SWARM ROBOT AND SWEEPING METHOD USING SWARM ROBOT

• US 20120158176A1
• Filed: 08/31/2011
• Published: 06/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: korea institute of industrial technology
• Original Assignee: korea institute of industrial technology
• Inventors: Shon, Woong-Hee, Nam, Kyung-Tae, Lee, Sang-Moo, Ji, Sang-Hoon, PARK, Jeong-Seop
• Granted Patent: US 8,892,253 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/248
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 5/007 mounted on wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1617 Cellular, reconfigurable manipulator, e.g. cebot
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0246 using a video camera in combination with image processing means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0278 using satellite positioning signals, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0291 Fleet control monitoring fleets in traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/127, G08G1/127
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot

Abstract

A swarm robot and a sweeping method using the swarm robot are provided. The swarm robot removes a plurality of objects in a given sweeping area, and at least two swarm robots collaborate to remove the individual object. The swarm robot searches the sweeping area, detects environment information of the sweeping area, locates the swarm robot in the sweeping area, generates a local map and an object map using the environment information and the acquired position, moves to the object according to the local map and the object map, and removes the object.

Claims

1. A swarm robot for removing a plurality of objects in a given sweeping area, at least two swarm robots collaborating to remove the individual object, comprising:

a driving part for moving in the sweeping area;

a manipulating part for gripping the object;

a detecting part for detecting environment information of the sweeping area;

a locating part for locating the swarm robot in the sweeping area; and

a control part for generating a local map and an object map using the environment information fed from the detecting part and position information fed from the locating part, and controlling the driving part and the manipulating part to move to the object according to the local map and the object map and remove the object.

2. The swarm robot of claim 1, wherein the object map is generated by registering a first object initially detected to a highest level, a second object additionally detected by sweeping around the first object, to a second highest level, and registering the objects per level in order.

3. The swarm robot of claim 1, wherein the control part removes the object through a wander mode for searching the sweeping area to detect the object, a hold mode for waiting within a waiting time limit to remove the detected object, a sweep mode for searching an adjacent sweeping area to additionally detect a new object around the detected object, a circuit mode for orderly visiting a plurality of objects registered to the object map, and a pull mode for removing the detected object.

4. The swarm robot of claim 3, wherein, in the wander mode, the local map of the sweeping area is updated and a revisit to an area where no object is detected is limited.

5. The swarm robot of claim 3, wherein, in the hold mode, the waiting time limit of the revisit is smaller than the waiting time limit of the initial visit to the detected object.

6. The swarm robot of claim 3, wherein, in the sweep mode, the object map is generated and the mode is switched to the circuit mode when the search on the adjacent sweeping area is completed.

7. The swarm robot of claim 3, wherein the adjacent sweeping area is an area away from the detected object by a certain distance.

8. The swarm robot of claim 3, wherein, in the circuit mode, to remove the object, an order of visiting objects detected but not removed starts from an object registered to the high level to an object registered to the low level, and proceeds from the closest object to a current position to the farthest object from the current position on the same level.

9. A sweeping method using a swarm robot for removing a plurality of objects in a given sweeping area, at least two swarm robots collaborating to remove the individual object, comprising:

searching the sweeping area to detect the object;

detecting environment information of the sweeping area;

locating the swarm robot in the sweeping area;

generating a local map and an object map using the environment information and the acquired position; and

moving to the object according to the local map and the object map and removing the object.

10. The sweeping method of claim 9, wherein the object map is generated by registering a first object initially detected to a highest level, a second object additionally detected by sweeping around the first object, to a second highest level, and registering the objects per level in order.

11. The sweeping method of claim 9, wherein the searching comprises:

searching an adjacent sweeping area to additionally detect a new object around the detected object,

wherein the removing comprises;

waiting within a waiting time limit to remove the detected object, and

the sweeping method further comprises;

orderly visiting a plurality of objects registered to the object map.

12. The sweeping method of claim 11, wherein the searching comprises:

updating the local map of the sweeping area; and

limiting a revisit to an area where no object is detected.

13. The sweeping method of claim 11, wherein the waiting time limit of the revisit is smaller than the waiting time limit of the initial visit to the detected object.

14. The sweeping method of claim 11, wherein, when no more objects are detected in the adjacent sweeping area, the plurality of the objects registered to the object map are revisited in order.

15. The sweeping method of claim 11, wherein the adjacent sweeping area is an area away from the detected object by a certain distance.

16. The sweeping method of claim 11, wherein, in the visiting, to remove the object, an order of visiting objects detected but not removed starts from an object registered to the high level to an object registered to the low level, and proceeds from the closest object to a current position to the farthest object from the current position on the same level.