Systems and Methods to Facilitate Human/Robot Interaction

摘要

Short range transmissions are used to identify potential interactions between warehouse workers and warehouse robots in automated warehouses. The robot can be equipped with one or more short range transmission tags, such as radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, while the warehouse worker can be equipped with a short range transmission reader, such as an RFID reader. The robot can detect a warehouse worker that is within range when the RFID tags on the robot are written to by the RFID reader. The warehouse robots and warehouse workers can also be equipped with one or more cameras to identify fiducials in the automated warehouse and to report their positions. A central control or interaction server can ensure that warehouse robots and warehouse workers are routed appropriately to avoid incidents.

主权项

1. A method to maintain a threshold distance between a worker and a robot in a workspace, the method comprising:
receiving, at a server from an imaging device associated with the robot, first location information for the robot in the workspace at a first time, wherein the server is external to the worker and the robot; receiving, at the server from an imaging device associated with the worker, second location information for the worker in the workspace at the first time; designating, with the server, a work zone encompassing at least the worker and comprising at least an inner barrier and an outer barrier; calculating, with the server, a distance between the robot and the worker based at least in part on the first location information for the robot and the second location information for the worker; and transmitting, from the server to the robot, an instruction to take evasive action based at least in part on the robot crossing the outer barrier; wherein the first location information for the robot comprises first fiducial data from a first fiducial, the first fiducial proximate to the robot at the first time; wherein the second location information for the worker comprises second fiducial data from a second fiducial, the second fiducial proximate to the worker at the first time.