Abstract: A method for dynamic loop closure in a mobile automation apparatus includes: obtaining mapping trajectory data defining a plurality of trajectory segments traversing a facility to be mapped; controlling a locomotive mechanism of the apparatus to traverse a current segment; generating a sequence of keyframes for the current segment using sensor data captured via a navigational sensor of the apparatus; and, for each keyframe: determining an estimated apparatus pose based on the sensor data and a preceding estimated pose corresponding to a preceding keyframe; and, determining a noise metric defining a level of uncertainty associated with the estimated pose relative to the preceding estimated pose; determining, for a selected keyframe, an accumulated noise metric based on the noise metrics for the selected keyframe and each previous keyframe; and when the accumulated noise metric exceeds a threshold, updating the mapping trajectory data to insert a repetition of one of the segments.

Abstract: Fixed segmented lattice planning for a mobile automation apparatus is provided. A mobile automation apparatus is provisioned with a plurality of segments for a plurality of paths through an environment, each of the plurality of segments being fixed in a reference frame, the plurality of segments arranged in a lattice configuration, with adjacent segments defining fixed nodes in the lattice configuration. The apparatus navigates through the environment on a segment-by-segment basis, storing control inputs and error signals for each segment and then later, when again navigating a segment using stored control inputs and error signals to generate current control inputs, along with current error signals, and storing the current control inputs and the current error signals. Indeed, each time the apparatus navigates a segment in the lattice configuration, the control inputs and the error signals are updated to refine navigation through the environment at each navigation through a segment.

Abstract: A method of navigational ray casting in a computing device includes: obtaining a distance map having a plurality of cells representing respective sub-regions of an environment containing obstacles; wherein each cell defines a minimum obstacle distance indicating a distance from the corresponding sub-region to a nearest one of the obstacles; selecting an origin cell from the plurality of cells, and setting the origin cell as a current cell; selecting a ray cast direction for a ray originating from the origin cell; retrieving the minimum obstacle distance defined by the current cell; selecting a test cell at the minimum obstacle distance from the current cell in the ray cast direction; determining whether the test cell indicates the presence of one of the obstacles; and when the determination is affirmative, determining a total distance between the origin cell and the test cell.

Abstract: A mobile automation apparatus includes: a chassis supporting a locomotive assembly and an illumination assembly configured to emit light over a field of illumination (FOI); a navigational controller connected to the locomotive assembly and the illumination assembly, the navigational controller configured to: obtain a task definition identifying a region in a facility; generate a data capture path traversing the region from an origin location to a destination location, the data capture path including: (i) an entry segment beginning at the origin location and defining a direction of travel angled away from a support structure in the region such that a lagging edge of the FOI intersects with the support structure; and (ii) an exit segment defining a direction of travel angled towards the support structure and terminating at the destination location such that a leading edge of the FOI intersects with the support structure.

Abstract: A method of mobile automation apparatus localization in a navigation controller includes: controlling a depth sensor to capture a plurality of depth measurements corresponding to an area containing a navigational structure; selecting a primary subset of the depth measurements; selecting, from the primary subset, a corner candidate subset of the depth measurements; generating, from the corner candidate subset, a corner edge corresponding to the navigational structure; selecting an aisle subset of the depth measurements from the primary subset, according to the corner edge; selecting, from the aisle subset, a local minimum depth measurement for each of a plurality of sampling planes extending from the depth sensor; generating a shelf plane from the local minimum depth measurements; and updating a localization of the mobile automation apparatus based on the corner edge and the shelf plane.

Abstract: A method for localization of a mobile automation apparatus includes, at a navigational controller: generating a set of candidate poses within an environmental map; updating the candidate poses according to motion data corresponding to movement of the mobile automation apparatus; receiving observational data collected at an actual pose of the mobile automation apparatus; generating (i) respective weights for the candidate poses, each weight indicating a likelihood that the corresponding candidate pose matches the actual pose, and (ii) a localization confidence level based on the weights; responsive to determining whether the localization confidence level exceeds a candidate pose resampling threshold: when the determination is affirmative, (i) increasing the candidate pose resampling threshold and (ii) generating a further set of candidate poses; and when the determination is negative, (i) decreasing the candidate pose resampling threshold without generating the further set; and repeating the updating, the rece

Abstract: A method of navigational path planning for a mobile automation apparatus includes: obtaining an apparatus localization in a common frame of reference and a localization confidence level; detecting an obstacle boundary by one or more apparatus sensors; obtaining an obstacle map indicating the obstacle boundary in the frame of reference; generating a dynamic perimeter region of the obstacle boundary defining obstruction probabilities for respective distances from the obstacle boundary according to the localization confidence level; obtaining an environmental map indicating a predefined obstacle boundary; generating, for the predefined obstacle boundary, a static perimeter region defining obstructed space; identifying an obstructed portion of the dynamic perimeter region based on the obstruction probabilities and the apparatus localization; generating a navigational path traversing unobstructed space, that excludes the obstructed portion of the dynamic perimeter region, and the static perimeter region; and contr

Abstract: A device and method for multimodal localization and mapping for a mobile automation apparatus is provided. Features are extracted from images acquired by a ceiling-facing image device of the mobile automation apparatus in an environment, and stored in association with estimated positions of the mobile automation apparatus in the environment as determined from one or more sensors, as well as in association with features extracted from depth data acquired from a depth-sensing device, for example as map data. The map data is later used by the mobile automation apparatus to navigate the environment based, at least in part, on further images acquired by the ceiling-facing image device.

Abstract: A mobile automation apparatus includes: a chassis supporting a locomotive assembly and an illumination assembly configured to emit light over a field of illumination (FOI); a navigational controller connected to the locomotive assembly and the illumination assembly, the navigational controller configured to: obtain a task definition identifying a region in a facility; generate a data capture path traversing the region from an origin location to a destination location, the data capture path including: (i) an entry segment beginning at the origin location and defining a direction of travel angled away from a support structure in the region such that a lagging edge of the FOI intersects with the support structure; and (ii) an exit segment defining a direction of travel angled towards the support structure and terminating at the destination location such that a leading edge of the FOI intersects with the support structure.

Abstract: A computing device for generating a navigational path for a mobile automation apparatus includes: a memory storing, for each of a plurality of pairs of poses having predetermined orientations, a group of pre-computed path segments, each path segment traversing the pair of poses and corresponding to one of a set of entry poses and one of a set of exit poses; a navigational controller configured to: obtain a coarse path defined by a sequence of guide poses each having one of the predetermined orientations, the coarse path having a start location and an end location; for each successive pair of the guide poses, retrieve a selected one of the path segments from memory based on orientations of (i) the pair of guide poses, (ii) a preceding guide pose, and (iii) a following guide pose; and generate a final path for navigation by the apparatus by combining the selected path segments.

Abstract: A method of dynamic path generation in a navigational controller includes: generating (i) a plurality of paths extending from a starting location to a goal location, and (ii) a cost for each of the paths; selecting, based on the costs, an optimal path for execution from the plurality of paths; storing a subset of the costs in a cost history queue; responsive to detecting an obstacle during execution of the optimal path, retrieving one of the costs from the cost history queue; determining an initial re-planning search space based on the cost retrieved from the cost history queue; and initiating generation of a re-planned path within the initial re-planning search space.

Abstract: A method of detecting a support structure in a navigational controller includes: controlling a depth sensor to capture a plurality of depth measurements corresponding to an area containing the support structure on a ground plane; generating, for each of the depth measurements, a projected depth measurement on the ground plane; selecting a boundary set of the projected depth measurements defining a boundary of the projection; selecting, based on angles between adjacent pairs of the boundary set of projected depth measurements, a subset of the projected depth measurements; generating a region of interest based on the subset of the projected depth measurements; retrieving a candidate subset of the depth measurements corresponding to the projected depth measurements in the region of interest; and generating a support structure plane definition based on the candidate subset of depth measurements.

Abstract: A method of controlling light emitters of a mobile automation apparatus includes: controlling a depth sensor to capture a plurality of depth measurements corresponding to an area containing a support structure; obtaining a support structure plane definition; selecting a subset of the depth measurements; determining, based on the subset of depth measurements and the support structure plane, whether the subset of the depth measurements indicates the presence of a sensitive receptor; when the determination is affirmative, disabling the light emitters; and when the determination is negative, controlling (i) the light emitters to illuminate the support structure and (ii) a camera to capture an image of the support structure simultaneously with the illumination.

Abstract: A method for dynamic loop closure in a mobile automation apparatus includes: obtaining mapping trajectory data defining a plurality of trajectory segments traversing a facility to be mapped; controlling a locomotive mechanism of the apparatus to traverse a current segment; generating a sequence of keyframes for the current segment using sensor data captured via a navigational sensor of the apparatus; and, for each keyframe: determining an estimated apparatus pose based on the sensor data and a preceding estimated pose corresponding to a preceding keyframe; and, determining a noise metric defining a level of uncertainty associated with the estimated pose relative to the preceding estimated pose; determining, for a selected keyframe, an accumulated noise metric based on the noise metrics for the selected keyframe and each previous keyframe; and when the accumulated noise metric exceeds a threshold, updating the mapping trajectory data to insert a repetition of one of the segments.

Abstract: A method of controlling light emitters of a mobile automation apparatus includes: controlling a depth sensor to capture a plurality of depth measurements corresponding to an area containing a support structure; obtaining a support structure plane definition; selecting a subset of the depth measurements; determining, based on the subset of depth measurements and the support structure plane, whether the subset of the depth measurements indicates the presence of a sensitive receptor; when the determination is affirmative, disabling the light emitters; and when the determination is negative, controlling (i) the light emitters to illuminate the support structure and (ii) a camera to capture an image of the support structure simultaneously with the illumination.

Abstract: A method of detecting a support structure in a navigational controller includes: controlling a depth sensor to capture a plurality of depth measurements corresponding to an area containing the support structure on a ground plane; generating, for each of the depth measurements, a projected depth measurement on the ground plane; selecting a boundary set of the projected depth measurements defining a boundary of the projection; selecting, based on angles between adjacent pairs of the boundary set of projected depth measurements, a subset of the projected depth measurements; generating a region of interest based on the subset of the projected depth measurements; retrieving a candidate subset of the depth measurements corresponding to the projected depth measurements in the region of interest; and generating a support structure plane definition based on the candidate subset of depth measurements.

Abstract: Fixed segmented lattice planning for a mobile automation apparatus is provided. A mobile automation apparatus is provisioned with a plurality of segments for a plurality of paths through an environment, each of the plurality of segments being fixed in a reference frame, the plurality of segments arranged in a lattice configuration, with adjacent segments defining fixed nodes in the lattice configuration. The apparatus navigates through the environment on a segment-by-segment basis, storing control inputs and error signals for each segment and then later, when again navigating a segment using stored control inputs and error signals to generate current control inputs, along with current error signals, and storing the current control inputs and the current error signals. Indeed, each time the apparatus navigates a segment in the lattice configuration, the control inputs and the error signals are updated to refine navigation through the environment at each navigation through a segment.

Abstract: A method for dynamic target feature mapping in a mobile automation apparatus includes, at a navigational controller of the apparatus: obtaining mapping trajectory data defining a trajectory traversing a facility to be mapped; controlling a locomotive mechanism of the apparatus to traverse the trajectory; generating a sequence of keyframes and corresponding estimated mobile automation apparatus poses in a facility frame of reference during traversal of the trajectory, using a navigational sensor of the mobile automation apparatus; simultaneously with generating a target-associated one of the keyframes, detecting a target feature using an environmental sensor of the mobile automation apparatus; storing a relative target location of the target feature, defined relative to the estimated pose of the target-associated keyframe; generating a map of the facility based on the sequence of keyframes; and storing a final target location for the target feature, defined in the facility frame of reference.

Abstract: A method of navigational ray casting in a computing device includes: obtaining a distance map having a plurality of cells representing respective sub-regions of an environment containing obstacles; wherein each cell defines a minimum obstacle distance indicating a distance from the corresponding sub-region to a nearest one of the obstacles; selecting an origin cell from the plurality of cells, and setting the origin cell as a current cell; selecting a ray cast direction for a ray originating from the origin cell; retrieving the minimum obstacle distance defined by the current cell; selecting a test cell at the minimum obstacle distance from the current cell in the ray cast direction; determining whether the test cell indicates the presence of one of the obstacles; and when the determination is affirmative, determining a total distance between the origin cell and the test cell.

Abstract: A method for localization of a mobile automation apparatus includes, at a navigational controller: generating a set of candidate poses within an environmental map; updating the candidate poses according to motion data corresponding to movement of the mobile automation apparatus; receiving observational data collected at an actual pose of the mobile automation apparatus; generating (i) respective weights for the candidate poses, each weight indicating a likelihood that the corresponding candidate pose matches the actual pose, and (ii) a localization confidence level based on the weights; responsive to determining whether the localization confidence level exceeds a candidate pose resampling threshold: when the determination is affirmative, (i) increasing the candidate pose resampling threshold and (ii) generating a further set of candidate poses; and when the determination is negative, (i) decreasing the candidate pose resampling threshold without generating the further set; and repeating the updating, the rece