US 12,304,082 B2
Alternate route finding for waypoint-based navigation maps
Gene Brown Merewether, Chestnut Hill, MA (US)
Assigned to Boston Dynamics, Inc., Waltham, MA (US)
Filed by Boston Dynamics, Inc., Waltham, MA (US)
Filed on Jun. 1, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/805,005.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/202,288, filed on Jun. 4, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0388170 A1, Dec. 8, 2022
Int. Cl. B25J 9/16 (2006.01); B25J 19/02 (2006.01)
CPC B25J 9/1664 (2013.01) [B25J 9/162 (2013.01); B25J 9/1697 (2013.01); B25J 19/023 (2013.01)] 24 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A computer-implemented method when executed by data processing hardware of a robot causes the data processing hardware to perform operations comprising:
obtaining a navigation route for the robot, the navigation route comprising a first route waypoint, a second route waypoint, and a first route edge connecting the first route waypoint and the second route waypoint, wherein navigation by the robot according to the navigation route is constrained by a first constraint, wherein the first constraint is based on at least one of the first route waypoint or the second route waypoint;
receiving, from an image sensor, image data;
determining, using the image data and the first constraint, that the first route edge is at least partially blocked by an obstacle;
generating, using the image data and the navigation route, a first alternate route waypoint and a first alternate route edge connecting the first alternate route waypoint and the first route waypoint;
adjusting the navigation route to obtain an adjusted navigation route, the adjusted navigation route comprising the first alternate route waypoint and the first alternate route edge, wherein the first alternate route waypoint and the first alternate route edge bypass the first route edge that is at least partially blocked by the obstacle; and
instructing the robot to navigate according to the adjusted navigation route.