Robot movement and online trajectory optimization

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11833680-B2
Application number	US-202117358628-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 25, 2021
Priority date	Jun 25, 2021
Publication date	Dec 5, 2023
Grant date	Dec 5, 2023

Abstract

Systems and methods for determining movement of a robot about an environment are provided. A computing system of the robot (i) receives information including a navigation target for the robot and a kinematic state of the robot; (ii) determines, based on the information and a trajectory target for the robot, a retargeted trajectory for the robot; (iii) determines, based on the retargeted trajectory, a centroidal trajectory for the robot and a kinematic trajectory for the robot consistent with the centroidal trajectory; and (iv) determines, based on the centroidal trajectory and the kinematic trajectory, a set of vectors having a vector for each of one or more joints of the robot.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
receiving, by a computing system of a robot, information including a navigation target for the robot and a kinematic state of the robot;
determining, by the computing system, based on the information and a trajectory target for the robot, a retargeted trajectory for the robot, wherein the trajectory target is based on a linear motion of the robot and an angular motion of the robot, and wherein the retargeted trajectory is based on an adjusted linear motion of the robot and an adjusted angular motion of the robot;
determining, by the computing system, based on the retargeted trajectory, a centroidal trajectory for the robot and a whole-body kinematic trajectory for the robot consistent with the centroidal trajectory;
determining, by the computing system, based on the centroidal trajectory and the whole-body kinematic trajectory, a set of vectors having a vector for each of one or more joints or links of the robot; and
controlling, by the computing system, movement of the robot based on one or more vectors in the set of vectors.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein each vector in the set of vectors for a joint of the robot includes a torque about the joint of the robot.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the retargeted trajectory is further based on at least one contact wrench of the robot.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the navigation target for the robot is a first navigation target, and wherein the information further includes a second navigation target for the robot and a second kinematic state of the robot, the method further comprising:
determining, by the computing system, based on the information and a second trajectory target for the robot, a second retargeted trajectory for the robot;
determining, by the computing system, based on the second retargeted trajectory, a second centroidal trajectory for the robot and a second whole-body kinematic trajectory for the robot consistent with the second centroidal trajectory; and
determining, by the computing system, based on the second centroidal trajectory and the second whole-body kinematic trajectory, a second set of vectors having one vector for each of one or more joints or links of the robot.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising concatenating, by the computing system, (i) the centroidal trajectory with the second centroidal trajectory, and (ii) the whole-body kinematic trajectory with the second whole-body kinematic trajectory.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the navigation target is determined by a perception module of the robot that (i) receives measurements from at least one depth perceiving camera of the robot, and (ii) identifies, based on the measurements, at least one local planar region in the robot's environment.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the whole-body kinematic trajectory is consistent with at least one environmental constraint or physical constraint of the robot.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the retargeted trajectory is determined for a time horizon of greater than one second.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the robot is a humanoid robot.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the set of vectors having a vector for the each of one or more joints or links of the robot includes determining, as a function of time, a magnitude, and a direction of a force to apply to each respective joint or link.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the centroidal trajectory is represented using quaternions.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein (i) the vector for each of the one or more joints is a torque applied about the respective joint, and (ii) each torque is based on information including, for each of one or more links of the robot, a force on the link, a displacement of a center of pressure of the link relative to a geometric center of a contact patch of the link, and a torque about the center of pressure of the link.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the force is represented as a three-dimensional force acting on the link, the center of pressure is represented as a two-dimensional displacement relative to a center of a contact patch of the link, and the torque is represented as a one-dimensional torque in a direction perpendicular to a surface of the link.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the centroidal trajectory includes a position of a center of mass of the robot, a momentum of the center of mass of the robot, and an angular momentum of the center of mass of the robot.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the centroidal trajectory includes an angular excursion of the robot.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the centroidal trajectory includes at least one contact wrench applied at at least one link of the robot.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the whole-body kinematic trajectory reflects an angular excursion of the robot.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the whole-body kinematic trajectory reflects one or more touchdown contact locations of the robot.

19. A computing system of a robot comprising:
data processing hardware; and
memory hardware in communication with the data processing hardware, the memory hardware storing instructions that when executed on the data processing hardware cause the data processing hardware to perform operations comprising:
receiving information including a navigation target for the robot and a kinematic state of the robot;
determining, based on the information and a trajectory target for the robot, a retargeted trajectory for the robot, wherein the trajectory target is based on a linear motion of the robot and an angular motion of the robot, and wherein the retargeted trajectory is based on an adjusted linear motion of the robot and an adjusted angular motion of the robot,
determining, based on the retargeted trajectory, a centroidal trajectory for the robot and a whole-body kinematic trajectory for the robot consistent with the centroidal trajectory;
determining, based on the centroidal trajectory and the whole-body kinematic trajectory, a set of vectors having a vector for each of one or more joints or links of the robot;
and
controlling movement of the robot based on one or more vectors in the set of vectors.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein each vector in the set of vectors for a joint of the robot includes a torque about the joint of the robot.

21. The system of claim 19 , wherein the retargeted trajectory is further based on at least one contact wrench of the robot.

22. The system of claim 19 , wherein the navigation target for the robot is a first navigation target, and wherein the information further includes a second navigation target for the robot and a second kinematic state of the robot, and the operations further comprise:
determining, based on the information and a second trajectory target for the robot, a second retargeted trajectory for the robot;
determining, based on the second retargeted trajectory, a second centroidal trajectory for the robot and a second whole-body kinematic trajectory for the robot consistent with the second centroidal trajectory; and
determining, based on the second centroidal trajectory and the second whole-body kinematic trajectory, a second set of vectors having one vector for each of one or more joints or links of the robot.

23. The system of claim 22 , wherein the operations further comprise concatenating (i) the centroidal trajectory with the second centroidal trajectory, and (ii) the whole-body

Assignees

• Boston Dynamics Inc

Inventors

• Deits Robin
• Kuindersma Scott
• Kelly Matthew P
• Koolen Twan
• Abe Yeuhi
• Stephens Benjamin

Classifications

• G05D1/646

  Following a predefined trajectory, e.g. a line marked on the floor or a flight path · CPC title

• G05D1/249

  from positioning sensors located off-board the vehicle, e.g. from cameras · CPC title

• B25J9/1602 Primary

  characterised by the control system, structure, architecture · CPC title

• B25J13/08

  by means of sensing devices, e.g. viewing or touching devices · CPC title

• B62D57/02

  with ground-engaging propulsion means, e.g. walking members · CPC title