MOBILE APPARATUS, CONTROL DEVICE AND CONTROL PROGRAM

• US 20080249662A1
• Filed: 04/03/2008
• Published: 10/09/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Nakamura, Makoto
• Granted Patent: US 8,103,383 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/253
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1676 Avoiding collision or forbidden zones
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 57/032 with alternately or sequentially lifted supporting base and legs; with alternately or sequentially lifted feet or skid B62D57/024 takes precedence
• 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 1/0246 using a video camera in combination with image processing means

Abstract

A mobile apparatus or the like capable of moving or acting while surely preventing contact with an object such as a human being, by avoiding the situation where the object inappropriately changes its behavior for the purposes of preventing contact with the mobile apparatus, is provided. According to the robot (1) of the present invention, a path that can prevent contact with the selected third spatial element satisfying the requirement regarding the size in the element space (QS), among a plurality of third spatial elements (Q_3i) arranged around the second spatial element (Q₂), is set as a target path (R_k+1). This allows the robot (1) to move in accordance with a consistent rule that is modified in response to the width of the clearance between the object (2) and the boundary of the passable region.

Claims

1. A mobile apparatus autonomously moving along a target path, comprising:

a control device, the control device including;

a first processing element which recognizes states of a region where the mobile apparatus is passable, the mobile apparatus, and an object, as states of an element space, a first spatial element, and a second spatial element, respectively;

a second processing element which, based on a recognition result of the first processing element, recognizes one of a plurality of third spatial elements arranged around the second spatial element that satisfies a requirement regarding a size in the element space as a selected third spatial element; and

a third processing element which, based on recognition results of the first and second processing elements, sets a path that allows the first spatial element to prevent contact with the second spatial element and the selected third spatial element in the element space as the target path.

2. The mobile apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the second processing element regards a plurality of regions of same shape and same area arranged at an equal distance from the second spatial element as the plurality of third spatial elements, and regards an overlapping area of each of the plurality of regions with the element space as the size of the third spatial element, for recognition of the selected third spatial element.

3. The mobile apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the second processing element regards a plurality of line segments of same shape extending from the second spatial element in different directions as the plurality of third spatial elements, and regards a length of a part of each of the plurality of line segments continuing from the second spatial element to a boundary of the element space as the size of the third spatial element, for recognition of the selected third spatial element.

4. The mobile apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the second processing element recognizes one of the plurality of third spatial elements that satisfies the requirement that its size in the element space is the smallest or not greater than a threshold value as the selected third spatial element.

5. The mobile apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the first processing element recognizes behavioral states of the mobile apparatus and the object, as behavioral states of the first spatial element and the second spatial element, respectively, in the element space,

the second processing element, based on a recognition result of the first processing element, recognizes the second spatial element expanded intermittently or continuously in accordance with the behavioral states in the element space as an expanded second spatial element, and

the third processing element, based on recognition results of the first and second processing elements, sets a path that allows the first spatial element to prevent contact with the selected third spatial element and with the expanded second spatial element incorporating the second spatial element in the element space as the target path.

6. The mobile apparatus according to claim 5, wherein

the second processing element determines whether there is a possibility of contact between the first spatial element and the second spatial element in the element space based on the recognition result of the first processing element, and

the third processing element newly sets the target path on a condition that the second processing element determines that there is the possibility of contact.

7. A device for controlling an operation of a mobile apparatus autonomously moving along a target path, the device comprising:

a first processing element which recognizes states of a region where the mobile apparatus is passable, the mobile apparatus, and an object, as states of an element space, a first spatial element, and a second spatial element, respectively;

a second processing element which, based on a recognition result of the first processing element, recognizes one of a plurality of third spatial elements arranged around the second spatial element that satisfies a requirement regarding a size in the element space as a selected third spatial element; and

a third processing element which, based on recognition results of the first and second processing elements, sets a path that allows the first spatial element to prevent contact with the second spatial element and the selected third spatial element in the element space as the target path.

8. A program causing a computer mounted on a mobile apparatus autonomously moving along a target path to function as a control device, the control device comprising:

a first processing element which recognizes states of a region where the mobile apparatus is passable, the mobile apparatus, and an object, as states of an element space, a first spatial element, and a second spatial element, respectively;

a second processing element which, based on a recognition result of the first processing element, recognizes one of a plurality of third spatial elements arranged around the second spatial element that satisfies a requirement regarding a size in the element space as a selected third spatial element; and

a third processing element which, based on recognition results of the first and second processing elements, sets a path that allows the first spatial element to prevent contact with the second spatial element and the selected third spatial element in the element space as the target path.