Real time explosive hazard information sensing, processing, and communication for autonomous operation

A robot platform for communicating real time messages between a robot intelligence kernel (RIK) and an explosive hazard sensor and processing module (ESPM), comprising:

• one or more subsurface perceptors configured for perceiving environmental variables indicative of a presence of the explosive hazard;
• one or more locomotors configured for providing mobility to the robot platform;
• and
• one or more controllers configured for:
• sending ESPM bound messages from the RIK to the ESPM to set parameters of the ESPM, request operations to be performed by the ESPM, and acknowledge at least some messages from the RIK;
• and
• sending RIK bound messages from the ESPM to the RIK to request operations to be performed by the RIK, send explosive hazard information, and acknowledge at least some messages from the ESPM;
• wherein a combination of the ESPM bound messages and the RIK bound messages cause the robot platform to perform explosive hazard detection by switching between modes comprising:
• a calibration mode for calibrating the one or more subsurface perceptors;
• an explosive hazard detection mode for operating the one or more locomotors and the one or more subsurface perceptors with a prescreening process to acquire and process prescreening information to determine a preliminary indication of an explosive hazard at a detected location;
• and
• an explosive hazard characterization mode for real time acquisition and processing of detailed explosive hazard information responsive to the preliminary indication of the explosive hazard by operating the one or more locomotors and the one or more subsurface perceptors in a characterization configuration to develop the detailed explosive hazard information at the detected location to enhance confidence that an explosive hazard is present at the detected location.

Non-transitory computer readable media including computer executable instructions, which when executed on a processor provide communication of real time messages between a robot intelligence kernel (RIK) and an explosive hazard sensor and processing module (ESPM) to:

• send ESPM bound messages from the RIK to the ESPM to set parameters of the ESPM, request operations to be performed by the ESPM, and acknowledge at least some messages from the RIK;
• and
• send RIK bound messages from the ESPM to the RIK to request operations to be performed by the RIK, send explosive hazard information, and acknowledge at least some messages from the ESPM;
• wherein a combination of the ESPM bound messages and the RIK bound messages cause a robot platform to perform explosive hazard detection by switching between modes comprising:
• a calibration mode for calibrating one or more subsurface perceptors;
• an explosive hazard detection mode for operating one or more locomotors and the one or more subsurface perceptors with a prescreening process to acquire and process prescreening information to determine an indication of an explosive hazard at a detected location;
• and
• an explosive hazard characterization mode for real time acquisition and processing of detailed explosive hazard information responsive to the preliminary indication of the explosive hazard by operating the one or more locomotors and the one or more subsurface perceptors in a characterization configuration to develop the detailed explosive hazard information at the detected location to enhance confidence that an explosive hazard is present at the detected location.