ROBOTIC GARDENING DEVICE AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING THE SAME

• US 20180077860A1
• Filed: 09/21/2017
• Published: 03/22/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Research Institute Europe GmbH (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Research Institute Europe GmbH (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: EINECKE, Nils, FRANZIUS, Mathias
• Granted Patent: US 10,912,253 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/008 for automated or remotely controlled operation
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 75/185 Avoiding collisions with obstacles
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/00 Purposes of road vehicle drive control systems not related to the control of a particular sub-unit, e.g. of systems using conjoint control of vehicle sub-units
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0246 using a video camera in combination with image processing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 20/00 Machine learning
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20081 Training; Learning
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/20 Analysis of motion motion estimation for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals H04N19/43, H04N19/51
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/75 involving models
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/10 Terrestrial scenes scenes under surveillance with static cameras G06V20/52; scenes perceived from the exterior of a vehicle G06V20/56; scenes perceived from the interior of a vehicle G06V20/59
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/10 Human or animal bodies, e.g. vehicle occupants or pedestrians; Body parts, e.g. hands

Abstract

The invention regards a robotic gardening device comprising driving means for propelling the robotic gardening device, a working tool for performing dedicated gardening work and a controlling unit for controlling said driving means and the working tool and a method for controlling the same. The robotic gardening device further comprises at least one environment sensor generating a signal indicative of objects in the environment of the robotic gardening device, a computing unit for classifying these objects, wherein the classes comprise at least two different classes for objects being determined to be humans. The computing unit is configured to control the driving means and/or the working device according to a predetermined behavior associated with the respective objects class.

Claims

1. Robotic gardening device comprising driving means for propelling the robotic gardening device, a working tool for performing dedicated gardening work, a controlling unit for controlling said driving means and the working tool, at least one environment sensor generating a signal indicative of objects in the environment of the robotic gardening device, a computing unit for classifying these objects, wherein the classes comprise at least two different classes for objects being determined to be humans and wherein the computing unit is configured to control the driving means or the working tool according to a predetermined behavior associated with the respective objects class.

2. Robotic gardening device according to claim 1, wherein the object classes comprise at least “

adult” and

“

children”

.

3. Robotic gardening device according to claim 2, wherein the object classes further comprise “

animal”

or “

unknown person”

.

4. Robotic gardening device according to claim 1, wherein the computing unit is configured to predict a future behavior for a detected human.

5. Robotic gardening device according to claim 1, wherein the computing unit is configured to predict at least one of the following possible future behaviors:

crossing the current path of the robotic gardening device, interact with the robotic gardening device, stop the robotic gardening device, steal the robotic gardening device, touch the robotic gardening device, break into a house, play in the garden, do garden work, mire the garden, damage the garden.

6. Robotic gardening device according to claim 1, wherein the computing unit comprises a classifier using deep learning or HOG features or optical flow or stereo camera depth data for determining an objects as a human or an animal.

7. Robotic gardening device according to claim 1, wherein garden map data is stored in a memory of the robotic gardening device and the computing unit is configured to read in the map data and use it for classifying objects.

8. Robotic gardening device according to claim 1, wherein predetermined behaviors include at least one or a plurality of:

turning away from an obstacle, driving around an obstacle, returning to a base station, driving to a different zone, driving speed change, turn off working tool, follow the obstacle, approaching the obstacle, record sensor data, performing a scaring action, pausing and warning, reschedule working operation.

9. Robotic gardening device according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of predetermined behaviors is associated with one objects class and the computing unit is configured to select one out of this plurality depending on object distance, daytime, number of life form objects detected at the same time, position of a life form object.

10. Robotic gardening device according to claim 1, wherein the robotic gardening device comprises an interface for receiving user input defining association of predetermined behaviors and object classes.

11. Robotic gardening device according to claim 1, wherein the robotic gardening device comprises an interface for outputting an information signal indicative of presence of a life form object in a configurable time window.

12. Robotic gardening device according to claim 1, wherein the robotic gardening device comprises indication means to indicate its own future behavior.

13. Robotic gardening device according to claim 1, wherein the robotic gardening device is an autonomous lawn mower or an autonomous sacrifier.

14. Method for controlling a robotic gardening device comprising the steps of:

sensing the environment of the robotic gardening device,

determining if perceived objects are human and if yes,

classifying detected humans in one of at least two different classes,

determining a behavior to be performed by the robotic gardening device at least on the basis of the class of the respective detected human, and

controlling a driving means or a working tool of the robotic gardening device to operate the robotic gardening device in accordance with the determined behavior.