Wheel diameter compensation method and apparatus for robot

• US 10,416,674 B2
• Filed: 08/03/2016
• Issued: 09/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zhejiang Libiao Robots Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hangzhou Yameilijia Technology Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Xu, Juejing, Zhu, Jianqiang
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Li, Ce Li
• Application Number:
  US15/326,624
• Publication Number:
  US 20180335782A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,140 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 19/00 Accessories fitted to manipulators, e.g. for monitoring, for viewing; Safety devices combined with or specially adapted for use in connection with manipulators safety-devices in general F16P; protection against radiation in general G21F
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 5/00 Manipulators mounted on wheels or on carriages B25J1/00 takes precedence; programme-controlled manipulators B25J9/00 ; vehicle aspects B60, B62, e.g. remote-controlled steering for motor vehicles B62D1/24; control of position of vehicles G05D1/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 22/00 Measuring distance traversed on the ground by vehicles, persons, animals or other moving solid bodies, e.g. using odometers, using pedometers
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0212 with means for defining a desired trajectory involving a plurality of land vehicles G05D1/0287
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0234 using optical markers or beacons optical beacons per se G01S1/70
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0272 comprising means for registering the travel distance, e.g. revolutions of wheels measuring distance traversed on the ground by vehicles, e.g. using odometers G01C22/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/006 Indicating maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005

Abstract

Wheel diameter compensation method and apparatus for a robot, wherein the method comprises: receiving, by a robot at a first location point in a work place where multiple location points are set, a travel instruction, sent from a server, wherein the travel instruction instructs it to travel to a second location point and includes a distance between the first and the second location points and a travel direction towards the second location point from the first location point; acquiring, by the robot, a travelling deviation corresponding to travelling from the first location point to the second location point, the travelling deviation being a difference between a theoretical distance and an actual distance corresponding to actual number of tire revolutions of the robot; and correcting, by the robot, a current wheel diameter of the robot based on the travelling deviation and the distance between the first and the second location points.

Claims

1. A wheel diameter compensation method for a robot, comprising:

receiving, by a robot at a first location point in a work place, a travel instruction sent from a server, wherein the travel instruction instructs the robot to travel to a second location point, wherein a plurality of location points are set in the work place, and the travel instruction includes a distance between the first location point and the second location point and a travel direction towards the second location point from the first location point;

acquiring, by the robot, a travelling deviation corresponding to travelling from the first location point to the second location point, the travelling deviation being a difference between a theoretical distance corresponding to actual number of tire revolutions of the robot and an actual distance; and

the robot correcting its own current wheel diameter based on the travelling deviation and the distance between the first location point and the second location point,

wherein the step of the robot correcting its own current wheel diameter based on the travelling deviation and the distance between the first location point and the second location point includes;

the robot calculating its own travelling deviation per unit distance, based on the distance between the first location point and the second location point and the travelling deviation;

the robot searching, in a preset list, a wheel diameter compensation value corresponding to the travelling deviation per unit distance; and

the robot correcting its own current wheel diameter based on the searched wheel diameter compensation value.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of acquiring by the robot a travelling deviation corresponding to travelling from the first location point to the second location point comprises:

the robot acquiring a first displacement deviation of the robot from the first location point, and travelling to the second location point in accordance with the distance and the travel direction included in the travel instruction;

the robot acquiring a second displacement deviation of the robot from the second location point when the robot travels to the second location point; and

the robot calculating the travelling deviation corresponding to the robot travelling from the first location point to the second location point, based on the first displacement deviation and the second displacement deviation.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the step of the robot correcting its own current wheel diameter of the robot based on the travelling deviation and the distance between the first location point and the second location point includes:

the robot determining first number of tire revolutions of the robot based on the distance between the first location point and the second location point and a pre-stored current wheel diameter;

the robot determining second number of tire revolutions of the robot based on the distance between the first location point and the second location point, the travelling deviation and a corrected wheel diameter; and

the robot calculating a corrected wheel diameter using a relationship where the first number of tire revolutions is equal to the second number of tire revolutions, and updating the robot'"'"'s own current wheel diameter with the corrected wheel diameter.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the method further comprises:

the robot calculating number of tire revolutions required to travel to the second location point, based on the second displacement deviation of the robot from the second location point; and

controlling the robot to travel to the second location point based on the required number of tire revolutions so as to correct a final position of the robot.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising:

judging whether the robot needs to have the tire replaced based on a corrected current wheel diameter, and performing, when it is judged that the robot needs to have the tire replaced, a tire replacement early-warning.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the step of judging whether the robot needs to have the tire replaced based on a corrected current wheel diameter includes:

judging whether the corrected current wheel diameter reaches a preset range of wheel diameters, wherein if yes, it is determined that the robot needs to have the tire replaced;

or

judging whether a difference between the corrected current wheel diameter and an initial wheel diameter of the robot reaches a preset difference threshold, wherein if yes, it is determined that the robot needs to have the tire replaced.

7. A wheel diameter compensation apparatus for a robot, comprising:

a receiving module, configured to receive a travel instruction sent from a server, wherein the travel instruction instructs the robot to travel from a first location point to a second location point, wherein a plurality of location points are set in a work place, and the travel instruction includes a distance between the first location point and the second location point and a travel direction towards the second location point from the first location point;

a travelling deviation calculation module, configured to acquire a travelling deviation corresponding to travelling from the first location point to the second location point, the travelling deviation being a difference between a theoretical distance corresponding to actual number of tire revolutions of the robot and an actual distance; and

a correcting module, configured to correct a current wheel diameter of the robot based on the distance between the first location point and the second location point and the travelling deviation;

wherein the correction module includes;

a deviation-per-unit-distance calculation subunit, configured to calculate, based on the distance between the first location point and the second location point and the travelling deviation, a travelling deviation per unit distance of the robot;

a wheel diameter compensation value searching subunit, configured to search in a preset list a wheel diameter compensation value corresponding to the travelling deviation per unit distance; and

a current wheel diameter correcting subunit, configured to correct the current wheel diameter of the robot based on the searched wheel diameter compensation value.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the travelling deviation calculation module includes:

a first acquiring unit, configured to acquire a first displacement deviation of the robot from the first location point, and make the robot travel to the second location point in accordance with the distance and the travel direction included in the travel instruction;

a second acquiring unit, configured to acquire a second displacement deviation of the robot from the second location point, when the robot travels to the second location point; and

a travelling deviation calculation unit, configured to calculate the travelling deviation corresponding to the robot travelling from the first location point to the second location point based on the first displacement deviation and the second displacement deviation.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the correcting module includes:

a first determining subunit, configured to determine first number of tire revolutions of the robot based on the distance between the first location point and the second location point and a pre-stored current wheel diameter;

a second determining subunit, configured to determine second number of tire revolutions of the robot based on the distance between the first location point and the second location point, the travelling deviation, and a corrected current wheel diameter; and

a current wheel diameter updating subunit, configured to calculate the corrected current wheel diameter using a relationship where the first number of tire revolutions is equal to the second number of tire revolutions, and update the current wheel diameter of the robot with the corrected current wheel diameter.

10. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the apparatus further comprises:

a compensation revolution number calculation module, configured to calculate number of tire revolutions required to travel to the second location point based on the second displacement deviation of the robot from the second location point; and

a controlling module, configured to control the robot to travel to the second location point based on the required number of tire revolutions, thereby correcting a final position of the robot.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the apparatus further comprises:

a judging module, configured to judge, based on the corrected current wheel diameter size, whether the robot needs to have the tire replaced, and performing, when it is judged that the robot needs to have the tire replaced, a tire replacement early-warning.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the judging module includes:

a first judging unit, configured to judge whether the corrected current wheel diameter reaches a preset range of wheel diameters, wherein if yes, it is determined that the robot needs to have the tire replaced;

or

a second judging unit, configured to judge whether a difference between the corrected current wheel diameter and an initial wheel diameter of the robot reaches a preset difference threshold, wherein if yes, it is determined that the robot needs to have the tire replaced.

13. A wheel diameter compensation method for a robot, comprising:

acquiring a travelling deviation corresponding to the robot travelling from a first location point to a second location point in a work place and a distance between the first location point and the second location point;

wherein a plurality of location points are set in the work place, and the travelling deviation is a difference between a theoretical distance corresponding to an actual number of tire revolutions of the robot and an actual distance; and

updating a current wheel diameter of the robot based on the distance between the first location point and the second location point and the travelling deviation;

wherein the step of updating a current wheel diameter of the robot based on the distance between the first location point and the second location point and the travelling deviation includes;

calculating, based on the distance between the first location point and the second location point and the travelling deviation, a travelling deviation per unit distance of the robot;

searching in a preset list a wheel diameter compensation value corresponding to the travelling deviation per unit distance; and

updating the current wheel diameter of the robot based on the searched wheel diameter compensation value.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the step of acquiring the travelling deviation corresponding to the robot travelling from a first location point to a second location point in a work place includes:

receiving a reported first displacement deviation of the robot from the first location point when the robot is located at the first location point, and a reported second displacement deviation of the robot from the second location point when the robot is located at the second location point; and

calculating the travelling deviation corresponding to the robot travelling from the first location point to the second location point based on the first displacement deviation and the second displacement deviation.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the step of updating a current wheel diameter of the robot based on the distance between the first location point and the second location point and the travelling deviation includes:

determining first number of tire revolutions of the robot based on the distance between the first location point and the second location point and the current wheel diameter of the robot;

determining second number of tire revolutions of the robot based on the distance between the first location point and the second location point, the travelling deviation and the updated wheel diameter of the robot; and

calculating the updated wheel diameter of the robot using the relationship where the first number of tire revolutions is equal to the second number of tire revolutions.

16. The method according to claim 13, further comprising:

judging whether the robot needs to have the tire replaced based on the updated current wheel diameter, and performing, when it is judged that the robot needs to have the tire replaced, a tire replacement early-warning.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the judging whether the robot needs to have the tire replaced based on the updated current wheel diameter includes:

judging whether the updated current wheel diameter reaches a preset range of wheel diameters, wherein if yes, it is determined that the robot needs to have the tire replaced;

or

judging whether a difference between the updated current wheel diameter size and an initial wheel diameter of the robot reaches a preset difference threshold, wherein if yes, it is determined that the robot needs to have the tire replaced.

18. A wheel diameter compensation apparatus for a robot, comprising:

an acquiring module, configured to acquire a travelling deviation corresponding to the robot travelling from a first location point to a second location point in a work place and a distance between the first location point and the second location point, wherein a plurality of location points are set in the work place, and the travelling deviation is a difference between a theoretical distance corresponding to the actual number of tire revolutions of the robot and an actual distance; and

a wheel diameter updating module, configured to update a current wheel diameter of the robot based on the distance between the first location point and the second location point and the travelling deviation;

wherein the wheel diameter updating module includes;

a travelling-deviation-per-unit-distance calculation unit, configured to calculate, based on the distance between the first location point and the second location point and the travelling deviation, a travelling deviation per unit distance of the robot;

a wheel diameter compensation value searching unit, configured to search in a preset list a wheel diameter compensation value corresponding to the travelling deviation per unit distance of the robot; and

a current wheel diameter updating unit, configured to update the current wheel diameter of the robot based on the searched wheel diameter compensation value.

19. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the acquiring module includes:

a displacement deviation receiving unit, configured to receive a reported first displacement deviation of the robot from the first location point reported when the robot is located at the first location point, and a reported second displacement deviation of the robot from the second location point when the robot is located at the second location point; and

a travelling deviation calculation unit, configured to calculate the travelling deviation corresponding to the robot travelling from the first location point to the second location point based on the first displacement deviation and the second displacement deviation.

20. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the wheel diameter updating module includes:

a first determining unit, configured to determine first number of tire revolutions of the robot based on the distance between the first location point and the second location point and the current wheel diameter of the robot;

a second determining unit, configured to determine second number of tire revolutions of the robot based on the distance between the first location point and the second location point, the travelling deviation, and the updated wheel diameter of the robot; and

a wheel diameter calculation unit, configured to calculate the updated wheel diameter of the robot using a relationship where the first number of tire revolutions is equal to the second number of tire revolutions.

21. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the apparatus further comprises:

a judging module, configured to judge, based on the updated current wheel diameter, whether the robot needs to have the tire replaced, and perform, when it is judged that the robot needs to have the tire replaced, a tire replacement early-warning.

22. The apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the judging module includes:

a first judging unit, configured to judge whether the updated current wheel diameter reaches a preset range of wheel diameters, wherein if yes, it is determined that the robot needs to have the tire replaced;

or

a second judging unit, configured to judge whether a difference between the updated current wheel diameter size and an initial wheel diameter of the robot reaches a preset difference threshold, wherein if yes, it is determined that the robot needs to have the tire replaced.