ROBOT CONTROL SYSTEM, ROBOT CONTROL TERMINAL, AND ROBOT CONTROL METHOD

• US 20120083923A1
• Filed: 05/27/2010
• Published: 04/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Matsumoto, Kosei, Moriya, Toshio
• Granted Patent: US 9,242,378 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/255
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1664 characterised by motion, path, trajectory planning
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40424 Online motion planning, in real time, use vision to detect workspace changes
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40506 Self motion topology knowledge, configuration mapping
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40516 Replanning
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/024 in combination with a laser lasers per se H01S
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30

Abstract

The invention notifies a robot controller of the need to re-create map data. A robot control system (1) includes a robot (2) that moves along a path while detecting obstacles, and a robot control terminal (3) that records map data (321) and specifies the path of said robot (2), whereby said robot (2) uses lasers to make measurements while in motion and sends the results as sensor data (324) to said robot control terminal (3) which uses said sensor data to generate simulated sensor data (325) along the future path of said robot, and if the proportion of sections for which simulated sensor data and said map data (321) do not coincide exceeds a threshold value, the user is notified of a reconstruction of said map data (321).

Claims

1. A robot control system, comprising;

a robot that moves on a path while detecting an obstacle by a distance measurement sensor; and

a robot control terminal that stores a map data in a storage part and instructs the robot on which path the robot is to move,

wherein the robot moving on a path transmits a measurement result obtained by the distance measurement sensor to the robot control terminal, and

wherein the robot control terminal

estimates a measurement result which is to be measured in a future time at a location at which the robot arrives after the robot moves, in such a manner that the estimated measurement result can be compared to the map date, based on the measurement result transmitted from the robot, and

notifies a user of a re-creation of the map data, if a proportion of an unmatched portion between the estimated measurement result and the map data is larger than a preset threshold.

2. The robot control system according to claim 1,

wherein the location at which the robot arrives after the robot moves is a location on a path on which the robot moves.

3. The robot control system according to claim 1,

wherein the robot control terminal

creates a map data for map re-create determination, based on the measurement result transmitted from the robot, and

estimates, in the map data for map re-create determination, a measurement result which is to be measured in a future at a location at which the robot arrives after the robot moves.

4. The robot control system according to claim 3,

wherein, in the estimated measurement result, the robot control terminal determines a differential portion between the map data for map re-create determination and the map data as an invalid portion, determines the other portion as a valid portion, determines whether or not a proportion of the valid portion with respect to the estimated measurement result is larger than the threshold, and thereby determines whether or not a proportion of an unmatched portion between the estimated measurement result and the map data is larger than a preset threshold.

5. The robot control system according to claim 3,

wherein each of the map data and the map data for map re-create determination is divided into a plurality of grids, and

wherein the robot control terminal determines whether or not a proportion of grids corresponding to a differential portion between the map data for map re-create determination and the map data is larger than the threshold, and thereby determines whether or not a proportion of an unmatched portion between the estimated measurement result and the map data is larger than a preset threshold.

6. The robot control system according to claim 1,

wherein the robot control terminal displays the unmatched portion in the display part.

7. The robot control system according to claim 1,

wherein the robot control terminal divides the map data into prescribed sections and sets a threshold for each of the sections.

8. The robot control system according to claim 1,

wherein the robot has an instruction display part that performs an instruction display to a portion corresponding to an invalid portion in an actual environment.

9. A robot control terminal which stores a map data in a storage part and instructs a robot on which path the robot is to move, comprising:

an estimation part that estimates, based on a measurement result measured by a distance measurement sensor and transmitted from the robot, a measurement result which is to be measured in a future time at a location at which the robot arrives after the robot moves;

and a determination part that notifies a user of a re-creation of the map data, if a proportion of an unmatched portion between the estimated measurement result and the map data is larger than a preset threshold.

10. The robot control terminal according to claim 9,

wherein the location at which the robot arrives after the robot moves is a location on a path on which the robot moves.

11. The robot control terminal according to claim 9, further comprising a map creation part for map re-create determination that creates a map data for map re-create determination based on the measurement result transmitted from the robot,

wherein the determination part estimates, in the map data for map re-create determination, a measurement result which is to be measured in a future time at a location at which the robot arrives after the robot moves.

12. A robot control method performed by a robot control system comprising a robot that moves on a path while detecting an obstacle by a distance measurement sensor, and a robot control terminal that stores a map data in a storage part and instructs the robot on which path the robot is to move, the robot control method comprising:

a step, performed by the robot while moving on a path, of transmitting a measurement result obtained by the distance measurement sensor to the robot control terminal; and

steps, performed by the robot control terminal, of

estimating a measurement result which is to be measured in a future time at a location at which the robot arrives after the robot moves, in such a manner that the estimated measurement result can be compared to the map date, based on the measurement result transmitted from the robot; and

notifying a user of a re-creation of the map data, if a proportion of an unmatched portion between the estimated measurement result and the map data is larger than a preset threshold.

13. The robot control method according to claim 12,

wherein the location at which the robot arrives after the robot moves is a location on a path on which the robot moves.

14. The robot control method according to claim 12,

wherein the robot control terminal

creates a map data for map re-create determination, based on the measurement result transmitted from the robot, and

estimates, in the map data for map re-create determination, a measurement result which is to be measured in a future time at a location at which the robot arrives after the robot moves.

15. (canceled)

16. A robot control system, comprising a robot that moves on a path while detecting an obstacle by a distance measurement sensor,

wherein the robot

stores a map data in a storage part,

transmits, while moving on a path, a measurement result obtained by the distance measurement sensor,

estimates a measurement result which is to be measured in a future time at a location at which the robot arrives after the robot moves, in such a manner that the estimated measurement result can be compared to the map date, based on the measurement result, and

notifies a user of a re-creation of the map data, if a proportion of an unmatched portion between the estimated measurement result and the map data is larger than a preset threshold.