Robot and method for controlling the same

• US 20080201014A1
• Filed: 02/05/2008
• Published: 08/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation), Toshiba Digital Solutions Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Sonoura, Takafumi
• Granted Patent: US 8,209,074 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/250
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/024 in combination with a laser lasers per se H01S
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0251 extracting 3D information from a plurality of images taken from different locations, e.g. stereo vision stereoscopic image analysis H04N13/00; depth recovery from images G06T7/593
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/028 using a RF signal

Abstract

A robot includes: a main body; a traveling mechanism attached to the main body to move the main body; an image pickup device which picks up an image of an object in a space including a traveling plane; an object detector which detects the object existing in the space based on an image picked up by the image pickup device; a distance calculator which calculates a distance to the object detected by the object detector; a degree of caution setting device which sets a degree of caution with respect to the object detected by the object detector based on the image picked up by the image pickup device and the distance calculated by the distance calculator; and a controller which controls the traveling mechanism based on the degree of caution set by the degree of caution setting device and the distance calculated by the distance calculator.

Claims

1. A robot comprising:

a main body;

a traveling mechanism configured to be attached to the main body and to move the main body;

an image pickup device configured to pick up an image of an object in a space including a traveling plane;

an object detector configured to detect the object existing in the space based on an image picked up by the image pickup device;

a distance calculator configured to calculate a distance to the object detected by the object detector;

a degree of caution setting device configured to set a degree of caution with respect to the object detected by the object detector based on the image picked up by the image pickup device and the distance calculated by the distance calculator; and

a controller configured to control the traveling mechanism based on the degree of caution set by the degree of caution setting device and the distance calculated by the distance calculator.

2. The robot according to claim 1, further comprising an obstacle decision part configured to make a decision whether the object detected by the object detector is an obstacle based on the distance to the object calculated by the distance calculator,

wherein the degree of caution setting device sets the degree of caution on the basis of a result of the decision whether the object is an obstacle made by the obstacle decision part.

3. The robot according to claim 1, further comprising a traveling object decision part configured to make a decision whether the object detected by the object detector is a traveling object based on the image picked up by the image pickup device and the distance calculated by the distance calculator,

wherein the degree of caution setting device sets the degree of caution based on a result of the decision whether the object is a traveling object made by the traveling object decision part.

4. The robot according to claim 1, further comprising a traveling object decision part configured to make a decision whether the object detected by the object detector is a person based on the image picked up by the image pickup device,

wherein the degree of caution setting device sets the degree of caution based on a result of the decision whether the object is a person made by the traveling object decision part.

5. The robot according to claim 1, further comprising a caution requiring person decision part configured to make a decision whether the object detected by the object detector is a person against whom caution should be taken, based on the image picked up by the image pickup device and the distance calculated by the distance calculator,

wherein the degree of caution setting device sets the degree of caution based on a result of the decision whether the object is a person against whom caution should be taken made by the caution requiring person decision part.

6. The robot according to claim 1, further comprising an approach permissible distance setting part configured to set an approach permissible distance from the object detected by the object detector based on the image picked up by the image pickup device and the distance calculated by the distance calculator.

7. The robot according to claim 6, further comprising a velocity setting part configured to set a velocity of the main body based on the degree of caution set by the degree of caution setting device and the approach permissible distance set by the approach permissible distance setting part.

8. The robot according to claim 1, comprising:

an obstacle decision part configured to make a decision whether the object detected by the object detector is an obstacle based on the distance to the object calculated by the distance calculator;

a traveling object decision part configured to make a decision whether the obstacle is a traveling object based on the image picked up by the image pickup device and the distance calculated by the distance calculator, and to make a decision, if the obstacle is judged to be a traveling object, whether the traveling object is a person based on the image picked up by the image pickup device;

a caution requiring person decision part configured to make a decision whether the traveling object is a person against whom caution should be taken, based on the image picked up by the image pickup device and the distance calculated by the distance calculator;

an approach permissible distance setting part configured not to place restrictions on the approach permissible distance from the object when the object detected by the object detector is not an obstacle, configured to set the approach permissible distance to a first distance when the object detected by the object detector is an obstacle and is not a traveling object, configured to set the approach permissible distance to a second distance greater than the first distance when the object detected by the object detector is a traveling object and is not a person, configured to set the approach permissible distance to a third distance greater than the second distance when the object detected by the object detector is a person and is not a person against whom caution should be taken, and configured to set the approach permissible distance to a fourth distance greater than the third distance when the object detected by the object detector is a person against whom caution should be taken;

a velocity setting part configured to set a velocity of the main body on the basis of the degree of caution set by the degree of caution setting device and the approach permissible distance set by the approach permissible distance setting part,

wherein the degree of caution setting device does not place restrictions on the degree of caution when the object detected by the object detector is not an obstacle, the degree of caution setting device sets the degree of caution to a first level when the object detected by the object detector is an obstacle and is not a traveling object, the degree of caution setting device sets the degree of caution to a second level when the object detected by the object detector is a traveling object and is not a person, the degree of caution setting device sets the degree of caution to a third level when the object detected by the object detector is a person and is not a person against whom caution should be taken, and the degree of caution setting device sets the degree of caution to a fourth level when the object detected by the object detector is a person against whom caution should be taken, the controller controls the traveling mechanism so as to cause the traveling velocity of the main body to become the velocity set by the velocity setting part.

9. A control method for a robot including a main body, a traveling mechanism configured to be attached to the main body and to move the main body, an image pickup device configured to pick up an image of an object in a space including a traveling plane, an object detector configured to detect the object existing in the space based on an image picked up by the image pickup device, a distance calculator configured to calculate a distance to the object detected by the object detector, and a controller configured to control the traveling mechanism,

the control method comprising:

setting a degree of caution with respect to the object detected by the object detector based on the image picked up by the image pickup device and the distance calculated by the distance calculator; and

causing the controller to control the traveling mechanism based on the degree of caution and the distance calculated by the distance calculator.