Apparatus for locating moving robot and method for the same

• US 20090292394A1
• Filed: 02/20/2009
• Published: 11/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kwon, Woong, Hyung, Seung Yong, Roh, Kyung Shik, Lim, San, Yoon, Sukjune, Kim, Hyun Kyu
• Granted Patent: US 8,315,737 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/251
• 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 1/027 comprising intertial navigation means, e.g. azimuth detector inertial navigation G01C21/16; inertial navigation combined with non-inertial navigation instruments G01C21/165
• 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 2201/0203 Cleaning or polishing vehicle

Abstract

An apparatus and a method of locating a moving robot are disclosed. The apparatus includes a storage unit storing information on straight lines of wall on a map, a state quantity detection unit detecting quantity of state of the robot running along the wall, and a control unit estimating an interior position of the robot by obtaining straight line information based on the detected state quantity and matching the obtained straight line information with the stored straight line information.

Claims

1. A method of locating a robot, comprising:

obtaining information on absolute coordinates of a space where the robot will move;

obtaining information on relative coordinates of the space comprising running the robot in the space;

obtaining coordinate transformation information comprising comparing the information on absolute coordinates with the information on relative coordinates; and

perceiving the robot position comprising transforming a position of the information relative coordinates to a position of the information absolute coordinates using the coordinate transformation information.

2. The method of locating a robot of claim 1, wherein the obtaining of the information relative coordinates comprises:

detecting a state quantity varying in accordance with the movement of the robot during a wall following operation of the robot; and

obtaining the information on relative coordinates regarding the space comprising inputting the detected state quantity to a Kalman filter.

3. The method of locating a robot of claim 1, wherein the obtaining of the coordinate transformation information comprises:

matching the information on absolute coordinates with the information on relative coordinates comprising using rotation translation by ICP correspondence; and

calculating the coordinate transformation information based on the matching the information on absolute coordinates.

25. The method of locating a robot of claim 1, wherein the obtaining information on relative coordinates comprises obtaining the information on relative coordinates after the obtaining the information on the absolute coordinates.

4. A method of locating a robot, comprising:

operating the robot to run following a wall;

obtaining straight line information on straight lines defining the wall during the operation the robot to run following the wall;

matching the obtained straight line information with straight line information of a presorted map; and

estimating an interior position of the robot based on the matching.

5. The method of locating a robot of claim 4, wherein the obtaining of the straight line information comprises:

detecting a state quantity varying in accordance with the movement of the robot during the operating the robot to run following the wall; and

obtaining the straight line information of the wall the robot is following, comprising inputting the detected state quantity to a Kalman filter.

6. The method of locating a robot of claim 5, wherein the obtaining of the straight line information comprises:

collecting distances and angles between the robot and the wall when a covariance error of the Kalman filter is less than a preset value; and

obtaining the straight line information of the wall the robot is following based on the collected distances and angles.

7. The method of locating a robot of claim 4, wherein the matching comprises:

obtaining intersection points of the straight lines on relative coordinates using the obtained straight line information; and

matching the obtained intersection points with intersection points of the straight lines on absolute coordinates according to the straight line information of the prestored map through rotation translation by ICP correspondence.

8. The method of locating a robot of claim 7, wherein the obtaining of the intersection points comprises obtaining coordinate transformation information for transformation of a position of the robot on the relative coordinates to a position of the robot on the absolute coordinates.

9. The method of locating a robot of claim 4, wherein the matching comprises obtaining the coordinate transformation information for transforming the position on the relative coordinates to the position on the absolute coordinates.

10. The method of locating a robot of claim 9, wherein the estimating comprises transforming the position on the relative coordinates to the position on the absolute coordinates using the obtained coordinate transformation information.

11. A method of locating a robot, comprising:

operating the robot to run following a wall;

detecting a state quantity of the robot during the operating the robot to follow the wall;

obtaining straight line information on straight lines defining the wall based on the detected state quantity;

extracting feature points from the obtained straight line information;

matching the extracted feature points with feature points on a presorted map; and

estimating an interior position of the robot based on the matching.

12. The robot locating method of claim 11, wherein the obtaining of the straight line information comprises:

collecting distances and angles between the robot and the wall when the detected state quantity is input to a Kalman filter and a covariance error of the Kalman filter is less than a preset value; and

obtaining the straight line information based on the collected distances and angles.

13. The robot locating method of claim 11, wherein the extracting the feature points comprises extracting intersection points of the straight lines, an angle between the straight lines being greater than a preset angle, as the feature points using the obtained straight line information.

14. The robot locating method of claim 11, wherein the matching with the feature points comprises matching the extracted feature points with feature points on a prestored map through rotation translation by ICP correspondence.

15. The robot locating method of claim 11, wherein the estimating of the interior position comprises:

obtaining coordinate transformation information for transforming an absolute coordinate position of the robot to a relative coordinate position based on the matching; and

estimating the interior position of the robot comprising transforming the relative coordinate position to the absolute coordinate position comprising using the obtained coordinate transformation information.

16. An apparatus to locate a robot, comprising:

a storage unit storing straight line information on straight lines defining a wall on a map;

a state quantity detection unit detecting state of quantities of the robot running along the wall; and

a control unit estimating an interior position of the robot by obtaining straight line information based on the detected state quantity and matching the obtained straight line information with the stored straight line information.

17. The apparatus to locate a robot of claim 16, wherein the state quantity detection unit comprises an encoder sensor detecting a running velocity of the robot, a gyro sensor detecting a rotational velocity of the robot, and a distance sensor detecting a distance to the wall.

18. The apparatus to locate a robot of claim 16, wherein the control unit obtains the straight line information of the wall the robot is following, by inputting the detected state quantity to a Kalman filter.

19. The apparatus to locate a robot of claim 18, wherein the control unit collects distances and angles between the robot and the wall when a covariance error of the Kalman filter is less than a preset value, and obtains the straight line information of the wall the robot is following based on the collected distances and angles.

20. The apparatus to locate a robot of claim 16, wherein the storage unit, storing intersection points of the straight lines defining the wall on absolute coordinates, obtains intersection points on relative coordinates through the obtained straight line information and matching the obtained intersection points with the stored intersection points by rotation translation through ICP correspondence.

21. The apparatus to locate a robot of claim 20, wherein the control unit obtains the intersection points of straight lines, an angle between which is greater than a preset angle, based on the obtained straight line information.

22. The apparatus to locate a robot of claim 16, wherein the control unit obtains coordinate translation information to transform a position of the robot on absolute coordinates to a position of the robot on relative coordinates through the matching.

23. The apparatus to locate a robot of claim 16, wherein the control unit estimates the interior position of the robot by transforming a position of the robot on relative coordinates to a position of the robot on absolute coordinates using coordinate transformation information.

24. An apparatus to locate a robot, comprising:

a state quantity detection unit detecting a state quantity of the robot running along a wall; and

a control unit estimating an interior position of the robot by obtaining straight line information by inputting the detected state quantity to a Kalman filter and matching feature points extracted from the obtained straight line information with feature points on a prestored map by ICP correspondence.