A system for performing interactions within a physical environment including a robot base, a robot base actuator that moves the robot base relative to the environment, a robot arm mounted to the robot base, the robot arm including an end effector mounted thereon and a tracking system that measures a tracking target position indicative of a position of a target mounted on the robot base. A control system acquires an indication of an end effector destination, determines a tracking target position at least in part using signals from the tracking system, determines a virtual robot base position offset from the robot base and calculates a robot base path extending from the virtual robot base position to the end effector destination, using this to control the robot base actuator to cause the robot base to be moved along the robot base path.

A system for performing interactions within a physical environment including a robot base that undergoes movement relative to the environment, a robot arm mounted to the robot base, the robot arm including an end effector mounted thereon and a tracking system that measures a robot base position indicative of a position of the robot base relative to the environment. A control system acquires an indication of an end effector destination, and repeatedly determines a robot base position using signals from the tracking system, calculates an end effector path extending to the end effector destination at least in part using the robot base position, generates robot control signals based on the end effector path and applies the robot control signals to the robot arm to cause the end effector to be moved along the end effector path towards the destination.

A system for performing interactions within a physical environment including a robot base that undergoes movement relative to the environment, a robot arm mounted to the robot base, the robot arm including an end effector mounted thereon and a tracking system that measures a robot base position indicative of a position of the robot base relative to the environment. A control system acquires an indication of an end effector destination, determines a reference robot base position, calculates an end effector path extending to the end effector destination and repeatedly determines a current robot base position using signals from the tracking system, calculates robot arm kinematics using the current robot base position and the end effector path and controls the robot arm to cause the end effector to be moved towards the end effector destination.

A self-contained truck-mounted brick laying machine (2) is described. A truck (1) supports the brick laying machine (2) which is mounted on a frame (3) on the truck chassis. The frame (3) supports packs or pallets of bricks (52, 53) placed on a platform (51). A transfer robot can then pick up an individual brick and move it to, or between either a saw (46) or a router (47) or a carousel (48). The carousel is located coaxially with a tower (10), at the base of the tower (10). The carousel (48) transfers the brick via the tower (10) to an articulated (folding about horizontal axis (16)) telescoping boom comprising first boom element in the form of telescopic boom (12, 14) and second boom element in the form of telescopic stick (15, 17, 18, 19, 20). The bricks are moved along the folding telescoping boom by linearly moving shuttles, to reach a brick laying and adhesive applying head (32). The brick laying and adhesive applying head (32) mounts to element (20) of the stick, about an axis (33) which is disposed horizontally. The poise of the brick laying and adhesive applying head (32) about the axis (33) is adjusted and is set in use so that the base (811) of a clevis (813) of the robotic arm (36) mounts about a horizontal axis, and the tracker component (130) is disposed uppermost on the brick laying and adhesive applying head (32). The brick laying and adhesive applying head (32) applies adhesive to the brick and has a robot that lays the brick. Vision and laser scanning and tracking systems are provided to allow the measurement of as-built slabs, bricks, the monitoring and adjustment of the process and the monitoring of safety zones. The first, or any course of bricks can have the bricks pre machined by the router module (47) so that the top of the course is level once laid.

Methods and apparatus for implementing a safety system for a mobile robot are described. The method comprises receiving first sensor data from one or more sensors, the first sensor data being captured at a first time, identifying, based on the first sensor data, a first unobserved portion of a safety field in an environment of a mobile robot, assigning, to each of a plurality of contiguous regions within the first unobserved portion of the safety field, an occupancy state, updating, at a second time after the first time, the occupancy state of one or more of the plurality of contiguous regions, and determining one or more operating parameters for the mobile robot, the one or more operating parameters based, at least in part, on the occupancy state of at least some regions of the plurality of contiguous regions at the second time.

A computer-implemented method, when executed by data processing hardware of a robot having an articulated arm and a base, causes data processing hardware to perform operations. The operations include determining a first location of a workspace of the articulated arm associated with a current base configuration of the base of the robot. The operations also include receiving a task request defining a task for the robot to perform outside of the workspace of the articulated arm at the first location. The operations also include generating base parameters associated with the task request. The operations further include instructing, using the generated base parameters, the base of the robot to move from the current base configuration to an anticipatory base configuration.

A computing device receives location information for a mobile robot. The computing device also receives location information for an entity in an environment of the mobile robot. The computing device determines a distance between the mobile robot and the entity in the environment of the mobile robot. The computing device determines one or more operating parameters for the mobile robot. The one or more operating parameters are based on the determined distance.

Methods and enhanced apparatus used in such methods are described that a dispatched logistics operation for a deliverable item from a hold-at-location (HAL) logistics facility having a secured storage and using a modular autonomous bot apparatus assembly and a dispatch server. The bot apparatus assembly picks up and delivers the item from the HAL facility in response to a delivery dispatch command from the dispatch server. In response, the MAM of the bot verifies compatibility of modular components for the operation, controls receiving of the deliverable item from the secured storage at the HAL facility, then autonomously causes movement to the delivery destination. The MAM notifies the customer before delivery of the approaching delivery, authenticates delivery is to the authorized customer, provides access to the item within the bot apparatus assembly, monitors unloading of the item, then autonomously moves back to the HAL facility.

A system for performing interactions within a physical environment, the system including: a robot having a robot base that undergoes movement relative to the environment and a robot arm mounted to the robot base, the robot arm including an end effector mounted thereon; a communications system including a fieldbus network; a tracking system including a tracking base positioned in the environment and connected to the fieldbus network, and a tracking target mounted to a component of the robot, wherein the tracking base is configured to detect the tracking target to allow a position and/or orientation of the tracking target relative to the tracking base to be determined; and a control system that communicates with the tracking system via the fieldbus network to determine the relative position and/or orientation of the tracking target and controls the robot arm in accordance with the relative position and/or orientation of the tracking target.

A self-contained truck-mounted brick laying machine (2) is described. A truck (1) supports the brick laying machine (2) which is mounted on a frame (3) on the truck chassis. The frame (3) supports packs or pallets of bricks (52, 53) placed on a platform (51). A transfer robot can then pick up an individual brick and move it to, or between either a saw (46) or a router (47) or a carousel (48). The carousel is located coaxially with a tower (10), at the base of the tower (10). The carousel (48) transfers the brick via the tower (10) to an articulated (folding about horizontal axis (16)) telescoping boom comprising first boom element in the form of telescopic boom (12, 14) and second boom element in the form of telescopic stick (15, 17, 18, 19, 20). The bricks are moved along the folding telescoping boom by linearly moving shuttles, to reach a brick laying and adhesive applying head (32). The brick laying and adhesive applying head (32) mounts to element (20) of the stick, about an axis (33) which is disposed horizontally. The poise of the brick laying and adhesive applying head (32) about the axis (33) is adjusted and is set in use so that the base (811) of a clevis (813) of the robotic arm (36) mounts about a horizontal axis, and the tracker component (130) is disposed uppermost on the brick laying and 110,111 adhesive applying head (32). The brick laying and adhesive applying head (32) applies adhesive to the brick and has a robot that lays the brick. Vision and laser scanning and tracking systems are provided to allow the measurement of as-built slabs, bricks, the monitoring and adjustment of the process and the monitoring of safety zones. The first, or any course of bricks can have the bricks pre machined by the router module (47) so that the top of the course is level once laid.