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US 12,459,123 B2Granted
Robot system with object detecting sensors
AssigneeMantis Robotics, Inc.
InventorsPei Jui Wang, Gerry Vannuffelen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A robot system is provided that includes movable parts, one or more object detecting sensors, and one or more processors, wherein the one or more object detecting sensors is dispose at or near the elbow, the wrist, or the position between the elbow and the wrist of the robot. Multiple embodiments are introduced for the implementation of the object detection of the robot system.
Claims20
A robot system comprising:
- a base;
- a plurality of movable linkages driven by joints with actuators, wherein a movable linkage in the plurality of movable linkages farthest from the base has a tool end and is configured to drive the tool end along an axis, the joints comprise a pivot joint hinging a proximal linkage and a distal linkage from the plurality of movable linkages, the pivot joint has at least one pivot axis, and the pivot joint is located in an elbow or a wrist of the robot system;
- at least one joint monitoring sensor configured to monitor the joints;
- one or more object detecting sensors mounted to at least one movable linkage of the plurality of movable linkages, wherein the one or more object detecting sensors are oriented to exhibit a total field of view that covers a direction selected from the group consisting of:
- an axial direction of the at least one pivot axis of the pivot joint,
- a radial direction of the at least one pivot axis of the pivot joint;
- and
- a direction oriented between the axial direction and the radial direction of the at least one pivot axis of the pivot joint;
- and
- one or more processors communicatively coupled to the joint monitoring sensors and the one or more object detecting sensors, the one or more processors being configured to:
- detect an external object based on information generated by the one or more object detecting sensors, and
- when the external object is detected intruding on a first monitoring zone, reduce a moving speed of at least one movable linkage of the plurality of movable linkages, wherein at least one non-overlapping space between fields of view of the one or more object detecting sensors has a projection in the first monitoring zone, and wherein an overlap of the projection with the external object is smaller than a size of the external object when the at least one movable linkage is moving in a set movable range.
9 more elements
A robot comprising:
- a base;
- a plurality of movable linkages coupled to joints with actuators, wherein the joints comprise a pivot joint hinging a proximal linkage and a distal linkage from the plurality of movable linkages, and the pivot joint having at least one pivot axis;
- an object detecting sensor mounted to at least one movable linkage of the plurality of movable linkages, the object detecting sensor having a total field of view that covers a direction selected from the group consisting of:
- an axial direction of the at least one pivot axis of the pivot joint,
- a radial direction of the at least one pivot axis of the pivot joint;
- and
- a direction oriented between the axial direction and the radial direction of the at least one pivot axis of the pivot joint;
- and
- one or more processors configured to:
- detect an external object based on information generated by the one or more object detecting sensors, and
- when the external object is detected within a monitoring zone proximate the robot, reduce a speed of at least one movable linkage of the plurality of movable linkages, wherein at least one non-overlapping space between fields of view of the object detecting sensor has a projection in the monitoring zone, and wherein an overlap of the projection with the external object is smaller than a size of the external object when the plurality of movable linkage is moving in a set movable range.
8 more elements
Apparatus comprising:
- one or more object detecting sensors mountable to at least one movable linkage in a plurality of movable linkages of a robot, the one or more object detecting sensors having at least a first field of view, a second field of view, and a total field of view that includes the first field of view and the second field of view, wherein the total field of view is oriented to overlap:
- an axial direction of a pivot axis of a pivot joint between the plurality of movable linkages,
- a radial direction of the pivot axis, or
- a direction oriented between the axial direction and the radial direction of the pivot axis;
- and
- one or more processors communicatively coupled to the one or more object detecting sensors and configured to:
- detect an external object based on information generated by the one or more object detecting sensors, and
- when the external object is detected intruding on a first monitoring zone, reduce a moving speed of the robot, wherein at least one non-overlapping space between the first field of view and the second field of view has a projection in the first monitoring zone, and wherein an overlap of the projection with the external object is smaller than a size of the external object when the at least one movable linkage is moving in a set movable range.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.