Modular architecture for robotics and teleoperation

Claim 1

A modular robotics system comprising at least one manipulator, a plurality of interchangeable and discrete operational modules, and means for passing wave variables between each of said modules and by causing retention of passivity thereby preventing instability in said system caused by computational delays within and between the modules, wherein each of said modules is decomposed into subnetworks containing either linear time invariant uncoupled dynamic or nonlinear coupled memoryless lumped parameter simulation means selected from the group consisting of an inertia simulation means (M), a stiffness simulation means (K), a linear damping simulation means (B), an independent flow source simulation means (v d ), an independent effort source simulation means (f d ), a Jacobian simulation means (J), and a nonlinear damping simulation means (B), said subnetworks being independently discretized; wherein each of said modules comprises: an initialization means; and a synchronous update means mapping module inputs to module outputs via a discrete control equation to implement an action selected from the group consisting of receiving motion commands from a robot input device, receiving and processing readings from a sensor means, controlling motion of a robot by sending commands to a robot control means, implementing a motion constraint; filtering command signals, mapping force and velocity signals from one reference frame to another reference frame, and simulating a dynamic action of a robot component; and wherein each of said modules: requires connections to other modules to complete a functional modular robotics system, is replaceable by one or more modules to implement a different action, is initializable and controllable separately from each other module in the modular robotics system, and receives inputs from neighboring modules and transfers outputs to neighboring modules in an arbitrary sequence, independent of type of said neighboring modules.

Claim 15

A method for controlling a modular robotics system comprising at least one manipulator, the method comprising the steps of: a) initializing a plurality of interchangeable and discrete operational modules, wherein each of the modules comprises: an initialization procedure; and a synchronous update procedure mapping module inputs to module outputs via a discrete control equation to implement an action selected from the group consisting of receiving motion commands from a robot input device, receiving and processing readings from a sensor means; controlling motion of a robot by sending commands to a robot control means, implementing a motion constraint, filtering command signals; mapping force and velocity signals from one reference frame to another reference frame, and simulating a dynamic action of a robot component; and wherein each of the modules: requires connections to other modules to complete a functional modular robotics system is replaceable by one or more modules to implement a different action, is initializable and controllable separately from each other module in the modular robotics system, and receives inputs from neighboring modules and transfers outputs to neighboring modules in an arbitrary sequence, independent of the type of the neighboring module; b) decomposing the modules into subnetworks containing either linear time invariant uncoupled dynamic or nonlinear coupled memoryless lumped parameter simulation procedures selected from the group consisting of an inertia simulation procedure (M), a stiffness simulation procedure (K), a linear damping simulation procedure (B), an independent flow source simulation procedure (v d ), an independent effort source simulation procedure (f d ), a Jacobian simulation procedure (J), and a nonlinear damping simulation procedure (B), the subnetworks being independently discretized; and c) passing wave variables between each of the modules and by causing retention of passivity thereby preventing instability in the system caused by computational delays within and between the modules.

Claim 16

A method for controlling a modular robotics system comprising at least one manipulator, the method comprising the steps of: a) initializing a plurality of interchangeable and discrete operational modules, wherein each of the modules comprises: an initialization procedure; and a synchronous update procedure mapping module inputs to module outputs via a discrete control equation to implement an action selected from the group consisting of receiving motion commands from a robot input device, receiving and processing readings from a sensor means; controlling motion of a robot by sending commands to a robot control means, implementing a motion constraint, filtering command signals; mapping force and velocity signals from one reference frame to another reference frame, and simulating a dynamic action of a robot component; and wherein each of the modules: requires connections to other modules to complete a functional modular robotics system is replaceable by one or more modules to implement a different action, is initializable and controllable separately from each other module in the modular robotics system, and receives inputs from neighboring modules and transfers outputs to neighboring modules in an arbitrary sequence, independent of the type of the neighboring module; b) decomposing the modules into subnetworks containing either linear time invariant uncoupled dynamic or nonlinear coupled memoryless lumped parameter simulation procedures selected from the group consisting of an inertia simulation procedure (M), a stiffness simulation procedure (K), a linear damping simulation procedure (B), an independent flow source simulation procedure (v d ), an independent effort source simulation procedure (f d ), a Jacobian simulation procedure (J), and a nonlinear damping simulation procedure (B), the subnetworks being independently discretized; and c) passing wave variables between each of the modules and by causing retention of passivity thereby preventing instability in the system caused by computational delays within and between the modules.

Claim 22

A method of controlling a robotics system comprising at least one manipulator, the method comprising the steps of: a) initializing a plurality of interchangeable and discrete operational modules to the system, wherein each of the modules comprises: an initialization procedure; and a synchronous update procedure mapping module inputs to module outputs via a discrete control equation to implement an action selected from the group consisting of receiving motion commands from a robot input device, receiving and processing readings from a sensor means; controlling motion of a robot by sending commands to a robot control means; implementing a motion constraint, filtering command signals; mapping force and velocity signals from one reference frame to another reference frame; and simulating a dynamic action of a robot component, and wherein each of said modules: requires connections to other modules to complete a functional modular robotics system, is replaceable by one or more modules to implement a different action, is initializable and controllable separately from each other module in the modular robotics system, and receives inputs from neighboring modules and transfers outputs to neighboring modules in an arbitrary sequence, independent of the type of the neighboring modules; b) passing information between the modules by passing wave variables between each of the modules and by retention of passivity thereby maintaining stability of the system despite computational delays within and between the modules; and c) controlling movements of the manipulator by bilateral teleoperation.

Claim 23

A method of controlling a robotics system comprising at least one manipulator, the method comprising the steps of: a) initializing a plurality of interchangeable and discrete operational modules to the system, wherein each of the modules comprises: an initialization procedure; and a synchronous update procedure mapping module inputs to module outputs via a discrete control equation to implement an action selected from the group consisting of receiving motion commands from a robot input device, receiving and processing readings from a sensor means; controlling motion of a robot by sending commands to a robot control means; implementing a motion constraint, filtering command signals; mapping force and velocity signals from one reference frame to another reference frame; and simulating a dynamic action of a robot component, and wherein each of said modules: requires connections to other modules to complete a functional modular robotics system, is replaceable by one or more modules to implement a different action, is initializable and controllable separately from each other module in the modular robotics system, and receives inputs from neighboring modules and transfers outputs to neighboring modules in an arbitrary sequence, independent of the type of the neighboring modules; b) passing information between the modules by passing wave variables between each of the modules and by retention of passivity thereby maintaining stability of the system despite computational delays within and between the modules; and c) controlling movements of the manipulator by bilateral teleoperation.