Robot and control method therefor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12358150-B2
Application number	US-202318098470-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 18, 2023
Priority date	Jul 21, 2020
Publication date	Jul 15, 2025
Grant date	Jul 15, 2025

Abstract

A robot includes: an arm; a hand including a first finger and a second finger, wherein the first finger includes a first sensor and the second finger includes a second sensor; and a processor configured to: based on sensing an object through the first sensor while the robot is moving to grip the object, activate the second sensor, receive, from the first sensor and the second sensor, distance information including a plurality of pairs of distance values, wherein each respective pair of distance values of the plurality of pairs of distance values includes a first distance between the first sensor and the object and a second distance between the second sensor and the object, and each respective pair of distance values corresponds to a respective position of the hand relative to the object, and control the first finger and the second finger to grip the object based on the distance information.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A robot comprising:
a hand comprising a first finger and a second finger, wherein the first finger comprises a first sensor and the second finger comprises a second sensor;
memory storing one or more instructions; and
at least one processor configured to execute the one or more instructions,
wherein the one or more instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the robot to:
based on sensing an object through the first sensor while the robot is moving to grip the object, activate the second sensor,
receive, from the first sensor and the second sensor, distance information comprising a plurality of pairs of distance values, wherein each respective pair of distance values of the plurality of pairs of distance values comprises a first distance between the first sensor and the object and a second distance between the second sensor and the object, and each respective pair of distance values of the plurality of pairs of distance values corresponds to a respective position of the hand relative to the object,
for each respective pair of distance values of the plurality of pairs of distance values, determine a combined distance value by adding the first distance of the respective pair of distance values to the second distance of the respective pair of distance values, to obtain a plurality of combined distance values,
determine a minimum combined distance value among the plurality of combined distance values,
control the robot to move the hand to a position corresponding to the minimum combined distance value, and
control the first finger and the second finger to grip the object.

2. The robot of claim 1 ,
wherein the robot further comprises a drive unit, and
wherein the one or more instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the robot to:
based on receiving the distance information, determine a current first distance between the first sensor and the object and a current second distance between the second sensor and the object, and
control the drive unit to move the robot such that a difference between the current first distance and the current second distance becomes less than or equal to a threshold value.

3. The robot of claim 1 ,
wherein the first sensor comprises a first light emitter and a first light sensor, and the second sensor comprises a second light emitter and a second light sensor,
wherein the first sensor is configured to emit a first light through the first light emitter, to receive through the first light sensor the first light emitted by the first light emitter which is reflected back to the first sensor, and based on a time elapsed between the first light being emitted by the first light emitter and the first light being received by the first light sensor, to determine a distance between the first sensor and the object, and
wherein the second sensor is configured to emit a second light through the second light emitter, to receive through the second light sensor the second light emitted by the second light emitter which is reflected back to the second sensor, and based on a time elapsed between the second light being emitted by the second light emitter and the second light being received by the second light sensor, to determine a distance between the second sensor and the object.

4. The robot of claim 1 , further comprising a camera,
wherein the one or more instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the robot to:
determine a location of the object based on an image obtained by the camera, and
move the robot toward the object.

5. A robot comprising:
a hand comprising a first finger and a second finger, wherein the first finger comprises a first sensor and the second finger comprises a second sensor;
memory storing one or more instructions; and
at least one processor configured to execute the one or more instructions,
wherein the one or more instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the robot to:
based on sensing an object through the first sensor while the robot is moving to grip the object, activate the second sensor,
receive, from the first sensor and the second sensor, distance information comprising a plurality of pairs of distance values, wherein each respective pair of distance values of the plurality of pairs of distance values comprises a first distance between the first sensor and the object and a second distance between the second sensor and the object, and each respective pair of distance values of the plurality of pairs of distance values corresponds to a respective position of the hand relative to the object,

wherein a first pair of distance values from among the plurality of pairs of distance values is associated with a first point on the object, and a second pair of distance values from among the plurality of pairs of distance values is associated with a second point on the object,
wherein the first pair of distance values and the second pair of distance values are measured while the hand moves toward the object,
wherein the first pair of distance values is measured before the second pair of distance values, and
wherein the one or more instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the robot to:
determine a first combined distance value based on the first pair of distance values,
determine a second combined distance value based on the second pair of distance values,
based on the first combined distance value being less than the second combined distance value, identify the first point on the object as a point for gripping the object, and
control the first finger and the second finger to grip the object on the first point on the object.

6. The robot of claim 5 , wherein the one or more instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the robot to:
based on the second combined distance value being less than the first combined distance value, control the robot to move the hand toward the object,
receive a third pair of distance values from among the plurality of pairs of distance values, wherein the third pair of distance values is measured while the hand moves toward the object, is measured after the second pair of distance values, and is associated with a third point on the object,
determine a third combined distance value based on the third pair of distance values from among the plurality of pairs of distance values,
based on the third combined distance value being greater than the second combined distance value, identify the second point on the object as a point for gripping the object, and
control the first finger and the second finger to grip the object on the second point on the object.

7. A control method for a robot comprising a hand, the hand comprising a first finger and a second finger, the first finger comprising a first sensor, and the second finger comprising a second sensor, the control method comprising:
based on sensing an object through the first sensor while the robot is moving to grip the object, activating the second sensor;
receiving, from the first sensor and the second sensor, distance information comprising a plurality of pairs of distance values, wherein each respective pair of distance values of the plurality of pairs of distance values comprises a first distance between the first sensor and the object and a second distance between the second sensor and the object, and wherein each respective pair of distance values of the plurality of pairs of distance values corresponds to a respective position of the hand relative to the object;
for each respective pair of distance values of the plurality of pairs of distance values, determining a combined distance value by adding the first distance of the respective pair of distance values to the sec

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Hyunwoo
• Choi Heeseung

Classifications

• B25J15/08

  having finger members (B25J15/02, B25J15/04 take precedence) · CPC title

• B25J9/1664

  characterised by motion, path, trajectory planning · CPC title

• B25J19/023 Primary

  including video camera means · CPC title

• B25J9/1697 Primary

  Vision controlled systems · CPC title

• B25J9/1612

  characterised by the hand, wrist, grip control · CPC title