Group robot and collective movement controlling method for group robot

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10962987-B2
Application number	US-201716307447-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 31, 2017
Priority date	Jun 6, 2016
Publication date	Mar 30, 2021
Grant date	Mar 30, 2021

Abstract

A group robot and a method for controlling a collective movement of a group robot that realize a combination of autonomous distributed control and centralized control according to the environment are provided. A group robot is formed of at least two robots that have powers and autonomously move obtains mutual position information among the robots and with respect to an object that exists in a movable area of the robots, presets a virtual object temperature for the object and a virtual initial robot temperature that is lower than the virtual object temperature for the robot, calculates a virtual robot temperature, which changed by a virtual heat transfer, from the virtual object temperature, the virtual initial robot temperature, and a distance between the robot and the object, calculates virtual attractive-repulsive force from a distance between the robots to keep the distance between the robots and virtual repulsive force acting between the object and the robot from a virtual robot temperature by using a thermodynamics mathematical model, and controls a movement direction and velocity of the robot by using a sum of the virtual attractive-repulsive force and the virtual repulsive force.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A group robot comprising at least two robots that each have powers and autonomously move, wherein
each of the robots

obtains mutual position-information for a robot with respect to other robots within the group and an object that exists in an area within which the robots move, and
exchange information with other robots within the group, each of the robots moves on the basis of the obtained mutual position-information,
each of the robots including a processor and a storage storing a program that causes the processor to:
preset a virtual object temperature for the object and a virtual initial robot temperature that is lower than the virtual object temperature for the robot,
calculate a virtual robot temperature, which changed by a virtual heat transfer, from the virtual object temperature, the virtual initial robot temperature, and a distance between the robot and the object,
calculate virtual attractive-repulsive force from a distance between the robot and other robots within the group to control the robot to maintain the distance between the robot and the other robots of the group and virtual repulsive force acting between the object and the robot from the virtual robot temperature by using a thermodynamics mathematical model, and
control a movement direction and velocity of the robot by using a sum of the virtual attractive-repulsive force and the virtual repulsive force.

2. The group robot according to claim 1 , wherein
the robot has a cylindrical body with a diameter σ,
the sum is expressed by a thermodynamics mathematical model of a formula (1),
the virtual attractive-repulsive force is expressed by a first term on a right side of the formula (1) and the virtual repulsive force is expressed by a second term on the right side of the formula (1)

⁢

formula
⁢

⁢

(
1
)

Q
i

⁡

(

r
ij

,

T
i

⁡

(

r
il

,
t

)

)

=

∑

j
∈
RS

⁢

β
⁢

⁢
ɛ
⁢

{

(

σ

r
ij

)

A

-

(

σ

r
ij

)

B

}

+

T
i

⁡

(

r
ij

,
t

)

2

2

(
1
)

where:
subscript l is an object, subscript i is an ith robot, subscript j is a jth robot,
Q is a sum, r is a distance, t is time, β is an attractive-repulsive force adjustment parameter,
ε is an attractive-repulsive force maximum value adjustment parameter, T is a virtual temperature,
A is a repulsive force strength parameter, B is an attractive force strength parameter, and
RS is an assembly of robots that can exchange information.

3. The group robot according to claim 2 , wherein the virtual heat transfer is expressed by a formula (2)

formula
⁢

⁢

(
2
)

Assignees

• Univ Tokyo Denki
• Koganei Ltd

Inventors

• Suzuki Tsuyoshi
• Yamagishi Kouhei

Classifications

• B25J13/00

  Controls for manipulators (programme controls B25J9/16) · CPC title

• G06N7/00

  Computing arrangements based on specific mathematical models · CPC title

• B25J9/1682

  Dual arm manipulator; Coordination of several manipulators · CPC title

• G05D1/0295 Primary

  by at least one leading vehicle of the fleet · CPC title

• G05D1/0027

  involving a plurality of vehicles, e.g. fleet or convoy travelling (fleet control of land vehicles from a control room G05D1/0297; traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/00; for marine craft G08G3/00; for aircraft G08G5/00) · CPC title