Multi-function robot for moving on wall using indoor global positioning system

• US 8,214,081 B2
• Filed: 09/21/2007
• Issued: 07/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Heavy Industries Company Limited (Samsung Group)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Heavy Industries Company Limited (Samsung Group)
• Inventors: Choi, Doo-jin, Han, Seong-jong, Choi, Yun-Seo, Park, Young-jun, Kim, Jae-hoon
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Bao Long T
• Application Number:
  US12/442,692
• Publication Number:
  US 20100030378A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,747 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 700/250
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/54 Narrow-beam systems producing at a receiver a pulse-type envelope signal of the carrier wave of the beam, the timing of which is dependent upon the angle between the direction of the receiver from the beacon and a reference direction from the beacon; Overlapping broad beam systems defining a narrow zone and producing at a receiver a pulse-type envelope signal of the carrier wave of the beam, the timing of which is dependent upon the angle between the direction of the receiver from the beacon and a reference direction from the beacon
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0236 in combination with a laser lasers per se H01S
• 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 1/0272 comprising means for registering the travel distance, e.g. revolutions of wheels measuring distance traversed on the ground by vehicles, e.g. using odometers G01C22/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30

Abstract

A wall climbing robot using an Indoor Global Positioning System (IGPS) provided in a room is disclosed. The wall climbing robot includes a navigation receiver configured to receive rotating fan beams emitted from one or more navigation transmitters of the indoor global positioning system, and recognize the rotating fan beams as IGPS signals; a robot frame provided with the navigation receiver mounted; a mobile controller configured to be installed on the robot frame, and to recognize and determine its own position using the IGPS signals; and a drive mechanism configured to travel along the surfaces of the room under control of the mobile controller. The mobile controller includes a central processing unit, an input/output unit, a motion control unit, a drive control unit, a navigation control unit, a sensor signal processor, an emergency processing unit, and an alarm generator.

Claims

1. A wall climbing robot using an indoor global positioning system (IGPS) provided in a room, comprising:

a navigation receiver configured to receive rotating fan beams emitted from one or more navigation transmitters of the indoor global positioning system, and recognize the rotating fan beams as IGPS signals;

a robot frame to which the navigation receiver is mounted;

a mobile controller installed on the robot frame, the mobile controller recognizing and determining its own position by using the IGPS signals;

a drive mechanism configured to travel along surfaces of the room under control of the mobile controller;

a stud bolt welding module coupled to a mobile unit in which the mobile controller is installed, and configured to perform an operation of welding a stud bolt; and

a grinder module coupled to the mobile unit at an installation position where a preliminary grinding operation is performed with respect to the stud bolt welding module.

2. The wall climbing robot according to claim 1, further comprising a second communication unit provided to the robot frame, the second communication unit supporting a wired or wireless data communication interface so as to perform communication with a first communication unit of a central host computer to receive digital map information from the central host computer.

3. The wall climbing robot according to claim 1, further comprising a light-emitting alarm unit and an alerting alarm unit provided to the robot frame, which respectively generate a fall alarm or a collision alarm when a situation in which the robot falls or collides with an obstacle is predicted by the mobile controller.

4. The wall climbing robot according to claim 1, wherein the mobile controller comprises:

a central processing unit for operating and controlling all elements mounted on the robot;

an input/output unit for inputting/outputting digital or analog signals transmitted/received to/from the central processing unit;

a motion control unit for receiving instructions, transmitted from the central processing unit through the input/output unit, of an application program for performing traveling motion of the wall climbing robot, and generating motor control signals for a drive motor of the drive mechanism;

a drive control unit for receiving the motor control signals output from the motion control unit, amplifying current, and generating motor output signals capable of actually driving the drive motor of the drive mechanism;

a navigation control unit for obtaining coordinate values of a current position of the robot based on the IGPS signals received by the navigation receiver according to navigation execution commands input from the central processing unit, recognizing and determining the current position of the robot by comparing the coordinate values with digital map information transmitted from a central host computer, and planning paths for performing autonomous traveling from the current position to a target position; and

a sensor signal processor for converting detection signals, detected by a plurality of sensors installed on the drive mechanism, into an internal digital signal form capable of being recognized by the central processing unit, and inputting the resulting signals to the central processing unit.

5. The wall climbing robot according to claim 4, further comprising:

an emergency processing unit for comparing each of detection signals detected from the plurality of sensors provided on the drive mechanism with any of an attitude reference index, an obstacle reference index, and a falling reference index, checking results of the comparison, and outputting determination results, such as recognition of an obstacle and prediction of falling of the robot;

an alarm generator for controlling generation of a fall alarm or a collision alarm of a light-emitting alarm unit or an alerting alarm unit according to the results of the determination of the emergency processing unit; and

memory for recording and storing digital map information, transmitted from the central host computer, and storing an operating system.

6. The wall climbing robot according to claim 1, further comprising a marking module coupled to a mobile unit in which the mobile controller is installed, and configured to perform a marking operation.

7. The wall climbing robot according to claim 1, further comprising a depth measuring module coupled to a mobile unit in which the mobile controller is installed, and configured to perform a depth measurement operation.

8. The wall climbing robot according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of first and second clamp units and a plurality of fastening elements are provided to a bottom of the drive mechanism so as to replace or simultaneously mount task modules.

9. A wall climbing robot using an indoor global positioning system (IGPS) provided in a room, comprising:

a navigation receiver configured to receive rotating fan beams emitted from one or more navigation transmitters of the indoor global positioning system, and recognize the rotating fan beams as IGPS signals;

a robot frame to which the navigation receiver is mounted;

a mobile controller installed on the robot frame, the mobile controller recognizing and determining its own position by using the IGPS signals;

a drive mechanism configured to travel along surfaces of the room under control of the mobile controller,

wherein a plurality of first and second clamp units and a plurality of fastening elements are provided to a bottom of the drive mechanism so as to replace or simultaneously mount task modules.

10. The wall climbing robot according to claim 9, further comprising a second communication unit provided to the robot frame, the second communication unit supporting a wired or wireless data communication interface so as to perform communication with a first communication unit of a central host computer to receive digital map information from the central host computer.

11. The wall climbing robot according to claim 9, further comprising a light-emitting alarm unit and an alerting alarm unit provided to the robot frame, which respectively generate a fall alarm or a collision alarm when a situation in which the robot falls or collides with an obstacle is predicted by the mobile controller.

12. The wall climbing robot according to claim 9, wherein the mobile controller comprises:

a central processing unit for operating and controlling all elements mounted on the robot;

an input/output unit for inputting/outputting digital or analog signals transmitted/received to/from the central processing unit;

a motion control unit for receiving instructions, transmitted from the central processing unit through the input/output unit, of an application program for performing traveling motion of the wall climbing robot, and generating motor control signals for a drive motor of the drive mechanism;

a drive control unit for receiving the motor control signals output from the motion control unit, amplifying current, and generating motor output signals capable of actually driving the drive motor of the drive mechanism;

a navigation control unit for obtaining coordinate values of a current position of the robot based on the IGPS signals received by the navigation receiver according to navigation execution commands input from the central processing unit, recognizing and determining the current position of the robot by comparing the coordinate values with digital map information transmitted from a central host computer, and planning paths for performing autonomous traveling from the current position to a target position; and

a sensor signal processor for converting detection signals, detected by a plurality of sensors installed on the drive mechanism, into an internal digital signal form capable of being recognized by the central processing unit, and inputting the resulting signals to the central processing unit.

13. The wall climbing robot according to claim 12, further comprising:

an emergency processing unit for comparing each of detection signals detected from the plurality of sensors provided on the drive mechanism with any of an attitude reference index, an obstacle reference index, and a falling reference index, checking results of the comparison, and outputting determination results, such as recognition of an obstacle and prediction of falling of the robot;

an alarm generator for controlling generation of a fall alarm or a collision alarm of a light-emitting alarm unit or an alerting alarm unit according to the results of the determination of the emergency processing unit; and

memory for recording and storing digital map information, transmitted from the central host computer, and storing an operating system.

14. The wall climbing robot according to claim 9, further comprising a marking module coupled to a mobile unit in which the mobile controller is installed, and configured to perform a marking operation.

15. The wall climbing robot according to claim 9, further comprising a stud bolt welding module coupled to a mobile unit in which the mobile controller is installed, and configured to perform an operation of welding a stud bolt.

16. The wall climbing robot according to claim 9, further comprising a depth measuring module coupled to a mobile unit in which the mobile controller is installed, and configured to perform a depth measurement operation.