Robotic control with real-time switching between trajectories

A real-time robotic control system comprising:

• one or more computers and one or more storage devices storing instructions that are operable, when executed by the one or more computers, to cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:
• generating, by one or more trajectory generators that execute in an application layer of the real-time robotic control system, a first trajectory comprising a first plurality of set points for a robot to follow for a first segment of a task and a second trajectory comprising a second plurality of set points for the robot to follow for a second segment of the task, wherein the application layer executes in accordance with a non-real-time requirement and generates the first plurality of set points in the first trajectory and the second plurality of set points in the second trajectory at a non-real-time rate, the non-real-time rate being different from a real-time rate that is defined by a timing of control ticks of the real-time robotic control system;
• and
• controlling, by a real-time control layer of the real-time robotic control system that executes in accordance with a real-time requirement, the robot to perform the task, the controlling comprising:
• generating, by the real-time control layer of the real-time robotic control system and based on the first trajectory, control signals for a robot component of the robot to track the first plurality of set points, wherein the real-time control layer generates the control signals at the real-time rate by generating, at a control tick of the real-time robotic control system, at least one control signal for the robot component to track a next set point in the first plurality of set points;
• obtaining, by the real-time control layer of the real-time robotic control system, current data representing a latest execution status of the first trajectory by the robot at the control tick of the real-time robotic control system;
• evaluating, by the real-time control layer of the real-time robotic control system and at the control tick of the real-time robotic control system, one or more switching criteria associated with the first trajectory according to the current data, wherein each switching criterion defines one or more conditions for real-time trajectory switching;
• and
• in response to determining that the one or more switching criteria are satisfied during the control tick, terminating, by the real-time control layer of the real-time robotic control system, controlling of the robot to track the first plurality of set points and switching to controlling the robot to track the second plurality of set points in the second trajectory within the control tick that begins with controlling of the robot to track the next set point in the first plurality of set points.

A computer storage medium encoded with a computer program, the program comprising instructions that are operable, when executed by data processing apparatus, to cause the data processing apparatus to implement a real-time robotic control system configured to perform operations comprising:

• generating, by one or more trajectory generators that execute in an application layer of the real-time robotic control system, a first trajectory comprising a first plurality of set points for a robot to follow for a first segment of a task and a second trajectory comprising a second plurality of set points for the robot to follow for a second segment of the task, wherein the application layer executes in accordance with a non-real-time requirement and generates the first plurality of set points in the first trajectory and the second plurality of set points in the second trajectory at a non-real-time rate, the non-real-time rate being different from a real-time rate that is defined by a timing of control ticks of the real-time robotic control system;
• and
• controlling, by a real-time control layer of the real-time robotic control system that executes in accordance with a real-time requirement, the robot to perform the task, the controlling comprising:
• generating, by the real-time control layer of the real-time robotic control system and based on the first trajectory, control signals for a robot component of the robot to track the first plurality of set points, wherein the real-time control layer generates the control signals at the real-time rate by generating, at a control tick of the real-time robotic control system, at least one control signal for the robot component to track a next set point in the first plurality of set points;
• obtaining, by the real-time control layer of the real-time robotic control system, current data representing a latest execution status of the first trajectory by the robot at the control tick of the real-time robotic control system;
• evaluating, by the real-time control layer of the real-time robotic control system and at the control tick of the real-time robotic control system, one or more switching criteria associated with the first trajectory according to the current data, wherein each switching criterion defines one or more conditions for real-time trajectory switching;
• and
• in response to determining that the one or more switching criteria are satisfied during the control tick, terminating, by the real-time control layer of the real-time robotic control system, controlling of the robot to track the first plurality of set points and switching to controlling the robot to track the second plurality of set points in the second trajectory within the control tick that begins with controlling of the robot to track the next set point in the first plurality of set points.