Deployable sensors
AssigneeAmazon Technologies, Inc.
InventorsSarath Krishnaswamy, Jeremiah David Brazeau
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Systems and methods for maintaining a current map of a workspace using on-demand sensors and fixed sensors are described herein. For example, a system may include a fixed sensor positioned within the workspace, an on-demand sensor available for selective deployment in the workspace, and a computing device. The computing device may maintain a digital map of the workspace, identify a region in the workspace for collection of additional sensor information, and cause the on-demand sensor to gather the additional sensor information for updating the digital map.
Claims20
A system for maintaining a digital map of a workspace, the system comprising:
- a plurality of mobile drive units configured for material transportation within the workspace;
- a plurality of fixed sensors disposed at a plurality of fixed locations within the workspace;
- a plurality of mobile sensors connected to a plurality of automated devices, the plurality of automated devices configured for selective deployment within the workspace;
- and
- a management module in communication with the plurality of mobile drive units, the plurality of fixed sensors, and the plurality of automated devices, the management module configured to:
- maintain a first version of the digital map of the workspace based at least in part on first visual information received from a portion of the plurality of fixed sensors, the digital map comprising a plurality of regions corresponding to a plurality of areas within the workspace;
- identify a difference between a region in the first version of the digital map and a corresponding region in a second version of the digital map, the difference representative of a physical change in a workspace condition in an area of the workspace corresponding to the region and the corresponding region;
- cause an automated device of the plurality of automated devices to (i) navigate to the area in the workspace, (ii) orient a mobile sensor of the plurality of mobile sensors, and (iii) use the mobile sensor to collect additional visual information at the area;
- receive the additional visual information from the mobile sensor;
- and
- update the digital map based at least in part on the additional visual information.
A system for maintaining a global visual representation of a workspace, comprising:
- a set of fixed sensors positioned within the workspace;
- an on-demand sensor available for selective deployment within the workspace;
- and
- a management module in communication with the set of fixed sensors and the on-demand sensor, the management module configured to:
- maintain the global visual representation of the workspace based at least in part on first sensor information from at least one fixed sensor of the set of fixed sensors;
- identify, based at least in part on the global visual representation, an area of the workspace for collection of additional sensor information, the area comprising a physical change in a workspace condition;
- and
- in response to identifying the area, cause the on-demand sensor to collect the additional sensor information within the area.
A computer-implemented method for maintaining a digital representation of a workspace, comprising:
- receiving first sensor information from a first sensor, the first sensor information comprising a representation of workspace conditions present at a particular location within the workspace;
- identifying a physical obstruction at the particular location based at least in part on the first sensor information;
- and
- in response to identifying the physical obstruction, causing an on-demand sensor to gather second sensor information at the particular location, the second sensor information comprising an enhanced representation of the workspace conditions present at the particular location.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.