Robert A Platt

US Patent:

7784363, Aug 31, 2010

Filed:

Sep 30, 2008

Appl. No.:

12/241320

Inventors:

Chris A. Ihrke - Hartland MI, US
Myron A. Diftler - Houston TX, US
Douglas Martin Linn - White Lake MI, US
Robert Platt - Houston TX, US
Bryan Kristian Griffith - Webster TX, US

Assignee:

GM Global Technology Operations, Inc. - Detroit MI
The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration - Washington DC

International Classification:

G01D 7/00

US Classification:

73862041

Abstract:

A tactile load cell that has particular application for measuring the load on a phalange in a dexterous robot system. The load cell includes a flexible strain element having first and second end portions that can be used to mount the load cell to the phalange and a center portion that can be used to mount a suitable contact surface to the load cell. The strain element also includes a first S-shaped member including at least three sections connected to the first end portion and the center portion and a second S-shaped member including at least three sections coupled to the second end portion and the center portion. The load cell also includes eight strain gauge pairs where each strain gauge pair is mounted to opposing surfaces of one of the sections of the S-shaped members where the strain gauge pairs provide strain measurements in six-degrees of freedom.

US Patent:

8056423, Nov 15, 2011

Filed:

Nov 12, 2008

Appl. No.:

12/269552

Inventors:

Muhammad E. Abdallah - Houston TX, US
Lyndon Bridgwater - Houston TX, US
Myron A. Diftler - Houston TX, US
Douglas Martin Linn - White Lake MI, US
Robert Platt - Houston TX, US

Assignee:

GM Global Technology Operations LLC - Detroit MI
The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration - Washington DC

International Classification:

G01N 3/08

US Classification:

73826

Abstract:

A technique that determines the tension in a tendon using a conduit reaction force applied to an end of a conduit through which the tendon is threaded. Any suitable tendon tension sensor can be employed that uses the conduit reaction force for this purpose. In one non-limiting embodiment, the tendon tension sensor includes a cylindrical strain gauge element and a force member mounted to an end of the conduit. The force member includes a cylindrical portion having a bore and a plate portion, where the cylindrical portion is inserted into a bore in the strain gauge element. The tendon is threaded through the strain gauge element and the force member. A strain gauge is mounted to the strain gauge element and measures the reaction force when tension on the tendon causes the strain gauge element to be pushed against the force member.

US Patent:

8060250, Nov 15, 2011

Filed:

Dec 15, 2008

Appl. No.:

12/335153

Inventors:

Matthew J. Reiland - Oxford MI, US
Robert Platt - Houston TX, US
Muhammad E. Abdallah - Houston TX, US
Brian Hargrave - Dickerson TX, US

Assignee:

GM Global Technology Operations LLC - Detroit MI
The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administrations - Washington DC

International Classification:

G06F 19/00

US Classification:

700245, 901 2, 901 11, 901 14, 901 19, 901 21, 901 29

Abstract:

A system and method for controlling tendon-driven manipulators that provide a closed-loop control of joint torques or joint impedances without inducing dynamic coupling between joints. The method includes calculating tendon reference positions or motor commands by projecting a torque error into tendon position space using a single linear operation. The method calculates this torque error using sensed tendon tensions and a reference torque and internal tension. The method can be used to control joint impedance by calculating the reference torque based on a joint position error. The method limits minimum and maximum tendon tensions by projecting the torque error into the tendon tension space and then projecting ii back into joint space.

US Patent:

8170718, May 1, 2012

Filed:

Dec 18, 2008

Appl. No.:

12/338697

Inventors:

Muhammad E. Abdallah - Houston TX, US
Matthew J. Reiland - Oxford MI, US
Robert Platt - Houston TX, US
Brian Hargrave - Dickenson TX, US

Assignee:

GM Global Technology Operations LLC - Detroit MI
The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administrations - Washington DC

International Classification:

G06F 19/00

US Classification:

700245, 700250, 700253, 700254, 700255

Abstract:

A system and method for providing multiple priority impedance control for a robot manipulator where impedance laws are realized simultaneously and with a given order of priority. The method includes a control scheme for realizing a Cartesian space impedance objective as a first priority while also realizing a joint space impedance objective as a second priority. The method also includes a control scheme for realizing two Cartesian space impedance objectives with different levels of priority. The method includes instances of the control schemes that use feedback from force sensors mounted at an end-effector and other instances of the control schemes that do not use this feedback.

US Patent:

8260460, Sep 4, 2012

Filed:

Sep 22, 2009

Appl. No.:

12/564096

Inventors:

Adam M. Sanders - Holly MI, US
Matthew J. Reiland - Oxford MI, US
Muhammad E. Abdallah - Houston TX, US
Douglas Martin Linn - White Lake MI, US
Robert Platt - Houston TX, US

Assignee:

GM Global Technology Operations LLC - Detroit MI
The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration - Washington DC

International Classification:

G06F 19/00
G05B 19/04

US Classification:

700245

Abstract:

A robotic system includes a robot having joints, actuators, and sensors, and a distributed controller. The controller includes command-level controller, embedded joint-level controllers each controlling a respective joint, and a joint coordination-level controller coordinating motion of the joints. A central data library (CDL) centralizes all control and feedback data, and a user interface displays a status of each joint, actuator, and sensor using the CDL. A parameterized action sequence has a hierarchy of linked events, and allows the control data to be modified in real time. A method of controlling the robot includes transmitting control data through the various levels of the controller, routing all control and feedback data to the CDL, and displaying status and operation of the robot using the CDL. The parameterized action sequences are generated for execution by the robot, and a hierarchy of linked events is created within the sequence.

US Patent:

8280837, Oct 2, 2012

Filed:

May 28, 2009

Appl. No.:

12/474068

Inventors:

Robert Platt - Houston TX, US
Frank Noble Permenter - Webster TX, US
Craig M. Corcoran - Bellaire TX, US

Assignee:

GM Global Technology Operations LLC - Detroit MI
The United State of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration - Washington DC

International Classification:

G06N 7/02

US Classification:

706 52, 2941101

Abstract:

A method for identifying the location, orientation and shape of an object that a robot hand touches that includes using a particle filter. The method includes defining an appropriate motion model and a measurement model. The motion model characterizes the motion of the robot hand as it moves relative to the object. The measurement model estimates the likelihood of an observation of contact position, velocity and tactile sensor information given hand-object states. The measurement model is approximated analytically based on a geometric model or based on a corpus of training data. In either case, the measurement model distribution is encoded as a Gaussian or using radial basis functions.

US Patent:

8364314, Jan 29, 2013

Filed:

Nov 24, 2009

Appl. No.:

12/624445

Inventors:

Muhammad E Abdallah - Houston TX, US
Robert Platt - Houston TX, US
Matthew J Reiland - Oxford MI, US
Adam M Sanders - Holly MI, US

Assignee:

GM Global Technology Operations LLC - Detroit MI
The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration - Washington DC

International Classification:

G06F 19/00

US Classification:

700264, 901 30

Abstract:

A robotic system includes a humanoid robot having a plurality of joints adapted for force control with respect to an object acted upon by the robot, a graphical user interface (GUI) for receiving an input signal from a user, and a controller. The GUI provides the user with intuitive programming access to the controller. The controller controls the joints using an impedance-based control framework, which provides object level, end-effector level, and/or joint space-level control of the robot in response to the input signal. A method for controlling the robotic system includes receiving the input signal via the GUI, e. g. , a desired force, and then processing the input signal using a host machine to control the joints via an impedance-based control framework. The framework provides object level, end-effector level, and/or joint space-level control of the robot, and allows for functional-based GUI to simplify implementation of a myriad of operating modes.

US Patent:

8371177, Feb 12, 2013

Filed:

Sep 30, 2008

Appl. No.:

12/241309

Inventors:

Chris A. Ihrke - Hartland MI, US
Lyndon Bridgwater - Houston TX, US
Robert Platt - Houston TX, US

Assignee:

GM Global Technology Operations LLC - Detroit MI
The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration - Washington DC

International Classification:

G01B 5/30

US Classification:

73760, 73826

Abstract:

A tendon tension sensor that has particular application for measuring tension on a tendon employed in a robotic arm. The tension sensor includes an elastic element having a curved channel through which the tendon is threaded. The elastic element also includes a center portion on which strain gauges are mounted that measure the strain on the elastic element. Tension on the tendon causes the center portion of the elastic element to flex or bend, which is measured by the strain gauges providing an indication of the tension in the tendon.