Mobile robot with collision anticipation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10596705-B2
Application number	US-201615563125-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 31, 2016
Priority date	Mar 31, 2015
Publication date	Mar 24, 2020
Grant date	Mar 24, 2020

Abstract

The invention relates to a mobile robot having running gear and at least one robot arm mounted on the running gear, a sensor system for sensing obstacles in the surroundings of the robot and a navigation unit for laying down a route along which the running gear can be moved while avoiding the obstacles, and a control unit for the robot arm which is adapted to lay down a permissible position for the robot arm by reference to the obstacles sensed and the route.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A mobile robot ( 1 ) having energizable and steerable running gear ( 2 ) and at least one robot arm ( 5 . 1 , 5 . 2 , 5 . 3 ) mounted on the energizable and steerable running gear ( 2 ), a proximity sensor system comprising a plurality of proximity sensors, said proximity sensor system configured for sensing obstacles ( 29 ) in the surroundings of the robot ( 1 ) and a navigation path controller ( 32 ), responsive to said proximity sensor system sensed obstacles ( 29 ) and to destination location coordinate data and current location coordinate data, for calculating a route ( 34 ) on which the energizable and steerable running gear ( 2 ) is able to travel from said current location to said destination location past the sensed obstacles ( 29 ) without any collisions occurring, characterised in that the navigation path controller ( 32 ) is adapted to transmit, prior to energizing said energizable and steerable running gear ( 2 ) of said mobile robot ( 1 ), information relating to the calculated route ( 34 ) to a robot navigation controller ( 31 ) for each of the at least one robot arm ( 5 . 1 , 5 . 2 , 5 . 3 ), and wherein the robot navigation controller ( 31 . 1 , 31 . 2 , 31 . 3 ) is responsive to said proximity sensor system and to said calculated route ( 34 ), for examining the calculated route ( 34 ) for a risk of collision between the sensed obstacles ( 29 ) and each of the at least one robot arm ( 5 . 1 , 5 . 2 , 5 . 3 ) and responsive to examining the calculated route ( 34 ) for a risk of collision between the sensed obstacles ( 29 ) and a current position of each of the at least one robot arm ( 5 . 1 , 5 . 2 , 5 . 3 ), said robot navigation controller ( 31 . 1 , 31 . 2 , 31 . 3 ) configured for determining that there is a risk of a collision between the sensed obstacles ( 29 ) and a current position of each of the at least one robot arm ( 5 . 1 , 5 . 2 , 5 . 3 ) as said energizable and steerable running gear ( 2 ) of said mobile robot ( 1 ) moves said mobile robot ( 1 ) along said calculated route ( 34 ), and responsive to said determination, for calculating a permissible position for each of the robot arm ( 5 . 1 , 5 . 2 , 5 . 3 ) with reference to the sensed obstacles ( 29 ) as said energizable and steerable running gear ( 2 ) of said mobile robot ( 1 ) moves said mobile robot ( 1 ) along said calculated route ( 34 ) and for causing said at least one robot arm ( 5 . 1 , 5 . 2 , 5 . 3 ) to move into said permissible position as said energizable and steerable running gear ( 2 ) of said mobile robot ( 1 ) moves said mobile robot ( 1 ) along said calculated route ( 34 ).

2. The mobile robot ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , characterised in that the proximity sensor system comprises at least one first proximity sensor configured to supply information on current surroundings to the navigation path controller and at least one second proximity sensor configured to supply information on the current surroundings to the robot navigation controller ( 31 . 1 , 31 . 2 , 31 . 3 ).

3. The mobile robot ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , characterised in that the robot arm ( 5 . 1 , 5 . 2 , 5 . 3 ) is disposed outside a diameter of the energizable and steerable running gear ( 2 ), at least in the permissible position.

4. The mobile robot ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , characterised in that the navigation path controller ( 32 ) is adapted to calculate the route ( 34 ) without taking into consideration the current position of the robot arm ( 5 . 1 , 5 . 2 , 5 . 3 ).

5. The mobile robot ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , characterised in that the robot arm ( 5 . 1 , 5 . 2 , 5 . 3 ) is mounted on a removable coupling ( 33 ) disposed on the energizable and steerable running gear ( 2 ).

6. The mobile robot ( 1 ) according to claim 5 , characterised in that the navigation path controller ( 32 ) is adapted to calculate the route ( 34 ) in such a way that a safe distance ( 25 ) is observed between the removable coupling ( 33 ) and the sensed obstacles ( 29 ).

7. The mobile robot ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , characterised in that the robot arm ( 5 . 1 , 5 . 2 , 5 . 3 ) includes a gripping tool ( 11 ) and the robot navigation controller ( 31 . 1 , 31 . 2 , 31 . 3 ) is adapted to calculate lay down the permissible position while taking account of an object held by the gripping tool ( 11 ).

8. The mobile robot ( 1 ) according to claim 7 , characterised in that the robot navigation controller ( 31 . 1 , 31 . 2 , 31 . 3 ) is adapted to sense the configuration of the object held by the gripping tool ( 11 ) with the help of the proximity sensor system.

9. The mobile robot ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , characterised in that the permissible position is a position of the robot arm ( 5 . 1 , 5 . 2 , 5 . 3 ) in which the robot arm ( 5 . 1 , 5 . 2 , 5 . 3 ) passes by the sensed obstacle ( 29 ) on the celculated route ( 34 ), without touching the sensed obstacle.

10. The mobile robot ( 1 ) according to claim 9 , characterised in that the robot navigation controller ( 31 . 1 , 31 . 2 , 31 . 3 ) is capable of de-energizing the energizable and steerable running gear ( 2 ) if a permissible position does not exist.

Assignees

• Abb Gomtec Gmbh
• Abb Schweiz Ag

Inventors

• Gombert Bernd
• Ries Michael
• BOCK-KRAUSEN Leopold

Classifications

• Y10S901/01

  Mobile robot · CPC title

• B25J9/1676 Primary

  Avoiding collision or forbidden zones · CPC title

• B25J5/007

  mounted on wheels · CPC title

• G05B2219/39085

  Use of two dimensional maps and feedback of external and joint sensors · CPC title

• B25J9/0018

  Bases fixed on ceiling, i.e. upside down manipulators · CPC title