Robot

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10921818-B2
Application number	US-201816058439-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 8, 2018
Priority date	Sep 22, 2017
Publication date	Feb 16, 2021
Grant date	Feb 16, 2021

Abstract

A robot includes a range finding sensor that measures a distance from the robot to an object facing a display each time the range finding sensor rotates through a predetermined angle. If a difference between a first distance previously measured and a second distance subsequently measured is a first predetermined value or greater, information is stored in a memory to indicate that a down-step is located in a direction defined by a turning angle of the robot when the first distance is measured at a position that is separated from the robot by the first distance. When rotating and moving the main casing in a direction in which the down-step is located, the robot is caused to make a pivot turn first. Subsequently, the main casing is rotated to move in the direction in which the down-step is located by a distance smaller than the first distance.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A robot comprising:
a first spherical cap portion;
a second spherical cap portion;
a spherical band-shaped main casing disposed between the first spherical cap portion and the second spherical cap portion, the main casing having a first flat surface to interface a flat surface of the first spherical cap portion, and a second flat surface to interface a flat surface of the second spherical cap portion;
a first shaft that joins the first spherical cap portion to the second spherical cap portion;
a display that is attached to the first shaft via an arm, and that displays at least part of a face of the robot in a forward direction;
a weight that is provided inside of the main casing and that rotates around a second shaft of the weight that is disposed perpendicular to the first shaft;
a first drive mechanism drives a rotation of the first shaft to rotate the first spherical cap portion and the second spherical cap portion;
a second drive mechanism independent from the first drive mechanism, the second drive mechanism drives a rotation of the main casing about the first shaft to cause a linear movement of the robot, the linear movement including a movement in the forward direction and a movement in a backward direction;
a weight drive mechanism that rotates the weight around the second shaft;
a range finding sensor disposed in one of the first spherical cap portion and the second spherical cap portion to face in a same direction as the display;
a gyro sensor that measures a turning angle of the robot about an axis perpendicular to a plane including the first shaft and detects a shaking movement of the robot;
a memory; and
a control circuit that:
controls the first drive mechanism to rotate the range finding sensor around the first shaft in at least one of an upward direction and a downward direction in increments of a predetermined angle,
wherein the range finding sensor measures a distance from the range finding sensor to an object facing the display of the robot each time the range finding sensor rotates through the predetermined angle,
wherein, if a difference between a first distance between the range finding sensor and the object previously measured and a second distance between the range finding sensor and the object subsequently measured is greater than or equal to a first predetermined value, the control circuit stores, in the memory, information indicating that there is a down-step in a direction defined by the turning angle of the robot when the first distance is measured at a position having the first distance away from the range finding sensor,
wherein in order to rotate the main casing and move the main casing in a direction in which the down-step is located, the control circuit performs following operations a predetermined number of times:
controlling the second drive mechanism to stop the rotation of the main casing,
controlling the weight drive mechanism to tilt the weight towards a first side that is in a direction towards one of the first spherical cap or the second spherical cap,
controlling the second drive mechanism to start a rotation of the main casing to move the main casing forward with the weight tilted to the first side,
controlling the second drive mechanism to stop the rotation of the main casing,
tilting the weight to a second side different from the first side, and
controlling the second drive mechanism to start a rotation of the main casing to move the main casing backward with the weight tilted to the second side, so that the robot turns in the direction in which the down-step is located, and

wherein the control circuit subsequently rotates the main casing so that the main casing moves forward in the direction in which the down-step is located by a distance that is smaller than the first distance.

2. The robot according to claim 1 , wherein, if a value indicating a shaking movement of the robot is detected by the gyro sensor and the value remains unchanged for a predetermined period of time, the control circuit determines that the robot is placed on a flat surface, and
wherein the control circuit controls the second drive mechanism to stop the linear movement of the robot and controls the weight drive mechanism to stop a rotation of the weight, and the range finding sensor measures the distance from the range finding sensor to the object facing the display each time the range finding sensor rotates through the predetermined angle.

3. The robot according to claim 1 , wherein, if the difference between the first distance and the second distance is less than the first predetermined value, the control circuit stores, in the memory, information indicating that there is no down-step in a direction defined by the turning angle of the robot when the first distance is measured.

4. The robot according to claim 1 , wherein the control circuit determines that the robot is placed on a flat surface if a value indicating the shaking movement of the robot is detected by the gyro sensor and the value remains unchanged for a predetermined period of time, controls the second drive mechanism to stop the linear movement of the robot, and controls the weight drive mechanism to stop a rotation of the weight,
wherein a first turning angle is defined as a turning angle of the robot when the rotation of the weight is stopped with the linear movement of the robot stopped,
wherein, in order to rotate the robot from a position corresponding to the first turning angle to a position corresponding to a second turning angle representing a next turning angle obtained by adding a predetermined unit of turning angle to the first turning angle, and determine whether the down-step is located in a direction corresponding to the second turning angle, the control circuit performs following operations a predetermined number of times:
controlling the second drive mechanism to stop the rotation of the main casing,
controlling the weight drive mechanism to tilt the weight to the first side,
controlling the second drive mechanism to start a rotation of the main casing to move the main casing forward with the weight tilted to the first side,
controlling the second drive mechanism to stop the rotation of the main casing,
tilting the weight to a second side different from the first side,
controlling the second drive mechanism to start a rotation of the main casing to move the main casing backward with the weight tilted to the second side, so that the robot is turned to face the direction corresponding to the second turning angle,

wherein the control circuit subsequently controls the first drive mechanism to rotate the range finding sensor around the first shaft in at least one of the upward direction and downward direction in increments of the predetermined angle, and
wherein the range finding sensor measures the distance from the range finding sensor to the object facing the display each time the range finding sensor rotates through the predetermined angle.

5. The robot according to claim 4 , wherein, when the control circuit determines that the robot is placed on the flat surface and defines the first turning angle as the turning angle of the robot when stopping the rotation of the weight with the linear movement of the robot stopped, the control circuit continues to determine whether there is a down-step is present until the robot turns 360 degrees from the first turning angle in increments of the predetermined unit of turning angle.

6. The robot according to claim 5 , further comprising:
a camera that captures an image of an environment surrounding the robot; and
a microphone that acquires a sound signal emanating from the environment surrounding the robot,
wherein, if the control circuit determines that an image of a person is not included in the

Assignees

• Panasonic Ip Man Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ogawa Kento
• Higuchi Seiya

Classifications

• G05D1/0238 Primary

  using obstacle or wall sensors (G05D1/0246 and G05D1/0289 take precedence; lidar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S17/93) · CPC title

• B25J19/002

  using counterweights · CPC title

• B25J11/00 Primary

  Manipulators not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• B25J19/00

  Accessories fitted to manipulators, e.g. for monitoring, for viewing; Safety devices combined with or specially adapted for use in connection with manipulators (safety-devices in general F16P; protection against radiation in general G21F) · CPC title

• G05D1/0246 Primary

  using a video camera in combination with image processing means · CPC title