Robot Arm-Base Coordination for Anticipatory Workspace Repositioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Robotic arms face challenges in efficiently manipulating objects outside their workspace, requiring coordinated movements between the arm and base to perform tasks, which existing technologies do not adequately address due to computational intensity and lack of modular control systems.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method and system that determines the workspace location of an articulated arm, generates base parameters to move the robot base to an anticipatory configuration, and adjusts based on arm sensor data to reposition the workspace, allowing the arm to perform tasks outside its initial reach while minimizing computational load on the base controller.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the robotic arm attempts to manipulate objects outside its workspace, then the robot can access more areas, but the computational load increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The control system is segmented into two independent controllers: an arm controller that generates arm instructions for the articulated arm, and a base controller that generates base instructions for the mobile base. This segmentation allows each controller to operate independently with reduced computational load, while still achieving coordinated movement to access areas outside the original workspace
Solution Approach 2:
The system generates anticipatory base configuration instructions before the arm needs to reach outside its workspace. The base controller proactively moves the base to a position that will enable the arm to access the target location, rather than waiting for the arm to fail or require complex real-time recalculation
2Productivity
If centralized control is used to coordinate arm and base movements, then task execution is possible, but computational requirements become intensive
Solution Approach 1:
The centralized control architecture is replaced with distributed control where the arm controller and base controller operate independently. The arm controller focuses on generating arm instructions within the arm's workspace, while the base controller handles base movement to reposition the workspace. This segmentation eliminates the need for computationally intensive centralized coordination while maintaining task execution capability
Solution Approach 2:
The workspace definition acts as an intermediary between the arm controller and base controller. The arm controller generates instructions based on the current workspace definition, while the base controller uses the same definition to determine when and how to reposition the base. This intermediary allows coordinated action without requiring direct communication or complex computation between the controllers
Data Source
AI summary
A computer-implemented method, when executed by data processing hardware of a robot having an articulated arm and a base, causes data processing hardware to perform operations. The operations include determining a first location of a workspace of the articulated arm associated with a current base configuration of the base of the robot. The operations also include receiving a task request defining a task for the robot to perform outside of the workspace of the articulated arm at the first location. The operations also include generating base parameters associated with the task request. The operations further include instructing, using the generated base parameters, the base of the robot to move from the current base configuration to an anticipatory base configuration.