FULLY AUTONOMOUS OR REMOTELY OPERATED GOLF BALL PICKING SYSTEM

• US 20100250024A1
• Filed: 08/13/2008
• Published: 09/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Universidade do Minho
• Original Assignee: Universidade do Minho
• Inventors: Costa De Oliveira, Sérgio Alexandre, Da Costa E Silva, Pedro Luis, Duarte Oliveira E Silva, Carlos, Cardoso Costa, Heloísa Cristiana, Barbosa Oliveira, André Joaquim, Costa Pacheco, Luis Fernando, Correia Moutinho, Ivo Mauro, Macedo Ribeiro, António Fernando
• Application Number:
  US12/673,769
• Publication Number:
  US 20100250024A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/2
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2047/022 Autonomous machines which find their own way around the playing surface
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 47/021 for picking-up automatically, e.g. by apparatus moving over the playing surface
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0225 involving docking at a fixed facility, e.g. base station or loading bay parking aids B62D15/027
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0246 using a video camera in combination with image processing means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0259 using magnetic or electromagnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/027 comprising intertial navigation means, e.g. azimuth detector inertial navigation G01C21/16; inertial navigation combined with non-inertial navigation instruments G01C21/165
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0278 using satellite positioning signals, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/028 using a RF signal

Abstract

The present invention regards a motorised system with electric traction with computer vision for outdoor environments, which can interact with the surrounding environment in an autonomous way or remotely operated. This vehicle tows a trailer that permits, amongst other functions, to perform golf balls picking.

Claims

1. Fully autonomous golf ball picking system comprising:

One base with, at least, two linked wheels, being each one moved by an independent motor;

One vision system with a variable number of cameras

One set of sensors—

humidity, accelerometer, compass, encoders, temperature, ultrasounds, GPS, that allow the optimisation of the path of the system;

One processing unit for image acquisition and processing;

One continuous data processing unit from data coming from sensors and control of the motors;

One trailer with a mechanical device for picking the balls and a ball container with an automatic opening system;

One battery unit rechargeable by external terminals

2. System of claim 1, wherein the rechargeable batteries are charged by fuel cells or solar panels presents on the device.

3. System of claim 1, wherein the motors are controlled directly via “

remote control”

through a command device, joystick or similar with a visualisation device.

4. System of claim 1, further comprising locating the system in a golf game field by means of radio frequency based on time and/or based on the received signal strength and also by GPS;

where a set of emitter points positioned strategically on the game field in order to transmit data to the continuous processing unit via a receiver above the system.

5. System of claim 1, wherein the independent motors create between them a differential that allows different speeds on the wheels to allow change of direction of the system.

6. System of claim 1, further comprising having a connection with a remote central on which receives all the sensor information, as well as visualisation of the records made by the processing unit and where is also possible the sending of commands to the system.

7. System of claim 6, further comprising limiting on the image received by the vision system the zones that are in the path of the ball picking device.

8. System of claim 1, further comprising a continuous data processing unit for sensor reading and motor commands to calculate new trajectories to:

avoid obstacles;

pick a greater number of balls;

move to the unloading dock.

9. System of claim 1, further comprising possessing a localisation system of radio frequency based on time and/or based on the signal strength.

10. System of claim 1, further comprising unloading automatically the golf balls in the unloading dock.

11. System of claim 1, further comprising having the motors and processing units powered by independent batteries.

12. Process of picking balls in accordance with the system of claim 1, comprising:

Image processing separating the background with the lawn form the white dots as the golf balls;

Calculation of the relative position of the golf balls

Communication to the continuous data processing unit of the position and speed that should be given to the motors in order to pick the golf balls.