System and method for coordinating mobile robots with workers to access task locations

1 . A method of coordinating a mobile robot with a worker to access a location of a task, the method comprising:

obtaining the location of the task;

identifying a restricted region around the task location, the restricted region representing an area in which the mobile robot is restricted from stopping;

identifying a worker access zone relative to the restricted region for the worker to access the task location; and

determining a stop pose of the mobile robot, wherein the stop pose includes a stop position outside the restricted region selected to avoid obstructing the worker access zone; and

controlling navigation of the mobile robot according to the stop pose;

wherein at least one of a size or a shape of the restricted region is defined based on one or more of: a size of an item at the task location and a width of an aisle of the task location.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the restricted region comprises a region within a predefined radius of the task location.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

obtaining a worker path for the worker to navigate to the task location; and

identifying the worker access zone based on the worker path.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein:

the worker access zone is located at a first side of the task location proximal to the worker path; and

the stop position is located at a second side of the task location distal from the worker path.

5 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising:

in response to detecting a deviation of the worker from the worker path:

obtaining a new worker path;

identifying a new worker access zone based on the new worker path; and

determining a new stop pose for the mobile robot based on the new worker access zone.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

detecting, by the mobile robot, an obstacle at the stop position; and

determining a secondary stop pose including a secondary stop position outside the restricted region.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the stop pose further includes a stop orientation for the mobile robot, the stop orientation selected to orient the mobile robot toward the worker access zone.

8 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

identifying one or more receptacles of the mobile robot as being available for the task; and

orienting the mobile robot so that the one or more receptacles are accessible by the worker from the worker access zone.

9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

obtaining a worker path for the worker to navigate to the task location;

determining a robot path to the stop position, wherein the robot path is defined to avoid interference with the worker path.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the robot path is determined to avoid interference with the worker path if one of:

(i) no portion of the robot path overlaps with the worker path;

(ii) an estimated worker time of arrival is after a threshold buffer time after an estimated robot time of arrival; or

(iii) time-sequenced regions of the robot path and the worker path do not overlap with one another.

11 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising directing the mobile robot to the stop pose for completion of the task.

12 . A server for coordinating a mobile robot with a worker to access a task location to perform a task, the server comprising:

a memory and a communications interface;

a processor interconnected with the memory and the communications interface, the processor configured to:

obtain the location of the task for the mobile robot;

identify a restricted region around the task location, the restricted region representing an area in which the mobile robot is restricted from stopping;

identify a worker access zone relative to the restricted region for the worker to access the task location; and

determine a stop pose of the mobile robot, wherein the stop pose includes a stop position outside the restricted region selected to avoid obstructing the worker access zone; and

control navigation of the mobile robot according to the stop pose;

wherein at least one of a size or a shape of the restricted region is defined based on one or more of: a size of an item at the task location and a width of an aisle of the task location.

13 . The server of claim 12 , wherein the restricted region comprises a region within a predefined radius of the task location.

14 . The server of claim 12 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

obtain a worker path for the worker to navigate to the task location; and

identify the worker access zone based on the worker path.

15 . The server of claim 14 , wherein:

the worker access zone is located at a first side of the task location proximal to the worker path; and

the stop position is located at a second side of the task location distal from the worker path.

16 . The server of claim 14 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

in response to detecting a deviation of the worker from the worker path:

obtain a new worker path;

identify a new worker access zone based on the new worker path; and

determine a new stop pose for the mobile robot based on the new worker access zone.

17 . The server of claim 12 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

in response to detecting, by the mobile robot, an obstacle at the stop position: determine a secondary stop pose including a secondary stop position outside the restricted region.

18 . The server of claim 12 , wherein the stop pose further includes a stop orientation for the mobile robot, the stop orientation selected to orient the mobile robot toward the worker access zone.

19 . The server of claim 18 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

identify one or more receptacles of the mobile robot as being available for the task; and

orient the mobile robot so that the one or more receptacles are accessible by the worker from the worker access zone.

20 . The server of claim 12 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

obtain a worker path for the worker to navigate to the task location;

determine a robot path to the stop position, wherein the robot path is defined to avoid interference with the worker path.

21 . A mobile robot comprising:

a chassis with a locomotive assembly;

a processor configured to:

obtain a location of a task;

identify a restricted region around the task location, the restricted region representing an area in which the mobile robot is restricted from stopping;

identify a worker access zone relative to the restricted region for the worker to access the task location; and

determine a stop pose of the mobile robot, wherein the stop pose includes a stop position outside the restricted region selected to avoid obstructing the worker access zone:

wherein at least one of a size or a shape of the restricted region is defined based on one or more of: a size of an item at the task location and a width of an aisle of the task location.

22 . The mobile robot of claim 21 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

obtain a worker path for the worker to navigate to the task location; and

identify the worker access zone based on the worker path.

23 . The mobile robot of claim 21 , wherein:

the worker access zone is located at a first side of the task location proximal to the worker path; and

the stop position is located at a second side of the task location distal from the worker path.

24 . The mobile robot of claim 21 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

in response to detecting, by the mobile robot, an obstacle at the stop position: determine a secondary stop pose including a secondary stop position outside the restricted region.

25 . The mobile robot of claim 21 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

identify one or more receptacles of the mobile robot as being available for the task; and

orient the mobile robot so that the one or more receptacles are accessible by the worker from the worker access zone.