Apparatus and method of localization of mobile robot

• US 8,600,603 B2
• Filed: 11/03/2009
• Issued: 12/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Park, Ji-young, Lee, Hyoung-ki, Choi, Ki-wan
• Primary Examiner(s): Jen, Ian
• Application Number:
  US12/588,956
• Publication Number:
  US 20100152945A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,491 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/28
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0246 using a video camera in combination with image processing means
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/75 involving models
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/36 Indoor scenes

Abstract

A localization method and localization device of a mobile robot is provided. In one aspect, characteristic information of a reference object is stored in advance to be used as a landmark for localization, and reference characteristic information is defined by utilizing the stored characteristic information and characteristic information obtained at an initial location of the mobile robot. Therefore, the accuracy of localization can be increased without the use of additional artificial landmarks.

Claims

1. A localization device of a mobile robot, comprising:

a storage unit to store characteristic information of a reference object;

a characteristic information extracting unit to extract and respectively identify, from data sensed by the mobile robot at an initial location of the mobile robot, characteristic information of the reference object and characteristic information of the surroundings of the reference object;

a registration unit to match the characteristic information of the reference object and the characteristic information of the surroundings of the reference object sensed at the initial location of the mobile robot, with the stored characteristic information of the reference object, to derive, based on the matching, reference characteristic information including reference characteristic information of the reference object and reference characteristic information of the surroundings of the reference object, and to register the reference characteristic information as corresponding to the reference object, the characteristic information of the surroundings of the reference object comprising information of the background around the reference object; and

a location estimation unit to estimate a location of the robot using the reference characteristic information.

2. The localization device of claim 1, wherein the reference object is a charging station for recharging the robot.

3. The localization device of claim 1, wherein the characteristic information of the reference object is information on at least one of a shape, a color, and a corner of the reference object.

4. The localization device of claim 1, wherein the reference characteristic information includes characteristic information of a corner of the reference object and characteristic information of a plane patch in a vicinity of the corner.

5. The localization device of claim 1, wherein the location estimation unit estimates an absolute distance between the mobile robot and the reference object using the reference characteristic information.

6. The localization device of claim 1, further comprising a relocation unit to control the mobile robot to move toward a vicinity of the reference object when the mobile robot is located incorrectly.

14. The localization device of claim 4, wherein the corner of the reference object is an outer outline corner of the reference object and the characteristic information of the plane patch in the vicinity of the corner includes characteristic information of the surroundings of the reference object.

16. The localization device of claim 1, wherein the location estimation unit selectively, based upon proximity of the mobile robot to the reference object, performs one of:

estimating the location of the mobile robot based on characteristic information of the reference object included in the registered reference characteristic information without characteristic information of the surroundings of the reference object included in the registered reference characteristic information; and

estimating the location of the mobile robot based on the characteristic information of the reference object included in the registered reference characteristic information and the characteristic information of the surroundings of the reference object included in the registered reference characteristic information.

19. The localization device of claim 1, wherein a type of object selected as the reference object is determined according to a type of task the robot is directed to conduct.

7. A localization device of a mobile robot, comprising:

a storage unit to store characteristic information, regarding a charging station for recharging the mobile robot, before an estimating of a location of the mobile robot;

a characteristic information extracting unit to extract and respectively identify, from data sensed by the mobile robot at an initial location of the mobile robot, characteristic information of the charging station and characteristic information of the surroundings of the charging station;

a registration unit to match the characteristic information of the charging station and the characteristic information of the surroundings of the charging station, sensed at the initial location of the mobile robot after a departure from the charging station, with the characteristic information stored in the storage unit, to derive, based on the matching, reference characteristic information including reference characteristic information of the charging station and reference characteristic information of the surroundings of the charging station, and to register the reference characteristic information as corresponding to the charging station, the characteristic information of the surroundings of the reference object comprising information of the background around the reference object;

a location estimation unit to estimate the location of the mobile robot using the reference characteristic information; and

a relocation unit to control the mobile robot to move toward a vicinity of the charging station when a robot movement slip is determined to occur while the mobile robot is moving.

17. The localization device of claim 7, wherein the location estimation unit selectively, based upon proximity of the mobile robot to the charging station, performs one of:

estimating the location of the mobile robot based on characteristic information of the charging station included in the registered reference characteristic information without characteristic information of the surroundings of the charging station included in the registered reference characteristic information; and

estimating the location of the mobile robot based on the characteristic information of the charging station included in the registered reference characteristic information and the characteristic information of the surroundings of the charging station included in the registered reference characteristic information.

8. A localization method of a mobile robot, comprising:

storing characteristic information of a reference object;

extracting and respectively identifying, from data sensed by the mobile robot at an initial location of the mobile robot, characteristic information of the reference object and characteristic information of the surroundings of the reference object;

matching the characteristic information of the reference object and the characteristic information of the surroundings of the reference object sensed at the initial location of the mobile robot with the stored characteristic information of the reference object, to derive, based on the matching, reference characteristic information including reference characteristic information of the reference object and reference characteristic information of the surroundings of the reference object, and registering the reference characteristic information as corresponding to the reference object, the characteristic information of the surroundings of the reference object comprising information of the background around the reference object; and

estimating a location of the mobile robot using the reference characteristic information.

9. The localization method of claim 8, wherein the reference object is a charging station for recharging the mobile robot.

10. The localization method of claim 8, wherein the characteristic information of the reference object includes information on at least one of a shape, a color, and a corner of the reference object.

11. The localization method of claim 8, wherein the reference characteristic information includes characteristic information of a corner of the reference object and characteristic information of a plane patch in a vicinity of the corner.

12. The localization method of claim 8, wherein the estimating of the location of the mobile robot comprises estimating an absolute distance between the mobile robot and the reference object using the reference characteristic information.

13. The localization method of claim 8, further comprising moving the mobile robot toward a vicinity of the reference object when the mobile robot is located incorrectly.

15. The localization method of claim 11, wherein the corner of the reference object is an outer outline corner of the reference object and the characteristic information of the plane patch in the vicinity of the corner includes characteristic information of the surroundings of the reference object.

18. The localization method of claim 8, wherein the estimating of the location comprises selectively, based upon proximity of the mobile robot to the reference object, performing one of:

estimating the location of the mobile robot based on characteristic information of the reference object included in the registered reference characteristic information without characteristic information of the surroundings of the reference object included in the registered reference characteristic information; and

estimating the location of the mobile robot based on the characteristic information of the reference object included in the registered reference characteristic information and the characteristic information of the surroundings of the reference object included in the registered reference characteristic information.

20. The localization method of claim 8, wherein a type of object selected as the reference object is determined according to a type of task the robot is directed to conduct.