System and Method for a Robotic Manipulator System
AssigneeVeolia Nuclear Solutions, Inc.
InventorsScott Martin, Paul Linnebur, Marc Rood, Matt Denver Cole
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A robotic arm control system including a robotic arm configured to deploy one or more tools in an operating space, one or more sensors, and a control system operably configured to: scan the operating space with the one or more sensors, identify a surface of the operating space based at least in part upon information sensed by the one or more sensors, establish a virtual barrier offset from the surface, and limit movement of the robotic arm based at least in part upon the virtual barrier.
Claims20
A robotic arm deployment and control system, comprising:
- a robotic arm comprising at least two segments joined by one or more elbows, wherein a first segment is operably configured as a telescoping mast, and a second segment is operably configured to deploy tools from a working end;
- a mast deployment system comprising a cam path, wherein the cam path controls deployment into an operating space;
- one or more sensors;
- and
- a processor-based controller configured to:
- identify one or more surfaces defining the operating space with the one or more sensors,
- generate a three-dimensional map of the operating space based at least in part on the one or more surfaces defining the operating space,
- establish an impermeable virtual barrier offset from the one or more surfaces in the operating space, wherein the impermeable virtual barrier offset is at least one of variable or uniform, and
- establish a permeable virtual barrier offset from the impermeable virtual barrier.
A robotic arm deployment and control system, comprising:
- a robotic arm comprising at least two segments joined by one or more elbows, wherein a first segment is operably configured as a telescoping mast, and a second segment is operably configured to deploy tools from a working end;
- a telescoping mast deployment system comprising a cam path, wherein the cam path controls deployment into an operating space;
- one or more sensors comprising:
- a non-contact sensor affixed to the first segment and configured to measure range and bearing to objects contained within the operating space in polar coordinates, and
- a dynamic measurement unit comprising at least three accelerometers and three rate sensors, wherein the dynamic measurement unit is operably configured as a six-degree of freedom three axis sensor configured to operate in a Cartesian coordinate system,
- a processor-based controller operably configured to:
- receive the polar coordinates from the non-contact sensor and Cartesian coordinates from the dynamic measurement unit,
- convert the polar coordinates to Cartesian coordinates based on the Cartesian location of the non-contact sensor and dynamic measurement unit,
- identify one or more surfaces defining the operating space with the one or more sensors,
- generate a three-dimensional map of the operating space based at least in part on the one or more surfaces defining the operating space,
- establish an impermeable virtual barrier offset from one or more surfaces in the operating space, wherein the impermeable virtual barrier offset is at least one of variable and uniform, and
- establish a permeable virtual barrier offset from the impermeable virtual barrier.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.