Mobile robot

• US 20060058921A1
• Filed: 09/12/2005
• Published: 03/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Okamoto, Tamao
• Application Number:
  US11/222,963
• Publication Number:
  US 20060058921A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/255
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0214 in accordance with safety or protection criteria, e.g. avoiding hazardous areas monitoring the location of vehicles within a certain area, e.g. forbidden or allowed areas, in traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/13
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0223 involving speed control of the vehicle vehicle fittings for automatically controlling, i.e. preventing speed from exceeding an arbitrarily established velocity or maintaining speed at a particular velocity, as selected by the vehicle operator B60K31/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0242 using non-visible light signals, e.g. IR or UV signals
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0255 using acoustic signals, e.g. ultra-sonic singals sonar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S15/93
• 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: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30

Abstract

A mobile robot having a movable main unit section, a self location measurement unit for measuring a self location of the main unit section, a map database for storing map information on a travel range of the main unit section to a travel destination, a virtual sensor information calculation unit for extracting information on obstacles to movement of the main unit section in an arbitrary detection region on the map information based on self location information measured by the self location measurement unit and the map information stored in the map database, and for calculating virtual sensor calculation information, and a route calculation unit for calculating a travel route for the main unit section to travel based on the virtual sensor calculation information calculated by the virtual sensor information calculation unit.

Claims

1. A mobile robot comprising:

a movable robot main unit section;

a self location measurement unit for measuring a self location of the main unit section;

a map database for storing map information on a travel range of the main unit section;

an obstacle information extraction section for extracting obstacle information on obstacles to movement of the main unit section in a detection region of a virtual sensor set on the map information and capable of detecting the obstacle information, based on self location information measured by the self location measurement unit and the map information stored in the map database; and

a route calculation unit for calculating a travel route for the main unit section to travel based on the obstacle information extracted by the obstacle information extraction section.

2. The mobile robot as defined in claim 1, further comprising an obstacle detection sensor for detecting an obstacle in a detection region around the main unit section, wherein the route calculation unit calculates the travel route for the main unit section to travel based on detection information from the obstacle detection sensor in addition to the obstacle information extracted by the obstacle information extraction section.

3. The mobile robot as defined in claim 2, further comprising a conversion unit for converting the obstacle information extracted by the obstacle information extraction section into a signal identical to a signal outputted as the detection information into the route calculation unit by the obstacle detection sensor and outputting the converted signal to the route calculation unit.

4. The mobile robot as defined in claim 1, further comprising a virtual sensor setting change unit for changing extraction conditions for the obstacle information extraction section to extract the obstacle information.

5. The mobile robot as defined in claim 2, further comprising a virtual sensor setting change unit for changing extraction conditions for the obstacle information extraction section to extract the obstacle information.

6. The mobile robot as defined in claim 3, further comprising a virtual sensor setting change unit for changing extraction conditions for the obstacle information extraction section to extract the obstacle information.

7. The mobile robot as defined in claim 5, wherein the virtual sensor setting change unit changes extraction conditions for the obstacle information extraction section to extract the obstacle information based on at least any one of the map information stored in the map database, the self location information measured by the self location measurement unit, the obstacle information extracted by the obstacle information extraction section, the detection information by the obstacle detection sensor, and the travel route calculated by the route calculation unit.

8. The mobile robot as defined in claim 6, wherein the virtual sensor setting change unit changes extraction conditions for the obstacle information extraction section to extract the obstacle information based on at least any one of the map information stored in the map database, the self location information measured by the self location measurement unit, the obstacle information extracted by the obstacle information extraction section, the detection information by the obstacle detection sensor, and the travel route calculated by the route calculation unit.