JP2009095972A - Robot and control method of robot - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a robot capable of passing an entrance/exit by opening a door and a control method. <P>SOLUTION: A control means successively executes the following processes. In a state of an engaging part 30 engaged to a door knob 101, retreating of a traveling body 10 and a door drawing control by a robot arm 20 are executed to open the door 100. During the opening, a side edge 100b on a hand end side of the door 100 passes a line for connecting a rotation center of the door 100 to a front end part 10x of a side surface on the door 100 side of the traveling body 10 (Refer to Fig. 3 (B) to (D)). The front end part 10x of the traveling body 10 is located in a region which interferes with a rotation locus of the door 100 by executing turning and advancing of the traveling body 100, while maintaining the engaging state of the engaging part 30 to the door knob 101 (Refer to Fig. 3 (E)). The engaging state of the engaging part 30 to the door knob 101 is released (Refer to Fig. 3 (F)). The traveling body 10 is advanced to pass the entrance/exit 201 (Refer to Fig. 3 (I), (J)). <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a robot that can open a door and pass through an entrance and a robot control method.

  For example, when an exploration is performed by a robot in an environment in which an accident occurs in a building and the toxic gas is filled, it may be required to open a door and enter a room.

The robot of Patent Document 1 includes a traveling body, a robot arm provided on the traveling body, and a knob turning module (engaging portion) provided at the tip of the robot arm, and the knob of the door (handle) is provided by the knob turning module. The door is unlatched by grasping and turning, and the door can be opened by pulling it forward while the door surface is fixed by the fixing means provided in the knob turning module.
Japanese Patent No. 3645460 (paragraphs 0229 to 0250, FIGS. 31 to 34)

  However, the above Patent Document 1 does not disclose specific control how the robot is allowed to pass after the door is opened.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention includes a traveling body, a robot arm provided on the traveling body, and an engagement portion for engaging a door handle as a robot hand provided at the tip of the robot arm. Is a method for controlling a robot to pass through a door,
(A) a first step of engaging the engaging portion with the door handle in the door closed state;
(A) The door is opened forward by the control of the robot arm or the robot arm and the traveling body, and a line connecting the center of the door rotation and the front end of the side of the traveling body on the door side is connected to the door. A second step of being positioned closer to the wall with respect to the side edge of the hand side,
(C) a third step of positioning the front end portion of the side surface on the door side of the traveling body in a region that interferes with the rotation trajectory of the door by controlling the traveling body and the robot arm;
(D) a fourth step of releasing the engagement state of the engagement portion with respect to the door handle, and retracting the robot arm to a position where it does not interfere with the door when the traveling body moves forward in the fifth step;
(E) a fifth step in which the traveling body is advanced to pass through the doorway;
Are sequentially executed.

  According to the above method, until the robot opens the door and passes through the entrance / exit, by combining the engagement / disengagement of the engagement portion with the door handle and the control of the interference with the door rotation trajectory of the traveling body. Can be performed smoothly.

Preferably, in the third step, the front end of the side surface of the traveling body on the door side is opened and closed by turning the traveling body around the side edge on the hand side of the door. Interfere with the trajectory.
According to this, interference control with the door of a traveling body can be performed by simple control.

Preferably, in the fourth step, the robot arm is retreated horizontally to a position where it does not interfere with the door.
According to this, the retract control of the robot arm can be performed with simple control.

Preferably, the robot arm is further horizontally rotated to move the engaging portion to the side surface on the doorway side of the door or the vicinity thereof, and then at least one of turning of the traveling body and further horizontal rotation of the robot arm. By executing the above, the door is pushed by the engaging portion to increase the opening angle of the door.
According to this, it is possible to smoothly pass through the traveling body.

Preferably, after the door is pushed and opened by the engaging portion, before or during the fifth step, the robot arm is horizontally rotated so as to be within the crawler width.
This feature corresponds to a second embodiment to be described later. According to this, the traveling body can be advanced toward the entrance / exit without the robot arm being in contact with the door.

Preferably, in the second step, the traveling body and the robot arm are controlled so as to maintain the engaging portion perpendicular to the door.
According to this, since the door is opened while maintaining the engaging portion perpendicular to the door, the engaging state of the engaging portion and the door handle can be reliably maintained.
In the present application, the term “vertical” includes not only the case of high accuracy and vertical but also the case of vertical with a relatively wide tolerance.

Preferably, in the first step, the engaging portion is made perpendicular to the door and engaged with the door handle in a state where the central axis of the traveling body is perpendicular to the door and the wall.
According to this, the engaging portion can be engaged with the door handle relatively easily.

Preferably, the traveling body is inclined with respect to the wall in the second step.
According to this, without extending the robot arm excessively long, the line connecting the door rotation center and the front end of the side surface on the door side of the traveling body is closer to the wall with respect to the side edge on the hand side of the door. Can be located.

Preferably, in the first stage of the second step, the traveling body is retracted along a curved trajectory turning around the arc trajectory of the side edge on the hand side of the door so as to increase the inclination with respect to the wall, and By executing door pulling control of the robot arm, the front end of the side surface of the traveling body on the door side is positioned in the vicinity of the side edge on the hand side of the door, and in the second stage of the second step, the robot By performing door pulling control by the arm, the door is further opened so that the side edge on the hand side of the door passes through a line connecting the rotation center of the door and the front end of the side surface on the door side of the traveling body. .
This feature corresponds to the first embodiment to be described later, and according to this, the travel locus of the traveling body can be relatively narrow. That is, even when the space on the front side of the door is relatively narrow, the robot can open the door and pass through the entrance / exit.

Preferably, in the first step of the second step, the traveling body is gradually moved from the arc locus of the side edge on the hand side of the door while maintaining the longitudinal center axis of the traveling body perpendicular to the door. It is made to recede so as to draw a curved trajectory that moves away.
This feature also corresponds to the first embodiment, and presents specific control of the traveling body with a narrow movement locus. Moreover, when the door pulling control by the robot arm in the second stage is started, since the traveling body is perpendicular to the door, the front end of the door smoothly passes the front end of the side surface of the traveling body on the door side. can do.

Preferably, the robot arm includes a first horizontal arm portion supported by the traveling body so as to be horizontally rotatable, and a second horizontal arm portion supported by the tip of the second horizontal arm portion so as to be horizontally rotatable. The engaging portion is provided at the tip of the second horizontal arm portion, and in the first step, the first horizontal arm portion and the second horizontal arm portion are straightened and perpendicular to the door, The engaging portion is engaged with the door handle, and the first horizontal arm portion is kept horizontal with respect to the traveling body while maintaining the second horizontal arm portion perpendicular to the door in the first stage of the second step. The door pulling control is executed by turning, and the door pulling control is executed by horizontally turning the first horizontal arm portion in the second stage of the second step.
This feature also corresponds to the first embodiment, and the door can be opened while stably maintaining the door handle engagement by the engaging portion in a narrow moving space of the traveling body. Further, the arm portion is not required to have high strength.

Preferably, in the first and second stages of the second step, the first horizontal arm portion is horizontally rotated while the second horizontal arm portion is free with respect to the first horizontal arm portion. Thus, the door pulling control is executed.
This feature also corresponds to the first embodiment. According to this, the door pulling control of the robot arm can be performed only by the rotation control of the first horizontal arm portion, so that the control can be simplified. it can.

The robot arm includes a first horizontal arm portion supported by the traveling body so as to be horizontally rotatable, and a second horizontal arm portion supported by the tip of the second horizontal arm portion so as to be horizontally rotatable. The engaging portion is provided at the tip of the horizontal arm portion. In the first step, the first horizontal arm portion and the second horizontal arm portion are straightened and perpendicular to the door. Engaging the door handle, and in the first stage of the second step, while maintaining the first and second horizontal arm portions straight and perpendicular to the door, It is swung while retreating along the first arc centered on the door rotation center, and in the second stage of the second step, it is advanced along the second arc centering on the rotation center of the second arm portion. While turning, the second arm part is perpendicular to the door It is horizontally rotated the first arm portion so as to maintain.
This feature corresponds to the second embodiment, and since the traveling body is moved along an arc, the control is relatively simple.

Preferably, the traveling body is provided with a distance meter and a control unit, and the control unit causes the distance meter to measure a distance to the door and a wall in the vicinity thereof in a horizontal direction over a predetermined angle range, and the measured distance data Then, the position of the door with respect to the wall and the position and orientation of the traveling body with respect to the wall and the door are calculated, and at least the second and third steps are executed while feeding back the calculation results.
According to this, control according to the current position and orientation of the traveling body with respect to the wall and the door can be executed, and the robot can reliably open the door and pass through the entrance / exit.

Preferably, between the first and second steps, in a state where the engagement portion is engaged with the door handle, at least one of the backward movement of the traveling body or the door pulling control by the robot arm is executed. The door is opened slightly, and the control means recognizes the door and the wall from the distance data measured by the distance meter in this state.
According to this, since full-scale door opening control is executed after the door is recognized, the door opening control can be performed smoothly.

Preferably, the control means obtains measurement distance data by the distance meter in a state in which the door is closed, and compares the measurement distance data with the measurement distance data in a state in which the door is slightly opened to compare the door and Recognize the wall.
According to this, the door and the wall can be accurately recognized by comparing the measured distance data between the door closed state and the door slightly opened state.

Another aspect of the present invention is a robot that opens a door and passes through an entrance that has been closed by the door, the traveling body, a robot arm provided on the traveling body, and a tip of the robot arm. An engagement portion for door handle engagement as a robot hand, and a control means for controlling the traveling body, the robot arm and the engagement portion, the control means,
(A) With the engagement portion engaged with the door handle, the door is opened forward by the control of the robot arm or the control of the robot arm and the traveling body, and the center of the door rotation and the traveling body A step of connecting a line connecting the front end of the side surface of the door side closer to the wall with respect to the side edge of the door side of the door;
(A) By controlling the traveling body and the robot arm, the step of positioning the front end of the side surface on the door side of the traveling body in a region that interferes with the rotation trajectory of the door;
(C) releasing the engagement state of the engagement portion with respect to the door handle, and retracting the robot arm to a position where it does not interfere with the door when the traveling body moves forward toward the doorway;
Are executed in order.

According to the above configuration, the robot smoothly opens the door and passes through the doorway by combining the control of the interference with the door rotation trajectory of the traveling body and the disengagement of the engaging portion with respect to the door handle. be able to.
The robot control means can also execute various steps of the method described above.

Preferably, the robot arm includes a plurality of arm portions, and each of the arm portions has a joint and a link.
More preferably, the robot arm is connected to a vertical arm portion supported by the traveling body and a tip of the vertical arm portion, and can be horizontally rotated with respect to the vertical arm portion or to the traveling body together with the vertical arm portion. And a horizontal arm portion connected so as to be horizontally rotatable, and the engaging portion is connected to the tip of the horizontal arm portion.
More preferably, the engaging portion is rotatable with respect to the link shaft of the horizontal arm portion. According to this, the door handle can be turned to release the latched state of the door.
More preferably, when the vertical arm portion rotates about a vertical axis, the horizontal arm portion rotates horizontally, and the horizontal arm portion is necked vertically with respect to the vertical arm portion. Swing is possible.
According to this, the engaging portion can be reliably engaged with the door handle in response to a change in the height of the door handle. In place of this configuration, the same effect can be obtained by making the vertical arm portion movable (expandable) in the vertical direction and horizontally rotating the horizontal arm portion with respect to the vertical arm portion.
More preferably, the horizontal arm portion includes a first horizontal arm portion connected to the vertical arm portion, and a second horizontal arm portion connected to the tip of the first horizontal arm portion so as to be horizontally rotatable. The engaging portion is connected to the tip of the second horizontal arm portion.

  According to the present invention, the robot can open the door and pass through the doorway.

  Hereinafter, a robot according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the robot A includes a crawler 10 (running body), a robot arm 20 equipped on the crawler 10, and an engagement unit 30 as a robot hand provided at the tip of the robot arm 20. And.

  The crawler 10 includes a main body 11 and a belt-driven traveling unit 12 provided on the left and right sides thereof, and has a shape whose dimension in the front-rear direction is longer than the width in the left-right direction. Since the left and right traveling units 12 are driven by driving means such as independent motors, the crawler 10 is not only forward and backward, but also forward, backward, and super-spindle ( Change the direction on the spot without changing the position).

The robot arm 20 includes a vertical arm portion 21 provided in a vertically standing state on the main body 11 of the crawler 10, a first horizontal arm portion 22 extending substantially horizontally from the upper end of the vertical arm portion 21, The first horizontal arm portion 22 has a second horizontal arm portion 23 (front end side horizontal arm portion) that extends horizontally from the front end of the first horizontal arm portion 22 and is disposed on the same plane as the first horizontal arm portion 22. The engaging portion 30 is provided at the tip of the second horizontal arm portion 23. The vertical arm portion 21 serving as the rotation center of the first horizontal arm portion 22 is located on a central axis Y1 extending in the front-rear direction of the crawler 10, and more preferably located at the center of the crawler 10. .
Each arm part 21-23 is comprised from the at least 1 joint and link. In the following, it is assumed that each of the arm portions 21 to 23 includes a joint on the side close to the traveling body and a link connected to the joint.

  The main body 11 of the crawler 10 is provided with rotating means (not shown) such as a motor for rotating the vertical arm portion 21 about the vertical axis. By the rotation of the vertical arm portion 21, the first horizontal arm portion 22 is horizontally rotated.

  The joint of the first horizontal arm portion 22 is provided with a rotating means (not shown) for rotating the first horizontal arm portion 22 in the vertical direction. The height of the engaging portion 30 can be changed by the rotation of the first horizontal arm portion 22. This vertical rotation range may be narrow.

  At the joint of the second horizontal arm portion 23, the second horizontal arm portion 23 is rotated horizontally with respect to the first horizontal arm portion 22 (strictly, on the same plane as the first horizontal arm portion 22). Rotating means (not shown) is provided.

  Further, the robot arm 20 includes an angle sensor for detecting a horizontal angle of the first horizontal arm portion 22 with respect to a central axis Y1 extending in the front-rear direction of the crawler 10, and a vertical direction of the first horizontal arm portion 22 with respect to the vertical arm portion 21. And an angle sensor (none of which is shown) for detecting the horizontal angle of the second horizontal arm portion 23 with respect to the first horizontal arm 22.

  The engaging portion 30 has a pair of chuck portions 31. Between the tip of the second horizontal arm portion 23 and the chuck portion 31, the opening / closing means for opening and closing the pair of chuck portions 31 as joints of the engaging portion 30 and the entire engaging portion 30 are the central axis of the engaging portion 30. Rotating means (none of which is shown) is provided that rotates around a center axis line of the second horizontal arm portion 23 (which is straight or parallel).

  The main body 11 of the crawler 10 is provided with control means 40 for controlling the crawler 10, the robot arm 20, and the engaging portion 30, and a laser distance meter 50 is mounted on the front portion of the upper surface of the main body 11. Has been.

  The laser distance meter 50 irradiates the laser L over a predetermined angle range (indicated by Θ in FIG. 1) in front of the crawler 10, and calculates the distance to the object from the time until the laser reflected from the object returns. It is to be measured. The angle range Θ is wider than 180 ° in the horizontal direction, and is 240 ° in the present embodiment. Therefore, the distance to the object located on the left and right with respect to the crawler 10 can also be measured.

  A video camera 55 (shown only in FIG. 2) is mounted on the main body 11 of the crawler 10 of the robot A, and various sensors and communication devices (not shown) are mounted. The video camera 55 is supported between the vertical arm unit 21 and the laser distance meter 50 and is disposed at a position higher than the laser distance meter 50.

By communication between the communication device of the robot A and the communication device of the remote control device B, a command signal is sent from the remote control device B to the control means 40, and a video signal of the video camera 55 and detection signals of various sensors. Is sent to the remote control device B.
Note that the communication between the robot A and the remote control device B may be either wireless communication or wired communication using an optical fiber or the like.

  The operation until the robot A having the above configuration opens the door 100 closing the entrance / exit 201 of the wall 200 and passes through the entrance / exit 201 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4.

  One side edge of the door 100 is rotatably supported on the side edge of the entrance / exit 201 by a hinge 100a (the rotation center of the door 100), and is provided in the vicinity of the other side edge, that is, the side edge 100b on the hand side. The knob 101 is opened by pulling the knob 101 (handle).

  In this embodiment, the door 100 is provided with a door closer (not shown), and control is performed assuming that the door 100 is always urged in the closing direction, but the same applies to the case where there is no door closer. Control may be performed. The door 100 performs control assuming that the door 100 opens counterclockwise around the hinge 100a. However, the door 100 can be opened clockwise.

In the present embodiment, the control of the robot A is performed in two stages of manual remote control and automatic control. First, manual remote control will be described.
The operator performs the following control by performing a remote operation while viewing the video of the video camera 55 on the monitor screen of the remote control device B and sending the operation signal to the control means 40.

  The crawler 10 is advanced toward the door 100 by remote control. When approaching the door 100, the central axis Y1 of the crawler 10 is perpendicular to the door 100, and the central axis Y1 and the knob 101 of the door 100 are positioned on the same vertical plane (with the vertical arm portion 21). The position and orientation of the crawler 10 is controlled so that the knob 101 is located on the same vertical plane. The position and posture of the crawler 10 are not required to have high accuracy.

  Next, the first horizontal arm unit 22 is parallel to the central axis Y1 of the crawler 10 (perpendicular to the door 100) by the rotation control of the vertical arm unit 21 (that is, control for horizontally rotating the first horizontal arm unit 22). Extending forward, the second horizontal arm portion 23 is rotationally controlled to be aligned with the first horizontal arm portion 22, and the crawler 10 is advanced in this state.

  As the crawler 10 moves forward, the engaging portion 30 in the open state reaches the knob 101 of the door 100. When the height of the engaging portion 30 and the height of the knob 101 are different, the first horizontal arm portion 22 is rotated in the vertical direction so that the height of the engaging portion 30 matches the height of the knob 101. .

  When the engaging portion 30 reaches the knob 101, as shown in FIG. 3A, the pair of chuck portions 31 of the engaging portion 30 are closed and the knob 101 is gripped (step S1 in FIG. 4). When the knob 101 is gripped, the horizontal arm portions 22 and 23 are in a straight line and are perpendicular to the door 100, but do not require high accuracy and have a relatively wide tolerance.

  Next, the latching state by the latch mechanism of the door 100 is released by rotating the engaging portion 30 and turning the knob 101 (step S2).

  Next, the operator sends an automatic control command signal to the control means 40. Thereby, the control means 40 performs the following automatic control irrespective of the remote operation as described above.

  First, as shown in FIG. 3A, the surrounding state in front of the crawler 10 is recognized by the laser distance meter 50. That is, the laser L is irradiated from the laser distance meter 50 over the predetermined angle range Θ, the distance to the door 100 and the wall 200 adjacent to the left and right of the door 100 is measured, and the door 100 and the wall are measured from the measured distance data. The shape and position of the surface of the object including 200 are recognized (step S3). In the closed state of the door 100, the door 100 and the wall 200 are flush with each other or parallel to each other, and therefore the door 100 and the wall 200 cannot normally be accurately discriminated.

  Thereafter, the control means 40 periodically performs the distance measurement of the angle range Θ by the laser distance meter 50 at short time intervals, captures the measured distance data in real time, and the position of the door 100 with respect to the wall 200 (described later) Angle), the position and orientation (posture) of the crawler 10 with respect to the door 100 and the wall 200, etc., and control is performed by feeding back this information.

Next, as shown in FIG. 3B, the crawler 10 is moved backward with the joints of the horizontal arm portions 22 and 23 free (step S4), and the distance measured by the laser rangefinder 50 during the backward movement. It is determined from the data whether the door 100 is slightly opened (step S5).
The horizontal arm portions 22 and 23 are kept straight when the crawler 10 is retracted by the above-described joint free.

  The meaning of steps S3 and S4 will be described. When the door 100 is slightly opened, the door 100 and the wall 200 are accurately identified from the comparison between the position of the door 100 and the wall 200 recognized in step S3 and the position of the door 100 and the wall 200 when the door 100 is slightly opened. be able to.

  Whether the door 100 is in a slightly opened state is determined, for example, by whether the side edge 100b on the hand side of the door 100 is displaced by a predetermined amount with respect to the wall 200, or the opening angle of the door 100 is a predetermined angle. Or not. The opening amount may be an amount that allows the door 100 to be accurately recognized. In order to maintain a good gripping state of the knob 101 of the engaging portion 30, the angle between the door 100 and the second horizontal arm portion 23 is vertical. It is preferable to suppress it to such an extent that it does not greatly deviate from the above. For example, the opening angle is preferably 2 ° to 10 °. This opening angle is much smaller than the maximum opening angle of the door 100 in automatic control.

  If a negative determination is made in step S5, the crawler 10 is continuously retracted in step S4. If an affirmative determination is made, the process proceeds to step S6, and the position of the wall 200 and the hinge 100a (that is, the rotation of the door 100) are determined from the measured distance data. The position of the center of movement) and the position of the side edge 100b on the hand side (or the width dimension of the door 100) are calculated and recognized.

Furthermore, the locus associated with opening / closing of the door 100 is calculated from the position information recognized in step S6, and the crawler 10 (more specifically, the center point of the crawler 10 (predetermined point) is calculated based on the opening / closing locus of the door 100. )) Is calculated (step S7).
The movement trajectory of the crawler 10 rotates around the outer side substantially along the arc trajectory of the side edge 100b of the door 100. To be precise, a curved trajectory that gradually leaves the arc trajectory is drawn.

  Next, a full opening operation of the door 100 is performed. This opening operation includes retreating and turning control of the crawler 10 (step S8) and door pulling control of the robot arm 20 (step S9).

  In the backward control of the crawler 10 in step S8, the crawler 10 is moved backward so that the center point of the crawler 10 moves on the calculated movement locus. At this time, the direction of the crawler 10 is also controlled so that the axis Y1 of the crawler 10 is perpendicular to the door 100 (turning control).

  Under the control of the crawler 10, as shown in FIG. 3C, the crawler 10 is tilted so that the central axis Y <b> 1 is perpendicular to the wall 200 and the angle with the normal line of the wall 200 is increased. The door 100 gradually moves away from the arc locus of the side edge 100b on the hand side (in other words, the rotation center of the door 100).

  In the door pulling control of the robot arm 20 in step S 9, the second horizontal arm portion 23 is free (can be freely rotated horizontally) with respect to the first horizontal arm portion 22, and the first arm is controlled by rotating the vertical arm 21. By horizontally rotating the horizontal arm 22, the vertical state of the second horizontal arm portion 23 relative to the door 100 (that is, the vertical state of the engaging portion 30 relative to the door 100) is maintained. Thereby, the holding state (engagement state) of the door knob 101 by the engaging part 30 can be maintained favorably.

  In the door pulling control of the robot arm 20, the first horizontal arm portion 22 and the second horizontal arm portion 23 are inevitably changed from the straight state to the bent state, and the front end portion 10x on the side surface of the crawler 10 on the door 100 side is moved to the door 100. To the side edge 100b on the hand side.

The reverse control of the crawler 10 is executed using feedback information on the position and orientation of the crawler 10 with respect to the door 100 and the wall 200.
The robot arm 20 controls the horizontal angle information of the first horizontal arm portion 22 with respect to the central axis Y1 of the crawler 10 and the horizontal angle information of the second horizontal arm portion 23 with respect to the first horizontal arm portion 22. It is executed with feedback.
Similar feedback control is executed in the control of the crawler 10 and the control of the robot arm 20 in the following.

  Although the above steps S8 and S9 are shown separated for easy understanding, they are actually executed at the same time. That is, the crawler 10 is controlled to move backward along the movement trajectory, and the posture of the crawler 10 is controlled so that the crawler 10 is perpendicular to the door 100. At the same time, the second horizontal arm portion 23 is moved to the door 100. On the other hand, the first horizontal arm portion 23 is controlled to rotate vertically.

  Next, it is determined whether or not the crawler 10 interferes with the opening / closing locus of the door 100 calculated in step S6 (step S10). The opening / closing locus includes a locus when the door 100 is further opened from the current opening position. Accordingly, the determination in step S10 determines whether or not the door 100 hits the crawler 10 when the door 100 is further opened with the position and orientation of the crawler 10 maintained as they are. If a positive determination is made here, steps S7 and S8 are continued.

  Since the movement trajectory of the crawler 10 is drawn so as to gradually move away from the arc trajectory of the side edge 100b on the hand side of the door 100 as described above, the crawler 10 and the second horizontal arm portion 23 are perpendicular to the door 100. When the crawler 10 is moved backward while maintaining the position, the crawler 10 eventually reaches a position and posture that deviates from the opening / closing locus of the door 100 as shown in FIG. At this time, a negative determination is made in step S10, and the process proceeds to horizontal rotation control of the robot arm 20 (step S11). Specifically, while maintaining the free state of the second horizontal arm 23 with respect to the first horizontal arm portion 22, the vertical arm portion 21 is rotated to horizontally rotate the first horizontal arm portion 22 clockwise, and the door Pull 100.

  The door 100 is further opened by the control of the robot arm 20 in step S11. At this time, as shown in FIG. 3D, the side edge 100b on the hand side of the door 100 passes through a line connecting the rotation center of the door 100 and the front end portion 10x of the side surface of the crawler 10 on the door 100 side. . Accordingly, the side edge 100b of the door 100 is positioned in the vicinity of the front end portion 10x on the side of the crawler 10.

  It is determined whether or not the pulling of the door 100 is completed (step S12). If an affirmative determination is made, the process proceeds to step S13. Note that the completion of the pulling is performed when the amount of backward displacement of the side edge 100b on the hand side with respect to the front end portion 10x of the crawler 10 becomes a predetermined amount or when the crossing angle of the horizontal arm portions 22 and 23 is a predetermined angle (for example, When 90 ° is reached, an affirmative decision is made.

  In step S13, the crawler 10 is controlled so as to go around the side edge 100b of the door 100. Specifically, the crawler 10 is turned in a super-clockwise direction or is slightly advanced along with turning in the same direction. At this time, the arm 20 is also controlled to maintain the open position of the door 100 (step S14). Specifically, the first horizontal arm portion 22 is rotated clockwise while the second horizontal arm portion 23 is left free.

  Note that the door 100 may be further opened by the control of the robot arm 20 during the wraparound control of the crawler 10.

  The wraparound control of the crawler 10 in step S13 and the control of the robot arm 20 in step S14 are performed until the front end portion 10x of the side surface on the door side of the crawler 10 reaches a position where it interferes with the opening / closing locus of the door 100. As shown in FIG. 3 (E), when the front end portion 10x reaches the interference position, an affirmative determination is made in step S15, and as shown in FIG. 3 (F), the chuck portion 31 of the engaging portion 30 is opened to open the door 100. The gripping state of the knob 101 is released, and the vertical arm portion 21 is rotated to horizontally rotate the first horizontal arm portion 22 to release the engaging portion 30 from the knob 101 (step S16).

  After releasing the grip state of the knob 101 as described above, as shown in FIG. 3G, the crawler 10 continues to turn until the crawler 10 is perpendicular to the wall (step S17). By this turning, the door 100 is pushed by the crawler 10 and the opening angle is further increased. In addition, the turning of the crawler 10 here is preferably a superstrate turning.

  When the crawler 10 reaches a posture perpendicular to the wall 100, an affirmative determination is made in step S18, and the crawler 10 is turned (step S19).

  Next, the free state of the second horizontal arm portion 23 is released, the second horizontal arm portion 23 is turned clockwise so as to have a predetermined crossing angle with respect to the first horizontal arm portion 22, and the first horizontal arm portion 23 is also rotated. The arm portion 22 is turned clockwise, and the engagement portion 30 at the tip thereof is pressed against the door 10 as shown in FIG. 3 (H) to further increase the opening angle of the door 10 (step S20). The turning control of the horizontal arm portions 22 and 23 is also an operation for avoiding the robot arm 20 from interfering with the door 100 when the crawler 10 moves forward.

  Finally, as shown in FIGS. 3 (I) and 3 (J), the crawler 10 is advanced to pass through the entrance / exit 201 of the wall 200 (step S21). Since the engagement portion 30 at the tip of the robot arm 20 contacts the door 100, the door 100 does not contact the crawler 10, and the crawler 10 can be smoothly advanced. The robot arm 20 may be retracted so as to be within the width of the crawler 10 when the crawler 10 moves forward.

  As described above, the automatic control until the robot A opens the door 100, passes through the entrance / exit 201, and enters the room beyond the door 100 ends.

  In the present embodiment, since the video camera 55 and the laser distance meter 50 are provided, when the robot A detects the intrusion of a person or the like while performing automatic control, the video and / or laser distance of the video camera is detected. The automatic control can be stopped by detecting an intrusion from the measurement distance data of the total 50.

  Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In this embodiment, a robot A having a structure substantially similar to that in the first embodiment is used. However, the first horizontal arm portion 22 and the second horizontal arm portion 23 are not in a free state. The control from step S1 to S6 (see FIGS. 3A and 3B) is the same as in the first embodiment.

In the second embodiment, automatic control of the following steps S30 to S44 is executed instead of steps S7 to S21 of the first embodiment.
After executing Step S6, the process proceeds to Step S30, where the crawler 10 is turned in a super-confidence (turning in place), and in Step S31, the central axis Y1 of the crawler 10 is the first centered on the hinge 100a of the door 100. It is determined whether or not it is located on the tangent line of the arc C1. If a negative determination is made in step S31, step S30 is continued. See FIGS. 3B and 5A.

  In step S30, simultaneously with the turning of the crawler 10, the first horizontal arm portion 22 is controlled to rotate at the same angle in the opposite direction to the crawler 10, and the first horizontal arm portion 22 and the second horizontal arm 23 are always kept at the door 100. And keep it vertical. The second horizontal arm 23 is maintained in a straight line with respect to the first horizontal arm portion 22, and is substantially in a fixed state.

  Eventually, as shown in FIG. 5A, the crawler 10 has its central axis Y1 positioned on the tangent line of the first arc C1, and at this time, if an affirmative determination is made in step S31, the process proceeds to step S32. The crawler 10 is moved backward and turned along the first arc C1. At this time, the crawler 10 is maintained in a posture in which the axis Y1 is located on the tangent line of the arc C1. See FIGS. 5A and 5B.

  In step S32, even if the first horizontal arm portion 22 and the second horizontal arm portion 23 are substantially fixed, the state perpendicular to the door 100 can be maintained. However, when the posture control of the crawler 10 is unstable, the first horizontal arm unit 22 may be horizontally rotated as necessary to maintain a vertical state with respect to the door 100.

  In the next step S33, it is determined whether or not the door 100 has been opened by a predetermined amount sufficient for the crawler 10 to pass through. If a negative determination is made here, the above step S32 is continued.

  If an affirmative determination is made in step S33, the process proceeds to step S34, where the crawler 10 is turned in super trust. See FIGS. 5B and 5C. In the next step S35, it is determined whether or not the axis Y1 of the crawler 10 is perpendicular to the straight arm portions 22 and 23, in other words, with the base end (rotation center) of the second horizontal arm portion 22 as the center. It is determined whether or not it is located on the tangent line of the second arc C2.

  When the crawler 10 is in the posture shown in FIG. 5C and the result is affirmative in step S35, the process proceeds to step S36, where the crawler 10 is advanced and turned so as to draw the second arc C2. By this turning, the axis Y1 of the crawler 10 is maintained on the tangent line of the second arc C2. During the crawler 10 control, the first horizontal arm portion 22 is in a substantially fixed state, and the second horizontal arm portion 23 is controlled to rotate so as to maintain a posture perpendicular to the door 100. As a result, the horizontal arm portions 22 and 23 are bent. See FIGS. 5C and 5D.

  In the next step 37, it is determined whether or not the crawler 10 has reached a position where the door 100 can be hooked. That is, by rotating the crawler 10 at this position, the front end portion 10x on the side surface of the crawler 10 on the door side is caught by the door 100 (the front end portion 10x on the door side of the crawler 10 is Whether or not the region of the open / close locus can be entered) is determined. If a negative determination is made in step 37, step S36 is continued.

  When the crawler 10 reaches the position shown in FIG. 5D and an affirmative determination is made in step 37, the process proceeds to step S38, and the crawler 10 is turned in a super-confidence. See FIGS. 5D and 5E. At this time, the second horizontal arm portion 23 is fixed, and the first horizontal arm portion 22 is controlled to rotate by the same angle as the crawler 10, thereby maintaining the vertical state of the second horizontal arm portion 23 and the door 100. .

  In the next step S39, whether or not the front end portion 10x on the door side of the crawler 10 has entered the region of the opening / closing locus of the door 100, more specifically, whether the side edge 100b on the hand side of the door 100 hits the side surface of the crawler 10 is determined. It is determined whether or not the position is in the vicinity. If a negative determination is made here, step S38 is continued.

  When the crawler 10 is in the position shown in FIG. 5E and affirmative determination is made in step S39, the process proceeds to step S40, where the gripping state of the door knob 101 by the engaging part 30 is released, and the first horizontal arm part 22 is moved horizontally. Rotate. In the process of horizontal rotation of the first horizontal arm portion 22, the second horizontal arm portion 23 is also horizontally rotated. See FIGS. 5E to 5G.

  In the next step S41, whether or not the horizontal arm portions 22 and 23 have reached the door pressing position, in other words, the engaging portion 30 at the tip of the second horizontal arm portion 23 has reached the side surface of the door 100 or the vicinity thereof. Determine whether or not. If a negative determination is made here, step 40 is continued.

  When the engaging portion 30 reaches the door pressing position as shown in FIG. 5 (G), the process proceeds to step S42, where the crawler 10 is turned in a superficial position. Then, the posture of the crawler 10 with respect to the wall 200 is changed, and the door 100 is pushed by the engaging portion 30 and further opened. See FIGS. 5G and 5H.

  In the next step S43, it is determined whether or not the angle has been reached through the entrance when it is assumed that the crawler 10 has moved forward. If a negative determination is made here, step S42 is continued.

  When the crawler 10 is in the posture shown in FIG. 5H and can pass through, an affirmative determination is made in step S43 and the process proceeds to step S44, where the second arm portion 23 is rotated to bring the entire robot arm 20 within the width of the crawler 10. The crawler 10 is further advanced to pass through the entrance / exit 201. See FIGS. 5 (H) and (I).

  According to the said 2nd Embodiment, although the movement locus | trajectory of the crawler 10 becomes long compared with 1st Embodiment, it can be performed when the space before the door 100 is wide. In this embodiment, the control of the crawler 10 is relatively simple because it is a combination of movement control on an arc trajectory and super-revolution turning control. Further, the movement of the crawler 10 can be stably controlled by the movement along the circular arc trajectory so that the slip amount of the crawler 10 is small. Further, when the crawler 10 is controlled, basically only horizontal rotation control of one of the horizontal arm portions 22 and 23 is required, so that the control is simple from this point.

  FIG. 7 shows a third embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, only the joint structure of the second horizontal arm portion 23, that is, the connection structure of the first horizontal arm portion 22 and the second horizontal arm portion 23, is different from the first embodiment. More specifically, one of the distal end of the first horizontal arm portion 22 and the proximal end of the second horizontal arm portion 23 forms a concave spherical surface, the other forms a convex spherical surface, and both are joined and connected (so-called cup and cone). Joint structure).

  The distal end of a wire 60 is connected to the proximal end of the second horizontal arm portion 23, and this wire 60 passes through the first horizontal arm portion 22 and the vertical arm portion 21, and is taken up in the main body 11 of the crawler 10. 65 is wound up.

  When the wire 60 is wound by the winding device 65 and the wire 60 is tensioned, the second horizontal arm portion 23 is fixed in a straight state with the first horizontal arm portion 22, and the winding device 65 unwinds the wire 60. And the wire 60 is loosened and the second horizontal arm portion 23 becomes free.

  The robot of FIG. 7 can perform the same control as in the first embodiment. Even when the wire 60 is loosened, the second horizontal arm portion 23 does not hang down from the first horizontal arm portion 22 in a state where the engaging portion 30 is holding the door knob.

  In the case of the robot shown in FIG. 7, in addition to controlling the opening of the door, the wire 60 is drawn out and the second horizontal arm portion 23 is suspended to pick up what is falling on the floor at the engaging portion 30. .

  The engaging portion of the robot may adopt a structure that is hooked without gripping the door knob. An example is shown in FIG. The engaging portion 70 shown in FIG. 8 includes a main body 71 whose base end portion is fixed to the distal end of the second horizontal arm portion 23, and a rotating cylinder portion 72 provided to be rotatable with respect to the outer periphery of the main body 71. , And a locking claw 73 provided at the tip of the main body 71. With the friction cylinder 72 made of an elastic material having a high friction coefficient pressed against the outer periphery of the door knob, the door cylinder is rotated by rotating the rotation cylinder 72 with a motor, and the door is latched. Is released. In the engaging portion 70, the engaging state can be obtained by hooking the locking claw 73 on the back surface of the door knob.

  In the case of using the engaging portion 70, the robot arm 20 is swung up and down so that the locking claw 73 of the engaging portion 70 is hooked on the door knob or the control for releasing the hooked state is performed by the engaging portion 70. 70 included in the control.

  The robot having the above-described configuration can be opened by pulling the door, but can also be opened by pushing. That is, after releasing the latch of the door with the engaging part 30, the traveling body 10 is advanced as it is and the door is pushed open. When the traveling body 10 reaches the entrance / exit of the wall, the engagement state between the engagement portion 30 and the door handle may be released. At this time, the traveling body 10 may be moved forward while pressing the door by the robot arm, or may be moved forward by pushing the traveling body 10 directly against the door by moving the robot arm backward.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various aspects can be adopted.
For example, a robot arm includes a wire having an engaging portion at the tip of one arm portion as well as a plurality of arm portions connected by joints and links, and by pulling the wire, the door is opened. The structure which can be opened may be sufficient.

In the robot control of the first and second embodiments, the control may be performed by pulling the door by remote operation and slightly opening the door, and then performing the automatic control.
In the first and second embodiments, the above-described automatic control can be replaced with manual remote control. For example, the final control (step S21 in the first embodiment or step 44 in the second embodiment) may be executed by remote control.
When the robot arm has more joints or when it is not necessary to keep the engaging portion 30 perpendicular to the door, the robot arm is moved after the crawler 10 is oriented as shown in FIG. The second step may be executed by controlling the pulling-in.
Furthermore, when it is not necessary to maintain the engaging portion 30 perpendicular to the door, in the first step, the engaging portion is used as a door handle while the traveling body is inclined with respect to the closed door. It may be engaged.
In the third step, there is a case where the front end of the traveling body on the door side can be made to interfere with the opening / closing locus of the door simply by moving the traveling body forward.

In the case where the door handle position is constant or the structure in which the vertical arm portion expands and contracts, the first horizontal arm portion 22 may be fixed to the vertical arm portion 21 without rotating up and down.
Further, the vertical arm portion may be fixed to the crawler, and the first horizontal arm portion may be rotated with respect to the vertical arm portion.
Even when the handle of the door has a lever shape, the present invention can be applied by using an engaging portion adapted to this.
An angular velocity sensor may be provided in the traveling body, and the angle (posture) of the traveling body may be recognized to improve the accuracy of state recognition.
The traveling body may be a tire type instead of the crawler.

It is a side view of the robot which makes a 1st embodiment of the present invention. It is a top view of the robot. (A)-(J) is a schematic plan view explaining the process until the robot opens a door and passes an entrance sequentially. It is a flowchart of control which performs the process until the robot opens a door and passes an entrance / exit. (A)-(I) is a schematic plan view explaining the process until a robot opens a door and passes an entrance in order in 2nd Embodiment of this invention. In the second embodiment, it is a flowchart of control for executing a process until the robot opens a door and passes through an entrance / exit. It is a schematic side view of the robot which makes 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is a side view which shows the other aspect of the engaging part of a robot front-end | tip.

Explanation of symbols

10 Crawler (traveling body)
20 Robot arm 21 Vertical arm part 22 First horizontal arm part 23 Second horizontal arm part 30, 70 Engagement part (robot hand)
40 Control means 50 Laser distance meter (distance meter)
100 Door 100a Hinge side edge (door rotation center)
100b Hand side edge 101 Knob (handle)
200 wall 201 doorway

Claims (17)

A robot including a traveling body, a robot arm provided on the traveling body, and an engagement portion for engaging a door handle as a robot hand provided at the tip of the robot arm is controlled to pass through the door. A method,
(A) a first step of engaging the engaging portion with the door handle in the door closed state;
(A) The door is opened forward by the control of the robot arm or the robot arm and the traveling body, and a line connecting the center of the door rotation and the front end of the side of the traveling body on the door side is connected to the door. A second step of being positioned closer to the wall with respect to the side edge of the hand side,
(C) a third step of positioning the front end portion of the side surface on the door side of the traveling body in a region that interferes with the rotation trajectory of the door by controlling the traveling body and the robot arm;
(D) a fourth step of releasing the engagement state of the engagement portion with respect to the door handle, and retracting the robot arm to a position where it does not interfere with the door when the traveling body moves forward in the fifth step;
(E) a fifth step in which the traveling body is advanced to pass through the doorway;
The robot control method is characterized in that the robots are sequentially executed.   In the third step, by turning the traveling body around the side edge on the hand side of the door, the front end of the side surface on the door side of the traveling body interferes with the opening / closing locus of the door. The robot control method according to claim 1, wherein:   3. The robot control method according to claim 1, wherein in the fourth step, the robot arm is retracted to a position where it does not interfere with the door by horizontally rotating the robot arm.   The robot arm is further rotated horizontally to move the engaging portion to the side surface on the doorway side of the door or in the vicinity thereof, and then at least one of turning of the traveling body and further horizontal rotation of the robot arm is executed. The robot control method according to claim 3, wherein the opening angle of the door is increased by pushing the door with the engaging portion.   5. The robot according to claim 4, wherein after the door is pushed open by the engaging portion, before or during the fifth step, the robot arm is horizontally rotated so as to be within a crawler width. Control method.   The robot control according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein, in the second step, the traveling body and the robot arm are controlled so as to maintain the engaging portion perpendicular to the door. Method.   The said 1st process WHEREIN: In a state which made the center axis line of the driving | running | working body perpendicular | vertical to the door and the wall in the door closed state, an engaging part is made to be perpendicular | vertical to a door and it engages with a door handle. Robot control method.   The robot control method according to claim 7, wherein the traveling body is inclined with respect to the wall in the second step. In the first stage of the second step, the traveling body is retracted along a curved trajectory turning around the arc trajectory of the side edge on the hand side of the door so as to increase the inclination with respect to the wall, and the robot arm By executing the door pulling control, the front end portion of the side surface on the door side of the traveling body is positioned in the vicinity of the side edge on the hand side of the door,
In the second stage of the second step, by performing door pulling control by the robot arm, the side edge on the hand side of the door has the rotation center of the door and the front end of the side surface of the traveling body on the door side. The robot control method according to claim 8, wherein the door is further opened so as to pass through the connecting line.   In the first stage of the second step, the traveling body is gradually moved away from the arc locus of the side edge on the hand side of the door while maintaining the longitudinal center axis of the traveling body perpendicular to the door. The robot control method according to claim 9, wherein the robot moves backward so as to draw a curved path. The robot arm includes a first horizontal arm portion supported by the traveling body so as to be horizontally rotatable, and a second horizontal arm portion supported by the tip of the second horizontal arm portion so as to be horizontally rotatable. The engaging part is provided at the tip of the horizontal arm part,
In the first step, in a state where the first horizontal arm portion and the second horizontal arm portion are straightened and perpendicular to the door, the engagement portion is engaged with the door handle,
In the first stage of the second step, the door pulling control is executed by horizontally rotating the first horizontal arm portion with respect to the traveling body while maintaining the second horizontal arm portion perpendicular to the door. And
The robot control method according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the door pulling control is executed by horizontally rotating the first horizontal arm portion in the second stage of the second step.   In the first and second steps of the second step, the first horizontal arm portion is horizontally rotated while the second horizontal arm portion is free with respect to the first horizontal arm portion. 12. The robot control method according to claim 11, wherein door pulling control is executed. The robot arm includes a first horizontal arm portion supported by the traveling body so as to be horizontally rotatable, and a second horizontal arm portion supported by the tip of the second horizontal arm portion so as to be horizontally rotatable. The engaging part is provided at the tip of the horizontal arm part,
In the first step, in a state where the first horizontal arm portion and the second horizontal arm portion are straightened and perpendicular to the door, the engagement portion is engaged with the door handle,
In the first stage of the second step, the first and second horizontal arm portions are maintained in a straight state and maintained perpendicular to the door, while the traveling body is centered on the door rotation center. Swivel while retreating along one arc,
In the second stage of the second step, the second arm portion is rotated while being advanced along a second arc centered on the rotation center of the second arm portion, and the second arm portion is maintained perpendicular to the door. The robot control method according to claim 7, wherein the first arm portion is horizontally rotated.   The traveling body is equipped with a distance meter and a control means, and the control means causes the distance meter to measure the distance to the door and a wall in the vicinity thereof in a horizontal direction over a predetermined angle range, and from the measured distance data, The position of the door with respect to the wall and the position and orientation of the traveling body with respect to the wall and the door are calculated, and at least the second and third steps are executed while feeding back the calculation results. A method for controlling the robot according to claim 1.   By performing at least one of the backward movement of the traveling body or the door pulling control by the robot arm with the engagement portion engaged with the door handle between the first and second steps, the door is slightly moved. 15. The robot control method according to claim 14, wherein the control means recognizes a door and a wall from the distance data measured by the distance meter in the open state.   The control means obtains measurement distance data by the distance meter in a state where the door is closed, and recognizes the door and the wall by comparing the measurement distance data and the measurement distance data in a state where the door is slightly opened. The robot control method according to claim 15, wherein: A robot that opens a door and passes through an entrance that was closed by the door,
A traveling body, a robot arm provided on the traveling body, an engagement portion for engaging a door handle as a robot hand provided at the tip of the robot arm, and controlling the traveling body, the robot arm and the engagement portion. Control means for
The control means is
(A) With the engagement portion engaged with the door handle, the door is opened forward by the control of the robot arm or the control of the robot arm and the traveling body, and the center of the door rotation and the traveling body A step of connecting a line connecting the front end of the side surface of the door side closer to the wall with respect to the side edge of the door side of the door;
(A) By controlling the traveling body and the robot arm, the step of positioning the front end of the side surface on the door side of the traveling body in a region that interferes with the rotation trajectory of the door;
(C) releasing the engagement state of the engagement portion with respect to the door handle, and retracting the robot arm to a position where it does not interfere with the door when the traveling body moves forward toward the doorway;
A robot characterized by sequentially executing.

Images