Determining handoff checkpoints for low-resolution robot planning

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9689696-B1
Application number	US-201514861852-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Sep 22, 2015
Priority date	Sep 22, 2015
Publication date	Jun 27, 2017
Grant date	Jun 27, 2017

Abstract

Methods, apparatus, systems, and computer-readable media are provided for determining and assigning intermediate handoff checkpoints for low-resolution robot planning. In various implementations, a global path planner may identify a task to be performed by a robot in an environment. In various implementations, the global path planner may determine, based at least in part on one or more attributes of the environment or the task, an intermediate handoff checkpoint for the robot to reach by a scheduled time while the robot performs the task. In various implementations, the global path planner may determine that a measure of reactivity that would be attributable to the robot upon the robot being assigned the intermediate handoff checkpoint satisfies a reactivity threshold. In various implementations, the global path planner may provide, to a local path planner associated with the robot, data indicative of the intermediate handoff checkpoint.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
identifying, by a global path planner implemented by a computing system, a task to be performed by a robot in an environment;
determining, by the global path planner, based at least in part on one or more attributes of the environment or the task, an intermediate handoff checkpoint for the robot to reach by a scheduled time while the robot performs the task, wherein the determining includes determining that a measure of reactivity that would be attributable to the robot upon the robot being assigned the intermediate handoff checkpoint satisfies a reactivity threshold; and
transmitting, by the global path planner over one or more networks, to a local path planner associated with the robot, data indicative of the intermediate handoff checkpoint;
wherein the transmitting causes operation of one or more operational components of the robot to reach the intermediate handoff checkpoint by the scheduled time.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining further comprises calculating the measure of reactivity.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising adjusting, by the global path planner, the reactivity threshold in response to a detected change in the environment.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the detected change in the environment comprises a degradation of a communication channel between the global path planner and the local path planner.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining further comprises:
calculating a probability that the robot will be able to meet the intermediate handoff checkpoint by the scheduled time; and
determining that the probability satisfies a reachability threshold.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the probability is calculated based on the one or more attributes of the environment or the task.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more attributes of the environment or task comprise a latency associated with a communication channel between the global path planner and the local path planner.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more attributes of the environment or task comprises dropoff characteristics associated with a communication channel between the global path planner and the local path planner.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the intermediate handoff checkpoint comprises a next handoff checkpoint, the scheduled time comprises a next scheduled time, and the transmitting comprises transmitting data indicative of the next handoff checkpoint to the local path planner so that the local path planner receives the data indicative of the next handoff checkpoint prior to the robot reaching a current handoff checkpoint by a current scheduled time while the robot performs the task, wherein the current handoff checkpoint immediately precedes the next handoff checkpoint.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising including, by the global path planner, in the data indicative of the intermediate handoff checkpoint, an amount of precision about how the local path planner is to operate the robot to reach the intermediate handoff checkpoint by the scheduled time, wherein the amount of precision is commensurate with an amount of knowledge the global path planner has about the one or more attributes of the environment or the task.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the local path planner is implemented by one or more processors of the robot, and the one or more processors of the robot are in wireless communication with the computing system that implements the global path planner.

12. A robot management system comprising memory and one or more processors operable to execute instructions stored in the memory, comprising instructions to:
identify a task to be performed by a robot in an environment;
determine, based at least in part on one or more attributes of the environment or the task, an intermediate handoff checkpoint for the robot to reach by a scheduled time while the robot performs the task, wherein a measure of reactivity that would be attributable to the robot upon the robot being assigned the intermediate handoff checkpoint satisfies a reactivity threshold; and
transmit, over one or more networks to a local path planner associated with the robot, data indicative of the intermediate handoff checkpoint;
wherein based on receipt of the data indicative of the intermediate handoff checkpoint, one or more operational components of the robot are operated to reach the intermediate handoff checkpoint by the scheduled time.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the system further comprises instructions to calculate the measure of reactivity.

14. The system of claim 12 , further comprising instructions to adjust the reactivity threshold in response to a detected change in the environment.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the detected change in the environment comprises a degradation of a communication channel between the system and the local path planner.

16. The system of claim 14 , wherein the detected change in the environment comprises a change in entropy detected in the environment.

17. The system of claim 12 , further comprising instructions to: calculate a probability that the robot will be able to meet the handoff checkpoint by the scheduled time based on the one or more attributes of the environment or the task; and determine that the probability satisfies a reachability threshold.

18. The system of claim 12 , wherein the one or more attributes of the environment or task comprise one or more of a latency associated with a communication channel between the system and the local path planner and dropoff characteristics associated with the communication channel.

19. The system of claim 12 , further comprising instructions to include, in the data indicative of the intermediate handoff checkpoint, an amount of precision about how the local path planner is to operate the robot to reach the intermediate handoff checkpoint by the scheduled time, wherein the amount of precision is commensurate with an amount of knowledge the system has about the one or more attributes of the environment or the task.

20. At least one non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, in response to execution of the instructions by a computing system, cause the computing system to:
identify one or more attributes of a task to be performed by a robot in an environment;
identify one or more attributes of the environment;
determine a reactivity threshold based on the one or more attributes of the environment or the one or more attributes of the task;
determine, based at least in part on one or more attributes of the environment and the one or more attributes of the task, an intermediate handoff checkpoint for the robot to reach by a scheduled time while the robot performs the task, wherein a measure of reactivity that would be attributable to the robot upon the robot being assigned the intermediate handoff checkpoint satisfies the reactivity threshold; and
transmit, over one or more networks to a local path planner associated with the robot, data indicative of the intermediate handoff checkpoint;
wherein based on receipt of the data indicative of the intermediate handoff checkpoint, one or more operational components of the robot are operated to reach the intermediate handoff checkpoint by the scheduled time.

21. A method comprising:
identifying, by a global path planner implemented by a computing system, a task to be performed by a robot in an environment;
determining, by the global path planne

Assignees

• X Dev Llc

Inventors

• Russell Jared Stephen

Classifications

• G01C21/3438 Primary

  Rendezvous; Ride sharing · CPC title

• Y10S901/01

  Mobile robot · CPC title

• B25J13/006

  by means of a wireless system for controlling one or several manipulators · 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

• B25J9/1666 Primary

  Avoiding collision or forbidden zones · CPC title