Map-based framework for the integration of robots and smart devices
A central controller for robotics and connected devices includes a first communication interface configured to receive data from a plurality of robots or connected devices, at least some of which plurality of robots or connected devices are of different types. The data generated by robots or connected devices of different types are generated in different native data formats. The central controller also includes a processor configured to translate said received data from the different native data formats into a common protocol format, a storage framework configured to store the data translated into the common protocol format; and a second communication interface configured to transmit commands based on data stored in the common protocol format and translated to the native data format of one or more of the plurality of robots or connected devices.
1. A central controller for robotics and connected devices comprising: a first communication interface configured to receive data from a plurality of robots or connected devices, at least some of which plurality of robots or connected devices are of different types, wherein the data received from each robot or connected device contains a spatial reference to a location point from where the data was collected; wherein data generated by robots or connected devices of different types are generated in different native data formats; a processor configured to translate said received data from the different native data formats into a common protocol format; a storage framework configured to store the data translated into the common protocol format; a second communication interface configured to transmit commands based on data stored in the common protocol format and translated to the native data format of one or more of the plurality of robots or connected devices, wherein the second communication interface transmits commands to at least one or more of the plurality of robots or connected devices which are deployed in an operating area and an output display configured to display an image of the operating area in which said plurality of robots or connected devices are deployed and wherein said central controller is further configured to include on said image a plurality of position-referenced values generated from said processed data, as well as interpolated values between received data points.
2. The central controller of claim 1 , wherein the central controller is further configured to calibrate the data received from robots and connected devices for differences in one or more of: sensor structures, age of hardware from which the data was received, origin reference points of the robots and connected devices or rotation reference frames of the robots and connected devices, and changes in calibration of the hardware from which the data was received.
3. The central controller of claim 1 , herein a physical location of each of said plurality of robots or connected devices is represented on the image at the location point from which the data is collected.
4. The central controller of claim 3 , wherein: the image on which the physical locations of robots and connected devices are displayed, is any image representing the operating area where those devices are located, including to a map built by a robot or other mapping devices, a structural floorplan for the operating area, a utility or architectural rendering of the operating area, or a graphical representation of the operating area showing location-based data distributed across the image; and the images used for said display are processed to align with every other image that represents the same operating area, including the origin reference point, orientation, rotation reference frame, and image resolution related to actual distance.
5. The central controller of claim 1 , wherein: the central controller is further configured to perform analytics, computations, and interpolations on the received data after the received data has been translated from native data formats into the common protocol format.
6. The central controller of claim 1 , wherein: the commands that are based on data stored in the common protocol format and translated to the native data format and are transmitted to any of the plurality of robots or connected devices, or software interfaces, include commands which are initiated or triggered based on: a) data received from any single robot or connected device within the system; or b) data from any plurality of robots or connected devices within the system; or c) data from any additional processing of the data from any single or plurality of robots or connected devices.
7. The central controller of claim 1 , further comprising: a server-based map of an area wherein a single or plurality of robots are deployed, can be translated from the server-based format to an individual robot's native format, based on the map file's format requirements and the dimensions of the robots, and transmitted onboard to each individual robot in that deployment for localization and navigation; wherein the server-based map can be updated by any robot in said deployment, by an individual robot's natively formatted map being translated into the format of the server-based map within the footprint specifications of the robot's onboard sensors that built the map, and transmitted to the server for integration.
8. A method for controlling robots or connected devices of different types, the method comprising: deploying a plurality of robots or connected devices in an operating area; receiving data from the plurality of robots or connected devices, at least some of which plurality of robots or connected devices are of different types, wherein the data received from each robot or connected device contains a spatial reference to a location point from where the data was collected; wherein data generated by robots or connected devices of different types are generated in different native data formats; translating said received data from the different native data formats into a common protocol format; storing the data translated into the common protocol format; transmitting commands based on data stored in the common protocol format and translated to the native data format of one or more of the plurality of robots or connected devices; and displaying an image of the operating area in which said plurality of robots or connected devices are deployed and including on said image a plurality of position—referenced values generated from said processed data, as well as interpolated values between received data points.
9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising: calibrating the data received from robots and connected devices for differences in one or more of: sensor structures, age of hardware from which the data was received, origin reference points of the robots and connected devices or rotation reference frames of the robots and connected devices, and changes in calibration of the hardware from which the data was received.
10. The method of claim 8 , wherein a physical location of each of said plurality of robots or connected devices is represented on the image at the location point from which the data is collected.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein: the image on which the physical locations of robots and connected devices are displayed, is any image representing the operating area where those devices are located, including to a map built by a robot or other mapping devices, a structural floorplan for the operating area, a utility or architectural rendering of the operating area, or a graphical representation of the operating area showing location-based data distributed across the image; and the images are processed to align with every other image that represents the same operating area, including the origin reference point, orientation, rotation reference frame, and image resolution related to actual distance.
12. The method of claim 8 , further comprising: performing analytics, computations, and interpolations on the received data after the received data has been translated from native data formats into the common protocol format.
13. The method of claim 8 , wherein: the commands that are based on data stored in the common protocol format and translated to the native data format and are transmitted to any of the plurality of robots or connected devices, or software interfaces, include commands which are initiated or triggered based on: a) data received from any single robot or connected device within the system; or b) data from any plurality of robots or connected devices within the system; or c) data from any additional processing of the data from any single or plurality of robots or connected devices.
14. The method of claim 8 , further comprising: generating a server-based map of an area wherein a single or plurality of robots are deployed, can be translated from the server-based format to an individual robot's native format, based on the map file's format requirements and the dimensions of the robots, and transmitted onboard to each individual robot in that deployment for localization and navigation; wherein the server-based map can be updated by any robot in said deployment, by an individual robot's natively formatted map being translated into the format of the server-based map within the footprint specifications of the robot's onboard sensors that built the map, and transmitted to the server for integration.
15. The method of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of robots and connected devices comprise: a first robot having a first type of sensor configured to detect a parameter; a second robot having a second type of sensor configured to detect said parameter, wherein said first type of sensor is different than said second type of sensor; and a central controller which receives data associated with said detected parameter from both said first robot and said second robot and which is further configured to translate said data received from said first robot from a first native data format into a common central controller protocol and to translate said data received from said second robot from a second native data format into said common central controller protocol, wherein said first native data format is different than said second native data format.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein both said first type of sensor and said second type of sensor detect a same parameter of the sensor.
17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising: one or more static sensors configured to detect said parameter and to communicate the parameter data to said central controller in a third native data format which is different than said first and second native data formats, wherein said central controller is further configured to translate said parameter data received from said one or more static sensors into said common central controller protocol.
18. The method of claim 15 , wherein said first and second robots move throughout the operating area and periodically take measurements of said parameter at different positions within said operating area.
19. The method of claim 15 , wherein said central controller performs said translations of said parameter data from both said first native data format and said second native data format in a manner which adapts said parameter data to compensate for differences between hardware parameters associated with said first type of sensor and said second type of sensor.