Obstacle and cliff avoiding system and method thereof

• US 7,643,906 B2
• Filed: 09/08/2006
• Issued: 01/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Inventors: Tseng, Kuo-Shih, Ho, Yu-Lun, Yu, Hung-Hsiu, Liu, Chun-Hung, Tu, Mao-Feng
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Amin, Bhavesh V
• Application Number:
  US11/517,305
• Publication Number:
  US 20070265740A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,215 Days
• Field of Search: 701/23, 701/22, 180167-169, 180/280
• US Class Current: 700/255
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 1/00 Measuring angles

Abstract

An obstacle and cliff avoiding system is disclosed, which is substantially a movable chassis having at least a displacement sensor arranged thereon. In a preferred embodiment, each displacement sensor is tilted by a specific angle with respect to a surface detected thereby while being driven to move in circle by a rotating apparatus for enabling the same to scan a defined fan-like area or the circular area around the chassis in a circulating manner. As each displacement sensor is tilted by the specific angle and is initiated to issue a working signal, the paths of signal emission and reception of each sensor are defined by the specific angle, whereas the reflected working signal received by the sensor is sent to a control unit to be compared with the working signal so that the control unit is able to evaluate whether there is an obstacle or a drop in front of the moving direction of the movable chassis and thus control the chassis to maneuver around the obstacle or the drop.

Claims

1. An obstacle and cliff avoiding system, comprising:

a housing;

at least a driving wheel, arranged in the housing for supporting the housing while driving the housing to move accordingly;

a single displacement sensor, arranged in the housing, capable of emitting and receiving working signals;

a rotating apparatus configured to drive the single displacement sensor to rotate independently of the housing; and

a control unit configured to receive signals transmitted from the single displacement sensor and make an evaluation only based on the signals transmitted from the single displacement sensor to determine presence of an obstacle and a drop in front of the moving direction of the housing, and thus issue a control signal for controlling the housing to maneuver around the obstacle or the drop;

wherein, the paths of signal emission and reception of the single displacement sensor are tilted by a specific angle with respect to a planar surface defined by the housing, and

wherein the rotating apparatus is configured to independently drive the single displacement sensor to rotate back and forth within a specific angle for enabling the single displacement sensor to scan a defined fan-like area.

2. The obstacle and cliff avoiding system of claim 1, wherein the single displacement sensor is a device selected from the group consisting of an optical sensor, an acoustic wave sensor and the combination thereof.

3. The obstacle and cliff avoiding system of claim 1, wherein the specific angle is ranged between 0 degree and 90 degree.

4. The obstacle and cliff avoiding system of claim 1, wherein the rotating apparatus is capable of driving the single displacement sensor to rotate back and forth the whole circle for enabling the same to scan a circular area around the housing in a circulating manner.

5. An obstacle and cliff avoiding system, comprising:

a housing;

at least a driving wheel, arranged in the housing for supporting the housing while driving the housing to move accordingly;

a single displacement sensor, arranged in the housing, capable of emitting and receiving working signals;

a rotating apparatus configured to drive the single displacement sensor to rotate independently of the housing; and

a control unit configured to receive signals transmitted from the single displacement sensor and make an evaluation only based on the signals transmitted from the single displacement sensor to determine presence of an obstacle and a drop in front of the moving direction of the housing, and thus issue a control signal for controlling the housing to maneuver around the obstacle or the drop;

wherein, the paths of signal emission and reception of the single displacement sensor are tilted by a specific angle with respect to a planar surface defined by the housing, and

wherein the rotating apparatus is configured to independently drive the single displacement sensor to rotate back and forth in a manner selected from the group consisting of;

rotating within a specific angle for enabling the single displacement sensor to scan a defined fan-like area; and

rotating the whole circle for enabling the single displacement sensor to scan a circular area around the housing in a circulating manner.

6. The obstacle and cliff avoiding system of claim 5, wherein the single displacement sensor is a device selected from the group consisting of an optical sensor, an acoustic wave sensor and the combination thereof.

7. The obstacle and cliff avoiding system of claim 5, wherein the specific angle is ranged between 0 degree and 90 degree.

8. An obstacle and cliff avoiding method, adapted to be applied by a single displacement sensor arranged on a movable housing while the single displacement sensor is rotated independently of the housing to scan area, comprising steps of:

orientating the paths of signal emission and reception of the single displacement sensor to be tilted by a specific angle with respect to a planar surface defined by the housing while initiating the single displacement sensor;

enabling the single displacement sensor to transmit as well as receive signals while transmitting signals received thereby to a control unit; and

enabling the control unit to receive the signals transmitted from the single displacement sensor and enabling the control unit to make an evaluation only based on the signals transmitted from the single displacement sensor to determine presence of an obstacle and a drop and thus issue a command accordingly,

wherein an working signal is generated as the single displacement sensor is initiated;

wherein the working signal is transmitted to the control unit to be compared with the signal received thereby;

wherein an obstacle avoiding algorithm is being performed as the signal from the single displacement sensor received by the control unit is larger than the working signal; and

wherein a cliff avoiding algorithm is being performed as the signal from the single displacement sensor received by the control unit is smaller than the working signal.

9. The obstacle and cliff avoiding method of claim 8, wherein the specific angle is ranged between 0 degree and 90 degree.

10. The obstacle and cliff avoiding method of claim 8, wherein the single displacement sensor is a device selected from the group consisting of an optical sensor, an acoustic wave sensor and the combination thereof.

11. The obstacle and cliff avoiding method of claim 8, wherein the single displacement sensor is driven to rotate while scanning by a rotating apparatus.

12. The obstacle and cliff avoiding method of claim 11, wherein the rotating apparatus is capable of driving the single displacement sensor to rotate back and forth in a manner selected from the group consisting of:

rotating within a specific angle for enabling the same to scan a defined fan-like area; and

rotating the whole circle for enabling the same to scan a circular area around the housing in a circulating manner.