Mobile robot and path planning method thereof for manipulating target objects
First Claim
1. A path planning method for manipulating target objects, adapted to plan moving paths of a mobile robot to manage the plurality of target objects in a space, wherein the space comprises a periphery area and a central area, the path planning method comprising:
- defining an initial position;
controlling the mobile robot to move from the initial position in the periphery area, wherein the mobile robot successively captures images while moving;
obtaining a latest one of the images captured by the mobile robot;
planning a manipulating order according to distances respectively estimated between the target objects and the mobile robot in the latest one of the images;
controlling the mobile robot to move according to the manipulating order and perform a manipulating action on the target objects in the one of the images, wherein the manipulating action is approaching and collecting one of the target objects;
repeating the steps of obtaining the latest one of the images, planning the manipulating order, and controlling the mobile robot to perform the manipulating action until the mobile robot returns to the initial position; and
controlling the mobile robot to move to the central area and perform the manipulating action on the target objects in the central area.
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Abstract
A mobile robot and a path planning method are provided for the mobile robot to manipulate the target objects in a space, wherein the space consists of a periphery area and a central area. With the present method, an initial position is defined and the mobile robot is controlled to move within the periphery area from the initial position. Next, the latest image is captured when the mobile robot moves, and a manipulating order is arranged according to the distances estimated between the mobile robot and each of target objects in the image. The mobile robot is controlled to move and perform a manipulating action on each of the target object in the image according to the manipulating order. The steps of obtaining the image, planning the manipulating order, and controlling the mobile robot to perform the manipulating action are repeated until the mobile robot returns to the initial position.
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Citations
39 Claims
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1. A path planning method for manipulating target objects, adapted to plan moving paths of a mobile robot to manage the plurality of target objects in a space, wherein the space comprises a periphery area and a central area, the path planning method comprising:
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defining an initial position; controlling the mobile robot to move from the initial position in the periphery area, wherein the mobile robot successively captures images while moving; obtaining a latest one of the images captured by the mobile robot; planning a manipulating order according to distances respectively estimated between the target objects and the mobile robot in the latest one of the images; controlling the mobile robot to move according to the manipulating order and perform a manipulating action on the target objects in the one of the images, wherein the manipulating action is approaching and collecting one of the target objects; repeating the steps of obtaining the latest one of the images, planning the manipulating order, and controlling the mobile robot to perform the manipulating action until the mobile robot returns to the initial position; and controlling the mobile robot to move to the central area and perform the manipulating action on the target objects in the central area. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A mobile robot comprising:
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a driving apparatus steering the mobile robot to move; an image capturing apparatus successively acquiring images when the mobile robot moves; a target object manipulating apparatus managing a plurality of target objects in a space, wherein the space consists of a periphery area and a central area; and a control module coupled to the image capturing apparatus, the driving apparatus, and the target object manipulating apparatus, wherein the control module defines an initial position, enables the driving apparatus to steer the mobile robot to move from the initial position in the periphery area, obtains a latest one of the images acquired by the image capturing apparatus, plans a manipulating order according to distances respectively estimated between the target objects and the mobile robot in the one of the images, enables the driving apparatus to steer the mobile robot to move according to the manipulating order, and activates the target object manipulating apparatus to perform a manipulating action on the target objects in the one of the images, wherein the manipulating action is approaching and collecting one of the target objects, wherein the control module repeats the procedures of obtaining the one of the images, planning the manipulating order, and activating the target object manipulating apparatus to perform the manipulating action until the mobile robot returns to the initial position, wherein after the mobile robot returns to the initial position, the control module enables the driving apparatus to steer the mobile robot to move to the central area and activates the target object manipulating apparatus to perform the manipulating action on the target objects in the central area. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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Specification