General Electric Company
UTILIZING OPTICAL DATA TO DYNAMICALLY CONTROL OPERATION OF A SNAKE-ARM ROBOT

Abstract:

Methods and systems for controlling a snake-arm robot. In an embodiment, a server computer receives real-time image data associated with at least one of an operating environment and a location of a workpiece from an optical sensor mounted on a robot head of a snake-arm robot, and receives, input data describing a desired pose of the robot head from a user device. The server computer then computes a desired velocity of the robot head using an image Jacobian, translates the desired velocity of the robot head into incremental displacement data and rotation data within a control cycle, computes a position of each of a plurality of links comprising a snake-arm of the snake-arm robot to follow motion of the robot head, computes a current position of each of the plurality of links utilizing a forward dynamics model, and computes force and torque data required to move at least one of a plurality of joints connecting the links to move the snake-arm robot to the desired pose. The method also includes generating movement instructions based on the force and torque data, and transmitting the movement instructions to at least one of a drive motor associated with an introduction device and a plurality of controllers associated with servo-motors operably connected to joints connecting the links of the snake arm causing the robot head to move to the desired pose.