Control processing for mobile robotic devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11518029-B2
Application number	US-201916561519-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 5, 2019
Priority date	May 25, 2017
Publication date	Dec 6, 2022
Grant date	Dec 6, 2022

Abstract

Systems and methods for process tending with a robot arm are presented. The system comprises a robot arm and robot arm control system mounted on a self-driving vehicle, and a server in communication with the vehicle and/or robot arm control system. The vehicle has a vehicle control system for storing a map and receiving a waypoint based on a process location provided by the server. The robot arm control system stores at programs that is executable by the robot arm. The vehicle control system autonomously navigates the vehicle to the waypoint based on the map, and the robot arm control system selects a target program from the stored programs based on the process location and/or a process identifier.

First claim

We claim:

1. A system for process tending with a self-driving vehicle having a robot arm, the system comprising:
a server configured to provide one or more of a process location and a machine identifier;
the self-driving vehicle having a vehicle control system storing a map and configured to:
receive the one or more of the process location and the machine identifier from the server, the process location comprising a first process location and a second process location, and the machine identifier comprising a first machine identifier and a second machine identifier;
determine a waypoint based on the one or more of the process location and the machine identifier, the waypoint comprising a first waypoint determined based on one or more of the first process location and the first machine identifier, and a second waypoint determined based on one or more of the second process location and the second machine identifier; and
autonomously navigate the self-driving vehicle to the first waypoint based on the map;

the robot arm mounted on the vehicle, the robot arm having a robot arm control system storing at least one program executable by the robot arm, the at least one program comprising a first program and a second program, wherein the robot arm control system is configured to:
select the first program from the at least one program based on the one or more of the first process location and the first machine identifier; and
execute the first program for at least operating the robot arm at the first waypoint;

the vehicle control system is further configured to, subsequent to the robot arm control system executing the first program with the robot arm at the first waypoint, autonomously navigating the self-driving vehicle to the second waypoint based on the map; and
the robot arm control system is further configured to:
select the second program to be executed by the robot arm based on one or more of the second process location the second machine identifier; and
execute the second program with the robot arm at the second waypoint.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the self-driving vehicle further comprises at least one vehicle safety sensor in communication with the vehicle control system, configured to sense a vehicle obstacle in the environment of the self-driving vehicle, such that the vehicle control system autonomously navigates the self-driving vehicle to the first waypoint or the second waypoint based on the map and the vehicle obstacle.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the robot arm control system further comprises at least one robot arm safety sensor in communication with the robot arm control system, configured to sense a robot arm obstacle in the environment of the robot arm, such that the robot arm control system alters a movement of the robot arm based on the robot arm obstacle.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the at least one vehicle safety sensor is configured to detect the vehicle obstacle based on a vehicle-safety field of view and the at least one robot arm safety sensor is configured to detect the robot arm obstacle based on a robot-arm-safety field of view;
wherein at least one part of the vehicle-safety field of view does not overlap with the robot-arm-safety field of view.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein selecting the first program comprises determining the first machine identifier based on the first process location, and selecting the first program based on the first machine identifier.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein determining the first machine identifier based on the first process location comprises capturing a machine image with a sensor and determining the first machine identifier based on the machine image.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the robot arm control system is further configured to:
prior to executing the first program, select a first tool based on the one or more of the first process location and the first machine identifier and attach the first tool to the robot arm; and
prior to executing the second program, select a second tool based on the one or more of the second process location and the second machine identifier, remove the first tool from the robot arm, and attach the second tool to the robot arm.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the vehicle control system is further configured to:
update the second waypoint to a new waypoint based on a new process location; and
transport the robot arm to the new waypoint with the self-driving vehicle; and

the robot arm control system is further configured to execute the second program with the robot arm at the new waypoint.

9. The system of claim of claim 1 , wherein the self-driving vehicle receives the one or more of the second process location and the second machine identifier after the robot arm executes the first program at the first waypoint.

10. A system for process tending with a self-driving vehicle having a robot arm, the system comprising:
a server configured to provide at least one of a process location or a machine identifier;
the self-driving having a vehicle control system storing a map and configured to:
receive at least one of the process location or the machine identifier from the server;
determine a waypoint based on at least one of the process location or the machine identifier;
autonomously navigate the self-driving vehicle to the waypoint based on the map;
update the machine identifier to a new machine identifier;
update the waypoint to a new waypoint based on a new machine identifier; and
transport the robot arm to the new waypoint with the self-driving vehicle; and

the robot arm mounted on the vehicle, the robot arm having a robot arm control system storing at least one program executable by the robot arm, wherein the robot arm control system is configured to:
select a target program from the at least one program based on the at least one of the process location or the machine identifier;
execute the target program for at least operating the robot arm at the waypoint;
select a new program to be executed by the robot arm based on the new machine identifier; and
execute the new program with the robot arm at the new waypoint.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the self-driving vehicle further comprises at least one vehicle safety sensor in communication with the vehicle control system, configured to sense a vehicle obstacle in the environment of the self-driving vehicle, such that the vehicle control system autonomously navigates the self-driving vehicle to the first waypoint or the new waypoint based on the map and the vehicle obstacle.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the robot arm control system further comprises at least one robot arm safety sensor in communication with the robot arm control system, configured to sense a robot arm obstacle in the environment of the robot arm, such that the robot arm control system alters a movement of the robot arm based on the robot arm obstacle.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the at least one vehicle safety sensor is configured to detect the vehicle obstacle based on a vehicle-safety field of view and the at least one robot arm safety sensor is configured to detect the robot arm obstacle based on a robot-arm-safety field of view;
wherein at least one part of the vehicle-safety field of view does not overlap with the robot-arm-safety field of view.

14. A method for process tending with a self-driving vehicle having a robot arm, comprising:
receiving one or more of a process location and a machine identifier from a server, the process location comprising a first process location and a second process location, and the machine identifi

Assignees

• Clearpath Robotics Inc

Inventors

• Cantor Daniel
• Gariepy Ryan Christopher
• Clayton Roydyn
• Rodrigues Yvan Geoffrey
• Tod Anthony William
• Vondervoort Bryce William

Classifications

• G05B2219/40298

  Manipulator on vehicle, wheels, mobile · CPC title

• B25J9/1664 Primary

  characterised by motion, path, trajectory planning · CPC title

• B25J5/007

  mounted on wheels · CPC title

• G05B2219/31007

  Floor plan, map stored in on-board computer of vehicle · CPC title

• G05B15/02

  electric · CPC title