REAL-TIME VIBRATION-SUPPRESSION CONTROL FOR ROBOTIC SYSTEMS

Number: 20230286144
Published: 2023-09-14
Filed: 2023-05-22
Assignee: DISNEY ENTERPRISES, INC.
Inventors: Rinke; Tanner et al.
CPC: B25J9/161; B25J9/1638; B25J9/1635; B25J9/163; B25J9/1669; B25J9/1605
Verdict: High Hardware
Source: Google Patents · FreePatentsOnline

The keeper's note

Learning-based real-time vibration-suppressing robotic control (continuation).

Abstract

In one example, a robotic system is disclosed that includes a plurality of components coupled together, a plurality of motors operable to move the plurality of components, a controller in electrical communication with the plurality of motors to generate control signals to actuate movement of the plurality of components, wherein the controller is configured to: receive a first set of control signals operative to generate a defined motion for the plurality of components, analyze the first set of control signals to determine a second set of control signals operative to define a retargeted motion for the plurality of components, wherein the retargeted motion suppresses vibrations of the plurality of components as compared to the defined motion, and provide the second set of control signals to the plurality of motors to actuate the retargeted motion by the plurality of components.

Background

BACKGROUND Field of the Description

The present description relates, in general, to robots (or “robotic systems” or “robotic characters”) and control systems and methods for such robots. More particularly, the description relates to a method of generating control signals, in real-time, for a robotic system or robot (and to controllers implementing such a method and robotic systems or robots with such controllers) that provides, via learning, computational vibration suppression during the operations and movements of the robotic system or robot. Relevant Background

Audio-animatronic figures and other robotic systems often suffer from unwanted vibrations during their operations. In particular, robotic systems or robots often will experience undesirable vibrations when undergoing fast and dynamic motions such as may be useful in a robotic character to provide expressive animations. For example, a robot may have an arm or leg that they move quickly from one location to a second location to provide a desired movement or move to a new pose, and the robot's arm or leg may vibrate significantly upon stopping at the second location. This can be undesirable when trying to replicate a particular character's movements, when trying to provide human-like motions, and so on.

Robotic systems are typically designed to be as stiff as possible, but, unfortunately, the physical system is rarely sufficiently stiff to behave like an idealized mechanical system whose components

Claims

1. A robotic system comprising: a plurality of components coupled together; a plurality of motors operable to move the plurality of components; a controller in electrical communication with the plurality of motors to generate control signals to actuate movement of the plurality of components, wherein the controller is configured to: receive a first set of control signals operative to generate a defined motion for the plurality of components; analyze the first set of control signals to determine a second set of control signals operative to define a retargeted motion for the plurality of components, wherein the retargeted motion suppresses vibrations of the plurality of components as compared to the defined motion; and provide the second set of control signals to the plurality of motors to actuate the retargeted motion by the plurality of components. || 8. A method of controlling a robotic system comprising: training a machine learned model based on simulated vibration data of the robotic system moving; generating a first set of control signals corresponding to an initial motion output based on a desired animation sequence to be performed by the robotic system; and modifying via the machine learned model the first set of control signals to generate a second set of control signals, wherein the second set of control signals corresponds to a retargeted motion output and suppresses vibration of the robotic system during the desired animation sequence. || 14. A method of training a neural network for generating control signals for a robotic system comprising: providing a first set of vibration data generated by a simulator, wherein the simulator simulates the robotic system performing an animation based on an initial set of control signals, wherein a first set of components of the robotic system are modeled as flexible components and a second set of components of the robotic system are modeled as rigid components; providing a second set of vibration data generated by the simulator, wherein the second set of vibration data suppresses vibration of the robotic system as compared to the first set of vibration data; and generating a modified set of control signals based on differences between the first set of vibration data and the second set of vibration data.