Abstract:
System and method for behavior based control of an autonomous vehicle. Actuators (e.g., linkages) manipulate input devices (e.g., articulation controls and drive controls, such as a throttle lever, steering gear, tie rods, throttle, brake, accelerator, or transmission shifter) to direct the operation of the vehicle. Behaviors that characterize the operational mode of the vehicle are associated with the actuators. The behaviors include action sets ranked by priority, and the action sets include alternative actions that the vehicle can take to accomplish its task. The alternative actions are ranked by preference, and an arbiter selects the action to be performed and, optionally, modified.
Abstract:
System and method for behavior based control of an autonomous vehicle. Actuators (e.g., linkages) manipulate input devices (e.g., articulation controls and drive controls, such as a throttle lever, steering gear, tie rods, throttle, brake, accelerator, or transmission shifter) to direct the operation of the vehicle. Behaviors that characterize the operational mode of the vehicle are associated with the actuators. The behaviors include action sets ranked by priority, and the action sets include alternative actions that the vehicle can take to accomplish its task. The alternative actions are ranked by preference, and an arbiter selects the action to be performed and, optionally, modified.
Abstract:
System and method for behavior based control of an autonomous vehicle. Actuators (e.g., linkages) manipulate input devices (e.g., articulation controls and drive controls, such as a throttle lever, steering gear, tie rods, throttle, brake, accelerator, or transmission shifter) to direct the operation of the vehicle. Behaviors that characterize the operational mode of the vehicle are associated with the actuators. The behaviors include action sets ranked by priority, and the action sets include alternative actions that the vehicle can take to accomplish its task. The alternative actions are ranked by preference, and an arbiter selects the action to be performed and, optionally, modified.
Abstract:
An operator control unit includes a user interface that allows a user to control a remote vehicle, a transmission unit configured to transmit data to the remote vehicle, and a receiver unit configured to receive data from the remote vehicle. The data received from the remote vehicle includes image data captured by the remote vehicle. The operator control unit includes a display unit configured to display the user interface including the image data received from the remote vehicle and icons representing a plurality of controllable elements of the remote vehicle, and configured to allow the user to input a control command to control at least one of the plurality of controllable elements.
Abstract:
A mobile robot including a robot body, a drive system supporting the robot body, and a controller in communication with the drive system. The robot also includes an actuator moving a portion of the robot body through a volume of space adjacent the mobile robot and a sensor pod in communication with the controller. The sensor pod includes a collar rotatably supported and having a curved wall formed at least partially as a surface of revolution about a vertical axis. The sensor pod also includes a volumetric point cloud sensor housed by the collar and observing the volume of space adjacent the robot from within the collar along an observation axis extending through the curved wall. A collar actuator rotates the collar and the volumetric point cloud sensor together about the collar axis.
Abstract:
A method for mapping an environment proximal to a vehicle includes obtaining a current location of the vehicle according to a map of the environment, detecting at least one characteristic of the environment at the current location, and storing the at least one characteristic in a characteristic digest. The characteristic digest respectively associates one or more locations in the environment to one or more sets of previously detected characteristics in the environment. The method also includes associating the at least one characteristic with the current location in the characteristic digest.
Abstract:
A method of localizing a mobile robot includes receiving sensor data of a scene about the robot and executing a particle filter having a set of particles. Each particle has associated maps representing a robot location hypothesis. The method further includes updating the maps associated with each particle based on the received sensor data, assessing a weight for each particle based on the received sensor data, selecting a particle based on its weight, and determining a location of the robot based on the selected particle.
Abstract:
A method of localizing a mobile robot includes receiving sensor data of a scene about the robot and executing a particle filter having a set of particles. Each particle has associated maps representing a robot location hypothesis. The method further includes updating the maps associated with each particle based on the received sensor data, assessing a weight for each particle based on the received sensor data, selecting a particle based on its weight, and determining a location of the robot based on the selected particle.
Abstract:
A method of commanding a remote vehicle includes executing a command on a controller of the remote vehicle based on a kinodynamic fixed depth motion planning algorithm to use incremental feedback from evaluators to select a best feasible action. The method also includes determining servo commands corresponding to the best feasible action for one or more actuators of a drive system or a manipulation system of the remote vehicle and commanding the one or more actuators of the remote vehicle based on the servo commands. The best feasible action includes actions within a fixed time horizon of several seconds from a current time each time a feasible action is selected.
Abstract:
A system includes an operator control unit having a point-and-click interface configured to allow the operator to control the remote vehicle by inputting one or more commands via the point-and-click interface. The operator control unit displays a 3D local perceptual space comprising an egocentric coordinate system encompassing a predetermined distance centered on the remote vehicle, a remote vehicle representation having selectable portions, and an icon at a point selected in the 3D local perceptual space and at a corresponding location in an alternative view of a map having an identified current location of the remote vehicle. The system also includes a payload attached to the remote vehicle. The payload includes a computational module and an integrated sensor suite including a global positioning system, an inertial measurement unit, and a stereo vision camera.