JP2008200827A - Personal robot - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To efficiently eliminate positional dislocation caused by external force in reciprocating motion by a simple and inexpensive means. <P>SOLUTION: This personal robot for rotatably controlling a head part 2 by a stepping motor 211, has a light sensor 214a detecting a specific rotational position of the head part 2, and a control means for controlling the stepping motor 211 so that the head part 2 makes the reciprocating motion in a predetermined rotational range with a position of turning the head part 2 to the front as a reference, and is constituted so that the light sensor 214a is arranged for detecting a position of turning the head part 2 to the front. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a robot in which a specific part reciprocates, and more particularly to a personal robot that can efficiently eliminate a positional shift caused by receiving an external force or the like in a reciprocating movement.

In recent years, there are many personal robots that perform a reciprocating motion represented by a swinging motion of a robot head, and the rotation control is realized by rotating and reversing the motor in a normal direction.
The head rotation control in the conventional personal robot will be described below.
FIG. 9 is a schematic perspective view showing a head control mechanism of a conventional personal robot, and FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view showing a relationship between a sensor and a detection body of the head control mechanism. FIG. 11 is a schematic plan view showing the relationship between the sensor and the detection body.

Although the conventional personal robot is not particularly illustrated, the appearance is substantially the same as that of the personal robot (see FIG. 1) in the embodiment of the present invention, and the head rotates and the wheels provided at the lower part. This is a microcomputer-controlled personal robot that runs on its own.
The head rotation control is performed by a head control mechanism as shown in FIG.
This uses a motor provided on a predetermined pedestal as a drive source to transmit the rotational force of the motor to the head via a detection body on which a gear and a light shielding plate are formed.
In this figure, although not particularly shown, a head is fixed to the detection body, and the detection body rotates in conjunction with the detection body.
Then, the rotation control of the head is performed by detecting the light shielding plate of the detection body with an optical sensor (see FIG. 10).

Specifically, in the example shown in FIG. 11, first, when the power is turned on, control is performed so that the detection body rotates once in a predetermined rotation direction so that the optical sensor detects the presence of the light shielding plate.
Thus, the reference origin position is detected.
Subsequently, in the control for performing the reciprocating motion at the normal time, the motor is rotated by a predetermined time value or a predetermined number of pulses from the above-described origin position, and the personal robot head is rotated to a position facing the “front”.
And the rotation control which manages a time value or the number of pulses within the predetermined rotation range on the basis of the position was performed, and the head was rotated and reciprocated.

In such a reciprocating motion, unless an external load is applied, the repetitive operation is performed within a predetermined rotation range. However, once an external force is applied, the reference position is shifted, so that the reciprocating motion is performed at a misplaced position. I will start to exercise.
This is often seen particularly when the reciprocating motion is performed at a position deviating from the origin detected when the power is turned on as described above.
In order to avoid such a situation, several techniques for correcting misalignment and detecting the origin position have been proposed.

For example, a conventional personal robot is known that controls the reciprocating motion by using a DC servo motor or the like whose position can be detected by the motor itself.
According to this, since the current position can always be monitored, it is possible to appropriately correct misalignment caused by receiving an external force or the like, and it is possible to make a product with little misalignment.

Patent Document 1 discloses, as a technique for controlling an industrial robot arm driven by a motor, a self-diagnosis of an industrial robot that uses a rotary encoder and an overrun sensor to determine whether it is overrun by right rotation or left rotation. Device technology is disclosed.
According to this, it is determined from the two-phase signal of the encoder whether the overrun is caused by right rotation or left rotation, and correction after an emergency stop by the overrun sensor is possible.

Further, Patent Document 2 discloses a technique of a robot origin detection device related to detection of the origin of an output plate of a robot that rotates more than one rotation.
This is a technology that detects the absolute position by using a rotation detection sensor that detects how many rotations the output plate has and an angle detection sensor that detects a predetermined position of the output plate. Even if it is rotated, the origin can be found within one rotation.

  Similarly, in Patent Document 3, as an origin position detection device for a robot whose operating range of the rotation axis exceeds one rotation, even when the positional relationship between the dog and the sensor is the same, the difference in the number of pulses of the encoder is used. Thus, a technique capable of detecting the origin at all rotation angles is disclosed.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 62-024306 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 06-278071 JP 08-313298 A

However, the techniques disclosed so far have the following problems.
First, in the above-described technology that controls the reciprocating motion using a DC servo motor capable of detecting the position by the motor itself, the DC servo motor to be used is relatively expensive, so the cost of the product is increased. Therefore, there has been a demand for making a personal robot product that uses a low-cost motor, such as a stepping motor, and reduces the cost.

Similarly, in the invention described in Patent Document 1, position control is performed using an expensive rotary encoder, which increases the product cost and may cause complicated control.
Further, in both Patent Document 2 and Patent Document 3, since the origin of a control object that rotates one or more rotations is detected, it is not suitable for relatively simple control in which reciprocating motion is repeated based on a specific position. Therefore, simple control could not be performed.

In many cases, the movable parts of humanoid personal robots are reciprocally controlled with reference to a specific position (the position facing the front if it is the head). It is preferable to correct the above, and the control content is different from any of the above-described techniques, and lacks adaptability.
In the future, the market for personal robots is expected to expand further, and as it is represented by the head of the robot described above, the place that should face the front is positioned in an incorrect direction. As a result, the commercial value is lowered, and there is a risk of developing into a fatal problem such as a claim.
As described above, personal robots are required to make products that can easily correct misalignment caused by external forces in reciprocating motions and reduce costs. There are no effective proposals that can be realized.

  The present invention has been proposed to solve the above-described problems, and is generated by an external force or the like by providing detection means such as a sensor so as to detect a reference position when reciprocating. It is an object of the present invention to provide a personal robot that can easily eliminate misalignment by a simple and low-cost means.

  In order to achieve the above object, a personal robot according to the present invention is a personal robot in which a predetermined part is controlled to rotate by a motor, as defined in claim 1, and a specific rotational position of the predetermined part. And a motor that controls the motor to reciprocate within a predetermined rotation range with respect to the position where the specific part is in a specific state based on a detection signal from the detection unit and a detection signal from the detection unit. Control means, wherein the detection means is provided so as to detect a position where the predetermined part is in the specific form.

According to the personal robot of the present invention having such a configuration, when the detection means is reciprocated within a predetermined rotation range with respect to the position where the specific posture is set, the predetermined portion becomes the specific posture. Since it is provided so as to detect the position, the rotation position is detected every time a predetermined part of the personal robot is in a specific state, and the position can be corrected frequently. As a result, in the reciprocating motion, it is possible to efficiently eliminate the positional shift caused by the external force or the like, and it is possible to perform an appropriate reciprocating motion based on the position where the specific appearance is achieved.
Here, in the case of a humanoid personal robot, the predetermined part refers to a part having a joint operation accompanied by rotation of a head, an arm, a foot or the like.
In addition, the specific posture refers to a posture that becomes the center of movement when reciprocating. For example, in the case of a humanoid personal robot, when the head rotates left and right around the neck, it is straight. When it is facing the front or when the arm is pivoted about the shoulder, it means a state of being lowered directly.
The posture that becomes the specific posture is preferably a natural posture that does not remind the meaning of the motion, for example, an upright state, when the motion is stopped.

Further, according to a personal robot of the present invention, as described in claim 2, the control means detects the position where the predetermined portion is in the specific form for each reciprocation. The motor can be controlled.
By adopting such a configuration, the position where the predetermined part is in a specific form is detected for each reciprocating motion, whereby the rotational position of the predetermined part is specified and the absolute position is determined. As a result, even if a position shift occurs due to an external force, the position shift generated at that time is reset, and a predetermined part can be controlled to rotate at an appropriate position by newly controlling the rotation of the motor. .

  Further, according to a third aspect of the present invention, the personal robot includes a detection body that interlocks with the rotation of the predetermined portion and a predetermined sensor that detects the presence or absence of the detection body. The detection body is divided into a region where the sensor detects that the detection body is present and a region where the detection body detects that the detection body is absent based on the position where the detection body is in a specific state corresponding to the predetermined rotation range. It can be configured.

  By adopting such a configuration, the sensor belongs to one of a region where the detection body is detected as being present and a region where it is detected as being absent based on the position (origin) where the specific form is obtained. The rotation direction when returning to the origin can be easily determined, and the origin is also determined by detecting the timing when the sensor changes from presence to absence or absence to existence, and the origin when reciprocating is performed. Returning to can be performed easily and quickly.

Here, the term “in conjunction with the rotation of the predetermined part” means that the detection body is rotated so as to coincide with the rotation range of the predetermined part, and the rotation range of the predetermined part. In some cases, the rotation is performed so that the rotation ranges are different.
As a configuration for rotating the rotation range of the detection body so as to coincide with the rotation range of the predetermined part, for example, a predetermined part and the detection body can be integrally provided.
In this case, if the rotation range of the predetermined part is set to one or more rounds, the rotation range of the detection body is also one or more rounds. Since the sensor cannot be divided into a region where the sensor detects that the detection body is present and a region where it is detected that there is no detection based on the position where the specific form is assumed, the rotation range of the predetermined part should be less than one turn. Is desirable.

On the other hand, as a configuration for rotating the rotation range of the detection body so as to be a rotation range different from the rotation range of the predetermined part, for example, the predetermined part and the detection body are connected by a gear or the like. realizable.
In this case, even if the rotation range of the predetermined part is set to one turn or more, the rotation range of the detection body can be made less than one turn by adjusting the gear ratio or the like. The detection body can be divided into a region where the sensor detects that the detection body is present and a region where the detection body detects that the detection body is absent based on the position where the detection body is in a specific state corresponding to a predetermined rotation range.
In any case, the detection body rotates in conjunction with the predetermined part, so that the sensor detects the detection body based on the position where the specific form is obtained corresponding to the rotation range of the predetermined part. Is divided into an area for detecting presence and absence and an area for detecting absence, and the origin is also uniquely determined.

Moreover, the personal robot of the present invention can be configured such that the predetermined sensor is an optical sensor and the detection body is a light shielding plate.
By adopting such a configuration, it is possible to produce a detection means that is inexpensive and easily available, and the product cost can be reduced.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, the personal robot includes an angle detection unit that changes an electrical resistance value corresponding to a rotation angle of the predetermined portion within the predetermined rotation range. can do.
By adopting such a configuration, in addition to detection means for detecting a specific rotation position of a predetermined part, an angle detection means for changing the electrical resistance value corresponding to the rotation angle of the predetermined part is provided. It is possible to return to the origin accurately and quickly.
In particular, when a plurality of rotation positions are determined by the detection means, the angle detection means determines whether the rotation to either the left or right is closer to the origin, or the rotation range exceeds one round. Ideal for return to origin.

Moreover, the personal robot of the present invention is the personal robot according to claim 6, wherein the predetermined part is a head of the personal robot, and the position where the specific posture is set is a position where the head is facing the front. It can be configured.
By adopting such a configuration, in particular, the head of the personal robot is the part that the customer pays most attention to, and it is also the part that is most hated to deviate from the front direction. The basic performance of the product can be maintained by eliminating the head misalignment that occurs in the above.

The personal robot according to the present invention can be configured such that the motor is a stepping motor.
With such a configuration, the stepping motor is inexpensive, easily available, and easy to control. This contributes to a reduction in product cost.

  According to the personal robot of the present invention, it is possible to efficiently eliminate the positional shift caused by the external force in the reciprocating control with a simple and low-cost means.

Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of a personal robot according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
[First embodiment]
First, a first embodiment of a personal robot according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a personal robot according to this embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing a control mechanism for the head of the personal robot according to this embodiment. FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view showing a sensor and a detection body of the personal robot according to the present embodiment. FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view showing the relationship between the sensor and the detection body of the personal robot according to the present embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing correction of misalignment by the control means of the personal robot according to the present embodiment.

First, the overall configuration of the personal robot in this embodiment will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, a personal robot 1 of the present embodiment is a self-propelled humanoid personal robot, and a head 2 corresponding to a predetermined part reciprocated within a predetermined rotation range according to the present invention. And a cylindrical body 3 and a wheel 4 driven by a predetermined motor are provided.
Each member is mainly formed of a synthetic resin such as PC or ABS.

In the example shown in the figure, the head 2 is formed in a spherical shape, and on the surface, a design serving as a guide for the center of the face such as “eyes” and “mouth” (not shown) is shown.
Thereby, the center of the face in the head 2 can be confirmed from the outside, and the position where the head 2 faces the “front” as a position where the head 3 is in a specific form according to the present invention. Will be determined.
The head 2 is driven and controlled by a control mechanism of the head 2 provided in the body 3 described later.

  As shown in the figure, the body 3 is formed in a cylindrical shape as a whole. The surface in the direction a in the figure is formed in a substantially flat shape so that it can be determined from the outside as the “front” of the body. Accordingly, it is possible to determine from the outside which direction the head 2 is positioned with respect to the body 3 from the design shown in the head 2 described above.

The body 3 is provided with a control mechanism for the wheels 4 and a control mechanism for the head 2.
The control mechanism of the wheel 4 has a configuration in which a rotational force is transmitted to the wheel 4 through a predetermined reduction gear by using an inexpensive stepping motor (not shown) as a drive source, so that the wheel 4 can rotate forward and backward. Yes.
Since two wheels 4 are provided on the left and right, a stepping motor is provided as a drive source for each wheel 4 so that each wheel 4 can be independently driven and controlled. Thereby, by controlling each stepping motor independently, the personal robot 1 can freely turn right and left as well as back and forth.

Next, the control mechanism of the head 2 shown in FIG. 2 constitutes a control means according to the present invention together with a control device to be described later.
In the example shown in FIG. 2, the control mechanism of the head 2 includes a pedestal 21 pressed with a steel plate, a relatively inexpensive stepping motor 211 serving as a drive source for controlling the rotation of the head 2, The detection body 213 according to the present invention that rotates in conjunction with each other, a plurality of gears including a gear 212a, a gear 212b, and a gear 212c that transmit the rotational force of the stepping motor 211 to the detection body 213, and a sensor according to the present invention. It comprises a sensor substrate 214 on which an optical sensor 214a is mounted.
The above-described head 2 is fixed to the detection body 213, and the head 2 rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the detection body 213.
Note that the rotation control of the head 2 by the control mechanism of the head 2 will be described later.

  The wheel 4 is a cylindrical member and is provided in two on the left and right sides, and is independently driven by each stepping motor via a predetermined reduction gear as described above.

Next, the rotation control of the head 2 will be described with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view showing the optical sensor 214a and the detection body 213, and FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view showing the relationship between the optical sensor 214a and the detection body 213.
The detector 213 constitutes a detecting means according to the present invention together with an optical sensor 214a described later.
The detection body 213 is also a member that functions as a light shielding plate according to the present invention, and is provided so as to be able to rotate clockwise and counterclockwise by receiving the rotational force of the stepping motor 211 described above around a predetermined axis. Yes.
A head 2 (not shown) is fixed to the detection body 213 and rotates in conjunction with the detection body 213.

As shown in each figure, the detection body 213 has two areas with different radii, and on the right side in FIG. 4, a light-shielding area B that is detected by the optical sensor 214a described later with the detection body 213 present is formed. On the left side in FIG. 4, a light transmission region C is formed in which the optical sensor 214 a detects that the detection body 213 is absent.
The boundary between the light shielding region B and the light transmitting region C in the direction a in FIG. 4 is a position where the optical sensor 214a can detect a change in light passing and light shielding, and the center of the face in the head 2 is It is fixed at this position.

Further, the detection body 213 is controlled to rotate with reference to this boundary, and the range in which the detection body 213 rotates is an area represented by the rotation range A.
Further, in the region other than the rotation range A, the rotation is mechanically limited, and the rotation range of the detection body 213 is less than one turn.
As a result, the position detected by the optical sensor 214a that changes from the presence or absence of the detection body 213 to the presence or absence of the detection body 213 is determined to be one point, so that the origin is specified as one and returned to the origin without hesitation. can do.

In this embodiment, the detection body 213 is configured to be “interlocked” with the rotation of the head 2, and the head 2 is fixed to the detection body 213, and the detection body 213 is moved to the rotation range A of the head 2. However, it is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the rotation range of the detection body 213 is rotated so that the rotation range is different from the rotation range A of the head 2.
As a configuration for rotating the rotation range of the detection body 213 so that the rotation range is different from the rotation range A of the head 2, for example, the head 2 and the detection body 213 are connected by a gear or the like. Can be realized.

In this case, even if the rotation range A of the head 2 is one turn or more, the rotation range of the detection body 213 can be made less than one turn by adjusting the gear ratio or the like. The detection body 213 is detected as an area where the optical sensor 214a detects the presence of the detection body 213 and the absence of the detection body 213 with reference to the position where the head 2 faces “front” corresponding to the rotation range A. It can be partitioned into areas.
In any case, the detection body 213 rotates “in conjunction with” the head 2, so that the detection body 213 corresponds to the rotation range A of the head 2 and the head 2 is “front”. , The optical sensor 214a is divided into a region where the detection body 213 is detected as being present and a region where it is detected as being absent, and the origin is also uniquely determined.

Next, the optical sensor 214a constitutes a detection unit according to the present invention together with the above-described detection body 213.
The optical sensor 214a is a reflection type optical sensor that integrally includes a light emitting unit and a light receiving unit, and is mounted on the sensor substrate 214 with the light emitting unit and the light receiving unit facing upward (see FIG. 3).
Further, the optical sensor 214a is disposed so as to be positioned at the center of the “front” of the body 3 described above, and thereby, the boundary between the light shielding region B and the light transmitting region C of the detection body 213 (the head). 2) and the detection position of the optical sensor 214a coincide with each other, the head 2 is in a position facing the “front”, and is in a specific form according to the present invention.

From the above, the detection body 213 corresponds to the rotation range A, and the light-shielding region B that the optical sensor 214a detects as the presence of the detection body 213 with reference to the position where the head 2 faces “front”. Then, it is partitioned into a light transmission region C that is detected as absent.
In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the head 2 is fixed to the detection body 213 with the center of the face in the head 2 in the a direction, and the optical sensor 214 a is “front” of the body 3. However, the optical sensor 214a may be disposed on the back surface of the body 3 at the boundary between the light shielding region B and the light transmitting region C, which is substantially opposite to the direction a. Even in this case, it is needless to say that the optical sensor 214a is provided so as to detect a position where the head 2 is facing the “front”.

Next, the head movement (rotation control) in the personal robot 1 of the present embodiment having the above-described configuration will be described.
The head 2 is rotationally controlled by a control device (not shown).
The control device constitutes the control means according to the present invention together with the control mechanism of the head 2 described above, and is configured as a microcomputer on which various electronic components such as a predetermined CPU, ROM, RAM, and I / O port are mounted. Has been.
The stepping motor 211 and the optical sensor 214a are connected to the I / O port so as to be controllable.
Thus, the control device receives the detection signal of the presence or absence of the detection body 213 from the optical sensor 214a, and controls the rotation of the stepping motor 211 when the CPU executes it based on the program stored in the ROM. ing.
Although this control device also controls two stepping motors provided on the wheels 4, the description will be omitted and only the characteristic description of the present invention will be given.

In the rotation control of the head 2 performed by the above-described control device, the origin detection control for performing rotation control so that the head 2 is turned to the “front” position when the power is turned on, and the head 2 is “front-mounted”. There is a reciprocating control that performs a reciprocating motion based on the position facing "."
The origin detection control is control for rotating the stepping motor 211 so that the head 2 is in a position facing the “front” by turning on the power of the personal robot 1.
Specifically, when the power is turned on, it is undefined whether the light shielding region B or the light transmitting region C of the detection body 213 belongs to the detection position of the optical sensor 214a.
However, as described above, the optical sensor 214a detects that the detection body 213 is present with reference to the position where the detection head 213 faces the “front” corresponding to the rotation range of the head 2. Since the light sensor 214a detects whether the detection body 213 is present or not when the power is turned on, it is divided into a light shielding region B to be detected and a light transmission region C to be detected as none. If the stepping motor 211 is further rotated, it is possible to instantaneously determine whether the head 2 is in the “front” position.

More specifically, when the optical sensor 214a detects that the detection body 213 is present, the stepping motor 211 is controlled so as to rotate the detection body 213 counterclockwise, and conversely, the detection body 213 is detected as absence. In this case, the stepping motor 211 can be controlled to rotate the detection body 213 clockwise.
Then, by stopping the stepping motor 211 at the timing when the detection signal of the change from the light to the light or the light from the light is obtained, the head 2 becomes the position facing the “front”, that is, the origin, and the power is turned on. Home position detection control ends.

  In this way, the detection body 213 corresponds to the rotation range of the head 2, and the rotation range A is set to the light shielding area B and the light transmission area C with reference to the position where the head 2 faces “front”. By being partitioned, the optical sensor 214a belongs to one of the areas corresponding to the rotation range A. Accordingly, the rotation direction when returning to the origin can be easily determined, and the origin can be detected by detecting the timing when the optical sensor 214a changes from the presence or absence of the detection body 213 to the presence or absence of the detection body 213. Therefore, the return to the origin can be performed easily and quickly.

Subsequently, the reciprocating control is a control in which the head 2 is alternately rotated left or right within the rotation range A with reference to the position facing the “front”. Based on this, the stepping motor 211 is controlled.
Specifically, following the origin detection control, when the optical sensor 214a detects the boundary between the light blocking area B and the light transmitting area C, that is, after detecting the position where the head 2 is facing “front”. In the control to turn to the right, the head 2 turns to the right by an angle corresponding to the number of pulses by outputting a predetermined number of pulses having a phase rotating in the right direction to the stepping motor 211. In this control, the head 2 turns to the left by an angle corresponding to the number of pulses by outputting to the stepping motor 211 a predetermined number of pulses having a phase rotating in the left direction.

Further, when the optical sensor 214a belongs to the light shielding area B and detects the detection body 213 as being present, that is, when the head 2 is facing right, the rotation is such that it faces the left on the opposite side. When performing the dynamic control, the position detection point is once detected through the above-described origin detection control, and then a predetermined number of pulses having a phase rotating in the left direction are output to the stepping motor 211.
On the contrary, when the optical sensor 214a belongs to the light transmission region C and detects that the detection body 213 is not present, that is, when the head 2 is facing left, it is next directed to the right on the opposite side. When performing the rotation control, the origin detection control described above is performed in the same manner, and after detecting the position facing the “front”, a predetermined number of pulses having a phase rotating in the right direction are output to the stepping motor 211. To do.

According to this, when the head 2 is directed to either the left or right side, the next time the rotation control to face the opposite side is performed, the control device that is the control means always causes the sensor 214a to be connected to the head 2. The origin detection control for controlling the stepping motor 211 so as to detect the position facing the “front” is performed.
Specifically, in any region of the light-shielding region B and the light-transmitting region C, the optical sensor 214a is always turned on when rotating to a different region even if there is a positional shift due to an unintended external force. The boundary between the light shielding area B and the light transmitting area C is detected.
Thus, the sensor 214a detects the boundary between the light shielding area B and the light transmitting area C, that is, the position where the head 2 as the origin faces the “front”, and outputs a detection signal. This is where the moving position is specified and the absolute position is determined. As a result, even if a position shift due to an external force occurs, the position shift that has occurred at that time is reset. Based on this detection signal, the stepping motor 211 is newly controlled to rotate, so that the head 2 is brought to an appropriate position. Can be controlled to rotate.

More specifically, in the example shown in FIG. 5, the origin detection control is not performed, and the positional deviation in the case of relative position control in which reciprocal control is performed by the number of pulses as in the above-described conventional technique is shown. For example, when the head 2 is quickly shifted to the “front” position (origin) Z1 when it is shifted by one pulse and the control is always performed to send a fixed number of pulses, the normal arrival position N is overrun. Thus, the arrival position Z2 is shifted by one pulse. However, by interposing the above-described origin detection control, the position Z1 shifted by one pulse is detected and recognized as an absolute position by the sensor 214a as a position (origin) where the head 2 faces “front”. The deviation for one pulse is reset at this point, and if the predetermined number of pulses is output to the stepping motor 211 based on this detection, the rotation is controlled so that the arrival position is corrected to the normal arrival position N. be able to.
As a result, the head 2 returns to the origin every time the movement changes from left to right or from right to left, and the positional deviation is frequently corrected.

Further, even if the head 2 receives an unintended external force and belongs to the same region as the next desired rotation direction, after passing through the origin detection control once, a predetermined number of pulses are output to the stepping motor 211, If control is performed so as to return to the same region, the frequency of correcting the positional deviation is further increased, and appropriate reciprocating motion can be repeated.
Thus, since the optical sensor 214a is provided so as to detect the position where the head 2 serving as a reference when reciprocating is directed to the “front”, the positional deviation is frequently corrected by external force or the like. The generated positional deviation can be eliminated efficiently, and an appropriate reciprocating motion can be performed.
In addition, every time the reciprocating motion is performed, the control device as the control means always includes the origin detection control for controlling the stepping motor 211 so that the sensor 214a detects the position where the head 2 faces “front”. Misalignment is eliminated and accurate reciprocating motion can be repeated.

  As described above, according to the personal robot 1 of the present embodiment, when the head 2 is reciprocated within the rotation range A with respect to the position facing the “front”, the optical sensor 214 a 2 is provided so as to detect the position facing the “front”, so that the rotation position is detected every time the head 2 becomes the position facing the “front”, and the position shift frequently occurs. Can be corrected. As a result, in the reciprocating motion, it is possible to efficiently eliminate the positional shift caused by an external force or the like, and it is possible to perform an appropriate reciprocating motion based on the position where the head 2 faces “front”.

[Second Embodiment]
Next, a second embodiment of the personal robot according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 6, FIG. 7, and FIG.
FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view showing the control mechanism of the head of the personal robot according to this embodiment, and FIG. 7 is a schematic plan view showing the relationship between the sensor and the detection body of the personal robot according to this embodiment. . FIG. 8 is a diagram showing characteristics of the rotary sensor of the personal robot according to the present embodiment.
The personal robot 1 according to the present embodiment shown in the drawings is a modified embodiment of the first embodiment described above, and when the optical sensor 214a detects the light shielding region B that is detected as having a detection body, 2 is a position facing the “front”, and is provided with a rotary sensor 215 that is an angle detection means according to the present invention.
Therefore, other components are the same as those in the first embodiment, and the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals as those in the first embodiment in the drawing, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

6 and 7, the gear 212c of the control mechanism of the head 2 is provided with a gear 212d that rotates in conjunction with the gear 212c.
Further, the gear 212d is provided with a rotary sensor 215 whose electric resistance value changes in accordance with the rotation angle of the head 2 within the rotation range A.
In the present embodiment, the detection body 213 is formed so that the head 2 is in a position facing the “front” when the light sensor 214a detects the light shielding region B that is detected with the detection body 213 present. Has been.
As shown in FIG. 8, the rotary sensor 215 has an electrical resistance value that repeatedly changes with one cycle of a gear provided in the sensor as one cycle. In the present embodiment, the rotary sensor 215 has a rotational range A of the head 2. The electric resistance value is changed almost one-to-one with respect to the rotation angle.
However, the rotary sensor 215 according to the present embodiment uses a relatively inexpensive product in order to reduce the product cost, and it is assumed that the error between the electrical resistance value and the rotation angle is large. 215 is used as an auxiliary to the optical sensor 214a.

The rotation control of the head 2 by the detection unit according to the present embodiment having such a configuration will be described below.
First, in the origin detection control, the personal robot 1 is turned on so that the head 2 is in a position facing the “front”.
Specifically, when the optical sensor 214a detects that the detection body 213 is present, it can be determined that the head 2 is at the “front” position, and the origin detection control is terminated.
On the other hand, when the optical sensor 214a detects that the detection body 213 is not present, the electrical resistance value of the rotary sensor 215 is converted into a change in voltage, and A / D conversion is performed through the I / O port. read.
Thereby, the rotation angle is determined from the read electric resistance value (FIG. 8), and the current position in the rotation range A can be almost specified, so that the direction in which the stepping motor 211 should rotate is determined. It becomes.

As a result, when the stepping motor 211 is rotated in a direction in which the head 2 is in a position facing the “front”, the optical sensor 214a detects that the detection body 213 is present (when the light shielding region B is detected). By stopping the stepping motor 211, the origin detection control is ended.
If it is determined that the current position is more than a predetermined angle away from the position (origin) facing “front” by the rotation angle corresponding to the read electrical resistance value, the stepping motor 211 By increasing the frequency of the pulse to be output, it is possible to return to the origin faster and to perform the initialization operation quickly.

Subsequently, the reciprocating control is controlled such that the head 2 alternately rotates left or right within the rotation range A with reference to the position facing the “front”.
Specifically, when the optical sensor 214a detects the light blocking area B, that is, when the head 2 is in a position facing the “front”, the control to turn right is performed with the phase rotating in the right direction. By outputting a predetermined number of pulses to the stepping motor 211, the head 2 turns to the right by an angle corresponding to the number of pulses, and conversely, the control to turn to the left is a predetermined phase of rotation in the left direction. By outputting a number of pulses to the stepping motor 211, the head 2 turns to the left by an angle corresponding to the number of pulses.

When the optical sensor 214a detects that the detection body 213 is not present, a plurality of rotation positions are specified. In this case, the head 2 is facing left or right.
In such a state, when performing the rotation control to turn to the opposite next, when the position shift caused by an external force or the like has occurred simply by returning the predetermined number of pulses given immediately before, The head 2 will rotate in the wrong direction.
Therefore, after the above-described origin detection control is performed, the position once facing the “front” is once detected, and then a predetermined number of pulses having a phase rotating in the right or left direction are output to the stepping motor 211.

As a result, since the head 2 is always rotated by a predetermined number of pulses after detecting the position where the head 2 is facing “front”, the head 2 is subjected to an unintended external force and the next desired rotation direction. Even if they belong to the same orientation, the control is performed so that the position facing the “front” is detected. Will be corrected.
Thus, since the optical sensor 214a is provided so as to detect the position where the head 2 serving as a reference when reciprocating is directed to the “front”, the rotational position is frequently corrected, external force, etc. Can be efficiently eliminated, and appropriate reciprocating motion can be performed.
In addition, since the origin detection control for controlling the stepping motor 211 so as to detect the position where the head 2 is always facing “front” for every reciprocation, the positional deviation is always eliminated, and the accurate reciprocation is performed. Can be repeated.

In addition, when the rotary sensor 215 is used as an auxiliary, when the rotation position detected by the optical sensor 214a identifies a plurality of orientations of the head 2 facing left or right, Since the rotation angle is determined from the electrical resistance value read by the rotary sensor 215 and the current position in the rotation range A can be almost specified, the direction in which the stepping motor 211 should be rotated can be instantaneously determined. Can do.
Further, if it is determined that the current position is more than a predetermined angle from the position (origin) facing “front” by the rotation angle corresponding to the read electrical resistance value, the stepping motor 211 By increasing the frequency of the pulse to be output, it is possible to return to the origin more quickly, and it is possible to quickly correct misalignment caused by an external force or the like.

As described above, according to the personal robot 1 of the present embodiment, when the head 2 is reciprocated within the rotation range A with respect to the position facing the “front”, the optical sensor 214 a is Is provided so as to detect the position facing the “front”, so that the rotation position is detected every time the head 2 becomes the position facing the “front”, and the position shift frequently occurs. Correction is possible. As a result, in the reciprocating motion, it is possible to efficiently eliminate the positional shift caused by an external force or the like, and it is possible to perform an appropriate reciprocating motion based on the position where the head 2 faces “front”.
In particular, by using the rotary sensor 215 together, the rotation angle is determined from the read electric resistance value, the current position in the rotation range A can be almost specified, and the origin to be returned is also specified. Therefore, not only the direction in which the stepping motor 211 should rotate, but also the rotational speed can be adjusted, so that the return to the origin can be made faster, and the positional deviation can be quickly eliminated.

  In the present embodiment, the rotation range A is within one turn, but even when the rotation range is one turn or more, it can be dealt with by using the rotary sensor 215 together. That is, even if the rotation range A is one or more rounds, the electrical resistance value and the rotation angle of the rotary sensor 215 are integrated with each other, that is, the gear provided in the sensor is less than one round. This can be realized by adjusting the gear ratio of the gear interposed between the two.

As mentioned above, although the preferred embodiment was shown and demonstrated about the personal robot of this invention, the personal robot which concerns on this invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, Various are within the scope of the present invention as follows. It goes without saying that changes can be made.
For example, in each embodiment, the optical sensor and the light-shielding plate are used as the detection unit. However, the detection unit may be configured by a microswitch provided with an actuator and a rotary plate. In this case, the first embodiment described above is used. It is also possible to detect the position at which the head 2 faces the “front” by sliding the actuator to the periphery of the detection body 213 according to the above.
In each embodiment, the predetermined part of the personal robot is the head, but it is needless to say that the invention can be applied to a part having a joint operation involving rotation such as an arm or a leg.

  The present invention can be widely used in personal robots that perform reciprocal control of a portion that involves rotation.

1 is a schematic perspective view showing a personal robot according to a first embodiment of the present invention. It is a schematic perspective view which shows the control mechanism of the head of the personal robot which concerns on 1st embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic perspective view which shows the sensor and detection body of the personal robot which concern on 1st embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic plan view which shows the relationship between the sensor and detection body of the personal robot which concern on 1st embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows correction | amendment of position shift by the control means of the personal robot which concerns on 1st embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic perspective view which shows the control mechanism of the head of the personal robot which concerns on 2nd embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic plan view which shows the relationship between the sensor and detection body of a personal robot which concern on 2nd embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the characteristic of the rotary sensor of the personal robot which concerns on 2nd embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic perspective view which shows the control mechanism of the head of the conventional personal robot. It is a schematic perspective view which shows the sensor and detection body of the conventional personal robot. It is a schematic plan view which shows the sensor and detection body of the conventional personal robot.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Personal robot 2 Head 21 Base 211 Stepping motor 212a, 212b, 212c, 212d Gear 213 Detection body 214 Sensor board 214a Optical sensor 215 Rotary sensor 3 Body 4 Wheel

Claims (7)

A personal robot whose predetermined part is rotationally controlled by a motor,
Detecting means for detecting a specific rotation position of the predetermined part;
Control means for controlling the motor based on a detection signal from the detection means so as to reciprocate the predetermined part with a predetermined rotation range with respect to a position where the specific part is in a specific form;
A personal robot characterized in that the detection means is provided so as to detect a position where the predetermined part is in the specific form.   2. The personal robot according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the motor so that the detection unit detects a position where the predetermined part is in the specific form for each reciprocation. 3. The detection means includes a detection body that interlocks with the rotation of the predetermined portion and a predetermined sensor that detects the presence or absence of the detection body,
The detection body is divided into a region where the sensor detects that the detection body is present and a region where the detection body detects that the detection body is absent based on the position where the detection body is in a specific state corresponding to the predetermined rotation range. The personal robot according to claim 1 or 2.   The personal robot according to claim 3, wherein the predetermined sensor is an optical sensor, and the detection body is a light shielding plate.   The personal robot according to claim 1, further comprising an angle detection unit that changes an electric resistance value corresponding to a rotation angle of the predetermined part within the predetermined rotation range.   The personal robot according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the predetermined portion is a head of the personal robot, and a position where the specific posture is set is a position where the head faces the front.   The personal robot according to claim 1, wherein the motor is a stepping motor.

Images