Obstacle and cliff avoiding system and method thereof

• US 20070265740A1
• Filed: 09/08/2006
• Published: 11/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Inventors: Tu, Mao-Feng, Ho, Yu-Lun, Yu, Hung-Hsiu, Tseng, Kuo-Shih, Liu, Chun-Hung
• Granted Patent: US 7,643,906 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/23
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 1/00 Measuring angles

Abstract

An obstacle and cliff avoiding system is disclosed, which is substantially a movable chassis having at least a displacement sensor arranged thereon. In a preferred embodiment, each displacement sensor is tilted by a specific angle with respect to a surface detected thereby while being driven to move in circle by a rotating apparatus for enabling the same to scan a defined fan-like area or the circular area around the chassis in a circulating manner. As each displacement sensor is tilted by the specific angle and is initiated to issue a working signal, the paths of signal emission and reception of each sensor are defined by the specific angle, whereas the reflected working signal received by the sensor is sent to a control unit to be compared with the working signal so that the control unit is able to evaluate whether there is an obstacle or a drop in front of the moving direction of the movable chassis and thus control the chassis to maneuver around the obstacle or the drop.

Claims

1. An obstacle and cliff avoiding system, comprising:

a housing;

at least a driving wheel, arranged in the housing for supporting the same while driving the same to move accordingly;

at least a displacement sensor, each arranged in the housing, capable of emitting and receiving working signals; and

a control unit, for receiving signals transmitted from each displacement sensor and making an evaluation to determine whether there is an obstacle or a drop in front of the moving direction of the housing, and thus issuing a control signal for controlling the housing to maneuver around the obstacle or the drop;

wherein, the paths of signal emission and reception of each displacement sensor are tilted by a specific angle with respect to a planar surface defined by the housing.

2. The obstacle and cliff avoiding system of claim 1, wherein each displacement sensor is a device selected from the group consisting of an optical sensor, an acoustic wave sensor and the combination thereof.

3. The obstacle and cliff avoiding system of claim 1, wherein the specific angle is ranged between 0 degree and 90 degree.

4. The obstacle and cliff avoiding system of claim 1, further comprising:

a rotating apparatus, for driving each displacement sensor to rotate accordingly.

5. The obstacle and cliff avoiding system of claim 4, wherein the rotating apparatus is capable of driving each displacement sensor to rotate back and forth within a specific angle for enabling the same to scan a defined fan-like area.

6. The obstacle and cliff avoiding system of claim 4, wherein the rotating apparatus is capable of driving each displacement sensor to rotate back and forth the whole circle for enabling the same to scan a circular area around the housing in a circulating manner.

7. An obstacle and cliff avoiding system, comprising:

a housing;

at least a driving wheel, arranged in the housing for supporting the same while driving the same to move accordingly;

at least a displacement sensor, each arranged in the housing, capable of emitting and receiving working signals;

a rotating apparatus, arranged in the housing, for driving each displacement sensor to rotate accordingly; and

a control unit, for receiving signals transmitted from each displacement sensor and making an evaluation to determine whether there is an obstacle or a drop in front of the moving direction of the housing, and thus issuing a control signal for controlling the housing to maneuver around the obstacle or the drop;

wherein, the paths of signal emission and reception of each displacement sensor are tilted by a specific angle with respect to a planar surface defined by the housing.

8. The obstacle and cliff avoiding system of claim 7, wherein each displacement sensor is a device selected from the group consisting of an optical sensor an acoustic wave sensor and the combination thereof.

9. The obstacle and cliff avoiding system of claim 7, wherein the specific angle is ranged between 0 degree and 90 degree.

10. The obstacle and cliff avoiding system of claim 7, wherein the rotating apparatus is capable of driving each displacement sensor to rotate back and forth in a manner selected from the group consisting of:

rotating within a specific angle for enabling the same to scan a defined fan-like area; and

rotating the whole circle for enabling the same to scan a circular area around the housing in a circulating manner.

11. An obstacle and cliff avoiding method, adapted to be applied by at least a displacement sensor arranged on a movable housing while each displacement sensor is enabled to scan area with respect to the moving direction of the movable housing, comprising steps of:

orientating the paths of signal emission and reception of each displacement sensor to be tilted by a specific angle with respect to a planar surface defined by the housing while initiating each displacement sensor;

enabling each displacement sensor to transmit as well as receive signals while transmitting signals received thereby to a control unit; and

enabling the control unit to receive the signals transmitted from each displacement sensor while enabling the same to perform an operation upon the received signals and thus issue a command accordingly.

12. The obstacle and cliff avoiding system of claim 11, wherein the specific angle is ranged between 0 degree and 90 degree.

13. The obstacle and cliff avoiding system of claim 11, wherein an working signal is generated as the displacement sensor is initiated.

14. The obstacle and cliff avoiding system of claim 13, wherein the working signal is transmitted to the control unit to be compared with the signal received thereby.

15. The obstacle and cliff avoiding system of claim 14, wherein an obstacle avoiding algorithm is being performed as the signal received by the control unit is larger than the working signal.

16. The obstacle and. cliff avoiding system of claim 14, wherein a cliff avoiding algorithm is being performed as the signal received by the control unit is smaller than the working signal.

17. The obstacle and cliff avoiding system of claim 11, wherein each displacement sensor is a device selected from the group consisting of an optical sensor, an acoustic wave sensor and the combination thereof.

18. The obstacle and cliff avoiding system of claim 11, wherein each displacement sensor is driven to rotate while scanning by a rotating apparatus.

19. The obstacle and cliff avoiding system of claim 18, wherein the rotating apparatus is capable of driving each displacement sensor to rotate back and forth in a manner selected from the group consisting of:

rotating within a specific angle for enabling the same to scan a defined fan-like area; and

rotating the whole circle for enabling the same to scan a circular area around the housing in a circulating manner.