Robot device and method of controlling the robot device

• US 10,293,484 B2
• Filed: 01/24/2017
• Issued: 05/21/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kokubo, Wataru, Fukushima, Tetsuharu, Nagano, Masakuni, Shimizu, Satoru
• Primary Examiner(s): Oh, Harry Y
• Application Number:
  US15/413,772
• Publication Number:
  US 20170129103A1
• Time in Patent Office: 847 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1666 Avoiding collision or forbidden zones
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40298 Manipulator on vehicle, wheels, mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40475 In presence of moving obstacles, dynamic environment

Abstract

Provided is a robot device including a drive unit including a plurality of links and joints connecting the links, a task instruction input unit for inputting an instruction of a task, a drive control unit for controlling an operation of the drive unit on the basis of the input task and determining a restricted area including a space necessary for the operation of the drive unit, and an area display unit for displaying the restricted area.

Claims

1. A movable device, comprising:

a drive unit including a plurality of movable parts;

a communication unit configured to receive an instruction of a task, wherein the task is related to movement of the plurality of movable parts; and

one or more processors configured to;

control an operation of the drive unit based on the received instruction;

set a time period for implementation of the task, wherein the set time period is between a current time instance and a final time instance that is after the current time instance;

calculate a trajectory of the movable device based on the task, wherein the trajectory is calculated for the time period;

divide the time period into a plurality of time instances based on the task;

calculate a plurality of restricted areas for movement of the movable device such that each of the plurality of restricted areas corresponds to a respective time instance of the divided plurality of time instances,

wherein each of the plurality of restricted areas is a circular area,

wherein each circular area of a plurality of circular areas encircles the movable device, and

wherein each of the plurality of circular areas partially overlaps a corresponding adjacent circular area; and

determine an operation space of the movable device along the calculated trajectory based on the plurality of restricted areas.

2. The movable device according to claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

predict a space for movement of at least a movable part of the plurality of movable parts for the time period, wherein the movement of the at least movable part is based on the received instruction for the task; and

determine each of the plurality of restricted areas based on the prediction.

3. The movable device according to claim 2,

wherein the drive unit further includes a moving unit, wherein the moving unit is configured to move a position of the movable device, and

wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

predict the space at a moving position at each time instance of the plurality of time instances until the time period elapses; and

determine each of the plurality of restricted areas based on the prediction.

4. The movable device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a recognition unit configured to recognize an obstacle within a work environment of the movable device, and

an area display unit configured to display a restricted area of the plurality of restricted areas based on the recognition of the obstacle within the restricted area.

5. The movable device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a recognition unit configured to recognize an obstacle within a work environment of the movable device in a first time interval of the time period,

wherein the one or more processors are further configured to operate the task in a second time interval of the time period based on an unavailability of the obstacle in a restricted area of the plurality of restricted areas in the second time interval, and

wherein the second time interval is after a lapse of the first time interval.

6. The movable device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a recognition unit configured to recognize an obstacle within a work environment of the movable device; and

a warning unit configured to issue a warning to the obstacle based on the recognition of the obstacle within a restricted area of the plurality of restricted areas.

7. The movable device according to claim 6, wherein the warning unit is further configured to issue the warning by at least one of a message, a blank shot, a smell, or hot air.

8. A method, comprising:

inputting an instruction of a task;

setting a time period for implementation of the task based on the task,

wherein the set time period is between a current time instance and a final time instance that is after the current time instance;

calculating a trajectory of a movable device based on the task, wherein the trajectory is calculated for the time period;

dividing the time period into a plurality of time instances based on the task;

calculating a plurality of restricted areas for movement of the movable device such that each of the plurality of restricted areas corresponds to a respective time instance of the divided plurality of time instances,

wherein each of the plurality of restricted areas is a circular area,

wherein each circular area of a plurality of circular areas encircles the movable device, and

wherein each of the plurality of circular areas partially overlaps a corresponding adjacent circular area; and

determining an operation space of the movable device along the calculated trajectory based on the plurality of restricted areas.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon, computer-executable instructions, which when executed by a computer cause the computer to execute operations, the operations comprising:

inputting an instruction of a task;

setting a time period for implementation of the task based on the task,

wherein the set time period is between a current time instance and a final time instance that is after the current time instance;

calculating a trajectory of a movable device based on the task, wherein the trajectory is calculated for the time period;

dividing the time period into a plurality of time instances based on the task;

calculating a plurality of restricted areas for movement of the movable device such that each of the plurality of restricted areas corresponds to a respective time instance of the divided plurality of time instances,

wherein each of the plurality of restricted areas is a circular area,

wherein each circular area of a plurality of circular areas encircles the movable device, and

wherein each of the plurality of circular areas partially overlaps a corresponding adjacent circular area; and

determining an operation space of the movable device along the calculated trajectory based on the plurality of restricted areas.