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US 12,602,050 B2Granted
Method of operating a printing robot in shadows
AssigneeDusty Robotics, Inc.
InventorsPhilipp Josef Herget, Nickolas Rossi, Michael Thompson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A mobile printing robot system for printing a construction layout. The method addresses a problem that occurs when there is a loss of a tracking lock to an absolute positioning device, such as a total station. In a construction site, a line of sight between a mobile robot and an absolute positioning device may be lost when the mobile robot moves into a shadowed region behind an obstacle, such as a column. The mobile printing robot may use its local sensor data to continue to print until a maximum estimated position is reached. The mobile robot may also provide position updates to the absolute positioning device to aid it to regain a track lock when the mobile robot emerged from the shadowed region.
Claims36
A method of operating a mobile robot, the method comprising:
- receiving, by the mobile robot, position information from an absolute positioning device (APD) having an initial line of sight (LOS) path with the mobile robot and an initial tracking lock on the mobile robot;
- generating state information representing at least a position of the mobile robot for navigating and moving the mobile robot, the state information based on available data from a sensor suite of the mobile robot fused with received APD position information, when APD position data is available, wherein the generating state information includes generating the state information without fresh APD position information when a wireless connection between the mobile robot and the APD is unavailable;
- estimating, by the mobile robot, a position of the mobile robot based on the state information;
- and
- providing, by the mobile robot, at least one position update to the APD to aid the APD to recover an APD tracking lock on the mobile robot.
2 more elements
A method of operating a mobile robot navigating a construction surface comprising:
- receiving, by the mobile robot, position information from an absolute positioning device (APD) having an initial line of sight (LOS) path with the mobile robot and an initial tracking lock on the mobile robot;
- generating state information representing at least the position of the mobile robot for navigating and moving the mobile robot, the state information based on available data from a sensor suite of the mobile robot fused with received APD position information, when APD position data is available;
- estimating, by the mobile robot, a position of the mobile robot based on the state information;
- and
- estimating an uncertainty in a state estimate during a period of time in which the mobile robot navigates the construction surface without access to fresh APD position information, wherein the uncertainty in the state estimate is indicative of an estimated position error;
- and
- making a decision to perform at least one location-based service based on a maximum estimated position error being below a threshold position error.
4 more elements
A method of operating a mobile robot, the method comprising:
- receiving, by the mobile robot, position information from an absolute positioning device (APD) having an initial line of sight (LOS) path with the mobile robot and an initial tracking lock on the mobile robot;
- generating state information representing at least a position of the mobile robot for navigating and moving the mobile robot, the state information based on available data from a sensor suite of the mobile robot fused with received APD position information, when APD position data is available;
- estimating, by the mobile robot, a position of the mobile robot based on the state information;
- performing printing by the mobile robot in a time period when the APD position information is unavailable if an estimated position error is not greater than a maximum position error for printing;
- and
- sending, by the mobile robot, at least one position update to the APD to aid the APD to recover an APD tracking lock on the mobile robot.
3 more elements
A method of operating a mobile robot, the method comprising:
- receiving, by the mobile robot, position information from an absolute positioning device (APD) having an initial line of sight (LOS) path with the mobile robot and an initial tracking lock on the mobile robot;
- generating state information representing at least a position of the mobile robot for navigating and moving the mobile robot, the state information based on available data from a sensor suite of the mobile robot fused with received APD position information, when APD position data is available;
- estimating, by the mobile robot, the position of the mobile robot based on the state information;
- providing, by the mobile robot, at least one position update to the APD to aid the APD to recover an APD tracking lock on the mobile robot;
- and
- restoring the tracking lock between the mobile robot and the APD by pointing the APD using position update information provided by the mobile robot.
3 more elements
A method of operating a mobile robot, the method comprising:
- receiving, by the mobile robot, position information from an absolute positioning device (APD) having an initial line of sight (LOS) path with the mobile robot and an initial tracking lock on the mobile robot;
- generating state information representing at least a position of the mobile robot for navigating and moving the mobile robot, the state information based on available data from a sensor suite of the mobile robot fused with received APD position information, when APD position data is available;
- estimating, by the mobile robot, the position of the mobile robot based on the state information;
- providing, by the mobile robot, at least one position update to the APD to aid the APD to recover an APD tracking lock on the mobile robot;
- and
- changing a speed of the mobile robot or interrupting motion of the mobile robot to aid the APD to recover an APD tracking lock.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.