AUTONOMOUS MOBILE ROBOT SYSTEM

• US 20090326713A1
• Filed: 06/04/2009
• Published: 12/31/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: MORIYA, Toshio
• Granted Patent: US 9,192,869 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/255
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 17/00 Toy vehicles, e.g. with self-drive; convertible into other toys A63H33/003; Cranes, winches or the like; Accessories therefor traffic games with figures moved by players A63F9/14
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 2200/00 Computerized interactive toys, e.g. dolls
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1676 Avoiding collision or forbidden zones
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/39085 Use of two dimensional maps and feedback of external and joint sensors
• 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 1/0238 using obstacle or wall sensors G05D1/0246 and G05D1/0289 take precedence; lidar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S17/93
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30

Abstract

The possibilities of collision of a mobile robot with objects can be reduced significantly in actual robot movements. In an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an autonomous mobile robot system including a mobile robot and a computing system. The mobile robot includes: a sensing section for measuring surrounding conditions of the mobile robot; a position-posture estimating section for estimating position-posture data from sensing data obtained by the sensing section and an environmental map; and a robot moving section for controlling movements of the mobile robot according to movement control data determined from the position-posture data thus estimated and movement route data.

Claims

1. An autonomous mobile robot system comprising:

a mobile robot; and

a computing system;

wherein the mobile robot includes;

a sensing section for measuring surrounding conditions of the mobile robot;

a position-posture estimating section for estimating position-posture data from sensing data obtained by the sensing section and an environmental map; and

a robot moving section for controlling movements of the mobile robot according to movement control data determined from the position-posture data thus estimated and movement route data; and

wherein the computing system includes;

an environmental map generating section for generating the environmental map indicating environmental geometric conditions including objects present in an environment where the mobile robot is to move around;

a movement route data creating section for creating the movement route data for movements of the mobile robot in a coordinate scheme of the environmental map; and

a predictive collision probability parameter calculating section for determining a value of a collision probability parameter indicating a level of predictive probability of collision of the mobile robot with an object in mobile robot movements with inclusion of control errors through calculation by using robot composition information regarding the mobile robot, the environmental map thus prepared, and the movement route data thus created.

2. The autonomous mobile robot system according to claim 1,

wherein:

the predictive collision probability parameter calculating section of the computing system simulates movements of the mobile robot with inclusion of control errors by using a virtual mobile robot corresponding to the mobile robot, the virtual mobile robot being virtually defined in the computing system; and

the predictive collision probability parameter calculating section determines a value of a collision probability parameter indicating a level of predictive probability of collision of the virtual mobile robot with an object in virtual mobile robot movements determined by using the robot composition information, environmental map, and movement route data.

3. The autonomous mobile robot system according to claim 2,

wherein the predictive collision probability parameter calculating section of the computing system comprises:

a movement control data calculating simulator for calculating control data of the virtual mobile robot from an estimated position-posture value indicating an estimated position-posture state on the environmental map, in combination with the movement route data, and the robot composition information;

a robot movement simulator for calculating a value of a position-posture parameter of the virtual mobile robot from the control data calculated by the movement control data calculating simulator in combination with the robot composition information; and

a collision probability calculating section for calculating a value of the collision probability parameter of the virtual mobile robot from a value of the position-posture parameter calculated by the robot movement simulator, in combination with the environmental map, and the robot composition information.

4. The autonomous mobile robot system according to claim 3,

wherein the predictive collision probability parameter calculating section of the computing system further comprises:

a sensing simulator for repeatedly operating the movement control data calculating simulator and the robot movement simulator so as to calculate virtual sensor data representing virtual definitions of the virtual mobile robot from a value of the position-posture parameter calculated through operations of the robot movement simulator, the environmental map, and the robot composition information; and

a position-posture estimating simulator for outputting an estimated position-posture value by using the virtual sensor data and the environmental map.

5. The autonomous mobile robot system according to claim 3, p1 wherein the collision probability calculating section calculates a value of the collision probability parameter of the virtual mobile robot by using configuration information of the mobile robot contained in the robot composition information and configuration information of each object contained in the environmental map.

6. The autonomous mobile robot system according to claim 5,

wherein the configuration information of each object contains information regarding a protruded/indented part along the height direction of the object.

7. The autonomous mobile robot system according to claim 3,

wherein the predictive collision probability parameter calculating section of the computing system repeatedly operates the movement control data calculating simulator and the robot movement simulator so as to provide an estimated position-posture value based on a value of the position-posture parameter calculated through operations of the robot movement simulator.

8. The autonomous mobile robot system according to claim 3,

wherein:

the computing system further comprises a user interface for allowing an operator to conduct interactive processing; and

the movement route data creating section allows the operator to interactively set up a movement route to be taken by the mobile robot on the environmental map through the user interface.

9. The autonomous mobile robot system according to claim 8,

wherein, through the user interface, the movement route data creating section of the computing system indicates a path line included in a movement route of the virtual mobile robot on the environmental map according to the movement route data in a fashion such that the path line has at least one particular drawing attribute selected from a plurality of different drawing attributes including colors, thicknesses and line types in accordance with a value of the collision probability parameter calculated for the virtual mobile robot.

10. The autonomous mobile robot system according to claim 8,

wherein, when two points are specified on the environmental map by the operator through the user interface, the movement route data creating section of the computing system forms a path connecting the two specified points so that the mobile robot will keep a certain safe distance from objects, and the path thus formed is used as data for a movement route to be taken by the mobile robot.

11. The autonomous mobile robot system according to claim 10,

wherein, when there are a plurality of candidate paths connecting the two specified points, the movement route data creating section of the computing system presents a candidate path having a collision probability parameter value indicating a relatively low level of predictive probability of collision as data for a movement route to be taken by the mobile robot.

12. The autonomous mobile robot system according to claim 3,

wherein:

there is provided a small-type mobile robot that has a smaller size than that of the mobile robot and includes functional features of the computing system; and

the small-type mobile robot comprises;

a second sensing section for measuring surrounding conditions of the small-type mobile robot;

a second position-posture estimating section for estimating a position-posture value of the small-type mobile robot from sensing data obtained by the second sensing section and the environmental map; and

a second robot moving section for controlling movements of the small-type mobile robot according to movement control data determined from the estimated position-posture value and movement route data.

13. The autonomous mobile robot system according to claim 12,

wherein the small-type mobile robot is moved prior to movements of the mobile robot.

14. An autonomous mobile robot system comprising:

a mobile robot; and

a small-type mobile robot having a smaller size than that of the mobile robot;

wherein the mobile robot includes;

a sensing section for measuring surrounding conditions of the mobile robot;

a position-posture estimating section for estimating position-posture data from sensing data obtained by the sensing section and an environmental map; and

a robot moving section for controlling movement of the mobile robot according to movement control data determined from the position-posture data thus estimated and movement route data; and

wherein the small-type mobile robot includes;

an environmental map generating section for generating the environment map indicating environmental geometric conditions including objects present in an environment where the mobile robot is to move around;

a movement route data creating section for creating the movement route data for movements of the mobile robot in a coordinate scheme of the environmental map;

a predictive collision probability parameter calculating section for determining a value of a collision probability parameter indicating a level of predictive probability of collision of the mobile robot with an object in mobile robot movements with inclusion of control errors through calculation by using robot composition information regarding the mobile robot, the environmental map thus prepared, and the movement route data thus created;

a second sensing section for measuring surrounding conditions of the small-type mobile robot;

a second position-posture estimating section for estimating a position-posture value of the small-type mobile robot from sensing data obtained by the second sensing section and the environmental map; and

a second robot moving section for controlling movements of the-small-type mobile robot prior to movements of the mobile robot according to movement control data determined from the estimated position-posture value and movement route data.

15. The autonomous mobile robot system according to claim 14,

wherein the predictive collision probability parameter calculating section determines a value of a collision probability parameter indicating a level of predictive probability of collision of the mobile robot with an object due to movements to be performed by the mobile robot with inclusion of control errors while the small-type mobile robot is moved according to the robot composition information, environmental map, and movement route data.