Robot system, leg type mobile robot system, control method of leg type mobile robot system, and control method of robot system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016347386-A1
Application number	US-201515117331-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 27, 2015
Priority date	Mar 13, 2014
Publication date	Dec 1, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Landform data showing the shape of a ground surface ( 4 ) is acquired. A specification position is specified on the ground surface. A relative angle ( 432; 442 ) between the virtual plane ( 51 ) and the ground surface ( 4 ) in the at least one inspection point ( 433; 443 ) is calculated based on the landform data when the virtual plane ( 51 ) set with the reference point ( 423 ) and the at least one inspection point ( 433; 443 ) is virtually arranged such that the reference point ( 423 ) overlaps with the specification position, and such that the virtual plane ( 51 ) becomes parallel to the ground surface in the specification position. A landform determination value indicating a flatness of the landform is calculated based on the relative angle ( 432; 442 ).

First claim

1 . A robot system comprising:
a sensor configured to generate landform data showing a shape of a ground surface; a storage device which stores a program; and a processing unit which executes the program to implement:
a specification position generating section which specifies a specification position on the ground surface;
a landform determination processing section which carries out relative angle calculation processing of calculating a relative angle between a virtual surface and the ground surface in at least one inspection point based on the landform data, when the virtual plane in which a reference point and the at least one inspection point are set is arranged such that the reference point overlaps with the specification position and such that the virtual surface becomes parallel to the ground surface in the specification position; and landform determination value calculation processing of calculating a landform determination value indicating a flatness of the landform based on the relative angle; and
a control section which controls walking of a robot based on the landform determination value.

2 . The robot system according to claim 1 , wherein the virtual surface is set based on a shape of a foot sole of a foot of a leg type mobile robot as the robot, and
wherein the at least one inspection point is set to a position which is farther away from an ankle joint of the foot of the leg type mobile robot than the reference point.

3 . The robot system according to claim 2 , wherein the at least one inspection point comprises a first inspection point set on a tiptoe side of the foot from the reference point, and a second inspection point set on a heel side of the foot from the reference point, and
wherein the landform determination value is calculated based on the relative angle in the first inspection point and the relative angle in the second inspection point.

4 . A leg type mobile robot system comprising:
a sensor configured to generate landform data showing a shape of a ground surface; a storage device which stores a program; and a processing unit which executes the program to implement:
a specification position generating section which specifies a specification position on the ground surface, and
a landform determination processing section which carries out relative angle calculation processing of calculating a relative angle between a virtual surface and the ground surface in at least one inspection point based on the landform data, when the virtual plane in which a reference point and the at least one inspection point are set is arranged such that the reference point overlaps with the specification position and such that the virtual surface becomes parallel to the ground surface in the specification position; and landform determination value calculation processing of calculating a landform determination value indicating a flatness of the landform based on the relative angle;
a leg type mobile robot having a leg connected to a foot through an ankle joint; and a controller configured to control an angle of the ankle joint based on the landform determination value such that a part of a foot sole of the foot corresponding to the reference point becomes parallel to the ground surface in the specification position, when the foot sole should be put on the specification position, and control walking of the leg type mobile robot based on the landform determination value, wherein the virtual surface is set based on a shape of the foot sole of the foot of a robot, and wherein the at least one inspection point is set to a position which is farther away from the ankle joint of the foot of the robot than the reference point.

5 . A robot system comprising:
a leg type mobile robot; and a remote control terminal, wherein the leg type mobile robot comprises: a leg connected to a foot through an ankle joint; a sensor configured to generate landform data showing a shape of a ground surface; and a controller configured to control an angle of the ankle joint based on the landform determination value such that a part of a foot sole of the foot corresponding to a reference point becomes parallel to a ground surface in a specification position, when the foot sole should be put on the specification position, wherein the remote control terminal comprises: an input device; a storage device which stores a program; a processing unit which executes the program to implement:
a specification position generating section which specifies the specification position on the ground surface based on an input operation to the input device; and
a landform determination processing section which carries out relative angle calculation processing of calculating a relative angle between a virtual surface and the ground surface in at least one inspection point based on the landform data, when the virtual plane set with a reference point and the at least one inspection point is arranged such that the reference point overlaps with the specification position and such that the virtual surface becomes parallel to the ground surface in the specification position; and landform determination value calculation processing of calculating a landform determination value indicating a flatness of the landform based on the relative angle; and
an output device which outputs the landform determination value, wherein the virtual surface is set based on a shape of the foot sole of the foot, and wherein the at least one inspection point is set to a position which is farther away from the ankle joint of the foot than the reference point, wherein the remote control terminal transmits a command value corresponding to a movement target position to the leg type mobile robot, when the input operation is carried out to set the specification position as the movement target position of the foot sole, and wherein the leg type mobile robot controls the angle of the ankle joint based on the command value.

6 . A control method of a robot, comprising:
acquiring landform data showing a shape of a ground surface by a robot; specifying a specification position on the ground surface by a remote control terminal; calculating, by the remote control terminal, a relative angle between a virtual plane and the ground surface in at least one inspection point based on the landform data when the virtual plane on which a reference point and the at least one inspection point are set is arranged such that the reference point overlaps with the specification position and such that the virtual plane becomes parallel to the ground surface in the specification position; calculating, by the remote control terminal, a landform determination value indicating a flatness of the landform based on the relative angle; and controlling walking of the robot based on the landform determination value.

7 . The control method according to claim 6 , wherein the virtual plane is set based on the shape of the foot sole of a foot of a leg type mobile robot, and
wherein the at least one inspection point is set in a position which is farther away from the ankle joint of the foot of the leg type mobile robot than the reference point.

8 . The landform determining method according to claim 7 , wherein the at least one inspection point includes a first inspection point set on a tiptoe side from the reference point, and a second inspection point set on a heel side of the foot from the reference point, and
wherein the landform determination value is calculated based on the relative angle in the first inspection point and the relative angle in the second inspection point.

9 . A control method of a leg type mobile robot, comprising:
acquiring landform data showing a shape of a ground surface by a robot;

Assignees

• Mitsubishi Heavy Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Matsunami Natsuki
• Tami Tomohiro
• Tani Yuki

Classifications

• G01B11/24

  for measuring contours or curvatures · CPC title

• G05D2201/0217

  Physics · mapped topic

• B62D57/032 Primary

  with alternately or sequentially lifted supporting base and legs; with alternately or sequentially lifted feet or skid (B62D57/024 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G05D1/024

  in combination with a laser (lasers per se H01S) · CPC title

• G01C7/04

  involving a vehicle which moves along the profile to be traced · CPC title