OBSTACLE FOLLOWING SENSOR SCHEME FOR A MOBILE ROBOT
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Accused Products
Abstract
A robot obstacle detection system including a robot housing which navigates with respect to a surface and a sensor subsystem aimed at the surface for detecting the surface. The sensor subsystem includes an emitter which emits a signal having a field of emission and a photon detector having a field of view which intersects the field of emission at a region. The subsystem detects the presence of an object proximate the mobile robot and determines a value of a signal corresponding to the object. It compares the value to a predetermined value, moves the mobile robot in response to the comparison, and updates the predetermined value upon the occurrence of an event.
250 Citations
63 Claims
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1-38. -38. (canceled)
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39. A robot comprising:
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a substantially circular robot housing; a drive system housed by the robot housing and configured to maneuver the robot with respect to a wall; at least one sensor component in the robot housing directed for detecting the presence of the wall, the sensor component comprising; an emitter that emits a directed beam having a defined field of emission; and a detector having a defined field of view that intersects the field of emission of the emitter, the intersection of the field of emission and the field of view defining a volume of intersection space; and a circuit in communication with the detector and the drive system configured to control the drive system to rotate the robot and configured to determine; whether the detector detects the wall, whether the robot is in contact with the wall, and whether the robot has turned a predetermined angle without detecting or contacting the wall. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54)
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55. A method for operating a mobile robot, the method comprising the steps of:
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detecting the presence of a wall; driving the robot, based on the detecting, to follow the wall until the wall is no longer detected; and rotating the robot to seek the wall while determining whether; the wall is again detected, the robot is in contact with the wall, and the robot has turned a predetermined angle without detecting or contacting the wall. - View Dependent Claims (56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63)
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Specification