Wall following robot

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11278175-B2
Application number	US-202016739817-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 10, 2020
Priority date	Apr 9, 2015
Publication date	Mar 22, 2022
Grant date	Mar 22, 2022

Abstract

An example robot includes a body that is movable relative to a surface, a bumper mounted on the body to enable movement of the bumper relative to the body, a sensor to produce a signal in response to the movement of the bumper relative to the body caused by contact between the bumper and the surface, and a controller to control movement of the body to cause the body to track the surface based on a value. The bumper is movable between an uncompressed position relative to the body and a compressed position relative to the body. The signal varies linearly with the movement of the bumper relative to the body. The value is based on the signal and indicates that the bumper in a partially compressed position has a compression range between the uncompressed position and the compressed position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A robot comprising:
a bumper movably mounted on the robot, the robot movable relative to a surface of an obstacle; and
a controller configured to execute instructions to perform operations comprising:
advancing the robot along a first portion of the surface while maintaining a position of the bumper within a range of partially compressed positions of the bumper, and
in response to the position of the bumper being outside of the range, reorienting a forward drive direction of the robot relative to the first portion of the surface, and
advancing the robot along a second portion of the surface angled relative to the first portion of the surface while maintaining the position of the bumper within the range.

2. The robot of claim 1 , wherein advancing the robot along the first portion of the surface comprises advancing the robot along the first portion of the surface while maintaining a first non-zero angle between the forward drive direction of the robot and the first portion of the surface.

3. The robot of claim 2 , wherein advancing the robot along the second portion of the surface comprises advancing the robot along the second portion of the surface while maintaining a second non-zero angle between the forward drive direction of the robot and the second portion of the surface.

4. The robot of claim 3 , wherein the first non-zero angle and the second non-zero angle are between 3 degrees and 20 degrees.

5. The robot of claim 1 , wherein reorienting the forward drive direction of the robot relative to the first portion of the surface comprises rotating the robot toward the second portion of the surface.

6. The robot of claim 5 , wherein rotating the robot toward the second portion of the surface comprises rotating the robot toward the first portion of the surface.

7. The robot of claim 5 , wherein rotating the robot toward the second portion of the surface comprises rotating the robot away from the first portion of the surface.

8. The robot of claim 7 , wherein reorienting the forward drive direction of the robot relative to the first portion of the surface comprises, before rotating the robot toward the second portion of the surface, moving the robot rearward away from the second portion of the surface.

9. The robot of claim 5 , wherein rotating the robot toward the second portion of the surface comprises rotating the robot toward the second portion of the surface while maintaining contact between the robot and an interface between the first portion and the second portion of the surface.

10. The robot of claim 1 , further comprising a sensor system configured to produce data in response to movement of the bumper relative to the robot, a first portion of the data indicating that the bumper is positioned between a fully compressed position of the bumper and the range when the bumper is positioned between the fully compressed position and the range, a second portion of the data indicating that the bumper is positioned within the range when the bumper is positioned within the range, and a third portion of the data indicating that the bumper is positioned between the range and a fully uncompressed position of the bumper when the bumper is positioned between the range and the fully uncompressed position.

11. The robot of claim 1 , wherein the operations comprise calibrating a neutral position of the bumper relative to the robot in response to the bumper being within another range absent contact between the bumper and the surface.

12. The robot of claim 1 , wherein reorienting the forward drive direction of the robot relative to the first portion of the surface comprises, in response to the position of the bumper being between a fully compressed position of the bumper and the range, moving the robot rearwardly and rotating the robot away from the first portion of the surface.

13. The robot of claim 1 , wherein reorienting the forward drive direction of the robot relative to the first portion of the surface comprises, in response to the position of the bumper being between a fully uncompressed position of the bumper and the range, rotating the robot toward the first portion of the surface.

14. The robot of claim 1 , wherein maintaining the position of the bumper within the range comprises maintaining either a right portion of the bumper or a left portion of the bumper within the range.

15. A method of controlling a robot, the method comprising:
advancing the robot along a first portion of a surface of an obstacle while maintaining a position of a bumper of the robot within a range of partially compressed positions of the bumper;
in response to the position of the bumper being outside of the range, reorienting a forward drive direction of the robot relative to the first portion of the surface; and
advancing the robot along a second portion of the surface angled relative to the first portion of the surface while maintaining the position of the bumper within the range.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein advancing the robot along the first portion of the surface comprises advancing the robot along the first portion of the surface while maintaining a first non-zero angle between the forward drive direction of the robot and the first portion of the surface.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein advancing the robot along the second portion of the surface comprises advancing the robot along the second portion of the surface while maintaining a second non-zero angle between the forward drive direction of the robot and the second portion of the surface.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the first non-zero angle and the second non-zero angle are between 3 degrees and 20 degrees.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein reorienting the forward drive direction of the robot relative to the first portion of the surface comprises rotating the robot toward the second portion of the surface.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein rotating the robot toward the second portion of the surface comprises rotating the robot toward the first portion of the surface.

21. The method of claim 19 , wherein rotating the robot toward the second portion of the surface comprises rotating the robot away from the first portion of the surface.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein reorienting the forward drive direction of the robot relative to the first portion of the surface comprises, before rotating the robot toward the second portion of the surface, moving the robot rearward away from the second portion of the surface.

23. The method of claim 19 , wherein rotating the robot toward the second portion of the surface comprises rotating the robot toward the second portion of the surface while maintaining contact between the robot and an interface between the first portion and the second portion of the surface.

24. The method of claim 15 , further comprising calibrating a neutral position of the bumper in response to the bumper being within another range absent contact between the bumper and the surface.

25. The method of claim 15 , wherein reorienting the forward drive direction of the robot relative to the first portion of the surface comprises, in response to the position of the bumper being between a fully compressed position of the bumper and the range, moving the robot rearward and rotating the robot away from the first portion of the surface.

26. The method of claim 15 , wherein reorienting the forward drive direction of th

Assignees

• Irobot Corp

Inventors

• Wolfe Brian
• Lu Ping-Hong

Classifications

• A47L9/2805

  Parameters or conditions being sensed · CPC title

• A47L2201/00

  Robotic cleaning machines, i.e. with automatic control of the travelling movement or the cleaning operation · CPC title

• A47L9/00

  Details or accessories of suction cleaners, e.g. mechanical means for controlling the suction or for effecting pulsating action; Storing devices specially adapted to suction cleaners or parts thereof; Carrying-vehicles specially adapted for suction cleaners · CPC title

• A47L11/4088

  Supply pumps; Spraying devices; Supply conduits · CPC title

• A47L11/4061

  Steering means; Means for avoiding obstacles; Details related to the place where the driver is accommodated · CPC title