Lidar sensor system for enabling or disabling use of a robotic arm

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12449546-B2
Application number	US-202217721480-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 15, 2022
Priority date	Apr 15, 2022
Publication date	Oct 21, 2025
Grant date	Oct 21, 2025

Abstract

In some implementations, a robotic device may receive, from a first light detection and ranging (LIDAR) sensor and a second LIDAR sensor, calibration data associated with a physical environment of a robotic arm of the robotic device. The robotic device may determine, based on the calibration data, a configuration of a boundary for the robotic arm. The robotic device may position, relative to the robotic arm, the first LIDAR sensor at a first position and the second LIDAR sensor at a second position to sense an activity within the boundary. The robotic device may monitor the boundary based on first sensor data from the first LIDAR sensor and second sensor data from the second LIDAR sensor. The robotic device may disable, based on the first sensor data or the second sensor data indicating the activity associated with the boundary, the robotic arm from moving within the boundary.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for controlling a robotic device, comprising:
receiving, from a first light detection and ranging (LIDAR) sensor and a second LIDAR sensor, calibration data associated with a physical environment of a robotic arm of the robotic device;
determining, based on the calibration data, a configuration of a boundary for the robotic arm;
positioning, relative to the robotic arm, the first LIDAR sensor at a first position and the second LIDAR sensor at a second position according to the configuration of the boundary to enable the first LIDAR sensor and the second LIDAR sensor to sense an activity within the boundary;
monitoring the boundary of the robotic arm based on first sensor data from the first LIDAR sensor and second sensor data from the second LIDAR sensor; and
disabling, based on the first sensor data or the second sensor data indicating the activity associated with the boundary, the robotic arm from moving within the boundary.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
configuring a first sensing range of the first LIDAR sensor according to the first position and a second sensing range of the second LIDAR sensor according to the second position.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
monitoring the first sensor data and the second sensor data to identify a period of inactivity within the boundary; and
enabling, based on identifying the period of inactivity in a zone that is within the boundary for a threshold length of time, the robotic arm to move within the boundary.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the period of inactivity within the boundary is detected based on the first sensor data indicating inactivity within a first sensing plane of the first LIDAR sensor and the second sensor data indicating inactivity within a second sensing plane of the second LIDAR sensor.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein a duration of the period of inactivity is based on the configuration of the boundary.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first LIDAR sensor is positioned via a first retractable arm of the robotic device and the second LIDAR sensor is positioned via a second retractable arm of the robotic device.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first LIDAR sensor and the second LIDAR sensor are direction sensors with a preconfigured sensing range.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a new configuration of a new boundary for the robotic arm based on an occurrence of a triggering condition,
wherein the triggering condition comprises one or more of:
detecting passage of a period of time,
detecting that the robotic device has moved,
detecting that the robotic arm has moved,
detecting that an object within the boundary has moved,
detecting the activity associated with the boundary,
receiving instructions to recalibrate and/or reconfigure the boundary; and

repositioning at least one of the first LIDAR sensor or the second LIDAR sensor based on the new configuration.

9. A robotic device comprising:
a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) sensor arrangement;
a robotic arm; and
a controller configured to:
receive, from one or more LIDAR sensors of the LIDAR sensor arrangement, calibration data associated with a physical environment of the robotic device;
determine, based on the calibration data, an operational region of movement of the robotic arm;
position, based on a boundary of the operational region, the one or more LIDAR sensors into corresponding locations to sense an activity within the boundary; and
disable, based on sensor data from the one or more LIDAR sensors indicating the activity, the robotic arm to prevent the robotic arm from moving within the boundary.

10. The robotic device of claim 9 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
receive, from a management device, configuration data associated with the operational region; and
determine the boundary of the operational region based on the configuration data.

11. The robotic device of claim 9 , further comprising:
a moveable support structure,
wherein at least one LIDAR sensor, of the one or more LIDAR sensors, is attached to the moveable support structure; and

wherein the controller, when positioning the one or more LIDAR sensors, is further configured to:
position the at least one LIDAR sensor using the moveable support structure.

12. The robotic device of claim 9 , wherein the controller, when positioning the one or more LIDAR sensors, is further configured to:
position at least one LIDAR sensor, of the one or more LIDAR sensors, to match a vertical position of an end of the robotic arm.

13. The robotic device of claim 9 , wherein:
a first LIDAR sensor, of the one or more LIDAR sensors, is positioned to sense the activity in association with a first planar portion of the boundary, and
a second LIDAR sensor, of the one or more LIDAR sensors, is positioned to sense the activity in association with a second planar portion of the boundary.

14. The robotic device of claim 9 , wherein the physical environment is a first physical environment; and
wherein the boundary and the operational region are different from another boundary and another operational region associated with a second physical environment that is different from the first physical environment.

15. The robotic device of claim 9 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
monitor the sensor data, to sense the activity, during a time in which the robotic arm is active within the operational region.

16. A tangible machine-readable medium storing a set of instructions, the set of instructions comprising:
one or more instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a controller of a robotic device, cause the controller to:
receive, from a first light detection and ranging (LIDAR) sensor and a second LIDAR sensor, calibration data associated with a physical environment of a robotic arm of the robotic device;
determine, based on the calibration data, a configuration of a boundary for the robotic arm;
position, relative to the robotic arm, the first LIDAR sensor at a first position and the second LIDAR sensor at a second position according to the configuration of the boundary to enable the first LIDAR sensor and the second LIDAR sensor to sense an activity within the boundary;
monitor the boundary of the robotic arm based on first sensor data from the first LIDAR sensor and second sensor data from the second LIDAR sensor; and
disable, based on the first sensor data or the second sensor data indicating the activity associated with the boundary, the robotic arm from moving within the boundary.

17. The tangible machine-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the one or more instructions further cause the controller to:
configure a first sensing range of the first LIDAR sensor according to the first position and a second sensing range of the second LIDAR sensor according to the second position.

18. The tangible machine-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the one or more instructions further cause the controller to:
monitor the first sensor data and the second sensor data to identify a period of inactivity within the boundary; and
enable, based on identifying the period of inactivity in a zone that is within the boundary for a threshold length of time, the robotic arm to move within the boundary.

19. The tangible machine-readable medium of claim 18 , wherein the period of inactivity within the boundary is detected based on the first sensor data indicating inactivity within

Assignees

• Zebra Tech Corp

Inventors

• Perlowski Lucjan K
• Beach Robert E
• Nanda Chinmay
• Nofal Yosef

Classifications

• G01S17/06

  Systems determining position data of a target · CPC title

• B25J9/1635

  flexible-arm control · CPC title

• G01S7/4808

  Evaluating distance, position or velocity data · CPC title

• G01S7/497

  Means for monitoring or calibrating · CPC title

• G05B2219/37425

  Distance, range · CPC title