Robot control apparatus

• US 20100222925A1
• Filed: 12/02/2005
• Published: 09/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Anezaki, Takashi
• Application Number:
  US11/292,069
• Publication Number:
  US 20100222925A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/253
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0221 involving a learning process
• 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 1/0253 extracting relative motion information from a plurality of images taken successively, e.g. visual odometry, optical flow determining position or orientation from images G06T7/70
• 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 2201/0215 Vacuum cleaner

Abstract

In a robot control apparatus mounted on a mobile robot, movement of a human existing in front of the robot is detected, and the robot is moved in association with the movement of the human to thereby obtain path teaching data. When the robot moves autonomously according to the path teaching data, a robot movable area with respect to the path teaching data is calculated from positions of the ceiling and walls of the robot moving space or positions of obstacles detected by a surrounding object detection unit, whereby a moving path for autonomous movement is generated. The robot is controlled to move autonomously by a drive of a drive unit according to the moving path for autonomous movement.

Claims

1. A robot control apparatus comprising:

a human movement detection unit, mounted on a mobile robot, for detecting a human existing in front of the robot, and after detecting the human, detecting movement of the human;

a drive unit, mounted on the robot, for moving the robot, at a time of teaching a path, corresponding to the movement of the human detected by the human movement detection unit;

a robot moving distance detection unit for detecting a moving distance of the robot moved by the drive unit;

a first path teaching data conversion unit for storing the moving distance data detected by the robot moving distance detection unit and converting the stored moving distance data into path teaching data;

a surrounding object detection unit, mounted on the robot, having an omnidirectional image input system capable of taking an omnidirectional image around the robot and an obstacle detection unit capable of detecting an obstacle around the robot, for detecting the obstacle around the robot and a position of a ceiling or a wall of a space where the robot moves;

a robot movable area calculation unit for calculating a robot movable area of the robot with respect to the path teaching data from a position of the obstacle detected by the surrounding object detection unit when the robot autonomously moves by a drive of the drive unit along the path teaching data converted by the first path teaching data conversion unit; and

a moving path generation unit for generating a moving path for autonomous movement of the robot from the path teaching data and the movable area calculated by the robot movable area calculation unit;

wherein

the robot is controlled by the drive of the drive unit so as to move autonomously according to the moving path generated by the moving path generation unit.

2. The robot control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the human movement detection unit comprises:

a corresponding point position calculation arrangement unit for previously calculating and arranging a corresponding point position detected in association with movement of a mobile body including the human around the robot;

a time sequential plural image input unit for obtaining a plurality of images time sequentially;

a moving distance calculation unit for detecting corresponding points arranged by the corresponding point position calculation arrangement unit between the plurality of time sequential images obtained by the time sequential plural image obtainment arrangement unit, and calculating a moving distance between the plurality of images of the corresponding points detected;

a mobile body movement determination unit for determining whether a corresponding point conforms to the movement of the mobile body from the moving distance calculated by the moving distance calculation unit;

a mobile body area extraction unit for extracting a mobile body area from a group of corresponding points obtained by the mobile body movement determination unit;

a depth image calculation unit for calculating a depth image of a specific area around the robot;

a depth image specific area moving unit for moving the depth image specific area calculated by the depth image calculation unit so as to conform to an area of the mobile body area extracted by the mobile body area extraction unit;

a mobile body area judgment unit for judging the mobile body area of the depth image after movement by the depth image specifying area moving unit;

a mobile body position specifying unit for specifying a position of the mobile body from the depth image mobile body area obtained by the mobile body area judgment unit; and

a depth calculation unit for calculating a depth from the robot to the mobile body from the position of the mobile body specified on the depth image by the mobile body position specifying unit, and

the mobile body is specified and a depth and a direction of the mobile body are detected continuously by the human movement detection unit whereby the robot is controlled to move autonomously.

3. The robot control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the surrounding object detection unit comprises:

an omnidirectional image input unit disposed to be directed to the ceiling and a wall surface;

a conversion extraction unit for converting and extracting a ceiling and wall surface full-view peripheral part image and a ceiling and wall surface full-view center part image from images inputted from the omnidirectional image input unit;

a conversion extraction storage unit for inputting the ceiling and wall surface full-view center part image and the ceiling and wall surface full-view peripheral part image from the conversion extraction unit and converting, extracting and storing them at a designated position in advance;

a first mutual correlation matching unit for performing mutual correlation matching between a ceiling and wall surface full-view peripheral part image inputted at a current time and the ceiling and wall surface full-view peripheral part image of the designated position stored on the conversion extraction storage unit in advance;

a rotational angle-shifted amount conversion unit for converting a positional relation in a lateral direction obtained from the matching by the first mutual correlation matching unit into a rotational angle-shifted amount;

a second mutual correlation matching unit for performing mutual correlation matching between a ceiling and wall surface full-view center part image inputted at the current time and the ceiling and wall surface full-view center part image of the designated position stored on the conversion extraction storage unit in advance; and

a displacement amount conversion unit for converting a positional relationship in longitudinal and lateral directions obtained from matching by the second mutual correlation matching unit into a displacement amount, and

matching is performed between a ceiling and wall surface full-view image serving as a reference of a known positional posture and a ceiling and wall surface full-view image inputted, and a positional posture shift of the robot including the rotational angle-shifted amount obtained by the rotational angle-shifted amount conversion unit and the displacement amount obtained by the displacement amount conversion unit is detected, whereby the robot is controlled to move autonomously by recognizing a self position from the positional posture shift.

4. The robot control apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a teaching object mobile body identifying unit for confirming an operation of the mobile body to designate tracking travel of the robot with respect to the mobile body, wherein with respect to the mobile body confirmed by the teaching object mobile body identifying unit, the mobile body is specified and the depth and the direction of the mobile body are detected continuously whereby the robot is controlled to move autonomously.

5. The robot control apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the mobile body is a human, and the human who is the mobile body is specified and the depth and the direction between the human and the robot are detected continuously whereby the robot is controlled to move autonomously.

6. The robot control apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a teaching object mobile body identifying unit for confirming an operation of a human who is the moving object to designate tracking travel of the robot with respect to the human, wherein with respect to the human confirmed by the teaching object mobile body identifying unit, the human is specified and the depth and the direction between the human and the robot are detected continuously whereby the robot is controlled to move autonomously.

7. The robot control apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the human movement detection unit comprises:

an omnidirectional time sequential plural image obtaining unit for obtaining a plurality of omnidirectional, time sequential images of the robot; and

a moving distance calculation unit for detecting the corresponding points between the plurality of time sequential images obtained by the omnidirectional time sequential plural image obtaining unit, and calculating a moving distance of the corresponding points between the plurality of images so as to detect movement of the mobile body, and

the mobile body is specified and the depth and the direction between the mobile body and the robot are detected continuously whereby the robot is controlled to move autonomously.

8. The robot control apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the human movement detection unit comprises:

an omnidirectional time sequential plural image obtaining unit for obtaining a plurality of omnidirectional time sequential images of the robot; and

a moving distance calculation unit for detecting the corresponding points between the plurality of time sequential images obtained by the omnidirectional time sequential plural image obtaining unit, and calculating a moving distance of the corresponding points between the plurality of images so as to detect movement of the mobile body, and

the mobile body is specified, and the depth and the direction between the mobile body and the robot are detected continuously whereby the robot is controlled to move autonomously.

9. The robot control apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the human movement detection unit comprises:

an omnidirectional time sequential plural image obtaining unit for obtaining a plurality of omnidirectional time sequential images of the robot; and

a moving distance calculation unit for detecting the corresponding points between the plurality of time sequential images obtained by the omnidirectional time sequential plural image obtaining unit, and calculating a moving distance of the corresponding points between the plurality of images so as to detect movement of the mobile body, and

the mobile body is specified and the depth and the direction between the mobile body and the robot are detected continuously whereby the robot is controlled to move autonomously.

10. The robot control apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the human movement detection unit comprises:

an omnidirectional time sequential plural image obtaining unit for obtaining a plurality of omnidirectional time sequential images of the robot; and

a moving distance calculation unit for detecting the corresponding points between the plurality of time sequential images obtained by the omnidirectional time sequential plural image obtaining unit, and calculating a moving distance of the corresponding points between the plurality of images so as to detect movement of the mobile body, and

the mobile body is specified, and the depth and the direction between the mobile body and the robot are detected continuously whereby the robot is controlled to move autonomously.

11. The robot control apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the human movement detection unit comprises:

an omnidirectional time sequential plural image obtaining unit for obtaining a plurality of omnidirectional time sequential images of the robot; and

a moving distance calculation unit for detecting the corresponding points between the plurality of time sequential images obtained by the omnidirectional time sequential plural image obtaining unit, and calculating a moving distance of the corresponding points between the plurality of images so as to detect movement of the mobile body, and

the mobile body is specified and the depth and the direction between the mobile body and the robot are detected continuously whereby the robot is controlled to move autonomously.

12. The robot control apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising a corresponding point position calculation arrangement changing unit for changing a corresponding point position calculated, arranged, and detected in association with the movement of the human in advance according to the human position each time, wherein

the human is specified, and the depth and the direction between the human and the robot are detected whereby the robot is controlled to move autonomously.

13. The robot control apparatus according to claim 1, comprising:

an omnidirectional image input unit capable of obtaining an omnidirectional image around the robot;

an omnidirectional camera height adjusting unit for arranging the image input unit toward the ceiling and a wall surface in a height adjustable manner;

a conversion extraction unit for converting and extracting a ceiling and wall surface full-view peripheral part image and a ceiling and wall surface full-view center part image from images inputted from the image input unit;

a conversion extraction storage unit for inputting the ceiling and wall surface full-view center part image and the ceiling and wall surface full-view peripheral part image from the conversion extraction unit and converting, extracting and storing the ceiling and wall surface full-view center part image and the ceiling and wall surface full-view peripheral part image at a designated position in advance;

a first mutual correlation matching unit for performing mutual correlation matching between a ceiling and wall surface full-view peripheral part image inputted at a current time and the ceiling and wall surface full-view peripheral part image of the designated position stored on the conversion extraction storage unit in advance;

a rotational angle-shifted amount conversion unit for converting a shifted amount which is a positional relationship in a lateral direction obtained from the matching by the first mutual correlation matching unit into a rotational angle-shifted amount;

a second mutual correlation matching unit for performing mutual correlation matching between a ceiling and wall surface full-view center part image inputted at a current time and the ceiling and wall surface full-view center part image of the designated position stored on the conversion extraction storage unit in advance; and

a unit for converting a positional relationship in longitudinal and lateral directions obtained from the matching by the second mutual correlation matching unit into a displacement amount, wherein

matching is performed between a ceiling and wall surface full-view image serving as a reference of a known positional posture and a ceiling and wall surface full-view image inputted, and a positional posture shift detection is performed based on the rotational angle-shifted amount obtained by the rotational angle-shifted amount conversion unit and the displacement amount obtained by the displacement amount conversion unit whereby the robot is controlled to move autonomously by recognizing a self position of the robot.