Block structure and robot cooperation methods and apparatuses

Abstract

Apparatuses and methods associated with block structure and robot cooperation are disclosed herein. In embodiments, a block apparatus may include a block structure-robot coordination module to cooperate with one or more robots to affect operations of the one or more robots relative to at least a block structure which the block apparatus is a member. The block apparatus may further include a housing that houses the block structure-robot coordination module, with features to mate the block apparatus with one or more other blocks to cause the block apparatus to become a member of the block structure. In embodiments, a robot may include control module to control a number of actuators to operate one or more features to perform one or more operations relative to the block structure. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A block apparatus, comprising:
 one or more processors and memory;   a block structure-robot coordination module disposed in the memory and to be operated by the one or more processors to cooperate with one or more robots to affect operations of the one or more robots relative to at least a block structure which the block apparatus is a member; and   a housing that houses the one or more processors, the memory, and the block structure-robot coordination module, with features to mate the block apparatus with one or more other blocks to cause the block apparatus to become a member of the block structure.   
     
     
         2 . The block apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein to cooperate with one or more robots to affect operations of the one or more robots relative to the block structure, the block structure-robot coordination module is to access a block structure-robot cooperation rules database for one or more block structure-robot cooperation rules for the one or more robots, based at least in part on a state of the block structure. 
     
     
         3 . The block apparatus of  claim 2 , further comprising the block structure-robot cooperation rules database having a plurality of block structure-robot cooperation rules for a plurality of robots, based at least in part on the state of the block structure. 
     
     
         4 . The block apparatus of  claim 3 , further comprising a communicative interface to facilitate update of the plurality of block structure-robot cooperation rules for the plurality of robots. 
     
     
         5 . The block apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the block structure-robot cooperation rules database is remotely disposed; and wherein the block apparatus further comprises a communication interface to facilitate the block structure-robot coordination module in accessing the remotely disposed block structure-robot cooperation rules database for the one or more block structure-robot cooperation rules for the one or more robots. 
     
     
         6 . The block apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the block structure-robot cooperation rules database is remotely disposed on a proximally located portable computing device or on a cloud computing server. 
     
     
         7 . The block apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the state of the block structure includes identifications of the block members of the block structure, and mating manner or order of the block members. 
     
     
         8 . The block apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the block structure-robot coordination module is to further determine the state of the block structure. 
     
     
         9 . The block apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the block structure-robot coordination module is to further traverse a data structure with information about member blocks of the block structure to determine the state of the block structure. 
     
     
         10 . The block apparatus of  claim 9 , further comprising a communication interface to facilitate the block structure-robot coordination module to receive information from other blocks of the block structure to maintain the data structure with information about member blocks of the block structure. 
     
     
         11 . The block apparatus of  claim 9 , further comprising a communication interface to facilitate the block structure-robot coordination module to receive one or more images of the block structure; and an image recognition module to analyze the one or more images to extract and provide information related to member blocks of the block structure to maintain the data structure with information about member blocks of the block structure. 
     
     
         12 . The block apparatus of  claim 2 , further comprising a communication interface; and the block structure-robot coordination module is to further transmit to the one or more robots, via the communication interface, the state of the block structure or one or more operation commands, in accordance with the one or more block structure-robot cooperation rules for the one or more robots; and wherein the block structure-robot coordination module is to further receive feedback from the one or more robots, via the communication interface, and transmit to the one or more robots, via the communication interface, one or more additional operation commands, based further on the feedback. 
     
     
         13 . The block apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the block apparatus is a base block of the block structure. 
     
     
         14 . The block apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the block structure is a first block structure, and wherein the block structure-robot coordination module is to cooperate with the one or more robots to affect operations of the one or more robots relative to the first block structure and at least a second block structure. 
     
     
         15 . One or more computer-readable media comprising instructions that cause a block apparatus, in response to execution of the instructions by a processor of the block apparatus, to:
 pair a robot with the block apparatus; and   cooperate with the robot to affect operations of the robot relative to at least a block structure which the block apparatus is a member.   
     
     
         16 . The computer-readable media of  claim 15 , wherein to cooperate with one or more robots to affect operations of the one or more robots relative to the block structure, comprises to access a locally, proximally or remotely disposed block structure-robot cooperation rules database for one or more block structure-robot cooperation rules for the one or more robots, based at least in part on a state of the block structure. 
     
     
         17 . The computer-readable media of  claim 16 , wherein the state of the block structure includes identifications of the block members of the block structure, and mating manner or order of the block members; and wherein the block apparatus is further caused to determine the state of the block structure. 
     
     
         18 . The computer-readable media of  claim 16 , wherein the block apparatus is further caused to receive one or more images of the block structure; and to extract and provide information related to member blocks of the block structure to maintain the data structure with information about member blocks of the block structure. 
     
     
         19 . The computer-readable media of  claim 16 , wherein the block apparatus is further caused to transmit to the one or more robots, the state of the block structure or one or more operation commands, in accordance with the one or more block structure-robot cooperation rules for the one or more robots; to receive feedback from the one or more robots, and to transmit to the one or more robots, via the communication interface, one or more additional operation commands, based further on the feedback. 
     
     
         20 . The computer-readable media of  claim 15 , wherein the block apparatus is a first block apparatus, and wherein the block apparatus is to cooperate with the one or more robots to affect operations of the one or more robots relative to the first block apparatus and at least a second block apparatus. 
     
     
         21 . A robot, comprising:
 a plurality of actuators operate a plurality of features of the robot;   a communication interface to receive from a block structure one or more operation commands in association with performance of one or more operations relative to the block structure; and   a control module coupled with the plurality of actuators and the communication interface to control the actuators to operate the features to perform the one or more operations relative to the block structure.   
     
     
         22 . The robot of  claim 21 , wherein the communication interface is to receive state information of the block structure instead of the one or more commands, and the control module is to determine the one or more commands, based at least in part of the state information. 
     
     
         23 . The robot of  claim 21  further comprising a plurality of sensors including a camera; and the control module is to control the actuators based further on sensor data output by at least some of the plurality of sensors, provide images captured by the camera to the block structure, provide via the communication interface, feedback to the block structure, and receive, via the communication interface, additional operation commands from the block structure provided in view of the feedback. 
     
     
         24 . One or more computer-readable media comprising instructions that cause a robot, in response to execution of the instructions by a processor of the robot, to:
 receive, from a block structure, one or more operation commands in association with performance of one or more operations relative to the block structure; and   control a plurality of actuators of the robot to operate a number of features of the robot perform the one or more operations relative to the block structure.   
     
     
         25 . The one or more computer-readable media of  claim 24 , wherein the robot is further caused to receive state information of the block structure instead of the one or more commands, and determine the one or more commands, based at least in part of the state information;
 sense with a plurality of sensors; and control the actuators based further on sensor data output by the plurality of sensors;   capture one or more images; and provide the one or more images to the block structure; or   provide feedback to the block structure, and receive additional operation commands from the block structure provided in view of the feedback.