Adaptive mapping with spatial summaries of sensor data

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9404756-B2
Application number	US-201514944152-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 17, 2015
Priority date	Sep 30, 2011
Publication date	Aug 2, 2016
Grant date	Aug 2, 2016

Abstract

A system and method for mapping parameter data acquired by a robot mapping system is disclosed. Parameter data characterizing the environment is collected while the robot localizes itself within the environment using landmarks. Parameter data is recorded in a plurality of local grids, i.e., sub-maps associated with the robot position and orientation when the data was collected. The robot is configured to generate new grids or reuse existing grids depending on the robot's current pose, the pose associated with other grids, and the uncertainty of these relative pose estimates. The pose estimates associated with the grids are updated over time as the robot refines its estimates of the locations of landmarks from which determines its pose in the environment. Occupancy maps or other global parameter maps may be generated by rendering local grids into a comprehensive map indicating the parameter data in a global reference frame extending the dimensions of the environment.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of generating a map using mapping parameters acquired by a mobile robotic system in an environment, the method comprising:
for a given local grid in a plurality of local grids:
mapping by the mobile robotic system local parameter data to a corresponding grid, wherein the corresponding grid includes a two dimensional Cartesian representation depicting:
locations of obstacles detected by the mobile robotic system within the environment;
spaces traversed by the mobile robotic system within the environment; and

merging by the mobile robotic system parameter data from the plurality of local grids into one or more spatial summaries in response to one or more of:
elapsed time,
space covered by the mobile robotic system or area mapped by the mobile robotic system,
a grid memory limitation, or
total number of grids or anchor nodes.

2. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein an origin of the two dimensional Cartesian representation coincides with a starting position of the mobile robotic system.

3. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the given local grid comprises a map of local parameter data located relative to an anchor node, wherein the anchor node represents an estimate of a pose of the mobile robotic system at a location.

4. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the locations of obstacles detected by the mobile robotic system within the environment comprises obstacles detected by a bump sensor.

5. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the obstacles detected by the mobile robotic system within the environment comprise walls.

6. A method of generating a map using mapping parameters acquired by a mobile robotic system in an environment, the method comprising:
mapping by the mobile robotic system parameter data to a grid that includes a two dimensional Cartesian representation depicting:
locations of obstacles detected by the mobile robotic system within the environment;
spaces traversed by the mobile robotic system within the environment.

7. The method as defined in claim 6 , the method comprising:
merging by the mobile robotic system parameter data from a plurality of grids into a spatial summary in response to one or more of:
elapsed time,
space covered by the mobile robotic system or area mapped by the mobile robotic system,
a grid memory limitation, or
total number of grids or anchor nodes;
wherein:
an origin of the two dimensional Cartesian representation coincides with a starting position of the mobile robotic system,
a given grid in the plurality of grids comprises a map of local parameter data located relative to an anchor node, wherein the anchor node represents an estimate of a pose of the mobile robotic system at a location, and
the locations of obstacles detected by the mobile robotic system within the environment comprises obstacles detected by a bump sensor.

8. The method as defined in claim 6 , wherein an origin of the two dimensional Cartesian representation coincides with a starting position of the mobile robotic system.

9. The method as defined in claim 6 , wherein the grid comprises a map of local parameter data located relative to an anchor node, wherein the anchor node represents an estimate of a pose of the mobile robotic system at a location.

10. The method as defined in claim 6 , wherein the locations of obstacles detected by the mobile robotic system within the environment comprises obstacles detected by a bump sensor.

11. The method as defined in claim 6 , wherein the obstacles detected by the mobile robotic system within the environment comprise walls.

Assignees

• Irobot Corp

Inventors

• Fong Philip
• Eade Ethan
• Munich Mario E

Classifications

• G05B15/00

  Systems controlled by a computer (G05B13/00, G05B19/00 take precedence; automatic controllers with particular characteristics G05B11/00) · CPC title

• Y10S901/00

  Robots · CPC title

• G01C21/20

  Instruments for performing navigational calculations (G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence) · CPC title

• G01C21/206 Primary

  specially adapted for indoor navigation · CPC title

• G05D2201/0216

  Physics · mapped topic