US 12,070,858 B2
Neuromorphic smooth control of robotic arms
Ioannis Polykretis, Piscataway, NJ (US); Lazar Supic, East Palo Alto, CA (US); Alexandria Emily Pabst, Merced, CA (US); and Lavinia Andreea Danielescu, San Francisco, CA (US)
Assigned to ACCENTURE GLOBAL SOLUTIONS LIMITED, Dublin (IE)
Filed by Accenture Global Solutions Limited, Dublin (IE)
Filed on May 24, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/752,457.
Claims priority of application No. 20210100523 (GR), filed on Aug. 2, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0029494 A1, Feb. 2, 2023
Int. Cl. B25J 9/00 (2006.01); B25J 9/04 (2006.01); B25J 9/16 (2006.01); G06N 3/049 (2023.01)
CPC B25J 9/161 (2013.01) [B25J 9/042 (2013.01); B25J 9/163 (2013.01); B25J 9/1664 (2013.01); G06N 3/049 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for controlling one or more joints of a robotic arm, the method comprising:
receiving, by a neuromorphic controller comprising a spiking neural network (SNN), a target value of a joint control variable for a joint of the robotic arm, wherein the SNN comprises position control proprioceptor neurons, speed control proprioceptor neurons, an extensor motor neuron, and a flexor motor neuron;
generating, by the neuromorphic controller, an actuation signal that causes the joint of the robotic arm to move based on a difference between the target value of the joint control variable and an actual value of the joint control variable, the generating comprising,
generating, by one of the position control proprioceptor neurons, first spikes to one of the extensor motor neuron or the flexor motor neuron based on a difference between the actual value of the joint control variable and the target value of the joint control variable,
generating, by one of the speed control proprioceptor neurons, second spikes to one of the extensor motor neuron or the flexor motor neuron based on whether a change in speed of movement of the joint of the robotic arm is positive or negative, and
generating a value of the actuation signal based on spiking activity of the extensor motor neuron or the flexor motor neuron; and
causing the joint to move by outputting the actuation signal to the joint.