Mobile apparatus and control program therefor

• US 7,873,438 B2
• Filed: 11/26/2008
• Issued: 01/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Sekiya, Makoto
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sample; Jonathan L
• Application Number:
  US12/323,851
• Publication Number:
  US 20090143932A1
• Time in Patent Office: 783 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 700/255
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 19/023 including video camera means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0246 using a video camera in combination with image processing means
• 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 1/0278 using satellite positioning signals, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0289 with means for avoiding collisions between vehicles vehicle fittings for automatically controlling speed including means for detecting potential obstacles B60K31/0008; avoiding obstacles by action on the steering system B62D; radar, sonar, lidar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S13/93, G01S15/93, G01S17/93

Abstract

A mobile apparatus capable of moving or acting autonomously while flexibly avoiding contact with a moving object in accordance with various situations is provided. In a case where a second safety condition is not satisfied because, e.g., a first target trajectory cannot be found, a second target trajectory causing a first spatial element to approach the boundary of an element passing region is searched for and determined. A robot autonomously approaches the boundary of the passable region in accordance with the second target trajectory determined as a provisional target trajectory, and stops at the position corresponding to the end point of the second target trajectory. Such movement of the robot along the second target trajectory increases the space, making it possible to prompt an object to move through the space.

Claims

1. A mobile apparatus comprising a control device and having an operation controlled by the control device to autonomously move along a target trajectory representing changes in a target position defined in a two-dimensional model space,

the control device including a first processing unit, a second processing unit, and a third processing unit, wherein

the first processing unit recognizes a position of a boundary of a region through which the mobile apparatus is capable of passing as a position of a boundary of an element passing region in the model space, recognizes the mobile apparatus and a position of the mobile apparatus as a first spatial element and a first position, respectively, recognizes an object and a position of the object as a second spatial element and a second position, respectively, and recognizes the second spatial element continuously or intermittently expanded in accordance with the change in the second position as an expanded second spatial element,

the second processing unit determines whether a first safety condition is satisfied based on the first spatial element, the first position, the second spatial element and the second position of the recognition result by the first processing unit, the first safety condition specifying that a possibility of contact between the first spatial element and the second spatial element in the element passing region is low,

on a condition that the second processing unit determines that the first safety condition is not satisfied, the third processing unit searches for a first target trajectory based on the position of a boundary of the element passing region, the first spatial element, the first position, the expanded second spatial element and the second position of the recognition result by the first processing unit, the first target trajectory allowing the first spatial element to avoid contact with the expanded second spatial element in the element passing region,

the second processing unit determines whether a second safety condition is satisfied, the second safety condition specifying that the first target trajectory has been searched for and determined by the third processing unit,

on a condition that the second processing unit determines that the second safety condition is not satisfied, the third processing unit searches for a second target trajectory based on the position of a boundary of the element passing region, the first spatial element and the first position of the recognition result by the first processing unit, the second target trajectory evaluating a distance between the first spatial element and the boundary of the element passing region as a third distance and causing the first spatial element to approach a boundary of the element passing region preferentially in a direction in which the third distance is small, and

the control device controls the operation of the mobile apparatus by regarding the first target trajectory as the target trajectory in a case where the second processing unit determines that the second safety condition is satisfied, whereas the control device controls the operation of the mobile apparatus by regarding the second target trajectory provisionally as the target trajectory and to cause the mobile apparatus to stop moving at a stop position, which is a position corresponding to an end point of the second target trajectory, in a case where the second target trajectory has been searched for and determined by the third processing unit.

2. The mobile apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

in a state where the mobile apparatus is stopped at the stop position, the second processing unit determines whether a third safety condition is satisfied based on the first spatial element, the first position, the second spatial element and the second position of the recognition result by the first processing unit, the third safety condition specifying that the possibility of contact between the first spatial element and the second spatial element has lowered, and

on a condition that the second processing unit determines that the third safety condition is satisfied, the third processing unit searches for a new trajectory as the target trajectory based on at least the position of a boundary of the element passing region, the first spatial element and the first position of the recognition result by the first processing unit.

3. The mobile apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the second processing unit determines whether the third safety condition is satisfied, the third safety condition specifying that the second spatial element has moved across a line which passes the end point of the second target trajectory and partitions the element passing region.

4. The mobile apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second processing unit determines whether the second safety condition is satisfied, the second safety condition additionally specifying that the possibility of contact of the first spatial element with the second spatial element in the case where the first spatial element moves along the first target trajectory is low.

5. The mobile apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the second processing unit evaluates a distance between the first target trajectory and the expanded second spatial element as a first distance, and in a case where the first distance is greater than a first safety distance, the second processing unit evaluates that the possibility of contact of the first spatial element with the second spatial element in the case where the first spatial element moves along the first target trajectory is low.

6. The mobile apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the second processing unit evaluates an overlapping area between a first cell centered around a point on the first target trajectory and the element passing region excluding the expanded second spatial element in the model space as the first distance.

7. The mobile apparatus according to claim 4, wherein in a case where a line extended from the second spatial element based on the changes in the second position does not intersect the first target trajectory searched for and determined by the third processing unit, the second processing unit evaluates that the possibility of contact of the first spatial element with the second spatial element in the case where the first spatial element moves along the first target trajectory is low.

8. The mobile apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the first processing unit recognizes the first spatial element continuously or intermittently expanded in accordance with the changes in the first position as an expanded first spatial element,

the third processing unit searches for a trajectory allowing the second spatial element to avoid contact with the expanded first spatial element in the element passing region as a predicted trajectory based on the position of a boundary of the element passing region, the first spatial element, the expanded first position, the second spatial element and the second position of the recognition result by the first processing unit, and

the second processing unit determines whether the second safety condition is satisfied, the second safety condition additionally specifying that the predicted trajectory has been searched for and determined by the third processing unit.

9. The mobile apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the second processing unit determines whether the second safety condition is satisfied, the second safety condition additionally specifying that a possibility of contact of the second spatial element with the first spatial element in the case where the second spatial element moves along the predicted trajectory is low.

10. The mobile apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the second processing unit evaluates a distance between the predicted trajectory and the expanded first spatial element as a second distance, and in a case where the second distance is greater than a second safety distance, the second processing unit evaluates that the possibility of contact of the second spatial element with the first spatial element in the case where the second spatial element moves along the predicted trajectory is low.

11. The mobile apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the second processing unit evaluates an overlapping area between a second cell centered around a point on the predicted trajectory and the element passing region excluding the expanded first spatial element in the model space as the second distance.

12. The mobile apparatus according to claim 9, wherein in the case where the first target trajectory does not intersect the predicted trajectory, the second processing unit evaluates that the possibility of contact of the second spatial element with the first spatial element in the case where the second spatial element moves along the predicted trajectory is low.

13. The mobile apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the third processing unit preferentially searches for a trajectory causing the first spatial element to move away from the predicted trajectory as the second target trajectory.

14. The mobile apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the third processing unit evaluates an overlapping area between a third cell arranged around the first spatial element and the element passing region in the model space as the third distance.

15. The mobile apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the third processing unit searches for the second target trajectory to cause the first spatial element to move away from the second spatial element present in front of the first spatial element.

16. The mobile apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control device controls the operation of the mobile apparatus such that a change in orientation of the mobile apparatus before and after a movement of the mobile apparatus along the second target trajectory is restricted to a minimum.

17. The mobile apparatus according to claim 1, wherein on a condition that the control device causes the mobile apparatus to move along the second target trajectory, the control device controls the operation of the mobile apparatus to output a voice or a signal, or make a motion, to indicate that the mobile apparatus has given way to the object.

18. A control program causing a computer mounted on a mobile apparatus to function as a control device, wherein the mobile apparatus comprises the control device and has an operation controlled by the control device to autonomously move along a target trajectory representing changes in a target position defined in a two-dimensional model space,

the control device including a first processing unit, a second processing unit, and a third processing unit, wherein

the first processing unit recognizes a position of a boundary of a region through which the mobile apparatus is capable of passing as a position of a boundary of an element passing region in the model space, recognizes the mobile apparatus and a position of the mobile apparatus as a first spatial element and a first position, respectively, recognizes an object and a position of the object as a second spatial element and a second position, respectively, and recognizes the second spatial element continuously or intermittently expanded in accordance with the change in the second position as an expanded second spatial element,

the second processing unit determines whether a first safety condition is satisfied based on the first spatial element, the first position, the second spatial element and the second position of the recognition result by the first processing unit, the first safety condition specifying that a possibility of contact between the first spatial element and the second spatial element in the element passing region is low,

on a condition that the second processing unit determines that the first safety condition is not satisfied, the third processing unit searches for a first target trajectory based on the position of a boundary of the element passing region, the first spatial element, the first position, the expanded second spatial element and the second position of the recognition result by the first processing unit, the first target trajectory allowing the first spatial element to avoid contact with the expanded second spatial element in the element passing region,

the second processing unit determines whether a second safety condition is satisfied, the second safety condition specifying that the first target trajectory has been searched for and determined by the third processing unit,

on a condition that the second processing unit determines that the second safety condition is not satisfied, the third processing unit searches for a second target trajectory based on the position of a boundary of the element passing region, the first spatial element and the first position of the recognition result by the first processing unit, the second target trajectory evaluating a distance between the first spatial element and the boundary of the element passing region as a third distance and causing the first spatial element to approach a boundary of the element passing region preferentially in a direction in which the third distance is small, and

the control device controls the operation of the mobile apparatus by regarding the first target trajectory as the target trajectory in a case where the second processing unit determines that the second safety condition is satisfied, whereas the control device controls the operation of the mobile apparatus by regarding the second target trajectory provisionally as the target trajectory and to cause the mobile apparatus to stop moving at a stop position, which is a position corresponding to an end point of the second target trajectory, in a case where the second target trajectory has been searched for and determined by the third processing unit.