Autonomous action robot, and control method for autonomous action robot

• US 9,639,084 B2
• Filed: 08/20/2015
• Issued: 05/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Company
• Inventors: Nakamura, Keisuke, Nakadai, Kazuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Figueroa, Jaime
• Application Number:
  US14/831,279
• Publication Number:
  US 20160059418A1
• Time in Patent Office: 621 Days
• Field of Search: 701245, 701253
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/42 Simultaneous measurement of distance and other co-ordinates indirect measurement G01S17/46
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/8083 determining direction of source
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0246 using a video camera in combination with image processing means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0255 using acoustic signals, e.g. ultra-sonic singals sonar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S15/93
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/46 Sensing device
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/47 Optical

Abstract

An autonomous action robot includes: a sound acquisition unit that acquires an acoustic signal; a sound source localization unit that estimates a direction of a sound source with respect to the acoustic signal; a distance measurement unit that performs measurements related to distance for a predetermined range; a map information generation unit that generates two-dimensional map information and that estimates a self-location of the autonomous action robot, using information of the distance; a sound source direction determination unit that re-estimates the direction of the sound source based on the two-dimensional map information, the estimated self-location information, and the estimated sound source direction; an action generation unit that generates an action plan based on the two-dimensional map information and the sound source direction estimated by the sound source direction determination unit; and a control unit that controls the autonomous action robot according to the action plan.

Claims

1. An autonomous action robot comprising:

a sound acquisition unit configured to acquire an acoustic signal;

a sound source localization unit configured to estimate a direction of a sound source with respect to the acoustic signal, using the acquired acoustic signal;

a distance measurement unit configured to perform measurements related to distance for a predetermined range;

a map information generation unit configured to generate two-dimensional map information and that estimates a self-location of the autonomous action robot, using information of the distance;

a sound source direction determination unit configured to re-estimate the direction of the sound source by determining whether the acoustic signal is a reflection reflected from a reflective object or a direct sound from the sound source, based on the two-dimensional map information, the estimated self-location information, and the estimated sound source direction;

an action generation unit configured to generate an action plan for moving toward a first direction if the acoustic signal is determined as a reflection and that generates an action plan for moving toward a second direction that differs from the first direction if the acoustic signal is determined as a direct sound, based on the two-dimensional map information and the sound source direction estimated by the sound source direction determination unit; and

a control unit configured to control the autonomous action robot according to the action plan.

2. The autonomous action robot according to claim 1, wherein the second direction is a direction that is closer to the sound source than the first direction.

3. The autonomous action robot according to claim 1 further comprising a detection unit configured to detect angular velocity and acceleration of the autonomous action robot, and the map information generation unit corrects the estimated self-location, using detection results detected by the detection unit.

4. The autonomous action robot according to claim 1 further comprising

an image capturing unit configured to capture images, and

an integration unit configured to integrate the generated two-dimensional map information and three-dimensional map information that uses a three-dimensional image based on the captured image,

and the action generation unit generates an action plan, using map information that is integrated by the integration unit.

5. The autonomous action robot according to claim 1, wherein the sound source direction determination unit:

calculates a line segment that shows a relationship between an estimated self-location and an obstacle at each frame, using the sound source direction localized by the sound source localization unit and the estimated self-location that indicates the self-location estimated by the map information generation unit;

calculates an intersection point between the line segment and the obstacle at a given frame;

calculates two points in the vicinity of the calculated intersection point on the line segment at the given frame;

calculates the total distance from the calculated two points to the line segment at an f-th frame (where f is an integer not less than

     2); and

determines whether the acoustic signal is a direct sound or a reflection based on the calculated results.

6. The autonomous action robot according to claim 5, wherein the sound source direction determination unit uses the sound source direction localized by the sound source localization unit and information showing the self-location estimated by the map information generation unit, and calculates the line segment Γ

_f^w that shows the relationship between the estimated self-location and the obstacle at each frame, using the following equation;

7. The autonomous action robot according to claim 5, wherein the sound source direction determination unit calculates two points p₊^˜

W and p₋

<sup>˜

W</sup> in the vicinity of the intersection point calculated on the line segment at the given frame, using the following equation;

{tilde over (p)}_±

^W=p₁^w+(1±

α

)({tilde over (p)}^w−

p₁^W) 

 

[Equation 2]

(where p<sup>˜

W</sup> is an intersection point between the line segment and the obstacle at the given frame, p₁^W is a coordinate of the autonomous action robot at a first frame in a world coordinate system C^w, and α

is a predetermined value).

8. The autonomous action robot according to claim 5, wherein the sound source direction determination unit calculates total distances d₊^˜

W and d₋

<sup>˜

W</sup> from the calculated two points to the line segment at the f-th frame, using the following equation;

9. The autonomous action robot according to claim 1, wherein a moving speed when progressing toward the second direction is faster than that at the time of progressing toward the first direction.

10. A control method for an autonomous action robot comprising:

a sound acquisition step of acquiring an acoustic signal by means of a sound acquisition unit;

a sound source localization step of estimating a direction of a sound source with respect to the acoustic signal, using the acquired acoustic signal, by means of a sound source localization unit;

a distance measurement step of performing measurements related to distance for a predetermined range by means of a distance measurement unit;

a map information generation step of generating two-dimensional map information and estimating a self-location of the autonomous action robot, using information of the distance, by means of a map information generation unit;

a sound source direction determination step of re-estimating the direction of the sound source by determining whether the acoustic signal is a reflection reflected from a reflective object or a direct sound from the sound source, based on the two-dimensional map information, the estimated self-location information, and the estimated sound source direction, by means of a sound source direction determination unit;

an action generation step of generating an action plan for moving toward a first direction if the acoustic signal is determined as a reflection and generating an action plan for moving toward a second direction that differs from the first direction if the acoustic signal is determined as a direct sound, based on the two-dimensional map information and the sound source direction estimated by the sound source direction determination unit, by means of an action generation unit; and

a control step of controlling the autonomous action robot according to the action plan, by means of a control unit.