JP2005025516A - Mobile robot capable of autonomously recovering radio wave status - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a mobile robot that can continue operations even after moving beyond the reach of radio waves by autonomously returning within the reach of radio waves and can extend a communication range in cooperation with a plurality of mobile robots. <P>SOLUTION: Mapping means 19 autonomously map radio statuses in advance at mobile robot introduction or in a standby state without an operation command, and store them in storing means 16. Returning means 17, after an operation in an area with a poor radio status, move the mobile robot to the nearest communication range according to the mapping information. When another mobile robot enters an area with a poor radio status, radio relaying means 12a amplify field strength to extend the communication range, so that an operator and the mobile robot in the communication-disabled area can communicate. The radio relaying means may be replaced with command relaying means. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a mobile robot that performs a remote operation wirelessly using a mobile phone, a wireless LAN, or the like. In particular, even when the mobile robot moves to an area where the radio wave condition is bad, the mobile robot returns to an autonomously communicable area. In addition, the present invention relates to a mobile robot that enables an operator to grasp the situation of a mobile robot that has moved to an area where the radio wave condition is bad by cooperating with another mobile robot.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, various techniques for remotely controlling a mobile robot by radio have been proposed. For example, in Patent Document 1, an operation device having a function of displaying the state of a robot and a mobile robot are connected via a communication line network or a telephone line, and the robot moves even if there is no operator near the mobile robot. A control system for a mobile robot that can operate the robot is disclosed.
In Patent Document 2, a control terminal and a wireless connection terminal are connected to a LAN, a wireless communication unit is provided in a robot (controlled terminal), and the wireless connection terminal communicates with the robot (controlled terminal) in a wireless section. Thus, a network remote control system is disclosed in which a control terminal remotely controls a robot (controlled terminal).
With the above-described conventional mobile robots that operate by remote operation, if the robot moves to a place where radio waves do not reach, remote control becomes impossible and humans have to put their hands. In particular, in a home or office environment, a mobile robot that cannot be used unless the radio wave condition is always excellent is not realistic.
[0003]
[Patent Document 1]
JP-A-5-91556 [Patent Document 2]
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-49800
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
As mentioned above, mobile robots that operate by conventional remote operation are premised on being able to communicate via radio waves. If the robot moves outside the reach of radio waves, remote operation is impossible. There was a problem of becoming.
The present invention was made to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and the object of the present invention is to return to a place where radio waves reach autonomously even after moving to a place where radio waves do not reach. Can be resumed, and by maintaining a communicable state in cooperation with a plurality of mobile robots, the operator can grasp the status of the mobile robots and can move continuously. Is to provide a robot.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In a mobile robot based on a radio wave communication command, it is a precondition that communication is possible. If the mobile robot actually becomes incapable of communication, the subsequent operation becomes impossible. Therefore, in the present invention, the following means is provided so that the operator can know the situation and the operation can be continued.
(1) In a mobile robot having a moving mechanism and operating by radio wave communication, mapping means for autonomously mapping the radio wave condition in advance when the mobile robot is introduced or in a standby state without an operation command, and an area where the radio wave condition is bad When an operation command is received, a return means is provided for moving the mobile robot to the nearest communicable area based on the mapping information after the operation is completed in the area.
As described above, when a mobile robot is introduced or when there is no instruction from the operator, when the robot runs in advance within the moving range and creates a map that knows the strength of the radio wave condition and enters the incommunicable area, the nearest By returning to the normal radio wave range and waiting for the operator's instruction again, communication can be restored in the shortest time.
(2) In the above (1), when an operation instruction is given to an area where the radio wave condition is expected to be poor, a notification means is provided for notifying the operator that the mobile station moves to the bad radio wave condition area.
Thereby, even if the response of the robot is lost, the operator can know in advance that the robot has entered the area, and in some cases, the operator can stop intrusion into the area in advance.
(3) In the above (1) and (2), radio wave relay means for relaying communication to other mobile robots is provided.
Among a plurality of mobile robots that operate according to instructions by radio waves, a mobile robot equipped with a radio wave relay means for amplifying (booster) the radio wave intensity as described above is arranged. By moving to a place with good visibility, the communicable area can be expanded and the operable range of other mobile robots can be expanded. For this reason, even if the mobile robot enters an area where the radio wave condition is bad, the operation can be continued.
(4) In the above (1) and (2), command relay means for relaying commands to other movements is provided.
By providing the command relay means as described above, the communicable area can be expanded and the operable range of other mobile robots can be expanded as in (2) above. For this reason, even if the mobile robot enters an area where the radio wave condition is bad, it is possible to continue the operation.
(5) In the above (1), (2), (3), and (4), the robot enters the incommunicable area, searches for another robot that has become incommunicable, and moves autonomously to the communicable area, Means for communicating with the robot is provided to notify the operator of the state of the other robot.
As a result, even when the mobile robot enters an area where it cannot communicate with the operator during command execution and cannot escape, the operator can know the position and state of the mobile robot, and give the subsequent instructions. Can be done.
[0006]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a system according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the mobile robot 1 of this embodiment is connected to a wireless device such as a wireless LAN card, a mobile phone, or Bluetooth, and can be connected to a network from software on an information processing device. Has been.
The operator is in an environment where the mobile robot 1 can be connected to the network 3 by a terminal 2 such as a personal computer or a mobile phone. The terminal 2 such as the operator's personal computer or mobile phone is installed with software that can remotely operate the mobile robot 1 via the network and know the state of the mobile robot 1.
When the mobile robot 1 is connected to the network by dial-up connection using a mobile phone, the IP address received from the provider is different each time the dial-up is performed, so the software on the robot notifies the IP address received from the Dynamic-DNS server. Thus, it is possible to access with a predetermined domain name (such as mycomputer.mydomain.com) without notifying the operator of the IP address.
The mobile robot 1 is placed, for example, at the operator's home, office, etc., and the operator moves the mobile robot 1 in response to a command from the terminal 2 or an infrared receiver / transmitter mounted on the mobile robot 1. By operating various devices such as home appliances, the camera or the like provided on the mobile robot 1 is used to monitor the situation at home, office, etc.
A plurality of mobile robots may be arranged in a work area such as a home or office where the mobile robot is placed. In this case, as will be described later, the plurality of mobile robots are arranged. The communication range of the mobile robot can be expanded in cooperation.
[0007]
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of the mobile robot.
As shown in the figure, the mobile robot 1 includes a substrate 1a on which a CPU is mounted, a motor 1b for movement, a ROM 1c for storing programs and data, a motor 1d for movement, an infrared transmitter / receiver 1e for operating home appliances, and the like. The wireless device 1f such as the above-described wireless LAN, mobile phone, and bluetooth, and a storage device (such as a hard disk or compact flash) 1g for storing a moving distance, map information, and the like are included.
Also, a device such as a camera 1h that captures the surrounding situation for remote control or the like, a sensor 1i that measures a distance or the like may be connected, and a microphone 1j, a speaker 1k, a liquid crystal display 1m, a state, etc. An LED 1n for displaying, a push button switch 1o, a pointing device 1p, a battery 1q, and the like for starting the operation of the mobile robot 1 and performing various settings may be mounted.
The mobile robot 1 receives the command sent by the operator via the network 3 by the wireless device 1f, moves according to the received command, operates the home appliance as described above, Work such as monitoring the situation.
[0008]
Further, when a plurality of mobile robots 1 are arranged in the work area, one or more of the mobile robots are provided with a radio wave relay function. When moving to an incommunicable area where no radio waves reach, move the mobile robot equipped with the radio relay function to an area communicable with the mobile robot and expand the communication area by relaying radio waves. Between the mobile robot and the mobile robot in the incommunicable range.
In place of the radio wave relay function, one or more mobile robots have a command relay function, and a mobile robot moves to a non-communication zone where radio waves from the operator do not reach due to a shield or the like. At this time, a command or the like between the mobile robot and the operator may be relayed by a mobile robot having a command relay function.
The mobile robot 1 is controlled by the CPU mounted on the CPU board 1a executing a control program stored in the ROM 1c or the like, and information such as movement path information, radio wave status, various log information, etc. of the mobile robot 1 is executed. Data is stored in the storage device 1g. The part that controls the mobile robot constituted by the CPU and the like is hereinafter referred to as a control unit.
[0009]
FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the mobile robot according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 shows the functional configuration when the radio wave relay means is provided.
As shown in the figure, the control unit 11 of the mobile robot converts a command received by the transmission / reception unit 12, the radio wave relay unit 12 a, and the transmission / reception unit 12 connected to the wireless device 1 f into an operation command of the mobile robot 1. An operation command unit 13 for outputting an operation command, and a drive control unit 14 for driving an operation device such as an infrared transmitter / receiver 1e and a moving motor 1d based on the operation command output by the operation command unit 13. Prepare.
In addition, the radio wave condition determination unit 15 that determines the radio wave condition received by the transmission / reception unit 12, the mapping unit 19 that maps the radio wave intensity in the work area based on the radio wave condition determined by the radio wave condition determination unit 15 is acquired. A storage unit 16 for storing mapping information is provided.
The mapping means 19 travels in the work area when the mobile robot is introduced or when there is no instruction from the operator, and the radio wave status determined by the radio wave status determination unit 15 is stored in the storage unit 16 in advance. Write to the work area map and create a radio field intensity map.
When the mobile robot 1 has moved to a place where radio waves do not reach, the return means 17 returns the mobile robot 1 to a location where radio waves reach based on the mapping information.
Further, when there is a movement instruction from the operator, the notification means 18 refers to the mapping information to determine whether or not the destination is an area where the radio wave condition is expected to be bad. In the case of an instruction to move to an area that is expected to be bad, the operator is notified that the radio wave condition is invading the area. When the mobile robot moves to a point where the radio wave condition is good, the notification means 18 notifies the operator to that effect.
The radio wave relay unit 12a amplifies and transmits the received radio wave, expands the communication range as described above, and enables communication between the operator and the mobile robot in the non-communication range. As described above, instead of the radio wave relay unit 12a, a command relay unit may be provided to relay a signal transmitted and received between the operator and another mobile robot.
[0010]
FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing processing in the mobile robot of this embodiment. In FIG. 4, when there is a movement instruction from a remote operator or when there is an event such as a predetermined time (step S1 in FIG. 4), the operation command unit 13 of the mobile robot 1 calculates its own position. Then, a movement pattern is obtained from the target position and the self position (steps S2 and S3).
Then, with reference to the radio wave intensity map stored in the storage unit 16, the radio wave condition of the movement destination area is determined (step S4).
If the radio wave condition of the destination is not good, the notification means 18 notifies the operator that the area where the radio wave condition is expected to enter is intruded as described above (step S5 → step S6). By this notification, the operator can know in advance that such an area has been entered even if there is no response from the mobile robot. In some cases, it is possible to stop the mobile robot from entering an area where the radio wave condition is bad in advance.
[0011]
When the radio wave condition is good or when the radio wave condition is bad, after the above notification, the process goes to step S7, and the mobile robot starts moving (step S7).
Then, while moving, the moving distance and direction up to now are accumulated and stored in the storage unit 16 of the mobile robot 1 together with the radio wave state, and the radio wave intensity map is updated (step S8). When all the movements are completed, operations such as home appliance operation are performed (step S9 → step S10).
After performing the above operation, the radio wave condition determination unit 15 determines whether or not the radio wave condition at the position after movement is good (step S11). If the radio wave condition is good, the process ends. If the radio wave condition at the position after movement is poor, the radio wave intensity around the self position is checked with reference to the radio wave intensity map (step S12). The return means 17 obtains a movement pattern to coordinates with good radio wave sensitivity, and moves the mobile robot to coordinates with good radio wave sensitivity (step S13). Then, the notification means 18 notifies the operator that it has returned to a communicable position (step S14).
[0012]
FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a process for creating a radio wave intensity map in the standby state by the mapping means 19. In the following, the process for creating a radio wave condition map in the standby state will be described. However, as described above, when a mobile robot is introduced, a radio wave intensity map is created by moving a preset course. May be.
In FIG. 5, the mapping means checks whether it is in a standby state (step S1). If it is in the standby state, the process goes to Step 2, where a point closest to the current position where the radio wave condition is not recorded is selected from the preset moving course and moved to the selected position (Step S3).
Then, the radio wave condition at that point is acquired, and the radio wave condition is recorded on the map on the radio wave intensity map (step S5).
The above processing is performed until no standby state is reached, and when a work instruction is received from the operator, the process goes from step S6 to step S7, and the work according to the work command is executed.
[0013]
The example of the electromagnetic wave intensity map of FIG. 6 is shown. The mobile robot acquires a radio wave condition at each coordinate position by moving on a predetermined movement course, and records the radio wave intensity at each coordinate position on the map as shown in FIG. Further, when there is a shield that shields radio waves in the work area, the position of the shield is also recorded on the map. As a result, the mobile robot can determine to which position the other mobile robot can relay the radio wave to the mobile robot when the mobile robot moves to an area where the radio wave intensity is poor.
[0014]
Next, operations of the radio wave relay unit and command relay unit will be described.
Here, there will be described a case where there are two mobile robots in the work area, and at least one of the mobile robots 1-1 includes the radio wave relay means or the command relay means. Three or more mobile robots may exist in the area, and all the mobile robots or a plurality of robots in the mobile robot may include the radio wave relay unit and the command relay unit.
FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining the operation when the communicable area is expanded by the radio wave relay means.
This figure shows a case where the mobile robot 1-2 has entered a shaded object with a poor radio wave condition as a result of moving in accordance with an operator's movement instruction.
In this case, the mobile robot 1-1 can receive a radio wave from the operator as shown in the figure, and can send a relayed radio wave to the mobile robot 1-2 (a position where the radio wave is well visible). Move to).
The radio wave relay means provided in the mobile robot 1-1 relays the radio wave from the operator and sends it out to the area where the mobile robot 1-2 shaded by the shield is present.
When the mobile robot 1-2 responds to the command from the operator, the radio wave relay means of the mobile robot 1-1 relays the radio wave from the mobile robot 1-2 and sends it to the operator.
As described above, by providing the mobile robot 1-1 with radio wave relay means and amplifying the radio wave intensity, the communicable area can be expanded, and even if the mobile robot 1-2 moves to the incommunicable area. Communication between the operator and the mobile robot 1-2 can be continued, and the operator can determine the status of the mobile robot 1-2.
Further, the operator can communicate with the mobile robot 1-2 via the radio wave relay means of the mobile robot 1-1 and can continue the work in the incommunicable area. The mobile robot 1-2 can be returned to the communicable area even without mapping means, return means, and the like.
[0015]
Here, in order to move the mobile robot 1-1 to a position where the line of sight is good in terms of radio waves as described above, it can be performed as follows.
(I) Since there is no response from the mobile robot 1-2, the operator knows that the mobile robot 1-2 has entered the communication impossible area, and the mobile robot 1-1 is in a position where the mobile robot 1-1 has a good radio wave line of sight. Move to.
In this case, when there are a plurality of shielding objects and it is not known which shielding object the mobile robot 1-2 is behind, it is possible to communicate with the mobile robot 1-2 while moving the mobile robot 1-1. The mobile robot 1-1 is moved to a position where communication with the mobile robot 1-2 is possible.
(Ii) When the response from the mobile robot 1-2 is lost, the operator causes the mobile robot 1-1 to search for the mobile robot 1-2 and autonomously moves the mobile robot 1-1 to a position where radio waves can be relayed. Let
Therefore, as shown in FIG. 8, the mobile robot 1-1 is provided with search means 20 for searching for the mobile robot 1-2 in the configuration shown in FIG.
When the search means 20 receives a command from the operator, the search means 20 refers to the radio wave intensity map to search for a position where the radio wave from the operator can be received and a point where the radio wave condition is bad can be seen, and the mobile robot 1-1. Is moved to the position, and it is attempted to communicate with the mobile robot 1-2 and the operator.
For example, as shown in FIG. 7, the mobile robot 1-1 can be moved to a position that is expected to have a good line of sight near the shielding object, and can communicate well with the mobile robot 1-2 and the operator. Try that.
If there are a plurality of shielding objects, are they sequentially moved to positions where radio wave visibility near each shielding object is expected to be good, and similarly, can the mobile robot 1-2 and the operator communicate well? Try. When a position where communication can be satisfactorily detected is found, the operator is notified of the state of the mobile robot 1-2 and also notified that radio waves can be relayed.
In addition, when a position where good communication is possible is not found, the operator is notified of this.
[0016]
FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining the operation when the communicable area is expanded by the command relay means.
This figure shows a case where the mobile robot 1-2 has entered a shaded object with a poor radio wave condition as a result of moving in accordance with an operator's movement instruction.
In this case, the mobile robot 1-1 is moved to a position where the radio wave from the operator can be received and the command can be relayed to the mobile robot 1-2 as shown in FIG. Let
The command relay means provided in the mobile robot 1-1 relays the command from the operator and sends it to the mobile robot 1-2.
When the mobile robot 1-2 responds to the command from the operator, the command relay means of the mobile robot 1-1 relays the response from the mobile robot 1-2 and sends it to the operator.
As described above, by providing the command relay unit in the mobile robot 1-1 and relaying the command, the communicable area can be expanded as in the case of providing the radio wave relay unit. Communication between the operator and the mobile robot 1-2 can be continued even when moving to a non-communication area.
Further, the operator can communicate with the mobile robot 1-2 via the command relay means of the mobile robot 1-1 and can continue the work in the non-communicable area. The mobile robot 1-2 can be returned to the communicable area even without mapping means, return means, and the like.
In order to move the mobile robot 1-1 to a point where the command can be relayed as described above, the mobile robot 1-1 is moved to a position where the command can be relayed by the operator's command, as in (i) and (ii) above. Or search the mobile robot 1-2 by the search means provided in the mobile robot 1-1.
The mobile robot 1-1 receives a command to the mobile robot 1-2, grasps the position of the mobile robot 1-2 from this command, and the mobile robot 1-1 has entered a place where the radio wave condition is poor. Sometimes it is possible to autonomously move to a relay point and relay commands.
[0017]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, in the present invention, the following effects can be obtained.
(1) When a mobile robot is introduced or in a standby state where no instruction is given by the operator, the robot travels within the moving range in advance, creates a map that knows the strength of the radio wave condition, and enters the incommunicable area. By moving to the normal range and waiting for the operator's instructions again, it is possible to return to the communication in the shortest time and to enter the area where the radio wave condition is bad and the mobile robot cannot operate. It will never be.
(2) By providing a notification means for notifying the operator of moving to an area where the radio wave condition is bad, the operator can know in advance that the area has been entered even if the robot does not respond, In some cases, the intrusion into the area can be stopped in advance.
(3) By providing radio wave relay means for relaying communication to other mobile robots, the communicable area can be expanded and the operable range of other mobile robots can be expanded. For this reason, even if the mobile robot enters an area where the radio wave condition is bad, the operation can be continued.
(4) By providing command relay means for relaying commands to other mobile robots, the communicable area can be expanded and the operable range of other mobile robots can be expanded. For this reason, even if the mobile robot enters an area where the radio wave condition is bad, it is possible to continue the operation.
(5) A means for entering another incommunicable area, searching for another robot that has become incapable of communication, autonomously moving to an area communicable with the robot, and communicating with the robot is provided. If the mobile robot enters the area that cannot communicate with the operator during command execution and cannot escape, the operator can know the position and status of the mobile robot. And subsequent instructions can be given.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a mobile robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration of the mobile robot according to the embodiment.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing processing in the mobile robot of the present embodiment.
FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a process for creating a radio wave intensity map.
FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a radio wave intensity map.
FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining the operation when the communicable area is expanded by the radio wave relay means.
FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of a mobile robot having a function of searching for a mobile robot that has entered a non-communication area.
FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an operation when a communicable area is expanded by a command relay unit.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Mobile robot 2 Terminal 3 Network 11 Control part 12 Transmission / reception part 12a Radio wave relay means 13 Operation command part 14 Drive control part 15 Radio wave condition determination part 16 Storage part 17 Return means 18 Notification means 19 Mapping means 20 Search means

Claims (5)

A mobile robot that has a moving mechanism and operates by radio wave communication.
Mapping means for autonomously mapping radio wave conditions in advance when a mobile robot is introduced or in a standby state without an operation command;
A mobile robot comprising return means for moving a mobile robot to the nearest communicable area based on the mapping information after the operation is completed in the area where the radio wave condition is bad. When there is an instruction to move to an area where the radio wave condition is poor, it is determined to move to an area where the radio wave condition is bad based on the mapping information, and the operator is notified that the movement is made to the area where the radio wave condition is bad. The mobile robot according to claim 1, further comprising a notification unit. 3. The mobile robot according to claim 1, further comprising radio wave relay means for relaying communication to another mobile robot, and expanding a communicable area in cooperation with the other mobile robot. 3. The mobile robot according to claim 1, further comprising means for relaying a command to another movement, and expanding a communicable area in cooperation with the other mobile robot. Means for entering into the incommunicable area, searching for another robot that has become incommunicable, moving to an area communicable with the robot,
5. The mobile robot according to claim 1, further comprising means for notifying an operator of a state of the other robot.

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