Robotic system and method for observing, learning, and supporting human activities
AssigneesToyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., Toyota Motor Corporation
InventorsMori Takemitsu, Steven F. Kalik
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An example method for allowing a robot to assist with a task, the task being carried out in an environment including one or more non-human objects each having associated object locations, comprises detecting one or more changes in object locations within the environment, predicting a task requirement (such as a future object location change, or task goal) by comparing the change in the object location with stored data, the stored data including object location changes associated with previously observed tasks; and providing robotic assistance to achieve the task requirement. Example apparatus are also disclosed.
Claims18
A method for allowing a robot to assist with a task, the task being carried out in an environment including one or more non-human objects each having an associated object location, the method comprising:
- observing object location changes of the one or more non-human objects using a sensor located on the robot;
- comparing the object location changes with stored data, the stored data including patterns of object location changes associated with previously performed tasks;
- predicting a task requirement using a pattern-matching algorithm to match the object location changes to the patterns of object location changes in the stored data;
- and
- providing robotic assistance to achieve the task requirement.
A method for allowing a robot to assist with a task, the task being carried out by a human in an environment including non-human objects each having an associated object location, the method comprising:
- sensing the environment using a sensor, the sensor being a component of the robot;
- determining object locations within the environment;
- detecting changes in object locations within the environment;
- comparing the changes in object locations with stored data, the stored data including object location changes associated with previously performed tasks;
- predicting a task requirement using a pattern-matching algorithm to match detected changes in object locations with patterns of object location changes in the stored data;
- and
- providing robotic assistance to achieve the task requirement,
- the method being performed by the robot, the robot having an electronic circuit and an actuator operable to provide the robotic assistance.
A robot for assisting with a task within an environment including objects, the objects being non-human objects, the robot comprising:
- a sensor, operable to provide sensor data representing the objects;
- an electronic circuit, operable to provide:
- a location change detector, operable to provide object location change data for the objects within the environment using the sensor data,
- a comparator, operable to compare object location change data with stored data, and
- a predictor, operable to predict a predicted object location change for the task from a comparison of the object location change data with the stored data;
- and
- an actuator, in electronic communication with the electronic circuit, operable to effect the predicted object location change on receipt of a signal from the electronic circuit,
- the predictor using a pattern-matching algorithm to match detected changes in object locations with patterns of object location changes in the stored data so as to predict the predicted object location change.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.