Dynamically determining workspace safe zones with speed and separation monitoring
AssigneeVeo Robotics, Inc.
InventorsClara Vu, Scott Denenberg, Patrick Sobalvarro, Patrick Barragan, Alberto Moel
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Systems and methods for determining safe zones in a workspace calculate safe actions in real time based on all sensed relevant objects and on the current state of the machinery (e.g., a robot) in the workspace. Various embodiments forecast, in real time, both the motion of the machinery and the possible motion of a human within the space, and continuously update the forecast as the machinery operates and humans move in the workspace.
Claims24
A safety system for enforcing safe operation of machinery performing a planned activity in a three-dimensional (3D) workspace, the planned activity comprising a plurality of permitted trajectories executed by the machinery, the system comprising:
- a plurality of sensors distributed about the workspace, each of the sensors being configured to record images of a portion of the workspace within a sensor field of view, the workspace portions collectively covering the entire workspace;
- a computer memory for storing (i) a plurality of images from the sensors, (ii) a model of the machinery and the plurality of permitted trajectories executed by the machinery during performance of the planned activity, and (iii) a safety protocol specifying speed restrictions of the machinery in proximity to a human and a minimum separation distance between the machinery and a human;
- and
- a processor configured to:
- computationally generate, from the stored images, a 3D spatial representation of the workspace;
- identify a first 3D region of the workspace corresponding to space occupied by the machinery within the workspace augmented by a 3D envelope around the machinery spanning additional space occupied by the machinery during performance of the permitted trajectories in accordance with the stored model;
- identify a second 3D region of the workspace corresponding to space occupied, or potentially occupied, by a human within the workspace augmented by a 3D envelope around the human corresponding to anticipated movements of the human within the workspace within a predetermined future time;
- and
- restricting the activity of the machinery in accordance with the safety protocol based on proximity between the first and second regions.
A method of safely operating machinery in a three-dimensional (3D) workspace to perform a planned activity comprising a plurality of permitted trajectories executed by the machinery, the method comprising the steps of:
- monitoring the workspace with a plurality of sensors distributed thereabout, each of the sensors being configured to record 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;
- storing, in a computer memory, (i) a plurality of images from the sensors, (ii) a model of the machinery and the plurality of permitted trajectories executed by the machinery during performance of the planned activity, and (iii) a safety protocol specifying speed restrictions of the machinery in proximity to a human and a minimum separation distance between a machine and a human;
- computationally generating, from the stored images, a 3D spatial representation of the workspace;
- computationally identifying a first 3D region of the workspace corresponding to space occupied by the machinery within the workspace augmented by a 3D envelope around the machinery spanning additional space occupied by the machinery during performance of the permitted trajectories in accordance with the stored model;
- computationally identifying a second 3D region of the workspace corresponding to space occupied, or potentially occupied, by a human within the workspace augmented by a 3D envelope around the human corresponding to anticipated movements of the human within the workspace within a predetermined future time;
- and
- restricting the activity of the machinery in accordance with the safety protocol based on proximity between the first and second regions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.