Method and apparatus for generating safe path of mobile robot

• US 8,234,032 B2
• Filed: 06/11/2009
• Issued: 07/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute, SK Telecom Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute, SK Telecom Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Jae-Yeong, Yu, Wonpil, Chung, Yun Koo
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, SHARDUL D
• Application Number:
  US12/482,708
• Publication Number:
  US 20100121517A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,146 Days
• Field of Search: 700/245, 701/25, 701/26, 701/210
• US Class Current: 701/25
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0214 in accordance with safety or protection criteria, e.g. avoiding hazardous areas monitoring the location of vehicles within a certain area, e.g. forbidden or allowed areas, in traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/13
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/024 in combination with a laser lasers per se H01S
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0255 using acoustic signals, e.g. ultra-sonic singals sonar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S15/93
• 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

Abstract

A method for generating a safe path of a mobile robot includes searching for a whole path from a starting point to a destination point within a map information entered in the robot; extracting information about an expected distance between the robot and a peripheral obstacle when the robot moves along the searched whole path; and correcting the whole path locally using the information about the expected distance from the peripheral obstacle.

Claims

1. A method for generating a safe path of a mobile robot, comprising:

searching for a whole path from a starting point to a destination point within a map information entered in said robot;

extracting information about an expected distance between said robot and a peripheral obstacle when said robot moves along said searched whole path; and

correcting said whole path locally using said information about the expected distance from the peripheral obstacle,

wherein said correcting;

defines as a control point a point on the whole path that is located at a specified distance ahead of the present location of said robot;

calculates a marginal space within a pre-determined value in both directions perpendicular to said whole path at said control point; and

defines a new path that passes through a midpoint of said calculated marginal space.

2. The method for generating a safe path of a mobile robot according to claim 1, wherein said information about the expected distance from the peripheral obstacle is extracted based on data measured by obstacle detection sensors.

3. The method for generating a safe path of a mobile robot according to claim 2, wherein said information about the expected distance from the peripheral obstacle is extracted based on comparison of said data measured by obstacle detection sensors and said map information.

4. The method for generating a safe path of a mobile robot according to claim 1, wherein said correcting calculates said midpoint of the calculated marginal space based on said location of a detected obstacle, if an obstacle is detected within a pre-determined distance in both directions perpendicular to said whole path at said control point.

5. The method for generating a safe path of a mobile robot according to claim 4, wherein said correcting

defines as obstacle points respective locations at the nearest distances where the segments that are perpendicular to said whole path at said control point and have same lengths as said pre-determined distances respectively in both directions meet said peripheral obstacle;

and

defines said midpoint of the segment between said obstacle points as a midpoint of said marginal space.

6. The method for generating a safe path of a mobile robot according to claim 5, wherein endpoints of said segment are defined as obstacle points, if there is no peripheral obstacle within a segment of a length of pre-determined distance.

7. The method for generating a safe path of a mobile robot according to claim 4, wherein said pre-determined distance is defined to be proportional to a moving velocity of said robot.

8. The method for generating a safe path of a mobile robot according to claim 1, wherein said search of whole path uses the A* algorithm or Dijkstra'"'"'s search algorithm.

9. The method for generating a safe path of a mobile robot according to claim 1, wherein said starting point of the robot is decided based on information about the present location of the robot measured by a Global Positioning System (GPS).

10. An apparatus for generating a safe path of a mobile robot, comprising:

a whole path search module which searches for a whole path from a starting point to a destination point within a map information entered in said robot;

an obstacle-information extraction unit which extracts information about an expected distance between said robot and a peripheral obstacle when said robot moves along said searched whole path; and

a path correction module which corrects said whole path locally using said information about the expected distance from the peripheral obstacle,

wherein said path correction module

defines as a control point a point on the whole path that is located at a specified distance ahead of the present location of said robot;

calculates a marginal space within a pre-determined value in both directions perpendicular to said whole path at said control point; and

defines a new path that passes through a midpoint of said calculated marginal space.

11. The apparatus for generating a safe path of a mobile robot according to claim 10, wherein said obstacle-information extraction unit extracts information about an expected distance from said obstacle based on data measured by obstacle detection sensors.

12. The apparatus for generating a safe path of a mobile robot according to claim 11, wherein said obstacle-information extraction unit extracts said information about the expected distance from the peripheral obstacle based on comparison of said data measured by obstacle detection sensors and said map information.

13. The apparatus for generating a safe path of a mobile robot according to claim 10, wherein said path correction module calculates said midpoint of the calculated marginal space based on said location of a detected obstacle, if an obstacle is detected within a pre-determined distance in both directions perpendicular to said whole path at said control point.

14. The apparatus for generating a safe path of a mobile robot according to claim 13, wherein said path correction module

defines as obstacle points respective locations at the nearest distances where the segments that are perpendicular to said whole path at said control point and have same lengths as said pre-determined distances respectively in both directions meet said peripheral obstacle;

and

defines said midpoint of the segment between said obstacle points as a midpoint of said marginal space.

15. The apparatus for generating a safe path of a mobile robot according to claim 14, wherein said path correction module defines endpoints of said segment as obstacle points, if there is no peripheral obstacle within a segment of a length of pre-determined distance.

16. The apparatus for generating a safe path of a mobile robot according to claim 13, wherein said pre-determined distance defined to be proportional to a moving velocity of said robot.

17. The apparatus for generating a safe path of a mobile robot according to claim 10, wherein said whole-path detection module uses the A* algorithm or Dijkstra'"'"'s search algorithm.

18. The apparatus for generating a safe path of a mobile robot according to claim 10, wherein said whole-path detection module decides said starting point based on said information about the present location of the robot measured by a Global Positioning System (GPS).