Safety compliance for mobile drive units

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018181104-A1
Application number	US-201815901206-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 21, 2018
Priority date	Aug 29, 2014
Publication date	Jun 28, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

Techniques for controlling mobile drive units (e.g., robots) in proximity to humans in a physical area are described. A management device may send an activity message to the mobile drive units instructing the mobile drive units to perform a set of activities. If a human is detected in the physical area, the management device or another mobile drive unit may send an activity command instructing a mobile drive unit to stop, reduce the speed at which it is traveling, to change its path of travel, or to continue performing its set of activities. If the mobile drive units do not receive the activity command, the mobile drive units may stop performing the set of activities. After the management device determines that the human has left the physical area, the management device may resume sending the activity message.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A system comprising:
one or more processors; and one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media storing instructions executable by the one or more processors to perform acts comprising:
transmitting a first activity message to a mobile drive unit, the first activity message instructing the mobile drive unit to perform a set of activities within a physical area;
determining a drive unit location corresponding to the mobile drive unit, the drive unit location being within the physical area;
determining, via information received from a device associated with a human, a distance between the drive unit location and a location of the human within the physical area;
transmitting a second activity message to the mobile drive unit based at least in part on the distance, the second activity message instructing the mobile drive unit to stop performing the set of activities or to reduce a speed at which the mobile drive unit is travelling; and
at least partially in response to transmitting the second activity message to the mobile drive unit, causing the mobile drive unit to relocate from the drive unit location to a different drive unit location that is farther than the distance away from the human.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the acts further comprise causing the mobile drive unit to await transmission of a command to resume the set of activities.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein transmitting the second activity message instructing the mobile drive unit to stop performing the set of activities is based at least in part on the distance being within a threshold distance from the location of the human.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein transmitting the second activity message instructing the mobile drive unit to reduce the speed at which the mobile drive unit is travelling is based at least in part on the distance being within a threshold distance range.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the acts further comprise:
determining a boundary of a safe zone, the safe zone forming an area for avoidance by a mobile drive unit; determining, via the information received from the device associated with the human, that the human is located within the boundary of the safe zone; and transmitting a third activity message in response to determining that the human is located within the safe zone, the third activity message instructing the mobile drive unit to remain located outside of the boundary to avoid the safe zone.

6 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the acts further comprise:
determining that the drive unit location is within a predetermined distance from the boundary of the safe zone; and in response to determining that the drive unit location is within the predetermined distance from the boundary of the safe zone, transmitting a fourth activity message, the fourth activity message instructing the mobile drive unit to reduce the speed at which the mobile drive unit is traveling.

7 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the boundary of the safe zone is based at least in part on the location of the human, the location of a fixed object, or the location of a mobile drive unit.

8 . A computer-implemented method, comprising:
transmitting a first activity message to a first mobile drive unit, the first activity message instructing the first mobile drive unit to perform a set of activities within a physical area; determining a drive unit location corresponding to the first mobile drive unit; determining, via information received from a device associated with a human, a location of the human; determining, via information received from the device associated with the human, a distance between the drive unit location and the location of the human; in response to the distance between the drive unit location and the location of the human being less than a predetermined threshold, transmitting via the first mobile drive unit, a second activity message to a second mobile drive unit, the second activity message instructing the second mobile drive unit to stop performing the set of activities or to reduce a speed of the second mobile drive unit; and at least partially in response to transmitting the second activity message to the second mobile drive unit, causing the second mobile drive unit to perform a standby operation that includes pausing the second mobile drive unit to await transmission of a command to resume the set of activities.

9 . The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , further comprising, in response to determining that the location of the human is outside the physical area, transmitting a third activity message instructing the first mobile drive unit to perform the set of activities or a different set of activities.

10 . The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , wherein the second activity message is based at least in part on the information received from the device associated with the human, the information specifying a setting of the device.

11 . The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , further comprising determining the location of the human based at least in part on receiving, from the device associated with the human, location data that includes a fiducial marker identifier associated with a fiducial marker read by the first mobile drive unit.

12 . The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , further comprising determining the location of the human based at least in part on imaging data received from one or more imaging devices located within the physical area, the one or more imaging devices including at least one of a stationary camera fixed in the physical area or a mobile camera mounted on the first mobile drive unit, and the imaging data including data associated with at least one of the human or the device associated with the human.

13 . The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , further comprising determining the location of the human based at least in part on sensor data provided by one or more sensors located within the physical area, the one or more sensors including at least one of a heat sensor, an infrared sensor, a motion sensor, or a radio frequency identifier (RFID) reader, and the sensor data including data associated with at least one of the human or the device associated with the human.

14 . A system, comprising:
a mobile drive unit; a device associated with a human; and a management device configured to perform acts comprising:
initiating transmission of a first activity message instructing the mobile drive unit to perform a set of activities within a physical area;
determining a drive unit location corresponding to the mobile drive unit;
determining, via information received from the device associated with the human, a location of the human within the physical area;
determining that the drive unit location is within a threshold distance from the location of the human;
in response to determining that the drive unit location is within the threshold distance from the location of the human, transmitting a second activity message to the mobile drive unit, the second activity message instructing the mobile drive unit to stop performing the set of activities or to reduce a speed at which the mobile drive unit is travelling; and
at least partially in response to transmitting the second activity message to the mobile drive unit, transmitting an instructional message to the mobile drive unit causing the mobile drive unit to relocate to a new location that is greater than the threshold distance from the location of the human.

15 . The system of claim 14 , further comprising estimating a path of travel of the h

Assignees

• Amazon Tech Inc

Inventors

• Stubbs Andrew
• Verminski Matthew David
• Barbehenn Michael T
• Tinka Andrew Brenden
• Mansfield Peter K
• Wurman Peter R

Classifications

• G05B2219/40202

  Human robot coexistence · CPC title

• B25J9/1676

  Avoiding collision or forbidden zones · CPC title

• G05B19/4061 Primary

  Avoiding collision or forbidden zones · CPC title

• G05B19/0428 Primary

  Safety, monitoring (G05B19/0423 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B25J5/00

  Manipulators mounted on wheels or on carriages (B25J1/00 takes precedence; programme-controlled manipulators B25J9/00 {; vehicle aspects B60, B62, e.g. remote-controlled steering for motor vehicles B62D1/24; control of position of vehicles G05D1/00}) · CPC title