JP2022032359A - Telepresence robot - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a technology which enables a plurality of people to remotely gather on site from remote locations, to move as a group, to look at surrounding situations at appropriate positions, and enables individuals to talk with local people on their own.SOLUTION: A telepresence robot includes a mobile robot body 10 whose movement is controlled by remote control in the state that a plurality of terminals 11 are fitted to a support frame member 13. The plurality of terminals move integrally by the mobile robot body moves on the basis of an instruction from a prescribed operation terminal 15. The plurality of terminals are connected to operation terminals 15 by a video communication function using wireless communication. Thus, a plurality of operators operating the respective operation terminals move together remotely and can communicate with local people in a remote area by using the video communication function on site.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a telepresence robot.

The telepresence robot has the function of remotely controlling the robot from a remote location with a personal computer or smartphone, and communicating with others as if it were there by using the video and audio transmitted by the robot in real time. There is. A video conference system will be installed on the robot body for communication. The video conference system includes, for example, a camera, a microphone, a display, a speaker, and the like.

There are various types of telepresence robots, such as electric wheels that can run on their own. The self-propelled type telepresence robot is configured by, for example, arranging a display on the head portion of a robot body that is moved by remote control and arranging various devices for video conference at appropriate positions. As a result, the operator who is in a remote location away from the site can communicate with whom by controlling the robot on the other side remotely while holding a high-quality video conference. You can control where you go. A robot can give a presence to the other party by walking around another place as its own alter ego and making a call.

Issue Gazette

The conventional mobile telepresence robot is completed as one robot system and lacks expandability. In addition, it is a fixed concept that one telepresence robot is an alter ego of one operator, moving around in the field as an avatar, and talking with people in the field, and it is used in various ways. It is difficult to flexibly respond to the mode. In addition, when considering the use of telepresence robots when it is difficult to actually go to the site for sightseeing, inspections, visits, consultations, medical examinations, etc. due to factors such as the person and the local environment / situation, those It is not easy to use when multiple people perform the act.

The above-mentioned problems are described as independent of each other, and the present invention does not necessarily have to solve all of the described problems, as long as at least one problem can be solved. In addition, we have the intention to acquire the rights to the structure for solving this problem independently by divisional application, amendment, etc.

(1) In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the telepresence robot of the present invention includes a mobile robot main body whose movement is controlled by remote control with a plurality of terminals attached, and the plurality of terminals are wireless. It is equipped with a video call function using communication.

By doing so, using the video call function of the plurality of terminals, each operator connected to each terminal can see the image around the mobile robot body taken by each terminal at a remote location, and each operator can see the image around the mobile robot body. You can use the video call function of the terminal to directly talk and communicate with the local people around the mobile robot body. Then, as the mobile robot body moves, the plurality of terminals can move together and move to a predetermined area / location. That is, unlike the conventional telepresence robot, a plurality of telepresence robots used by a plurality of operators do not move in a row, but a single mobile robot body makes a video call of a plurality of operators. Since the terminal can be moved, it fits compactly without taking up space on site. Further, the movement of the mobile robot body may be performed by one operator, and the other operators may stand by or look around without operating the mobile robot as it is during the movement. Since the other operator does not need to control the movement of the mobile robot body, the other operator may be able to reach the destination without recognizing the local map or the like.

(2) At least one of the plurality of terminals may be moved so that the shooting area can be changed. By doing so, it is possible to see different areas such as a direction different from the moving direction of the mobile robot main body, or to have a conversation with a person around the mobile robot main body in a face-to-face state.

(3) The configuration that makes the photographing region changeable may be a connecting member that has at least one rotation axis and holds the terminal on the tip side. The terminal can move around the axis of rotation as a swinging motion, for example, and can be oriented in a desired direction.

(4) The rotating shaft may be configured to rotate with the rotation of the output shaft of the motor operated by remote control. By doing so, the area to be seen can be photographed and viewed by a camera by remote control, and the surrounding situation can be freely observed and confirmed.

(5) The connecting member may have an arm member, and the arm member may rotate in the forward and reverse directions with the rotation axis as the center of rotation. This is good because the range of movement of the terminal is widened.

(6) The configuration that enables the shooting area to be changed may be a terminal holder that detachably holds the terminal. By doing so, for example, a person around the mobile robot body can remove the terminal on which the person who wants to talk is displayed and have a conversation while facing himself / herself. In addition, it is possible to show an operator who is connected to the removed terminal by a video call, which is located away from the mobile robot body.

(7) The mobile robot main body is moved by the rotational operation of the wheel portion driven by the motor module, and the motor module has a motor main body having a rotating output portion, a wireless communication function, and the motor main body. It is preferable to provide a control unit for controlling the operation of. By doing so, the movement control of the mobile robot main body can be easily performed. The person who moves the motor module may be an operator of any of a plurality of terminals attached to the main body of the mobile robot, but may be a completely different person or another control device. When one of the operators of the terminal performs it, it is good because it can create a state where multiple people move while acting as a group, and even if the person and equipment for controlling the movement of the mobile robot body in that case are fixed. It is good to switch the authority so that multiple people can take turns controlling it. The device for controlling the movement of the mobile robot body may be different from the operation terminal connected to the terminal by video communication, but it is more preferable that the device is the same and the movement of the mobile robot body can be controlled by using the operation terminal.

The present invention allows a plurality of people to gather at a remote location remotely, for example, to move in a group action, to see the surrounding situation at an appropriate position, and to allow each individual person to have a conversation with the local person. It is possible to deal with such situations. In addition, even if it is difficult to actually go to the site and perform sightseeing, inspections, visits, consultations, medical examinations, etc. due to factors such as the person and the local environment / situation, participate remotely and perform similar actions / actions. be able to.

It is a figure which shows one preferable embodiment of the telepresence robot which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which shows another suitable embodiment of the telepresence robot which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which shows another form of the connecting member 21. It is a figure which shows another form of the operation panel window. It is a figure which shows another form of the operation panel window.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to this and can be modified, modified or improved based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art as long as it does not deviate from the scope of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, the telepresence robot 1 of the present embodiment includes a mobile robot main body 10 and a plurality of terminals 11 attached to the mobile robot main body 10. The mobile robot main body 10 includes a base member 12, a support frame member 13 standing upright on the upper surface of the base member 12, and a plurality of wheel portions 14 rotatably attached to the base member 12.

At least one of the plurality of wheel portions 14 is linked to the drive motor and serves as a drive wheel. The rotation of the drive motor can be controlled by remote control, for example, rotation on / off, rotation speed, rotation direction, and the like are controlled. Further, when a plurality of drive motors are provided, it is preferable that the operation can be controlled for each drive motor. As the drive motor rotates, the base member 12 and thus the mobile robot body 10 move. Further, the mobile robot main body 10 has a function of changing the direction of travel. For this function of changing the direction, for example, the wheel portion 14 may be provided with a mechanism for changing the steering angle. For example, the drive motors are linked to the left and right wheel portions 14, and the speeds of the left and right drive motors are adjusted. It may be configured to go straight or turn, and various configurations can be taken.

The drive motor may operate in response to a command from a separately provided control device, but is a motor provided with a rotating output unit such as a motor module constituting a motor module system disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 6108645. It may be equipped with a main body, a wireless communication function, and a control unit. By doing so, the configuration can be simplified and the size can be reduced. Then, the operator operates a setting terminal such as a smartphone and assigns a function to the control unit of each motor module. As a result, each motor module receives an instruction by wireless communication from an operation terminal 15 such as a smartphone, and each performs a predetermined operation.

In the illustrated example, a drive motor (motor module) is linked to each of the two wheel portions 14 provided on the left and right, and a free wheel portion hidden behind the base member 12 is provided on the rear side. At the time of use, each function (left wheel / right wheel) is set for the two drive motors (motor modules). As a result, in the actual operation after the setting, the control unit of each drive motor that receives the instruction using the wireless communication from the operation terminal 15 controls the operation of the motor body so as to correspond to the instruction. For example, when the received command is forward movement, the motor body is driven so that both wheel portions 14 rotate at the same speed in the same direction, and when the received command is backward movement, the same speed is opposite to the above. Drive the motor body so that it rotates with. Further, for example, when the received command is a right turn movement, the control unit of the drive motor on the left side increases the rotation speed of the motor body, for example, so that the wheel unit 14 on the left side rotates at a high speed, and the wheel unit 14 on the right side rotates. The control unit of the drive motor on the right side so as to rotate at a high speed controls, for example, to slow down the rotation speed of the motor body. When turning left, control is the reverse of the above. Further, by changing the speed difference, the moving radius when changing the direction may be changed (small turn / large turn).

When a plurality of drive motors are mounted as described above, a battery may be mounted on each motor module, but more preferably, for example, one battery arranged at a predetermined position of the base member 12 to a plurality of motor modules. It may be configured to supply power.

In the illustrated example, the support frame member 13 has a substantially U-shaped frame body upside down, but the shape is arbitrary, for example, a substantially U-shaped frame rotated by 90 degrees. Various shapes such as can be taken. In addition, as shown in the figure, the strip shape is not appropriately bent, but various configurations such as a plate shape, a box shape, and a plurality of columns standing upright can be taken.

A terminal 11 is provided at a predetermined position of the support frame member 13. The terminal 11 includes a camera, a display, a microphone, a speaker, a wireless communication function, a control unit that controls their operation, and the like. As the terminal 11, for example, a mobile terminal such as a smartphone or a tablet may be used. These mobile terminals may have the above-mentioned hardware configuration as a basic function. Then, each terminal 11 communicates with an operation terminal 15 such as a mobile terminal or a personal computer owned by an operator at a remote place by wireless communication, and is capable of making a video call.

In the illustrated example, since five terminals 11 are mounted, there are also five operation terminals 15. The operation terminal 15 also includes a camera, a display, a microphone, a speaker, a wireless communication function, a control unit that controls their operation, and the like, and can make a video call with a corresponding terminal 11 for which communication has been established. Therefore, the face of the operator who is operating the corresponding operation terminal 15 is displayed on the display 17 of the terminal 11, and the image taken by the camera of the terminal 11 is displayed on the display 16 of the operation terminal 15. ..

One of the plurality of (five here) terminals 11 becomes a representative terminal, and the operation terminal 15 for which communication is established with the representative terminal, that is, the movement of the mobile robot main body 10, that is, , Has the authority to control the operation of the drive motor mounted on the wheel portion 14. The display 17 of the terminal 11 that has become the representative terminal is displayed in such a manner that it can be identified as the representative terminal. In the embodiment, the mark M of the crown is displayed. The display position of this mark M may be displayed at a fixed position such as above, but the position of the face displayed on the display 17 is specified by image recognition, face extraction technology, or the like, and is displayed on the head of the face. It is advisable to draw the marks M so as to overlap each other. By doing so, the person displayed on the display 17, that is, the representative operator who controls the movement of the mobile robot main body 10, feels like wearing a crown, and each terminal can be identified as the representative operator. It is good because the person who sees it can understand it intuitively.

The operation terminal 15 operated by the representative operator may be a mobile terminal such as a smartphone or a tablet, but since both the operation of the mobile robot main body 10 and the operation of the video call are performed, the display screen is large and the keyboard. It is preferable to use a personal computer or the like that can use a wide variety of input devices such as a mouse and a mouse.

For example, when the operation terminal 15 is configured by a personal computer, an image taken by the corresponding terminal 11 is displayed on the display screen of the display 16, and the operation panel window 18 is displayed on the image. The operation panel window 18 includes a course button unit 19 for determining the moving direction of the mobile robot main body 10, a speed button unit 20, and the like.

In the figure, the course button unit 19 includes four button areas for instructing forward / left turn / right turn / backward. When the pointing device is operated and one of the four button areas is selected, the drive motor is set so that the mobile robot body 10 moves forward, turns left on the spot, turns right on the spot, and moves backward, for example. It rotates. Further, in the illustrated example, since the button area for instructing the movement stop is not provided, for example, while the button area is held down, the operation specified in that area may be performed, or the last clicked button area may be performed. It is good to perform the operation to specify with, and stop when the same button area is clicked again. Further, a layout in which a stop button area is provided may be taken.

The operation user interface for instructing the moving direction of the mobile robot main body 10 is not limited to the above-exemplified one, and various modes can be taken. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the operation point portion (circle in this example) P displayed in the operation area 31 may be configured to be instructed by a swipe operation of pulling in the desired direction. By doing so, the moving direction of the mobile robot main body 10 can be intuitively instructed.

Then, it is preferable to prepare a plurality of user interfaces, arrange the UI switching button unit 32, and touch the UI switching button unit 32 to change the interface displayed on the operation panel window 18.

Further, for example, as shown in FIG. 5, it is preferable to arrange the reversing button unit 33 of the robot so that when the reversing button unit 33 is touched, the robot moves by, for example, a predetermined angle. When the predetermined accuracy is set to 180 degrees, it reverses so as to proceed in the opposite direction, but it is not limited to 180 degrees. Further, the reversing button unit 33 may be incorporated into the user interface by swiping operation shown in FIG.

The speed button unit 20 sets the moving speed of the mobile robot main body 10, that is, the rotation speed of the motor, and includes three button areas of L (low speed) / M (medium speed) / H (high speed). It works at the speed of the last clicked button area.

According to the telepresence robot of the present embodiment, the terminal 11 capable of making a video call with a plurality of operators is mounted on one mobile robot main body 10 and moves together. This allows a remote operator to move around the same area / area, tour the surrounding area, or talk to a local person via video call, for example, in a multi-person tour experience. .. For example, in the case of a tour experience, a person who serves as a tour guide becomes a representative operator, operates his / her own operation terminal 15, and moves the mobile robot body 10 to a desired place. For example, the robot moves in the facility to be guided or in the city, and when it comes to the place to be visited, the movement of the mobile robot main body 10 is temporarily stopped, and the movement of the mobile robot main body 10 is directed to the direction in which the mobile robot main body 10 should be visited. As a result, each terminal 11 faces the direction to be visited, so that the camera provided in each terminal 11 takes a picture of the area including the object to be visited and sends it to the operation terminal 15 connected to each terminal 11. Therefore, the image taken by the corresponding terminal 11 is displayed on the display 16 of each operation terminal 15, and the operator (participant) having the image is to see the tour object or the like through the operation terminal 15. Can be done. Then, as shown in FIG. 1, when all the terminals 11 including the representative terminal are installed so as to face the same direction, the display of each operation terminal 15 is the display 16 of the operation terminal 15 operated by the representative operator. The tour object that is almost the same as the image displayed in is displayed.

Therefore, each of the plurality of participants can participate in the individual terminals 11 and move to the destination at the same time, and can see the same thing while moving or at the destination. Further, for example, when a representative operator who serves as a tour guide verbally gives an explanation or other talk, the microphone of the operation terminal 15 is opened and the speaker of the terminal 11 (representative terminal) outputs voice. Then, the microphone of each terminal 11 picks up the output voice, and outputs the voice from the speaker of each operation terminal 15. As a result, each participant can listen to the story of the representative operator in real time while looking at the object to be visited.

Further, since each terminal 11 is connected to each operation terminal 15 so as to be able to make a video call, for example, each participant communicates with a person in the field where the telepresence robot 1 is located by using a video call. be able to. For example, if the store is local, talk to the clerk to check the contents of the product before purchasing, and if it is a facility, talk to the staff at the facility such as the explanation staff to learn more about the exhibits. You can check the contents etc.

Further, since each participant can operate the operation terminal 15 carried by each participant at an arbitrary place, each participant can participate from a different place. In this way, in the telepresence robot 1 of the present embodiment, a plurality of participants can remotely check the current state of the site and communicate with local people without actually going to the site. can. Moreover, participants other than the representative operator can reach the destination without performing complicated operations such as moving the mobile robot main body 10, and can observe and communicate with each other there. For example, unlike an online tour where a tour guide goes to the site, photographs the current situation, distributes it with audio, and the participants listen to audio explanations and guidance while watching the distributed video, the participants It is possible to communicate directly with local people individually using the corresponding terminal 11. Further, the present embodiment is characterized in that all the participants including the representative operator perform operations / tours from a remote place without going to the site. As a result, for example, it is possible for a plurality of people to simultaneously check the local situation by entering an area where it is dangerous for a person to enter.

FIG. 2 shows another embodiment of the present invention. In the present embodiment, the posture of the terminal 11 and the relative position with respect to the support frame member 13 can be changed so that the shooting area of the camera of the terminal 11 can be changed. Various measures can be taken to change the shooting area, for example, moving the terminal 11 to change the shooting direction / viewing direction, or moving the terminal 11 forward or backward to change the shooting range even in the same direction. As a configuration for making the shooting area or the like changeable, for example, a connecting member 21 having at least one rotation axis and holding the terminal 11 on the tip side, and a terminal holder 22 for holding the terminal 11 detachably. And so on.

The connecting member 21 has a first member 25 attached to a predetermined position of the support frame member 13, a second member 26 to attach the terminal 11, and a first member, for example, in FIG. 2, for holding the terminal 11 at the lower right. It is preferable to provide a rotating member 27 for rotatably connecting the second member 26 and the second member 26, and to arrange the rotating member 27 so as to extend in the vertical direction. In this way, the second member 26, and thus the terminal 11 attached to the second member 26, rotates forward and reverse around the rotation axis of the rotating member 27, and swings left and right. As a result, the direction of the terminal 11 can be turned in the horizontal plane and can be turned sideways at an arbitrary angle with respect to the front in the traveling direction of the mobile robot main body 10.

Further, for the rotating member 27, for example, a motor module provided with the above-mentioned communication function and control unit may be used. By doing so, the rotation of the motor body and thus the orientation of the terminal 11 can be controlled by remote control. Then, the control function of the motor module may be mounted on the operation terminal 15 connected to the terminal 11. As a result, the participant having the operation terminal 15 connected to the terminal 11 controls the operation of the motor module and changes the direction of the terminal 11 while the mobile robot main body 10 is moving or temporarily stopped, for example. You can see the area in a direction different from the front of the mobile robot body 10. Therefore, for example, in a sightseeing tour, it is possible to create a situation similar to seeing a landscape in a different direction such as sideways instead of in front of the traveling direction while traveling by means of transportation such as a bus. In addition, when the representative operator is in a state where the mobile robot body 10 is facing the object to be visited at the destination, the terminal 11 is swung to see different areas around it, or the local area around the site. It is possible to create a situation close to the real action actually performed at the site, such as communicating by a video call with a person facing the terminal 11.

Further, as another configuration of the connecting member 21, for example, in FIG. 2, the rotation axis is arranged so as to extend in the horizontal direction, as in the case of holding the terminal 11 on the upper right, so that the terminal 11 can be swung up and down. It may be configured in. As the structure for performing such an operation, the same structure as in the above-mentioned configuration of swinging left and right is used, and the direction of the rotation axis in the rotating member in which the first member and the second member are linked is changed by 90 degrees. good. In this way, the direction in which the terminal 11 faces can be directed diagonally upward or diagonally downward from the horizontal direction in front of the mobile robot body 10, the viewing area can be changed, or the object to be viewed can be faced. It is good because you can face the local people with whom you communicate.

Although not shown, it is more preferable to prepare a rotating member extending in the vertical direction and a rotating member extending in the horizontal direction and appropriately connect them so that the terminal 11 can swing left and right and swing up and down.

Further, as shown in FIG. 3, in the connecting member 21, for example, one or a plurality of arm members 28 are arranged between the first member 25 and the second member 26, and each member can be rotated by the rotating member 27. It is good to connect. By doing so, the moving range of the terminal 11 becomes wide, for example, the terminal 11 can be moved to a position away from the mobile robot main body 10, and the image taken at the remote position can be viewed, and the terminal 11 is at the remote position. It is possible to shoot an object to be photographed with high accuracy. In addition, it is easy to communicate with the person at the remote position. Then, as each rotating member 27, it is preferable to use a motor module that can be remotely controlled in the same manner as described above.

The terminal holder 22 includes a pair of guide members 30 arranged on the left and right like those holding the lower left terminal 11 in FIG. 2, and the distance between the pair of guide members 30 can be changed. Then, the terminals 11 are arranged between the guide members 30 in a state where the space between the left and right guide members 30 is wider than the width of the terminal 11 to be mounted, and in that state, the space is narrowed and the terminals are used by the left and right guide members 30. 11 is sandwiched and held. Then, the terminal 11 is held by preventing the distance between the guide members 30 from widening by a predetermined holding mechanism. On the other hand, the terminal 11 is taken out from the terminal holder 22 by widening the distance between the guide members 30. The holding mechanism may be, for example, a mechanical lock mechanism or a mechanism that utilizes the elastic restoring force of an elastic member such as a coil spring.

In this way, the terminal 11 held in the terminal holder 22 can be moved by, for example, a person around the mobile robot main body 10 operating the terminal holder 22 to remove the terminal 11 and move it to a predetermined place. It is possible to move to an arbitrary place away from the robot main body 10 to photograph an arbitrary area around it, and to communicate with a person at a position different from the front of the mobile robot main body 10.

In FIG. 2, the upper left terminal 11 and the central terminal 11 are attached to the support frame member 13 without going through the connecting member 21 that changes the shooting direction of the camera as in each of the above-mentioned examples, and the mobile robot. It is configured to photograph the front of the main body 10.

As in the present embodiment, if the terminal 11 is attached to the support frame member 13 via the connecting member 21 so that the shooting direction of the camera can be changed, for example, when it is used for a sightseeing tour or a tour of the facility. , Can create a situation where the participants are actually staying in the field. Further, as an application example, there is, for example, a hospital director's rounds. For example, a plurality of doctors become participants, and the mobile robot main body 10 moves in the hospital and enters each hospital room. Then, in the hospital room, for example, the director who is the operator of the representative terminal or the inpatient is examined by using the video call function of the terminal 11 operated by the attending physician, and other doctors are the terminals operated by themselves. You can perform the same actions as a direct interview, such as changing the direction of the patient, checking the monitor of the medical device and the surroundings, and examining another patient.

Further, by removing the terminal 11 attached to the terminal holder 22, it is possible to examine each inpatient. In the present embodiment, the figure of the operator (for example, a doctor) of the operation terminal 15 connected to each terminal 11 by a video call is photographed by the camera of the operation terminal 15, and the image is displayed on each terminal 11. To. Therefore, a person (patient or the like) around the telepresence robot 1 can check the face of each operator (doctor), remove the terminal 11 of the person who wants to have a conversation, and have a consultation or the like.

As the connecting member 21, a configuration such as a flexible arm may be used in which the direction or position of the terminal 11 attached to the tip is changed by manually bending an appropriate position of the arm member. By doing so, for example, the terminal 11 can be moved to a position away from the mobile robot main body 10, and the terminal 11 can be positioned at a desired location by a person in the field and photographed by the camera. The same effect as removing the terminal 11 from the holder 22 can be obtained. Further, since the terminal 11 is attached to the mobile robot main body 10 via the connecting member 21, the person having a conversation does not need to hold the terminal 11 by hand, which reduces the complexity and reduces the complexity of the removed terminal 11. There is no possibility that the mobile robot body 10 will move without the terminal 11 being set by forgetting to reattach it to the terminal holder 22.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, various methods such as using a connecting member 21 or a terminal holder 22 as a mounting mechanism for the support frame member 13 of the terminal 11 or mounting the terminal 11 without providing a mechanism for changing the viewpoint or the like. However, it is preferable that all the terminals have a connecting member 21 or a combined structure of the connecting member 21 and the terminal holder 22. By doing so, each terminal 11 may move together with the mobile robot main body 10 and face a direction different from the moving direction of the mobile robot main body 10.

In the above-described embodiment, the terminal 11 is provided with a function of swinging the terminal 11 to change the viewpoint and a function of moving the terminal 11 by using an arm member to change the viewpoint, and the operation is a video call of the attached terminal 11. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the present invention may be performed by a command from another operation terminal 15 or another device.

By doing so, for example, the representative operator collectively performs the operation of each connecting member 21, that is, the operation of the motor module constituting the rotating member 27, so that each terminal 11 is moved in the moving direction of the mobile robot main body 10. Can be directed in a different direction. As a result, for example, if each terminal 11 is configured to be attached to the support frame member 13 via a connecting member 21 (including a terminal holder 22 attached to the tip), for example, a tour guide who is a representative operator in a tour can be used. It is possible to direct everyone's point of view to the object to be visited that you want to see all at once.

For example, when a command is sent from the operation terminal 15 operated by the representative operator to the motor module of each rotating member 27, only the representative operator can control the operation of each rotating member 27, or the representative operator can control the operation of each rotating member 27. It is preferable that both the operator and the operator can control the operation of each rotating member 27. When both parties can control, for example, each participant (operator) usually controls the direction of the terminal 11 connected by the video call, and the representative operator controls the direction of all the terminals 11 when necessary. Can be aligned. When both can be controlled, for example, when a conflict occurs between the representative operator and the participant, it is advisable to set the priority of which command to follow. These settings may be made, for example, when setting the functions of the motor module.

The terminal holder 22 may include means for detecting the mounting state of whether or not the terminal 11 is mounted. The means for detecting this may be configured by a contact type sensor switch, a non-contact proximity sensor, or the like. Then, for example, it is preferable that the terminal holder 22 has a communication function and has a function of transmitting the mounted state to a predetermined operation terminal 15 or the like. The predetermined operation terminal 15 may be, for example, an operation terminal 15 that establishes communication with the terminal 11 mounted on the terminal holder 22, an operation terminal 15 operated by a representative operator, or the like. By doing so, for example, a participant having an operation terminal 15 that establishes video communication with the terminal 11 may easily know whether the terminal 11 is set in the terminal holder 22 or is removed. Further, when the notification comes to the operation terminal 15 of the representative operator, the representative operator knows whether or not all the terminals 11 are set in the terminal holder 22, so that, for example, some or all the terminals 11 are set. The mobile robot main body 10 can be moved in the removed state, and the occurrence of a situation where the terminal 11 is left behind in the field can be suppressed.

The function of transmitting to the operation terminal 15 may be provided with a function of directly communicating with the terminal holder 22, but for example, it is equipped with a short-range wireless communication function and notifies the terminal 11 and the representative terminal attached to and detached from the terminal holder 22. , It is preferable to send from the terminal 11 or the representative terminal to each operation terminal 15.

Further, the communication destination in the mounted state is not limited to the operation terminal 15, and may be, for example, a motor module constituting the drive motor of the mobile robot main body 10. Then, the control unit of the motor module may prevent the terminal 11 from rotating when the terminal 11 is removed from the terminal holder 22 so as to prevent the terminal from being left behind in the field.

Further, the authority to control the operation of the connecting member 21 is not limited to the above-mentioned one, and it is preferable to have a function that can be performed from the operation terminal 15 of another participant. In this way, for example, one participant may move the viewpoint of another participant's terminal to show a recommended viewpoint.

Further, it is preferable to switch the authority to control the movement of the mobile robot main body 10 so that another operator (participant) can control the movement of the mobile robot main body 10 as a representative operator.

Further, as the drive method for moving the mobile robot main body 10, a motor module provided with a control unit is used in each of the above-described embodiments, but a normal motor or other drive method may be used.

Although various aspects of the present invention have been described above with reference to embodiments and modifications, these embodiments and explanations have not been made for the purpose of limiting the scope of the present invention, and are intended for understanding the present invention. It should be added that it was provided to contribute. The scope of the invention is not limited to the configurations and manufacturing methods expressly described herein, but also includes combinations of various aspects of the invention disclosed herein. Of the present invention, the configuration for which a patent is sought is specified in the appended claims, but even if the configuration is not currently specified in the claims, it is disclosed in the present specification. I would like to mention that there is a possibility of claiming a patent for this configuration in the future.

1: Telepresence robot 10: Mobile robot body 11: Terminal 12: Base member 13: Support frame member 14: Wheel part 15: Operation terminal 16: Display (for operation terminal)
17: Display (for terminals)
18: Operation panel window 19: Course button part 20: Speed button part 21: Connecting member 22: Terminal holder 25: First member 26: Second member 27: Rotating member 28: Arm member 30: Guide member

Claims (7)

Equipped with a mobile robot body whose movement is controlled by remote control with multiple terminals attached
The plurality of terminals are telepresence robots having a video call function using wireless communication. The telepresence robot according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of terminals is moved so that the shooting area can be changed. The telepresence robot according to claim 2, wherein the configuration that makes the photographing region changeable is a connecting member that has at least one rotation axis and holds the terminal on the distal end side. The telepresence robot according to claim 3, wherein the rotating shaft rotates with the rotation of the output shaft of a motor operated by remote control. The telepresence robot according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the connecting member has an arm member, and the arm member rotates forward and reverse with the rotation axis as a rotation center. The telepresence robot according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the configuration that enables the shooting area to be changed is a terminal holder that holds the terminal detachably. The mobile robot body is moved by the rotational movement of the wheel portion driven by the motor module.
The telepresence robot according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the motor module includes a motor main body including a rotating output unit, a wireless communication function, and a control unit for controlling the operation of the motor main body.

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