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US 10,099,372 B2Granted
Detecting and classifying workspace regions for safety monitoring
AssigneeVeo Robotics, Inc.
InventorsClara Vu, Scott Denenberg, Patrick Sobalvarro, Patrick Barragan, Alberto Moel
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems and methods monitor a workspace for safety purposes using sensors distributed about the workspace. The sensors are registered with respect to each other, and this registration is monitored over time. Occluded space as well as occupied space is identified, and this mapping is frequently updated.
Claims21
A safety system for identifying safe regions in a three-dimensional workspace including controlled machinery, the system comprising:
- a plurality of sensors distributed about the workspace, each of the sensors being associated with a grid of pixels for recording images of a portion of the workspace within a sensor field of view, the workspace portions partially overlapping with each other;
- a controller configured to:
- register the sensors with respect to each other so that the images obtained by the sensors collectively represent the workspace;
- generate a three-dimensional representation of the workspace as a plurality of volumes;
- for each sensor pixel having an intensity level above a threshold value, preliminarily marking as unoccupied volumes intercepted by a line-of-sight ray path through the pixel and terminating at an estimated distance from the associated sensor of an occlusion, marking as occupied the volumes corresponding to a terminus of the ray path, and marking as unknown any volumes beyond the occlusion along the ray path;
- for each sensor pixel having an intensity level below the threshold value, preliminarily marking as unknown all voxels intercepted by a line-of-sight ray path through the pixel and terminating at a boundary of the workspace;
- finally marking as unoccupied volumes that have been preliminarily marked at least once as unoccupied;
- and
- mapping one or more safe volumetric zones within the workspace, the volumetric zones being outside a safety zone of the machinery and including only volumes marked as unoccupied.
6 more elements
A method of safely operating machinery in a three-dimensional workspace, the method comprising the steps of:
- monitoring the workspace with a plurality of sensors distributed thereabout, each of the sensors being associated with a grid of pixels for recording images of a portion of the workspace within a sensor field of view, the workspace portions partially overlapping with each other;
- registering the sensors with respect to each other so that the images obtained by the sensors collectively represent the workspace;
- computationally generating a three-dimensional representation of the workspace stored in a computer memory;
- for each sensor pixel having an intensity level above a threshold value, preliminarily marking as unoccupied, in the computer memory, volumes intercepted by a line-of-sight ray path through the pixel and terminating at an estimated distance from the associated sensor of an occlusion, marking as occupied the volumes corresponding to a terminus of the ray path, and marking as unknown any volumes beyond the occlusion along the ray path;
- for each sensor pixel having an intensity level below the threshold value, preliminarily marking as unknown all volumes intercepted by a line-of-sight ray path through the pixel and terminating at a boundary of the workspace;
- finally marking as unoccupied volumes that have been preliminarily marked at least once as unoccupied;
- and
- computationally mapping one or more safe volumetric zones within the workspace, the volumetric zones being outside a safety zone of the machinery and including only volumes marked as unoccupied.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.