Shared-Workspace Robot Scheduling Using 3D Motion Conflict Models
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Solution Overview
Problem
Coordination of robot movements in a shared workspace is complex and inefficient, often leading to collisions and increased energy consumption due to the lack of effective scheduling systems that can optimize task execution and space utilization.
Innovation Solution
A scheduling system that generates and scores candidate motion plans for robots based on 3D models of their workspace occupancy, identifies potential collisions, and selects plans to avoid interference, allowing for efficient task assignment and reduced collision risks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple robots operate concurrently in a shared workspace without coordinated scheduling, then robot productivity and task execution speed are improved, but collision risk and workspace interference increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary motion planning and collision detection before robots execute tasks. Virtual models of robot movements are created and intersections are identified in advance, allowing motion plans to be adapted to prevent collisions before they occur, thus maintaining high productivity while ensuring safety
Solution Approach 2:
A centralized scheduling system acts as an intermediary between multiple robots. This system coordinates robot movements by analyzing virtual models of their paths, identifying potential conflicts, and adjusting motion plans to ensure safe concurrent operation in the shared workspace
2Reliability
If robot motion plans are highly coordinated to avoid collisions, then workspace safety is improved, but scheduling complexity and computation time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates virtual models (copies) of robot movements and workspaces to simulate and analyze potential collisions. By working with these digital representations rather than controlling physical robots directly during planning, the system can perform complex collision detection and motion plan adaptation more efficiently
Solution Approach 2:
The scheduling system processes robot motions by segmenting the workspace into virtual models of space swept by each robot. This segmentation allows the system to identify intersections and potential conflicts in a structured manner, managing complexity through systematic analysis of divided spatial regions
3Area of stationary object
If robots are positioned closer together to maximize workspace utilization, then workspace efficiency is improved, but collision risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from two-dimensional workspace planning to three-dimensional virtual modeling of robot movements. By creating 3D models of the space swept by each robot during task execution, the system can accurately detect intersections and coordinate robot paths in multiple dimensions, enabling safe operation even when robots are positioned closely together
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, systems, and computer programs stored on computer storage devices, for coordinating movements of robots are disclosed. One of the methods includes, for each robot in a group of robots, identifying a set of tasks assigned to the robot and generating a plurality of candidate motion plans. The method further includes, for each candidate motion plan: (i) generating a 3D model that represents a volume of space through which the robot would move in executing the sequence of motions represented by the candidate motion plan, and (ii) determining a score for the candidate motion plan. The method further includes determining conflicts between candidate motion plans of different robots, selecting a motion plan from the candidate motion plans based on the score for the selected motion plan and the conflicts, and providing the selected motion plans for execution by the group of robots.