WO2024032601A1

WO2024032601A1 - Multi-level control system for robot

Info

Publication number: WO2024032601A1
Application number: PCT/CN2023/111712
Authority: WO
Inventors: 任化龙
Original assignee: 深圳忆海原识科技有限公司
Priority date: 2022-08-09
Filing date: 2023-08-08
Publication date: 2024-02-15
Also published as: CN117621030A

Abstract

A multi-level control system for a robot, comprising: a central processing module (10), one or more peripheral processing modules (20), one or more sensing management modules (30), and one or more execution management modules (40). The central processing module communicates with the peripheral processing modules and controls the peripheral processing modules. The peripheral processing modules communicate with the sensing management modules and control the sensing management modules. The peripheral processing modules communicate with the execution management modules and control the execution management modules. The emergency response speeds of the sensing management modules, the execution management modules, the peripheral processing modules, and the central processing module gradually decrease, the operation processing capabilities are gradually enhanced, and reasonable cooperation and division of labor can be performed among these modules. For a situation needing fast feedback and response generation, the situation can be processed by the sensing management modules, the execution management modules, or the peripheral processing modules, and for a complex situation that a large amount of information needs to be comprehensively processed, centralized processing can be performed by the central processing module, and thus, the response speed of the multi-level control system is fast.

Description

Robot multi-level control system

Technical field

The present application belongs to the field of robot technology, and more specifically, relates to a multi-level robot control system.

Background technique

Robots such as bionic robots, humanoid robots, operational robots, collaborative robots, and dexterous hand systems have many degrees of freedom, often more than 30, and the robots need to make corresponding adjustments according to the environment when working. Therefore, the sensing elements and execution The number of components is large; therefore, there are many lines, information redundancy, the burden on the central processing module (computer) is too great, and the response speed is low.

Contents of the invention

Embodiments of the present application provide a multi-level robot control system, including: a central processing module, one or more peripheral processing modules, one or more sensing management modules, and one or more execution management modules;

The central processing module communicates with the peripheral processing module and controls the peripheral processing module;

The peripheral processing module communicates with the sensor management module and controls the sensor management module;

The peripheral processing module communicates with and controls the execution management module.

In this application, a multi-level control system is formed by a central processing module, a peripheral processing module, a sensing management module, and an execution management module; the sensing management module, the execution management module, the peripheral processing module, and the central processing module The emergency response speed goes from fast to slow, and the computing processing power goes from weak to strong. They can be reasonably matched. Cooperation and division of labor. For those that require faster feedback and response, it can be completed by the sensing management module, execution management module, or peripheral processing module; for more complex situations that require comprehensive processing of a large amount of information, it can be processed by the central processing module; multi-level The response speed of the control system is fast.

In one embodiment of the present application, the robot multi-level control system includes a direct control path. In the direct control path, the sensing management module or the execution management module performs signal processing on the controlled element. Process to obtain output information; the sensing management module and the execution management module monitor the corresponding controlled element according to the output information and output the monitoring results; and/or,

The multi-level control system of the robot includes a secondary control path. In the secondary control path, the sensing management module or the execution management module will process the output information obtained by the signal of the controlled element. The monitoring results of the controlled element by the sensing management module or the execution management module, and at least one of the internal information of the sensing management module or the execution management module is uploaded to the peripheral processing module; and /or,

The multi-level control system of the robot includes a three-level control path. In the three-level control path, the peripheral processing module will process the output information of the signal of the controlled element. The sensing management module or At least one of the monitoring results of the controlled components by the execution management module, the internal information of the sensing management module or the execution management module, and the internal information of the peripheral processing module is uploaded to the central processing module .

The controlled element includes a sensing element, and the sensing element is connected to the sensing management module and/or the execution management module. The controlled element includes an execution element, and the execution management module is connected to and controls at least one execution element.

When the driving element or sensing element is working abnormally, such as driving element failure, sensing element failure or missing When the robot's joints or moving parts reach their limit state, they can respond quickly through the direct control channel without waiting for instructions from the superior module. This shortens the response time and increases the responsiveness of the system. The upper-level module can issue instructions to intervene in the lower-level processing process under certain conditions, further ensuring the reliability and flexibility of the system.

In one embodiment of the present application, the sensing management module and the execution management module are provided with a first preset condition set and a first preset processing process set; when the sensing management module or the Any one of the output information processed by the execution management module on the signal of the controlled element, the monitoring result of the controlled element by the sensing management module or the execution management module reaches the first preset condition When, the execution management module and/or the sensing management module execute the first preset processing process; and/or,

The peripheral processing module is provided with a second preset condition set and a second preset processing process set; when the sensing management module or the execution management module processes the signal of the controlled element, the output is obtained information, the monitoring results of the controlled components by the sensing management module or the execution management module, the internal information of the sensing management module or the execution management module, the peripheral processing module's response to the received When any of the monitoring results obtained by further processing of the information reaches the second preset condition, the peripheral processing module executes the second preset processing process; and/or,

The central processing module is provided with a third preset condition set and a third preset processing process set; when the sensing management module or the execution management module processes the signal of the controlled element, the output Information, the monitoring results of the controlled components by the sensing management module or the execution management module, the internal information of the sensing management module or the execution management module, the monitoring results of the peripheral processing module, When any of the internal information of the peripheral processing module and the monitoring results obtained by further processing the received information by the central processing module reaches the third preset condition, the central processing module executes the third preset condition. Set up the processing process.

In one embodiment of the present application, the peripheral processing module issues a second-level control instruction when executing the second preset processing process; the central processing module issues a third-level control instruction when executing the third preset processing process;

The instructions of the direct control path to execute the first preset processing process, the second-level control instructions, and the third-level control instructions each have an importance coefficient;

When there is a conflict between the instruction of the direct control path to execute the first preset processing process and any lower-level instruction or upper-level instruction among the second-level control instruction and the third-level control instruction, the instruction with the largest importance coefficient is executed.

In one embodiment of the present application, the central processing module is equipped with a brain-like computing platform that runs a brain-like neural network to realize autonomous control of the robot.

In one embodiment of the present application, the central processing module has an algorithm or program based on brain neural circuits.

In one embodiment of the present application, the central processing module is equipped with a program module for running programs/scripts to implement robot program control.

In one embodiment of the present application, the central processing module and/or peripheral processing module are also connected to a motion capture device. The motion capture device converts the user's actions into input signals and provides them to the system for realizing robot remote control. control.

The robot autonomous control, robot program control, and robot remote control are mixed and used. Make the multi-level robot control system meet the needs of different application environments and ensure system reliability.

In one embodiment of the present application, the motion capture device also has a feedback module, and the central The processing module and/or peripheral processing module outputs feedback information to the motion capture device, and the information is transmitted to the user through the feedback module. It allows users of motion capture equipment to experience environmental feedback such as force, resistance, object shape and texture.

In one embodiment of the present application, the central processing module is also connected to an image input module and a sound input module to realize visual and auditory perception (advanced cognition).

In one embodiment of the present application, the central processing module is implemented through one or more of software, firmware, hardware, and reconfigurable devices;

The peripheral processing module is implemented through one or more of software, firmware, hardware, and reconfigurable devices.

In one embodiment of the present application, the execution management module includes at least one driving unit; the driving unit includes a driving circuit.

In one embodiment of the present application, the execution management module further includes at least one management unit. Within the same execution management module, the management unit communicates with the driving unit and coordinates each driving unit; The management unit communicates with the peripheral processing module.

In one embodiment of the present application, the drive circuit is composed of an H-bridge chip or discrete components to form a voltage, current, torque, speed, and angle control loop; an isolation device is provided between the management unit and each drive unit. The signals between the management unit and each drive unit are electromagnetic isolated through isolation devices. The isolation device can be an optocoupler, a magnetic couple, or other isolation chips. The advantage is that it can reduce the electromagnetic noise crosstalk of actuators to the analog signal sampling part of digital circuits and sensing management modules.

In one embodiment of the present application, the sensing element includes a tactile sensing element, a force sensing element, One or more of a torque sensing element, a position sensing element, a speed sensing element, a current sensing element, a voltage sensing element, and a temperature sensing element.

In one embodiment of the present application, the sensing element with a large signal amount is connected to the sensing management module; the sensing element with a small signal amount is connected to the execution management module.

In one embodiment of the present application, the sensing management module is integrated in a peripheral processing module, and/or the execution management module is integrated in a peripheral processing module. When a sensor management module has a small number of sensing elements, the sensor management module can be merged into the peripheral processing module; when an execution management module has a small number of execution elements, the sensor management module can be integrated into the peripheral processing module. The execution management module can be incorporated into the peripheral processing module.

In one embodiment of the present application, the actuator includes one or more of a motor, a hydraulic component, a pneumatic component, and an artificial muscle.

In one embodiment of the present application, the central processing module and/or the peripheral processing module are also connected to an emergency braking device.

In one embodiment of the present application, the central processing module communicates with the peripheral processing module through one or more of Ethernet, WiFi, Bluetooth, 5G, 4G, USB, serial bus, and industrial bus.

In one embodiment of the present application, the peripheral processing module communicates with the execution management module through one or more of Ethernet, WiFi, Bluetooth, USB, serial bus, and industrial bus.

In one embodiment of the present application, the management unit communicates with each driving unit through a bus, and the bus adopts one or more of CAN, I2C, and SPI.

In one embodiment of the present application, the communication between the central processing module and the peripheral processing module is first-level communication. The goals of the first-level communication include macro operations of joints; the peripheral processing module and the execution management module The communication between groups is the second-level communication, and the target of the second-level communication includes the execution components connected to the execution management module.

In one embodiment of the present application, the first-level communication and the second-level communication each have one or more layers of protocols;

In the upper layer protocol of the first-level communication, the data packet format includes instructions; the data packet format may also include targets and/or parameters;

In the upper layer protocol of the second-level communication, the data packet format includes instructions; the data packet format may also include targets and/or parameters.

In one embodiment of the present application, the peripheral processing module is configured as an embedded circuit based on a reconfigurable unit and a communication management unit;

The communication management unit communicates with the central processing module. The central processing module sends a first message to the communication management unit. The communication management unit decodes the first message to obtain a second message and transmits the second message. to reconfigurable units.

In one embodiment of the present application, the reconfigurable unit can be configured as FPGA; the communication management unit is ARM or DSP;

FPGA and ARM or DSP as the communication management unit can be independent chips, or they can be bound to the same chip to increase the communication bandwidth between them; or, the firmware of ARM or DSP can also be embedded in the reconfigurable unit FPGA .

As an alternative, the reconfigurable unit may also be configured as reconfigurable hardware. Reconfigurable hardware refers to hardware devices whose hardware circuits and functions can be reconstructed according to software at runtime.

In one embodiment of the present application, the multi-level robot control system is equipped with a power storage device as a backup power source. When the main power supply is cut off, temporary power supply can be provided to ensure that the action of the actuator can be completed or to put the robot's movement into a safe state.

In one embodiment of the present application, the sensing management module is equipped with a computing power supply (for example, battery-powered) to further reduce electromagnetic interference suffered by the analog signal sampling part.

In one embodiment of the present application, the robot multi-level control system also includes a protective shell, which has one or more of an explosion-proof structure, an electromagnetic radiation-proof structure, a waterproof structure, a dust-proof structure, and a shock-proof structure. .

The beneficial effects of a multi-level robot control system provided by this application are:

In this application, a multi-level control system is formed by a central processing module, a peripheral processing module, a sensing management module, and an execution management module; the sensing management module, the execution management module, the peripheral processing module, and the central processing module The emergency response speed increases from fast to slow, and the computing processing power increases from weak to strong. They can reasonably cooperate and divide work. For those that require faster feedback and response, it can be completed by the sensing management module, execution management module, or peripheral processing module; for more complex situations that require comprehensive processing of a large amount of information, it can be processed by the central processing module; multi-level The response speed of the control system is fast.

Description of drawings

In order to explain the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application more clearly, the drawings needed to be used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only These are only some embodiments of the present application. For those of ordinary skill in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without exerting any creative effort.

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a multi-level robot control system provided by this application;

Figure 2 is a schematic structural diagram of a multi-level robot control system provided by an embodiment of the present application;

Figure 3 is a schematic structural diagram of a multi-level robot control system provided by another embodiment of the present application;

Figure 4 is a schematic structural diagram of a peripheral processing module provided by an embodiment of the present application.

Among them, each figure in the figure is marked with:
10-Central processing module, 20-Peripheral processing module, 30-Sensor management module, 40-Execution management module, 50-Executive element, 60-Sensor element, 11-Brain-inspired computing platform, 12-Program Module, 13-emergency braking device, 21-communication management unit, 22-FPGA, 31-management unit, 32-drive unit, 70-motion capture equipment, 71-motion capture module, 72-feedback module, 81-image input Module, 82 - Sound input module.

Detailed ways

In order to make the technical problems, technical solutions and beneficial effects to be solved by this application more clear, this application will be further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described here are only used to explain the present application and are not used to limit the present application.

It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "disposed on" another element, it can be directly on the other element or indirectly on the other element. When an element is referred to as being "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or indirectly connected to the other element.

It should be understood that the terms "length", "width", "top", "bottom", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top" , "bottom", "inside", "outside", etc. The indicated orientation or positional relationship is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings. It is only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description. It does not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation or a specific orientation. construction and operation, and therefore should not be construed as limitations on this application.

In addition, the terms “first” and “second” are used for descriptive purposes only and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the quantity of indicated technical features. Therefore, features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of these features. In the description of this application, "plurality" means two or more than two, unless otherwise explicitly and specifically limited.

Referring to Figures 1 to 4, the multi-level robot control system provided by the embodiment of the present application will now be described.

As shown in Figure 1, the multi-level robot control system provided by this application includes: a central processing module 10, one or more peripheral processing modules 20, one or more sensing management modules 30, one or more execution modules Management Module 40.

The central processing module 10 communicates with each peripheral processing module 20 and controls the peripheral processing module 20;

The peripheral processing module 20 communicates with and controls the sensor management module 30 under its jurisdiction;

The peripheral processing module 20 communicates with and controls the execution management module 40 under its jurisdiction.

The controlled element includes an executing element 50 , and the controlled element includes a sensing element 60 . The robot includes one or more executing elements 50 and one or more sensing elements 60 . The execution management module 40 is connected to and controls at least one execution element 50; the sensing element 60 is connected to the sensing management module 30 and/or the execution management module 40.

In the present invention, the central processing module 10 and the peripheral processing module 20 form a superior and subordinate relationship. The peripheral processing module 20 and the sensor management module 30 form a superior and subordinate relationship. The peripheral processing module 20 and the execution management module 40 form a superior and subordinate relationship. The sensing management module 30 and the execution management module 40 have a same-level relationship.

The actuator 50 may include one or more of motors, hydraulic components, pneumatic components, and artificial muscles. The execution component 50 is controlled by the execution management module 40 .

The sensing element 60 includes a tactile sensing element, a force sensing element such as a tendon tension sensing element, a torque sensing element, a position sensing element such as a joint angle sensing element, and a speed sensing element such as a joint angular velocity sensing element and motor speed. One or more of a sensing element, a current sensing element, a voltage sensing element, and a temperature sensing element. It can be understood that the sensing element 60 includes but is not limited to the above.

The signals of the sensing element 60 and the actuating element 50 include not only the output signals of the sensing element 60 and the actuating element 50 , but also the detection information of the power supply terminals of the sensing element 60 and the actuating element 52 , such as voltage, current and other signals. In order to subsequently determine whether there is an abnormality in the sensing element 60 and the actuating element 50 based on the signal, for example, whether it is missing or working abnormally such as short circuit, etc.

Joint angle sensing elements are installed at each joint of the robot, and their output signals are processed by the sensing management module 30 to obtain joint position information; tactile sensing elements are distributed in the bionic skin, and their output signals are processed by the sensing management module. The module 30 processes to obtain tactile information; the torque sensing element is installed at the joint of the robot, and its output signal is processed by the sensing management module 30 to obtain the joint torque information; the tendon tension sensing element is installed on the tendon, and its output signal The tendon tension information is obtained through processing by the sensing management module 30 .

The sensing management module 30 supplies power to the sensing element 60 by applying constant power or applying power in a periodic scanning manner. The sensing management module 30 amplifies, filters, samples and converts the output signals of these sensing elements 60, monitors whether any sensing elements 60 are missing or working abnormally, and transmits the processed output signals and/or monitoring results to The superior module or execution management module 40.

The sensing management module 30 can use analog-to-digital conversion devices, control devices, communication protocol chips, power management chips and other components to form circuits, and be equipped with programs to realize the above functions. The sensing management module 30 applies power to and samples each sensing element 60, and the frequency of applying power and the sampling frequency of its output signal can be automatically adjusted.

In an improved solution, the sensing management module 30 has a battery or other DC (stabilized voltage) power supply as the computing power supply to further reduce the electromagnetic interference suffered by the analog signal sampling part.

The execution management module 40 generally only monitors the current, voltage, temperature, etc. of the actuator 50 to form a current loop, voltage loop, temperature loop, etc. The execution management module 40 also monitors the actuator 50 such as the encoder of the motor to measure the rotation speed and rotation angle.

The execution management module 40 controls the execution element 50 , monitors whether the execution element 50 is missing or works abnormally, and transmits the current, voltage, speed and monitoring results of the execution element 50 to the peripheral processing module 20 .

As shown in FIG. 2 , the execution management module 40 of the specific embodiment of the present application includes at least one driving unit 32 . The drive unit 32 is connected to the actuator 50 . The driving unit 32 includes a driving circuit. The drive circuit can be composed of H-bridge chips, other integrated chips, and discrete components to form voltage, current, torque, speed, and angle control loops.

The execution management module 40 also includes at least one management unit 31; in the same execution management module 40, the management unit 31 forms a superior and subordinate relationship with each driving unit 32; the management unit 31 communicates with the driving unit 32, It also controls and coordinates each drive unit 32 to provide PWM signals, enable signals, and direction signals. The communication method is configured as a bus; for example, the bus can use one or more of CAN, I2C, and SPI. The management unit 31 also communicates with the upper-level peripheral processing module 20, and the management unit 31 reports the information of each execution element 50 and the information of each current loop to the peripheral processing module.

In an improved solution, an isolation device is provided between the management unit 31 and each drive unit 32, and the signals between the management unit 31 and each drive unit 32 are electromagnetically isolated through the isolation device. The isolation device can be an optocoupler, a magnetic couple, or other isolation chips. The advantage is that the electromagnetic noise crosstalk of the actuator to the digital circuit and the analog signal sampling part of the sensing management module 40 can be reduced.

As shown in Figure 3, for sensing elements 60 with large signal volume (or with many output lines), such as contacts in bionic skin, tactile sensing elements, sliding sensing elements, etc., the signal lines are directly connected to the sensing management Mod 30. As for the sensing elements 60 with small signal volume, such as the motor's own encoder, torque sensing element, and current sensing signal, the signal lines can be connected to the execution management module 40 to form a torque loop, speed loop, position loop, etc. .

In this application, the multi-level control system of the robot includes a direct control channel (a primary control channel), a secondary control channel, and a third-level control channel.

The robot multi-level control system includes a direct control path (first-level control path). In the direct control path, the sensing management module 30 or the execution management module 40 processes the signals of the controlled components to obtain output information. In one embodiment, the signals of the sensing element 60 and the execution element 50 are transmitted to the corresponding sensing management module 30 or execution management module 40, and are processed to obtain output information. Sensing management module The group 30 or the execution management module 40 monitors the corresponding controlled element (the sensing element 60 or the actuating element 50) according to the output information and outputs the monitoring result. The monitoring result information mainly refers to the controlled element such as transmission Check whether the sensing element 60 and the actuating element 50 are normal, whether they are overloaded or missing, etc.

In one specific embodiment, the sensing element 60 can be connected to the sensing management module 30 or the execution management module 40; the corresponding sensing management module 30 or the execution management module 40 responds to the signal of the sensing element 60. Perform processing and obtain output information; the sensing management module 30 or the execution management module 40 monitors the sensing element 60 according to the output information and outputs the monitoring results.

In one of the specific embodiments, the execution element 50 can be connected to the execution management module 40; the corresponding execution management module 40 processes the signal of the execution element 50 and obtains output information; the execution management module 40 according to the output information Monitor the actuator 50 and output the monitoring results.

In one embodiment, a first preset condition set and a first preset processing procedure set are set in the sensing management module 30 and the execution management module 40 . The preset processing process means that when a preset situation occurs, the corresponding module makes a decision and instructs other modules/or components to take further processing or actions.

In the direct control path (primary control path), when the sensing management module 30 or the execution management module 40 processes the signal of the controlled element, the output information (that is, the output information processed by the direct control path) , when any one of the monitoring results of the controlled element by the sensing management module 30 or the execution management module 40 (that is, the monitoring results of the direct control path) reaches the first preset condition, the execution management module of the direct control path 40 or the sensor management module 30 performs quick response processing on the sensor element 60 or the actuator element 50 according to the first preset processing process.

In a specific embodiment, when the execution management module 40 monitors that the execution element 50 reaches the first preset condition, the execution management module 40 executes the first preset processing process, and performs fast processing through the direct control path. Fast response processing. For example, the execution management module 40 can monitor the actuator 50 through the sensing element 60 , and the temperature information (output information) of the actuator 50 can be obtained by processing the output signal of the temperature sensing element at the actuator 50 . The execution management module 40 monitors the temperature information of the execution elements 50. When the execution management module 40 detects that the temperature of an execution element 50 reaches a preset temperature, the execution management module 40 executes the first preset processing process and automatically Stop supplying power to the actuator 50 until the temperature drops below the preset temperature to reduce the risk of short circuit and prevent the actuator 50 from burning. The sensing element 60 matched with the actuator 50 can be connected to the execution management module 40 to which the actuator 50 belongs, or can be connected to the corresponding sensor management module 30 to form a first direct control path. For another example, the execution management module 40 can monitor the voltage, current and other signals of the execution element 52 through the signal acquisition circuit to determine whether the execution element 50 is working abnormally; when the execution management module 40 detects that a certain execution element 50 When the voltage or current reaches the preset condition, the execution management module 40 executes the first preset processing process and automatically stops power supply to the actuator 50 .

In a specific embodiment, when the sensing management module 30 monitors that the information of the sensing element 60 reaches the first preset condition, the sensing management module 30 passes the monitoring result to the execution management module 40, and the execution management module The group 40 executes the first preset processing process, and performs quick response processing on the corresponding execution element 50 through the direct control path. For example, the output signal of a torque sensing element at a certain joint can be processed to obtain joint torque information (output information). When a certain sensor management module 30 detects that a certain joint reaches a preset torque, the sensor management module 30 transmits the monitoring results to the execution management module 40; the execution management module 40 issues instructions to the actuator 50, and Apply more force to the joint or loosen it to avoid damaging the joint. In this embodiment, the torque sensing element used to measure joint torque information can be connected to the sensing management module 30 to which it belongs, and can also be connected to the execution management module 40 to which the corresponding actuator 50 belongs, forming a second Directly control the pathway. Or, when the sensor management module 30 detects that the information of the sensor element 60 reaches the first preset condition, the sensor management module 30 executes the first preset processing process; for example, a torque sensor or force sensor is used. The sensor is connected to its sensing management module 30; if the sensing management module 30 detects that the torque sensor or force sensor is short-circuited or missing, the sensing management module 30 directly disconnects the corresponding torque sensor or force sensor. Electrical treatment.

In a specific embodiment, the sensing element 60 is connected to the sensing management module 30. The sensing management module 30 processes the output signal of the sensing element 60 to obtain the output information, and monitors whether there is any abnormality in the sensing element 60. . When the sensor management module 30 detects that the output information of the sensor element 60 reaches a preset condition, the sensor management module 30 executes the first preset processing process to control the sensor element 60 .

In short, when the actuator 50 or the sensor element 60 works abnormally, such as the actuator 50 fails, the sensor element 60 fails or is missing, or the robot joints and moving parts reach the limit state (position limit, force limit, collision) , can perform quick response processing through direct control channels without having to wait for instructions from the superior module. This shortens the response time. When encountering some specific events, the "lower-level" module can respond quickly and then follow further instructions from the "upper-level" module. The upper-level module can issue instructions to intervene in the lower-level processing process under certain conditions. For example, the "lower-level" module determines that there is a major collision between the robot limb (robot arm) and the operated object, and takes some kind of quick response to retract the limb (return the robot arm to the rest position), but the central processing module 10 can use the image The input device or image input module (such as a camera device and a visual perception module) determines whether there is an abnormality between the robot and the surrounding environment. If it is determined that the robot's limbs may come into contact with an approaching person during the retraction path, the central processing module 10 will Intervening in the lower-level processing process can, for example, weaken the force exerted by the actuator 50 on the moving parts, change the movement trajectory, or even stop the movement of the moving parts for avoidance.

Although the output lines of the sensing element 60 and the execution element 50 are not directly connected to the peripheral processing module 20, in the secondary control path, the sensing management module 30 or the execution management module 40 will directly control the path. The processed output information of the channel and the monitoring results of the direct control channel are uploaded to the peripheral processing module 20 . The peripheral processing module 20 can intervene in the secondary control path to directly control the processing process of the path. The internal information of the sensing management module 30 or the execution management module 40, such as whether the sensing management module 30 or the execution management module 40 is normal, what emergency handling procedures have been adopted, and other related information, is also uploaded to the peripheral processing. Mod 20. The peripheral processing module 20 can further process the above-mentioned received information and monitor the preset target.

The emergency response speeds of direct control channels, secondary control channels, and tertiary control channels are from fast to slow. The computing processing capabilities of the direct control path, the secondary control path, and the tertiary control path are from weak to strong.

In one embodiment, the peripheral processing module 20 is provided with a second preset condition set and a second preset processing process set. In the secondary control path, when the sensing management module 30 or the execution management module 40 processes the output information of the controlled element, the sensing management module 30 or the execution management module 40 processes the output information of the controlled element. When any of the monitoring results, the internal information of the sensing management module 30 or the execution management module 40, and the monitoring results obtained by further processing the received information by the peripheral processing module 20 reaches the second preset condition, the peripheral processing The module 20 executes the second preset processing process. When executing the second preset processing process, the peripheral processing module 20 can issue secondary control instructions to control the subordinate execution management module 40 or the sensing management module 30 to intervene in the processing process of the direct control channel. .

In the three-level control path, the peripheral processing module 20 combines the output information processed by the direct control path and the monitoring results of the direct control path, the internal information of the sensing management module 30 or the execution management module 40, and the peripheral processing module 20, the internal information of the peripheral processing module 20 of the secondary control channel is uploaded to the central processing module 10. The central processing module 10 can intervene in the processing process of the direct control path and/or the secondary control path through the third-level control path. The internal information of the peripheral processing module 20 includes the working status of the peripheral processing module 20 (whether it is normal, which algorithm is being executed) and what emergency measures have been taken. Process and other related information.

In one embodiment, the central processing module 10 is provided with a third preset condition set and a third preset processing process set. In the three-level control path, when the central processing module 10 monitors at least one piece of information, it includes the output information processed by the sensor management module 30 or the execution management module 40 on the signal of the controlled element, the sensor management module 30 or the monitoring results of the controlled components by the execution management module 40, the internal information of the sensing management module 30 or the execution management module 40, the monitoring results of the peripheral processing module 20, the internal information of the peripheral processing module 20, the central When any of the monitoring results obtained by further processing the received information by the processing module 10 reaches the third preset condition, the central processing module 10 executes the third preset processing process. When executing the third preset processing process, the central processing module 10 can issue a three-level control instruction to the subordinate peripheral processing module 20 or the next-level execution management module 40 or the sensor management module 30. Control, interfere with the processing of direct control pathways and/or secondary control pathways.

A specific embodiment of the robot multi-level control system of the present application: the peripheral processing module 20 can process the output information and monitoring results and other information processed by several direct control channels, and then comprehensively determine whether the second preset condition is met.

A specific embodiment of the robot multi-level control system of the present application: the central processing module 10 can process several received information, such as the output information processed by the direct control path and the monitoring results of the direct control path, as well as the peripheral processing After processing the monitoring results of the module 20 and the information of the secondary control channel, it is comprehensively determined whether the third preset condition is met.

In the three-level control path, the three-level control instructions issued by the central processing module 10 can focus on macroscopic operations such as joints. The target can be a specific joint, the corresponding instructions are internal rotation, external rotation, etc., and the corresponding parameters are joint angles, Joint angular velocity, joint angular acceleration, joint torque, etc.

In the secondary control path, the secondary control instructions issued by the peripheral processing module 20 can target a specific actuator 50 , and the corresponding instructions are the start and stop of the actuator 50 , and the steering around the actuator 50 (such as a motor). , rotation speed, torque, the corresponding parameters are the rotation angle, rotation speed, torque, etc. of the actuator 50 (such as the motor).

Among them, the instructions of the direct control path to execute the first preset processing process, the second-level control instructions, and the third-level control instructions each have an importance coefficient. When any lower-level instruction among the instructions for executing the first preset processing process, the second-level control instruction, and the third-level control instruction in the direct control channel conflicts with the upper-level instruction, the instruction with the largest importance coefficient is executed. This importance factor can be specified by the user.

In an improved solution, the sensing management module is integrated in the peripheral processing module, and/or the execution management module is integrated in the peripheral processing module. For example, when a certain sensor management module 30 has a small number of sensor elements 60 , the sensor management module 30 can be merged into Peripheral processing module 20 or execution management module 40. When a certain execution management module 40 has a small number of execution elements 50 , the execution management module 40 can be merged into the peripheral processing module 20 .

When one of the execution management modules 40 has a small number of execution elements 50 and one of the sensing management modules 30 has a small number of sensing elements 60 , the corresponding sensing management module 30 and execution management Module 40 may be incorporated into peripheral processing module 20 .

In one embodiment, the central processing module 10 has an algorithm or program based on brain neural circuits.

As shown in Figure 2, the central processing module 10 is equipped with a brain-like computing platform 11, which runs and accelerates the brain-like neural network, runs algorithms or programs that draw on brain neural circuits, and realizes autonomous control of the robot. brain-like god The network can draw lessons from the visual cortex, middle temporal lobe, prefrontal lobe, motor cortex, basal ganglia, cerebellum and other brain neural circuits to form a perception module, memory module, decision-making module, movement planning module, movement execution module, and movement coordination module. multiple modules within. For example, the solutions recorded in related patents such as application number 201910738132.7, application number 202010424999.8, and application number 202010425110.8 realize autonomous control of robots by drawing on algorithms or programs of brain neural circuits.

The central processing module 10 can be provided with a program module 12. The program module 12 is equipped with a user-specified program/script to guide the robot operation and is used to realize robot program control. This script can specify the motion trajectory of each joint of the robot, as well as the priority of various instructions, the initial value of the importance coefficient, and various necessary preset values required for system operation.

As shown in Figure 3, the central processing module 10 can also be connected to a motion capture device 70. The motion capture device 70 includes a motion capture module 71 (which can be a motion capture glove, a whole body motion capture device, or an optical motion capture device). It converts the user's movements into input signals and provides them to the system to realize robot remote control. The motion capture device 70 may also be connected at the peripheral processing module 20 .

In practical applications, robot autonomous control, robot program control, and robot remote control are generally used in a mixed manner.

As shown in Figure 3, the motion capture device 70 can also be equipped with a feedback module 72. The corresponding central processing module 10 or peripheral processing module 20 outputs feedback information to the motion capture device 70, and the feedback module 72 transmits the information to user. The feedback module 72 may be force feedback or vibration feedback, allowing the user of the motion capture device 70 to experience environmental feedback such as a sense of force, resistance, object shape and texture. This method is called remote control, remote operation, or virtual operation, and the central processing module 10 does not need to actually execute it.

The central processing module 10 is also connected with an input module and an output module.

As shown in Figure 3, in the autonomous control of the robot, an image input module 81 such as a monocular/binocular camera and a sound input module 82 can be connected to the central processing module 10 to realize visual and auditory perception. This method is suitable for fully autonomous control of the robot. The image input module 81 and the sound input module 82 can be directly installed on the central processing module 10 , or can be used as peripheral devices to communicate with the central processing module 10 .

The central processing module 10 can also be equipped with general I/O devices, such as keyboards, monitors, etc.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 , the central processing module 10 and/or the peripheral processing module 20 are also connected to the emergency braking device 13 .

In one embodiment, the central processing module 10 is implemented through one or more of software, firmware, hardware, and reconfigurable devices. For example, the central processing module 10 may be composed of a computer or a server cluster, or may be composed of one or more of a single board computer, a single chip microcomputer, and an embedded device. For example, the central processing module 10 is configured as a computer with strong core computing resources such as CPU, GPU, and TPU.

In one embodiment, the peripheral processing module 20 is implemented through one or more of software, firmware, hardware, and reconfigurable devices. For example, the peripheral processing module 20 may be composed of one or more single board computers, microcontrollers, and embedded circuits.

Reconfigurable devices are devices based on reconfigurable hardware that reconstruct internal logic through software at runtime.

In one embodiment, the central processing module 10 communicates with the peripheral processing module 20 through one or more of Ethernet, WiFi, Bluetooth, 5G, 4G, USB, serial bus, industrial bus, and industrial Internet. Preferably, the central processing module 10 can communicate with the peripheral processing module 20 in full-duplex, and the preferred full-duplex communication between the two is Ethernet or industrial Internet.

In one embodiment, the peripheral processing module 20 communicates with the execution management module 40 through one or more of Ethernet, WiFi, Bluetooth, USB, serial bus, and industrial bus.

The communication between the central processing module and the peripheral processing module is the first-level communication, which revolves around macro operations such as joints. The target can be a specific joint, the corresponding instructions are internal rotation, external rotation, etc., and the corresponding parameters are joint angle, Joint angular velocity, joint angular acceleration, joint torque, etc. The communication between the peripheral processing module and the execution management module is the second-level communication. The target can be a specific execution element, and the corresponding instructions are the start and stop of the execution element, and the steering, speed, and speed of the execution element (such as a motor). Torque, the corresponding parameters are the rotation angle of the actuator (such as motor), motor speed, motor torque, etc.

Both first-level and second-level communications are two-way communications.

In the upper layer protocol of the first-level communication, the data packet (payload) format includes instructions; the data packet format can also include targets and/or parameters. In one embodiment, the data packet (payload) format may include three parts: target, instruction, and parameter.

In the upper-layer protocol of the second-level communication, the payload format includes instructions; the data packet format can also include targets and/or parameters. In one embodiment, the data packet (payload) format may include three parts: target, instruction, and parameter.

Depending on the hardware implementation, first-level communication and second-level communication each have one or more layers of protocols; for example, in first-level communication, if Ethernet communication is used, the protocol stack can include the physical layer, link layer, IP, TCP and other levels, and its upper-layer protocol is the application layer; for another example, in the second-level communication, the chip's own communication management function includes lower-layer protocols (SPI, CAN), and its upper-layer protocol consists of data packets (payload).

In some cases, the control allows skipping, that is, the central processing module 10 can directly control the actuator 50, so that the control algorithm is flexible to implement and easy to debug. In this case, the data packet (payload) in the upper layer protocol of the first-level communication can target a specific joint, the corresponding instructions are internal rotation, external rotation, etc., and the corresponding parameters are joint angle, joint angular velocity, joint Angular acceleration, joint torque, etc.; it can also be a specific actuator, the corresponding instructions are the start and stop of the actuator, the steering, speed, and torque surrounding the actuator (such as a motor), and the corresponding parameters are the actuator (such as a motor) Rotation angle, motor speed, motor torque, etc.

In the upstream communication of the first-level communication and the second-level communication, the corresponding parameters are actual information obtained by the sensing element 60, so the data packet (payload) can have default instructions.

The subordinates should be able to pass all kinds of signals to the superiors as much as possible, and the superiors will decide how to handle them. Therefore, the protocol should include bottom-up fault codes and top-down backup command codes for troubleshooting. It can be implemented flexibly by using the instructions and parameters in the data packet (payload).

As shown in Figure 4, the peripheral processing module 20 is configured as an embedded circuit based on the reconfigurable unit 22 and the communication management unit 21;

In one embodiment, the reconfigurable unit 22 can be configured as an FPGA, and the communication management unit 21 includes an ARM.

The FPGA of the reconfigurable unit 22 and the ARM of the communication management unit 21 may be independent chips, or may be bound to the same chip, or ARM firmware may be embedded in the FPGA.

In a preferred solution, FPGA and ARM are bound in the same chip to increase the communication bandwidth between them.

Among them, the communication management unit 21 is configured to be responsible for communicating with the central processing module 10; preferably, The communication management unit 21 can communicate with the central processing module 10 in full duplex. The central processing module 10 sends the first message to the communication management unit 21 . The communication management unit 21 decodes the first message to obtain a second message, and transmits the second message to the reconfigurable unit 22 . If the first message is encrypted, the communication management unit 21 is also responsible for decryption.

The reconfigurable unit 22 includes at least one sensing management driver component and at least one execution management driver component. The sensor management driver component is used to drive the sensor management module 40 under the jurisdiction of the peripheral processing module where it is located, and the execution management driver component is used to drive the execution management module 30 under the jurisdiction of the peripheral processing module 20 where it is located.

The peripheral processing module 20 includes a recurrent neural network (RNN), and an algorithm or program that simulates the spinal cord neural circuit through the recurrent neural network (RNN). Recurrent neural network (RNN) encodes motion trajectories through the connection relationships and weights between neurons. The recurrent neural network (RNN) can be embedded in the FPGA, and the neural network components including the recurrent neural network (RNN) are independent of other components of the FPGA. The neural network component communicates one-way or two-way with the execution management drive component 30 and the sensor management drive component 40 at the same time, that is, it receives sensor information and sends out execution signals.

As an alternative, the reconfigurable unit 22 may also be configured as reconfigurable hardware. Reconfigurable hardware refers to hardware devices whose hardware circuits and functions can be reconstructed according to software at runtime.

As an alternative, the ARM of the communication management unit 21 can also be replaced by a DSP circuit/chip, which can achieve the same function. The former is more flexible and can support any communication protocol stack; the latter is simple, reliable and cheap.

The advantage of using FPGA for the peripheral processing module 20 is that the various components it carries can be executed in parallel, which is especially suitable for solving the situation of multiple sensing elements, multiple execution elements, and multiple control targets, and can respond at high speed and in real time. The advantage of using ARM or DSP for communication management is its high efficiency in encoding and decoding, software (compared to Based on the firmware), communication protocols and routing rules can be implemented and upgraded more flexibly, and development is convenient. In particular, ARM can be used to carry embedded systems and better support WiFi/Ethernet protocol stacks.

The management unit 31 is configured as a single-chip computer or a CPLD. When the I/O pins of the FPGA are not enough, the I/O can be expanded at a lower cost to connect more motor driver chips and analog-to-digital converters (ADCs). When the management unit 31 is configured as a CPLD, the CPLD and FPGA can be integrated on one circuit as a peripheral processing module to reduce the communication cost between the execution management module 30 and the peripheral processing module 20. This is considered Electromagnetic compatibility and signal integrity; among them, CPLD also serves as the management unit and communicates with each drive unit.

In one embodiment, the management unit 31 communicates with each driving unit 32 through a bus, and the bus adopts one or more of CAN, I2C, and SPI.

Communication between any two levels can be encrypted to prevent the device from being hi-jacked.

In one embodiment, each module can be powered on and off respectively in a certain order to avoid malfunctions.

In an improved solution, the multi-level control system of the present application has a power storage device (such as a capacitor or battery) as a backup power supply. When the main power supply is cut off, it can provide temporary power supply to ensure that the action of the actuator 50 can be completed. , or put the robot's movement into a safe state.

In one embodiment, the robot multi-level control system also includes a protective shell, which has an explosion-proof structure, an anti-electromagnetic radiation structure (for example, using a metal shielding net), a waterproof structure, and a dust-proof structure (for example, using a sealing ring to achieve One or more of the following: waterproof, dustproof and explosion-proof), shock-proof structure (such as installing rubber buffer pads at the connection points between circuits and other structures). Used to achieve explosion-proof, anti-electromagnetic radiation, waterproof, anti- dustproof, shockproof and other functions.

The above are only preferred embodiments of the present application and are not intended to limit the present application. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present application shall be included in the protection of the present application. within the range.

Claims

A multi-level control system for a robot, characterized by including: a central processing module, one or more peripheral processing modules, one or more sensing management modules, and one or more execution management modules;

The central processing module communicates with the peripheral processing module and controls the peripheral processing module;

The peripheral processing module communicates with the sensor management module and controls the sensor management module;

The peripheral processing module communicates with and controls the execution management module.
The robot multi-level control system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that:

The robot multi-level control system includes a direct control path. In the direct control path, the sensing management module or the execution management module processes the signal of the controlled element to obtain output information; the sensing The management module and the execution management module monitor the corresponding controlled components according to the output information and output the monitoring results; and/or,

The multi-level control system of the robot includes a secondary control path. In the secondary control path, the sensing management module or the execution management module will process the output information obtained by the signal of the controlled element. The monitoring results of the controlled element by the sensing management module or the execution management module, and at least one of the internal information of the sensing management module or the execution management module is uploaded to the peripheral processing module; and /or,

The multi-level control system of the robot includes a three-level control path. In the three-level control path, the peripheral processing module will process the output information of the signal of the controlled element. The sensing management module or At least one of the monitoring results of the controlled components by the execution management module, the internal information of the sensing management module or the execution management module, and the internal information of the peripheral processing module is uploaded to the central processing module .
The robot multi-level control system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that:

The sensing management module and the execution management module are provided with a first preset condition set and a first preset processing process set; when the sensing management module or the execution management module performs operations on the controlled element, When any one of the processed output information of the signal and the monitoring results of the controlled element by the sensing management module or the execution management module reaches the first preset condition, the execution management module and/or Or the sensing management module executes the first preset processing process; and/or,

The peripheral processing module is provided with a second preset condition set and a second preset processing process set; when the sensing management module or the execution management module processes the signal of the controlled element, the output is obtained information, the monitoring results of the controlled components by the sensing management module or the execution management module, the internal information of the sensing management module or the execution management module, the peripheral processing module's response to the received When any of the monitoring results obtained by further processing of the information reaches the second preset condition, the peripheral processing module executes the second preset processing process; and/or,

The central processing module is provided with a third preset condition set and a third preset processing process set; when the sensing management module or the execution management module processes the signal of the controlled element, the output Information, the monitoring results of the controlled components by the sensing management module or the execution management module, the internal information of the sensing management module or the execution management module, the monitoring results of the peripheral processing module, When any of the internal information of the peripheral processing module and the monitoring results obtained by further processing the received information by the central processing module reaches the third preset condition, the central processing module executes the third preset condition. Set up the processing process.
The multi-level robot control system of claim 3, wherein the peripheral processing module issues a secondary control instruction when executing the second preset processing process; and the central processing module executes the third Issue three-level control instructions during preset processing;

The instructions of the direct control path to execute the first preset processing process, the second-level control instructions, and the third-level control instructions each have an importance coefficient;

When there is a conflict between the instruction of the direct control path to execute the first preset processing process and any lower-level instruction or upper-level instruction among the second-level control instruction and the third-level control instruction, the instruction with the largest importance coefficient is executed.
The multi-level robot control system of claim 1, wherein the central processing module is equipped with a brain-inspired computing platform.
The robot multi-level control system according to claim 1 or 5, characterized in that the central processing module has an algorithm or program based on the brain neural circuit.
The multi-level robot control system of claim 1, wherein the central processing module is equipped with a program module.
The multi-level robot control system of claim 1, wherein the central processing module and/or the peripheral processing module are also connected to a motion capture device, and the motion capture device converts the user's motion into an input signal and provides it to this system.
The robot multi-level control system according to claim 8, wherein the motion capture device also has a feedback module, and the central processing module and/or peripheral processing module output feedback information to the motion capture device, Information is delivered to users through the feedback module.
The multi-level robot control system of claim 1, wherein the central processing module is also connected to an image input module and a sound input module for realizing visual and auditory perception.
The robot multi-level control system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that:

The central processing module is implemented through one or more of software, firmware, hardware, and reconfigurable devices;

The peripheral processing module is implemented through one or more of software, firmware, hardware, and reconfigurable devices.
The multi-level robot control system of claim 1, wherein the execution management module includes at least one drive unit; and the drive unit includes a drive circuit.
The robot multi-level control system according to claim 12, wherein the execution management module further includes at least one management unit, and in the same execution management module, the management unit communicates with the driving unit. And coordinate each drive unit; the management unit communicates with the peripheral processing module.
The multi-level robot control system of claim 13, wherein the drive circuit is composed of an H-bridge chip or discrete components to form a voltage, current, torque, rotational speed, and angle control loop; the management unit and each drive Isolating devices are provided between units.
The multi-level robot control system of claim 2, wherein the controlled element includes a sensing element, and the sensing element is connected to the sensing management module and/or the execution management module. ; The sensing element includes one of a tactile sensing element, a force sensing element, a torque sensing element, a position sensing element, a speed sensing element, a current sensing element, a voltage sensing element, and a temperature sensing element. or more.
The multi-level robot control system of claim 1, wherein the sensing management module is integrated in a peripheral processing module, and/or the execution management module is integrated in a peripheral processing module. middle.
The multi-level robot control system of claim 1, wherein the central processing module and/or the peripheral processing module are also connected to an emergency braking device.
The multi-level robot control system of claim 1, wherein the central processing module uses one or more of Ethernet, WiFi, Bluetooth, 5G, 4G, USB, serial bus, and industrial bus. Communicates with peripheral processing modules.
The multi-level robot control system of claim 1, wherein the peripheral processing module communicates with the execution management through one or more of Ethernet, WiFi, Bluetooth, USB, serial bus, and industrial bus. Module communication.
The multi-level robot control system of claim 13, wherein the management unit communicates with each drive unit through a bus, and the bus adopts one or more of CAN, I2C, and SPI.
The multi-level robot control system of claim 1, wherein the communication between the central processing module and the peripheral processing module is first-level communication, and the goal of the first-level communication includes macro-operation of joints; The communication between the peripheral processing module and the execution management module is second-level communication, and the targets of the second-level communication include the execution elements connected to the execution management module.
The multi-level robot control system of claim 21, wherein the first-level communication and the second-level communication each have one to multiple layers of protocols.
The multi-level robot control system of claim 1, wherein the peripheral processing module is configured as an embedded circuit based on a reconfigurable unit and a communication management unit;

The communication management unit communicates with the central processing module. The central processing module sends a first message to the communication management unit. The communication management unit decodes the first message to obtain a second message and transmits the second message. to reconfigurable units.
The multi-level robot control system of claim 23, wherein the reconfigurable unit is FPGA or reconfigurable hardware, and the communication management unit is ARM or DSP.
The multi-level robot control system according to claim 1, wherein the multi-level robot control system is equipped with a power storage device as a backup power supply.
The multi-level robot control system of claim 1, wherein the sensor management module has a computing power supply.
The robot multi-level control system according to claim 1, characterized in that the robot multi-level control system further includes a protective shell, and the protective shell has an explosion-proof structure, an anti-electromagnetic radiation structure, a waterproof structure, a dust-proof structure, and a shock-proof structure. One or more structures.