Active damping system

A method for performing interactions within a physical environment using a system including:

• a) a robot base being mounted on a boom;
• b) a robot base actuator configured to move the robot base relative to the environment;
• c) a robot arm mounted to the robot base, the robot arm including an end effector mounted thereon;
• d) a tracking system configured to measure:
• i) a robot base position indicative of a position of the robot base relative to the environment;
• and/or
• ii) a robot base movement indicative of a movement of the robot base relative to the environment;
• and,
• e) an active damping system operably coupled to the robot base and configured to actively damp movement of the robot base relative to the environment,
• f) wherein the method includes, in a control system:
• i) causing the robot base actuator to move the robot base along a robot base path, and
• ii) causing the robot arm to move the end effector along an end effector path;
• iii) determining, based on signals from the tracking system, that the robot base has deviated from the robot base path;
• iv) correcting for the deviation of the robot base from the robot base path by:
• (1) calculating a movement correction for the robot base in accordance with the signals from the tracking system and based on the robot base path, and
• (2) controlling the active damping system at least partially in accordance with the movement correction to return the robot base to the robot base path;
• v) stabilizing the end effector to account for unintentional end effector movement caused by the deviation of the robot base from the robot base path by:
• (1) generating robot control signals to control movement of the end effector, wherein the robot control signals are based at least in part on:
• (a) the deviation of the robot base from the robot base path, and
• (b) the movement correction applied to the robot base by the active damping system;
• and
• (2) applying the robot control signals to the robot arm to stabilize the end effector.

A computer program product including computer executable code, which when executed by a suitably programmed control system causes the control system to control a system for performing interactions within a physical environment, the system including:

• a) a robot base being mounted on a boom;
• b) a robot base actuator configured to move the robot base relative to the environment;
• c) a robot arm mounted to the robot base, the robot arm including an end effector mounted thereon;
• d) a tracking system configured to measure:
• i) a robot base position indicative of a position of the robot base relative to the environment;
• and/or
• ii) a robot base movement indicative of a movement of the robot base relative to the environment;
• and,
• e) an active damping system operably coupled to the robot base and configured to actively damp movement of the robot base relative to the environment,
• f) wherein the computer executable code, when executed by the control system, causes the control system to:
• i) cause the robot base actuator to move the robot base along a robot base path;
• ii) cause the robot arm to move the end effector along an end effector path;
• iii) determine, based on signals from the tracking system, that the robot base has deviated from the robot base path,
• iv) correct for the deviation of the robot base from the robot base path by:
• (1) calculating a movement correction for the robot base in accordance with the signals from the tracking system and based on the robot base path, and
• (2) controlling the active damping system at least partially in accordance with the movement correction to return the robot base to the robot base path,
• v) stabilize the end effector to account for unintentional end effector movement caused by the deviation of the robot base from the robot base path by:
• (1) generating robot control signals to control movement of the end effector, wherein the robot control signals are based at least in part on:
• (a) the deviation of the robot base from the robot base path, and
• (b) the movement correction applied to the robot base by the active damping system;
• and
• (2) applying the robot control signals to the robot arm to stabilize the end effector.