JPH09319434A - Movable robot - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To detect an obstacle at any height by providing an obstacle detecting means, which is installed so as to cover the front face of main body of a robot, for detecting the contact with the obstacle. SOLUTION: A bumper type sensor 103 fitted to the front face part of a main body 101 of the robot is a sensor for detecting the contact with the obstacle due to the movement of the movable robot. A distance measuring window is installed at the lower part of this vamper type sensor 103 and the range can be found by a focussing sensor installed at a driving part. In the state of fitting this bumper type sensor 103, the bumper type sensor 103 is slid back and forth to the main body 101 of the robot. Therefore, when the obstacle torches the bumper type sensor 103 while the movable robot moves, the bumper type sensor 103 is moved back, any one of switches installed inside is pushed down and the contact with the obstacle is detected.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a mobile robot having an obstacle detecting means, and more particularly to a mobile robot capable of detecting an obstacle at any height.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a mobile robot that moves autonomously while detecting the presence of obstacles around it, it performs predetermined work, such as cleaning work and carrying work, while traveling along an object such as a wall. Various things have been developed. A conventional mobile robot of this type is disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 7-37129. In this conventional transport vehicle, the bumper has a substantially U-shaped planar shape so that the obstacle can be detected even when the bumper is hit by an obstacle from an oblique lateral direction during traveling such as a spin turn. It is a thing.

[0003]

However, the bumper type sensor installed in the conventional mobile robot (transport vehicle) cannot detect an obstacle of any shape.

FIG. 5 is a top view showing a bumper type sensor installed in a conventional mobile robot, and FIG. 6 is a side view thereof. Further, FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a problem at the time of detecting an obstacle of the conventional mobile robot shown in FIGS. 5 and 6.

FIG. 7A shows a conventional mobile robot 601.
Shows a problem when the vehicle comes into contact with an obstacle such as a bed 701 having a gap between the floor surface and the vehicle while traveling. When the vehicle height of the mobile robot 601 is higher than the clearance between the floor surface and the bed 701, the mobile robot 601 cannot enter below the bed 701. Moreover, since the bumper sensor 602 is installed below the mobile robot 601, the bed 70
1 cannot be detected. Therefore, the mobile robot 601
Tries to go straight, but cannot go straight, and cannot move thereafter.

FIG. 7B shows a conventional mobile robot 601.
The problem when another bumper type sensor 602a is installed on the bumper type sensor 602 is shown. The mobile robot 60 has a shelf 702 attached to the wall surface.
When 1 contacts the shelf 702 while traveling straight, the bottom plate of the shelf 702 may be inserted between the bumper type sensors 602 and 602a depending on the mounting position of the shelf 702. In this case, the bumper type sensors 602 and 602 a cannot detect the contact with the shelf 702. Therefore, the mobile robot 601 tries to go straight, but cannot go straight, and cannot move thereafter.

FIG. 7C shows a conventional mobile robot 601.
3 shows a problem when the bumper type sensor 602a is installed only on the upper part of. If the mobile robot 601 contacts the baseboard or the door hinge of the lower part of the wall 703 while moving straight, the bumper sensor 602a cannot detect the wall 703 or the door hinge because it is installed on the upper part of the mobile robot. Therefore, although the mobile robot 601 tries to go straight as it is, it cannot go straight and cannot move thereafter.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a mobile robot capable of detecting an obstacle at any height.

[0009]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a mobile robot for detecting and moving an object according to claim 1 is installed so as to cover the front surface of the robot main body, It includes an obstacle detecting means for detecting the contact of the.

A mobile robot for detecting and moving an object according to claim 2 is installed on the front surface of the robot main body so as to cover the forward direction projection portion of the robot main body, and detects contact with an obstacle. The obstacle detection means of is included.

[0011]

1 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of a mobile robot according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a top view thereof. As shown in FIG. 1, the mobile robot includes a robot body 101, a cleaning work unit 102, a bumper type sensor 103, a distance measurement window 104, a contact sensor 105, a battery 106, a working liquid tank 107, an operation panel 108, and a memory card insertion unit 109. , Including the handle 110.

The cleaning work unit 102 attached to the rear portion of the robot body 101 is provided so as to be slidable in the left-right direction as indicated by an arrow. Although not shown, the cleaning work unit 102 is provided with a cleaning brush inside, and its rotation enables cleaning.

A bumper type sensor 103 attached to the front surface of the robot body 101 is a sensor for detecting contact with an obstacle due to the movement of the mobile robot. A distance measuring window 104 is provided below the bumper type sensor 103 to enable distance measurement by a distance measuring sensor installed in a drive unit (not shown).

The contact sensor 105 is a sensor for detecting the contact with the wall surface when the mobile robot moves, and rotates in the horizontal direction by the contact with the wall surface to detect the rotation angle. By calculating the angle and the distance between the mobile robot and the wall surface from the respective rotation angles of the two contact sensors 105 installed in the front and rear, the mobile robot can follow the wall surface.

The battery 106 supplies electricity consumed by the mobile robot. Since the weight of the battery 106 is heavy,
It is installed in the front part of the main body in order to balance with the cleaning work part 102. That is, if the front part of the mobile robot is light and only the rear part is heavy, the torque from the drive wheels is less likely to be transmitted to the ground, and the drive wheels will slip. Therefore, in order to prevent this, the battery 106 is installed in the front part of the main body. ing.

The working liquid tank 107 is a cleaning work unit 102.
It is a tank for storing the working liquid supplied to the brush provided in the. The working liquid tank 107 is removable, and the working liquid can be supplied by putting the working liquid into the removed working liquid tank 107 and returning it to the original position.

On the operation panel 108, switches and the like for operating the mobile robot are provided. Since the operation panel 108 is not particularly related to the present invention, a detailed description is omitted.

The memory card insertion portion 109 is a portion for inserting a memory card in which work procedures of the mobile robot are registered.

When lifting and carrying this mobile robot,
A handle 110 is used. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a state in which the bumper sensor 103 installed on the front surface of the mobile robot shown in FIG. 1 is removed.

A drive unit 201 is independently provided below the robot body 101, and is installed so that the robot body 101 can rotate with respect to the drive unit 201. Therefore, the robot body 101 is rotated to
The mobile robot can travel in any of front, rear, left, and right directions with respect to the robot body 101 by performing the travel.

The switch 202 is for detecting contact with an obstacle. With the bumper type sensor 103 attached, the bumper type sensor 103 slides back and forth with respect to the robot body 101. Therefore, when an obstacle comes into contact with the bumper type sensor 103 while the mobile robot is moving, the bumper type sensor 103 moves rearward and one of the switches 202 installed inside the bumper type sensor 103 is pressed to cause an obstacle. Contact can be detected.

Since the bumper type sensor 103 is formed to have substantially the same shape as the curved surface of the front surface of the robot body 101, when the obstacle is detected and the direction is changed, the bumper type sensor 103 may collide even if it rotates as it is. There is no. Further, by making the upper end of the bumper type sensor 103 also a curved surface and covering the curved surface of the upper end of the front surface of the robot body 101, dust and the like are less likely to enter between the bumper type sensor 103 and the robot body 101.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the principle of the present invention. On the front surface of the robot body 101, a bumper sensor 103 having the same size as the forward direction projection portion of the robot body 101
Is installed. However, the contact sensor 105 is not included in the robot body 101. Therefore, the contact sensor 1
The projection unit 05 is not included in the bumper sensor 103. Since the bumper type sensor 103 covers all of the forward direction projection portion of the robot body 101, if the obstacle does not come into contact with the bumper type sensor 103 during the forward movement of the mobile robot, the obstacle will never reach the robot body 101. There is no contact. Therefore, in places where the mobile robot cannot pass or where it cannot enter, the bumper sensor 1
It is possible to detect it by touching 03.

Further, as shown in the top view of the mobile robot of FIG. 2, the mobile robot according to the embodiment of the present invention is
The cleaning work unit 102 has a shape protruding laterally with respect to the forward direction of the robot body 101. Therefore, even if the obstacle does not come into contact with the bumper-type sensor 103 when the mobile robot advances, the obstacle is detected by the cleaning work unit 10.
The case of contacting 2 is assumed. However, in most cases, an obstacle that comes into contact with the cleaning work unit 102 without coming into contact with the bumper sensor 103 is the contact sensor 1 in most cases.
Contact 05. Therefore, the presence of such an obstacle is detected by the contact sensor 105 before coming into contact with the cleaning work unit 102, and in many cases, there is no problem. Furthermore, by using the cover itself of the cleaning work unit 102 as a contact sensor, there is a problem even if there is an obstacle that has not come into contact with the contact sensor 105 (for example, an obstacle located at a position lower than the lower end of the contact sensor 105). Don't

As shown in the perspective view of the mobile robot in FIG. 1, the distance measuring window 1 is provided below the bumper type sensor 103.
No. 04 exists, but the dead area of the bumper sensor 103 can be reduced by making the distance measuring window 104 as small as possible.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an overall configuration of a mobile robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a top view showing the overall configuration of the mobile robot according to the embodiment of the present invention.

3 is a perspective view showing a state in which a bumper type sensor installed on the front surface of the mobile robot shown in FIG. 1 is removed.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the principle of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a top view showing a bumper type sensor installed in a conventional mobile robot.

FIG. 6 is a side view showing a bumper type sensor installed in a conventional mobile robot.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a problem when a conventional mobile robot detects an obstacle.

[Explanation of reference numerals] 101 robot body 102 cleaning work unit 103 bumper type sensor 104 distance measuring window 105 contact sensor 106 battery 107 working fluid tank 108 operation panel 109 memory card insertion unit 110 grip

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A mobile robot, wherein the mobile robot is provided so as to cover the front surface of the robot main body, and has an obstacle detection means for detecting contact with an obstacle. 2. The mobile robot according to claim 1, further comprising an obstacle detection unit installed on a front surface of the robot main body so as to cover a forward-direction projection portion of the robot main body, the obstacle detection unit detecting contact with an obstacle.