ROBOT SYSTEM, LEG TYPE MOBILE ROBOT SYSTEM, CONTROL METHOD OF LEG TYPE MOBILE ROBOT SYSTEM, AND CONTROL METHOD OF ROBOT SYSTEM

• US 20160347386A1
• Filed: 02/27/2015
• Published: 12/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
• Inventors: TANI, Yuki, MATSUNAMI, Natsuki, TAMI, Tomohiro
• Application Number:
  US15/117,331
• Publication Number:
  US 20160347386A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 57/032 with alternately or sequentially lifted supporting base and legs; with alternately or sequentially lifted feet or skid B62D57/024 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/24 for measuring contours or curvatures
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 7/04 involving a vehicle which moves along the profile to be traced
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/024 in combination with a laser lasers per se H01S

Abstract

Landform data showing the shape of a ground surface (4) is acquired. A specification position is specified on the ground surface. A relative angle (432; 442) between the virtual plane (51) and the ground surface (4) in the at least one inspection point (433; 443) is calculated based on the landform data when the virtual plane (51) set with the reference point (423) and the at least one inspection point (433; 443) is virtually arranged such that the reference point (423) overlaps with the specification position, and such that the virtual plane (51) becomes parallel to the ground surface in the specification position. A landform determination value indicating a flatness of the landform is calculated based on the relative angle (432; 442).

Claims

1. A robot system comprising:

a sensor configured to generate landform data showing a shape of a ground surface;

a storage device which stores a program; and

a processing unit which executes the program to implement;

a specification position generating section which specifies a specification position on the ground surface;

a landform determination processing section which carries out relative angle calculation processing of calculating a relative angle between a virtual surface and the ground surface in at least one inspection point based on the landform data, when the virtual plane in which a reference point and the at least one inspection point are set is arranged such that the reference point overlaps with the specification position and such that the virtual surface becomes parallel to the ground surface in the specification position; and

landform determination value calculation processing of calculating a landform determination value indicating a flatness of the landform based on the relative angle; and

a control section which controls walking of a robot based on the landform determination value.

2. The robot system according to claim 1, wherein the virtual surface is set based on a shape of a foot sole of a foot of a leg type mobile robot as the robot, and

wherein the at least one inspection point is set to a position which is farther away from an ankle joint of the foot of the leg type mobile robot than the reference point.

3. The robot system according to claim 2, wherein the at least one inspection point comprises a first inspection point set on a tiptoe side of the foot from the reference point, and a second inspection point set on a heel side of the foot from the reference point, and

wherein the landform determination value is calculated based on the relative angle in the first inspection point and the relative angle in the second inspection point.

4. A leg type mobile robot system comprising:

a sensor configured to generate landform data showing a shape of a ground surface;

a storage device which stores a program; and

a processing unit which executes the program to implement;

a specification position generating section which specifies a specification position on the ground surface, and

a landform determination processing section which carries out relative angle calculation processing of calculating a relative angle between a virtual surface and the ground surface in at least one inspection point based on the landform data, when the virtual plane in which a reference point and the at least one inspection point are set is arranged such that the reference point overlaps with the specification position and such that the virtual surface becomes parallel to the ground surface in the specification position; and

landform determination value calculation processing of calculating a landform determination value indicating a flatness of the landform based on the relative angle;

a leg type mobile robot having a leg connected to a foot through an ankle joint; and

a controller configured to control an angle of the ankle joint based on the landform determination value such that a part of a foot sole of the foot corresponding to the reference point becomes parallel to the ground surface in the specification position, when the foot sole should be put on the specification position, and control walking of the leg type mobile robot based on the landform determination value,

wherein the virtual surface is set based on a shape of the foot sole of the foot of a robot, and

wherein the at least one inspection point is set to a position which is farther away from the ankle joint of the foot of the robot than the reference point.

5. A robot system comprising:

a leg type mobile robot; and

a remote control terminal,

wherein the leg type mobile robot comprises;

a leg connected to a foot through an ankle joint;

a sensor configured to generate landform data showing a shape of a ground surface; and

a controller configured to control an angle of the ankle joint based on the landform determination value such that a part of a foot sole of the foot corresponding to a reference point becomes parallel to a ground surface in a specification position, when the foot sole should be put on the specification position,

wherein the remote control terminal comprises;

an input device;

a storage device which stores a program;

a processing unit which executes the program to implement;

a specification position generating section which specifies the specification position on the ground surface based on an input operation to the input device; and

a landform determination processing section which carries out relative angle calculation processing of calculating a relative angle between a virtual surface and the ground surface in at least one inspection point based on the landform data, when the virtual plane set with a reference point and the at least one inspection point is arranged such that the reference point overlaps with the specification position and such that the virtual surface becomes parallel to the ground surface in the specification position; and

landform determination value calculation processing of calculating a landform determination value indicating a flatness of the landform based on the relative angle; and

an output device which outputs the landform determination value,

wherein the virtual surface is set based on a shape of the foot sole of the foot, and

wherein the at least one inspection point is set to a position which is farther away from the ankle joint of the foot than the reference point,

wherein the remote control terminal transmits a command value corresponding to a movement target position to the leg type mobile robot, when the input operation is carried out to set the specification position as the movement target position of the foot sole, and

wherein the leg type mobile robot controls the angle of the ankle joint based on the command value.

6. A control method of a robot, comprising:

acquiring landform data showing a shape of a ground surface by a robot;

specifying a specification position on the ground surface by a remote control terminal;

calculating, by the remote control terminal, a relative angle between a virtual plane and the ground surface in at least one inspection point based on the landform data when the virtual plane on which a reference point and the at least one inspection point are set is arranged such that the reference point overlaps with the specification position and such that the virtual plane becomes parallel to the ground surface in the specification position;

calculating, by the remote control terminal, a landform determination value indicating a flatness of the landform based on the relative angle; and

controlling walking of the robot based on the landform determination value.

7. The control method according to claim 6, wherein the virtual plane is set based on the shape of the foot sole of a foot of a leg type mobile robot, and

wherein the at least one inspection point is set in a position which is farther away from the ankle joint of the foot of the leg type mobile robot than the reference point.

8. The landform determining method according to claim 7, wherein the at least one inspection point includes a first inspection point set on a tiptoe side from the reference point, and a second inspection point set on a heel side of the foot from the reference point, and

wherein the landform determination value is calculated based on the relative angle in the first inspection point and the relative angle in the second inspection point.

9. A control method of a leg type mobile robot, comprising:

acquiring landform data showing a shape of a ground surface by a robot;

specifying a specification position on the ground surface by a remote control terminal;

calculating, by the remote control terminal, a relative angle between a virtual plane and the ground surface in at least one inspection point based on the landform data when the virtual plane on which a reference point and the at least one inspection point are set is arranged such that the reference point overlaps with the specification position and such that the virtual plane becomes parallel to the ground surface in the specification position;

calculating, by the remote control terminal, a landform determination value indicating a flatness of the landform based on the relative angle;

wherein the virtual plane is set based on the shape of the foot sole of a foot of the leg type mobile robot;

wherein the at least one inspection point is set in a position which is farther away from the ankle joint of the foot of the leg type mobile robot than the reference point; and

controlling an angle of the ankle joint based on the landform determination value such that a part of the foot sole corresponding to the reference point becomes parallel to the ground surface in the specification position, when the foot sole of the leg type mobile robot should be put on the specification position.

10. A method of controlling a robot system comprising a leg type mobile robot and a remote control terminal,

the method comprising:

acquiring landform data showing a shape of a ground surface by the leg type mobile robot;

specifying a specification position on the ground surface based on an input operation to an input device of the remote control terminal;

calculating, by a processing unit of the remote control terminal, a relative angle between a virtual plane and the ground surface based on the landform data when the virtual plane set with a reference point and the at least one inspection point is virtually arranged such that the reference point overlaps with the specification position, and such that the virtual plane becomes parallel to the ground surface in the specification position;

calculating, by the processing unit, a landform determination value indicating a flatness of the landform;

transmitting, by the remote control terminal, a command value corresponding to a movement target position to the leg type mobile robot, when the specification position is determined as the movement target position of a foot sole of the leg type mobile robot; and

controlling, by the leg type mobile robot, an angle of an ankle joint of a leg of the leg type mobile robot based on the command value corresponding to the landform determination value,

wherein the virtual plane is set based on a shape of the foot sole of the leg type mobile robot,

wherein the at least one inspection point is set to a position which is farther away from the ankle joint of the leg than the reference point, and

wherein the specifying the specification position comprises specifying the specification position through an input unit of the remote control terminal.

11. (canceled)