Moving device and method for controlling same

• US 8,688,307 B2
• Filed: 08/14/2009
• Issued: 04/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Sekiya, Makoto
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Dalena
• Application Number:
  US13/059,797
• Publication Number:
  US 20110153138A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,691 Days
• Field of Search: 701 22- 28, 318/567, 318/568.12, 318/568.16, 318/568.24, 318/568.1, 700/245, 700/253, 700/255, 700/258, 700/260, 901/1
• US Class Current: 701/26
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/162 Mobile manipulator, movable base with manipulator arm mounted on it
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1676 Avoiding collision or forbidden zones
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/39091 Avoid collision with moving obstacles
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0217 in accordance with energy consumption, time reduction or distance reduction criteria

Abstract

Even when a first moving condition is not satisfied, when it is determined that a second moving condition is satisfied and at the same time an object belongs to a second classification, an operation of a robot is controlled so as to prompt the object to move according to a first pattern or an arbitrary pattern. The “first moving condition” is a condition that the robot is capable of moving without being obstructed by the object when the robot moves according to a current target position trajectory. The “second moving condition” is a condition that the robot is capable of moving according to the current target position trajectory without being obstructed by the object when the object is displaced according to the first pattern. The “second classification” means a classification of the object which is capable of being moved by a force from the robot acting thereon.

Claims

1. A mobile apparatus equipped with a control device, which moves autonomously by the control device controlling the operation thereof according to a target position trajectory indicating a temporal changing pattern of the target position, the control device comprising:

a first control processing element which determines whether or not a first moving condition in which the mobile apparatus is capable of moving according to a current target position trajectory without being obstructed by an object, is satisfied, and when it is determined that the first moving condition is not satisfied, determines whether or not a second moving condition in which the mobile apparatus is capable of moving according to the current target position trajectory without being obstructed by the object by a displacement of the object according to a first pattern, is satisfied, and also determines whether or not the object belongs to a second classification in which the object is movable by acting of a force from the mobile apparatus; and

a second control processing element which controls the operation of the mobile apparatus so as to move according to the target position trajectory, when it is determined by the first control processing element that the first moving condition is satisfied, and controls the operation of the mobile apparatus so as to move the object according to the first pattern, and so as to return to the current target position trajectory according to need, when it is determined by the first control processing element that the second moving condition is satisfied and at the same time that the object belongs to the second classification.

2. The mobile apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first control processing element determines, when determining that the second moving condition is not satisfied, whether or not a third moving condition in which the mobile apparatus is capable of moving according to a corrected target position trajectory without being obstructed by the object, by the displacement of the object according to a second pattern and the correction of the target position trajectory, is satisfied, and

the second control processing element controls the operation of the mobile apparatus so as to move the object according to the second pattern, and so as to return to the current target position trajectory according to need, as well as to correct the target position trajectory, when it is determined by the first control processing element that the third moving condition is satisfied, and at the same time that the object belongs to the second classification.

3. The mobile apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first control processing element determines, when determining that the first moving condition is not satisfied, whether or not a fourth moving condition in which the mobile apparatus is capable of moving according to a corrected target position trajectory without being obstructed by the object by the correction of the target position trajectory, is satisfied, and

the second control processing element corrects the target position trajectory, when it is determined by the first control processing element that the fourth moving condition is satisfied.

4. The mobile apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first control processing element determines, when determining that the object does not belong to the second classification, whether or not the object belongs to a first classification in which the object is capable of recognizing an action pattern of the mobile apparatus and is capable of moving autonomously, and

the second control processing element controls the operation of the mobile apparatus so as to prompt the object to move according to the first pattern or an arbitrary pattern, when it is determined by the first control processing element that the second moving condition is satisfied, and at the same time the object belongs to the first classification.

5. The mobile apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the first control processing element determines, when determining that the second moving condition is not satisfied, whether or not the third moving condition in which the mobile apparatus is capable of moving according to a corrected target position trajectory without being obstructed by the object, by the displacement of the object according to a second pattern and the correction of the target position trajectory, is satisfied, and

the second control processing element controls the operation of the mobile apparatus so as to prompt the object to move according to the second pattern or an arbitrary pattern, when it is determined by the first control processing element that the third moving condition is satisfied, and at the same time the object belongs to the first classification.

6. The mobile apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first control processing element determines whether or not the mobile apparatus is capable of moving according to the target position trajectory without being obstructed by the object, according to whether or not an interval between the object and a boundary of a movable region sandwiching the target position trajectory is equal to or more than a safety interval.

7. A method for controlling a mobile apparatus by a control device of the mobile apparatus, which moves autonomously according to a target position trajectory indicating a temporal changing pattern of the target position, the method comprising:

determining, using the control device, whether or not a first moving condition in which the mobile apparatus is capable of moving according to a current target position trajectory without being obstructed by an object, is satisfied;

when it is determined that the first moving condition is not satisfied, determining, using the control device, whether or not a second moving condition in which the mobile apparatus is capable of moving according to the current target position trajectory without being obstructed by the object by a displacement of the object according to a first pattern, is satisfied;

determining, using the control device, whether or not the object belongs to a second classification in which the object is movable by acting of a force from the mobile apparatus;

controlling, using the control device, the operation of the mobile apparatus so as to move according to the target position trajectory, when it is determined that the first moving condition is satisfied; and

controlling, using the control device, the operation of the mobile apparatus so as to move the object according to the first pattern, and so as to return to the current target position trajectory according to need, when it is determined by a first control processing element of the control device that the second moving condition is satisfied and also that the object belongs to the second classification.