Autonomous mobile robot and goods carrying method of using the same

• US 7,822,508 B2
• Filed: 12/11/2006
• Issued: 10/26/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Makino, Hiroyuki, Yokoyama, Taro, Sugiyama, Kenichiro, Koshiishi, Takeshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Figueroa; Jaime
• Application Number:
  US11/636,597
• Publication Number:
  US 20070152619A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,415 Days
• Field of Search: 700/245, 318/568.12
• US Class Current: 700/245
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1612 characterised by the hand, wrist, grip control
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1641 compensation for backlash, friction, compliance, elasticity in the joints
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/39005 Feedback for stability of manipulator, felt as force reflection
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/39195 Control, avoid oscillation, vibration due to low rigidity
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/39241 Force and vibration control
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/39473 Autonomous grasping, find, approach, grasp object, sensory motor coordination
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/39484 Locate, reach and grasp, visual guided grasping
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40014 Gripping workpiece to place it in another place
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40042 Control tilting angle of surface carried by robot
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40073 Carry container with liquid, compensate liquid vibration, swinging effect
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40571 Camera, vision combined with force sensor

Abstract

The autonomous mobile robot having an openable and closable gripper for gripping goods, cameras, an autonomous mobile means, and a control means for making the robot carry the goods to a destination from an acquisition source, the control means comprising: a grip position recognition means configured to recognize a predetermined position suitable for gripping a carrier container of a predetermined specification configured to place the goods to carry, based on an image of the acquisition source taken by the cameras; a grip control means configured to drive the gripper to the predetermined position of the carrier container and to control gripping the predetermined position; and a grip-success-or-not determination means configured to determine whether or not the gripping is successful, based on an external force acting on the gripper.

Claims

1. An autonomous mobile robot having an openable and closable gripper for gripping goods, cameras, an autonomous mobile unit, and a control unit for making the robot carry the goods to a destination from an acquisition source, the control unit comprising:

a grip position recognition unit configured to recognize a predetermined position suitable for gripping a carrier container of a predetermined specification based on an image of the acquisition source taken by the cameras, wherein the carrier container is configured to hold the goods to carry;

a grip control unit configured to drive the gripper to the predetermined position of the carrier container and to control gripping of the carrier container at the predetermined position; and

a grip-success-or-not determination unit configured to determine whether or not the gripping is successful, based on an external force acting on the gripper.

2. The autonomous mobile robot according to claim 1 further comprising a vibration suppression controller configured to perform feedback control configured to cancel an external force acting on the gripper during carrying the goods to the destination.

3. The autonomous mobile robot according to claim 2, wherein the vibration suppression controller is provided for every actuator configured to move a joint and configured to determine a movement of the gripper, and comprises:

an actuator controller configured to control driving each actuator;

an extraction unit configured to obtain acceleration components added to the gripper, based on the external force acting on the gripper, and to extract only an acceleration component responsive by the actuator controller from the acceleration components; and

an application unit configured to divide the acceleration component extracted by the extraction unit into a signal for each actuator and to add the divided signal to a speed control loop of a corresponding actuator controller.

4. The autonomous mobile robot according to claim 3, wherein the acceleration component comprises at least one of a vertical direction force added to the gripper, and a moment around an axis in a left and right direction of the robot added to the gripper.

5. The autonomous mobile robot according to claim 1 further comprising:

a receipt-and-handover-height decision unit configured to decide a target position, based on a height of a placement place where the carrier container of the destination is placed;

a gripper move unit configured to lower the gripped carrier container to the target position; and

a handover-completion determination unit configured to determine whether or not the placement of the carrier container is completed, based on the external force acting on the gripper.

6. The autonomous mobile robot according to claim 5 further comprising a placement-success-or-not determination unit configured to determine whether or not a placement is successful before the placement of the carrier container is completed, based on whether the gripper is lowered to a predetermined height.

7. The autonomous mobile robot according to claim 1, wherein the control unit further comprises a learning degree determination unit configured to determine a learning degree of a person with respect to handover in a case of the acquisition source being the person, and wherein the grip control unit adjusts a movement speed, depending on the learning degree, wherein the learning degree is determined to be high, middle, or low.

8. A goods carrying method of making a robot carry goods to a destination from an acquisition source, the robot having an openable and closable gripper for gripping the goods, cameras, and an autonomous mobile unit, the method comprising:

a grip position recognition step of recognizing a predetermined position suitable for gripping a carrier container of a predetermined specification based on an image of the acquisition source taken by the cameras, wherein the carrier container is configured to hold the goods to carry;

a grip control step of driving the gripper to the predetermined position of the carrier container and controlling gripping the predetermined position;

a grip-success-or-not determination step of determining whether or not the gripping is successful, based on an external force acting on the gripper; and

a vibration suppression control step of performing feedback control configured to cancel an external force acting on the gripper during carrying the goods to the destination.