- Number
- 11090806
- Published
- 2021-08-17
- Filed
- 2018-08-17
- Assignee
- Disney Enterprises, Inc.
- Inventors
- Nocon; Nathan D., Goslin; Michael P., Wong; Clifford, Hsu; Jonathan RD, Panec; Timothy M.
- CPC
- B25J11/0035; B25J11/008; B25J9/1664; G05D1/0297
- Verdict
- High Hardware
- Source
- Google Patents · FreePatentsOnline
The keeper's note
Synchronized multi-robot orientation coordination (granted).
Abstract
Systems, methods and articles of manufacture for synchronized robot orientation are described herein. A magnetometer, gyroscope, and accelerometer in a remotely controlled device are used to determine a current orientation of that device, and a command with a specified orientation or location are set to several such devices. The remotely controlled devices self-align based on the specified orientation/location, and when in position, receive swarm commands to perform actions as a group of devices in coordination with one another.
Background
BACKGROUND (1) The remote manipulation and control of devices via radio-transmitted commands relies on the controller being able to coordinate between remotely controlled devices. When several devices are present in the environment, each device may be associated with an individual controller, and the control thereof may rely on several users coordinating activities with one another to coordinate the associated devices. SUMMARY (2) The present disclosure provides, in one embodiment, a method for synchronized robot orientation, comprising: receiving, at a given bot in a plurality of robotic devices, a swarm command, the swarm command including a specified orientation and a specified location; determining a current orientation of the given robotic device in an environment, based at least in part on a magnetometer indicating an alignment deviation of the given robotic device from a magnetic field direction and an accelerometer and a gyroscope indicating an alignment of the given robotic device relative to gravity; determining a current location of the given robotic device relative to a reference point in the environment; in response to determining that at least one of the current orientation of the given robotic device does not match the specified orientation and the current location of the given robotic device does not match the specified location, adjusting a position of the given robotic device to affect at least one of the current orientation and the current location. (3) The
Claims
1. A method, comprising: receiving, from a remote control device at a given robotic device in a plurality of robotic devices, a swarm command, the swarm command including a specified orientation and a specified location, wherein the swarm command is received by each robotic device of the plurality of robotic devices and wherein the given robotic device is not designated as a master device in the plurality of robotic devices; determining, by the given robotic device, a current orientation of the given robotic device in an environment, based at least in part on a magnetometer indicating an alignment deviation of the given robotic device from a magnetic field direction and an accelerometer and a gyroscope indicating an alignment of the given robotic device relative to gravity; determining, by the given robotic device, a current location of the given robotic device relative to a reference point in the environment; and in response to determining that at least one of the current orientation of the given robotic device does not match the specified orientation and the current location of the given robotic device does not match the specified location, adjusting a position of the given robotic device to affect at least one of the current orientation and the current location. ||
7. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code for synchronizing robot orientation that when executed by a processor, enable the processor to: receive, from a remote control device at a given robotic device in a plurality of robotic devices, a swarm command, the swarm command including a specified orientation and a specified location, wherein the swarm command is received by each robotic device of the plurality of robotic devices and wherein the given robotic device is not designated as a master device in the plurality of robotic devices; determine, by the given robotic device, a current orientation of the given robotic device in an environment, based at least in part on a magnetometer indicating an alignment deviation of the given robotic device from a magnetic field line; determine, by the given robotic device, a current location of the given robotic device relative to a reference point in the environment; and in response to determining that at least one of the current orientation of the given robotic device does not match the specified orientation and the current location of the given robotic device does not match the specified location, adjust a position of the given robotic device to affect at least one of the current orientation and the current location. ||
14. A system, comprising: a radio; an accelerometer; a gyroscope; a magnetometer; a motor; a processor; and a memory, including instructions that when executed by the processor, enable the system to: receive, from a first remote control device via the radio, a swarm command, the swarm command including a specified orientation and a specified location for the system and other systems in a swarm, wherein the system is not designated as a master system for the swarm and each member of the swarm receives the swarm command from the first remote control device; determine, by the system, a current orientation of the system in an environment, based at least in part on the magnetometer indicating an alignment deviation of the system from a magnetic field line; determine, by the system, a current location of the system relative to a reference point in the environment; and in response to determining that at least one of the current orientation of the system does not match the specified orientation and the current location of the system does not match the specified location, adjust a position of the system, via the motor, to affect at least one of the current orientation and the current location.