Method of and apparatus for guiding microrobot

• US 5,596,255 A
• Filed: 10/18/1994
• Issued: 01/21/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Miyazawa, Osamu
• Primary Examiner(s): Martin, David S.
• Application Number:
  US08/324,935
• Time in Patent Office: 826 Days
• Field of Search: 318/568.12, 318/, 318/567, 318/567.11-.24, 318/580, 318/586, 318/577, 364/424.01, 364/424.02, 395/80-99, 395/901, 901/1
• US Class Current: 318/568.12
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 17/36 Steering-mechanisms for toy vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 18/16 Control of vehicle drives by interaction between vehicle and track; Control of track elements by vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/005 Motorised rolling toys
• 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 1/0255 using acoustic signals, e.g. ultra-sonic singals sonar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S15/93
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0259 using magnetic or electromagnetic means
• 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

Abstract

A method of and an apparatus for guiding a microrobot without the necessity of an operator is disclosed. The operation area for the microrobot can easily be enlarged, contracted or changed. Sensors of the microrobot are used to cause the microrobot to react to light, magnetism or sound through an arbitrary passage formed on a surface of a light transmissible base plate, on which the microrobot is moved. The passage is formed by projecting light emitted from a light source through a pattern mask from an opposite side of the base plate.

Claims

1. A microrobot system, comprising:

a base plate having a surface;

means for forming a predetermined light pattern on said surface of said base plate; and

a microcomputer-controlled microrobot disposed on said light pattern of said base plate and including left and right detection means mounted thereon for detecting light, said left and right detection means having left and right detection fields, respectively, said left and right detection fields partially overlapping each other to form a central detection field of said microrobot;

wherein said microrobot turns to left in response to detection of light in said left detection field and turns right in response to detection of light in said right detection field, and said microrobot moves straight ahead in response to detection of light in said central detection field.

2. The microrobot system according to claim 1, wherein said microrobot further includes:

a body on which said left and right detection means are mounted,

left and right wheels mounted on a bottom portion of said body, and

left and right drive means for driving said left and right wheels, respectively so that said left and right wheels are rotated independently of each other.

3. The microrobot system of claim 2 wherein said microrobot further includes a battery for supplying power, said battery being disposed on the bottom portion of said microrobot body and between said left and right drive means.

4. The microrobot system according to claim 1 further comprising robot position detection means for detecting the position of said microrobot by detecting light intensity near said surface of said base plate, said light intensity changing guiding depending upon the position of said microrobot.

5. The microrobot system according to claim 1, wherein said forming means includes means for projecting a bright and dark light pattern on said surface of said base plate so that said predetermined light pattern constitutes a bright portion of said bright and dark light pattern.

6. The microrobot system according to claim 5, wherein said base plate is made of light transmissible material, and said projecting means includes a light source irradiating light on said base plate from a side opposite to said surface of said base plate and a pattern mask disposed between said light source and said base plate, said pattern mask including a light transmissible portion having a predetermined pattern corresponding to said bright portion of said bright and dark pattern on said base plate.

7. The microrobot system according to claim 6, wherein said forming means includes optical means for diverging and for converging light emitted from said light source to change the size of said bright and dark pattern to be projected on said surface of said base plate.

8. The microrobot system according to claim 5, wherein said projecting apparatus includes a light source irradiating light on said surface of said base plate from a position above said surface of said base plate and a pattern mask disposed between said light source and said base plate, said pattern mask including a light transmissible portion having a predetermined pattern corresponding to said bright portion of said bright and dark pattern on said base plate.

9. The microrobot system according to claim 5 further comprising robot position detection means for detecting the position of said microrobot by detecting light intensity near said surface of said base plate, said light intensity changing depending upon the position of said microrobot.

10. The microrobot system according to claim 1, wherein said forming means includes a light source disposed within a predetermined range of said base plate and irradiating said surface of said base plate with light and drive means for moving a position of said light source to adjust the position of light irradiated on said surface of said base plate.

11. The microrobot system according to claim 1, wherein said base plate is made of light transmissible material and said forming means includes a group of light emitting means disposed on a side opposite to said surface of said base plate for serving as a light source and control means for causing said group of light emitting means to emit light in a predetermined pattern.

12. The microrobot system according to claim 11 further comprising robot position detection means for detecting the position of said microrobot by detecting the electromotive force of a portion of said group of light emitting means that is not emitting light, said electromotive force changing depending upon the position of said microrobot.

13. The microrobot system according to claim 11 further comprising robot position detection means having light receiving means disposed near said group of light emitting means for detecting the position of said microrobot by detecting intensity of light reflected by said microrobot, said light intensity changing in response to said light reflected by said microrobot.

14. The microrobot system according to claim 1, further comprising charging means, disposed on an area of said predetermined light pattern for charging electric power into said microrobot.

15. The microrobot system of claim 1 wherein said microrobot includes a sensor which collects predetermined type of data from said base plate.

16. The microrobot system of claim 1

wherein said predetermined light pattern includes a first area at which said microrobot receives an object from an external apparatus and a second area at which said microrobot, at a predetermined position, delivers said object which has been received by said microrobot at said first area.

17. A microrobot system, comprising:

a base plate having a surface;

magnetic field generating means for forming an intense and weak magnetism pattern on said surface of said base plate; and

a microcomputer-controlled microrobot disposed on said magnetism pattern of said base plate and including left and right detection means mounted thereon for detecting magnetic flux, said left and right detection means having left and right detection fields, respectively, said left and right detection fields partially overlapping each other to form a central detection field of said microrobot;

wherein said microrobot turns to left in response to detection of magnetic flux in said left detection field and turns right in response to detection of magnetic flux in said right detection field, and said microrobot moves straight ahead in response to detection of magnetic flux in said central detection field.

18. The microrobot system according to claim 17 further comprising robot position detection means for detecting the position of said microrobot by monitoring a magnetic flux density near said surface of said base plate, said magnetic flux density changing depending upon the position of said microrobot.

19. The microrobot system according to claim 17 wherein said microrobot further includes:

a body on which said left and right detection means are mounted,

left and right wheels mounted on a bottom portion of said body, and

left and right drive means for driving said left and right wheels, respectively so that said left and right wheels are rotated independently of each other.

20. A microrobot system, comprising:

a base plate having a surface;

ultrasonic wave generating means for forming an intense and weak ultrasonic wave pattern on said surface of said base plate; and

a microcomputer-controlled microrobot disposed on said ultrasonic wave pattern of said base plate and including left and right detection means mounted thereon for detecting ultrasonic wave, said left and right detection means having left and right detection fields, respectively, said left and right detection fields partially overlapping each other to form a central detection field of said microrobot;

wherein said microrobot turns to left in response to detection of ultrasonic wave in said left detection field and turns right in response to detection of ultrasonic wave in said right detection field, and said microrobot moves straight ahead in response to detection of ultrasonic wave in said central detection field.

21. The microrobot system according to claim 20 further comprising robot position detection means for detecting the position of said microrobot by monitoring the intensity of said ultrasonic waves near said surface of said base plate, the intensity of said ultrasonic waves changing depending upon the position of said microrobot.

22. The microrobot system according to claim 20 wherein said microrobot further includes:

a body on which said left and right detection means are mounted,

left and right wheels mounted on a bottom portion of said body, and

left and right drive means for driving said left and right wheels, respectively so that said left and right wheels are rotated independently of each other.