IP Library Granted Patent US 10,688,667
Granted Patent B1
US 10,688,667 · App. 15/901,419 · Granted Jun 23, 2020

Continuous slip recovery

Inventors: Stephen Berard (Waltham, MA); Alex Yu Khripin (Waltham, MA); Benjamin Swilling (Waltham, MA)
Assignee: Boston Dynamics, Inc.
B25J13/085B62D57/032B25J19/0008Y10S901/01Y10S901/27Y10S901/28Y10S901/30
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,688,667
App. No.
15/901,419
Granted
Jun 23, 2020
Kind
B1
Abstract

The disclosure provides systems and methods for mitigating slip of a robot appendage. In one aspect, a method for mitigating slip of a robot appendage includes (i) receiving an input from one or more sensors, (ii) determining, based on the received input, an appendage position of the robot appendage, (iii) determining a filter position for the robot appendage, (iv) determining a distance between the appendage position and the filter position, (v) determining, based on the distance, a force to apply to the robot appendage, (vi) causing one or more actuators to apply the force to the robot appendage, (vii) determining whether the distance is greater than a threshold distance, and (viii) responsive to determining that the distance is greater than the threshold distance, the control system adjusting the filter position to a position, which is the threshold distance from the appendage position, for use in a next iteration.

Claims (18)

1. A method for mitigating slip of a robot appendage, comprising:

determining, by a control system, a first appendage position of a robot appendage;

determining, by the control system, a first filter position for the robot appendage;

determining a first distance between the first appendage position and the first filter position;

determining, based on the first distance, a first force to apply to the robot appendage;

causing one or more actuators to apply the first force to the robot appendage;

determining that the first distance is greater than a threshold distance;

responsive to determining that the first distance is greater than the threshold distance, adjusting the first filter position to a second filter position spaced from the first appendage position by the threshold distance;

after determining the first appendage position, determining a second appendage position of the appendage;

determining a second distance between the second appendage position and the second filter position;

determining, based on the second distance, a second force to apply to the robot appendage, wherein the second force is different than the first force; and

causing the one or more actuators to apply the second force to the robot appendage.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the robot appendage is a robot foot.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the first appendage position is a point on a bottom surface of the robot foot.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the second filter position comprises:

determining an adjusted position that is (i) collinear with the first appendage position and the filter position, (ii) between the first appendage position and the filter position, and (iii) spaced from the first appendage position by the threshold distance; and

setting the adjusted position as the second filter position.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the robot appendage is an end effector.

Assignments (4)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE REMOVE APPLICATIONS NUMBERS 63127573 AND 11/302759 AND THE CITY OF THE ASSIGNEE PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 057111 FRAME: 0202. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Oct 27, 2021
From: BOSTON DYNAMICS, INC.
To: BOSTON DYNAMICS, INC.
Reel/Frame 057964/0415 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Oct 5, 2021
From: BOSTON DYNAMICS, INC.
To: BOSTON DYNAMICS, INC.
Reel/Frame 057711/0202 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 29, 2019
From: BERARD, STEPHEN; KHRIPIN, ALEX YU; SWILLING, BENJAMIN
To: GOOGLE INC.
Reel/Frame 048742/0659 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 29, 2019
From: GOOGLE INC.
To: BOSTON DYNAMICS, INC.
Reel/Frame 048742/0837 →
Continuity (1)
Division 15005687 · Jan 25, 2016
Cited By (4)
US 12,365,407 US 12,466,501 US 12,637,158 US 12,705,880