Swarm robot and sweeping method using swarm robot

• US 8,892,253 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2011
• Issued: 11/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: korea institute of industrial technology
• Original Assignee: korea institute of industrial technology
• Inventors: Ji, Sang-Hoon, Lee, Sang-Moo, Shon, Woong-Hee, Nam, Kyung-Tae, Park, Jeong-Seop
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): LI, CE LI
• Application Number:
  US13/222,636
• Publication Number:
  US 20120158176A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,175 Days
• Field of Search: 901/1, 901/2, 901/46, 901/47, 700/245, 700/247, 700/248, 700/249, 700/258, 700/259
• 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 configured to collaborate with at least another swarm robot to remove a plurality of objects in a given sweeping area, comprising:

a driving part for moving the swarm robot in the sweeping area;

a manipulating part for gripping one of the objects;

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 detected by the detecting part and position information obtained 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,

wherein the control part is configured to control the swarm robot to work in a plurality of behavior modes including

a wander mode for searching the sweeping area to detect an object,

a hold mode in which the swarm robot refrains from removing the detected object,

a sweep mode for searching an adjacent sweeping area to detect another 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, and wherein the control part is configured to

start the hold mode, and control the manipulating part to grip an object found in a behavior mode prior to the hold mode, and

compare a waiting time of the swarm robot for the found object to a first predetermined time threshold,

upon determining that the waiting time is longer than the first predetermined time threshold, register position information of the found object to the object map and change the swarm robot'"'"'s behavior mode to the sweep mode, and

upon determining that the waiting time is not longer than the first predetermined time threshold, compare the waiting time to a second predetermined time threshold that is lower than the first predetermined time threshold,

upon determining that the waiting time is longer than the second predetermined time threshold and that the behavior mode prior to the hold mode is the circuit mode, change the swarm robot'"'"'s behavior mode to the circuit mode, and

upon determining that the waiting time is not longer than the second predetermined time threshold or that the behavior mode prior to the hold mode is not the circuit mode, determine whether the another swarm robot is gripping the found object,

 

upon determining that the another swarm robot is not gripping the found object, wait while the manipulating part grips the found object, and

 

upon determining that the another swarm robot is gripping the found object, compare a first number of swarm robots for removing the found object and a second number of swarm robots for waiting at the found object,

 

upon determining that the first number is equal to the second number, change the swarm robot'"'"'s behavior mode to the pull mode, and

 

upon determining that the first number is larger than the second number, initializes the waiting time to zero.

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

3. The swarm robot of claim 1, 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.

4. The swarm robot of claim 1, wherein, in the sweep mode, the object map is generated and the swarm robot'"'"'s behavior mode is switched to the circuit mode when the search on the adjacent sweeping area is completed.

5. The swarm robot of claim 1, wherein the adjacent sweeping area is an area away from the detected object by a certain distance.

6. The swarm robot of claim 1, wherein, in the circuit mode, to remove the object, an order of visiting objects detected but not removed starts from an object registered to a high level to an object registered to a low level, and proceeds from an object closest to a current position to an object farthest from the current position on a same level.

7. A sweeping method using a swarm robot configured to collaborate with at least another swarm robot to remove a plurality of objects in a given sweeping area, comprising:

searching the sweeping area to detect one of the objects;

detecting environment information of the sweeping area;

acquiring a position of the swarm robot in the sweeping area;

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

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

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

wherein the searching includes searching an adjacent sweeping area to detect another object around the detected object,

wherein the removing comprises waiting to remove the detected object, including

comparing a waiting time of the swarm robot for the detected object to a first predetermined time threshold,

upon determining that the waiting time is longer than the first predetermined time threshold, registering position information of the detected object to the object map, and searching the adjacent sweeping area, and

upon determining that the waiting time is not longer than the first predetermined time threshold, comparing the waiting time to a second predetermined time threshold that is lower than the first predetermined time threshold,

upon determining that the waiting time is longer than the second predetermined time threshold and that the orderly visiting was performed before the waiting, performing the orderly visiting again, and

upon determining that the waiting time is not longer than the second predetermined time threshold or that the orderly visiting was not performed before the waiting, determining whether the another swarm robot is gripping the detected object,

 

upon determining that the another swarm robot is not gripping the detected object, waiting while the swarm robot grips the detected object, and

 

upon determining that the another swarm robot is gripping the detected object, comparing a first number of swarm robots for removing the detected object and a second number of swarm robots for waiting at the detected object,

 

upon determining that the first number is equal to the second number, removing the detected object, and

 

upon determining that the first number is larger than the second number, initializing the waiting time to zero.

8. The sweeping method of claim 7, wherein the object map is generated by registering a first object initially detected to a first level, a second object, additionally detected by sweeping around the first object, to a second level, and registering the objects per level in order.

9. The sweeping method of claim 7, wherein the searching the sweeping area comprises:

updating the local map of the sweeping area; and

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

10. The sweeping method of claim 7, 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.

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

12. The sweeping method of claim 7, wherein, in the orderly visiting, to remove the object, an order of visiting objects detected but not removed starts from an object registered to a high level to an object registered to a low level, and proceeds from an object closest to a current position to an object farthest from the current position on a same level.