Inertially isolated spatial control

Inventors

Bowman, Michael E. • Bowman, William S. • Hedman, Daniel R. • Summer, Matthew D. • Falendysz, Andrew D. • Makovy, Kevin • Holt, Michael W.

Assignees

Tomahawk Robotics Inc

Abstract

Methods and systems are described herein for detecting motion-induced errors received from inertial-type input devices and for generating accurate vehicle control commands that account for operator movement. These methods and systems may determine, using motion data from inertial sensors, whether the hand/arm of the operator is moving in the same motion as the body of the operator, and if both are moving in the same way, these systems and methods may determine that the motion is not intended to be a motion-induced command. However, if the hand/arm of the operator is moving in a different motion from the body of the operator, these methods and systems may determine that the operator intended the motion to be a motion-induced command to a vehicle.

Core Innovation

A system detects motion-induced errors received from inertial-type input devices by comparing motion data from a vehicle controller and from an inertial sensor attached to an operator. The vehicle controller includes a first inertial sensor that generates measurements of controller acceleration, controller angular position, and controller angular velocity, and the operator-worn second inertial sensor measures torso acceleration, torso angular position, and torso angular velocity.

The system receives a candidate motion-induced command associated with the first motion data and determines whether the first motion data corresponds to the candidate motion-induced command. The system receives second motion data from the second inertial sensor and determines, based on the first acceleration, the second acceleration, the first angular position, the second angular position, the first angular velocity, and the second angular velocity, whether the first motion data matches the second motion data.

Based on determining that the first motion data does not match the second motion data, the system generates a motion-induced command and transmits the motion-induced command to the one or more unmanned vehicles. Based on determining that the first motion data matches the second motion data, the system determines that the candidate motion-induced command corresponds to a motion-induced error and refrains from transmitting the candidate motion-induced command.

The described approach uses motion matching to identify whether a candidate motion-induced command is intended or is a motion-induced error caused by common-mode operator motion. Additional aspects include determining matching using whether acceleration and angular-velocity differences satisfy threshold-based criteria, suspending detection when measured acceleration and/or angular velocity exceed thresholds, and providing a selectable option to re-enable detection of new motion-induced commands.

Claims Coverage

The document includes three independent claims: a system claim, a method claim, and a non-transitory computer-readable medium claim. Each independent claim centers on comparing motion data from a vehicle controller and an operator-worn inertial sensor to determine whether a candidate motion-induced command is a motion-induced error, and then refraining from transmitting it or generating and transmitting a motion-induced command based on whether the motion data matches.

Across the independent claims, the core inventive coverage is the same: compare motion data from a controller and an operator torso sensor to determine whether a candidate motion-induced command matches the operator-associated motion, treat matching as a motion-induced error by refraining from transmission, and transmit a generated motion-induced command when the motion data does not match. Additional dependent claim coverage refines matching using acceleration and angular-velocity difference logic with thresholds and includes gating to stop detection when thresholds are exceeded, with a selectable option to re-enable detection.

Stated Advantages

Documented Applications