Disabling robot sensors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9625571-B1
Application number	US-201514819874-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Aug 6, 2015
Priority date	Aug 6, 2015
Publication date	Apr 18, 2017
Grant date	Apr 18, 2017

Abstract

Example implementations may relate to methods and systems for disturbing or deceiving sensors of robotic devices. Accordingly, a computing system may detect that a robotic device has entered a particular physical region. Responsively, the computing system may then determine at least one type of sensor that is associated with the robotic device and is used to detect reflected illumination that is reflected from an object. Based on the determined at least one type of sensor, the computing system may then select (i) at least one particular type of disturbing illumination and (ii) a target location within the particular physical region. Upon the selection, the computing system may direct at least one light source to emit the selected at least one particular type of disturbing illumination towards the selected target location so as to disturb the reflected illumination detectable by the robotic device using the at least one type of sensor.

First claim

I claim:

1. A method comprising:
detecting, by a computing system, that a robotic device has entered a particular physical region;
in response to detecting that the robotic device has entered the particular physical region, the computing system determining at least one type of sensor associated with the robotic device, wherein the at least one type of sensor is used to detect reflected illumination that is reflected from at least one object;
based on the determined at least one type of sensor, the computing system selecting (i) at least one particular type of disturbing illumination and (ii) a target location within the particular physical region; and
the computing system directing at least one light source to emit the selected at least one particular type of disturbing illumination towards the selected target location so as to disturb the reflected illumination detectable by the robotic device using the at least one type of sensor.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the robotic device comprises at least one emitter that is used to emit source illumination toward the at least one object, and wherein the at least one light source further emits the selected at least one particular type of disturbing illumination towards the selected target location so as to disturb the source illumination emitted by the at least one emitter.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the robotic device comprises at least one emitter that is used to emit source illumination toward the at least one object, and wherein determining at least one type of sensor associated with the robotic device comprises:
receiving, by the computing system from a light detector, information related to detection of the source illumination;
based on the received information, the computing system determining characteristics of the source illumination; and
based at least in part on the determined characteristics of the source illumination, determining the at least one type of sensor associated with the robotic device.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the characteristics of the source illumination comprise one or more of: (i) an intensity of the source illumination, (ii) a frequency of the source illumination, (iii) a phase of the source illumination, (iv) a direction of travel of the source illumination, (v) a duration of the source illumination, and (vi) a pattern of the source illumination.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the robotic device comprises at least one emitter that is used to emit source illumination toward the at least one object, and wherein selecting at least one particular type of disturbing illumination comprises:
receiving, by the computing system from a light detector, information related to detection of the source illumination;
based on the received information, the computing system determining characteristics of the source illumination; and
based at least in part on the determined characteristics of the source illumination, selecting the at least one particular type of disturbing illumination.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein selecting at least one particular type of disturbing illumination further comprises:
based on the determined characteristics of the source illumination, the computing system determining disturbing illumination characteristics to use for the at least one particular type of disturbing illumination.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the disturbing illumination characteristics comprise one or more of: (i) an intensity of the at least one particular type of disturbing illumination, (ii) a frequency of the at least one particular type of disturbing illumination, (iii) a phase of the at least one particular type of disturbing illumination, (iv) a direction of travel for the at least one particular type of disturbing illumination, (v) a duration of the at least one particular type of disturbing illumination, and (vi) a pattern of the at least one particular type of disturbing illumination.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the robotic device comprises at least one emitter that is (i) coupled to the at least one type of sensor and (ii) used to emit source illumination toward the at least one object, and wherein selecting a target location within the particular physical region comprises:
receiving, by the computing system from a light detector, information related to detection of the source illumination;
based on the received information, the computing system determining characteristics of the source illumination; and
based at least in part on the determined characteristics of the source illumination, selecting the target location.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the characteristics of the source illumination comprise at least a direction of travel of the source illumination, and wherein selecting the target location is based at least in part on the direction of travel of the source illumination.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein selecting the at least one particular type of disturbing illumination comprises:
determining a target change in operation of the robotic device; and
based on the target change in operation of the robotic device, determining a pattern of the at least one particular type of disturbing illumination to cause the target change in operation of the robotic device,
wherein directing at least one light source to emit the selected at least one particular type of disturbing illumination towards the selected target location comprises directing at least one light source to emit the selected at least one particular type of disturbing illumination towards the selected target location so as to cause the target change in operation of the robotic device.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one type of sensor comprises one or more of: (i) a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) device, (ii) a time-of-flight camera, (iii) a structured light scanner, and (iv) a stereo camera.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one light source comprises one or more of: (i) a digital light processing (DLP) projector, (ii) a light emitting diode (LED), and (iii) a light bulb.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one particular type of disturbing illumination comprises one or more of: (i) spatial variation, (ii) temporal modulation, and (iii) light flooding.

14. A system comprising:
at least one light source;
one or more processors;
a non-transitory computer readable medium; and
program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer readable medium and executable by the one or more processors to:
detect that a robotic device has entered a particular physical region;
in response to detecting that the robotic device has entered the particular physical region, determine at least one type of sensor associated with the robotic device, wherein the at least one type of sensor is used to detect reflected illumination that is reflected from at least one object;
based on the determined at least one type of sensor, select (i) at least one particular type of disturbing illumination and (ii) a target location within the particular physical region; and
direct the at least one light source to emit the selected at least one particular type of disturbing illumination towards the selected target location so as to disturb the reflected illumination detectable by the robotic device using the at least one type of sensor.

15. The system of claim 14 , further comprising a light detector, wherein determining at least one type of sensor associated with the robotic device comprises:
receiving, from the light detector, information related to detection of the reflected illumination;
based on th

Assignees

• X Dev Llc

Inventors

• Yamazaki Shuntaro

Classifications

• Y10S901/01

  Mobile robot · CPC title

• H04W4/008

  Electricity · mapped topic

• B25J9/1674

  characterised by safety, monitoring, diagnostic · CPC title

• G01S7/495 Primary

  Counter-measures or counter-counter-measures {using electronic or electro-optical means} · CPC title

• Y10S901/47

  Optical · CPC title