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US 2021/0069906 A1Published application
Detecting and classifying workspace regions for safety monitoring
AssigneeVeo Robotics, Inc.
InventorsClara VU, Scott DENENBERG, Patrick SOBALVARRO, Patrick BARRAGAN, Alberto MOEL
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems and methods monitor a workspace for safety purposes using sensors distributed about the workspace. The sensors are registered with respect to each other, and this registration is monitored over time. Occluded space as well as occupied space is identified, and this mapping is frequently updated.
Claims21
-21. (canceled)
A safety system for identifying safe regions in a three-dimensional (3D) workspace including controlled machinery, the system comprising:
- a plurality of sensors distributed about the workspace, each of the sensors being associated with a grid of pixels for recording images of a portion of the workspace within a sensor field of view, the workspace portions partially overlapping with each other;
- a controller configured to:
- register the sensors with respect to each other so that the images obtained by the sensors collectively represent the workspace;
- generate a three-dimensional representation of the workspace as a plurality of 3D volumes;
- for each of the sensors, upon detecting an occlusion on a line-of-sight ray path, (i) classify the volumes associated with the occlusion as occupied volumes, and (ii) classify the volumes between said each of the sensors and the occupied volumes on the line-of-sight ray path as unoccupied volumes;
- and
- map one or more safe volumetric zones within the workspace based at least in part on a collection of the unoccupied volumes associated with the plurality of sensors,
- wherein the one or more safe volumetric zones include the unoccupied volumes only.
5 more elements
A method of safely operating machinery in a three-dimensional workspace, the method comprising the steps of:
- monitoring the workspace with a plurality of sensors distributed thereabout, each of the sensors being associated with a grid of pixels for recording images of a portion of the workspace within a sensor field of view, the workspace portions partially overlapping with each other;
- registering the sensors with respect to each other so that the images obtained by the sensors collectively represent the workspace;
- computationally generating a three-dimensional representation of the workspace as a plurality of 3D volumes stored in a computer memory;
- for each of the sensors, upon detecting an occlusion on a line-of-sight ray path, classifying (i) the volumes associated with the occlusion as occupied volumes and (ii) the volumes between said each of the sensors and the occupied volumes on the line-of-sight ray path as unoccupied volumes;
- and
- mapping one or more safe volumetric zones within the workspace based at least in part on a collection of the unoccupied volumes associated with the plurality of sensors,
- wherein the one or more safe volumetric zones include the unoccupied volumes only.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.