# US 12,007,757 B2 · Systems and methods for surveying a manufacturing environment > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,007,757 B2 - Document ID: US12007757B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/385,300 - Filed: 2021-07-26 - Published: 2022-01-27 - Granted: 2024-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2020-07-27 - Assignees: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Applicants: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Inventors: Shankar Narayan Mohan; Ansar Zunnoon Khan; Mark Goderis; Steven Schuchard - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12007757B2 ## CPC - G05B 19/41875: {characterised by quality surveillance of production} - B60W 60/00259: {Surveillance operations} - B64U 50/37: Charging when not in flight - B64U 80/86: Land vehicles - G05B 19/4155: characterised by program execution, i.e. part program or machine function execution, e.g. selection of a program - G05D 1/0217: {in accordance with energy consumption, time reduction or distance reduction criteria} - G05D 1/0274: {using mapping information stored in a memory device (navigation using map-matching G01C21/30)} - G05D 1/0297: {by controlling means in a control room} - G05D 1/223: Command input arrangements on the remote controller, e.g. joysticks or touch screens - G05D 1/246: using environment maps, e.g. simultaneous localisation and mapping [SLAM] - G05D 1/2469: {using a topologic or simplified map} - G05D 1/644: Optimisation of travel parameters, e.g. of energy consumption, journey time or distance - G05D 1/6482: {by dividing the whole area or space in sectors to be processed separately} - G05D 1/692: involving a plurality of disparate vehicles - G05D 1/6985: {using a lead vehicle, e.g. primary-secondary arrangements} - B60W 2510/242: for electrical energy - B64U 2101/30: for imaging, photography or videography - G05B 2219/45066: Inspection robot - G05D 2105/85: for patrolling or reconnaissance for police, security or military applications - G05D 2107/70: Industrial sites, e.g. warehouses or factories - G05D 2109/10: Land vehicles - G05D 2109/254: {Flying platforms, e.g. multicopters} - G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G) - B60W: CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE OR DIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TO THE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT - B64U: UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES [UAV]; EQUIPMENT THEREFOR - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES ## Abstract A survey system includes a controller storing a map comprising a plurality of nodes representing data capture points of the environment. The controller is configured to segment the plurality of nodes into a plurality of communities, where each community from among the plurality of communities includes a set of nodes from among the plurality of nodes. The controller is configured to generate, for each community from among the plurality of communities, one or more traversability scores. The controller is configured to assign, for each community from among the plurality of communities, at least one robot from among a plurality of robots to survey the community based on the one or more traversability scores. The controller is configured to deploy, for each community from among the plurality of communities, at least one of the plurality of robots based on the plurality of robots assigned to the community. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A survey system for surveying an environment, the survey system comprising: a controller storing a map comprising a plurality of nodes representing data capture points of the environment, the controller configured to: segment the plurality of nodes into a plurality of communities, wherein each community from among the plurality of communities includes a set of nodes from among the plurality of nodes; generate, for each community from among the plurality of communities, one or more traversability scores indicating a traversability of a given region of the environment corresponding to the community, wherein the traversability score comprises a numeric range, a categorical description, or a combination thereof; assign, for each community from among the plurality of communities, at least one robot from among a plurality of robots to survey the community based on the one or more traversability scores; and deploy, for each community from among the plurality of communities, at least one of the plurality of robots based on the plurality of robots assigned to the community. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The survey system of claim 1 further comprises the plurality of robots, wherein the plurality of robots includes: a central robot comprising a central mobility characteristic; a first auxiliary robot comprising a first auxiliary mobility characteristic; and a second auxiliary robot comprising a second auxiliary mobility characteristic. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The survey system of claim 2, wherein: the central robot is a wheeled carrier platform robot; the first auxiliary robot is a legged robot; and the second auxiliary robot is an unmanned aerial vehicle robot. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The survey system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to segment the plurality of nodes into the plurality of communities based on Euclidean distances between the plurality of nodes, traversability scores between the plurality of nodes, obstructions of the environment, a communication range of the plurality of robots, or a combination thereof. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The survey system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to assign, for each community from among the plurality of communities, at least one of the plurality of robots based on a battery life of the plurality of robots. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The survey system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to assign, for each community from among the plurality of communities, at least one of the plurality of robots based on a knapsack optimization routine. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The survey system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to generate, for the plurality of robots, a community route among the plurality of communities, an intracommunity route within each community from among the plurality of communities, or a combination thereof. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The survey system of claim 7, wherein the controller is configured to generate the community route and the intracommunity route based on a traveling salesman problem routine. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The survey system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to generate a plurality of traversability scores, as the one or more traversability scores, for each robot from among the plurality of robots. ### Claim 10 A survey system for surveying an environment, the survey system comprising: a plurality of robots configured to travel within environment, wherein the plurality of robots comprises a central robot comprising a first mobility characteristic and an auxiliary robot comprising a second mobility characteristic; a controller storing a map comprising a plurality of nodes representing data capture points of the environment, the controller configured to: segment the plurality of nodes into a plurality of communities, wherein each community from among the plurality of communities includes a set of nodes from among the plurality of nodes; generate, for each community from among the plurality of communities, one or more traversability scores indicating a traversability of a given region of the environment corresponding to the community, wherein the traversability score comprises a numeric range, a categorical description, or a combination thereof; assign, for each community from among the plurality of communities, at least one robot from among the plurality of robots to survey the community based on the one or more traversability scores and a battery life of the plurality of robots; and deploy, for each community from among the plurality of communities, at least one of the plurality of robots based on the plurality of robots assigned to the community. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The survey system of claim 10, wherein: the central robot is a wheeled carrier platform robot; and the auxiliary robot is one of a legged robot and an unmanned aerial vehicle robot. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The survey system of claim 10, wherein the auxiliary robot is attached to the first robot, and the central robot further comprises a charging device configured to charge the auxiliary robot when the auxiliary robot is attached to the first robot. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The survey system of claim 10 further comprising one or more sensors disposed on at least one of the plurality of robots, wherein the controller is configured to: obtain data representing the environment from the one or more sensors; and update the map based on the data. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The survey system of claim 10, wherein the controller is configured to instruct the auxiliary robot to detach from the central robot in response to the plurality of robots being at a location of the environment associated with a community that is assigned to the auxiliary robot. ### Claim 15 A method for surveying an environment, the method comprising: segmenting a plurality of nodes representing data capture points of the environment into a plurality of communities, wherein each community from among the plurality of communities includes a set of nodes from among the plurality of nodes; generating, for each community from among the plurality of communities, one or more traversability scores indicating a traversability of a given region of the environment corresponding to the community, wherein the traversability score comprises a numeric range, a categorical description, or a combination thereof; assigning, for each community from among the plurality of communities, at least one robot from among a plurality of robots to survey the community based on the one or more traversability scores; generating, for the plurality of robots, an intracommunity route within each community from among the plurality of communities; and deploying, for each community from among the plurality of communities, at least one of the plurality of robots based on the plurality of robots assigned to the community and the intracommunity route of the community. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15 further comprising generating, for the plurality of robots, a community route among the plurality of communities, wherein the community route and the intracommunity route are generated based on a traveling salesman problem routine. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the plurality of nodes is segmented into the plurality of communities based on Euclidean distances between the plurality of nodes, traversability scores between the plurality of nodes, obstructions of the environment, a communication range of the plurality of robots, or a combination thereof. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15 further comprising assigning, for each community from among the plurality of communities, the at least one robot from among the plurality of robots based on a battery life of the plurality of robots. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The survey system of claim 15, wherein, for each community from among the plurality of communities, the at least one of the plurality of robots is assigned based on a knapsack optimization routine. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The survey system of claim 15, wherein the plurality of robots comprises: a central robot comprising a central mobility characteristic; a first auxiliary robot comprising a first auxiliary mobility characteristic; and a second auxiliary robot comprising a second auxiliary mobility characteristic.