Method for automatically triggering a self-positioning process

• US 9,527,212 B2
• Filed: 02/08/2013
• Issued: 12/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robart GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robart GmbH
• Inventors: Artes, Harold, Seethaler, Dominik, Schahpar, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Kiswanto, Nicholas
• Application Number:
  US14/377,515
• Publication Number:
  US 20160008982A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,418 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 11/0085 Cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 5/00 Manipulators mounted on wheels or on carriages B25J1/00 takes precedence; programme-controlled manipulators B25J9/00 ; vehicle aspects B60, B62, e.g. remote-controlled steering for motor vehicles B62D1/24; control of position of vehicles G05D1/00
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1664 characterised by motion, path, trajectory planning
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1692 Calibration of manipulator
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot

Abstract

A mobile self-propelled robot for autonomously carrying out actions. The robot includes a drive module for moving the robot over a floor area; a processing module for carrying out the activities during a processing stage; at least one sensor module for detecting information relating to the structure of the surroundings; a detector module configured to detect a displacement of the robot prior to or during the processing stage. Further, the robot includes a navigation module configured to navigate the robot over the floor area during the processing stage using a map of the surroundings, to store and manage one or more maps of the surroundings, and to carry out a self-positioning process if the detector module has detected a displacement of the robot. During the self-positioning process, the presence and the location of the robot within the stored maps are detected.

Claims

1. A mobile self-propelled robot for autonomously carrying out activities, the robot comprising:

a drive module configured to move the robot over a floor area;

a treatment module configured to carry out the activities during operation of the robot;

at least one sensor module configured to acquire information relating to a structure of an environment;

a detector module configured to detect a shifting of the robot; and

a navigation module connected to said detector module and configured to navigate the robot over the floor area during operation of the robot using a map of the environment, to store and manage one or more maps of the environment, and to carry out a self-localization process when said detector module has detected a shifting of the robot;

wherein the self-localization process includes detecting whether and where the robot is situated within an area of the stored maps.

2. The robot according to claim 1, wherein said navigation module is also configured to create and store a new map based on data acquired by said sensor module when the robot is not located within a stored map.

3. The robot according to claim 1, wherein said navigation module carries out the self-localization process by determining global localization hypotheses in the stored maps.

4. The robot according to claim 3, wherein said navigation module is configured to determine a quality of the localization hypotheses in the stored maps.

5. The robot according to claim 1, which further comprises a communication module configured to establish a connection to a human-machine interface and for receiving user inputs via the connection.

6. The robot according to claim 1, wherein said detector module is configured to detect the shifting of the robot by detecting a lifting and a subsequent set-down of the robot.

7. The robot according to claim 6, which further comprises at least one contact switch on spring-loaded wheels and/or a reflection light barrier disposed on an underside of the robot and emitting a beam to be reflected at the floor, for detecting a lifting and subsequent set-down of the robot.

8. The robot according to claim 1, wherein said sensor module has an inertial sensor for recording movements of the robot and said detector module is configured to detect the shifting of the robot using the recorded movements.

9. The robot according to claim 1, wherein information acquired by said sensor module before being switched off is stored and the shifting of the robot is detected if the information acquired by said sensor module upon being switched back on differs from the stored information.

10. The robot according to claim 1, wherein the activities to be autonomously carried out comprise a treatment of a floor area and/or an inspection of an environment or objects in the environment and/or a transport of objects and/or a cleaning of air.

11. The robot according to claim 1, wherein the processing module is a cleaning module configured to clean a floor area under or beside the robot or both.

12. The robot according to claim 11, wherein the cleaning module comprises a collection container configured to draw in dust or dirt particles.

13. The robot according to claim 1, wherein the processing module is an inspection module configured monitor or inspect rooms, areas, or objects.

14. A method for automatically carrying out activities with a self-propelled autonomous robot, the method comprising:

storing and managing at least one map of an environment;

starting a treatment operation and carrying out the activities with a processing module arranged on the robot;

navigating the robot over the floor area during the treatment operation using a map of the environment;

acquiring information relating to a structure of the environment during the treatment operation by way of at least one sensor module arranged on or in the robot; and

carrying out a self-localization process if a detector module disposed on or in the robot detects that the robot has been shifted, the self-localization process determining whether and where the robot is situated within the stored maps.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein navigating the robot comprises:

creating and storing a new map based on information relating to a structure of the environment acquired when the robot is not located within a store map.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein navigating the robot comprises:

carrying out the self-localization process by determining global localization hypotheses in the stored maps.

17. The robot according to claim 16, wherein navigating the robot comprises:

determining a quality of the localization hypotheses in the stored maps.

18. The method according to claim 14, further comprising:

establishing a connection to a human-machine interface; and

receiving user inputs via the connection.

19. The method according to claim 14, wherein detecting that the robot has been shifted comprises:

detecting a lifting and a subsequent set-down of the robot.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein detecting a lifting and subsequent set-down of the robot is accomplished using at least one of:

at least one contact switch on spring-loaded wheels; and

a reflection light barrier disposed on an underside of the robot and emitting a beam to be reflected at the floor.

21. The method according to claim 14,

wherein acquiring information relating to a structure of the environment comprises:

recording movements of the robot using an inertial sensor; and

wherein detecting that the robot has been shifted comprises;

detecting the shifting of the robot using the recorded movements.

22. The method according to claim 14, wherein the acquiring information relating to a structure of the environment comprises:

storing the acquired information relating to a structure of the environment before the robot is switched off; and

detecting the shifting of the robot if the acquired information relating to a structure of the environment, which is obtained upon being switched back on, differs from the stored information.

23. The method according to claim 14, wherein the activities to be autonomously carried out comprise a treatment of a floor area and/or an inspection of an environment or objects in the environment and/or a transport of objects and/or a cleaning of air.