MOBILE ROBOT

• US 20130158748A1
• Filed: 09/05/2011
• Published: 06/20/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SoftBank Robotics Europe SAS
• Original Assignee: Aldebaran Robotics S.A. (SoftBank Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Baillie, Jean-Christophe
• Granted Patent: US 9,400,504 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/2
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0038 by providing the operator with simple or augmented images from one or more cameras located onboard the vehicle, e.g. tele-operation images analyzed by a computer and used for automatic navigation G05D1/0246
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0225 involving docking at a fixed facility, e.g. base station or loading bay parking aids B62D15/027
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0246 using a video camera in combination with image processing means
• 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 1/0276 using signals provided by a source external to the vehicle involving a plurality of vehicles G05D1/0287; automatically controlling vehicle speed responsive to externally generated signals B60K31/0058
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/028 using a RF signal
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/47 Optical

Abstract

A control device for a mobile robot, the robot comprising a camera and a communication unit, comprises a display unit displaying an image corresponding to the image taken by the camera and transmitted by the communication unit, and a user interface, wherein the user interface is configured to allow a user to control a position of a pointer on the image displayed by the display unit, and the user interface comprises a selection unit allowing the user to select a position of the pointer on the image displayed by the display unit, the control device further comprising a computation unit and a communication system, the computation unit being configured to compute displacement commands and send them through the communication system to the robot, said displacement commands being computed to make the robot move to a physical position corresponding to the pointer'"'"'s position selected by the user on the image.

Claims

1. A control device for a mobile robot, the robot comprising a camera and a communication unit, the control device comprising:

a display unit, which displays an image corresponding to the image taken by the camera and transmitted by the communication unit, and

a user interface,

wherein

the user interface is configured to allow a user to control a position of a pointer on the image displayed by the display unit, and

the user interface comprises a selection unit allowing the user to select a position of the pointer on the image displayed by the display unit,

the control device further comprising a computation unit and a communication system,

the computation unit being configured to compute displacement commands and send them through the communication system to the robot, said displacement commands being computed to make the robot move to a physical position corresponding to the pointer'"'"'s position selected by the user on the image.

2. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the pointer is a pattern which aspect depends on the space orientation and/or position of the pointer in the image.

3. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the pointer is a pattern which is represented in perspective and parallel to a plane of a physical environment in which the robot is moving.

4. The control device according to claim 3, wherein the plane corresponds to a plane of a wall, or a plane of a floor, or a plane of an object located in the physical environment.

5. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the size of the pointer depends on the distance between:

the robot, and

the physical position corresponding to the position on which the pointer is located in the image.

6. A system for mobile robot, comprising:

a mobile robot, the robot comprising a camera and a communication unit, and

a control device according to claim 1.

7. A method for controlling a mobile robot, the robot comprising a camera and a communication unit, the control device comprising:

a display unit, which displays an image corresponding to the image taken by the camera and transmitted by the communication unit,

a user interface,

a computation unit, and

a communication system, configured to communicate with the communication unit of the robot,

the method comprising the following steps;

a user controls, through the user interface, the position of a pointer on the image displayed by the display unit,

the user selects, through a selection unit, a position for the pointer of the image displayed by the display unit,

the computation unit computes displacement commands and sends them through the communication system to the robot, said displacement commands being computed to make the robot move to a physical position corresponding to the pointer'"'"'s position selected by the user on the image.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the pointer is a pattern which aspect depends on the space orientation and/or position of the pointer in the image.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein the pointer is a pattern which is represented in perspective and parallel to a plane of a physical environment in which the robot is moving.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the plane corresponds to a plane of a wall, or a plane of a floor, or a plane of an object located in the physical environment.

11. The method according to claim 7, wherein the size of the pointer depends on the distance between:

the robot, and

the physical position corresponding to the position on which the pointer is located in the image.