system supporting the robot body and configured to maneuver the first robot over a work surface;

a sensor system disposed on the robot body; and

a controller in communication with the drive system, the sensor system, and the operator control unit, the controller configured to execute a control arbitration system and a behavior system in communication with each other, the behavior system executing at least one behavior that influences execution of commands by the control arbitration system based on sensor signals received from the sensor system, the controller having a communication system configured to;

receive a first communication signal from the network interface and retransmit the first communication signal to the second robot; and

/or

receive a second communication signal from the second robot and retransmit the second communication signal to the network interface.

18. The remote controller of claim 17, wherein the first robot receives images or videos captured by imaging sensors on the first and second robots and transmits the images or video to the network interface.

19. The remote controller of claim 17, further comprising non-transitory memory storing executable code stored and in communication with the computing processor, the executable code identifying the images or video originating from the first robot and the images or video originating from the second robot and instructing the remote controller to present the images or video accordingly on the display.

20. The remote controller of claim 17, wherein either the first robot or the second robot can act as the access point for the other robot.

21. The remote controller of claim 17, wherein the first robot is at or within a threshold communication distance for communicating with the network interface and the second robot is positioned beyond the threshold communication distance.