Autonomous mobile robot

• US 7,742,840 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2005
• Issued: 06/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Asatani, Minami, Watabe, Tomoki, Fujita, Shintarou, Osada, Taku, Yoshiike, Takahide, Nakayama, Takashi, Sugino, Tsukasa, Kawabe, Koji
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATTON, SPENCER D
• Application Number:
  US11/294,456
• Publication Number:
  US 20060129276A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,659 Days
• Field of Search: 700/253, 700/245, 700/259, 901/1, 342/53, 342/64, 318/568.12, 701/23, 701/25, 701/26, 701/207, 701/208, 701/210, 701/223
• US Class Current: 700/253
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0234 using optical markers or beacons optical beacons per se G01S1/70
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/024 in combination with a laser lasers per se H01S
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0242 using non-visible light signals, e.g. IR or UV signals
• 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 1/027 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 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0278 using satellite positioning signals, e.g. GPS

Abstract

Disclosed is a space-saving autonomous mobile robot capable of switching two types of light irradiation appropriately. The robot includes a moving mechanism, an autonomous movement controller for controlling the moving mechanism, a self-location recognition unit for sensing a self-location of the robot, a map data storage unit for storing a map data on locations of marks, a slit light device for irradiating a detection area with slit light, an infrared device for irradiating a detection area with infrared rays, and a switch determination unit for comparing a mark-formed region and the self-location, and then, for switching between the slit light and infrared devices, based on the comparison result. Moreover, the infrared device irradiates the detection area when the self-location is within the mark-formed region, while the slit light device irradiates the detection area when the self-location is outside the mark-formed region.

Claims

1. An autonomous mobile robot, comprising:

a moving mechanism;

an autonomous movement controller configured to control the moving mechanism;

a self-location recognition unit configured to sense a self-location of the autonomous mobile robot within an active area;

a map data storage unit configured to store a map data on locations of marks formed on the active area;

a slit light device configured to irradiate a detection area with slit light;

an infrared device configured to irradiate a detection area with infrared rays;

a switch determination unit configured to compare a mark-formed region stored in the map data storage unit and the self-location sensed by the self-location recognition unit, and then, configured to switch between the slit light device and the infrared device, based on a result of the comparison;

a capture unit configured to capture an image of the detection area irradiated by the slit light or infrared rays;

a road surface sensing unit configured to detect conditions of a road surface by analyzing the captured image of the detection area being irradiated with the slit light; and

a mark sensing unit configured to detect marks by analyzing the captured image of the detection area being irradiated with the infrared rays,

wherein the infrared device irradiates the detection area upon the self-location being within the mark-formed region, while the slit light device irradiates the detection area upon the self-location being out of the mark-formed region.

2. The autonomous mobile robot according to claim 1, further comprising a self-location correction unit configured to correct the self-location, based on locations of the marks detected by the mark sensing unit.

3. The autonomous mobile robot according to claim 2,

wherein the moving mechanism comprises a legged moving mechanism.

4. The autonomous mobile robot according to claim 2,

wherein the slit light device, the infrared device and the capture unit are attached to a front body of the autonomous mobile robot at its waist height.

5. The autonomous mobile robot according to claim 2,

wherein the capture unit is shared by both the slit light device and the infrared device.

6. The autonomous mobile robot according to claim 1, further comprising a base station and a robot controller, the robot controller comprising the map data storage unit.

7. The autonomous mobile robot according to claim 1,

wherein the moving mechanism comprises a legged moving mechanism.

8. The autonomous mobile robot according to claim 1,

wherein the slit light device, the infrared device and the capture unit are attached to a front body of the autonomous mobile robot at its waist height.

9. The autonomous mobile robot according to claim 1,

wherein the capture unit is shared by both the slit light device and the infrared device.

10. A process for controlling an autonomous mobile robot, comprising:

sensing a self-location of the autonomous mobile robot within an active area;

acquiring a map data on locations of marks formed on the active area;

comparing the self-location and a mark-formed region being acquired from the map data; and

switching between slit light and infrared rays, based on a result of the comparison, so that a detection area is irradiated,

wherein the slit light and the infrared rays are switched in such a way that the detection area is irradiated by the infrared rays upon the self-location being within the mark-formed region, while the detection area is irradiated by the slit light upon the self-location being out of the mark-formed region.