Mobile robotic device and method of controlling the same manipulator for locomotion and manipulation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10807246-B2
Application number	US-201815865203-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 8, 2018
Priority date	Jan 8, 2018
Publication date	Oct 20, 2020
Grant date	Oct 20, 2020

Abstract

A mobile robotic device and a method for controlling the mobile robotic device to move are provided. The mobile robotic device includes: a body; a rotatable portion connected to the body and configured to support the body in a rotatable manner; and an operational portion which comprises at least two arms connected to the body and configured to support the body in a walkable manner. In operation, the mobile robotic device is switchable between a manipulation mode in which the rotatable portion supports the body in the rotatable manner and a locomotion mode in which the at least two arms support the body in the walkable manner.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A mobile robotic device, comprising:
a body;
a rotatable portion connected to the body and configured to support the body in a rotatable manner;
an operational portion, connected to the body and comprising at least two arms;
a controller comprising a processor and a storage device storing computer executable code; and
a visual sensor configured to capture at least one image of a surface on which the mobile robotic device is located,
wherein the mobile robotic device is switchable between a manipulation mode and a locomotion mode, and the at least two arms are configured to manipulate an object in the manipulation mode and configured to support the body and move the mobile robotic device in the locomotion mode; and
wherein the controller is configured to execute the computer executable code at the processor to perform: controlling the visual sensor to capture the at least one image; determining whether the surface is even or uneven depending on the at least one image; and switching or maintaining the mobile robotic device in the manipulation mode by controlling a posture of the body to cause the rotatable portion to support the body on the surface when the surface is even, or switching or maintaining the mobile robotic device in the locomotion mode by controlling the posture of the body to cause the at least two arms to support the body on the surface when the surface is uneven.

2. The mobile robotic device of claim 1 , wherein in the manipulation mode, the rotatable portion supports the body in a rotatable manner.

3. The mobile robotic device of claim 2 , wherein the rotatable portion comprises one or more wheels rotatably connected to the body.

4. The mobile robotic device of claim 1 , wherein in the manipulation mode, the rotatable portion supports the body on a surface and the at least two arms are in non-contact with the surface.

5. The mobile robotic device of claim 1 , wherein in the locomotion mode, the at least two arms support the body on a surface and the rotatable portion is in non-contact with the surface.

6. The mobile robotic device of claim 5 , wherein in the locomotion mode, the rotatable portion faces away from the surface.

7. The mobile robotic device of claim 1 , wherein each of the at least two arms comprises at least two sections jointed to each other.

8. The mobile robotic device of claim 1 , wherein a first arm of the at least two arms is connected at a first position on the body both in the manipulation mode and in the locomotion mode, and a second arm of the at least two arms is connected at a second position on the body both in the manipulation mode and in the locomotion mode.

9. The mobile robotic device of claim 1 ,
wherein the body further comprises a first sliding slot to which a first arm of the at least two arms is slidably jointed, and a second sliding slot to which a second arm of the at least two arms is slidably jointed, and
wherein the first arm is jointed at an upper end of the first sliding slot in the manipulation mode and is jointed at a lower end of the first sliding slot in the locomotion mode, and the second arm is jointed at an upper end of the second sliding slot in the manipulation mode and is jointed at a lower end of the second sliding slot in the locomotion mode.

10. The mobile robotic device of claim 1 , wherein the image captured by the visual sensor is in a form of three-dimensional cloud points, and determining whether the surface is even or uneven depending on the image captured by the visual sensor comprises:
finding the surface from the image by using plane fitting;
computing point distribution on the surface; and
deciding the surface is uneven when the point distribution is greater than a predetermined threshold, or deciding the surface is even when the point distribution is less than or equal to the predetermined threshold.

11. A method of controlling a mobile robotic device, the method comprising:
capturing, by a visual sensor of the mobile robotic device, at least one image of a surface on which the motile robotic device is located;
determining, by a controller of the mobile robotic device, whether the surface is even or uneven depending on the at least one image; and
switching or maintaining, by the controller, the mobile robotic device in a manipulation mode by controlling a posture of a body of the mobile robotic device to cause a rotatable portion of the robotic device to support the body on the surface when the surface is even, or switching or maintaining, by the controller, the mobile robotic device in a locomotion mode by controlling the posture of the body to cause at least two arms of an operational portion of the mobile robotic device to support the body on the surface when the surface is uneven,
wherein the rotatable portion and the operational portion are connected to the body, and the rotatable portion is configured to support the body in a rotatable manner.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the image captured by the visual sensor is in a form of three-dimensional cloud points, and determining whether the surface is even or uneven depending on the image captured by the visual sensor comprises:
finding the surface from the image by using plane fitting;
computing point distribution on the surface; and
deciding the surface is uneven when the point distribution is greater than a predetermined threshold, or deciding the surface is even when the point distribution is less than or equal to the predetermined threshold.

13. A mobile robotic device, comprising:
a body; and
at least two arms connected to the body,
wherein the body comprises a first sliding slot to which a first arm of the at least two arms is slidably jointed, and a second sliding slot to which a second arm of the at least two arms is slidably jointed; and
wherein the mobile robotic device is switchable between a manipulation mode in which the at least two arms are configured to manipulate an object and a locomotion mode in which the at least two arms support the body and move the mobile robotic device.

14. The mobile robotic device of claim 13 , wherein the mobile robotic device maintains or switches to the manipulation mode when a surface the mobile robotic device is located on is even, and the mobile robotic device maintains or switches to the locomotion mode when the surface is uneven.

15. The mobile robotic device of claim 13 , wherein each of the at least two arms comprises at least two sections jointed to each other.

16. The mobile robotic device of claim 13 , wherein the first arm is located at an upper end of the first sliding slot in the manipulation mode and is located at a lower end of the first sliding slot in the locomotion mode; and wherein the second arm is located at an upper end of the second sliding slot in the manipulation mode and is located at a lower end of the second sliding slot in the locomotion mode.

Assignees

• Beijing Jingdong Shangke Information Technology Co Ltd
• Jd Com American Tech Corp

Inventors

• Hong Soonhac

Classifications

• B25J5/007 Primary

  mounted on wheels · CPC title

• B62D57/028

  having wheels and mechanical legs (B62D57/024 takes precedence; ground-engaging vehicle fittings for supporting, lifting or manoeuvring the vehicle, wholly or in part B60S9/00) · CPC title

• G05B2219/40302

  Dynamically reconfigurable robot, adapt structure to tasks, cellular robot, cebot · CPC title

• B25J9/1697 Primary

  Vision controlled systems · CPC title

• B62D57/032

  with alternately or sequentially lifted supporting base and legs; with alternately or sequentially lifted feet or skid (B62D57/024 takes precedence) · CPC title