Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for controlling a robot to perform a custom real-time action. One of the methods comprises receiving, by a real-time robotics control framework, a definition of a custom real-time control function, wherein the definition specifies a plurality of actions and one or more custom reactions; repeatedly executing, by the real-time robotics control framework, the custom real-time control function at each tick of a real-time robotics system driving one or more physical robots, including: obtaining current values of one or more state variables, evaluating the one or more custom reactions specified by the custom real-time control function according to the current values of the one or more state variables, and whenever a custom reaction is satisfied, updating a current action in real time according to the custom reaction that is satisfied, and executing a next tick of the current action.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for performing real-time text logging. One of the methods comprises receiving, by a real-time robotics control framework, multiple indications of multiple events associated with multiple log messages. For each log message of the multiple log messages, the method further includes writing, by a real-time thread, characters of the log message into a buffer dedicated to the real-time thread using real-time safe commands, receiving, by a non-real-time thread of the real-time robotics control framework, an indication that the log message has been written into the buffer, and reading the log message and writing to a non-real-time output channel.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for controlling robots. One method includes receiving custom hardware configuration data for a robot, wherein the custom hardware configuration data specifies a mapping between parts and interfaces belonging to software modules that each correspond to a respective robotic hardware element of the robot, wherein each software module has one or more interfaces that represent capabilities of a robot, and wherein each part, in real-time control code defining actions of a real-time control layer, can reference interfaces of multiple software modules; allocating shared memory resources according to the mapping between parts and interfaces defined in the custom hardware configuration data; executing each software module in a separate process of a real-time control system; and executing the real-time control code that references the interfaces using parts defined in the custom hardware configuration data.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for calibrating a robot in a workcell. One of the methods includes causing the robot to move an end effector to make contact with multiple points on a calibration object within the workcell; for each of the multiple points at which the end effector made contact with the calibration object: reading joint configurations of the robot when the robot is holding the end effector in contact with the point; and determining a target location of the point in the end effector coordinate frame based on a known geometry of the calibration object; and determining, based on (i) the read joint configurations of the robot and (ii) the target locations of the points in the end effector coordinate frame, a robot flange-to-end effector transformation between the robot flange coordinate frame and the end effector coordinate frame.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for switching in real-time between different trajectories during custom real-time control. One of the methods include: obtaining a definition of a first trajectory for a robot and a definition of a second trajectory for the robot; executing a current action for controlling the robot to follow set points of the first trajectory at each control tick of the real-time robotic control system, including, at each control tick of the real-time robotic control system: obtaining current data representing a latest execution status of the current action; evaluating one or more switching criteria associated with the current action according to the current data; and whenever the one or more switching criteria are satisfied during the control tick, switching to executing another action for controlling the robot to follow the second trajectory within the control tick.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for controlling a robot to perform a custom real-time action. One of the system comprises a non-real-time control layer configured to compute a sequences of control data and to continually write data elements of the sequence of control data into a real-time streaming input buffer; and a real-time control layer configured to continually read data elements of the sequence of control data from the real-time streaming input buffer and to compute a robot control signal from the read data elements of the sequence of control data at every tick of a real-time control loop.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for performing real-time text logging. One of the methods comprises receiving, by a real-time robotics control framework, multiple indications of multiple events associated with multiple log messages. For each log message of the multiple log messages, the method further includes writing, by a real-time thread, characters of the log message into a buffer dedicated to the real-time thread using real-time safe commands, receiving, by a non-real-time thread of the real-time robotics control framework, an indication that the log message has been written into the buffer, and reading the log message and writing to a non-real-time output channel.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for controlling a robot to perform a custom real-time action. One of the methods comprises receiving, by a real-time robotics control framework, a definition of a custom real-time control function, wherein the definition specifies a plurality of actions and one or more custom reactions; repeatedly executing, by the real-time robotics control framework, the custom real-time control function at each tick of a real-time robotics system driving one or more physical robots, including: obtaining current values of one or more state variables, evaluating the one or more custom reactions specified by the custom real-time control function according to the current values of the one or more state variables, and whenever a custom reaction is satisfied, updating a current action in real time according to the custom reaction that is satisfied, and executing a next tick of the current action.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for overriding an original motion of a robot along a trajectory. The method includes initiating, by a real-time robotics control system, execution of an input trajectory for a robot at a default speed, wherein the input trajectory is a time-parameterized trajectory and specifies a path in an operating environment; before completing execution of the input trajectory, receiving a user input specifying a value of an online speed override factor; in response, generating a phase-parameterized version of the input trajectory using a phase variable; computing, on each real-time control cycle, a target velocity and a target acceleration of the phase-parameterized version of the input trajectory based on the online speed override factor; and causing the robot to transition to the target velocity and the target acceleration while traversing the path in the operating environment.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for handling errors in a real-time robotic control system. One of the methods include: receiving a definition of a custom real-time action to be performed in real-time by the real-time robotic control system to control a robot; executing the custom real-time action according to the definition at each tick of a real-time control cycle to effectuate real-time operation of the robot, including: determining, by the custom real-time action, that a first error condition is satisfied, in response, returning a first error object from the custom real-time action to a real-time session which invoked the custom real-time action, receiving, by the real-time session, the first error object generated by the custom real-time action, and in response, executing a first recovery process.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for using feature interfaces for real-time robotics control. One of the methods includes receiving a definition of a real-time action to be executed by the real-time robotics control system to control a robot using one or more underlying hardware subsystems. The real-time action is invoked including providing a respective part identifier of a part for each of the one or more feature interfaces called by the real-time action.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for overriding an original motion of a robot along a trajectory. The method includes initiating, by a real-time robotics control system, execution of an input trajectory for a robot at a default speed, wherein the input trajectory is a time-parameterized trajectory and specifies a path in an operating environment; before completing execution of the input trajectory, receiving a user input specifying a value of an online speed override factor; in response, generating a phase-parameterized version of the input trajectory using a phase variable; computing, on each real-time control cycle, a target velocity and a target acceleration of the phase-parameterized version of the input trajectory based on the online speed override factor; and causing the robot to transition to the target velocity and the target acceleration while traversing the path in the operating environment.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for generating event logs for trace events. The method includes receiving data representing a trigger for generating event entries of a real-time robotics control system. Each real-time thread corresponds to a non-real-time thread, and is communicatively coupled to a data structure allocated in a memory unit for the real-time thread to store event entries. Each real-time thread stores event entries into a corresponding data structure that is allocated for the real-time thread. The event entries are generated when the real-time thread is executed during real time. The stored event entries are provided to a non-real-time thread that corresponds to the real-time thread from a corresponding data structure. Each non-real-time thread processes the event entries to generate an event log for the corresponding real-time thread. The event log represents trace events occurred during operation of the real-time thread.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for switching in real-time between different trajectories during custom real-time control. One of the methods include: obtaining a definition of a first trajectory for a robot and a definition of a second trajectory for the robot; executing a current action for controlling the robot to follow set points of the first trajectory at each control tick of the real-time robotic control system, including, at each control tick of the real-time robotic control system: obtaining current data representing a latest execution status of the current action; evaluating one or more switching criteria associated with the current action according to the current data; and whenever the one or more switching criteria are satisfied during the control tick, switching to executing another action for controlling the robot to follow the second trajectory within the control tick.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for controlling a robot to perform a custom real-time action that uses a callback function. One of the methods comprises receiving a definition of a custom real-time control function that specifies a custom callback function, an action, and a custom reaction that references the custom callback function; providing a command to initiate the action; repeatedly executing, by the control layer of the real-time robotics control framework, the custom real-time control function at each tick of a real-time robotics system driving one or more physical robots, including: obtaining current values of one or more state variables, evaluating the custom reaction specified by the custom real-time control function according to the current values of the one or more state variables, and whenever the one or more conditions of the custom reaction are satisfied, invoking the custom callback function.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for performing online robotic motion planning from pre-generated motion plans. A library of pre-generated motion plans for performing a particular task is maintained. Each pre-generated motion plan comprises a plurality of waypoints and one or more actions. One or more present observations of a robot in a workcell are obtained. The one or more observations are classified. A pre-generated candidate motion plan that matches the labels assigned to the present observations of the robot in the workcell is selected from the library of pre-generated motion plans. The pre-generated candidate motion plan is adapted according to the present observations of the robot in the workcell to generate a final motion plan to be executed by the robot.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for controlling a robot to perform a custom real-time action that uses streaming inputs. One of the methods comprises receiving a definition of a custom real-time streaming control function that defines a custom streaming action, wherein the custom streaming action specifies a goal state for a robot in an operating environment; providing a command to initiate the custom streaming action; and repeatedly providing updated goal states for the custom streaming action, wherein the control layer of the framework is configured to execute the custom streaming action including driving the robot toward a most recent goal state at each tick of a real-time robotics control cycle.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for controlling a robot to perform a custom real-time action. One of the system comprises a non-real-time control layer configured to compute a sequences of control data and to continually write data elements of the sequence of control data into a real-time streaming input buffer; and a real-time control layer configured to continually read data elements of the sequence of control data from the real-time streaming input buffer and to compute a robot control signal from the read data elements of the sequence of control data at every tick of a real-time control loop.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for controlling a robot. One of the methods includes: receiving user input that specifies: (i) a real-time session with a robot having multiple parts, (ii) multiple actions, and (iii) at least one custom reaction that represents a condition under which a first action triggers a real-time change in behavior involving a second action; generating control parameters from the user input and providing the control parameters to a real-time robotics control layer; and executing, by the real-time robotics control layer, the control parameters including, at each tick of a real-time control cycle: executing one or more respective commands for each action, determining whether the condition of the first action is satisfied, and in response to determining that the condition of the first action is satisfied, triggering the real-time change in behavior involving the second action.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for controlling a robot in accordance with a real-time robotics control framework. One of the methods includes: receiving a definition of a custom real-time control function; and repeatedly executing the custom real-time control function at each predetermined tick of a real-time robotics system driving the robot, including: obtaining sensor measurements, computing a new position for an end effector of the robot based on the sensor measurements in order to satisfy a distance range specified by the custom real-time control function, computing new robot control signals to cause the robot to move the end effector to the new position, and providing the new robot control signals to the robot.