US 8,014,897 B2 · System, apparatus, and method for managing and controlling robot competitions

Abstract

A system and method for operating robots in a robot competition. One embodiment of the system may include operator interfaces, where each operator interface is operable to control movement of a respective robot. A respective operator interface may be in communication with an associated operator radio, where each radio may have a low power RF output signal. A robot controller may be coupled to each robot in the robot competition. A robot radio may be coupled to a respective robot and in communication with a respective robot controller and operator radio. The robot radios may have a low power RF output signal while communicating with the respective operator radios. Alternatively, the radios may be short range radios, where a distance of communication may be a maximum of approximately 500 feet.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A system for operating robots in a robot competition, the system comprising:

a field controller operable to manage the operation of a plurality of robots on a field of an arena by coordinating enable and disable functionality of the robots to establish simultaneous start and stop times for a plurality of robot competition operators and managing operator-to-robot communications for the plurality of robots, each robot coupled to a robot controller;
a plurality of operator interfaces coupled to the field controller, each operator interface corresponding to a different one of the plurality of robots and operable upon being authorized by the field controller to communicate with the corresponding robot over a radio communications link to allow an operator to control movement of the corresponding robot, the radio communications link established by the field controller and unique for each operator interface;
and
one or more radios operable to allow communication between each operator interface and the robot controller coupled to the robot corresponding to the operator interface.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

System, apparatus, and method for managing and controlling robot competitions

Life of this patent

System, apparatus, and method for managing and controlling robot competitions

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims14