# US 10,120,387 B2 · Robotic creature and method of operation

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- Number: US 10,120,387 B2
- Document ID: US10120387B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/897,565
- Filed: 2018-02-15
- Published: 2018-06-28
- Granted: 2018-11-06
- Earliest claimed: 2016-11-18
- Assignees: Mayfield Robotics
- Applicants: Robert Bosch Start-Up Platform North America, LLC, Series 1
- Inventors: Stephanie Lee; Douglas Dooley; Sarah Osentoski; Kaijen Hsiao
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10120387B2

## CPC

- G05D 1/0246: {using a video camera in combination with image processing means}
- B25J 11/001: {with emotions simulating means}
- B25J 11/0015: {Face robots, animated artificial faces for imitating human expressions}
- G05D 1/024: {in combination with a laser (lasers per se H01S)}
- G05D 1/0255: {using acoustic signals, e.g. ultra-sonic singals (sonar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S15/93)}
- G05D 1/0274: {using mapping information stored in a memory device (navigation using map-matching G01C21/30)}
- G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES
- B25J: MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES ({manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery A61B34/70; manipulators used in cleaning hollow articles B08B9/04}; manipulators associated with rolling mills B21B39/20; manipulators associated with forging machines B21J13/10; {manipulators associated with picking-up and placing mechanisms B23P19/007}; means for holding wheels or parts thereof B60B30/00; {vehicles with ground-engaging propulsion means, e.g. walking members B62D57/02, B62D57/032; devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials between conveyors B65G47/90, B65G47/91; manipulators with gripping or holding means for transferring packages B65H67/065}; cranes B66C; {manipulators used in the protection or supervision of pipe-line installations F17D5/00; walking equipment adapted for nuclear steam-generators F22B37/006}; manipulators specially adapted for, or associated with, nuclear reactors G21C; {apparatus used for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor H10P72/50})

## Abstract

A robotic creature system includes an actuatable head defining eyes, an eyelid mechanism, a body, a drivetrain, and a set of sensors. A method for robotic creature operation includes: detecting an event associated with a technological imperfection and automatically performing a set of expressive actions associated with the event.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for responding to a technological imperfection associated with a task of a robot, comprising:
at a command time, receiving a command to travel to an endpoint location;
detecting a delocalization event within a predetermined time window of the command time;
in response to delocalization event detection:
performing a data-acquiring action, comprising sampling a feature of an ambient environment using a location sensor on-board the robot over a predetermined time period; and
concurrently performing an expressive action over the predetermined time period;
determining a robot location based on the feature and a predetermined internal map, the internal map comprising the endpoint location;
generating navigation instructions to the endpoint location based on the robot location and the internal map;
controlling the robot to traverse through the ambient environment based on the navigation instructions;
during robot traversal through the ambient environment based on the navigation instructions, detecting a collision between a front bumper of the robot and an external obstacle;
in response to collision detection, performing a second expressive action, comprising actuating a head of the robot downward toward the external obstacle and reversing away from the external obstacle;
generating secondary navigation instructions based on an obstacle location, determined based on the detected collision; and
controlling the robot to traverse though the ambient environment based on the secondary navigation instructions.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the location sensor is arranged within a body of the robot, wherein the expressive action comprises rotating a body of the robot side-to-side, such that the location sensor samples a larger field of view.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the delocalization event comprises detecting loading and re-loading of a wheel of the robot.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
concurrently sampling an image of the external obstacle with a camera arranged within the head while the head is actuated downward; and
determining an obstacle dimension for the obstacle based on the image, wherein the secondary navigation instructions are further generated based on the obstacle dimension.