JP2003334773A - Bipedal walking robot - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an inexpensive and stably walking bipedal walking robot. <P>SOLUTION: This bipedal walking robot 10a has a body 12, two legs 14 for supporting the body 12, and an auxiliary arm 20 for supporting the body 12 at three points together with the two legs 14 when having the possibility of overturning, and transfers to a three-pint support state in a first place by the two legs 14 and the auxiliary arm 20 from an overturning state at overturning, and next, transfers to a bipedal walking state by the two legs 14 from the three-point support state. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a bipedal robot, and more particularly to a bipedal robot used as a cleaning robot.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Robot moving mechanisms are roughly classified into a wheel type and a leg type. The leg type is superior to the wheel type in that it can handle uneven floor surfaces such as steps.
Further, the leg type includes a multi-legged walking type and a bipedal walking type. The multi-legged walking type is superior to the bipedal walking type in terms of stable walking, but the size and weight increase and the energy consumption also increases due to the increase in the number of mechanical parts corresponding to the number of legs. On the other hand, the bipedal walking type can be made compact and lightweight, and the projected area in plan view can be reduced, so that the bipedal walking type can move freely even in a narrow place. Further, since the bipedal walking type has the same movement mechanism as that of a human being, it is optimal as a movement mechanism in a human activity space.

[0003]

However, it is more difficult for the bipedal walking type to walk while maintaining a stable posture, as compared with the wheel type or the multipedal walking type. Therefore, so-called feedback control is adopted for the posture control of the bipedal walking robot. Specifically, for example, a bending angle command value is given to the drive motor of the joint of the robot, and the command value,
The actual bending angle of the joint measured by an encoder or the like connected to the drive motor is compared, and an operation amount such that the control deviation between the two is as small as possible is added to the command value to the drive motor of the joint. However, since the feedback control is performed in a dynamic environment, the situation changes between the time when the measured value is obtained and the time when the operation amount is given, and a control deviation inevitably occurs. If there is a control deviation, the timing, the locus of movement of the center of gravity, etc. are deviated, and stable walking of the robot becomes difficult.

Further, since a high-performance arithmetic processing unit is required in order to reduce the control deviation as much as possible, the weight and energy consumption increase, and the price also increases. Furthermore, it is possible to increase the contact area of the foot of the robot to improve stability.
On the contrary, depending on the condition of the walking surface, the stability may be impaired.
Therefore, a main object of the present invention is to provide a bipedal robot which is inexpensive and can walk stably.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a bipedal walking robot according to claim 1 has a main body, two legs supporting the main body, and a possibility of falling. An auxiliary means for supporting the main body at three points together with the two legs is provided. In addition, "when there is a possibility of tipping over" in claim 1 means a case where the robot may tip over if the main body is supported by only two legs. Not only during the transition to
This is also meant to include the case where the fall state is in the process of transitioning to the bipedal walking state.

A bipedal walking robot according to a second aspect of the present invention is the bipedal walking robot according to the first aspect, wherein a means for transitioning from a fall state to a three-point support state by two legs and auxiliary means, and three It is characterized by further comprising means for shifting from a point support state to a bipedal walking state by two legs. The bipedal robot according to claim 3 is the bipedal robot according to claim 1 or 2, which is a cleaning robot.

In the bipedal walking robot according to claim 1,
When there is a possibility of tipping over, the two legs and auxiliary means ground at three points to support the main body at three points,
It is difficult to fall and can maintain a stable posture, and as a result, stable walking is possible. In addition, since it can be once in a stationary state supported by three points, it does not require a high-performance arithmetic processing device that is required for feedback control, the structure can be simplified, and it is small, lightweight and inexpensive. A biped walking robot can be obtained.

In the bipedal robot according to claim 2,
When a person falls down, it is possible to shift from a fall state to a rest state in which the robot is supported by three points, and then shift from a three-point support state to a bipedal walking state with two legs. For this reason,
Once it is in a predetermined state in which it is supported by three points, it shifts to a bipedal walking state by two legs, so it always shifts to a bipedal walking state through the same process (the same program) from the three-point supporting state. be able to. Therefore, it is possible to cope with a fall with a simple structure.

When the bipedal robot is applied to the cleaning robot as described in claim 3, since the bipedal can usually walk with two legs, it can move freely even in a narrow place indoors such as a general household. It can be cleaned by expanding the range that can be cleaned. Further, since it is small and lightweight, it is excellent in safety for people even if it falls down, and it is possible to minimize the destruction of furniture and the like and the impact on the robot itself. Furthermore, for example, if the auxiliary means is formed in a tubular shape and dust or the like is sucked from the tip of the auxiliary means, the three-point support state is substantially achieved during cleaning, and walking and cleaning can be performed in a stable state. .

[0010]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, a bipedal walking robot 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Is used as a cleaning robot that automates the cleaning of indoors such as various facilities, shops, and general households. The biped robot 10 includes a body 12 having a substantially oval shape. The body 12 is supported by the two legs 14. The legs 14 are driven by a motor 16. A control unit 18 for controlling the motor 16 is provided in the main body 12, and the biped walking robot 10 is formed so that two legs 14 can walk biped by an instruction from the control unit 18. Further, the main body 12 is formed so that the center of gravity is on the ventral side of the main body 12.

An extendable auxiliary arm 20 is further attached to the front side of the two legs 14 of the main body 12. The auxiliary arm 20 can support the main body 12 at three points together with the two leg portions 14 in a state where the two leg portions 14 and the tip end portions of the auxiliary arm 20 (a suction port 20a described later) are grounded. The auxiliary arm 20 is the actuator 2
Driven by two. In this embodiment, the auxiliary arm 20 is formed in a tubular shape, and the suction port 20a of the vacuum cleaner is provided at the tip thereof.
Have. Further, a cleaner unit 24 is provided in the main body 12, and the cleaner unit 24 can suck dust and the like from the suction port 20a through the auxiliary arm 20. The cleaner unit 24 is controlled by the control unit 18. The cleaner unit does not need to be incorporated in the main body 12. For example, since the main body 12 has a structure that is connected to an existing vacuum cleaner, dust and the like can be sucked from the suction port 20a by using the function of the existing vacuum cleaner.

The control unit 18 can further determine a tilt sensor 26 for detecting how many times the biped walking robot 10 is tilted, an acceleration sensor 28 for detecting the degree of wobbling of the biped walking robot 10, and a posture determination. To detect the ground contact point of the bipedal walking robot 10,
For example, a contact sensor 32 provided on the abdomen of the main body 12 for determining whether or not the person is in a flattened state, a distance measuring sensor 34 for measuring a distance to a surrounding object, an angle of a joint such as the leg portion 14 are converted into an electric signal. An encoder 36 that converts and transmits to the control unit 18, a memory 38 that stores a program and various data for the operation of the bipedal walking robot 10, and a battery 40 that stores electric energy that is a power source of the bipedal walking robot 10. , A transmitter 42 for wirelessly transmitting an electrical signal to a remote controller (not shown) for wirelessly operating the bipedal robot 10, and a receiver 4 for wirelessly receiving an electrical signal from the remote controller.
4 is connected.

In a stable state as shown in FIG. 1A, the bipedal walking robot 10 uses the auxiliary arm 20 to clean while walking bipedally with two legs 14. If the posture becomes unstable due to a step on the ground or vibration,
As shown in FIG. 1B, a three-point support posture in which the two legs 14 and the auxiliary arm 20 are grounded at three points with a predetermined gap and the main body 12 is supported at three points (three-point support state). Can be quickly transferred to.

The posture control of the bipedal walking robot 10 will be described with reference to FIG. 3A to 3D are schematic views of the bipedal walking robot 10 viewed from the front side, and FIG. 3E is a bipedal walking robot when FIG. 3B is viewed from above. It is an illustration figure for demonstrating the position of the gravity center G1 of 10.

As shown in FIG. 3 (a), the biped robot 10 cleans with the auxiliary arm 20 while walking biped with the two legs 14 in a normal stable state. And
When the posture becomes unstable as shown in FIG. 3B, the three-point support posture is promptly changed as shown in FIG. 3C. As shown in FIG. 3E, the bipedal walking robot 1
At 0, since the auxiliary arm 20 is attached to the front side of the two leg portions 14 and the center of gravity G1 is located on the ventral side of the main body 12, when viewed from above,
The center of gravity G1 is located inside the triangle formed by the three points at which the two legs 14 and the auxiliary arm 20 are grounded. Therefore, when the biped robot 10 is in an unstable state, it dynamically shifts to a three-point support posture as shown in FIG. Then, when the stable state is achieved by the three-point support posture as shown in FIG. 3C, the bipedal walking robot 10 is returned to the bipedal walking state as shown in FIG. 3D by a predetermined program.

Although FIG. 3 illustrates the case where the posture is unstable and the robot returns from a tilted state, the bipedal walking robot 10 can return to a bipedal walking state even from a completely fallen state. The operation of the bipedal walking robot 10 including the case of returning from the overturned state to the bipedal walking state will be described based on a more preferable embodiment shown in FIGS. 4 and 5.

A bipedal robot 1 shown in FIGS. 4 and 5.
0a is formed similarly to the bipedal walking robot 10 except that it has a cover 46. 4B to 4E, only the outline of the cover 46 is shown for convenience of description. In addition, FIG. 5 is an illustrative view of the bipedal walking robot 10a viewed from the leg portion 14 side. The bipedal robot 10a has a cover 46 that covers at least the main body 12. Cover 46
Is formed into a hollow, substantially cylindrical shape, and is a biped robot 10
It has a curved protrusion 46a on the back side of a. Although not shown, the cover 46 is provided with appropriate notches for freely moving the leg portion 14 and the auxiliary arm 20.

The operation of the bipedal walking robot 10a will be described with reference to FIGS. In a normal stable state, the bipedal walking robot 10a performs cleaning while bipedal walking (step S1), and unstable posture determination processing is performed (step S3).

In the unstable posture determination process, as shown in FIG. 7, first, the posture data A obtained from the tilt sensor 26 is collected (step S5). Next, the tilt sensor 26
The posture data A obtained from the above is compared with the set threshold value stored in the memory 38 as table data in advance, and whether or not the biped walking robot 10a has an unstable posture (in the present embodiment, the biped walking robot 10a). Is tilted by 30 degrees or more) (step S7). The set threshold is, for example, the center of gravity G2 of the bipedal walking robot 10a.
(See FIGS. 4 and 5) and the positions of the two legs 14 are determined. If the inclination is less than 30 degrees, it is determined that the posture is not unstable, that is, the posture is stable, and the process returns to step S5. If it is determined that the inclination is 30 degrees or more, it is determined that the posture is unstable, and the process proceeds to step S9.
In step S9, it is further determined whether or not the bipedal walking robot 10a is in a falling state (in this embodiment, whether or not the inclination of the bipedal walking robot 10a is 90 degrees).
If the inclination is not 90 degrees, it is determined that the vehicle is not in a fall state, and a predetermined fall avoidance signal is issued from the control unit 18,
The bipedal robot 10a enters the three-point support posture as described with reference to FIG. 3 and avoids the fall (step S11).
If the inclination is 90 degrees, it is determined that the vehicle is in the overturned state as shown in FIG. 4B, and the process proceeds to step S13 to perform the recovery process from the overturned state.

The process of returning from the fall state is shown in FIG.
It is performed as shown in. When the bipedal walking robot 10a is in the fall state as shown in FIG.
And the three-point support transition posture as shown in (d) is obtained (step S15). That is, the auxiliary arm 20 is contracted and brought to the head side of the bipedal walking robot 10a as much as possible toward the main body 12 side, and the leg portions 14 are stored in the cover 46 as much as possible and as shown in FIG. The cover 4 when the legged walking robot 10a is viewed from the leg 14 side
Positioning the legs 14 within the outline of 6 provides a posture that does not hinder rotation along the outer surface of the cover 46, which will be described later. Then, since the center of gravity G2 of the bipedal walking robot 10a is on the ventral side and the cover 46 has the protrusion 46a on the back side, the bipedal walking robot 10a can easily move along the outer surface of the cover 46 by a mechanical action. Rotate, Figure 4
The prone state is shown in (d) and FIG. 5 (b).
Even in the case of the bipedal walking robot 10 without the cover 46, the body 12 is formed in a substantially oval shape, so that the center of gravity G1 is formed.
It can be rotated so as to be in a prone position by adjusting the position, adjusting the weight balance, and the like.

Next, from the contact sensor 32 and the inclination sensor 26, the posture data B indicating whether the bipedal walking robot 10a is in a predetermined prone state as shown in FIG. 4D, or the acceleration sensor 28 from the bipedal walking robot 10a. Acceleration data on whether the vehicle is stationary is collected (step S1).
7). Then, it is determined whether the three-point support posture can be achieved, that is, whether the bipedal walking robot 10a is in a predetermined prone state and still (step S19), and when it is determined that the three-point support posture cannot be achieved. Step S
Return to 17. The bipedal robot 10a repeats steps S17 and S19 and enters a standby state until a state in which the robot can shift to the three-point support posture. If it is determined that the three-point support posture can be achieved, the auxiliary arm 20 is pulled toward the leg 14 side and is gradually extended, thereby transitioning to the three-point support posture as shown in FIG. Step S21). As described above, the bipedal robot 10a always takes the three-point support posture once it becomes the unstable posture. Then, the process proceeds to step S23, and the process of returning to bipedal walking is performed.

The biped walking return process is performed, for example, as shown in FIG. First, the posture data C of the bipedal walking robot 10a obtained from the tilt sensor 26, the pressure sensor 30, the encoder 36, and the like, and the acceleration sensor 2
Acceleration data obtained from step 8 is collected (step S
25). Next, based on these data, it is determined whether or not the ground state on which the bipedal walking robot 10a is in contact with the ground is stable, that is, the step or inclination is small enough to allow the bipedal walking robot 10a to walk bipedal, or It is determined whether or not it is in a stable state without any vibration due to an earthquake or the like (step S27). If it is determined that the ground is not in a stable state, the bipedal walking robot 10a walks in the three-point support posture (step S29), and step S2.
Return to 5. Then, steps S25 to S29 are repeated until the ground is determined to be in a stable state, and the robot walks in a three-point support posture. When it is determined that the ground is in a stable state, the auxiliary arm 20 is further pulled toward the leg portion 14 to restore the standing state by the two leg portions 14 and the biped walking is restarted ( Step S31).

According to the bipedal walking robot 10 (10a), when there is a possibility of tipping over, the two legs 14 and the auxiliary arm 20 are grounded at three points to support the main body 12, so It is difficult to do and can maintain a stable posture,
As a result, stable walking is possible. Further, since the predetermined three-point support posture is always supported once by three points, it is possible to shift from the three-point support posture to the bipedal walk using a predetermined program (pattern data) created in advance. Further, since the stable (resting) state is always obtained by the three-point support posture, an error is unlikely to occur in the data obtained from the various sensors 26 to 34, and a high-performance arithmetic processing device required for feedback control. It is possible to obtain a small-sized, lightweight and inexpensive bipedal robot that does not require a robot, has a simple structure. In addition, the weight reduction makes it possible to improve the mobility of the bipedal walking robot 10 (10a) and save energy. Further, since the posture becomes stable if stopped in a state of being supported by three points, it is not necessary to perform real-time balance control for maintaining a stable posture in the stopped state, and this also enables energy saving.

Further, since the bipedal robot 10 (10a) normally walks on two legs, it has a small projected area in plan view, and has a large degree of freedom to move around even in a narrow place such as indoors of a general household. Further, it is possible to move to a place having a step such as a staircase or a threshold that cannot be moved by the wheel type. In addition, the biped robot 10 (10a) can extend and retract the auxiliary arm 20. Therefore, the range that can be cleaned by the bipedal walking robot 10 (10a) is wide, and it is possible to clean, for example, a narrow gap where the main body 12 cannot enter or a high place such as a desk.

When descending stairs, the auxiliary arm 20
By descending while supporting three points using, the biped walking robot 10 (10a) does not have a large impact at the time of landing, and the legs 14 do not have to be deeply bent, so that the posture does not become unstable, Furthermore, since the amount of bending is small, it also saves energy. Further, since the bipedal walking robot 10 (10a) can be formed in a small size and light weight as described above, it is excellent in safety for a person even if it falls down, destroys furniture and the bipedal walking robot 10 (10a). You can minimize the impact on yourself. Furthermore, it is possible to cope with cases where bipedal walking becomes difficult due to external environmental factors such as vibration and wind caused by an earthquake, and safety can be ensured.

Further, the bipedal walking robot 10 (10a)
Then, during cleaning, the auxiliary arm 20 is also grounded, and the main body 1
Since the two 2 are substantially supported by the two legs 14 and the auxiliary arm 20 at three points, the user can walk and clean in a stable state at all times. Further, since the bipedal robot 10a has the cover 46, even when the person falls down on the back as shown in FIG. 4 (b), the prone three-point support as shown in FIG. 4 (d) can be performed easily and reliably. You can be in a transition position.

A bipedal walking robot 10b according to another embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The bipedal robot 10b is formed similarly to the bipedal robot 10 except that the bipedal robot 10b further includes a camera 48. The bipedal robot 10b has a camera 48 on the upper portion of the main body 12. Focusing and zoom magnification of the camera 48 are controlled by the control unit 18. The shooting direction of the camera 48 is adjusted according to the movement of the entire bipedal robot 10b.
The image captured by the camera 48 is transmitted to the remote controller possessed by the operator via the transmitter 42, for example. In this case, the remote controller may be provided with a display unit such as a liquid crystal monitor so that the operator can see the image transmitted from the bipedal robot 10b.

According to the bipedal walking robot 10b, the operator can freely remotely operate the bipedal walking robot 10b while looking at the display section of the remote controller even in a place outside the visual field of the naked eye. Therefore, for example, as shown in FIG. 10, a desired place such as a desk 49 can be cleaned by the bipedal walking robot 10b. Also, it is possible to clean while visually confirming whether it is a necessary item or dust / dust.

Next, a bipedal walking robot 10c according to another embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 11 and 12. The bipedal robot 10c is used as a monitoring robot that monitors an absence home indoors, for example, in various facilities, stores, or ordinary homes. The bipedal walking robot 10c is formed in the same manner as the bipedal walking robot 10 unless otherwise specified. Biped robot 10c
Compared to the bipedal walking robot 10, does not have the cleaner unit 24, but has an auxiliary arm 50 formed in a cane-like shape instead of the auxiliary arm 20. The auxiliary arm 50 is driven by an actuator 52, and the actuator 52
Is controlled by the controller 18.

A camera 48 is provided above the main body 12. Focusing and zoom magnification of the camera 48 are controlled by the control unit 18. The shooting direction of the camera 48 is adjusted according to the movement of the entire bipedal robot 10c. The image taken by the camera 48 is transmitted via the transmission unit 42 to a portable terminal possessed by the operator, a terminal device of a security company, or the like. The bipedal walking robot 10c is shown in FIG.
In the stable state as shown in (a), the camera 48 captures an indoor image while walking on two legs 14 with two legs. And
When the posture becomes unstable due to a step on the ground, vibration, or the like, as shown in FIG. 11B, the auxiliary arm 50 is extended, and the extended auxiliary arm 50 and the two leg portions 1 are provided.
It is possible to quickly shift to a three-point supporting posture in which the body 4 is grounded at three points at predetermined intervals and the main body 12 is supported at three points.

According to the bipedal walking robot 10c, the bipedal walking robot 10c is capable of bipedal walking and can move in a wide range substantially similar to that of a human being, so that the camera 48 has a wide imageable range and a small blind spot. Therefore, if the bipedal walking robot 10c is used as a monitoring robot, the area to be monitored can be monitored almost without omission, and security is improved.

Next, a bipedal walking robot 10d according to another embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The bipedal walking robot 10d is formed similarly to the bipedal walking robot 10c except that the arm 54 and the actuator 56 are used. Biped robot 10
d has an arm 54. The base end of the arm 54 is the main body 1
The camera 48 is attached to the tip of the arm 54.
Is provided. The arm 54 has a joint portion 54a, and is formed to be bendable at the joint portion 54a. Further, the arm 54 is formed sufficiently long with respect to the main body 12 and the leg portion 14 in this embodiment. The arm 54 is the actuator 5
Driven by 6. The actuator 56 is the control unit 1.
Controlled by 8. The shooting direction of the camera 48 is adjusted by the movement of the entire bipedal robot 10d, the movement of the arm 54, and the like. In the bipedal walking robot 10d,
Since the arm 54 is formed long and the camera 48 is installed at the tip of the arm 54, in order to improve stability,
The two legs 14 and the auxiliary arm 50 are photographed in a three-point support posture in which they are in contact with the ground at a predetermined interval.

According to the bipedal walking robot 10d, the posture is stable if the three-point support posture is set during photographing, so that even when photographing with the camera 48 on the high platform 58, for example,
There is no need to perform balance control such as feedback control. Therefore, it is possible to obtain a small-sized, lightweight and inexpensive bipedal robot having a simple structure. In addition, the camera shaft can be fixed by stabilizing the posture in the three-point supporting posture, and the photographed image does not shake, so that a highly accurate image can be photographed. In addition, since the posture is stable, it is hard to fall and safety is improved.

Next, a bipedal walking robot 10e according to another embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The bipedal robot 10e is a bipedal robot 10e.
It is formed in the same manner as the bipedal walking robot 10d, except that a holding means (not shown) is provided at the tip of the arm 54 of d instead of the camera 48. The holding means is, for example, 2
It is formed as a holding means capable of holding the luggage 60 with a book or a plurality of claws, or as a suction means such as a suction cup or a magnet. The holding means is driven by an actuator (not shown),
The actuator is controlled by the control unit 18.

Since the bipedal walking robot 10e has a three-point supporting posture as in the case of the bipedal walking robot 10d, loading and unloading and transportation of the luggage 60 can be performed without special balance control. According to the bipedal walking robot 10e, the luggage 60 is loaded and unloaded and transported in the three-point supporting posture, and the posture is more stable than in the case of the two-point supporting by the bipedal walking. The weight increases. Further, since the allowable weight is large, safety is improved.

The above-mentioned biped robots 10b-1b.
It goes without saying that at 0d, the shooting direction of the camera 48 can be adjusted by moving the camera 48 itself. In addition, step S of the unstable posture determination process shown in FIG.
If the data obtained from the acceleration sensor 28 is also collected in 5, the state of the bipedal walking robot 10a can be determined more accurately in the determinations of step S7 and step S9, and it is possible to respond more quickly. Further, in step S9 shown in FIG. 7, in the above-described embodiment, when the inclination of the bipedal walking robot 10a is 90 degrees, it is determined that the bipedal walking robot 10a is in the falling state. It may be determined whether or not the vehicle is in a fall state on the basis of the data obtained. That is, for example, when the pressure applied to the two legs 14 is equal to or lower than a predetermined value, the bipedal walking robot 10a may be determined to be in a fall state.

The process of returning from the fall state is not limited to that shown in FIGS. 4 and 8. For example, in the bipedal walking robot 10, the center of gravity is placed near the bottom of the main body 12, and when the person falls down, the two legs 14 are bent over and the main body 1 is bent.
It is also possible to make 2 groundable and raise the main body 12 by a mechanical action such as rising and then grounding the leg portion 14 and the auxiliary arm 20 to shift to the three-point supporting posture. Furthermore, the three-point support posture is not limited to the case where the two leg portions 14 and the auxiliary arm 20 are grounded at a predetermined distance as described above, and the distance according to each situation is set. Alternatively, the two legs 14 and the auxiliary arm 20 may be grounded.

[0038]

According to the present invention, the bipedal walking robot is hard to fall and can maintain a stable posture, and as a result, stable walking is possible. Further, it is possible to obtain a biped walking robot which has a simple structure and is small, lightweight and inexpensive.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an illustrative view showing an embodiment of the present invention,
(A) shows a bipedal walking posture, (b) shows a three-point support posture.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a configuration of the embodiment shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is an illustrative view for explaining the attitude control of the present invention,
(A) shows a bipedal walking state, (b) shows an unstable state, (c) shows a stable state by a three-point support posture,
(D) shows a state in which the robot has returned to bipedal walking, and (e) shows the position of the center of gravity of the bipedal walking robot when viewed from above.

FIG. 4 is an illustrative view showing another embodiment, in which (a) shows a bipedal walking state, (b) shows a falling state, and (c) shows a three-point support transition posture (before rotation). Shows the state of
(D) shows a state in which the three-point support transition posture (after rotation) is obtained, and (e) shows a state in which the three-point support posture is obtained.

FIG. 5 (a) is an illustrative view of a biped walking robot in a three-point support transition posture (before rotation) as seen from the leg side,
(B) is an illustrative view of the bipedal walking robot in a three-point support transfer posture (after rotation) as seen from the leg side.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of an unstable posture determination processing operation.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of a recovery processing operation from a fall state.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of a biped walking return processing operation.

FIG. 10 is an illustrative view showing another embodiment.

FIG. 11 is an illustrative view showing still another embodiment, (a) showing a bipedal walking posture, and (b) showing a three-point supporting posture.

12 is a block diagram showing an example of a configuration of the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG.

FIG. 13 is an illustrative view showing still another embodiment.

FIG. 14 is an illustrative view showing still another embodiment.

[Explanation of Codes] 10, 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d, 10e
Biped robot 12 Main body 14 Leg 18 Control unit 20, 50 Auxiliary arm 20a Suction port 24 Cleaner unit 26 Inclination sensor 28 Acceleration sensor 30 Pressure sensor 32 Contact sensor 36 Encoder

   ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page    F term (reference) 3B116 AA31 AB54 CD41 CD43                 3C007 AS15 AS34 CS08 KS10 KS12                       KS20 KS21 KS24 KS31 KS34                       KS36 KT01 KT04 WA13 WA22                       WA28 WB03 WC00 WC10

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A bipedal walking robot comprising: a main body; two legs that support the main body; and an auxiliary unit that supports the main body at three points together with the two legs when there is a possibility of tipping. 2. A means for transitioning from a fall state to a three-point support state by the two legs and the auxiliary means, and a means for transitioning from the three-point support state to a bipedal walking state by the two legs. The bipedal robot according to claim 1, further comprising: 3. The cleaning robot according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning robot is a cleaning robot.
The bipedal walking robot according to 1.