JP2005262378A - Autonomous robot and its control method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce cost; and to easily and surely perform operation, by reducing a device scale and a signal processing scale, in cooperative work operation of a plurality of robots by the establishment of an action plan based on indication work. <P>SOLUTION: This autonomous robot for cooperatively operating the plurality of robots 10 to 14, is characterized by having photographing parts 10a to 14a for photographing the periphery, characteristic parts 10b to 14b visually different in response to the respective robots 10 to 14, communication parts 10c to 14c communicating with an external part, and a control part 30 for specifying a presence position of the respective robots 10 to 14 on the basis of the detected characteristic parts 10b to 14b of the respective robots 10 to 14 by detecting the characteristic parts 10b to 14b of the respective robots 10 to 14 from image data photographed by the other robot and image data photographed by the photographing parts of itself by acquiring the image data photographed by the other robot via the communication parts 10c to 14c. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an autonomous robot in which a plurality of robots act in cooperation and a control method thereof.

  For example, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, an autonomous robot in which a plurality of robots act in cooperation is known.

  An autonomous robot (hereinafter simply referred to as a robot) operates as described below when executing a predetermined target operation (hereinafter referred to as a cooperative operation) in cooperation with another robot. In the cooperative work, there are a robot that instructs other robots to perform actions related to the cooperative work, and a robot that executes actions related to the cooperative work, and these are hereinafter referred to as a commander robot and an executive robot. Further, the commanding robot may also serve as the executioner robot. Further, when executing the cooperative work, each robot (at least the commanding robot that needs to specify the position of each robot) has map data indicating the positional relationship of the work area (hereinafter simply referred to as work area map data). Is assumed to be stored in advance.

  In order to perform the cooperative work, the commanding robot transmits an action request related to the cooperative work to another robot by wireless communication.

  When the other robot receives the action request, it detects its own location. At this time, the commanding robot also detects its own location. In general, the presence position is detected using a GPS (Global Positioning System), a magnetic sensor, or the like. The GPS is a system that detects the position (longitude and latitude) of the receiver, the moving direction, the moving speed, and the like when the receiver (here, each robot) receives radio waves transmitted from the geodetic satellite. It is. GPS receives radio waves transmitted from multiple geodetic satellites (approximately 4 to 12) above the receiver, regardless of whether the receiver is launched by the US Department of Defense or day and night. By calculating the phase of radio waves between satellites and performing triangulation between the receiver and multiple geodetic satellites, the receiver's position on the earth (longitude and latitude), moving direction, moving speed, etc. It is to detect. GPS is widely used in devices (for example, car navigation systems) that detect the position of a car, a ship, an aircraft, and the like, and since it is already a common technique, detailed description thereof is omitted here. On the other hand, the magnetic sensor is a technique for detecting the relative distance between itself and another robot by the strength of magnetism, and since this is already a general technique, detailed description thereof is omitted here.

  When the other robot detects its own position, it creates data (hereinafter referred to as answer data) for notifying its own position to the commanding robot and transmits it to the commanding robot.

  When the commanding robot receives the answer data from another robot, the commanding robot analyzes the answer data and specifies the location of each robot based on the map data of the work area. In addition, based on the map data of the work area, its own location is specified. Then, one or a plurality of executive robots that can execute collaborative work including itself (preferably in a short time) are identified, and an action plan for the executive robot is formulated and transmitted to the executive robot. .

When the executioner robot receives the action plan from the commanding robot, the executioner robot executes cooperative work based on the action plan and the map data of the work area. The executive robot may be configured to receive the map data of the work area from the commanding robot without being stored in advance.
JP 2002-178283 A

  When executing the cooperative work, each robot (at least the commanding role robot that needs to specify the position of each robot) specifies the position of each robot using the map data of the work area. However, the work area is not limited to a single location but generally exists in multiple locations. Therefore, each robot (at least the commanding role robot that needs to specify the location of each robot) requires map data corresponding to each work area. Therefore, conventionally, there has been a problem that it takes time and effort to create map data corresponding to each work area and to store map data corresponding to each work area in each robot. In addition, when there is a large amount of map data stored in each robot, there is a problem in that the speed for specifying the location of each robot is reduced and the time for executing the cooperative work is delayed.

  Further, the robot detects its own location using a GPS or a magnetic sensor. However, the means for detecting the location such as GPS and magnetic sensor has a relatively complicated configuration, so the problem of complicating the configuration of the robot, in particular, increasing the device scale of the robot and increasing the cost. There was a problem. Further, the means such as GPS or magnetic sensor has a problem that the signal processing in the control unit of the robot is complicated.

  In order to solve such a problem, the present invention does not require the use of map data corresponding to each work area, and autonomously identifies the location of each robot with simpler means than GPS and magnetic sensors. An object is to provide a robot and a control method thereof.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, an autonomous robot according to the present invention is an autonomous robot in which a plurality of robots act in a coordinated manner, and an imaging unit that captures the surroundings and a feature that is visually different depending on each robot A communication unit that communicates with the outside, image data captured by another robot via the communication unit, and image data captured by the other robot and image data captured by its own imaging unit. And a control unit that identifies the presence position of each robot based on the detected characteristic portion of each robot.

  Further, the autonomous robot control method according to the present invention is an autonomous robot control method in which a plurality of robots act cooperatively, and an imaging unit that captures the surroundings, and a visually distinctive feature unit according to each robot, The control unit of an autonomous robot having a communication unit that communicates with the outside acquires image data captured by another robot via the communication unit, and is captured by the image data captured by the other robot and the own imaging unit. A feature portion of each robot is detected from the image data, and the presence position of each robot is specified based on the detected feature portion of each robot.

  As a result, the autonomous robot and its control method according to the present invention do not need to use map data corresponding to each work area, and specify the location of each robot with simpler means than GPS and magnetic sensors. be able to.

  The autonomous robot and its control method according to the present invention can accurately specify the location of another robot without using map data corresponding to each work area. In particular, even if it is difficult to detect other robots from the image data taken by them (for example, when other robots overlap with obstacles or the background), the presence of other robots exists. The position can be specified accurately. Therefore, it is possible to identify one or a plurality of executive robots that can execute collaborative work including themselves (that is, reliably in a short time) and formulate an action plan for the executive robot. Therefore, the trouble of creating map data corresponding to each work area and the trouble of storing the map data corresponding to each work area in each robot can be eliminated. In addition, since it is not necessary to store a large amount of map data in each robot, the speed for specifying the location of each robot can be improved, and the time for executing cooperative work can be shortened.

  In addition, the autonomous robot and its control method according to the present invention detect the presence position of each robot with simpler means than GPS and magnetic sensors, without using complicated configurations such as GPS and magnetic sensors. For this reason, the configuration of the robot can be simplified, and in particular, the device scale of the robot can be reduced and the cost can be reduced. Further, signal processing in the control unit of the robot can be simplified.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Each figure is shown only schematically to the extent that the present invention can be understood. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the illustrated example. Moreover, in each figure, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected about the common component and the same component, and those overlapping description is abbreviate | omitted.

<Overall Configuration of Embodiment>
FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing the overall configuration of the embodiment. The embodiment shown in FIG. 1 is a communication control for controlling communication between first to fifth five autonomous robots (hereinafter simply referred to as robots) 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14 and the robots 10 to 14. Device 20. In this embodiment, each of the robots 10 to 14 is assumed to be a humanoid type (human type) having a head, an arm, and a leg around the torso and traveling on two legs. Further, it is assumed that the robot 10 is a command role robot. In addition, communication between the robots 10 to 14 or between the robots 10 to 14 and the communication control device 20 is caused by some obstacles between the robots 10 to 14 or between the robots 10 to 14 and the communication control device 20. It shall be wireless so that it can also be performed.

  Each of the robots 10 to 14 has a camera 10a, 11a, 12a, 13a, and 14a that captures the surroundings, and features 10b, 11b, 12b, 13b, and 14b that are visually different depending on the robots 10 to 14, respectively. , Wireless communication units 10c, 11c, 12c, 13c, 14c for communicating with the outside, working arms 10d, 11d, 12d, 13d, 14d, and two-leg running mechanism units 10e, 11e, 12e, 13e, 14e .

  The cameras 10a to 14a are preferably installed at high positions so that the other robots can be photographed as much as possible when the other robots are located behind some obstacles. Moreover, it is preferable to be installed so that it can be rotated in the horizontal direction so that the surroundings can be photographed over a wide range. Therefore, in this embodiment, the cameras 10a to 14a are installed on the heads of the robots 10 to 14, respectively. The cameras 10a to 14a are preferably those that capture moving images.

  The characteristic portions 10b to 14b have characteristic features on the appearance that are specific to the individual robots 10 to 14, that is, characteristic features on the appearance that are changed depending on the robots 10 to 14 (for example, body shape, paint, etc.). ing. Each robot 10-14 can identify each individual from the difference in appearance in the characteristic portions 10b-14b. The characteristic portions 10b to 14b are preferably installed at positions where they can be easily photographed by the other robots 10 to 14. Therefore, in this embodiment, the characteristic portions 10b to 14b are installed on the heads of the robots 10 to 14, respectively. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 1, a belt-like coating that goes around the heads is applied to the heads of the robots 10 to 14. This paint has different patterns and color schemes according to the robots 10 to 14, and this paint becomes the characteristic portions 10b to 14b. In addition, although the robot 10-14 shown in FIG. 1 is provided with the rod-shaped protrusion in the head, by changing the shape of this protrusion according to each robot 10-14, protrusion is made into characteristic part 10b-14b. It can also function as.

  In addition, the characteristic parts 10b-14b have the characteristic part on the external appearance peculiar to each robot 10-14 as above-mentioned. The data related to the features 10b to 14b is associated with the robots 10 to 14 when executing the cooperative work, and the robots 10 to 14 (at least the positions of the robots 10 to 14 need to be specified). It is stored in advance in the first robot 10) which is the commanding robot. The data related to the feature portions 10b to 14b is used to detect the robots 10 to 14 from image data (hereinafter simply referred to as image data or images) taken by the robots 10 to 14.

  The wireless communication units 10c to 14c function as communication units that communicate with the outside (in this embodiment, the communication control device 20 and other robots). In this embodiment, the wireless communication units 10c to 14c are installed on the back surface of the trunk.

  The work arms 10d to 14d are portions corresponding to human arm portions. In addition, although a hand is not drawn in FIG. 1, the structure similar to a human hand exists in fact.

  The two-leg running mechanism units 10e to 14e are portions corresponding to human legs.

  FIG. 1 shows an example of the configuration of five robots 10 to 14, but the number of robots is not limited to this and can be increased or decreased. The overall configuration when increasing or decreasing the number of robots is the same as in FIG.

<Configuration of robot controller>
Below, the structure of the control part of the robots 10-14 is demonstrated. Here, for the sake of convenience, the control unit of the first robot 10 that is the commanding robot will be described as an example, but the control units of the other robots 11 to 14 have the same configuration.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the control unit of the robot.

  The control unit 30 acquires image data captured by the other robots 11 to 14 via the wireless communication unit 10c, and image data captured by the other robots 11 to 14 and image data captured by the robot 10 controlled by itself. From the above, the characteristic portions 11b to 14b of the robots 11 to 14 are detected, and based on the detected characteristic portions 11b to 14b of the robots 11 to 14, the positions of the robots 11 to 14 are specified. It is also a part for formulating action plans for the robot 10 and other robots 11 to 14 controlled by itself. Furthermore, it is also a part that analyzes the action plan and executes the action related to the cooperative work (however, the action related to the robot 10 controlled by itself).

  The control unit 30 of the robot 10 is configured by an MPU, and includes a wireless communication control unit 31 that controls the wireless communication unit 10c, a main control unit 32 that controls each unit in the control unit 30, and an action for performing cooperative work. An action plan formulation unit 33 for formulating a plan, a storage unit 34 for storing various data, an image data processing unit 36 for processing image data captured by each robot 10-14, and driving of the work arm 10d are controlled. A work arm drive processing unit 38 and a travel drive processing unit 39 that controls driving of the two-leg travel mechanism unit 10e are provided.

  The wireless communication control unit 31 is a part that is connected to the antenna Ant and performs wireless communication with the outside (that is, the communication control device 20 or another robot).

  The main control unit 32 is a part that controls each unit in the control unit 30 and identifies the positions where the robots 11 to 14 exist. It is also a part that analyzes an action plan and controls each part in the control unit 30 to execute an action related to cooperative work (however, an action related to the robot 10 controlled by itself).

  The action plan formulation unit 33 is a part that formulates an action plan for executing cooperative work.

  The storage unit 34 is a part that stores various data. The storage unit 34 stores robot data 34a, specific area data 34b, object data 34c, and various position data 34d. FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of various data stored in the storage unit 34. FIGS. 12A to 12D respectively show the robot data 34a, the specific area data 34b, the object data 34c, and various position data 34d shown in FIG.

  The robot data 34a is data relating to the characteristic portions 10b to 14b of the robots 10 to 14, and indicates a correspondence relationship between the individual robots 10 to 14 and the characteristic points on the appearance unique to the individual robots 10 to 14. . For example, FIG. 12A shows data including “name”, “IP (Internet Protocol) address”, “characteristic location (display color)”, and the name is “first robot (10 ) ”Has“ 192.168.0.10 ”as an IP address, and“ red ”as a characteristic location. Here, it is assumed that each of the robots 10 to 14 is incorporated in a system using a wireless LAN, and the robot 10 identifies an opponent robot by wireless communication and transmits an instruction. Is used. However, it is not necessarily limited to the IP address, and can be appropriately changed to another form according to the communication form between the robots 10 to 14. In FIG. 12A, the display colors are used as the characteristic portions of the characteristic portions 10b to 14b of the robots 10 to 14. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, different shapes and marks for the robots 10 to 14 are used. As long as it is a means that can identify each robot 10 to 14 from the difference in appearance. A robot that needs to specify the location of each of the robots 10 to 14 (at least a commanding robot at the time of collaborative work (first robot 10 in this embodiment)) is selected from images captured by the robots 10 to 14. The robots 10 to 14 can be detected by detecting the characteristic portions of the characteristic portions 10 b to 14 b of the robots 10 to 14.

  The specific area data 34b is data relating to an area (hereinafter referred to as a specific area) where a specific action related to the cooperative work is performed, and indicates a correspondence relationship between the specific area and a characteristic portion unique to the specific area. For example, FIG. 12B shows data including “specific region” and “characteristic location (display color)”, and the specific region “area 101” has “brown” color as the characteristic location. Is shown. In FIG. 12B, the display color is used as the characteristic portion of each specific area. However, the display color is not limited to this, and for example, due to a difference in appearance such as a shape or a mark that is different for each specific area. Any means capable of identifying each specific area may be used. A robot that needs to specify the location of each of the robots 10 to 14 (at least a commanding robot at the time of collaborative work (first robot 10 in this embodiment)) is selected from images captured by the robots 10 to 14. Each specific area can be detected by detecting a characteristic portion of each specific area.

  The target object data 34c is data related to the target object related to the cooperative work (in this embodiment, the luggage M), and indicates a correspondence relationship between the target object and a characteristic portion unique to the target object. For example, in FIG. 12C, data including “object” and “characteristic location (display color)” is shown, and the object “cargo M” has “orange” color as the characteristic location. Is shown. In FIG. 12C, the display color is used as the characteristic portion of each object. However, the display color is not limited to this. For example, due to the difference in appearance such as a shape or a mark that is different for each object. Any means capable of identifying each object may be used. A robot that needs to specify the location of each of the robots 10 to 14 (at least a commanding robot at the time of collaborative work (first robot 10 in this embodiment)) is selected from images captured by the robots 10 to 14. Each object can be detected by detecting a characteristic portion of each object.

  The various position data 34d is position data relating to the positions of various articles detected from the images captured by the robots 10 to 14 by the main control unit 32, and indicates the correspondence between the articles and the positions of the articles. For example, in FIG. 12D, data including “article” and “position” is shown, and the article “first robot 10” exists at the position “(x ○○, yΔΔ)”. It shows that In FIG. 12D, coordinate values are used as the position of each article. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a means for specifying the position by some method such as a distance value or an angle value from a certain point. If it is. A robot that needs to specify the location of each of the robots 10 to 14 (at least a commanding robot at the time of collaborative work (first robot 10 in this embodiment)) is selected from images captured by the robots 10 to 14. By detecting the position of each article, it is possible to execute an action related to the cooperative work.

  In this embodiment, the robot data 34a, the specific area data 34b, and the target object data 34c are required to specify each robot 10-14 (at least the location of each robot 10-14 when performing a collaborative work). It is stored in advance in the storage unit 34 of the robot 10) which is the commanding robot. In addition, the various position data 34d includes the positions of the robots 10 to 14 (at least the robots 10 that are commanding robots that need to specify the positions of the robots 10 to 14) and the objects ( Each time the position of the load M) is detected, it is stored in the storage unit 34 of the robot.

  The image data processing unit 36 is a part that processes the image data captured by each of the robots 10 to 14 into a format that can be captured by the main control unit 32.

  The work arm drive processing unit 38 is a part that drives the work arm 10d.

  The travel drive processing unit 39 is a part that drives the two-leg travel mechanism unit 10e.

<Configuration of communication control device>
The configuration of the communication control device will be described below.

  FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of the communication control apparatus. The communication control device 20 includes a wireless communication unit 20a, a main control unit 20b, an input / output (I / O) unit 20c, an input unit 20d, and a display unit 20e.

  The wireless communication unit 20a is a part that is connected to the antenna Ant and performs wireless communication with the outside (that is, the robots 10 to 14).

  The main control unit 20b is a part that controls wireless communication between the robots 10-14.

  The I / O unit 20c is interposed between the main control unit 20b, the input unit 20d, and the display unit 20e, and inputs work contents (hereinafter referred to as instruction work) designated by an operator (not shown) from the input unit 20d. And it is a part output to the main control part 20b and the display part 20e.

  The input unit 20d is a part where an unillustrated operator inputs an instruction work such as a keyboard. The instruction work is stored in a storage unit (not shown). The instruction work stored in the storage unit (not shown) can be changed later by the input unit 20d.

  The display unit 20e is a part that displays the instruction work input by the input unit 20d and various data transmitted from the robots 10 to 14.

<Outline of Operation of Embodiment>
Below, the outline | summary of operation | movement of embodiment is demonstrated by making into an example the case where the robots 10-14 carry the load M by cooperative work.

  FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the communication control apparatus 20 receives an arbitrary instruction work by an operator (not shown) as appropriate (step S1). In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, it is assumed that an instruction work “Transport the luggage M from the current position into the area 101” is accepted. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating the operation of each robot. FIG. 5 shows that five robots 10 to 14 and a baggage M are arranged in the work area 100, that the robot 13 goes to pick up the baggage M, and that the robot 13 carries the baggage M to the robot 14 and moves to the robot. 14, and the robot 14 carries the load M into the area 101.

  When the communication control device 20 receives the instruction work, the communication control apparatus 20 transmits the instruction work to the robot 10 which is the commanding robot (step S2). At this time, the instruction work may be transmitted not only to the robot 10 but also to all the robots 10 to 14.

  When receiving the instruction work from the communication control device 20, the robot 10 that is a commanding robot detects the positions of the robots 10 to 14 (step S3). Details of the operation of the robot 10 and a method for detecting the positions of the robots 10 to 14 will be described later.

  When the robot 10 detects the positions of the robots 10 to 14, the robot 10 formulates an action plan for executing the instruction work (step S4).

  The robot 10 transmits the action plan to the other robots 11 to 14 (at least the robot that becomes the executioner robot), and executes the instruction work based on the action plan (step S5). At this time, there is a case where the robot 10 itself which is the commanding role robot becomes an executing role robot and executes the instruction work in cooperation with the other robots 11 to 14.

  When each of the robots 11 to 14 finishes the work for which it is in charge, the robot 11-14 sends a work end notification to the robot 10 that is the commanding robot. In this way, when all the robots 10 to 14 related to the action plan are finished, the instruction work is completed.

  When the work of all the robots 10 to 14 related to the action plan is completed (that is, when the instruction work is completed), the robot 10 that is the commanding role robot transmits a notification of completion of the instruction work to the communication control device 20 (step S6). ). The robot 10 formulates an action plan again when the work of all the robots 10 to 14 related to the action plan is not completed within a predetermined time (that is, when the instruction work is not completed), Are transmitted to the other robots 11 to 14 (at least the robot that becomes the executive robot), and the instruction work is executed based on the action plan.

  When the communication control apparatus 20 receives the notification of completion of the instruction work from the robot 10, the communication control apparatus 20 displays the completion of the instruction work on the display unit 20e (step S7). As a result, the operator knows the completion of the instruction work.

<Details of operation of commander robot>
Hereinafter, the operation of the robot 10 which is a command combination robot will be described.

  6 and 7 are flowcharts showing the operation of the commanding robot. FIG. 6 shows the operation of the robot 10 which is the commanding robot after step S3 in FIG. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the operation in the subroutine in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the robot 10 that is the commanding role robot first receives an instruction work from the communication control device 20 (step S10). The following steps S10 to S17 correspond to step S3 in FIG.

  After step S10, the robot 10 serving as the commanding role robot acquires an image obtained by photographing its surroundings with the camera 10a (step S11). Note that step S11 is also present after steps S17 and S20, which will be described later, but in the case after steps S17 and S20, images taken by other robots 11 to 14 are acquired.

  The robot 10 sequentially stores the acquired images in the storage unit 34 (see FIG. 2), and other robots 11 to 14 included in each image by the image data processing unit 36, and objects for collaborative work (this The embodiment recognizes a specific area (in this embodiment, the area 101 which is the end point of the cooperative work, hereinafter referred to as the target area), and recognizes the other robots 11 to 14 and the cooperative work. The outline of the target object and the target area is extracted (step S12). Then, the other robots 11 to 14, the object of the cooperative work, and the contour data of the target area are generated (step S13).

  The robot 10 detects the positions of the other robots 11 to 14, the target of the cooperative work, the target area, and the like using the contour data of the other robots 11 to 14, the target of the cooperative work, and the target area ( Step S14).

  The details of the position detection will be described in detail in the later section “Method for detecting the position of each article”. Steps S12 to S14 are also present after steps S17 and S20, which will be described later. In the case after steps S17 and S20, the robot 10 includes the images captured by the other robots 11 to 14 in step S12. To recognize the robots 10 to 14 including themselves (robots 10), the object of the cooperative work, and the target area, extract the contours of these articles, and generate the contour data of these articles in step S13, In step S14, the position of each article is detected.

  The robot 10 determines whether there is a robot hidden behind the obstacle. If Yes (ie, if there is a robot hidden behind the obstacle), the process proceeds to step S16, and if No (ie, the obstacle exists). If there is no robot hidden behind the object, the process proceeds to step S18 (step S15).

  In step S15, the robot 10 requests that the images captured by the other robots 11 to 14 be transmitted to itself (robot 10) in the case of Yes (that is, when there is a robot hidden behind an obstacle). A signal (hereinafter referred to as a photographic image request signal) is transmitted to the other robots 11 to 14 (step S16), and the other robots 11 to 14 perform the operation of a subroutine described later shown in FIG. 7 (step S17). That is, as shown in FIG. 7, a photographed image request signal is received from the robot 10 (step S30), images obtained by photographing each person's surroundings are obtained by the respective cameras 11a to 14a (step S31), and each photographed. The other robots 11 to 14 are caused to perform an operation of transmitting an image to the robot 10. Thereafter, the robot 10 returns the process to step S11 and executes the instruction work again. In this case, as described above, the robot 10 includes the robots 10 to 14 including itself (the robot 10) from the images captured by the other robots 11 to 14 in step S12, the target object of the cooperative work, and the target area. , The outlines of these articles are extracted, the outline data of these articles is generated in step S13, and the positions of these articles are detected in step S14.

  The robot 10 formulates an action plan (step S18) and executes the operation (step S19) when the answer is No in step S15 (that is, when there is no robot hidden behind the obstacle). Step S18 corresponds to step S4 in FIG. 4, and step S19 corresponds to step S5 in FIG.

  After step S19, the robot 10 determines whether or not the instructing work has been achieved, and ends the operation in the case of Yes (that is, in the case where the instructing work has been achieved) and in the case of No (that is, instructing work If the above is not achieved), the process returns to step S11 and the instruction work is executed again (step S20).

<Method of detecting the position of each article>
Hereinafter, a method for detecting the position of each article (that is, other robots 11 to 14, objects of the cooperative work, a target area, etc.) will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 to 11. Here, the position of each article is detected by two methods. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a first technique for detecting the position of each article. 9 to 11 are diagrams showing second methods (1) to (3) for detecting the position of each article, respectively.

  In the first method, a robot that needs to specify the positions of the robots 10 to 14 (at least the commanding robot (in this embodiment, the first robot 10) at the time of collaborative work) From among them, the characteristic portions 11b to 14b of the other robots 11 to 14, the characteristic part of the target object of the cooperative work, the characteristic part of the target area, and the like are detected, and based on these, the other robots 11 to 14 and the cooperative work This is a method for specifying the position of the target object, the target area, and the like. Since the first method has a simple processing process, the positions of the robots 10 to 14 can be detected in a short time.

  In the second method, a robot that needs to specify the position of each of the robots 10 to 14 (at least the commanding robot at the time of collaborative work (the first robot 10 in this embodiment)) identifies itself (the robot 10). A map of the work area 100 is acquired using a plurality of images photographed by each of the robots 10 to 14, and the characteristic portions 10 b to 14 b of the robots 10 to 14 are selected from the images photographed by the robots 10 to 14. This is a method of detecting the characteristic location of the target object of the cooperative work, the characteristic location of the target area, and specifying the positions of the robots 10-14, the target object of the cooperative work, the target area, and the like based on these. The second method takes more time to detect the positions of the robots 10 to 14 than the first method. For example, an object to be collaborated (a luggage M in this embodiment) or another robot 10 to 10 is used. To accurately detect articles (that is, other robots 11 to 14, objects of collaborative work, target areas, etc.) that cannot be detected by the first method, such as when 14 is hidden behind some obstacle. Can do.

  Hereinafter, the first and second methods will be described in detail. In this embodiment, the following matters are assumed. That is, the instruction work is “transport the baggage M from the current position to the area 101”, and the first robot 10, which is the commanding role robot, determines the object (luggage M) or The target area (area 101), the robots 10 to 14 and the like are detected, and an action plan for completing the instruction work in the shortest time is formulated. Further, as shown in FIG. 12A, each of the robots 10 to 14 has an IP address “192.168.0.10”, “192.168.0.11”, “192.168.8.0”, respectively. .12 "," 192.168.0.13 "," 192.168.0.14 ", and" red "color," blue "color, and" yellow "color as the characteristic portions of the characteristic portions 10b to 14b , “Green” color, “black” color. In addition, the target area (area 101) has a “brown” color as a characteristic location, as shown in FIG. Further, the object (package M) is assumed to have an “orange” color as a characteristic location as shown in FIG. A robot that needs to specify the location of each of the robots 10 to 14 (at least a commanding robot (in this embodiment, the first robot 10) at the time of collaborative work) is unique in the image from the image. Individual articles can be detected by detecting the location.

  In the first method, when receiving the instruction work from the communication control device 20, the first robot 10, which is the commanding robot, takes a picture of the surroundings with its own camera 10 a, and stores the acquired image data in the storage unit 34. While storing, the characteristic location peculiar to each article is detected from the acquired image. As a result, the robots 11 to 14, the object (luggage M), and the target area (area 101) are specified. For example, it is assumed that the first robot 10 verifies an image obtained by photographing its surroundings with its own camera 10a and detects part of the contours of the two robots from the image. Then, the first robot 10 searches for a characteristic part (that is, a characteristic part) of the two robots. At this time, it is assumed that the first robot 10 detects “blue” color from one side and “yellow” color from the other side as characteristic points of the two robots. As a result, the robot 10 identifies the two robots as the second robot 11 and the third robot 12.

  FIG. 8 shows an example of detecting the position of each robot by such a first method, and shows the arrangement of each article in the work area 100 as viewed from above. In the example shown in FIG. 8, the first robot 10 that is the commanding role robot faces the direction of the arrow, and photographs the direction of the arrow. The dotted line R indicates the field of view angle of the camera 10a of the first robot 10. Therefore, the first robot 10 images the periphery of the robot 10 spreading from the dotted line R in the direction of the arrow. The first robot 10 verifies the image taken by itself and detects a part of the outline of each article from the image. In the example shown in FIG. 8, the area 101, the third robot 12, the luggage M, a part of the fourth robot 13, and the second robot 11 are detected in order from the right. This indicates that the robot 14 could not be detected. The first robot 10 searches for a characteristic location unique to each article, and identifies each article based on the detected characteristic location. For example, if the color of the area is “brown”, the area is specified as the area 101. Further, if the color of the characteristic portions 11b to 14b of the robots 11 to 14 is “yellow”, the robot is identified as the third robot 12, and similarly, other articles (the luggage M and the fourth robot) 13. Identify the second robot 11).

  Thus, if the 1st robot 10 specifies each article | item, it will specify the positional relationship of self (1st robot 10) and each article | item. In the example illustrated in FIG. 8, the positional relationship between the first robot 10 and each article is represented by a relative relationship with the first robot 10 as the center. In other words, the area 101 is identified as having an angle of θ (10-101) from one end of the viewing angle (dotted line R) of the first robot 10 and located at a distance of L (10-101). Similarly, the third robot 12 is identified as having an angle of θ (10-12) from one end of the dotted line R and located at a distance of L (10-12). The luggage M is specified as having an angle of θ (10−M) from one end of the dotted line R and positioned at a distance of L (10−M). The fourth robot 13 is specified as having an angle of θ (10-13) from one end of the dotted line R and located at a distance of L (10-13). In addition, the second robot 11 is identified as having an angle of θ (10-11) from one end of the dotted line R and located at a distance of L (10-11). In this embodiment, the distance is calculated by comparing the size of each article in the image with the actual size. However, the distance may be calculated by a triangulation method described later. In this case, the position of each article can be represented by a coordinate value centered on a certain position. The display by coordinate values is preferable because the positional relationship of each article in the action plan is represented by a universal relationship, and the executioner robot can execute the action reliably in a short time.

  In the second method, the first robot 10 that is the commanding role robot stores image data captured by each of the robots 10 to 14 including itself (the first robot 10) in the storage unit 34, and these image data To create map data of the work area 100. For example, the first robot 10 extracts some articles (hereinafter simply referred to as “marks”) from the image data taken by itself and walks between the marks. This measures the distance between the landmarks. The landmark can be a variety of articles. For example, a figurine placed in the work area 100, a mark or a stain drawn on the floor or wall in the work area 100 can be used as a mark. Note that such measurement may be omitted when the distance between the marks is predetermined. The first robot 10 searches for a mark from images captured by the first robot 10 and images captured by the other robots 11 to 14 and synthesizes the images so that the detected marks overlap each other. Thereby, the first robot 10 acquires map data of the work area. Thereafter, the first robot 10 detects a characteristic portion unique to each article from the images taken by the robots 10 to 14, whereby the robots 10 to 14 and the objects of the cooperative work are detected. (Luggage M), a target area (area 101), etc. are specified. For example, it is assumed that the robot 10 verifies an image obtained by photographing its surroundings with its own camera 10a and detects part of the contours of the two robots from the image. Further, it is assumed that the image is further verified, and a “blue” feature location is detected from one of the two robots and a “yellow” feature location is detected from the other of the two robots. Thus, the robot 10 identifies one of the two robots as the second robot 11 and the other as the third robot 12. When the robot 10 identifies each article in this manner, the position of each article is detected by the triangulation method, and the detected position of each article is projected on the map data of the work area 100 to determine the positional relationship between the articles. Identify.

  The triangulation method is a survey that applies trigonometry, and creates a triangle that connects any other point with a clear line of sight based on two points with known distances and altitudes, and measures the angle by measuring the angle. It is a surveying method to find the position and altitude of. In this embodiment, it is performed as follows.

  9 to 11 show an example of detecting the position of each article according to the second method, and shows the arrangement of each article in the work area 100 as viewed from above. 9 to 11 show a state similar to that in FIG. However, it differs from FIG. 8 in that two marks P and Q are arranged. In the example shown in FIGS. 9 to 11, the mark P forms an angle θ (10−P) from one end of the viewing angle (dotted line R) of the first robot 10, and the mark Q corresponds to the first robot 10. An angle θ (10−Q) is formed from one end of the viewing angle (dotted line R), and the distance between the mark P and the mark Q is L (PQ). Note that the distance L (PQ) between the mark P and the mark Q is measured in advance.

  First, as shown in FIG. 9, the first robot 10 verifies an image captured by itself, and detects a part of the contour of each article from the image. In the example shown in FIG. 9, in order from the right, the area 101, the third robot 12, the mark Q, the luggage M, the mark P, a part of the fourth robot 13, and the second robot. 11 indicates that the fifth robot 14 could not be detected. The first robot 10 searches for characteristic points unique to each article (area 101, third robot 12, mark Q, luggage M, mark P, fourth robot 13, second robot 11, etc.). Then, each article is specified based on the characteristic location detected thereby.

  Thus, if the 1st robot 10 specifies each article | item, it will specify the positional relationship of self (1st robot 10) and each article | item. In the example shown in FIG. 9, the positional relationship between the first robot 10 and each article is represented by a relative relationship with the first robot 10 as the center. In other words, the area 101 is identified as having an angle of θ (10-101) from one end of the viewing angle (dotted line R) of the first robot 10 and located at a distance of L (10-101). Similarly, the third robot 12 is identified as having an angle of θ (10-12) from one end of the dotted line R and located at a distance of L (10-12). The luggage M is specified as having an angle of θ (10−M) from one end of the dotted line R and positioned at a distance of L (10−M). The fourth robot 13 is specified as having an angle of θ (10-13) from one end of the dotted line R and located at a distance of L (10-13). In addition, the second robot 11 is identified as having an angle of θ (10-11) from one end of the dotted line R and located at a distance of L (10-11). In this embodiment, the distance between the first robot 10 and each article is the dimension of the X component of the distance L (PQ) between the mark P and the mark Q centered on the first robot 10 (that is, , L (PQ) × cos (θ (10−P) −θ (10−Q))) and the dimension of the Y component (that is, L (PQ) × sin (θ (10−P) −θ (10-Q))) as a reference, the dimension of the X component of each distance (ie, L (10-OO) × cos (θ (10-OO)) and the dimension of the Y component (ie, L ( It is calculated by comparing 10−OO) × sin (θ (10−OO)).

  Next, as shown in FIG. 10, the first robot 10 verifies the images taken by the other robots 11 to 14 and detects a part of the outline of each article from the images. Note that the example illustrated in FIG. 10 illustrates a state in which an image captured by the second robot 11 is verified and a part of the outline of each article is detected from the image. In the example shown in FIG. 10, the second robot 11 faces the direction of the arrow, and photographs the direction of the arrow. Note that the dotted line U indicates the viewing angle of the camera 11a of the second robot 11, and therefore the second robot 11 images the surroundings of the robot 11 spreading from the dotted line U in the direction of the arrow. The first robot 10 verifies the image captured by the second robot 11 and detects a part of the outline of each article from the image. In the example shown in FIG. 10, the first robot 10, the mark Q, the fifth robot 14, and the mark P are detected. In the example shown in FIG. 10, the first robot 10 forms an angle of θ (11-10) from one end of the viewing angle (dotted line U) of the second robot 11 and is positioned at a distance L (11-10). Has been identified as to. In addition, the mark P is specified as an angle θ (11−P) from one end of the viewing angle (dotted line U) of the second robot 10 and located at a distance L (11−P). In addition, the mark Q is specified as an angle θ (11-Q) from one end of the viewing angle (dotted line U) of the second robot 11 and located at a distance L (11-Q). Further, the fifth robot 14 is identified as having an angle of θ (11-14) from one end of the viewing angle (dotted line U) of the second robot 11 and located at a distance of L (11-14). ing. In this embodiment, the distance between the second robot 11 and each article is the dimension of the X component of the distance L (PQ) between the mark P and the mark Q centered on the second robot 11 (that is, , L (PQ) * cos ([theta] (11-P)-[theta] (11-Q))) and the dimension of the Y component (i.e., L (PQ) * sin ([theta] (11-P)-[theta]). (11-Q))) as a reference, the dimension of the X component of each distance (ie, L (11-OO) × cos (θ (11-OO)) and the dimension of the Y component (ie, L ( 11− ○○) × sin (θ (11− ○○)) is compared, and although not shown in FIG. The third robot 12, the luggage M, the fourth robot 13, and the like are also detected.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 11, the first robot 10 generates map data of the work area 100 by combining the images taken by the robots 10 to 14 on the basis of the two marks P and Q. Then, the position of each article is superimposed on the created map data of the work area 100. Thereby, the first robot 10 can specify the position of each article, particularly the fifth robot 14 hidden behind the third robot 12. As a result, as shown in FIG. 11, the first robot 10 moves the fifth robot 14 at an angle of θ (10-14) from one end of the dotted line R and is located at a distance of L (10-14). Can be specified. The angle θ (10-14) is calculated from the correlation between the angle θ (11-14) and the angle θ (11-10). The distance L (10-14) can be calculated using a trigonometric function of an angle (θ (11-14) −θ (11-10)) with respect to the distance L (11-14).

  In FIG. 11, the positional relationship between the articles is indicated by coordinate values with the first robot 10 as the center. For example, the positional relationship of the area 101 is indicated as (X (10-101), Y (10-101)). Similarly, the positional relationship between the other articles is also shown in the form of (X (10-OO), Y (10-OO)). The coordinate values indicating the positional relationship between these articles can be calculated by a trigonometric function based on the angle between the first robot 10 and each article and the distance between the first robot 10 and each article. . For example, the coordinate values (X (10-101), Y (10-101)) of the area 101 are (L (10-101) × cos (θ (10-101)), L (10-101) × sin. (Θ (10-101))). Similarly, articles that can be detected by the first robot 10 (ie, the area 101, the third robot 12, the mark Q, the luggage M, the mark P, the fourth robot 13, the second robot 11, etc.) ) Can also be calculated.

  However, the positional relationship of the article (that is, the fifth robot 14) that could not be detected from the image captured by the first robot 10 is calculated as follows.

  That is, as shown in FIG. 10, the first robot 10 detects itself (first robot 10) from an image taken by another robot (second robot 11 in this embodiment), With the second robot 11 as the center, an angle θ (11-10) formed by one end of the viewing angle (dotted line U) of the second robot 11 and the first robot 10 is calculated. Then, the coordinate value of the first robot 10 is calculated around the second robot 11. For example, the coordinate values (X (11-10), Y (11-10)) of the first robot 10 are (L (11-10) × cos (θ (11-10)), L (11-10). ) × sin (θ (11-10))). Thereafter, the coordinate value of the second robot 11 is calculated with the first robot 10 as the center. That is, (−L (11−10) × cos (θ (11−10)), −L (11−10) × sin (θ (11−10))) is calculated. Similarly, the fifth robot 14 is detected, and the angle θ (11) formed by one end of the viewing angle (dotted line U) of the second robot 11 and the fifth robot 14 around the second robot 11. -14). Then, the coordinate value of the fifth robot 14 is calculated around the second robot 11. For example, the coordinate values (X (11-14), Y (11-14)) of the fifth robot 14 are (L (11-14) × cos (θ (11-14))), L (11-14). ) × sin (θ (11-14))). Thereafter, the coordinate value of the fifth robot 14 is calculated around the first robot 10. That is, (L (11-14) × cos (θ (11-14)) − L (11-10) × cos (θ (11-10)), L (11-14) × sin (θ (11− 14)) − L (11−10) × sin (θ (11−10))) is calculated. Then, the angle included in each coordinate value is replaced with an angle centered on the first robot 10, and the distance included in each coordinate value is replaced with a distance L (PQ) between the known mark P and the mark Q. . In this manner, the positional relationship of articles that could not be detected from the image captured by the first robot 10 can also be calculated.

<Formulation of action plan>
The following describes how to develop an action plan.

  The control unit 30 of the first robot 10 that is the commanding role robot formulates an action plan of the executing role robot that executes the cooperative work based on the positions where the robots 10 to 14 exist. At this time, the control unit 30 of the first robot 10 makes an action plan based on the functions (loading capacity and transport speed) of each robot 10 to 14 and the availability of the work so that the work can be completed in the shortest time. Formulate.

  For example, the loading amount of each of the robots 10 to 14 is checked, and the robot whose loading amount is smaller than the weight of the object (package L) for the cooperative work is excluded. In addition, the availability of robot work is checked, and robots that do not have room are also excluded (however, robots that can execute part of the collaborative work are left).

  Then, the control unit 30 of the first robot 10 as the commanding role robot selects a robot closest to the luggage M from the remaining robots, and formulates an action plan based on the availability of work of the robot. For example, in this embodiment, the control unit 30 of the first robot 10 formulates an action plan so that the fourth robot 13 goes to the current location of the luggage M as shown in FIG. Then, the availability of work of the fourth robot 13 is checked, and it is determined whether or not cooperative work can be executed independently.

  If it is determined that it can be executed independently, the control unit 30 of the first robot 10 formulates a single action plan for the fourth robot 13 and calculates the time required to complete the work. On the other hand, if it is determined that the robot cannot be executed alone, the presence / absence of a robot that can be executed independently other than the fourth robot 13 is searched.

  When there is an executable robot, the control unit 30 of the first robot 10 formulates an action plan for the robot to act independently and calculates the time required to complete the work. On the other hand, if there is no executable robot, it is determined whether or not the fourth robot 13 and a robot other than the fourth robot 13 can execute in cooperation.

  If it is determined that it can be executed, the control unit 30 of the first robot 10 formulates an action plan that the fourth robot 13 and a robot other than the fourth robot 13 execute in cooperation, and completes the work. Calculate the time required to do this. For example, the example shown in FIG. 5 shows an example in which the fourth robot 13 and the fifth robot 14 execute in cooperation. The controller 30 of the first robot 10 that is the commanding robot determines whether or not the fourth robot 13 and the fifth robot 14 can be executed in cooperation. The fourth robot 13 goes to the current location of the baggage M, the fourth robot 13 transports the baggage M to the fifth robot 14, passes the baggage M to the fifth robot 14, and The robot 14 formulates an action plan for transporting the luggage M to the area 101. Then, the time required to complete the work is calculated. On the other hand, if it is determined that it is impossible, it is determined whether or not the robot that is closest to the luggage M next to the fourth robot 13 and the other robots can be executed in cooperation among the remaining robots.

  When it is determined that the robot can be executed, the control unit 30 of the first robot 10 formulates an action plan that the robot next to the luggage M next to the fourth robot 13 and other robots execute in cooperation. The time required to complete the work is calculated. On the other hand, when it is determined that it is impossible, it is determined whether or not the remaining robots next to the luggage M and other robots can be executed in cooperation.

  The control unit 30 of the first robot 10 sequentially performs such operations, formulates an action plan, and calculates the time required to complete the work. Then, an action plan that allows the work to be completed in the shortest time is selected, and the selected action plan is transmitted to the other robots 11 to 14 (at least the robot that becomes the executioner robot) to execute the work. At this time, the first robot 10 itself may become an executive robot.

  The method for formulating an action plan is not limited to this. For example, it is possible to select a robot that can carry the luggage M and that is not currently performing the work without considering the work efficiency, and to perform the work that can be performed by the robot. It is possible to formulate an action plan that repeats selecting another robot when the work is completed.

  As described above, the robots that need to detect the robots 10 to 14 according to the present invention (at least in this embodiment, the robot 10 that is the commanding robot) include the cameras 10 a to 14 a that capture the surroundings and the robots 10. Image data photographed by other robots 11 to 14 through the communication units 10c to 14c, and the characteristic units 10b to 14b that visually differ according to -14 and communication units 10c to 14c communicating with the outside. And the characteristic portions 10b to 14b of the robots 10 to 14 are detected from the image data captured by the other robots 11 to 14 and the image data captured by the camera 10a of the robot 10 itself. Based on the 10 to 14 feature portions 10b to 14b, the positions of the robots 10 to 14 are specified.

  Since the robot 10 according to the present invention detects not only the image data captured by itself but also the image data captured by the other robots 11 to 14 at different angles, the positions of the robots 10 to 14 are detected. In particular, when it is difficult to detect the other robots 11 to 14 from the image data taken by the robot (the robot 10) (for example, when the other robots 11 to 14 overlap an obstacle or the background). Even so, the positions of the other robots 11 to 14 can be accurately specified.

<Other methods for detecting the position of each article>
This method detects the position of each article by a method different from the first and second methods.

  That is, in the first and second methods, the location of each article is specified by map coordinates determined by triangulation. On the other hand, in this method, the presence position of each article is specified based on the relative positional relationship between any mark in the image and each article.

  Hereinafter, a method for detecting the position of each article will be described with reference to FIGS. 13-15 is a figure which shows the other method of position detection of each article | item.

  Here, the description will be made on the premise of the same matters as the first and second methods.

  The robot 10 serving as the commanding role robot, by the image data processing unit 36, includes other robots 11 to 14 included in an image captured by itself and images captured by the other robots 11 to 14, and a target object (package) M) Recognize the target area (area 101) of the cooperative work, and specify the position of each of these articles. The position of each article is specified based on, for example, a relative positional relationship between any mark in the image (for example, any robot, baggage M, area 101, outline of some article, etc.) and each article. Do.

  For example, FIG. 13 shows an example of an image taken by the robot 11. From the image shown in FIG. 13, the robot 10 recognizes the outline of the article T shown in the image and the outline of any one of the first to fifth robots, and recognizes the robot as the fifth robot 14 from the features of the robot. To do. Then, the position of the robot 14 is recognized as the position of the distance α on the left side from the article T in the image taken by the robot 11. A bidirectional arrow indicates the range of the area 101. The position of the area 101 is determined based on the direction in which the robot 11 that captured the image shown in FIG. 13 is facing and the relative positional relationship between the area 101 and the article T.

  FIG. 14 shows an example of an image taken by a robot (for example, the robot 12) different from the robot 11. The robot 10 recognizes the two robots and the luggage M from the image shown in FIG. 14, and recognizes the two robots as the second robot 11 and the fifth robot 14 from the features of the robot. Then, the position of the robot 11 is recognized as the position of the distance β on the left side from the article T in the image taken by the robot 12. Further, the position of the robot 14 is recognized as a position at a distance γ on the right side from the article T in the image captured by the robot 12. Further, the position of the luggage M is recognized as a position at a distance δ on the right side from the article T in the image taken by the robot 12. A bidirectional arrow indicates the range of the area 101 as in FIG. The position of the area 101 is determined based on the direction in which the robot 12 that captured the image shown in FIG. 14 faces and the relative positional relationship between the area 101 and the article T.

  In FIG. 13, the luggage M is hidden behind the fifth robot 14 from the second robot 11 and cannot be seen.

  In this way, the robot 10 specifies the position of each article included in each image. At this time, if the robot 10 does not specify its own position, the robot 10 may specify its own position by recognizing itself included in each image.

  Thereafter, the robot 10 specifies one or more executive robots that can suitably execute the cooperative work including itself. Here, it is assumed that the second robot 11 is selected as the executive robot.

  Next, the robot 10 formulates an action plan for the executive robot. FIG. 15 shows an example of an action plan formulated by the robot 10. FIG. 15 shows a state in which an image taken by the robot 11 shown in FIG. 13 and an image obtained by imaging an action plan formulated by the robot 10 (an image of an area separated by a solid line at the upper right) are superimposed. In FIG. 15, D1 means an action “moving in the direction of an arrow (right diagonal direction bypassing the robot 14)”, and D2 means an action “moving in the direction of an arrow (left diagonal direction bypassing the robot 14)”. D3 means an action of “lifting the load M”, and D4 means an action of “move in the direction of the arrow (direction of the area 101)”. The robot 10 creates an action plan for instructing such an action by combining various commands, parameters indicating directions and distances, and the like. In this embodiment, each of the robots 10 to 14 is equipped with a processing circuit for recognizing an object of collaborative work (luggage M) and a target area (area 101) of the collaborative work, and behaves according to its own judgment. Be able to. Therefore, the action plan created by the robot 10 may indicate a rough direction and distance.

  Thereafter, the robot 10 transmits the created action plan to the robot 11.

  Then, based on the action plan and the image shown in FIG. 13 taken by the robot 11, the robot 11 finds the object by its own judgment, acts along the action plan, and executes the cooperative work.

  At this time, the robot 10 monitors the behavior of the robot 11 from the following viewpoints. That is, from the viewpoint of whether the executive robot is moving in the direction of the target area of the cooperative work, whether the executive robot has arrived at the target area of the cooperative work, This is a viewpoint of whether or not a predetermined action is being performed.

  When the behavior of the robot 11 deviates from these viewpoints, the robot 10 transmits an instruction for returning to the correct state to the robot 11. Thereby, the robot 11 corrects its own action and executes the cooperative work.

  When the robot 11 performs a predetermined action, the robot 10 ends the monitoring of the action of the robot 11.

  In this way, the robots 10 to 14 can perform cooperative work.

  As described above, the robots 10 to 14 according to the other methods do not need to calculate the map coordinates as in the first and second methods, so that the processing time can be shortened.

  Each robot is equipped with a processing circuit for recognizing the object of the cooperative work and the target area of the cooperative work. Therefore, the executive robot can find an object of the cooperative work by his / her own judgment and act according to the action plan. As a result, the direction and distance of the action plan may be rough, and the action plan can be simplified. In addition, the commander robot moves the action of the executive actor robot in the direction of the target area of the collaborative work, whether the executive robot has arrived in the target area of the collaborative work, It is only necessary to monitor from a rough point of view whether a predetermined action is being performed on the target object. Due to these factors, the processing time can be greatly shortened.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various applications and modifications can be considered without departing from the gist of the present invention.

  For example, in the embodiment, the communication control is performed by the communication control device 20, but one of the robots 10 to 14 may be substituted.

  In the embodiments, the biped walking humanoid type (human type) robots 10 to 14 have been described. However, the present invention is not limited to the humanoid type and can be applied to any type of robot.

  Further, in the embodiment, the characteristic portions 10b to 14b are characterized in that the pattern or color of a part of the body is different for each robot 10 to 14, but this is not restrictive. It only needs to be identified by the above differences. For example, a different mark may be given to each of the robots 10 to 14.

  In the embodiment, the first robot 10 is the commanding robot. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the robots 11 to 14 other than the first robot 10 may be the commanding robot.

  Further, the communication control device 20 may be regarded as a kind of robot, and the communication control device 20 may be assigned the role of a commanding robot. That is, the communication control device 20 may be configured to transmit work requests to the robots 10 to 14, specify the location of each article, and formulate an action plan.

  In the embodiment, the robots 10 to 14 communicate with each other wirelessly. However, the present invention is not limited to wireless communication, and can be changed to another communication form. And an IP address will be suitably changed into another form according to the communication form between each robot 10-14.

It is a figure which shows the whole structure of embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structure of the control part of a robot. It is a figure which shows the structure of a communication control apparatus. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of embodiment. It is a figure which shows operation | movement of each robot. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of a command combination robot. It is a flowchart which shows the operation | movement in a subroutine. It is a figure which shows the 1st method of position detection of each article | item. It is a figure which shows the 2nd method (1) of position detection of each article | item. It is a figure which shows the 2nd method (2) of position detection of each article | item. It is a figure which shows the 2nd method (3) of position detection of each article | item. It is a figure which shows the structure of various data. It is a figure which shows the other method (1) of position detection of each article | item. It is a figure which shows the other method (2) of position detection of each article | item. It is a figure which shows the other method (3) of position detection of each article | item.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10-14 ... 1st-5th robot 10a-14a ... Camera 10b-14b ... Characteristic part 10c-14c ... Wireless communication part 10d-14d ... Work arm 10e-14e ... Two-leg running mechanism part 20 ... Communication control apparatus 30 ... Control part Ant ... Antenna

Claims (6)

In autonomous robots in which multiple robots act in cooperation,
A shooting section for shooting the surroundings,
Features that are visually different for each robot,
A communication unit communicating with the outside;
Acquire image data taken by another robot via the communication unit, detect the feature of each robot from the image data taken by the other robot and the image data taken by the own imaging unit, and detect An autonomous robot comprising: a control unit that identifies an existing position of each robot based on the feature unit of each robot. The autonomous robot according to claim 1,
The autonomous robot is characterized in that the control unit formulates an action plan of an executive robot that performs a predetermined task based on the position of each robot. In an autonomous robot control method in which multiple robots act in cooperation,
The control unit of the autonomous robot having an imaging unit that captures the surroundings, a characteristic unit that visually differs depending on each robot, and a communication unit that communicates with the outside,
Obtain image data taken by another robot via the communication unit,
Detecting the feature of each robot from the image data taken by another robot and the image data taken by its own imaging unit;
An autonomous robot control method, characterized in that the presence position of each robot is specified based on the detected feature of each robot. In the autonomous robot control method according to claim 3,
The controller is
An autonomous robot control method, characterized in that the location of each robot is specified by map coordinates determined by triangulation based on the detected feature of each robot. In the autonomous robot control method according to claim 3,
The controller is
An autonomous robot control method, characterized in that the location of each robot is specified based on a relative positional relationship between an arbitrary mark in the image and each robot. In the autonomous robot control method according to any one of claims 3 to 5,
The control unit identifies an executive robot that performs a predetermined target task based on the position of each robot, formulates an action plan for the executive robot, and transmits the action plan to the executive robot. An autonomous robot control method.

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