公开(公告)号：US11851120B2

公开(公告)日：2023-12-26

申请号：US17304198

申请日：2021-06-16

Applicant: Boston Dynamics, Inc.

Inventor： Gina Christine Fay ,  Alex Yu Khripin ,  Eric Whitman

IPC: B25J9/16 ,  B62D57/032

CPC classification number: B62D57/032 ,  B25J9/16 ,  B25J9/1664

Abstract: An example implementation involves controlling robots with non-constant body pitch and height. The implementation involves obtaining a model of the robot that represents the robot as a first point mass rigidly coupled with a second point mass along a longitudinal axis. The implementation also involves determining a state of a first pair of legs, and determining a height of the first point mass based on the model and the state of the first pair of legs. The implementation further involves determining a first amount of vertical force for at least one leg of the first pair of legs to apply along a vertical axis against a surface while the at least one leg is in contact with the surface. Additionally, the implementation involves causing the at least one leg of the first pair of legs to begin applying the amount of vertical force against the surface.

公开(公告)号：US11548151B2

公开(公告)日：2023-01-10

申请号：US16382390

申请日：2019-04-12

Applicant: Boston Dynamics, Inc.

Inventor： Eric Whitman ,  Gina Christine Fay ,  Benjamin Swilling

IPC: G06F17/00 ,  B25J9/16 ,  B62D57/024 ,  B62D57/032

Abstract: A method for negotiating stairs includes receiving image data about a robot maneuvering in an environment with stairs. Here, the robot includes two or more legs. Prior to the robot traversing the stairs, for each stair, the method further includes determining a corresponding step region based on the received image data. The step region identifies a safe placement area on a corresponding stair for a distal end of a corresponding swing leg of the robot. Also prior to the robot traversing the stairs, the method includes shifting a weight distribution of the robot towards a front portion of the robot. When the robot traverses the stairs, the method further includes, for each stair, moving the distal end of the corresponding swing leg of the robot to a target step location where the target step location is within the corresponding step region of the stair.

公开(公告)号：US11447195B2

公开(公告)日：2022-09-20

申请号：US16570152

申请日：2019-09-13

Applicant: Boston Dynamics, Inc.

Inventor： Eric Whitman

IPC: B62D57/032 ,  B25J9/16

Abstract: A method of planning a swing trajectory for a leg of a robot includes receiving an initial position of a leg of the robot, an initial velocity of the leg, a touchdown location, and a touchdown target time. The method also includes determining a difference between the initial position and the touchdown location and separating the difference between the initial position and the touchdown location into a horizontal motion component and a vertical motion component. The method also includes selecting a horizontal motion policy and a vertical motion policy to satisfy the motion components. Each policy produces a respective trajectory as a function of the initial position, the initial velocity, the touchdown location, and the touchdown target time. The method also includes executing the selected policies to swing the leg of the robot from the initial position to the touchdown location at the touchdown target time.

公开(公告)号：US20220179420A1

公开(公告)日：2022-06-09

申请号：US17652318

申请日：2022-02-24

Applicant: Boston Dynamics, Inc.

Inventor： Eric Whitman ,  Gina Christine Fay

IPC: G05D1/02 ,  G06T7/593

Abstract: A method for terrain and constraint planning a step plan includes receiving, at data processing hardware of a robot, image data of an environment about the robot from at least one image sensor. The robot includes a body and legs. The method also includes generating, by the data processing hardware, a body-obstacle map, a ground height map, and a step-obstacle map based on the image data and generating, by the data processing hardware, a body path for movement of the body of the robot while maneuvering in the environment based on the body-obstacle map. The method also includes generating, by the data processing hardware, a step path for the legs of the robot while maneuvering in the environment based on the body path, the body-obstacle map, the ground height map, and the step-obstacle map.

公开(公告)号：US20210147017A1

公开(公告)日：2021-05-20

申请号：US17158748

申请日：2021-01-26

Applicant: Boston Dynamics, Inc.

Inventor： Benjamin Swilling ,  Eric Whitman ,  Stephen Berard ,  Alfred Anthony Rizzi ,  Alex Yu Khripin ,  Gina Christine Fay

IPC: B62D57/032 ,  B25J9/16 ,  B25J9/00

Abstract: A legged robot may seek to operate according to a target gait. The legged robot may include leg members and leg joints. Possibly based on the target gait and state of the legged robot, an ordered list of gait controllers may be obtained. The gait controllers in the ordered list may define respective gaits of the legged robot, and may include respective validity checks and output parameters for the respective gaits. The ordered list may begin with a target gait controller that defines the target gait. The ordered list may be traversed in order from the target gait controller until a validity check associated with a particular gait controller passes. The legged robot may be instructed to actuate the leg members and/or leg joints according to output parameters of the particular gait controller.

公开(公告)号：US10266220B2

公开(公告)日：2019-04-23

申请号：US16166673

申请日：2018-10-22

Applicant: Boston Dynamics, Inc.

Inventor： Benjamin Swilling ,  Eric Whitman ,  Stephen Berard ,  Alfred Anthony Rizzi ,  Alex Yu Khripin ,  Gina Christine Fay

IPC: B62D57/032 ,  B25J9/16 ,  B25J9/00

Abstract: A legged robot may seek to operate according to a target gait. The legged robot may include leg members and leg joints. Possibly based on the target gait and state of the legged robot, an ordered list of gait controllers may be obtained. The gait controllers in the ordered list may define respective gaits of the legged robot, and may include respective validity checks and output parameters for the respective gaits. The ordered list may begin with a target gait controller that defines the target gait. The ordered list may be traversed in order from the target gait controller until a validity check associated with a particular gait controller passes. The legged robot may be instructed to actuate the leg members and/or leg joints according to output parameters of the particular gait controller.

公开(公告)号：US12151380B2

公开(公告)日：2024-11-26

申请号：US17933066

申请日：2022-09-16

Applicant: Boston Dynamics, Inc.

Inventor： Eric Whitman ,  Gina Christine Fay ,  Benjamin Swilling

IPC: G06F17/00 ,  B25J9/16 ,  B62D57/024 ,  B62D57/032

Abstract: A method for negotiating stairs includes receiving image data about a robot maneuvering in an environment with stairs. Here, the robot includes two or more legs. Prior to the robot traversing the stairs, for each stair, the method further includes determining a corresponding step region based on the received image data. The step region identifies a safe placement area on a corresponding stair for a distal end of a corresponding swing leg of the robot. Also prior to the robot traversing the stairs, the method includes shifting a weight distribution of the robot towards a front portion of the robot. When the robot traverses the stairs, the method further includes, for each stair, moving the distal end of the corresponding swing leg of the robot to a target step location where the target step location is within the corresponding step region of the stair.

公开(公告)号：US11691292B2

公开(公告)日：2023-07-04

申请号：US16600786

申请日：2019-10-14

Applicant: Boston Dynamics, Inc.

Inventor： Matthew Klingensmith ,  Eric Whitman ,  Marco da Silva ,  Alfred Rizzi

IPC: B25J11/00 ,  B25J9/16 ,  G05D1/02

CPC classification number: B25J11/0035 ,  B25J9/162 ,  B25J9/1694 ,  G05D1/0212

Abstract: The disclosure provides a method for generating a joint command. The method includes receiving a maneuver script including a plurality of maneuvers for a legged robot to perform where each maneuver is associated with a cost. The method further includes identifying that two or more maneuvers of the plurality of maneuvers of the maneuver script occur at the same time instance. The method also includes determining a combined maneuver for the legged robot to perform at the time instance based on the two or more maneuvers and the costs associated with the two or more maneuvers. The method additionally includes generating a joint command to control motion of the legged robot at the time instance where the joint command commands a set of joints of the legged robot. Here, the set of joints correspond to the combined maneuver.

公开(公告)号：US11465281B2

公开(公告)日：2022-10-11

申请号：US16601035

申请日：2019-10-14

Applicant: Boston Dynamics, Inc.

Inventor： Eric Whitman ,  Alex Khripin

IPC: B62D57/032 ,  B25J9/16 ,  G05B13/04 ,  G06N5/00

Abstract: A dynamic planning controller receives a maneuver for a robot and a current state of the robot and transforms the maneuver and the current state of the robot into a nonlinear optimization problem. The nonlinear optimization problem is configured to optimize an unknown force and an unknown position vector. At a first time instance, the controller linearizes the nonlinear optimization problem into a first linear optimization problem and determines a first solution to the first linear optimization problem using quadratic programming. At a second time instance, the controller linearizes the nonlinear optimization problem into a second linear optimization problem based on the first solution at the first time instance and determines a second solution to the second linear optimization problem based on the first solution using the quadratic programming. The controller also generates a joint command to control motion of the robot during the maneuver based on the second solution.

公开(公告)号：US11383381B2

公开(公告)日：2022-07-12

申请号：US16573579

申请日：2019-09-17

Applicant: Boston Dynamics, Inc.

Inventor： Eric Whitman ,  Alex Khripin

IPC: B25J9/16 ,  B25J13/08 ,  B62D57/02 ,  B62D57/032 ,  B62D57/024 ,  B62D57/028

Abstract: A method of footstep contact detection includes receiving joint dynamics for a swing leg of the robot where the swing leg performs a swing phase of a gait of the robot. The method also includes receiving odometry defining an estimation of a pose of the robot and determining whether an unexpected torque on the swing leg corresponds to an impact on the swing leg. When the unexpected torque corresponds to the impact, the method further includes determining whether the impact is indicative of a touchdown of the swing leg on a ground surface based on the odometry and the joint dynamics. When the impact is not indicative of the touchdown of the swing leg, the method includes classifying a cause of the impact based on the odometry of the robot and the joint dynamics of the swing leg.