DE102017124290A1 - AUTONOMER, MOBILE ROBOT FOR THE PROVISION OF BEVERAGES - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a device in the form of a robot and a system for automatically serving chilled drinks.

Description

The invention relates to a device in the form of a robot and a system for automatically serving chilled drinks.

STATE OF THE ART AND BACKGROUND

• • Art der Gefäßform und Gefäßart (Getränkebecher aus Glas),
• • die kleine Anzahl der Gläser
• • der eingeschränkten Art und Anzahl (1) der mitgeführten Flüssigkeit
• • und die geringe Transportgeschwindigkeit.

From the prior art by the company SBOTLIGHT UG a mobile robot is known, which serves for people a drink in a vessel. The mobile, cylindrical, 10-cornered robot has a height of 70 cm and a diameter of 55 cm. The device has a water tank with a volume of 8 l. The device can therefore serve only one type of liquid (water). Water is served in glasses, for which the device must carry glasses. The device carries up to 6 glasses with it. The robot moves at a speed of max. 0.4 m / sec (1.4 km / h) from one place to another. When a person crosses your path, this one offers you a drink. A person must enter their desire for a drink on a control panel, which is mounted horizontally on the top of the device. Thereafter, a glass of water is transported from the interior of the device to the upper surface. The device can refill its water tank independently. The battery capacity is given as 14 hours. The prior art has the following limitations:

• Type of vessel shape and vessel type (glass drink cup),
• • the small number of glasses
• • the limited nature and number (1) of entrained liquid
• • and the low transport speed.

It can not be transported and delivered standard beverage bottles and / or beverage containers with defined content of various kinds. No drinks of all kinds can be combined and transported in different vessel shapes (bottles and cans).

From the prior art, another service robot Yujin Robot from South Korea is known. The following procedure is known: an application on a smartphone (app) can be used to order an already chilled beverage. The robot is then stocked in the warehouse. The location of the person to be delivered should be known via the smartphone app. Before the first mission, the robot has traveled the floor, which is its delivery zone, and saved it as a map. Orientation is possible through two stereo cameras and two 3D sensors. The service robot can deliver the ordered drink. The delivered person must then enter a code via a control panel on the device and can take the drink from a box. However, it can not be served from a supply of entrained drinks customer requests. The robot is loaded with the ordered drink after a customer has ordered this.

The device BaR2D2 also has the features of a mobile bar. The BaR2D2 is a mobile platform that can be moved remotely. The cylindrical, about 1.60 m high construction is based on the commercial driving construction of a mobile chair for seniors and Gehbeeinträchtige. The lower area houses ice cubes and beverage cans, which are taken by hand. In the middle part of a bottle carousel is installed, the bottles can be transported via an electrical, mechanical device to the upper level, which is set up for mixed drinks. All operations are to be performed manually. Thus, the mixed drinks are prepared manually with the bottles mounted in reverse and provided with mechanical dosing devices. Beverage bottles are transported from the bottle carousel to the upper level, where they can be removed. From the lower area can be removed beverage cans and ice. The movement of the mobile bar through a room is done by a manually operated remote control. The battery life of the bar is 8 hours. The device is a mobile bar, without autonomous mobility controlled by sensors.

The Somabar is known from the prior art. This is a stationary facility that mixes a cocktail from different bottles. The composition and type of cocktail is selected via an app on the smartphone and the preparation then started. The device automates the mixing of liquids in the programmed mixing ratio after selecting a particular type of cocktail. In addition, other robots are known to mix and pour drinks, but these are stationary and can not automatically transport the beverage to the destination (the customer). These robots are constructed with industrial robots that are also used in many industries, e.g. the auto industry as a welding robot, are used and very expensive. The adapted programming and installation of the necessary tools (drinks bottles and glasses) allows the use as a barrobot. The device is a stationary device for mixing drinks, which are filled into a glass and can not move automatically.

Service robots are known from the prior art which consist of a platform which is a chassis equipped with sensors and motors which allows the platform autonomous advancement. The platforms are for applications in logistics, where goods are to be transported autonomously, without human intervention within a building from A to B. There is also a "mobile catering application" offered. The loading and unloading takes place manually.

A state-of-the-art manufacturer indicates the following parameters for its platform: area to be loaded: 600 × 800 mm (½ EU pallet), load up to 100 kg, tensile force up to 300 kg. Operating time up to 20 km or 12h-15h, maximum speed 5.4 km / h. The prior art devices serve other purposes than a pure beverage robot. These self-propelled platforms are pure transport platforms that provide various structures, transport objects. A special construction can transport food and drinks. The transport is not specialized on a customer and does not serve the fulfillment of an individual request. The transport to an orderer does not take place on a request, which triggers this itself.

Object of the invention

The object of the invention was to develop an autonomous mobile robot as well as a system and a use of this system for providing drinks, which eliminates the disadvantages of the prior art.

In particular, it was an object of the invention to develop an autonomous, mobile robot for providing drinks, which is independent of the vessel shape and type of serving served, has no limitation of the available drinks by the number of carryable glasses and is not limiting the number of different types of drinks is given. Furthermore, the robot should be able to drive autonomously and at a high speed without jeopardizing the safe entrainment of drinks. A beverage order should be easy, for example, by smartphone app, can be made.

The Barobo called bar robot performs the task with the help of a self-propelled drive platform, transported through the coolable beverage dell. These are arranged in a cylindrical body, from the inside of which a picking arm selects and serves the drinks. The robot can be used in catering, hospitality, trade fairs, airports, cruise ships, gaming establishments, or other public-access occasions where a beverage demand can be automated and met in a manner that supports the service forces. The service robot can thus also take on marketing tasks by presenting beverages of a brand or supporting an event for customer acquisition and / or customer loyalty through the future-oriented way of dispensing beverages.

Summary of the invention

In a preferred embodiment, the invention relates to a beverage robot, characterized in that the robot at least four sensors, at least two cameras, a chassis with at least three wheels, at least two drive stepper motors for driving the wheels, at least one power supply, at least one control electronics, at least with the sensors, the cameras and the stepper motors is connected via at least one bus system, as well as at least one serving cup for the drinks and the control electronics is configured such that this on the basis of sensors and cameras, which the environment via ultrasound and / or electromagnetic radiation probing and can independently drive on the basis of countable steps of the stepper motor, the driving of the path includes at least a predetermined direction and a predetermined distance and obstacles can be detected when driving off.

A robot is preferably a technical device which has the task of removing mechanical work from humans. A robot can be stationary or mobile in the form of a vehicle. Above all, a robot is a device that is controlled by at least one computer program.

A vehicle is primarily a mobile Tramsportmittel for transporting, for example, people, goods and / or tools.

A drink is preferably a collective term for liquids that are prepared for drinking.

A chassis is in particular the entirety of all parts of a vehicle, which serve to connect the chassis via the wheels to the road. In the present case, the chassis may preferably include brackets for the carcass, the transport tower and batteries (see below). In addition, the landing gear has front and rear mountings for ultrasonic and infrared sensors as well as bottom and color sensors down to allow the robot to detect obstacles (see below).

Chassis primarily refers to the load-bearing parts of a vehicle. The terms chassis, frame or underframe can be used synonymously.

The wheels may preferably be in the form of tires, but also as rollers and / or rollers.

A sensor is typically a technical component, which has certain physical or chemical properties, such. B. the amount of heat, the temperature, the pressure, the sound field, the brightness, the acceleration, etc. and / or the physical condition of its environment can capture qualitatively or as a quantitative measure. These quantities are detected by means of physical or chemical effects and converted into a further processable electrical signal. In the present case, in particular, the material quality of a room is to be measured by means of the sensor, for example by emitting ultrasound and / or electromagnetic radiation (for example infrared radiation) and detecting reflections of the emitted radiation. In this case, preferably, the transit time of the detected signal can be measured and so, for example, the distance of a functioning as an obstacle solid can be determined. However, it is also possible, for example, to use a kind of triangulation for determining the location of an obstacle. If electromagnetic radiation, for example infrared radiation, is used, which was emitted by a laser, a distance, for example to an obstacle, can be measured very precisely by the phase position of the reflected light.

Electromagnetic beams are primarily formed by waves of coupled electric and magnetic fields and include, for example, visible light, radio or microwaves and infrared radiation.

The thus described activity of sensors may preferably be referred to as probing.

Ultrasound is especially sound with frequencies above 16 kHz. The sensors may also preferably include partially Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers for navigating using GPS. Ultrasonic and infrared sensors are used forwards and backwards as well as bottom and color sensors downwards. The sensors may preferably represent proximity sensors, floor sensors, and / or limit sensors.

In particular, a camera is an apparatus capable of recording static or moving images within a certain frequency range of electromagnetic radiation. Typically, but not necessarily, this frequency range essentially covers that of visible light. In this case, preference is given to optics in the form of an objective, which mainly consists of a plurality of lenses and effects a storable imaging of the captured radiation adapted to the application. The activity exerted by a camera thus described may preferably also be referred to as probing. In particular, through the use of at least two cameras, a 3D environment detection, ie a three-dimensional detection of the surrounding space can be created, which contains much more information than a two-dimensional image of the environment and so particularly reliable and powerful contributes to the navigation of the robot.

One to four sensors (ultrasound and laser or, in the preferred variant, ultrasound and infrared) are preferred on the front and rear sides, as well as on the two longitudinal sides, in addition to the cameras in the upper area of the robotic bar, for 3D environmental detection and obstacle - and motion detection appropriate. So a particularly powerful navigation can be realized.

Ground sensors preferably provide information about the distance of the robot to the floor. This should preferably always be largely constant. As the distance changes significantly, for example by more than 1 cm, this is detected as an obstacle and reported accordingly to the system.

The color sensors on the floor are preferably used to detect color markings. Depending on the programming and the color, these may be preferred waymarks, but also terrain restrictions that should not be exceeded by the robot. So a particularly safe robot can be provided.

A drive stepping motor is preferably an electric motor in the form of a stepping motor, in which the movement can be achieved by rotation through a minimum angle (step) or its multiple. In this case, the rotor (rotatable motor part with shaft) by a controlled and gradually rotating electromagnetic field, which is generated by the stator coils (stator = non-rotatable motor part), are rotated. For example, a reluctance stepping motor, a permanent magnet stepping motor, and / or a hybrid stepping motor may be used. Through the use of stepper motors particularly precise movement can be carried out, since this consists of individual, depending on the design of the motor in principle arbitrarily small and controllable steps. By using at least two stepper motors, it is preferably possible to realize straight-ahead travel with the same drive of at least two wheels as well as steering (cornering) with different drives of at least two wheels. In the following you can the terms drive stepper motor, stepper motor and actuator are used interchangeably.

Under power supply is preferably called the supply of electrical energy. This can for example be done directly from the electrical network, for example by cable or wireless transmission. However, it may also be preferred that in the case of a mobile robot, the power supply by means of a battery or a rechargeable battery (short form: battery) is made. An accumulator or accumulator is preferably a rechargeable accumulator for electrical energy, which works on an electrochemical basis.

Control electronics refers in particular to an electronic unit, which causes the control of a technical system by means of digital signals. Control preferably designates the intended influencing of the behavior of a technical system. Programmable logic, which determines digital electronic output signals as determined by an algorithm as a function of digital electronic input signals, is particularly suitable as control electronics. For example, computers, microcontrollers or field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) can be used for this purpose. The controller preferably takes over a single board computer with a Linux system, preferably of the type Banana Pi Pro, which determines the behavior of the robot via an open source software solution. The control of the behaviors is preferably realized via the open source product ROCS. This is a Linux-based infrastructure of daemons that are loosely coupled via a messaging system. A daemon is preferably a program under Unix or Unix-like systems, which runs in the background and thereby provides services. Each user, sensors, logic, actuators (stepper motors), etc., can preferably send undirected messages into the system. Each message preferably contains a type and a structured data record in the form of a JSON text. A type preferably denotes a summary of object sets and the operations defined on them. On the basis of the type, it is preferably decided which participants must receive the message and inform them accordingly. In this case, several participants can preferably concurrently process a message. If no participant is responsible for a message, this is preferably discarded. In the present robot, in addition to a central distribution point, there are subscribers for the CAN bus of the board, as well as various scripting subscribers who fulfill different tasks.

As a scripting language, ie as a programming language for the logic modules, preferably Lua is used. The scripts preferably have the ability to read and edit the message content and its type. In addition, they may prefer to send new messages to the infrastructure and persist information for later use. Persisting means, in particular, to keep ready for a longer period of time. Messages which are subsequently provided by sensors have preferably been sent to the infrastructure via the CAN module.

The transmission of the data of the actuators and sensors takes place via an internal bus system (preferably CAN bus and I2C). The programming of the controller (as far as it does not affect the image analysis) is done with a self-developed framework.

A bus is preferably a system for data transmission between several subscribers over a common data transmission path. In the present case, in particular a bus for data transmission between the control electronics, the sensors and / or cameras, the stepper motors and any other participants in the form of electrical or electronic devices is meant.

A Servierkuppel preferably denotes a serving surface for the beverage containers. This can be a simple surface, which is optionally covered by a dome-shaped overhang, for example made of metal or Plexiglas. In this case, the over-arching can preferably be opened, for example manually or electrically. A Servierkuppel can also be a vault in the form of a dome, which has correspondingly dimensioned recess for receiving beverage containers. The serving dome preferably has an optical sensor (visible light sensor) which detects the presence of a beverage bottle, for example at the serving position of the dome. This serves to check whether the ordered beverage bottle has been removed.

By "control electronics so configured" is preferably meant to program a control electronics such that it causes the control in the form of the behavior desired for certain input signals. In particular, algorithms of an image recognition software and evaluation algorithms can be used to assess an environmental situation. One skilled in the art knows how to routinely make this "configuration" in the form of programming with appropriate algorithms.

Countable steps of the stepping motor are in particular an arbitrarily large number of whole steps. In this case, the rotational movements caused by the steps can be distinguished with respect to their direction, for example by steps in one direction a positive, steps in the opposite direction receive a negative sign when counting the steps.

"Self-propelled way" refers in particular to an autonomously performed movement of the robot (the movement being represented, for example, by a point encompassed by the robot, for example the center of gravity) in a preferably substantially two-dimensional plane passing through the floor of the room the robot is moving, is formed or is parallel to this. Such movement is advantageously achieved via the driven wheels of the chassis. Autonomous in this context preferably means that the movement is performed by the robot alone, without the control or assistance of a human being, only under the control of the control electronics of the robot. By "being able to independently drive a way" is meant to start a path from the current position of the robot to a predetermined or self-selected destination without colliding with obstacles.

Driving direction preferably designates a line within the aforementioned movement plane of the robot, which starts from a fixed reference point of the robot. For example, this line may be described by an angle with respect to the reference point and a reference line passing through it. This reference line may be preferred to be absolute, d. h., It is essentially defined with respect to the environment, for example by the magnetically determinable compass direction or by lines defined with respect to space. However, the reference line may also preferably be relative, i. H. in particular, that it is defined only with respect to the robot and, for example, rotates with it when the robot rotates about the vertical axis.

A direction of travel can in individual cases also describe a curve within the aforementioned movement plane. This can be determined for example by a description in the form of a circle segment with indication of the circle radius and an angle or radian measure to describe the size of the segment with respect to a complete circle. Such a curve can also be described by a juxtaposition of short distances many driving direction in the sense of the aforementioned line.

Distance is primarily a length expressed in meters, centimeters or millimeters, for example. However, it can also be described, for example, by steps of the stepping motor.

"Obstacles detected" refers mainly to the perception of the robot obstacles in its plane of motion, which takes place by probing the environment by means of sensors and / or cameras and the evaluation of the resulting electronic signals by the control electronics of the robot. An obstacle is preferably understood to mean an object, for example an object, a human or an animal, which is present in the environment that can be reached by the movement of the robot so that a collision between the object and the robot is possible during a movement of the robot. The detection of obstacles as described above should preferably lead to a control by the control electronics, which avoids such a collision. Obstacles should preferably avoid driving around and as short or fast moving routes as possible should be found.

Even complex paths can be advantageously decomposed into a departure of the path, which includes at least one predetermined direction of travel and a predetermined distance and wherein obstacles can be detected when driving off.

The preferred embodiment has the advantage that the traversing of a path can be carried out in a particularly simple and reliable manner. Due to the innovative sensor technology, which is not only formed by sensors and / or cameras, but additionally includes the counting of the steps of at least two stepper motors, not only the environment probed, but also the own movement behavior can be particularly well understood with the help of the control electronics. Thus, inter alia, a constant comparison between the path chosen under the sounding of the environment and the actually traveled route can be undertaken, as a result of which the robot particularly reliably attains or completes a selected destination or a route to be traveled. By dividing also a complex path into retractable path sections, which include a direction of travel and a distance, a particularly simple and improved autonomous and mobile robot can be provided. It was surprising that each way could be divided into sections in this way, which can be described essentially by the three parameters direction of travel, distance and obstacle: yes / no.

The fact that all essential components, such as the power supply, are covered by the robot, the property of autonomy can be particularly well implemented.

Among other things by the use of a modern bus system for connecting the electrical or electronic components can a particularly high data transmission rate can be realized which, inter alia, results in improved movement characteristics of the robot. For example, high speeds can be realized during the movement, since the resulting data rates remain manageable. With regard to the data rates and thereby achievable velocities in the movement of the robot, there is a synergistic effect through the combinations of the decomposition of even complex ways in retractable ways and the use of a modern data bus, so that higher speeds are manageable, than alone through the Sum of the positive effects of each of these features could be expected.

Furthermore, by virtue of the fact that the robot comprises a serving dome, the provision of drinks can be carried out particularly efficiently and reliably.

The at least three wheels lead to a surprisingly reliable and robust handling with simultaneous extreme maneuverability. At the same time, especially when using three wheels, complex bottlenecks formed by obstacles can be traversed in the path of the robot. The "footprint" of the robot realized in particular when using three wheels, d. that is, the space between the wheels, which reflects the space of the robot required at least between obstacles, is particularly small when using three wheels.

It was surprising that the disclosed combination of features could provide a much improved beverage robot. In particular, the driveability of the beverage robot could be improved in a synergistic way that goes far beyond the expected level given by the sum of the characteristics of the individual characteristics.

It was also surprising that by using the disclosed minimum number of sensors and cameras, in particular in combination with step counting of the drive step motors, a robot could be provided which could travel particularly well and thereby detect obstacles and avoid them. It has been found that these features are not expected to be able to fully explore the environment of the robot and to notice obstacles.

To determine the movements of the robot, it is preferred to use mainly the counted steps of the stepper motors. These are preferably converted in the system to distances traveled and driven turns. So a particularly simple, robust and maintenance-free navigation system can be realized.

In a further preferred embodiment, the invention relates to a beverage robot, characterized in that the robot has at least four sensors, at least two cameras, a chassis with at least three wheels, at least two drive stepper motors for driving the wheels, a power supply, an electronic control system which at least with the Sensors, the cameras and the stepper motors connected via a bus system, as well as a Servierkuppel for the drinks and this on the basis of sensors and cameras, which probe the environment via ultrasound and / or electromagnetic radiation and on the basis of countable steps of the stepping motor independently Driving away, the driving of the path includes at least one predetermined direction and a predetermined distance and obstacles can be detected when driving off. This preferred embodiment is particularly robust.

In a further preferred embodiment, the control electronics of the autonomous, mobile robot additionally has at least one internal positioning system for traversing the path.

An internal positioning system is preferably a kind of map of the environment of the robot. This can be provided in advance, for example in the form of a map in electronic format including all existing in the environment, non-moving obstacles. These cards may be in the form of vector and / or raster maps, for example. On the other hand, it may be preferable for the robot itself to create a map of this when driving off paths in its surroundings, which is always updated with newly obtained information. It may also be preferred to use a hybrid form of these implementations as an internal positioning system, in which on the one hand already existing map material is used, but which is complemented by information obtained when driving down paths by probing the environment. The internal positioning system can preferably fulfill a plurality of functions and receive corresponding adaptations. On the one hand, a map of the direct environment can preferably be created in order to find traversable paths in the latter, and on the other hand, an existing map can be used to determine the current position. This can be done in various ways: it can be determined by a known earlier position in connection with the card and the sensor, in particular by counting the steps of the stepper motors, the current position. But it may also preferably in connection with the card and the moment by the sensors, in particular by the sensors and / or cameras, detected nature of the probed environment and comparison with the nature described in the map the current position are determined. Likewise, for improved accuracy, various methods may preferably be combined. In particular, even for completely unknown environments by traversing paths and combinations of various uses and designs of the internal positioning system disclosed here, a complete map of this environment can be created.

It may also be preferred that an internal positioning system is implemented or supplemented by a combination of features which are explicitly mounted in the surroundings and detectable by the sensors and / or cameras and a predetermined card which contains these features. The features may include, for example, floor-mounted color markers. In addition, different colors may represent codes relating to the movement of the robot. For example, a red mark may mark an area on the ground which in no case may be run over by the robot, while a green mark marks an area which is to be crossed over unconditionally. The internal positioning system may further use suitable algorithms known to the person skilled in the art in order to determine an ideal route taking into account the obstacles for each possible position of the surroundings as well as each destination to be approached. The ideal way is to understand in particular the way in which the beverage robot reaches its destination in the shortest possible time. However, it may also be preferred that the ideal path is the path where least moving and immovable obstacles are to be expected. In particular, the fastest (temporal) path does not have to be the shortest, since a shorter path, which at the same time comprises a few sections of straight-ahead driving, can only be traveled more slowly than a longer path, which can essentially be represented by a straight line. The internal positioning system is preferably suitable for making an optimized selection of a path in this respect.

It was completely surprising that a beverage robot could be provided by the robot's internal positioning system described here, which can perform its task in an extremely efficient manner, which may be, for example, serving a customer an ordered beverage. In particular, by the positioning system, which on the one hand uses an existing map of the environment and on the other self-learning creates a map of the environment or complements existing map, a synergistic effect can be achieved with respect to the efficiency of navigation, which is significantly greater than alone could explain by the sum of the influences on the efficiency of each individual measure. The efficiency of the navigation preferably means on the one hand the ability to choose the fastest way in time. On the other hand, this efficiency means savings in the computing power of the control electronics, which also translates into time savings and energy savings. Efficiency also means that the achieved effect can be achieved with particularly simple means, with as little complex and expensive electronics as possible. Furthermore, the internal positioning system as described herein is surprisingly robust and error-prone.

It was completely surprising to provide a beverage robot via such a positioning system, which autonomously can drive a path and reach a destination while being both particularly powerful and efficient.

It is preferred that the beverage robot comprises at least two pairs of wheels. It is particularly preferred that four wheels are used. In this case, each wheel is particularly preferably driven by a stepping motor. For this, each engine preferably has a motor driver, whereby always two motors are addressed via a control board. So there are always two motors combined on one virtual axis. Under control board may preferably be understood a separate electronic board of the control electronics. However, it may also be preferred that the control board mentioned here represents a virtual unit within the control electronics of the robot. In the preferred variant, two opposing motors are arranged on a virtual axis and are controlled together. So they can realize the straight ahead with the same turn or turn in the opposite direction on the spot. By alternating operation of the direction of rotation direction changes are realized. The stepper motors can be controlled independently of each other, whereby a continuous cornering can be realized.

It was completely surprising that in this preferred embodiment variant with four wheels and the aforementioned control variant, a realization of even the most complex driving maneuvers can be implemented in a particularly simple manner. In particular, a fast and at the same time stable cornering can be realized with at least four wheels, which surprisingly increases the achievable maximum speed of the robot when cornering. In the realization with four wheels, the stability is significantly increased not only when driving, but also in the state. Even with strong and asymmetric loading of the beverage robot overturning can be avoided in a surprising way. Likewise, collisions are survived without falling over. It can also cause collisions come, for example, when a person accidentally "jostles" the robot. This type of collision is also survived without damage when using at least four wheels. It was also surprising that a particularly simple, effective and reliable control of the robot could be realized by the measure to assign a common "virtual" axis to each pair of wheels. Furthermore, it was surprising that a particularly high stability could be achieved by the even number of wheels used here. This results in a synergistic effect, since the stability is improved by the use of an even number of wheels to a greater extent than would be expected solely by an increase in the number.

It is preferred that the beverage robot for driving the wheels comprises two to ten individually controllable drive step motors, more preferably three to seven individually controllable drive step motors, in particular four individually controllable drive step motors, which have a speed of at most 6 km / h, preferably a maximum of 5 km / h enable. Using two to ten controllable drive stepper motors, an improved robot can be provided. The particularly preferred variant of using three to seven individually controllable drive step motors leads to a particularly low-maintenance robot. In particular, four individually controllable drive stepper motors provide for a particularly robust drive part of the robot. Of particular importance in the choice of the number of stepper motors used is the number of stepper motors per wheel. It may be preferable to use one stepper motor per wheel. This allows the robot to be controlled in a particularly simple and precise manner. It may also be preferred to drive a plurality of wheels, for example a pair of wheels, with a stepper motor. This can save costs and material. It may also be preferable to use several stepper motors per wheel. Thus, a particularly powerful and / or fast robot can be provided. Furthermore, in this case, redundant drives are used for each wheel, so that a particularly low-maintenance robot can be provided. A person skilled in the art knows how to install the drive stepper motors in order to allow a maximum speed of 6 km / h, preferably a maximum of 5 km / h. A speed of no more than 5 km / h has surprisingly been found to be ideal in order to ensure safe operation of the robot while at the same time fast delivery of beverage even in a room with many, sometimes mobile obstacles (for example persons). A speed of at most 6 km / h represents an increase in performance over the prior art. Likewise, this maximum speed is ideal for transporting beverages without the risk of dropping beverage containers and spillage. In contrast to the prior art, the present embodiment can preferably move in a high speed range from 0 m / s to 1.66 m / s (6 km / h), preferably 1.1 m / s. Thus, a speed adapted to the respective environment can be selected and thus the efficiency can be increased.

In a preferred embodiment, the at least one bus system is a CAN bus according to specification ISO 11898 and / or an I2C bus. In particular, these bus types have proven to be particularly reliable and robust. Furthermore, an unusually fast data transfer can be ensured with these bus types, which enables a particularly efficient operation of the robot. In addition, costs can be saved.

In a preferred embodiment, the at least one power supply is at least one accumulator mounted on the chassis, preferably at least two accumulators (in the form of so-called battery packs), with a voltage of 36 V to 48 V, preferably 36 V and an electrical charge of 20 Ah to 60 Ah, preferably 30 Ah, especially 2x15 Ah, includes. A voltage range of 36 V to 48 V allows a particularly safe operation of the robot. The preferred voltage of 36 V is particularly compatible with many electrical and electronic components. This saves material and costs. An electrical charge of 20 Ah to 60 Ah contributes to reliable operation of the robot. A charge of 30 Ah has proven to be particularly efficient. Here a compromise between charge and weight of the accumulators can be achieved, which is helpful for a surprisingly long operation of the robot. In particular, by a load of twice 15 Ah, an improved and more reliable operation of the robot can be achieved. This results in a surprising synergistic effect, in which a charge of 2x15 Ah can be used for a more efficient operation than a charge of 30 Ah. This can be explained by increased flexibility in charge management of the power source. It was surprising that a particularly reliable and robust robot could be provided by accumulators having the aforementioned characteristics.

The power supply of, for example, about 80 kg (loaded) heavy machine is preferably ensured by two attached to the chassis accumulators (36 V - 48 V and 20 Ah-60 Ah, in the preferred variant 36 V, 2x15 AH). These realize a continuous operation of min. 1 h. and are especially effective. Since the maximum power is not permanently requested, the real runtime with standby times is at least 5 hours. The voltage is available in the preferred version in stages 36V, 12V and 5V, thus, particularly inexpensive and energy-saving components can be used.

Preferably, a beverage robot comprising at least one body for storing beverage containers and at least one transport tower for predominantly vertical transport of drinks from the body to the Servierkuppel, comprising a driven by a stepper motor trolley and a gripper arm. The body of the beverage robot is in particular the central part between the lower chassis and the top of the robot final serving dome. This can in particular have the shape of an outwardly closed cavity and preferably has a cylindrical shape. It is preferred that the entire robot including the chassis has a substantially cylindrical shape. In this way, the driveable space around the robot can be used particularly efficiently. For example, walls of plastic or metal may be used as the perimeter. These can additionally have insulation, for example made of foam or polystyrene, in order to keep the drinks cool or warm. Within the cavity certain device for receiving the beverage containers can be provided. The beverage containers may typically include bottles, cans and / or glasses. These terms can be used synonymously in this document. Accordingly, for example, bottle or can holders can be used. It may be preferable to condition the interior of the body, for example to cool it. Thus, the service provided by the beverage robot can be improved. In particular, the body may include a refrigerator. This makes it particularly easy and reliable to supply chilled drinks. The body may preferably comprise a plurality of bottle rondels (see below). These are particularly suitable for a particularly simple and efficient provision of drinks. The carcass may preferably be enclosed with two doors made of acrylic glass, giving an aesthetic effect and providing a practical function of filling the robot. The body may preferably include a front door which allows the user to preferably lay open behind drawer (see below) and pull out one by one to exchange the preferred bottle rondel (see below). The body preferably has all-round ultrasound sensors that detect obstacles that are located higher up and are not detected by the sensors on the chassis, such as tabletops or barriers. These are also preferably used to detect movements to identify potential customers.

The transport tower is a substantially vertical device which is used to transport beverage containers from the body to the serving dome. For example, it may comprise two slide bars which guide a trolley. The tower preferably has limit switches for the trolley (see below). These are used for the automatic adjustment of the trolley in order to be able to position it correctly. This requires finding the zero position switch after turning on the system. In addition, preferably two camera modules are installed on the tower, preferably 2-16, the data of which are evaluated via a separate image recognition (see above). The trolley serves to grasp and transport the drinks from the bottle rondelles to the serving dome. It preferably consists of the transport housing with bearings for retaining rails. The transport housing is preferably dimensioned so that at least one beverage container can be transported with this device and at the same time prevented from falling over. The person skilled in the art knows how such dimensioning must be carried out. The required drive can be done for example by a stepper motor in the manner of the aforementioned drive stepper motors. In this case, linear stepper motors can also be used. It may be preferred that the motor transmits its power via a toothed belt on the lifting mechanism, which is realized by a screw mechanism and works in the preferred variant with a trapezoidal thread. This trapezoidal thread is preferably vertically extending parallel to the slide rods. Now has the trolley (synonym, the term trolley can be used) via an element which has a structure complementary to the thread (for example, a nut), upon rotation of the thread an up or. Ab movement of the trolley are effected. The trolley preferably has a limit switch for detecting the completely retracted carriage. After switching on the system, this limit switch is approached and marked as zero. Thus, it is possible to accurately position the telescopic cross of the gripper arm.

Thus, a particularly simple and robust transport mechanism can be provided. It may be preferred that the transport tower additionally has a tower-like structure in the form of a wall surrounding the mechanism and the trolley from the outside, for example in the form of a tube.

Preferably, the trolley has a gripper arm or gripper for the beverage containers. A gripper arm is preferably a device for gripping beverage containers, ie to receive frictionally or positively, and then mainly horizontally, either to the trolley or transport away from the trolley. This device may also be referred to as a lever construction. The gripper arm of the serving mechanism is preferably constructed so that it can remove beverage containers from a bottle rondel or the body, regardless of whether they are positioned on the inner or outer edge of the bottle rondel or the body. The gripper arm has a telescopic arm, a bottle holder with beverage foot, a gripper rail for overcoming any bottle stopper in the preferred bottle rondelles, and mounted thereon gripper springs for holding the beverage bottle. The gripper arm can also advantageously comprise a telescopic cross, preferably at least two telescopic crosses. A telescopic arm or a telescopic cross is preferably a device which allows a long traverse while compactness in the retracted state. A telescopic arm can preferably be realized by telescoping cylinders of different diameters. Such a device is particularly low maintenance. It can also be realized by guide rails whose profiles merge. Such a telescopic arm can be driven for example via a stepper motor, which drives, for example, a gear drive, which engages in a rack. As a result, a particularly robust telescopic arm can be provided. A telescopic cross in its simplest form preferably comprises two rods or elongate elements, which are interconnected in their respective center and at the same time rotatably mounted. In addition, they are rotatably mounted on both sides of the device at one end point of a rod and an end point of the other rod rotatably connected to elements which are displaceably mounted on each side of a guide rail or rod. With this guide rail or rod firmly connected elements can be so approximated or removed. If at least two telescopic crosses are connected rotatably to one another on one side in each case, the travel path of the device can be substantially doubled. A person skilled in the art knows how to control the at least one telescope cross by means of a stepper motor. In this way, a long travel while being compact in the retracted state can be made particularly reliable.

For example, a bottle holder with a beverage foot refers to a device for securely holding beverage containers, in particular bottles and / or cans, which are placed on a beverage foot. A beverage foot is preferably an element which allows the safe standing of the beverage container. For example, it may be a plate with a rubberized surface. However, it may also be preferred that the element has a recess adapted to the respective beverage container so that it has a particularly secure state. The bottle holder itself may be, for example, a substantially annular element which comprises the beverage container parked on the beverage base at a height between the lower and upper end of the container and is dimensioned such that the container is secured against wobbling or falling over. A person skilled in the art knows how to make such a dimensioning. Such a bottle holder is particularly easy to manufacture. However, the bottle holder may also comprise three mutually rectangularly arranged vertical walls which enclose the beverage container on three sides and also constitute a safeguard against wobbling or falling over. For this purpose, the walls may also be rubberized on the side facing the beverage container. On the bottle holder is preferably an electrical switch, which signals the contact with a beverage bottle and so their presence. The bottle holder is preferably located at one end of the telescopic arm or the at least one telescopic cross, the other end is attached to the trolley. In this case, the gripper rail and the gripper springs are advantageously attached to the trolley. But it may also be preferred that the bottle holder is an integral part of the trolley, and at the other end of the telescopic arm and the at least one telescopic cross only the gripper rail and the gripper springs are. The gripper rail consists primarily of two mutually parallel, vertical elements, which have a distance from one another, which is greater than the diameter of the largest to be gripped beverage container. In the case where the bottle cage and dolly are on different ends of the telescopic arm or cross, and the bottle cage includes vertically arranged walls, the two parallel vertical walls may also act as the grab rail. The gripper rail is strong enough to push aside the spring stopper (see below). On the side of the gripper rail, which is provided for receiving the beverage container, is advantageously on both sides of a spring-mounted element, the so-called gripper spring disposed. In the stationary state, the gripper springs mounted on both sides are mounted in such a way that the opening formed by the latter is reduced on the receiving side of the gripper rail. In this case, the gripper springs point into the interior of the gripper rail. Contrary to their spring force, they can be pushed aside until they touch the vertical elements of the gripper rail, thereby enlarging the opening on the receiving side. Now enclose the two vertical elements of the gripper rail on both sides of a beverage container, this can preferably be clamped force-locking between the gripper springs. But it may also be preferred that the spring force of the gripper springs is too low to clamp the beverage container frictionally. In this case, the gripper springs are pushed aside from the beverage container until the container is completely enclosed by the gripper rail. The gripper springs return back to their original position and thus close the open side of the gripper rail for the beverage container. In one of the aforementioned preferred embodiments, the transport carriage is brought from the transport tower to the necessary height for gripping from one of the preferred three bottle rondelles for gripping a bottle. The bottle holder is extended by telescopic cross and brought to the bottle. The gripper rail presses the stoppers on the bottle rondel (see below) aside and thus allows the bottle to be removed. The gripper springs enclose the bottle and hold it firmly on the beverage foot. By retracting the telescope cross, the bottle is now pulled out of the bottle rondel and can be brought to the Servierkuppel by means of transport vehicles and served there. Furthermore, a button on the gripper is attached, which triggers when a bottle has reached the rear end of the bottle holder. Thus, the control electronics can preferably be signaled that the gripping arm has been sufficiently extended to receive a beverage container and can be retracted again. On the transport tower further preferred limit switch top and bottom to make an automatic adjustment of the transport height can. Limit switches are preferably sensors for detecting a position of a moving object. By "predominantly vertical transport of beverages" is preferably meant the transport of beverage containers by means of the aforementioned device in which the movement consists of over 50% of a vertical portion. A beverage robot comprising an aforementioned transport device for drinks represents a particularly simple and robust Serviermechanismus. It can be provided in this way very reliable drinks without the assistance of a human is needed due to a malfunction. It can be achieved a great flexibility by arbitrarily shaped bottles and cans or cans can be gripped and transported.

Preferably, the robot has at least two superimposed circular Rondelle (so-called Flaschenrondelle or Flaschenkarusselle), which are rotatable via at least one stepper motor, wherein on each Rondell on at least three star-shaped radially mounted floor rails in these feasible beverage containers can be arranged, which by pairs along the length the bottom rail arranged and spring-mounted spring stopper can be held in position, wherein the spring stops are substantially quarter-circular segments, one round side is arranged in the direction of the Rondellumfangs and the respectively associated spring stopper.

With circular rondels are preferably substantially circular elements comprising elements (the Rondellbasis) meant, which have a dimensioning, which allows an accommodation in the body and the storage of beverage containers are used. Here, essentially circular, it is meant that the disks have an extension in all three dimensions, but the thickness of the disks is considerably smaller than their diameter. Significantly lower in this context means that the thickness of the discs is no more than 20% of the diameter. In particular, the interior of the body should be exploited to the maximum, so that the circular Rondelle, which are also referred to in this document as Flaschenrondelle, are as large as possible, but without touching the walls of the body from the inside. "Superimposed" is preferably to be understood as commonly understood with respect to gravity and the terms "top" and "bottom" used in relation thereto. The rondels should be rotatably mounted, d. H. in particular, that the circle center forms its axis of rotation and has a bearing for the lowest possible maintenance and smooth rotation. Each roundel is advantageously rotatable by a stepper motor. It is preferred that the individual Rondelle can be pulled out for loading with beverage containers on drawer slides or drawers.

The bottom rails (also called synonym beverage axes) are preferably formed by radially extending, parallel, vertical elements, for example by sheets, which have a lower height than the beverage containers. When storing beverage containers on a roundel, they should be enclosed on both sides and secured on both sides against wobbling and / or falling over. In addition, each floor rail should have at its one end, which is near the center of the circular rondel, another vertical element to obtain in this direction a hedge. The spring stoppers or, synonymously, holding blocks are preferably substantially quarter-circular segments. This means preferably that they have a quarter-circle shape in a visual axis. Along this viewing axis, the segments additionally have a thickness. Advantageously, this visual axis runs along the vertical axis of the robot, ie vertically. Along this axis, the segment is preferably rotatably mounted, that is, that it is rotatable about this axis and is mounted maintenance and low friction. The axis of rotation can preferably be realized by vertical pins. The segment is further preferably resiliently mounted, that is, that there is a starting position, from which a rotation is possible only in one direction, wherein the spring force counteracts this rotation and thus pushes the spring stopper in the starting position. The spring stoppers are arranged in the main per each provided on the bottom rail beverage containers in pairs across the length of the bottom rail, with their distance at the narrowest point corresponds approximately to the width of the bottom rail. In this case, this means that this distance preferably deviates by less than 20% from the width of the bottom rail. However, it may also be preferred that more or less than one pair of spring stoppers are provided per beverage container. The one round side of the spring stopper is arranged in the direction of the Rondellumfangs and the respective associated spring stopper. The axis of rotation is preferably located at one of the two ends of the circular arc of the segment or in one corner of the segment. In particular, it is preferred that the axis of rotation is located at the end of the circular arc of the spring stopper, which in the aforementioned preferred arrangement of the spring stopper pairs furthest from the more distant end of the circular arc of the associated spring stopper. The task of the spring stopper is to secure the beverage container on the one hand in addition to the bottom rail laterally, on the other hand to secure against unwanted movement (falling over, wobbling) in the direction along the bottom rail. Backup is to be understood in this document preferably as synonymous with a hedge of the beverage container before falling over, tilting or wobbling.

The gripper arm of the serving mechanism is constructed so that it can remove beverage containers from a bottle rondel, regardless of whether they are positioned on the inner or outer edge of the bottle rondel. Two different states can be distinguished in the secured state of the beverage containers on a bottom rail: firstly one or more beverage containers arranged at the end of the bottom rail, which is near the center of the circle, secured in the direction long the bottom rail on one side from the end of the bottom rail, on the other by a bottle stopper pair. On the other hand, one or more beverage containers, which are arranged between two bottle stoppers. In both cases, the protection of the spring stopper preferably takes place non-positively, the spring stops are more or less deflected from its rest position depending on the dimensions and number of beverage containers.

The bottle rondels are rotatably mounted and are each driven by a separate stepper motor preferably via toothed belt. It may be preferred that they have their own control electronics. For loading with beverage containers, the individual models can be pulled out via drawer pull-outs. The individual drawers or drawer slides preferably have a respective stepper motor and advantageously the associated electronics, with toothed belt drive for rotating the bottle rondelle. A preferred limit switch on the rondel enables automatic alignment of the bottles.

The trolley serves to grasp and transport the drinks from the bottle rondelles to the serving dome. It consists, for example, as explained above, of the transport housing with bearings for holding rails, two telescopic crosses, a bottle holder with beverage foot, a gripper rail for overcoming the bottle stopper in the bottle rondelles, and mounted thereon gripper springs for holding the beverage bottle. To grasp a bottle, the trolley is brought from the transport tower to the necessary height for gripping from one of the three bottle rondelles. The bottle holder is extended by telescopic cross and brought to the bottle. The gripper rail pushes the stoppers on the bottle rondel aside and thus allows the removal of the bottle. The gripper springs enclose the bottle and hold it firmly on the beverage foot. By retracting the telescope cross, the bottle is now pulled out of the bottle rondel and can be brought to the Servierkuppel by means of transport vehicles and served there. Furthermore, an electrical button is preferably attached to the gripper, which triggers when a bottle has reached the rear end of the bottle holder and thus signals the control electronics that the gripper has received a beverage container.

In this embodiment, drinks can be selected from a variety of drinks stored in the body particularly error-free and reliable and provided on the Servierkuppel. So the drinks can be very safely and if necessary cooled served at a suitable location. It can be made from a variety of drinks, so that a more comprehensive and improved service can be provided. Such a beverage robot is also suitable for demanding Servieranwendungen, which meets high standards regarding the supply and speed of service provided. The present invention can serve differently shaped vessels, with different contents, self-propelled and self-navigating in different environments, according to the customer's order and chilled. The present invention, unlike the prior art, can transport and deliver commercial beverage bottles and / or beverage containers with defined contents of various types. The number of transportable Beverage containers are between 32 and 72, more preferably 54 pieces. In contrast to the prior art, the present invention can transport non-alcoholic drinks and alcoholic beverages, each of a wide variety of types, combined with one another and in different vessel shapes (bottles and cans). The present robot can deliver after complete filling preferably drinks according to customer requirements, as long as the supply is sufficient. Only when a drink in the present robot, also called robotic robot is no longer available, must be refilled. At this time, preferably, a complete loading of the barroboters.

The robot can be described in its preferred embodiment in various functional parts. The chassis is used for autonomous locomotion. On the chassis are two to five roundels, preferably three stacked, carrying the drinks. Each roundel can hold 18 beverage containers. Overall, the barrobot transported 36-72, preferably 64 beverage containers. Per container, 0.3 l - 0.7 l, preferably 0.5 l, in the sum of preferably 32 liters of drinks are transported. In a tower, a trolley is installed, which can control each roundabout and this can remove a beverage container and transport it to the top platform. Such a robot is particularly efficient and powerful.

In a further embodiment, the invention relates to a system comprising a beverage robot and at least one input device for inputting at least one beverage request and / or for carrying out at least one payment process for a beverage. An input device is primarily a device via which a person can transmit a beverage request to the beverage robot. Such an input device may, for example, have different buttons, which leads to a particularly low-maintenance solution. However, it may also be preferable to use an input device comprising a touchscreen. This may be, for example, a tablet or a smartphone. Such an input device is particularly convenient and, since often already available, inexpensive. An input device can also be operated preferably via audio signals. For this purpose, especially a microphone and a speech recognition are required. Such an input device can for example also be realized via a smartphone. This device may preferably be present on the beverage robot itself. So a particularly simple operation is realized. The device can be both permanently installed and designed to be removable. In the first case there is a particularly robust solution, in the second case a particularly practical one. It may also be preferred that the input device is installed elsewhere, for example at a central location in a restaurant or bar where an authorized person inputs the beverage requests. Thus, for example, a partially desired in the service area interpersonal interaction can be maintained, with the dispensing of drinks is taken over or supported by the robot. In particular, the input device may also be a mobile device. Thus, a particularly flexible and practical operability of the robot can be achieved. In particular, the use of a mobile input device in the form of a smartphone is particularly convenient. It may either be preferred that only certain smartphones can be used by authorized persons for an input or that anyone, for example via an app to install, can place an order with his smartphone. It can be transmitted by smartphone immediately the position of the customer. Preferably, multiple users can simultaneously or parallel use their smartphone as an input device. Such a solution is particularly convenient and inexpensive when the robot is used at a major event, such as a trade show. By performing a payment transaction, it is preferably understood that the payment of drinks via the input device can likewise be carried out without additional intervention by a person other than the paying person. The payment process itself can be carried out, for example, via an electronic method, for example by means of a debit or credit card system. You can also use methods such as PayPal, direct transfer or similar. It is also possible to make an automated cash payment. For this purpose, for example, known in the art known SB-cash payment machines. To transmit the data, for example, radio networks of mobile or WiFi can be used. In particular, in the case of using a smartphone as an input device via an installed app stored in this app payment data for the processing of the payment process can be used. In this way, the payment process and the input process for the beverage request can be conveniently made with the same application. This saves time and money. In this embodiment, the robot may preferentially select a beverage that is triggered by an order that is remotely wirelessly transmitted via WiFi via an application (app) from the entrained stock, transport it to the orderer and hand it over to the orderer. The transfer takes place on the upper platform (serving dome) of the robot. This embodiment is preferably based on the sub-task, a drink that the customer can select depending on the application using a machine-mounted control panel or an application on the smartphone, without human help To transport and serve customers. When dialing directly on the device, the provision is triggered immediately and the drink is served. When dialing via the smartphone, a payment process can preferably be interposed and by specifying a table number, the machine can deliver the drink to the table and serve. The human portion is preferably in the filling of the machine / robot with drinks of different shape and type, such as bottles and / or cans.

Furthermore, it is preferred that the system comprises markings on the floor, which can be recognized with the aid of the sensors and / or cameras and serve an orientation when traveling the path. This marking can be realized by attached, flat elements on the floor, such as stripes or dots. This marking can stand out, for example, in color from the ground. However, it may also be marking that can not be detected with the naked eye, but with one of the sensors of the robot. In the case of visible markings, a warning function for persons can additionally be fulfilled in which the marking marks a path preferably traveled by the robot. For example, the markers may be applied paint or glue. In this case, for example, the markings can be matched with the mark stored in a card of an internal positioning system, which can be used to determine the robot's own position or to find a way. Thus, a particularly simple navigation of the robot can be realized. It may also be that the markings serve the orientation of a robot without the use of an additional map. Serve the orientation means preferably that the markers are helpful to the robot when driving a path and / or finding a target. Accordingly, they must be detected by the control electronics using the sensors and / or cameras and lead to appropriate instructions from the control electronics. It was surprising that with the aid of these markings, in conjunction with the above-mentioned realization of a robot which can travel a path, reliability and efficiency in the navigation of the traveling robot could be achieved, which are far greater than the sum of the measures used in isolation let assume.

It is preferred that the markers are color markers and that different colors of these markers encode different instructions to the control electronics. Instruction to the control electronics may preferably include instructions regarding the navigation of the robot. Terms such as "driving a path", "navigating the robot" or "serving the orientation of the robot" are used synonymously here. Such instructions may include, for example, stopping the robot in front of the mark, stopping the robot behind the mark, stopping the robot above the mark, turning left or right, accelerating, braking, etc. In this way, a particularly simple and reliable Be provided navigation. But it may also mean that it is about instructions regarding the provision of drinks. Instructions regarding the provision of beverages may be, for example, the following: serve five beers, serve as much water as will fit on the serving dome, etc. Sensors may preferably be used for the loading dome loading. Advantageously, the mark can also have a signal effect on people present due to their color code. For example, a red, continuous marker in the room can keep people present from the area so marked and at the same time mark the robot a preferably usable way. So even with large crowds of beverage robots can be reliably used to provide drinks. It was surprising that a quality improvement and simplification of the navigation can be achieved in particular by color marking.

Those skilled in the art will recognize that the preferred embodiments and advantages thereof disclosed for the beverage robot also apply to the inventive system.

1. i. Abfahren des Weges ohne konkretes Fahrtziel, bestehend aus folgenden Schritten:
   1. 1. Zufällige Festlegung einer Fahrtrichtung und anschließende Drehung um die Hochachse, bis eine Geradeausfahrt in die Fahrtrichtung möglich ist;
   2. 2. Zufällige Festlegung einer Distanz zwischen 1 m und 5 m und anschließendes Zurücklegen der Distanz durch Geradeausfahrt, wobei die Fahrt durch Erkennen eines Hindernisses oder durch Eingabe vorzeitig beendet oder die Richtung der Bewegung geändert werden kann;
   3. 3. Zufällige Festlegung einer Wartezeit zwischen einer und fünf Sekunden, danach Schritt 1;
2. ii. Abfahren des Weges mit konkretem Fahrtziel, bestehend aus folgenden Schritten:
   1. 1. Ermittlung aktuelle Position über internes Positioniersystem, Rückverfolgung Motorbewegungen sowie bevorzugt durch farbliche Positionsmarkierungen auf dem Fußboden;
   2. 2. Wegplanung über internes Positioniersystem umfassend Hindernisse und/oder erkannter Hindernisse mittels Kameras und/oder Sensoren;
   3. 3. Schrittweises Abfahren des Weges, dabei laufende Korrektur der Position über Abgleich internes Positioniersystem mit mittels Kameras und/oder Sensoren sondierter Umgebung,
   4. 4. Bei sondierten unerwarteten Hindernissen Umfahren bzw. Unterbrechen der Fahrt;
   5. 5. Bei Unterbrechung der Fahrt länger als 10 Sekunden Aussenden von Hilfesignal.

It is preferred to provide a method for traversing a path of an autonomous mobile robot, which is characterized by

1. i. Departing the route without a specific destination, consisting of the following steps:
   1. 1. Random determination of a direction of travel and subsequent rotation about the vertical axis until a straight ahead in the direction of travel is possible;
   2. 2. Accidental determination of a distance between 1 m and 5 m and then covering the distance by driving straight ahead, the drive by detection of an obstacle or by entering prematurely terminated or the direction of movement can be changed;
   3. 3. Randomly set a waiting time between one and five seconds, then step 1;
2. ii. Departing the path with a concrete destination, consisting of the following steps:
   1. 1. Determination of current position via internal positioning system, tracing engine movements and preferably by means of colored position markings on the floor;
   2. 2. path planning via internal positioning system comprising obstacles and / or detected obstacles by means of cameras and / or sensors;
   3. 3. Stepping down the path, thereby correcting the position via adjustment of the internal positioning system with surroundings probed by means of cameras and / or sensors.
   4. 4. When probing unexpected obstacles avoiding or interrupting the journey;
   5. 5. If the trip is interrupted for more than 10 seconds, send the help signal.

For random determination of a direction of travel, distance and / or a waiting time, for example, a random number generator can be used. To define a direction of travel, for example, an angle in the form of a degree or radian measure can be specified.

An auxiliary signal can be output, for example in the form of an audio and / or visual signal. However, it may also be preferable to transmit a signal via the input device. By the presented method, a way can be driven in a particularly simple and reliable way.

The drive without a destination serves the presence of the robot, for example at exhibitions, where he can drive around and offer drinks. This trip can be stopped at any time by a signal from the proximity sensors, the ground sensors, the limit sensors or the entry of a destination.

The journey begins with the random determination of a direction of travel. The robot rotates by means of opposite movement of the right and left wheels on the spot until the desired direction of travel is reached. Now, a distance of between one and five meters is randomly selected and covered by driving straight ahead. When the target point is reached, a random wait time between one and five seconds is inserted. Then the ride starts again without a destination.

Preferred sequence of a journey without a destination: if an obstacle is detected when driving through the floor sensors, the current process is aborted and, if possible, a backward travel of 40 cm is made to have sufficient maneuvering distance.

Preferred sequence of a journey with destination: the journey with destination requires knowledge of the current position. This is realized via an internal map of the room, the tracing of the engine movements (odometry), as well as colored position markings on the floor. The system uses the most recent movements to make a guess about position and orientation in space. Using the map, which recognizes fixed obstacles among other things, he now plans a route to the destination using the A * algorithm. This is now traversed step by step, with colored markers on the floor serve to confirm the course of the robot, or the assumed position or correct.

If an unexpected obstacle has been detected via the sensors in the chassis or carcass, this obstacle is automatically bypassed or, if it can not be avoided, stopped. After a service life of more than 10 seconds, a help signal is sent.

If there are no color markings, the robot uses the camera and the software-based image recognition to orientate itself to avoid obstacles. If the destination is reached, for example, a beverage request is executed or waited for input of a beverage request.

1. 1. Eingabe eines Getränkewunschs über Eingabeelement;
2. 2. Drehung eines Rondells mittels eines Schrittmotors solange, bis eine Bodenschiene, auf der ein Getränkebehälter mit dem gewünschten Getränk geführt ist, auf den Transportturm zeigt;
3. 3. Bewegen des Transportwagens mittels Schrittmotor auf eine geeignete Höhe relativ zur Bodenschiene;
4. 4. Ausfahren des Greifarms entlang der Bodenschiene bis zum Getränkebehälter, wobei die Federstopper beiseite geschoben werden;
5. 5. Greifen des Getränkebehälters und Einfahren des Greifarms, so dass der Getränkebehälter im Transportwagen verbracht wird;
6. 6. Bewegen des Transportwagens mittels Schrittmotor auf eine geeignete Höhe relativ zur Servierkuppel;
7. 7. Ausfahren des Greifarms und Loslassen des Getränkebehälters, so dass dieser auf die Servierkuppel verbracht wird.

Furthermore, it is preferred to provide a method for providing drinks of an autonomous, mobile robot comprising the following steps:

1. 1. input of a beverage request via input element;
2. 2. Rotation of a rondel by means of a stepping motor until a bottom rail, on which a beverage container is guided with the desired beverage, points to the transport tower;
3. 3. Moving the trolley by means of a stepper motor to a suitable height relative to the bottom rail;
4. 4. extending the gripper arm along the bottom rail to the beverage container, with the spring stoppers pushed aside;
5. 5. Grasping the beverage container and retracting the gripper arm, so that the beverage container is spent in the trolley;
6. 6. Moving the trolley by means of a stepping motor to a suitable height relative to the Servierkuppel;
7. 7. Extend the gripper arm and release the beverage container so that it is placed on the serving dome.

In this way, a drink can be provided in a particularly simple and reliable manner. A quality survey is achieved compared to the state of the art. Preferred sequence of the operation of a beverage request: A prerequisite for this behavior pattern is an already received beverage request, as well as the direct proximity to the customer. These is achieved by driving with or without a destination. The robot has the ability to hold its own drink for each compartment of a roundel. The drinks are recorded in a database, which is available to the robot in its internal memory. It contains for each compartment the type of beverage, as well as the level (eg. 0 - 3 bottles). In the first step, the local database queries in which compartments the desired beverage is contained and what its level is. In order to obtain an even distribution of content and thus to minimize balance problems, these subjects are sorted by level descending and selected from the fullest compartments one. If the drink is not available this will be communicated via the control panel and asked for alternative requests. In the next step, the corresponding roundel is positioned by means of a motor so that the selected compartment stands directly in front of the robot's transport tower. Following this, the trolley in the transport tower is driven to the height of the rondel. Now the gripper moves slowly on the rail and surrounds the bottle until the limit switch of the bottle holder triggers, so the bottle is on the foot. Now the gripper is retracted again and thus pulls the bottle to the transport tower. Subsequently, the trolley is transported in the transport tower up to the Servierkuppel. There, the gripper is extended to a serving position in the middle of the serving dome to allow the customer to remove the drink. If the bottle has not been removed within a period of 15 seconds, a fixed destination is driven and waited there until a maintenance person removes the bottle. Subsequently, another order is processed or the maintenance point is approached or the journey continues without a destination.

In a further embodiment, the invention relates to a use of a previously described system for providing drinks.

Through the use of the above-described system for providing drinks, a powerful and efficient provision of beverages can be achieved.

Those skilled in the art will recognize that the preferred embodiments and advantages thereof disclosed for the system also apply to its use in the invention.

Preferably, the above object is achieved with the features of the claims. (Advantageous embodiments of the device according to the invention are specified in subclaims.)

A preferred embodiment is characterized in that it consists of three beverage pods, which are arranged one above the other within a cylindrical construction, wherein the gripping arm can direct a drink, depending on the choice of serving, directly. For this purpose, it is preferable to rotate the rondel selected by the programmed automatic and to bring the gripping arm into the position so that it can grasp a bottle horizontally. The gripper arm then moves preferably in the position from which it can drive vertically in the height until it reaches the serving platform. At this altitude, he prefers to drive vertically to serving position from which the customer can then take the drink.

Further preferred embodiments:

1. 1. dass dieser durch Sensoren, welche die Umwelt über Ultraschall, Lichtreflex und Farben aufnehmend und diese Informationen mit Hilfe einer Software auswertend, selbstständig einen Weg zu fahren in der Lage ist und durch Kameras, die Hindernisse aufnimmt und mit Hilfe einer Bilderkennungssoftware und mit Hilfe von Bewertungsalgorithmen und durch die Kenntnis des augenblicklichen Ortes durch ein lokales Positionierungssystem mit Informationsbaken selbstständig den Weg zu einem vorgegebenen Ziel zu finden in der Lage ist,
2. 2. ein Getränk per drahtloser Fernbedienung, installiert auf einem tragbaren Minicomputer wie zum Beispiel Smartphone oder Tablett PC, ausgewählt werden kann
3. 3. und aus dem im zylindrischen Inneren übereinander angeordneten kreisförmig geformten Scheiben mit radial sternförmig angeordneten 6 Stück Bahnen, den Getränketabletts oder Getränkerondellen, das bestellte Getränk richtig ausgewählt
4. 4. und dem an einem anderen Ort in der Lokalität sich befindenden Kunden, in möglichst kurzer Zeit auf der oberen Plattform serviert wird.
5. 5. Ein Roboter nach 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die Greifmechanik beliebig geformte Flaschen und Büchsen (Behältnisse) greifen, halten und im gewünschten Moment lösen kann. Die Greifmechanik im Sinne der Erfindung besteht aus entlang der radial auf den kreisförmigen Flaschentabletts angeordneten Bahnen auf senkrechten Stiften angebrachten, im Schnitt einem Viertelkreis entsprechenden Halteklötzen, die federnd gelagert sind. Durch eine Schiene der die Behältnisse greifenden Hebelkonstruktion, werden die Halteklötze von dem Behältnis gelöst und die an der zurückweichenden Hebelkonstruktion befestigten Halteklötze sorgen für den sicheren Halt des Behältnisses und der Beförderung dieses aus dem Getränkerondell.
6. 6. Ein Roboter nach 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die Getränkerondelle heraus fahrbar sind und eine schnelle Nachfüllung der Getränke möglich ist. Die Rondelle sind dazu auf einer vom Durchmesser her gleichen und runden Platte aufgelegt, die nach 3 angetrieben ist. Diese kann auf Teleskoparm ineinandergreifenden Profilen, die gegenüberliegend angebracht sind, aus dem Inneren der zylindrischen herausgezogen und beladen werden.

A robot delivering an ordered and paid drink, characterized

1. 1. that this by sensors that the environment via ultrasound, light reflection and colors recording and evaluating this information by means of software, is able to independently drive a way and by cameras, the obstacles takes and with the help of an image recognition software and with the help of evaluation algorithms and by knowing the current location by a local positioning system with information beacons to independently find the way to a given destination,
2. 2. A drink can be selected via wireless remote control installed on a portable minicomputer such as a smartphone or tablet PC
3. 3. and from the cylindrical inside superimposed circularly shaped discs with radially star-shaped arranged 6 pieces of webs, the beverage trays or beverage clusters, the ordered drink properly selected
4. 4. and the customer located elsewhere in the locality will be served on the upper platform in as short a time as possible.
5. 5. A robot according to 1, characterized in that the gripping mechanism grab arbitrarily shaped bottles and cans (containers), hold and can solve at the desired moment. The gripping mechanism according to the invention consists of along the radially arranged on the circular bottle trays trajectories mounted on vertical pins, in section a quarter circle corresponding holding blocks, which are resiliently mounted. By a rail of the containers gripping lever construction, the holding blocks are released from the container and attached to the receding lever design retaining blocks ensure the secure hold of the container and the transport of this from the beverage drowning.
6. 6. A robot according to 1, characterized in that the beverage dished out are mobile and a quick refilling of the drinks is possible. The rondels are placed on a diameter of the same and round plate, which is driven by 3. This can be pulled out and loaded on telescopic arm interlocking profiles, which are mounted opposite, from the inside of the cylindrical.

list of figures

• 1 Schematic representation of the robot
• 2 Schematic representation of the bottle rondel
• 3 Schematic representation of the gripper arm and the spring stopper

Detailed description of the pictures

The robot consists (see Fig. No.1) of the chassis (a), the battery packs (b), the transport tower with the cameras for 3D environment detection (c), the trolley (d), the body (s) with the three Bottle rondels (p), and a Servierkuppel (f) with control computer and control panel. The body is enclosed with two doors made of acrylic glass.

The chassis (a), in the preferred variant, is powered by four stepper motors that generate propulsion and steering. In addition, the chassis has front and rear mountings for ultrasonic and infrared sensors as well as bottom and color sensors down to allow the robot to detect obstacles. Furthermore, brackets for the carcass, the transport tower and batteries are available. The power supply is realized by two battery packs (b). They deliver each 36V with 10 Ah power. The body (s) contains three superimposed drawers (o), which serve to accommodate bottle rondels. The front door makes it possible for the user to uncover these drawers and pull them out one by one to exchange the bottle rondels. This allows a quick replenishment of the robot. The individual drawers each have a stepper motor and the associated electronics, with a toothed belt drive for turning the bottle rondelle. The transport tower (c) serves for the vertical transport of the drinks from the bottle rondelles to the serving dome (f). It is powered by a stepper motor. Via a toothed belt drive, the transport trolley can be positioned in front of each bottle rondell to grip the bottles there. There are limit switches on the transport tower at the top and bottom for automatic adjustment of the transport height.

A bottle rondel (see FIG. 2) serves to receive and transport drinks. The drinks are arranged in a star shape on six axes with three drinks each. Powered by a stepper motor, the rondel is allowed to turn one of the six drink axes to the trolley. A limit switch on the rondel enables the automatic alignment of the bottles. The roundel consists of the roundel base (l), six star-shaped bottom rails (m) for the bottle base, and six spring stoppers per axis.

The spring stopper (s) counteract the centrifugal force during the rotation of the rondel and keep the bottles in the rondel. By means of gripper rail, the spring stops can be pushed aside to allow the removal of the bottle.

The trolley (d) is used to grasp and transport the drinks from the bottle rondelles to the serving dome. It consists (see Fig. No. 3) of the transport housing (g) with bearings for support rails, two telescopic crosses (h), a bottle holder (i) with beverage foot, a gripper rail (j) for overcoming the bottle stopper in the bottle rondelles, and thereon mounted gripper springs (k) for holding a beverage bottle (p). To grasp a bottle, the trolley is brought from the transport tower to the necessary height for gripping from one of the three bottle rondelles. The bottle holder (i) is extended by telescopic cross (h) and brought to the bottle. The gripper rail (j) pushes the stoppers on the bottle rondel aside and thus allows the bottle to be removed. The gripper springs (k) enclose the bottle and hold it firmly on the beverage foot. By retracting the telescope cross (h), the bottle is now pulled out of the bottle rondel and can be brought to the Servierkuppel by means of transport vehicles and served there. Furthermore, a button on the gripper is attached, which triggers when a bottle has reached the rear end of the bottle holder.

Claims (10)

Drinking robot, characterized in that the robot, at least four sensors, at least two cameras, a chassis with at least three wheels, at least two drive stepper motors for driving the wheels, at least one power supply, at least one control electronics, at least with the sensors, the cameras and the Stepper motors via at least one bus system is connected, as well as at least one Servierkuppel for the drinks and the control electronics is configured so that this on the basis of the sensors and cameras, which probe the environment via ultrasound and / or electromagnetic radiation and drive on the basis of countable steps of the stepper motor independently, wherein the driving of the path comprises at least one predetermined direction of travel and a predetermined distance and obstacles can be detected when driving off. Beverage robot after Claim 1 wherein the at least one control electronics additionally comprises at least one internal positioning system for traversing the path. Drinking robot according to one or more of the preceding claims, which comprises at least two pairs of wheels. Drinking robot according to one or more of the preceding claims, which for driving the wheels two to ten individually controllable drive step motors, more preferably three to seven individually controllable drive step motors, in particular four individually controllable drive step motors comprising a maximum speed of 6 km / h, preferably a maximum of 5 km / h. Drinking robot according to one or more of the preceding claims, comprising at least one body for storing beverage containers and at least one transport tower for the vertical transport of beverage containers from the body to the Servierkuppel, comprising a driven by a stepper motor trolley and a gripping arm. Beverage robot after Claim 5 wherein the body has at least two superimposed circular Rondelle, which are rotatable via at least one stepping motor, wherein on each Rondell on at least three star-shaped radially mounted floor rails in these feasible beverage containers can be arranged, which arranged by pairs along the length of the bottom rail and spring-mounted Spring stopper can be held in position, wherein the spring stops are substantially quarter-circular segments, one round side is arranged in the direction of the Rondellumfangs and the respective associated spring stopper. System comprising beverage robots according to one or more of the preceding claims and at least one input device for inputting at least one beverage request and / or for carrying out at least one payment process for a beverage. System after Claim 7 , comprising markings on the floor, which can be detected with the aid of the sensors and / or cameras and serve an orientation when traveling the path. System after Claim 8 where the marks are color markers and different colors encode different instructions to the control electronics. Use of a system according to the previous claims for providing drinks.

Images