Determining real-time timestamps for robotic sensor data

A method, comprising:

• transmitting a capture trigger to a sensor component of a robot, the sensor component of the robot operating in a sensor component clock domain,
• wherein transmitting the capture trigger is by a real-time component of the robot and causes a capture of a sensor frame by the sensor component, the real-time component operating in a real-time clock domain;
• in response to transmitting the capture trigger:
• generating a real-time timestamp that corresponds to the capture trigger and that is based on the real-time clock domain,
• the generating being by the real-time component or an additional real-time component operating in the real-time clock domain;
• receiving, from the sensor component, the sensor frame and corresponding metadata generated by the sensor component,
• wherein receiving the sensor frame is via an additional connection to an additional output of the sensor component;
• determining that the sensor frame corresponds to the capture output based on the corresponding metadata for the sensor frame;
• and
• in response to determining that the sensor frame corresponds to the capture output:
• assigning the real-time timestamp to the sensor frame.

A method, comprising:

• transmitting a sync command to a sensor component of a robot, the sensor component including one or more sensors, and operating in a sensor component clock domain,
• wherein the sync command causes the sensor component to utilize an adjusted frame rate for a sensor frame generated by the sensor component;
• receiving a capture output generated by the sensor component based on capture of the sensor frame by the sensor component,
• wherein receiving the capture output is by a real-time component of the robot via a connection to an output of the sensor component, the real-time component operating in a real-time clock domain;
• in response to receiving the capture output:
• generating a real-time timestamp that corresponds to receiving the capture output and that is based on the real-time clock domain,
• the generating being by the real-time component or an additional real-time component operating in the real-time clock domain;
• determining that the capture output corresponds to the sensor frame with the adjusted frame rate based on comparing the real-time timestamp to a previous real-time timestamp corresponding to a previous capture output that precedes the capture output;
• receiving, from the sensor component, the sensor frame and a corresponding sensor component timestamp generated by the sensor component,
• wherein receiving the sensor frame is via an additional connection to an additional output of the sensor component;
• determining that the sensor frame corresponds to the adjusted frame rate based on comparing the sensor component timestamp to a previous sensor component timestamp corresponding to a previous sensor frame that precedes the sensor frame;
• and
• in response to determining that the capture output corresponds to the sensor frame with the adjusted frame rate and that the sensor frame corresponds to the adjusted frame rate:
• generating, in memory, an indication that the capture output and the sensor frame both correspond to the same capture.