Robot and controlling method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12429876-B2
Application number	US-202318200981-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 23, 2023
Priority date	Jan 12, 2021
Publication date	Sep 30, 2025
Grant date	Sep 30, 2025

Abstract

Provided is a robot including: a body rotatable about a first shaft; a first drive wheel and a second drive wheel provided in the body to be rotatable about a second shaft that is perpendicular to the first shaft; at least one distance sensor provided on the second shaft; and a processor. The processor may acquire first distance information through the at least one distance sensor at each of a plurality of different points at which the body is located as the body moves; acquire second distance information through the at least one distance sensor in each of a plurality of different directions in which the body is directed as the body rotates; and acquire, based on the first distance information and the second distance information, acquire information about a location point of the robot on a map corresponding to a space in which the robot is located.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A robot comprising:
a first shaft;
a main body rotatable about the first shaft;
a first drive wheel and a second drive wheel provided in the main body to be rotatable about a second shaft that is perpendicular to the first shaft;
at least one distance sensor provided on the second shaft;
memory storing instructions; and
at least one processor configured to execute the instructions,
wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the robot to:
acquire first distance information through the at least one distance sensor at each of a plurality of different points at which the main body is located as the main body moves;
acquire second distance information through the at least one distance sensor in each of a plurality of different directions in which the main body is directed as the main body rotates; and
acquire, based on the first distance information and the second distance information, information about a location point of the robot on a map corresponding to a space in which the robot is located,

wherein the at least one distance sensor comprises:
a first distance sensor disposed in a first area of the main body adjacent to the first drive wheel; and
a second distance sensor disposed in a second area of the main body adjacent to the second drive wheel,

wherein the first distance sensor is configured to acquire the first distance information, and
wherein the second distance sensor is configured to acquire the second distance information in an opposite direction to the first distance information acquired by the first distance sensor while the main body rotates around the first shaft.

2. The robot of claim 1 , wherein the robot comprises a third shaft, and
wherein the first drive wheel and the second drive wheel are configured so that the main body moves in a direction of the third shaft that is perpendicular to each of the first shaft and the second shaft.

3. The robot of claim 1 , wherein each of the first distance sensor and the second distance sensor comprises a time of flight (ToF) sensor.

4. The robot of claim 1 , further comprising:
a tilt sensor,
wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the robot to:
acquire information about the location point at which the main body is located on the map based on third distance information excluding acquired fourth distance information, and
wherein the fourth distance information is acquired based on tilt information, which is obtained by the tilt sensor from the first distance information and the second distance information, being greater than or equal to a threshold tilt in a direction of a specific shaft.

5. The robot of claim 1 , wherein the main body has a spherical shape, and
wherein the first drive wheel and the second drive wheel are spaced apart from each other and surround the main body in an outer side of the main body.

6. The robot of claim 5 , wherein the map comprises map distance information corresponding to each of a plurality of points on the map, and
wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the robot to:
acquire third distance information based on a diameter of the main body, the first distance information, and the second distance information,
identify fourth distance information corresponding to the third distance information from among the map distance information included in the map; and
identify a point corresponding to the fourth distance information as the location point at which the robot is located.

7. The robot of claim 1 , wherein the map comprises map distance information corresponding to each of a plurality of points on the map, and
wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the robot to identify third distance information matching the first distance information and the second distance information from among the map distance information included in the map, and identify a point corresponding to the third distance information as the location point at which the robot is located on the map.

8. The robot of claim 7 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the robot to, based on the third distance information corresponding to the location point at which the robot is located on the map and fourth distance information obtained through the at least one distance sensor at the point being different, update the map distance information on the map based on the fourth distance information obtained through the at least one distance sensor.

9. A method of controlling a robot comprising a main body rotatable about a first shaft, and a first drive wheel and a second drive wheel that are provided in the main body to be rotatable about a second shaft that is perpendicular to the first shaft, the method comprising:
acquiring first distance information through at least one distance sensor at each of a plurality of different points at which the main body is located as the main body moves;
acquiring second distance information through the at least one distance sensor in each of a plurality of different directions in which the main body is directed as the main body rotates;
acquiring, based on the first distance information and the second distance information, information about a location point of the robot on a map corresponding to a space in which the robot is located; and
controlling the first drive wheel and the second drive wheel of the robot based on the first distance information and the second distance information,
wherein the at least one distance sensor comprises a first distance sensor disposed in a first area of the main body adjacent to the first drive wheel, and a second distance sensor disposed in a second area of the main body adjacent to the second drive wheel, and
wherein the acquiring the first distance information comprises acquiring the first distance information in opposite directions using the first distance sensor and the second distance sensor while the main body rotates around the first shaft.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the robot comprises a third shaft and wherein the first drive wheel and the second drive wheel are configured so that the main body moves in a direction of the third shaft that is perpendicular to each of the first shaft and the second shaft.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein each of the first distance sensor and the second distance sensor comprise a time of flight (ToF) sensor.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the acquiring information about the location point at which the robot is located comprises acquiring information about a point at which the main body is located on the map based on third distance information excluding acquired fourth distance information, and
wherein the fourth distance information is acquired based on tilt information, which is obtained by a tilt sensor from the first distance information and the second distance information, being greater than or equal to a threshold tilt in a direction of a specific shaft.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the main body has a spherical shape, and
wherein the first drive wheel and the second drive wheel are spaced apart from each other and surround the main body in an outer side of the main body.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Jinwon
• Oh Keunchan
• Yoon Chanho
• Jang Kyunghun
• Ha Youmin

Classifications

• G05D1/622

  Obstacle avoidance (predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision of road vehicles B60W30/08) · CPC title

• B25J19/02

  Sensing devices · CPC title

• B25J9/1664

  characterised by motion, path, trajectory planning · CPC title

• B25J9/1692

  Calibration of manipulator · CPC title

• B25J9/1694

  characterised by use of sensors other than normal servo-feedback from position, speed or acceleration sensors, perception control, multi-sensor controlled systems, sensor fusion · CPC title