Enhanced system and method for planning and controlling for robotic devices

Abstract

A system for planning and controlling missions for robotic devices, comprising a mission control computer and a plurality of robotic devices, wherein the mission control computer operates mission control software comprising at least a plurality of software modules adapted to receive, process, and transmit programming instructions for robotic devices via a network, and methods for planning and controlling a mission for robotic devices.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for planning and controlling missions for robotic devices, comprising:
 a mission control computer comprising at least a first memory, a first processor and a first set of programming instructions stored in the first memory and operating on the first processor; and   a plurality of robotic devices each comprising at least a second memory, a second processor and a second set of programming instructions stored in the second memory and operating on the second processor, and each robotic device further comprising a plurality of hardware sensor devices adapted to produce sensor data based on observation of an environment around the respective robotic device;   wherein the mission control computer receives sensor information from a first robotic device via a data communication network and sends mission instructions to the first robotic device via the data communication network, the mission instructions determined by the first set of programmable instructions and comprising at least a third set of programming instructions to be executed by the second processor operating on the robotic device;   further wherein the mission control computer comprises, as a subset of the first set of programmable instructions, a mission control software comprising at least a plurality of software modules adapted to receive, process, and transmit programming instructions for robotic devices via a network.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a database that stores sensor data for future reference. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the software modules comprise at least a desktop planning module that provides an interactive user interface that receives user input and transmits programming instructions for robotic devices based at least in part on at least a portion of the user input. 
     
     
         4 . A method for planning missions for robotic devices, comprising the steps of:
 loading, at a mission control computer comprising at least a first memory, a first processor and a first set of programming instructions stored in the first memory and operating on the first processor, external data for a mission;   defining a range for a robotic device comprising at least a second memory, a second processor and a second set of programming instructions stored in the second memory and operating on the second processor, to operate during a mission;   defining, using a mission control software that is a subset of the first set of programmable instructions and that comprises at least a plurality of software modules adapted to receive, process, and transmit programming instructions for robotic devices via a network mission parameters for the robotic device to follow;   defining, using the mission control software, mission tasks for a robotic device to perform; and   launching the mission.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising the step of grouping mission tasks into sections for a robotic device to perform sets of tasks according to the assigned mission section. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the external data comprises at least stored data relevant to a mission. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the stored data comprises at least a plurality of CAD data. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the stored data comprises at least a two-dimensional image. 
     
     
         9 . A method for controlling execution of a mission for robotic devices, comprising the steps of:
 performing, on a robotic device comprising at least a second memory, a second processor and a second set of programming instructions stored in the second memory and operating on the second processor, a self-test operation;   receiving instructions at the robotic device for a mission via a data communications network;   performing tasks according to the mission instructions;   measuring, using sensors resident on the robotic device, results of the mission tasks;   transmitting the resulting measurements to a mission control computer comprising at least a first memory, a first processor and a first set of programming instructions stored in the first memory and operating on the first processor; and   ending the mission.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising the step of receiving additional mission instructions from a mission control computer. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the additional mission instructions are based at least in part on the transmitted results.