JP6158665B2 - Robot, robot control method, and robot control program - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a robot, a robot control method, and a robot control program.

  Conventionally, research has been conducted on robots that guide exhibits and the like. For example, an invention of a robot that includes two arm portions and performs an operation of pointing an object with one of the arm portions is disclosed (for example, see Patent Document 1).

  In addition, as a related technique, a technique is disclosed in which a laser display device is provided separately from the exhibit explanation robot, and a guidance voice for an exhibit that has been irradiated with laser light is reproduced (for example, see Patent Document 2). Further, an invention of a robot that moves to a position where an exhibit is described without obstructing the sight line of a spectator directed toward the exhibit is disclosed (for example, see Patent Document 3).

JP 2011-224737 A JP 2011-20223 A Japanese Patent No. 5077077

  In the conventional technology, when a robot that moves autonomously points to an object to be guided, it may not be possible to effectively guide the line of sight of the person receiving the guidance.

  The present invention has been made in consideration of such circumstances, and provides a robot, a robot control method, and a robot control program capable of more effectively guiding the gaze of a person receiving guidance. Is one of the purposes.

The robot according to claim 1, an indicator for indicating a direction, a drive unit that drives the indicator, a moving unit that moves a body unit to which the drive unit is attached, the body unit, and the indicator When connecting the connecting portion having one or more intermediate joints between the connecting portion with the body portion and the connecting portion with the indicator, and causing the indicator to indicate the direction of the object, At least a part of the indicator extends on a straight line connecting a predetermined position in the body portion and the position of the object, and the direction of the straight line and the direction indicated by the indicator coincide with each other A control unit that controls the drive unit, and when the control unit instructs the indicator to indicate the direction of the object, at least one of the one or more intermediate joint units deviates from the straight line. In the state where Such that at least a portion of said indicator to top extends, it is possible to control the drive unit.

  The robot according to claim 2 is the robot according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured such that the object is positioned in a direction indicated by the indicator before and after the body unit is moved by the moving unit. The drive unit is controlled to maintain the above.

The robot according to claim 3 is the robot according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the control unit causes the indicator to indicate the direction of the object. The drive unit can be controlled so that the indicator reciprocates on the straight line in a deviated state.

Robot according to claim 4 is a robot according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the drive unit, the said connection portion in the body portion a predetermined position (e.g., the embodiment of the shoulder joint Rotation is driven around the rotation center 24A) of the section 24.

The robot according to claim 5 is the robot according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , and includes a detection unit (for example, the camera 12 of the embodiment, the environment recognition unit 92) that detects the position of a person. The control unit controls the moving unit so that the body part is separated from the person when the body part is in a region centered on the person.

The robot according to claim 6 is the robot according to claim 5 , wherein the controller does not change the orientation of the body part when controlling the moving part so that the body part is separated from the person. The moving unit is controlled so that the body unit moves, and then the body unit is turned to control the moving unit so that the body unit moves to a target position determined based on the position of the object. To do.

The robot according to claim 7 is the robot according to any one of claims 1 to 6 , and includes a detection unit (for example, the camera 12 of the embodiment, the environment recognition unit 92) that detects the position of a person, The control unit controls the moving unit so that the body unit moves to an initial position on the basis of the position of the object before instructing the direction of the object by the indicator, When the detection unit detects that the body part approaches the body part, the moving part is controlled so that the body part moves away from the initial position.

The robot according to claim 8 is the robot according to claim 7 , comprising an output unit (for example, the speaker 70 of the embodiment) that outputs sound, and the control unit has the body unit moved to the initial position. Sometimes, the output unit is controlled so as to output a sound calling to a person to come to the initial position.

The robot according to claim 9 is the robot according to claim 8 , wherein when the person moves to the initial position, the output unit starts to guide the object by voice. To control.

A robot according to a tenth aspect is the robot according to any one of the first to ninth aspects, further comprising a detection unit that detects the position of a person, and the control unit is configured to detect the position of the body unit and the detection. The distance between the position of the person detected by the part and the position of the object is equal to or greater than a first predetermined distance, and the distance between the position of the body part and the position of the object is equal to or greater than a second predetermined distance. In addition, the moving unit is controlled.

A robot according to an eleventh aspect is the robot according to any one of the first to tenth aspects, wherein the indicator is attached to tips of two arm portions, and the moving portion includes two leg portions. Prepare.

The robot control method according to claim 12 wherein includes a pointer for pointing to the direction, and a driving unit for driving the indicator, a moving unit for moving the body part in which the drive unit is attached, and the body portion A control method for a robot , which is connected to an indicator, and includes one or more intermediate joints between a connection portion with the body portion and a connection portion with the indicator, the object being attached to the indicator Calculating the position of the indicator on a straight line connecting the predetermined position in the body portion and the position of the object, and the indicator is positioned at the calculated position. and, and and a step of controlling the drive unit so that the direction coincides pointed to the pointer to the direction of the straight line, in the step of controlling the drive unit, a small one of the one or more intermediate joint Kutomo one in but a state that deviates from the straight line, so as to at least partially extending said pointer to said straight line, for controlling the drive unit, a robot control method.

The robot control program according to claim 13, comprising: an indicator for indicating a direction; a drive unit that drives the indicator; a moving unit that moves a body unit to which the drive unit is attached; the body unit; A control program for a robot , which is connected to an indicator, and includes one or more intermediate joints between a connection location with the body portion and a connection location with the indicator. When instructing the direction of the object, a step of calculating a position of the indicator on a straight line connecting a predetermined position in the body portion and the position of the object; and the instruction at the calculated position body located, and the step of controlling the drive unit so that the direction coincides pointed to the pointer to the direction of the straight line, is executed, in the step of controlling the drive unit Causing the computer to control the driving unit such that at least a part of the indicator extends on the straight line in a state where at least one of the one or more intermediate joint parts deviates from the straight line. It is a robot control program .

According to the first to fourth, twelfth, thirteenth and thirteenth aspects of the present invention, guidance is provided for controlling so that at least a part of the indicator extends on a straight line connecting a predetermined position in the body portion and the position of the object. The recipient can intuitively grasp the direction indicated by the robot. As a result, it is possible to more effectively guide the line of sight of the person receiving the guidance.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the state in which the object is positioned in the direction indicated by the indicator is maintained before and after the body portion is moved by the moving unit, Can be grasped intuitively. As a result, the line of sight of the person receiving the guidance can be more effectively guided.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, the apparatus includes a detection unit that detects the position of a person, and the control unit is configured such that the body part is separated from the person when the body part is in a region centered on the person. Thus, since the moving unit is controlled, interference with a person can be prevented.

According to the invention of claim 6 , the control unit moves the moving unit without changing the orientation of the body unit when the moving unit is controlled so that the body unit is separated from the person. And then turning the body part to control the moving part so that the body part moves to a target position determined based on the position of the object. Can be prevented.

According to the seventh to ninth aspects of the invention, before causing the indicator to indicate the direction of the object, the moving part is controlled so that the body part moves to an initial position based on the position of the object, and thereafter When the detection unit detects that the person approaches the body part, the moving part is controlled so that the body part moves away from the initial position, so that the person can be guided to a position where the object can be easily seen.

According to invention of Claim 10, the distance between the position of a body part and the position of the person detected by the detection part becomes more than 1st predetermined distance, And the position of a body part and the position of a target object Since the distance is controlled to be equal to or greater than the second predetermined distance, it is possible to move smoothly while avoiding interference with a person or an object.

It is a figure which shows an example of the external appearance structure of the robot 1 which concerns on one Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the function structure with which the robot 1 is provided. It is a figure for demonstrating the definition of a yaw direction, a pitch direction, and a roll direction. It is a figure which expands and shows the hand part. It is a figure which shows the function structure of the control part 90 in detail. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the principle of movement of the robot 1. It is a figure which shows a mode that the robot 1 avoids interference with a person. It is a figure for demonstrating the process which the interference calculation part 94A calculates a standing position. It is a figure which shows an example of the attitude | position at the time of the robot 1 pointing to a target object. It is a figure which shows an example of the attitude | position at the time of the robot 1 pointing to a target object. It is a figure which shows a mode that the robot 1 keeps orienting the extending direction of the index finger part 43 to position OB1. It is a figure which shows the other example of the attitude | position when the robot 1 points to a target object. It is a figure which shows typically the operation | movement performed when the robot 1 points to a target object. It is a figure which shows typically the operation | movement performed when the robot 1 points to a target object. It is a figure for demonstrating the process by wrist direction calculation part 94Ea. It is a figure which shows a mode that the arm to point to is determined when position OB1 exists in the overlapping part of angle range AR and AL. It is a figure which shows an example of the distribution tendency at the time of the waist / arm distribution part 94Eb distributing the amount of twist. 3 is an example of a flowchart showing a flow of processing executed by a control unit 90. It is a figure which shows a mode that the robot 1 guides the person H to the suitable position WA. It is an example of the flowchart which shows the flow of the process performed when the robot 1 guides the person H to suitable position WA.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of a robot, a robot control method, and a robot control program will be described with reference to the drawings. The robot described below is, for example, a humanoid robot that includes a pair of left and right legs and a pair of left and right arms, and is movable by the movement of the legs. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the robot may be a robot that can be moved by wheels, hovercraft, or the like, or may have one or three or more arms.

[Constitution]
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of an external configuration of a robot 1 according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration provided in the robot 1. The robot 1 includes, for example, a head 10, a body 20, a pair of left and right arms 30, a pair of left and right hands 40, and a pair of left and right legs 50. In the following description, the pair of left and right components will be described without distinguishing between the left and right components.

  A pair of left and right cameras 12 are attached to the head 10. The camera 12 is a camera having a solid-state imaging device such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor). The camera 12 captures visible light or infrared light and transmits the captured image to the control unit 90.

  The body part 20 is connected to the head part 10 via the neck joint part 22, connected to the arm part 30 via the shoulder joint part 24, and connected to the leg part 50 via the waist joint part 26 and the hip joint part 28. The The neck joint part 22 rotates the head 10 with respect to the body part 20 with, for example, one degree of freedom in the roll direction. In the following description, the rotation direction is expressed as a yaw direction, a pitch direction, and a roll direction. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining definitions of the yaw direction, the pitch direction, and the roll direction. As shown in the figure, the direction in which the driven member B is rotated about the direction C of the driven member B viewed from the joint A is defined as the roll direction. Further, the direction in which the direction C itself is rotated in the first direction is defined as the pitch direction, and the direction in which the direction C itself is rotated in the second direction orthogonal to the first direction is defined as the yaw direction.

  The shoulder joint portion 24 rotates the arm portion 30 with respect to the body portion 20 with, for example, three degrees of freedom in the yaw direction, the pitch direction, and the roll direction. The waist joint portion 26 rotates the hip joint portion 28 with respect to the body portion with, for example, one degree of freedom in the roll direction. The hip joint portion 28 rotates the leg portion 50 with respect to the waist joint portion 26 with, for example, three degrees of freedom in the yaw direction, the pitch direction, and the roll direction. The body unit 20 may incorporate a waist camera or the like (not shown).

  The arm part 30 includes, for example, an arm first link part 32 corresponding to the second arm, an elbow joint part 34, an arm second link part 36 corresponding to the forearm part, and a wrist joint part 38. The elbow joint part 34 rotates the arm second link part 36 with respect to the arm first link part 32 with one degree of freedom, for example, in the pitch direction (inside the arm). The wrist joint portion 38 rotates the hand portion 40 with respect to the arm second link portion 36 with, for example, three degrees of freedom in the yaw direction, the pitch direction, and the roll direction.

  The hand part 40 includes, for example, a palm part 41, a thumb part 42, an index finger part 43, a middle finger part 44, a ring finger part 45, and a little finger part 46. FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the hand portion 40. Each finger part can be rotated with two degrees of freedom in the pitch direction and the roll direction by the proximal joint parts 41 </ b> A to 41 </ b> E with respect to the palm part 41. The thumb part 42 includes a thumb tip part 42A, a thumb first joint part 42B, and a thumb first link part 42C. The first thumb joint portion 42B rotates the thumb tip portion 42A with respect to the first thumb link portion 42C in the pitch direction (to the palm side) with one degree of freedom. The index finger portion 43 includes an index finger tip portion 43A, an index finger first joint portion 43B, an index finger first link portion 43C, an index finger second joint portion 43D, and an index finger second link portion 43E. The index finger first joint portion 43B rotates the index finger tip portion 43A with respect to the index finger first link portion 43C in the pitch direction (to the palm side) with one degree of freedom. The index finger second joint portion 43D rotates the index finger first link portion 43C with respect to the index finger second link portion 43E in the pitch direction (to the palm side) with one degree of freedom. About the structure of the middle finger part 44, the ring finger part 45, and the little finger part 46, the tip part, the 1st joint part, the 1st link part, the 2nd joint part, and the 2nd link part are provided similarly to the index finger part 43. Detailed description thereof will be omitted.

  The leg portion 50 includes, for example, a leg first link portion 51, a knee joint portion 52, a leg second link portion 53, an ankle joint portion 54, and a foot portion 55. The knee joint part 52 rotates the leg second link part 53 with respect to the leg first link part 51 with, for example, one degree of freedom in the pitch direction. The ankle joint portion 54 rotates the foot portion 55 with respect to the leg second link portion 53 with, for example, two degrees of freedom in the pitch direction and the roll direction.

  The robot 1 applies rotational force to the joint portion, and connects the driven member (the leg second link portion 53 in the case of the knee joint portion 52) to the connection source member (the leg first link portion 51 in the case of the knee joint portion 52). The actuator group 60 rotated with respect to is provided. Each actuator of the actuator group 60 may be provided for each joint portion, or there may be an actuator that applies rotational force to a plurality of joint portions. The actuator may be built in the joint part or may be disposed outside the joint part. In the latter case, the actuator is connected to the joint portion and the driven member by a wire, a belt, a pulley, a hydraulic mechanism, or the like, thereby applying a rotational force to the joint portion.

  Each rotary encoder included in the rotary encoder group 62 is attached to each actuator included in the actuator group 60. Each rotary encoder detects the rotation angle of the corresponding actuator and transmits it to the control unit 90. The rotary encoder group 62 may detect the rotation angle of the joint portion instead of the rotation angle of the actuator group 60.

  The robot 1 includes a speaker 70 for outputting sound. The content of the sound output from the speaker 70 is determined by the control unit 90. The robot 1 further includes a storage unit 80 and a control unit 90. The storage unit 80 includes, for example, a random access memory (RAM), a read only memory (ROM), a hard disk drive (HDD), and a flash memory. The storage unit 80 includes a control program 82 executed by a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) provided in the control unit 90, object coordinate data 84 indicating the position of the object OB to be guided by the robot 1, guidance information Data such as audio data 86 is stored. The control program 82 may be stored in the storage unit 80 in advance, or may be downloaded from another computer device via the Internet. Further, the control program 82 stored in the portable storage medium may be installed in the storage unit 80.

  The control unit 90 includes, for example, an environment recognition unit 92, a posture control unit 94, and a voice guidance control unit 96. Some or all of these functional units are software functional units that function when the processor of the control unit 90 executes the control program 82. Note that some or all of these functional units may be hardware functional units such as LSI (Large Scale Integration) and ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit).

  The environment recognition unit 92 analyzes the captured image input from the camera 12 and grasps the above-described object and the position of a person. Note that the robot 1 receives, for example, a captured image of a camera attached to the ceiling of a house where the object OB is placed, and the position of the object or a person can be grasped by analyzing the captured image. Good. By doing this, it is possible to obtain a bird's-eye view information, so that the environment can be recognized more accurately. In addition, the environment recognition unit 92 may grasp the position of an object using an infrared radar, an ultrasonic radar, or the like. The posture control unit 94 controls the actuator group so that the hand unit 40 points to the object when guiding the object. The voice guidance control unit 96 controls the speaker 70 so as to output a voice for guiding the object.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating the functional configuration of the control unit 90 in more detail. The posture control unit 94 includes an interference calculation unit 94A, a standing position determination unit 94B, a movement command calculation unit 94C, a pointing timing calculation unit 94D, a pointing command calculation unit 94E, an arm control unit 94F, Leg control unit 94G. The pointing command calculation unit 94E further includes a wrist orientation calculation unit 94Ea, a waist / arm distribution unit 94Eb, a wrist position calculation unit 94Ec, and a hand posture calculation unit 94Ed.

[Movement of robot 1]
The robot 1 moves according to the position of the object OB and the position of the person receiving the guidance. Then, before and after the movement, the actuator group 60 is controlled so as to maintain the state where the predetermined position OB1 of the object OB is located in the direction indicated by the index finger 43, for example. This will be described below.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the principle of movement of the robot 1. The robot 1 stores the position area of the object OB as the object coordinate data 84, and the standing position determination unit 94B sets an area within a predetermined distance from the outer edge of the position area as the prohibited area BA. The position OB1 of the object OB is described in advance in the object coordinate data 84 as a representative position suitable for visually recognizing the object OB. A suitable area WA that is located in front of the position OB1 and excludes the prohibited area BA from the fan-shaped area centered on the position OB1 is optimal for the person H to visually recognize the position OB1 that is a representative point of the object OB. It is an important area. In addition, the movable area MA is set as an area that is located on both sides of the preferred area WA and that excludes the forbidden area BA from the fan-shaped area having a wider angle range than the preferred area WA centered on the position OB1. The robot 1 is controlled so as to move within an area that is a combination of the movement area MA and the preferred area WA when performing voice guidance of the object OB. The standing position determination unit 94B determines the standing position of the robot 1 in such an area, and outputs it to the movement command calculation unit 94C. The movement command calculation unit 94C instructs the waist / leg control unit 94G to move to the standing position determined by the standing position determination unit 94B. The waist / leg controller 94G controls the actuator attached to the lower joint from the waist joint 26 so as to move in accordance with an instruction from the movement command calculator 94C.

  The interference calculation unit 94A performs a calculation so that the robot 1 does not interfere (contact) with a person receiving guidance. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating how the robot 1 avoids human interference. The interference calculation unit 94A determines whether the position of the person H input from the environment recognition unit 92 is within a predetermined distance from the positions of the body unit 20, the arm unit 30, and the hand unit 40. Then, when the distance is within a predetermined distance, the interference calculation unit 94A sends a control amount (an arm contraction amount or a standing position) for retracting the arm unit 30 or retracting the robot 1 to the standing position determining unit 94B or the finger position. It outputs to the insertion command calculation unit 94E. As shown in FIG. 7, when the person H approaches, the robot 1 shrinks the arm 30 in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 7B to move away from the person H, shortens the interference radius from the shoulder, It moves backward in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 7C (the direction opposite to the person H).

  FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining processing in which the interference calculation unit 94A calculates the standing position. In the figure, point P1 is originally the standing position of the robot 1. When the person H approaches (for example, within a predetermined distance), the interference calculation unit 94A first determines a temporary standing position at a position P2 that is linearly away from the position of the person H. Then, the interference calculation unit 94A determines whether or not the temporary standing position P2 is within the prohibited area BA, and when it is within the prohibited area BA, for example, the closest position OB2 (OB1) of the object OB may be used. The position P3 is determined to be a new standing position that is a position that is linearly away from the center of the area of the object OB) and that is within the preferred area WA or the movable area MA. At this time, the interference calculation unit 94A moves the arm control unit 94F and the waist / legs via the standing position determination unit 94B and the movement command calculation unit 94C so as to move without changing the orientation of the body unit 20 and the arm unit 30. The control unit 94G is instructed. Thereby, the robot 1 can prevent the human body H from interfering with the turning of the body part 20 and the arm part 30. Thereafter, the interference calculation unit 94A turns the robot 1 (turns to the left in the case of FIG. 8) and moves to the position P3 via the standing position determination unit 94B and the movement command calculation unit 94C. The arm control unit 94F and the waist / leg control unit 94G are instructed. Thus, the robot 1 can move smoothly while avoiding interference with a person or the object OB.

[Guiding posture and movement]
9 and 10 are diagrams illustrating examples of postures when the robot 1 points to an object. 9 is a top view and FIG. 10 is a side view. As shown in the drawing, when the robot 1 points in the direction of a specific position OB1 in the object OB, an example of the rotation center 24A of the arm first link portion 32 in the shoulder joint portion 24 (an “predetermined portion” in the body portion 20). ), The posture in which the forefinger 43 extends on the straight line L connecting the specific positions OB1 is formed. The robot 1 stores information on the coordinates of a predetermined position OB1 in the target unit OB in the storage unit 80 as target coordinate data 84. The posture control unit 94 controls the actuators of the joint portions of the shoulder joint portion 24, the elbow joint portion 34, the wrist joint portion 38, and the hand portion 40 so as to realize such a posture. Thus, the person receiving the guidance can intuitively grasp the direction indicated by the robot 1. That is, the robot 1 can more effectively guide the line of sight of the person receiving the guidance.

  Further, the robot 1 maintains a state in which the extending direction (indicated direction) of the index finger unit 43 is directed to the position OB1 before and after moving by the processing of the interference calculation unit 94A. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the robot 1 keeps the extending direction of the index finger 43 toward the position OB1. Thus, the person receiving the guidance can intuitively grasp the direction indicated by the robot 1. That is, the robot 1 can more effectively guide the line of sight of the person receiving the guidance.

  In addition, although the index finger part 43 was illustrated as an example of "indicator", it is not limited to this. For example, the robot 1 may be handled as the entire hand portion 40 and an indicator. For example, the robot 1 may point the hand portion 40 toward the object OB in a state where all the finger portions are extended. In this case, the posture control unit 94 adjusts the shoulder joint portion 24, the elbow joint portion 34, the wrist joint portion 38, and the joint portions of the hand portion 40 so that the entire hand portion 40 extends on the straight line L. Control the actuator. FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating such a posture, and is a diagram illustrating another example of the posture when the robot 1 points to an object (the top view is substantially the same as FIG. 5 and thus only the side view is shown). Further, the robot 1 may hold a tool such as a pointing stick with the hand unit 40 and direct the gripped pointing stick or the like toward the object OB.

  FIGS. 13 and 14 are diagrams schematically illustrating an operation performed when the robot 1 points to an object. FIG. 13 is a top view and FIG. 14 is a side view. As shown in the figure, when the robot 1 points in the direction of a specific position OB1 on the object OB, the index finger 43 moves on the straight line L while maintaining the state where the index finger 43 extends on the straight line L. Performs upcoming actions. The posture control unit 94 controls the actuators of the shoulder joint unit 24, the elbow joint unit 34, and the wrist joint unit 38 so as to realize such an operation. Thereby, the person who receives the guidance can more intuitively grasp the direction indicated by the robot 1. That is, the robot 1 can more effectively guide the line of sight of the person receiving the guidance. Such an operation is also performed when a member ahead of the arm 30 of the robot 1 interferes with the object OB or a person.

  Hereinafter, the flow of processing until the posture described in FIGS. 9 to 14 is realized will be described with reference to FIG. The pointing command calculator 94E includes, for example, an instruction timing signal from the pointing timing calculator 94D and identification information of the object OB, and information specifying the amount of arm contraction from the interference calculator 94A. The positions of all the objects OB are input respectively.

  The wrist orientation calculation unit 94Ea first specifies the position OB1 of the target object OB to be guided from the positions of all the target objects OB using the identification information of the target object OB. This position OB1 is described as, for example, a position on the real coordinate system (a position when the exhibition hall is a plane). The wrist orientation calculation unit 94Ea performs a process of converting from a position on the real coordinate system to a position on the robot coordinate system. FIG. 15 is a diagram for explaining processing by the wrist orientation calculation unit 94Ea. In the figure, the x-axis and y-axis indicated by broken line arrows indicate the coordinate axes of the real coordinate system, and the X-axis and Y-axis indicated by the solid line arrows indicate the coordinate axes of the robot coordinate system. The X axis of the robot coordinate system is defined as a direction in which a part corresponding to the toe of the robot 1 faces, for example. The conversion from the position on the real coordinate system to the position on the robot coordinate system is performed based on the position and orientation of the robot 1 on the real coordinate system.

  Further, when the position and orientation of the position OB1 on the robot coordinate system are obtained by the above conversion, the wrist orientation calculation unit 94Ea determines whether the position OB1 is to be pointed by the right arm part or the left arm part. In FIG. 15, an angle range AR indicates a range that can be pointed by the right arm, and an angle range AL indicates a range that can be pointed by the left arm. The wrist orientation calculation unit 94Ea basically determines that the position is indicated with the right arm if the orientation of the position OB1 is within the range of the angle range AR, and the left arm if the orientation of the position OB1 is within the range of the angle range AL.

  Here, a range that is not included in any of the angle ranges AR and AL is a range that cannot be indicated from the standing position. In this case, for example, the wrist orientation calculation unit 94Ea outputs information indicating that it cannot be pointed to the voice guidance control unit 96, and the voice guidance control unit 96 performs voice guidance that does not need to be performed while pointing. Perform switching control. Further, in FIG. 15, there are overlapping portions of the angle ranges AR and AL. When the position OB1 exists within this range, the wrist orientation calculation unit 94Ea determines which arm is to be pointed according to, for example, the position of the person. FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating how the arm to be pointed is determined when the position OB1 exists in the overlapping portion of the angle ranges AR and AL. For example, the robot 1 will be described with the front surface 14 of the head 10 (the surface on which the camera 12 is present) facing the person H. The wrist orientation calculation unit 94Ea points with any arm so that the straight line L connecting the rotation center 24A of the shoulder joint 24, the hand 40, and the position OB1 does not intersect the straight line connecting the head 10 and the person. To decide. In the scene shown in FIG. 16, if the position OB1 is pointed with the left arm, a straight line connecting the rotation center 24A, the hand 40, and the position OB1 intersects a straight line connecting the head front 14 and the person, It looks like an unnatural posture. Therefore, the wrist orientation calculation unit 94Ea determines that voice guidance is performed by pointing the position OB1 with the right arm in the scene shown in FIG.

When the wrist orientation calculation unit 94Ea determines the orientation of the position OB1, that is, the orientation of the hand unit 40 that determines the extending direction of the index finger 43, the waist / arm distribution unit 94Eb determines that the X direction on the robot coordinate system is The “twist” of each joint part for realizing an angle difference with the extending direction of the index finger part 43 (for example, the angle formed by the X axis and the straight line L in FIG. 15) is applied from the waist joint part 26 to the shoulder to the arm. To the joint portions (shoulder joint portion 24, elbow joint portion 34, and wrist joint portion 38). For example, the waist / arm distributor 94Eb distributes the amount of twist so that the twist ratio of the waist joint 26 increases as the angle difference increases. FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating an example of a distribution tendency when the waist / arm distribution unit 94Eb distributes the amount of twist. The twist amount θ ₂₆ of the waist joint portion 26 is obtained by, for example, Expression (1), where θ _XL is an angle formed by the X axis and the straight line L.
θ ₂₆ = −θ _XL × {1-exp (| θ _XL / π |)} (1)

  When the distribution amount of the twist amount is determined by the waist / arm distribution unit 94Eb, the actuator attached to the waist joint unit 26 is controlled by the waist / leg control unit 94G so as to realize the distributed twist amount. . Further, the wrist position calculation unit 94Ec calculates the position (x, y, z) of the hand unit 40 on the robot coordinate system. Further, the hand posture calculation unit calculates an angle formed with respect to the palm 41 of the index finger 43. By using these calculation results, the arm control unit 94F drives the actuator attached to the joint portion ahead of the shoulder joint portion 24, thereby realizing the posture shown in FIGS.

[Processing flow]
Hereinafter, the flow of processing from when the standing position of the robot 1 is determined until voice guidance is performed will be described in the form of a flowchart. FIG. 18 is an example of a flowchart showing the flow of processing executed by the control unit 90. First, the control unit 90 determines the object OB and the guidance content (step S100). Next, the control unit 90 determines whether or not the guidance content requires pointing (step S102). If the guidance content does not require pointing, the speaker 70 is controlled so that the voice guidance control unit 96 outputs voice guidance without pointing (step S116).

  If the guidance content requires pointing, the standing position is determined at a position that does not interfere with the object OB (step S104). Next, the posture control unit 94 approaches the person and controls the actuator group 60 so that the front surface 14 of the head 10 faces the person (step S106).

  Next, the posture control unit 94 determines whether or not the gesture is in a positional relationship in which the gesture is limited (step S108). In the case of the positional relationship in which the gesture is restricted, the posture control unit 94 performs a walk away (step S110), and performs the determination in step S108 again.

  When it is not the positional relationship where the gesture is restricted, the posture control unit 94 determines an arm for pointing (step S112). Next, the posture control unit 94 determines whether or not the position where the finger can be pointed has been determined (step S114). When the position where the finger can be pointed cannot be determined, the voice guidance control unit 96 controls the speaker 70 so as to output the voice guidance without pointing (step S116).

  When the position where the finger can be pointed is determined, as described above, the posture control unit 94 determines the wrist azimuth angle (step S118), determines the waist / arm distribution ratio (step S120), and determines the wrist position. (Step S122), the hand posture is determined (Step S124). Then, the posture control unit determines whether or not the pointing operation interferes with a person (step S126). If the pointing hand interferes with the person, the posture control unit 94 performs a withdrawal walk (step S128) and returns to step S118.

  On the other hand, when the pointing does not interfere with a person, the voice guidance control unit 96 controls the speaker 70 so as to output the voice guidance while controlling the actuator group 60 so that the posture control unit 94 forms the pointing posture. (Step S130). Thereafter, the control unit 90 determines whether or not the voice guidance is finished (step S132). If the voice guidance has not ended, the position of the robot 1 is acquired from the operation history of the actuator group 60 and the captured image analysis of the camera 12 (step S134), and the process returns to step S118. When the voice guidance is finished, one routine of this flowchart is finished.

[Call control]
As described below, the robot 1 may perform an operation of guiding the person H to the preferred position WA before performing the voice guidance for the object OB. FIG. 19 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the robot 1 guides the person H to the preferred position WA. As shown in FIG. 19A, the robot 1 first stands in the suitable area WA and calls the person H to point at his / her position while pointing to the object OB (such as “This is it”). Is output. Then, as shown in FIG. 19B, as the person H approaches, the object OB moves backward while pointing to the object OB, and when the person H enters the preferred area WA, the object OB Output voice guidance for. With this control, the robot 1 can guide a person to a position where the object OB can be easily seen.

  FIG. 20 is an example of a flowchart showing a flow of processing executed when the robot 1 guides the person H to the preferred position WA. First, the posture control unit 94 determines whether or not there is a person in the preferred area WA or the movable area MA (step S200). If there is a person in the preferred area WA or the movable area MA, one routine of this flowchart is terminated. In this case, for example, the process of the flowchart of FIG. 18 is executed.

  When there is no person in the preferred area WA or the movable area MA, the posture control unit 94 moves the robot 1 into the preferred area WA (step S202). Then, it is determined whether or not a person is detected at a far position by the environment recognition unit 92 (step S204). The “distant position” may mean a position outside the area of the preferred area WA and the movable area MA, or a predetermined distance or more from the outer edge of the preferred area WA and the movable area MA, or a predetermined distance or more from the robot 1. May mean the position of If no person is detected at a far position, one routine of this flowchart is terminated.

  When a person is detected at a far position, the robot 1 outputs a voice calling the person to come to his / her position (step S206). Then, posture control unit 94 determines whether or not a person is approaching (step S208). When the person is approaching, the posture control unit 94 moves the robot 1 backward in accordance with the approach of the person (step S210).

  Next, the posture control unit 94 determines whether or not a person has entered the preferred area WA (step S212). When a person enters the preferred area WA, the voice guidance control unit 96 controls the speaker 70 to start voice guidance for the object OB (step S214). If a negative determination is obtained in step S208 or S212, the process returns to the determination process in step S204.

  According to the robot 1 of the present embodiment described above, guidance is provided in order to maintain the state in which the extending direction (indicated direction) of the index finger unit 43 is directed to the position OB1 before and after moving by the processing of the interference calculation unit 94A. The recipient can intuitively grasp the direction indicated by the robot 1. As a result, the robot 1 can more effectively guide the line of sight of the person receiving the guidance.

  Further, according to the robot 1 of the present embodiment, when pointing in the direction of the specific position OB1 in the object OB, the straight line connecting the rotation center 24A of the arm first link portion 32 in the shoulder joint portion 24 and the specific position OB1. Since the posture in which the index finger portion 43 extends on L is formed, the person receiving the guidance can intuitively grasp the direction indicated by the robot 1. As a result, the robot 1 can more effectively guide the line of sight of the person receiving the guidance.

  Further, according to the robot 1 of the present embodiment, when pointing in the direction of the specific position OB1 in the object OB, the index finger 43 is on the straight line L while maintaining the state where the index finger 43 extends on the straight line L. Therefore, the person receiving the guidance can more intuitively grasp the direction indicated by the robot 1. As a result, the robot 1 can more effectively guide the line of sight of the person receiving the guidance.

  Further, according to the robot 1 of the present embodiment, first, the user stands in the preferred area WA, outputs a voice calling the person H to come to his / her position, and moves as the person H approaches. When the person H moves backward to the possible area MA and enters the suitable area WA, the robot 1 can guide the person to a position where the object OB can be easily viewed because the voice guidance about the object OB is output.

  As mentioned above, although the form for implementing this invention was demonstrated using embodiment, this invention is not limited to such embodiment at all, In the range which does not deviate from the summary of this invention, various deformation | transformation and substitution Can be added.

1 Robot (Robot)
10 head 12 camera (detection unit)
20 Body part (Body part)
24 shoulder joint 30 arm (connecting part)
32 First arm link part 34 Elbow joint part (intermediate joint part)
36 second arm link part 38 wrist joint part 40 hand part 50 leg part 41 palm part 42 thumb part 43 index finger part (indicator)
44 Middle finger portion 45 Ring finger portion 41A to 41E Proximal joint portion 43A Index finger tip portion 43B Index finger first joint portion 43C Index finger first link portion 43D Index finger second joint portion 43E Index finger second link portion 60 Actuator group (drive unit)
62 Rotary encoder group 70 Speaker (output unit)
80 storage unit 90 control unit 92 environment recognition unit 94 attitude control unit (control unit)
96 Voice guidance controller

Claims (13)

An indicator for pointing in the direction;
A drive unit for driving the indicator;
A moving part for moving the body part to which the driving part is attached;
Connecting the body part and the indicator, a connecting part including one or more intermediate joints between a connecting part of the body part and a connecting part of the indicator;
When causing the indicator to indicate the direction of the object, at least a part of the indicator extends on a straight line connecting a predetermined position in the body portion and the position of the object; and A control unit that controls the drive unit so that the direction of the straight line and the direction indicated by the indicator coincide with each other,
When the control unit causes the indicator to indicate the direction of the object, at least one of the one or more intermediate joints deviates from the straight line, and at least one of the indicators on the straight line. The drive part can be controlled so that the part extends,
robot. The robot according to claim 1,
The control unit controls the driving unit so as to maintain a state in which the object is positioned in a direction indicated by the indicator before and after the body unit is moved by the moving unit.
robot. The robot according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein
When the control unit causes the indicator to indicate the direction of the object, the indicator reciprocates on the straight line with the one or more intermediate joints deviating from the straight line. The drive can be controlled,
robot. The robot according to any one of claims 1 to 3 ,
The driving unit rotationally drives the coupling portion about said predetermined point in said body portion,
robot. The robot according to any one of claims 1 to 4 ,
It has a detector that detects the position of a person,
The control unit controls the moving unit so that the body unit is separated from the person when the body unit is in a region centered on the person.
robot. The robot according to claim 5 , wherein
The control unit controls the moving unit so as to move without changing the orientation of the body unit when the moving unit is controlled so that the body unit is separated from the person, and then the body unit is moved. Turning and controlling the moving part so that the body part moves to a target position determined based on the position of the object;
robot. The robot according to any one of claims 1 to 6 ,
It has a detector that detects the position of a person,
The control unit controls the moving unit so that the body unit moves to an initial position on the basis of the position of the object before instructing the direction of the object by the indicator, When the detection unit detects that the body unit is approaching the body unit, the moving unit is controlled so that the body unit is separated from the initial position.
robot. The robot according to claim 7 , wherein
It has an output unit that outputs audio,
The control unit controls the output unit to output a voice calling a person to come to the initial position when the body unit moves to the initial position.
robot. The robot according to claim 8 , wherein
The control unit controls the output unit to start voice guidance for the object when a person moves to the initial position.
robot. The robot according to any one of claims 1 to 9 ,
It has a detector that detects the position of a person,
The control unit has a distance between the position of the body unit and the position of the person detected by the detection unit equal to or greater than a first predetermined distance, and the position of the body unit and the position of the object Controlling the moving unit such that the distance between the second predetermined distance and the distance is not less than
robot. The robot according to any one of claims 1 to 10 ,
The indicator is attached to the tips of the two arm parts,
The moving unit includes two legs.
robot. An indicator for indicating a direction; a drive unit that drives the indicator; a moving unit that moves a body unit to which the drive unit is attached ; and the body unit and the indicator, A control method for a robot comprising one or more intermediate joints between a connection point between the pointer and the indicator ,
Calculating the position of the indicator on a straight line connecting a predetermined position in the body portion and the position of the object when the indicator is instructed in the direction of the object;
Controlling the drive unit so that the indicator is located at the calculated position, and the direction of the straight line and the direction indicated by the indicator coincide with each other,
In the step of controlling the drive unit, the drive so that at least a part of the indicator extends on the straight line in a state where at least one of the one or more intermediate joint parts deviates from the straight line. Control the part,
Robot control method. An indicator for indicating a direction; a drive unit that drives the indicator; a moving unit that moves a body unit to which the drive unit is attached ; and the body unit and the indicator, A control program for a robot comprising one or more intermediate joints between a connection point between the indicator and the indicator ,
On the computer,
Calculating the position of the indicator on a straight line connecting a predetermined position in the body portion and the position of the object when the indicator is instructed in the direction of the object;
Controlling the drive unit so that the indicator is positioned at the calculated position, and the direction of the straight line and the direction indicated by the indicator coincide with each other, and
In the step of controlling the drive unit, the computer is configured such that at least a part of the indicator extends on the straight line in a state where at least one of the one or more intermediate joint parts deviates from the straight line. To control the drive unit,
Robot control program.

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