JP2012137909A - Movable body remote control system and control program for the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable safe remote control of a movable body with simple structure, even in environment in which a communication failure area exists.SOLUTION: A movable robot remote control system 100 includes CPU (80, 20, 40) and memories (84, 22, 42). In storage areas of memories (170, 130, 150), map information (138) is stored. In temporary storage areas (180, 140, 160), information that shows communication failure areas (IO1 to IO5) in which radio communication failure occurs in an area corresponding to the map information is stored as virtual obstacle information (148). The CPU detects at least a position of a movable robot 10 in an area corresponding to the map information (S1, S5) on the basis of information from sensors(122, 124, 40, 46, 58, 70, 112a, 112b), and creates moving control information (182a) for moving a movable body so as to avoid the communication failure area (S75, S105) on the basis of at least the map information and the virtual obstacle information and the detection result.

Description

  The present invention relates to a mobile remote control system and a control program therefor, and more particularly, to a mobile remote control system and a control program therefor that remotely control a mobile body such as a robot or an automated guided vehicle by radio.

  When a mobile object such as a robot or an automated guided vehicle is remotely controlled by wireless, the image of a camera attached to the mobile object, sensor information obtained from sensors attached to the mobile object or placed in the environment, position information, and surrounding conditions are displayed. Movement control is performed based on the map information shown. In particular, in an environment where people or other moving objects exist, it is necessary to update information in real time to prevent accidents in contact with these, and communication used for control must be maintained with low delay and high reliability. Safe maneuvering is difficult.

  However, in indoor environments, places where it is difficult to reach radio waves in the shadows or far away (out of service area), or places where the radio waves of multiple paths reflected from the ceiling, wall, or floor are weakened by mutual interference (multipath interference) (dead zone), etc. In addition, it is necessary for remote control due to the influence of mutual interference caused by radio waves from other wireless devices using the same frequency in the same region, electromagnetic radiation sources, and electromagnetic radiation from high-frequency equipment such as microwave ovens. Since there are many places (communication failure areas) where communication quality cannot be maintained, it is not easy to ensure stable communication over the entire moving range with a small number of facilities. In particular, the dead zone can exist in places close to the transmission antenna or in a place where the antenna can be seen. Therefore, the dead zone that is scattered within the moving range is a particular problem in wireless control that causes a moving object to move in a plane.

Therefore, in Patent Document 1, for example, the mobile robot creates a radio wave intensity map while moving, and when moving to a point where communication is impossible, the mobile robot returns to the nearest communicable point based on the radio wave intensity map. .
Japanese Patent No. 4252333

  However, particularly in interference caused by reflected waves caused by moving objects and people such as movable doors, vehicles, pedestrians, and other wirelessly controlled moving bodies, the position and size of the dead zone change with time. Therefore, a countermeasure such as returning to a point where communication was finally possible as described in Patent Document 1 is less effective in this type of dynamic dead zone. For this reason, generally, measures are taken to probabilistically reduce the possibility of communication failure by devising the antenna arrangement or the antenna itself, or by diversity. However, this has a problem that expensive equipment and a large number of radio facilities are required, or radio resources are insufficient by using a plurality of frequencies simultaneously. In addition, it is difficult to fundamentally eliminate the dead zone even though it can be reduced probabilistically.

  Therefore, a main object of the present invention is to provide a novel mobile remote control system and a control program therefor.

  Another object of the present invention is to provide a mobile remote control system and a mobile remote control system that can safely remote control a mobile body with a simple configuration even in an environment where a communication failure area exists, particularly in an environment where dead zones that change with time are scattered. Is to provide a control program.

  The present invention employs the following configuration in order to solve the above problems. The reference numerals in parentheses, supplementary explanations, and the like indicate correspondence relationships with embodiments described later to help understanding of the present invention, and do not limit the present invention in any way.

  A first invention is a mobile remote control system for remotely controlling a mobile body by wireless communication, and includes a first memory for storing map information and communication in which wireless communication fails in an area corresponding to the map information. A second memory for storing information indicating an obstacle region as virtual obstacle information, a detection means for detecting at least a position of a moving body in an area corresponding to map information based on sensor information from the sensor, and map information and Control information creating means is provided for creating control information for controlling the moving body so as to avoid a wireless communication failure in the communication failure area based at least on the virtual obstacle information and the detection result of the detecting means.

  In the remote control system (100) according to the first aspect of the invention, the mobile body (10) is remotely controlled by wireless communication. Map information (138) is stored in the first memory (170, 130, 150). In the second memory (180, 140, 160), information indicating communication failure areas (IO1 to IO5) in which a wireless communication failure occurs in an area corresponding to the map information is stored as virtual obstacle information (148). . The detection means (S1, S5) detects at least the position of the moving body in the area corresponding to the map information based on the sensor information from the sensors (122, 124, 40, 46, 58, 70, 112a, 112b). To do. The control information creation means (S75, S105) controls the moving body so as to avoid a wireless communication failure in the communication failure area based at least on the map information and the virtual obstacle information and the detection result of the detection means. Information (182) is created.

  According to the first invention, communication is performed by controlling the mobile body so as to avoid a wireless communication failure in the communication failure area based on the map information including the virtual obstacle information and the position information of the mobile body. Even in an environment where an obstacle area exists, high communication quality can be maintained, and a mobile object can be remotely controlled safely with a simple configuration.

  In addition, the communication failure area is an area where radio waves are difficult to reach due to being far away from the antenna or hidden behind a physical obstacle in the area corresponding to the map information (out of service area), or from the same antenna. In other words, a region (dead zone) where radio waves passing through different paths interfere with each other and weaken each other is included. There are two types of such communication failure areas: static ones that do not move, deform, or expand / contract, and dynamic ones that move, deform, or expand / contract. is there.

  The second invention is a mobile remote control system subordinate to the first invention, wherein the control information creation means creates movement control information (182a) for moving the mobile body so as to avoid a communication failure area. .

  According to the second invention, it is possible to maintain high communication quality even in an environment where there is a communication failure area such as out of service area or dead zone by moving the mobile body so as to avoid the communication failure area according to the movement control information. Become.

  Note that the communication failure area may include an area where a plurality of antennas are visible in an area corresponding to the map information, and an area where a large number of mobile objects gather. In this type of region, there is a possibility that communication troubles occurring in that region can be avoided by changing the frequency used in wireless communication. In such a case, the control information creating means may create frequency change control information that causes the moving body to change the frequency instead of or in addition to the movement control information.

  A third invention is a mobile remote control system subordinate to the second invention, wherein the map information describes a position of a static physical obstacle, and the second memory stores the map information. The physical obstacle information (146) relating to the dynamic physical obstacle moving in the corresponding area is further stored, and the control information creation means is map information, physical obstacle information, virtual obstacle information and detection means. Control information is created based on the detection result.

  According to the third aspect of the present invention, the mobile object can be remotely controlled more safely by adding more dynamic physical obstacle information.

  A fourth invention is a mobile remote control system according to the third invention, wherein the detection means further detects at least a position of a dynamic physical obstacle and moves based on a detection result of the detection means. Based on physical obstacle information created by physical obstacle information creating means for creating physical obstacle information indicating at least the position of a physical obstacle, and map information and physical obstacle information creating means Virtual obstacle information indicating at least the position of a static communication failure area occurring in the area corresponding to the map information and a dynamic communication failure area occurring and moving in the area corresponding to the map information. Virtual obstacle information creating means for creating is further provided, and the second memory is created by the physical obstacle information and virtual obstacle information creating means created by the physical obstacle information creating means. Storing the virtual obstacle information.

  In the fourth invention, at least the position of the dynamic physical obstacle is further detected by the detecting means. The physical obstacle information creating means (S7) creates physical obstacle information indicating at least the position of the dynamic physical obstacle based on the detection result of such a detecting means. Further, the virtual obstacle information creating means (S9) is a static communication obstacle area generated in an area corresponding to the map information, based on the stored map information and the physical obstacle information thus created, In addition, virtual obstacle information indicating at least a position is created for a dynamic communication failure area that occurs and moves in an area corresponding to the map information. The second memory stores the physical obstacle information and virtual obstacle information thus created.

  According to the fourth aspect of the invention, a dynamic physical obstacle (such as a person or a vehicle) that is not described on the map is detected by the sensor, and is further generated due to a static obstacle described on the map. By detecting, for example, calculation, measurement, statistical processing, and the like, a static communication failure area that is generated and a dynamic communication failure area that is generated and moved due to the detected dynamic obstacle are statically detected. High communication quality can be maintained even in an environment where time-sensitive dead zones are scattered in addition to typical dead zones and out-of-service areas, and a mobile object can be safely remotely controlled with a simple configuration.

  Note that the virtual obstacle information creating means is based on the map information and the physical obstacle information, and the communication obstacle area is an area where a plurality of antennas are visible in the area corresponding to the map information or an area where many mobile robots gather. Further, virtual obstacle information may be created in which this type of area is also regarded as a virtual obstacle.

  A fifth invention is a mobile remote control system according to the fourth invention, wherein the detecting means further detects the moving direction of the moving body and the moving direction of the dynamic physical obstacle, The physical obstacle information creating means creates physical obstacle information indicating the position and moving direction of a dynamic physical obstacle based on the detection result of the detecting means, and the virtual obstacle information creating means includes map information and Based on the physical obstacle information created by the physical obstacle information creating means, virtual obstacle information indicating the position and moving direction of the dynamic obstacle area is created, and the control information creating means is configured to move the moving object in the moving direction. If at least one of a static physical obstacle and a static virtual obstacle exists (S99: YES), movement control information for immediately performing avoidance movement is generated, and the moving object moves in the moving direction. Physical obstacles and static When none of the virtual obstacles exists and at least one of the moving physical obstacle and the moving virtual obstacle is present (S99: N0 → S101: YES), the moving object The movement control information for performing the avoidance movement when the estimated time of arrival at the moving obstacle falls below the threshold is generated.

  According to the fifth aspect of the invention, the avoiding action is performed at an appropriate timing according to whether the obstacle existing in the moving direction of the moving object is a moving obstacle or a fixed obstacle. You can control.

  A sixth invention is a mobile remote control system according to any one of the third to fifth inventions, and is arranged in an area corresponding to map information to perform wireless communication with a mobile body. The antennas (202a to 206a) are further provided, and the virtual obstacle information creating means calculates the intensity distribution of the electric field from the antenna based on the map information and the physical obstacle information, and the calculated electric field strength is smaller than the threshold value. An area is specified as a communication failure area, and information indicating at least the position of the specified communication failure area is created as virtual obstacle information.

  According to the sixth aspect, highly accurate virtual obstacle information can be created by calculation.

  A seventh invention is a mobile remote control system according to the sixth invention, further comprising a server (14) connected to the network (200), wherein the antenna is an access point ( 202 to 206), the physical obstacle information creating means and the virtual obstacle information creating means are provided in the server, and the control information creating means is provided in the mobile body.

  According to the seventh invention, while the obstacle information creation function is consolidated on the server side, the control information creation function is provided on the mobile body side, so that efficient control can be achieved particularly when the number of mobile bodies is large. Can be done.

  An eighth invention is a mobile remote control system according to the seventh invention, further comprising a remote control device (12) connected to a network, wherein the first memory and the second memory are a server, a mobile And a remote control device.

  According to the eighth aspect of the invention, it is possible to perform remote control more safely by distributing obstacle information from the server to each of the mobile body and the remote control device via the network.

  A ninth invention is a mobile remote control system according to any one of the first to eighth inventions, wherein a part of the sensors (40, 46, 58, 70, 112a, 112b) is provided in the mobile body. The other part (122, 124) of the sensor is arranged in an area corresponding to the map information.

  According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, based on the information from the sensor mounted on the moving body and the information from the sensor arranged in the moving area of the moving body, the position and moving direction of the moving body, as well as dynamic It is possible to accurately detect the position and moving direction of a physical obstacle.

  The tenth invention is a control program (174, 134, 136) executed in a computer (80 & 84, 20 & 22, 40 & 42) of a mobile remote control system (100) for remotely maneuvering the mobile body (10) by wireless communication. The control program stores a computer, a first memory (170, 130, 150) for storing map information (138), and a communication failure area (IO1 to IO5) in which wireless communication fails in an area corresponding to the map information. ) Based on sensor information from the second memory (180, 140, 160) and the sensors (122, 124, 40, 46, 58, 70, 112a, 112b) that store information indicating virtual obstacle information (148). Detecting means (S1, S5) for detecting at least the position of the moving body in the area corresponding to the map information; and Control information creation means for creating control information for controlling the mobile body so as to avoid a radio communication failure in the communication failure area communication failure area based at least on the figure information and the virtual obstacle information and the detection result of the detection means Function as (S75).

  In the tenth invention, similarly to the first invention, it is possible to maintain high communication quality, and it is possible to safely remotely control the mobile body with a simple configuration.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the mobile remote control system and control for it which can carry out the remote control of a mobile body safely by simple structure also in the environment where a communication failure area exists, especially the environment where the dead zone which changes with time is dotted. The program is realized.

  The above object, other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of embodiments with reference to the drawings.

It is an illustration figure which shows the structure of the mobile robot remote control system which is one Example of this invention, This system contains a mobile robot, a server, and a remote control apparatus. It is an illustration figure which shows the external view of a mobile robot. It is a block diagram which shows the electric constitution of a mobile robot. It is a block diagram which shows an example of the electric constitution of a remote control device. It is a block diagram which shows an example of the electrical structure of a server. It is an illustration figure which shows an example of the screen displayed on the display of a remote control apparatus, The map which shows the environment where a mobile robot remote control system is applied is drawn on this screen. It is an illustration figure which shows another example of the screen displayed on the display of a remote control apparatus, and a physical / virtual obstacle is further drawn on this screen so that it may overlap with the map of FIG. It is an illustration figure which shows the memory map of a server. It is an illustration figure which shows the memory map of a remote control apparatus. It is an illustration figure which shows the memory map of a mobile robot. It is an illustration figure which shows the detail of the main items in a memory map, (A) shows physical obstruction information, (B) shows virtual obstruction information, respectively. It is a flowchart which shows a part of CPU operation | movement of a server. It is a flowchart which shows the detail of the calculation process of the area | region arrangement | positioning of the virtual obstacle shown by FIG. It is a flowchart which shows a part of CPU operation | movement of a remote control apparatus. It is a flowchart which shows a part of CPU operation | movement of a mobile robot. It is a flowchart which shows the detail of the movement control information generation process shown by FIG. It is an illustration figure which shows the calculation method of the area | region arrangement | positioning of the virtual obstacle shown by FIG. 12, (A) detects the map divided | segmented into the grid | lattice form, (B) detects based on the electrolysis intensity | strength in each grid point Indicates a virtual obstacle.

  Referring to FIG. 1, a mobile robot remote control system (hereinafter referred to as “remote control system”) 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention is different from mobile robot 10 disposed in, for example, a museum, an attraction facility, or an event venue. System for remote control via a network 200 such as a LAN or the Internet from a location such as a laboratory or a monitoring center.

  First, an outline will be described. The remote control system 100 includes a mobile robot 10, a remote control device 12, and a server 14. The network 200 is provided with a plurality of, for example, three wireless access points (hereinafter “AP”) 202 to 206 each having an antenna (202a to 206a: see FIG. 6). It is connected to the network 200 via any one. In other words, the mobile robot 10 can maintain the connection with the network 200 by sequentially switching the connection destination in the order of AP202 → AP204 →... As it moves (so-called “handover”).

  On the other hand, the remote control device 12 and the server 14 are connected to the network 200 via dedicated APs (not shown). The connection between the mobile robot 10 and each of the APs 202 to 206 is a wireless connection such as, for example, the IEEE 802.11 system, but the connection between each of the remote control device 12 and the server 14 and the dedicated AP is a wireless connection. However, a wired connection such as a LAN cable may be used.

  The mobile robot 10 is an autonomous robot, for example, and moves or acts autonomously based not only on remote control but also on prestored map (room plan) information and sensor information from various sensors provided in the mobile robot 10. You can also. Sensor information from the mobile robot 10 is also transmitted to the remote control device 12 via the network 200.

  A plurality of, for example, two laser range finders (hereinafter “LRF”) 122 and 124 are connected to the server 14. Each LRF 122, 124 is installed in a place (environment) where the mobile robot 10 can move, measures the distance from itself to the mobile robot 10, and outputs distance data. The server 14 stores the same map information as that stored in the mobile robot 10, and based on this map information and distance data from each LRF 122, 124, the mobile robot 10 (and other mobile objects in the environment) Calculate the position and direction of movement of physical obstacles such as human bodies. The position & direction information indicating the calculation result is transmitted to the mobile robot 10 and the remote control device 12 via the network 200.

  Note that LRF generally measures the distance to a target based on the time it takes to irradiate a laser and reflect it back at the target. For example, the LRFs 122 and 124 simply reflect a laser beam emitted from a transmitter (not shown) by a rotating mirror (not shown) and scan the front in a fan shape at a certain angle (for example, 0.5 degrees). In addition to measuring the distance to the target, it is also possible to generate two-dimensional distance information about the surface of the target (information describing the shape of the surface with two variables of angle and distance). The distance data from the LRFs 122 and 124 includes such two-dimensional distance information. Whether the server 14 is the mobile robot 10 or a physical obstacle such as another moving body or human body. Can be identified.

  Here, the “physical obstacle” does not include a static obstacle (for example, a building or a wall) described in the above-described map information. In other words, the term “physical obstacle” simply means a moving (dynamic) physical obstacle such as a car or a person.

  A sensor (distance sensor) that is installed in the environment and measures the distance to the mobile robot 10 is not limited to the LRF, and may be an infrared distance sensor or a radar, for example. The server 14 may be connected to a sensor other than the distance sensor, such as a camera (image sensor). In this case, the server 14 identifies the mobile robot 10 and the physical obstacle with higher accuracy by referring to the image data from the camera in addition to the distance data from the LRFs 122 and 124, and each region arrangement ( Position, size, and shape) can be specified more accurately. Furthermore, if the sensor information detected by the mobile robot 10 is transferred to the server 14, the server 14 can use this information when specifying the area arrangement of the physical obstacle.

  Information (type or attribute, area arrangement, etc.) regarding the physical obstacle thus identified is transmitted from the server 14 to the mobile robot 10 and the remote control device 12 as physical obstacle information.

  Further, the server 14 calculates the electric field strength distribution on the map based on the map information and the physical obstacle information by a method such as ray tracing, and the arrangement (position, size and Shape). If the area is moving, the moving direction and speed are also specified. Information regarding the area thus identified (area arrangement, moving direction, speed, etc.) is transmitted from the server 14 to the mobile robot 10 and the remote control device 12 as virtual obstacle information.

  The remote control device 12 includes a display (30: see FIG. 4) for displaying sensor information obtained from the mobile robot 10, position & direction information obtained from the server 14, physical obstacle information, virtual obstacle information, and the like. And an operation panel (28: see FIG. 4). The operator monitors the movement (including movement and / or movement) of the mobile robot 10 through various information displayed on the display (30), and operates the operation panel (28) to control the movement as necessary. . The operation information based on the operation of the operation panel (28) is transmitted to the mobile robot 10 via the network 200.

  The mobile robot 10 moves based on the stored map information, its own sensor information, position and direction information from the server 14, physical obstacle information and virtual obstacle information, and operation information from the remote control device 12. Control information is generated, and various motors (92 to 98, 110, 36a and 36b: see FIG. 3) are driven based on the generated motion control information. In this way, the movement of the mobile robot 10 by autonomous / remote control is realized.

  In particular, the mobile robot 10 performs route selection based on map information including physical obstacle information or virtual obstacle information, so that not only a physical obstacle but also a virtual obstacle, that is, a region having a low radio wave intensity. It is possible to move while avoiding (out of service area and dead zone). Since physical obstacle information and virtual obstacle information are updated in real time, the mobile robot 10 can be safely operated even in an environment where there are moving objects or people, or in which there are time-sensitive dead zones. Can be remotely piloted.

  Note that the mobile robot 10 is also an interaction-oriented robot, and has a function of executing a communication action such as a body motion such as gesture gesture or voice conversation with a communication target such as a human.

  Next, each element will be described in detail. FIG. 2 is a front view showing the appearance of the mobile robot 10 of this embodiment. Referring to FIG. 2, mobile robot 10 includes a carriage 30, and a lower surface of carriage 30 is provided with right wheel 32 a and left wheel 32 b (referred to as “wheel 32” unless otherwise specified) and one slave wheel 34. It is done. The right wheel 32a and the left wheel 32b are independently driven by the right wheel motor 36a and the left wheel motor 36b (see FIG. 4), respectively, and can move the carriage 30 and the entire mobile robot 10 in an arbitrary direction of front, rear, left and right. The slave wheel 34 is an auxiliary wheel that assists the wheel 32.

  A cylindrical sensor attachment panel 38 is provided on the carriage 30, and a large number of infrared distance sensors 40 are attached to the sensor attachment panel 38. These infrared distance sensors 40 measure the distance between the sensor mounting panel 38, that is, the mobile robot 10 itself, and the surrounding objects (such as humans and obstacles).

  In this embodiment, an infrared distance sensor is used as the distance sensor. However, instead of the infrared distance sensor, a small LRF, an ultrasonic distance sensor, a millimeter wave radar, or the like can be used. May be used in appropriate combination.

  A body 42 is provided on the sensor mounting panel 38 so as to stand upright. In addition, the above-described infrared distance sensor 40 is further provided in the upper front upper portion of the body 42 (a position corresponding to a human chest), thereby measuring the distance to a front object such as a human. Further, the body 42 is provided with a support pole 44 extending from substantially the center of the upper end of the side surface, and the antenna 118 and the omnidirectional camera 46 are provided on the support 44.

  The antenna 118 is an omnidirectional antenna for performing wireless communication with each of the APs 202 to 206, receives a radio signal from an arbitrary direction, and transmits a radio signal in an arbitrary direction. Note that a variable directivity antenna (such as an array antenna) that can electrically change the directivity may be used as the antenna 118.

  The omnidirectional camera 46 photographs the surroundings of the mobile robot 10 and is distinguished from an eye camera 70 described later. As the omnidirectional camera 46, for example, a camera using a solid-state imaging device such as a CCD or a CMOS can be employed. In addition, the installation positions of the infrared distance sensor 40, the antenna 118, and the omnidirectional camera 46 are not limited to the portions, and may be changed as appropriate.

  An upper arm 50R and an upper arm 50L are provided at upper end portions on both sides of the torso 42 (position corresponding to a human shoulder) by a shoulder joint 48R and a shoulder joint 48L, respectively. Although illustration is omitted, each of the shoulder joint 48R and the shoulder joint 48L has three orthogonal degrees of freedom. That is, the shoulder joint 48R can control the angle of the upper arm 50R around each of three orthogonal axes. A certain axis (yaw axis) of the shoulder joint 48R is an axis parallel to the longitudinal direction (or axis) of the upper arm 50R, and the other two axes (pitch axis and roll axis) are orthogonal to the axes from different directions. It is an axis to do. Similarly, the shoulder joint 48L can control the angle of the upper arm 50L around each of three orthogonal axes. A certain axis (yaw axis) of the shoulder joint 48L is an axis parallel to the longitudinal direction (or axis) of the upper arm 50L, and the other two axes (pitch axis and roll axis) are orthogonal to the axes from different directions. It is an axis to do.

  In addition, an elbow joint 52R and an elbow joint 52L are provided at the respective distal ends of the upper arm 50R and the upper arm 50L. Although illustration is omitted, each of the elbow joint 52R and the elbow joint 52L has one degree of freedom, and the angle of the forearm 54R and the forearm 54L can be controlled around the axis (pitch axis).

  A sphere 56R and a sphere 56L corresponding to a human hand are fixedly provided at the tips of the forearm 54R and the forearm 54L, respectively. However, when a finger or palm function is required, a “hand” in the shape of a human hand can be used. Although not shown, the front surface of the carriage 30, the portion corresponding to the shoulder including the shoulder joint 48R and the shoulder joint 48L, the upper arm 50R, the upper arm 50L, the forearm 54R, the forearm 54L, the sphere 56R, and the sphere 56L, A contact sensor 58 (shown generically in FIG. 3) is provided. A contact sensor 58 on the front surface of the carriage 30 detects contact of a person or another obstacle with the carriage 30. Therefore, the mobile robot 10 can detect the contact with the obstacle during its movement and immediately stop the driving of the wheel 32 to suddenly stop the movement of the mobile robot 10. Further, the other contact sensors 58 detect whether or not the respective parts are touched. In addition, the installation position of the contact sensor 58 is not limited to the said site | part, and may be provided in an appropriate position (position corresponding to a person's chest, abdomen, side, back, and waist).

  A neck joint 60 is provided at the upper center of the body 42 (a position corresponding to a person's neck), and a head 62 is further provided thereon. Although illustration is omitted, the neck joint 60 has a degree of freedom of three axes, and the angle can be controlled around each of the three axes. A certain axis (yaw axis) is an axis that goes directly above (vertically upward) the mobile robot 10, and the other two axes (pitch axis and roll axis) are axes orthogonal to each other in different directions.

  The head 62 is provided with a speaker 64 at a position corresponding to a human mouth. The speaker 64 is used for the mobile robot 10 to communicate with a person around it by voice or sound. A microphone 66R and a microphone 66L are provided at a position corresponding to a human ear. Hereinafter, the right microphone 66R and the left microphone 66L may be collectively referred to as a microphone 66. The microphone 66 captures ambient sounds, in particular, the voices of humans who are subjects of communication. Furthermore, an eyeball part 68R and an eyeball part 68L are provided at positions corresponding to human eyes. The eyeball portion 68R and the eyeball portion 68L include an eye camera 70R and an eye camera 70L, respectively. Hereinafter, the right eyeball portion 68R and the left eyeball portion 68L may be collectively referred to as the eyeball portion 68. Further, the right eye camera 70R and the left eye camera 70L may be collectively referred to as an eye camera 70.

  The eye camera 70 captures a human face approaching the mobile robot 10, other parts or objects, and captures a corresponding video signal. The eye camera 70 can be the same camera as the omnidirectional camera 46 described above. For example, the eye camera 70 is fixed in the eyeball unit 68, and the eyeball unit 68 is attached to a predetermined position in the head 62 via an eyeball support unit (not shown). Although illustration is omitted, the eyeball support portion has two degrees of freedom, and the angle can be controlled around each of these axes. For example, one of the two axes is an axis (yaw axis) in a direction toward the top of the head 62, and the other is orthogonal to the one axis and goes straight in a direction in which the front side (face) of the head 62 faces. It is an axis (pitch axis) in the direction to be. By rotating the eyeball support portion around each of these two axes, the tip (front) side of the eyeball portion 68 or the eye camera 70 is displaced, and the camera axis, that is, the line-of-sight direction is moved. Note that the installation positions of the speaker 64, the microphone 66, and the eye camera 70 described above are not limited to those portions, and may be provided at appropriate positions.

  As described above, the mobile robot 10 according to this embodiment includes independent two-axis driving of the wheels 32, three degrees of freedom of the shoulder joint 48 (6 degrees of freedom on the left and right), and one degree of freedom of the elbow joint 52 (two degrees of freedom on the left and right). The neck joint 60 has a total of 17 degrees of freedom: 3 degrees of freedom of the neck joint and 2 degrees of freedom of the eyeball support (4 degrees of freedom on the left and right).

  FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the mobile robot 10. Referring to FIG. 3, mobile robot 10 includes a CPU 80. The CPU 80 is also called a microcomputer or a processor, and is connected to the memory 84, the motor control board 86, the sensor input / output board 88 and the audio input / output board 90 via the bus 82. The CPU 80 includes an RTC (Real Time Clock) 80a, and adds time data based on the RTC to signals or data (sensor information) from each sensor.

  Although not shown, the memory 84 includes an SSD (Solid State Drive) and ROM as a nonvolatile memory (storage area), and a RAM as a volatile memory (temporary storage area). In the SSD, ROM, that is, the storage area (180: see FIG. 10), various control programs for controlling the movement of the mobile robot 10 itself and the communication with the remote control device 12 and the server 14, map information, etc. (described later) ) Is stored in advance. A RAM, that is, a temporary storage area (190: see FIG. 10), as work memory or buffer memory, temporarily stores transmission / reception data and stores various information (described later) referred to by a control program in an updatable manner.

  The motor control board 86 is constituted by, for example, a DSP, and controls driving of each axis motor such as each arm, neck joint, and eyeball unit. That is, the motor control board 86 receives the control data from the CPU 80, and controls two motors for controlling the angles of the two axes of the right eyeball portion 68R (in FIG. 3, they are collectively referred to as “right eyeball motor 92”). Control the rotation angle. Similarly, the motor control board 86 receives two control data from the CPU 80 and controls two angles of the two axes of the left eyeball portion 68L (in FIG. 3, collectively referred to as “left eyeball motor 94”). ) To control the rotation angle.

  The motor control board 86 receives control data from the CPU 80, and includes a total of four motors including three motors for controlling the angles of the three orthogonal axes of the shoulder joint 48R and one motor for controlling the angle of the elbow joint 52R. The rotation angle of two motors (collectively indicated as “right arm motor 96” in FIG. 3) is controlled. Similarly, the motor control board 86 receives control data from the CPU 80, and includes a total of three motors for controlling the angles of the three orthogonal axes of the shoulder joint 48L and one motor for controlling the angle of the elbow joint 52L. The rotation angles of the four motors (collectively indicated as “left arm motor 98” in FIG. 3) are controlled.

  Further, the motor control board 86 receives the control data from the CPU 80, and shows three motors (collectively “head motor 110” in FIG. 3) that control the angles of the three orthogonal axes of the neck joint 60. ) To control the rotation angle. The motor control board 86 receives control data from the CPU 80 and individually controls the rotation angles of the right wheel motor 36a for driving the right wheel 32a and the left wheel motor 36b for driving the left wheel 32b. In this embodiment, a motor other than the wheel motor 36 uses a stepping motor (that is, a pulse motor) in order to simplify the control. However, a DC motor may be used similarly to the wheel motor 36. The actuator that drives the body part of the mobile robot 10 is not limited to a motor that uses an electric current as a power source, and may be changed as appropriate. For example, in another embodiment, an air actuator or the like may be applied.

  Similar to the motor control board 86, the sensor input / output board 88 is configured by a DSP, for example, and takes in signals (sensor information) from each sensor and supplies them to the CPU 80. That is, data relating to the reflection time from each of the infrared distance sensors 40 is input to the CPU 80 through the sensor input / output board 88. The video signal from the omnidirectional camera 46 is input to the CPU 80 after being subjected to predetermined processing by the sensor input / output board 88 as necessary. Similarly, the video signal from the eye camera 70 is also input to the CPU 80. In addition, signals from the plurality of contact sensors 58 described above (collectively indicated as “contact sensors 58” in FIG. 3) are provided to the CPU 80 via the sensor input / output board 88.

  The sensor input / output board 88 is further connected to a right wheel speed sensor 112a for detecting the rotational speed (wheel speed) of the right wheel 32a and a left wheel speed sensor 112b for detecting the rotational speed of the left wheel 32b. Then, from each of the right wheel speed sensor 112a and the left wheel speed sensor 112b, data regarding the rotation speed (wheel speed) of the right wheel 32a and the left wheel 32b in a certain time is input to the CPU 80 through the sensor input / output boat 88. Is done.

  Similarly to the other input / output boards, the voice input / output board 90 is constituted by a DSP, for example. In FIG. 3, the voice or voice according to the voice synthesis data provided from the CPU 80, the memory 84 or the voice input / output board 90 is displayed. Output from the speaker 64. In addition, voice input from the microphone 66 is given to the CPU 80 via the voice input / output board 90.

  The CPU 80 is connected to the communication LAN board 114 via the bus 82. The communication LAN board 114 is configured by a DSP, for example, and supplies transmission data given from the CPU 80 to the wireless communication circuit 116. The wireless communication circuit 116 sends the transmission data from the antenna 118 via the network 200 to an external computer (remote control device). 12, to the server 14). Further, the communication LAN board 114 receives data with the antenna 118 via the wireless communication circuit 116 and gives the received data to the CPU 80. The received data received by the antenna 118 includes operation information from the remote control device 12 and / or position & direction information, physical obstacle information, and virtual obstacle information from the server 14.

  FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the remote control device 12. Referring to FIG. 4, remote control device 12 includes CPU 20, memory 22, communication LAN board 24, communication circuit 26, operation panel 28, and display 30. The communication circuit 26 is connected to the network 200 wirelessly or via a dedicated AP (not shown).

  The operation panel 28 includes various operation buttons, a touch panel, and the like. The operation panel 28 receives an operation performed by the operator to control the movement of the mobile robot 10 and outputs the operation data. The CPU 20 includes the RTC 20a, adds time data based on the RTC 20a to the operation data input from the operation panel 28, and writes this (operation data with time) in the memory 22 as transmission data (operation information). The CPU 20 also reads the transmission data stored in the memory 22 according to the time data, and gives it to the communication LAN board 24. The communication LAN board 24 is configured by a DSP, for example, and transmits transmission data given from the CPU 20 to the mobile robot 10 from the communication circuit 26 through the network 200.

  The communication LAN board 24 also receives data (sensor information, position & direction information, physical obstacle information, and virtual obstacle information) sent from the mobile robot 10 and the server 14 via the network 200 by the communication circuit 26. The received data is given to the CPU 20. The CPU 20 writes the given received data into the memory 22 and, based on the received data thus stored in the memory 22, holds the map information, the sensor information from the mobile robot 10, and the position & direction from the server 14. A map screen with obstacles (see FIG. 7) visually showing information, physical obstacle information, and virtual obstacle information is displayed on the display 30. The operation by the operator as described above is performed with reference to the map screen displayed on the display 30 in this way.

  The memory 22 stores in advance various control programs, map information, and the like (see FIG. 9: described later) for the remote control device 12 to perform the operations described above.

  FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the server 14. Referring to FIG. 5, the server 14 includes a CPU 40, a memory 42, a communication LAN board 44, a communication circuit 46, and a sensor input / output board 48. The communication circuit 46 is connected to the network 200 wirelessly or via a dedicated AP (not shown). The sensor input / output board 48 is connected to the LRFs 122 and 124 (and radar and camera) shown in FIG.

  The CPU 40 includes an RTC 40a, and adds time data obtained from the RTC 40a to distance data (and radar measurement data and camera image data) input from the LRFs 122 and 124 through the sensor input / output board 48. Then, the distance data with time (and measurement data with time and image data with time) is written in the memory 42. The CPU 40 also determines the position and moving direction of the mobile robot 10 in the environment and the area arrangement of the physical obstacle based on the time-distance data stored in the memory 42 and the map information stored in the memory 42 in advance. Based on the calculation result, the area arrangement of the virtual obstacle is further calculated, and the results (position & direction information, physical obstacle information, and virtual obstacle information) are written in the memory 42 again as transmission data.

  The communication LAN board 44 is configured by a DSP, for example, and transmits the transmission data thus stored in the memory 42 from the communication circuit 46 to the mobile robot 10 through the network 200. In the memory 42, various control programs for the server 14 to perform the above-described operations, map information, and the like (see FIG. 8: described later) are stored in advance.

  FIG. 6 shows a map corresponding to the environment to which the remote control system 100 is applied. When a mode for displaying a map is selected by the remote control device 12, a map screen as shown in FIG. 6 is displayed on the display 30 based on the map information stored in the memory 22.

  This environment is, for example, a room of a museum, in which three antennas corresponding to a passage, six exhibition shelves, and three APs are provided at appropriate positions. The mobile robot 10 moves in such a room autonomously or by remote control.

  On the map screen corresponding to this environment, as shown in FIG. 6, a passage image 300, display shelf images 302 to 312, and antenna images 202 a to 206 a corresponding to APs 202 to 206 are drawn. In the following, the passage image 300 and the display shelf image 302 are simply abbreviated as the passage 300 and the display shelf 302.

  The environment is not limited to the indoor environment as shown in FIG. 6 and may be an outdoor environment. In this case, the display shelf images 302 to 312 shown in FIG. 6 indicate a building such as a building, and the passage image 300 indicates a road.

  FIG. 7 shows a map with obstacles in which physical obstacles and virtual obstacles are arranged on the map of FIG. When an operation for displaying a map with an obstacle is performed by the remote control device 12, the display 30 is based on the map information, the position & moving direction information, the physical obstacle information, and the virtual obstacle information stored in the memory 22. Then, a map screen with obstacles as shown in FIG. 7 is displayed. On the map screen with an obstacle, a mark “R” indicating the mobile robot 10, a mark “PO” indicating a physical obstacle, and a mark “IO” indicating a virtual obstacle are further drawn on the map of FIG. Is done. There are two types of virtual obstacles: those that move, deform, and expand / contract (dynamic virtual obstacles) and those that do not move, deform, and expand / contract (static virtual obstacles). There are types.

  For example, in the right back of the exhibition room, there is an area hidden behind the exhibition shelf 310 from which no antenna can be seen, which is out of range. This out-of-service area is detected as a static virtual obstacle because it does not move, deform, or expand / contract. Two marks “IO1” and “IO2” drawn on the right back of the exhibition room indicate such static virtual obstacles.

  In addition, an out-of-range area is also generated on the right hand side of the display shelf 312, but this out-of-range area does not move, but it is deformed or enlarged / reduced by the influence of people or vehicles passing nearby, so Detected as a virtual obstacle. A mark “IO5” drawn on the right side of the display shelf 312 indicates such a dynamic virtual obstacle.

  On the other hand, an automated guided vehicle (hereinafter referred to as “vehicle”) is moving from the passage 300 toward the display shelf 306, and this vehicle is indicated by a mark “PO1” on the map as a physical obstacle. In addition, a dead zone due to the approaching vehicle is occurring in front of the display shelf 306, and a mark “IO3” indicating a dynamic virtual obstacle corresponding to this expanding dead zone is near the mark “PO1”. Has been drawn.

  Also, a person is walking in front of the display shelf 308, and a mark “PO2” indicating this pedestrian, that is, a physical obstacle, is drawn in front of the display shelf 308. Furthermore, a dead zone due to the pedestrian is generated in front of the display shelf 308, and a mark “IO4” indicating a dynamic virtual obstacle corresponding to the moving dead zone is also drawn.

  FIG. 8 shows a memory map of the server 14. Referring to FIG. 8, a storage area 130 and a temporary storage area 140 are formed in the memory 42. The storage area 130 includes a communication control program 132, a position & movement direction calculation program 134, and an obstacle area arrangement calculation program 136. In addition, map information 138 and the like are stored. The communication control program 132 is a control program for the server 14 to communicate with the mobile robot 10 and the remote control device 12 through the network 200, and corresponds to step S11 in FIG. The position & moving direction calculation program 134 is a program for calculating the position and moving direction of the mobile robot 10 based on the distance data (two-dimensional distance information) 142 stored in the temporary storage area 140. Corresponds to S5. The obstacle area arrangement calculation program 136 is used to calculate the area arrangement of obstacles (physical obstacles and virtual obstacles) existing in the movement range of the mobile robot 10 based on the distance data 142 from the LRFs 122 and 124. This is a program and corresponds to steps S7 and S9 in FIG. The map information 138 is map information corresponding to the movement range of the mobile robot 10, and corresponds to, for example, the map screen of FIG.

  In the temporary storage area 140, distance data 142, position & direction information 144, physical obstacle information 146, virtual obstacle information 148, and the like are temporarily stored. The distance data 142 is data output from the LRFs 122 and 124, and the position and moving direction of the mobile robot 10 are calculated based on the data. Further, based on the two-dimensional distance information included in the distance data 142, the area arrangement of the mobile robot 10 and the physical obstacle is calculated. The position & direction information 144 is information indicating the position and moving direction of the mobile robot 10 (and other moving bodies), and is transmitted to each of the mobile robot 10 and the remote control device 12. The physical obstacle information 146 and the virtual obstacle information 148 are information indicating the area arrangement of the physical obstacle and the virtual obstacle existing in the movement range of the mobile robot 10, and each of the mobile robot 10 and the remote control device 12. Sent to.

  FIG. 9 shows a memory map of the remote control device 12. Referring to FIG. 9, storage area 150 and temporary storage area 160 are formed in memory 22, and communication control program 152, input / output control program 154, map information 138, and the like are stored in storage area 150. The communication control program 152 is a control program for the remote control device 12 to communicate with the mobile robot 10 and the server 14 through the network 200, and corresponds to step S45 in FIG. The input / output control program 154 is a program for controlling operation input from the operation panel 28 and screen output to the display 30, and corresponds to steps S41, S43 and S49 in FIG. The map information 138 is the same map information as that stored in the server 14.

  In the temporary storage area 160, sensor information 162, operation information 164, position & direction information 144, physical obstacle information 146, and virtual obstacle information 148 are temporarily stored. The sensor information 162 is information received from the mobile robot 10 and indicates detection results of sensors (40, 46, 58, 70, 112a and 112b) provided in the mobile robot 10. The operation information 164 is information indicating an operation content (command) performed by the remote control device 12 itself, and is transmitted to the mobile robot 10. The position & direction information 144 is information received from the server 14 and indicates the position and moving direction of the mobile robot 10 (and other moving bodies). The physical obstacle information 146 and the virtual obstacle information 148 are information received from the server 14 and indicate the area arrangement of the physical obstacle and the virtual obstacle existing in the movement range of the mobile robot 10.

  FIG. 10 shows a memory map of the mobile robot 10. Referring to FIG. 10, storage area 170, temporary storage area 180, and parameter area 190 are formed in memory 84, and communication control program 172, motion control program 174, map information 138, and the like are stored in storage area 170. Is done. The communication control program 172 is a control program for the mobile robot 10 to communicate with the remote control device 12 and the server 14 through the network 200, and corresponds to steps S65 and S71 in FIG. The motion control program 174 is a program for controlling the motion of the mobile robot 10 based on the motion control information 182 and corresponds to steps S75 and S77 in FIG. The map information 138 is the same map information as that stored in the server 14.

  The temporary storage area 180 stores sensor information 162, operation information 164, position & direction information 144, physical obstacle information 146, virtual obstacle information 148, and motion control information 182. The sensor information 162 is information indicating the detection result of the sensors (40, 46, 58, 70, 112a and 112b) provided in the mobile robot 10 itself, and specifically, the distance to the object or wall surface existing in the vicinity. Distance information indicating the image, image information obtained by capturing the periphery with various cameras, contact information with the object, wheel speed information indicating the speeds of the left and right wheels, and the like. The operation information 164 is information received from the remote control device 12 and indicates the operation content (command) performed by the remote control device 12. The position & direction information 144 is information received from the server 14 and indicates the position and moving direction of the mobile robot 10 itself (and other moving objects). The physical obstacle information 146 and the virtual obstacle information 148 are information received from the server 14 and indicate the area arrangement of the physical obstacle and the virtual obstacle existing in the movement range of the mobile robot 10 itself.

  The movement control information 182 is information for controlling the movement of the mobile robot 10 itself (operations of the various motors 36a, 36b, 92 to 98 and 110). The sensor information 162, the operation information 164, and the position & direction information described above. 144, generated based on physical obstacle information 146 and virtual obstacle information 148. The movement control information 182 includes movement control information 182a for controlling movement (mainly operations of the right and left wheel motors 36a and 36b), and operations (mainly right and left eyeball motors 92 and 94, right and left arm motors 96 and 98, and Operation control information 182b for controlling the operation of the head motor 110).

  Various parameters set by the user, specifically, the mode 192 and the target position 194 are stored in the parameter area 190, and a temporary target position 196 is further stored as necessary. There are two types of modes 192: a mode that moves toward a predetermined position (a target that does not move) (normal mode) and a mode that tracks a moving target (tracking mode). The target position 194 is a parameter indicating the target position (coordinates). The temporary target position 196 is a parameter indicating a temporary target position (coordinates) set in place of the target when there is an obstacle in the direction of travel to the target.

  FIG. 11A shows a configuration example of physical obstacle information 146. Referring to FIG. 11A, the physical obstacle information 146 includes, for each physical obstacle PO1, PO2, an ID for identifying the physical obstacle, the time when the physical obstacle is detected, The area arrangement (position, size, shape, etc.) of the physical obstacle on the map, and the moving direction and speed of the physical obstacle are described.

  FIG. 11B shows a configuration example of the virtual obstacle information 148. Referring to FIG. 11B, the virtual obstacle information 148 includes, for each virtual obstacle IO1 to IO5, an ID for identifying the virtual obstacle, the time when the virtual obstacle is detected, and the virtual obstacle information. The area layout (position, size, shape, etc.) on the map, and the moving direction and speed of the virtual obstacle (“fixed” in the case of a static virtual obstacle) are described.

  It should be noted that the server 14 and the LRFs 122 and 124 associated therewith are omitted from the remote control system 100, and the mobile robot 10 has position & direction information 144, physical obstacle information 146, and virtual obstacle information based on its own sensor information. 148 may be generated. Alternatively, the role of the server 14 is limited to the collection of sensor information from the LRFs 122, 124, etc., and the mobile robot 10 is based on the sensor information by itself and the sensor information from the server 14, and the position & direction information 144, physical obstacle information 146 and virtual obstacle information 148 may be generated.

  The CPU 40 of the server 14 performs processing according to the flow of FIGS. 12 and 13 based on the communication control program 132, the position & movement direction calculation program 134, and the obstacle area arrangement calculation program 136 (see FIG. 8) stored in the memory 42. Execute. Referring to FIG. 12, first, distance data 142 is acquired from LRFs 122 and 124 in step S1. The acquired distance data 142 is written in the temporary storage area 140. Note that when a camera is connected to the server 14, image data is further acquired from the camera and written to the temporary storage area 140.

  In the temporary storage area 140, the previous distance data 142 is also stored. In step S3, the distance data 142 acquired this time is compared with the previous distance data 142 to determine whether there is a change. If NO, the process returns to step S1. If this is the first time, it is considered that there is a change, and the determination result in step S3 is YES. If “YES” in the step S 3, the process proceeds to a step S 5 to calculate the position and the moving direction of the mobile robot 10 based on the current distance data 142 and the previous distance data 142. This calculation result is written in the temporary storage area 140 as position & direction information 144.

  Next, in step S7, physical information is obtained based on the map information 138 stored in the storage area 130 and the two-dimensional distance information (and image data from the camera) included in the distance data 142 stored in the temporary storage area 140. Calculate the area layout of the obstacle. This calculation result is written in the temporary storage area 140 as physical obstacle information 146. In the next step S9, the area arrangement of the virtual obstacle is calculated based on the map information 138 stored in the storage area 130 and the physical obstacle information 146 stored in the temporary storage area 140 (details will be described later). This calculation result is written in the temporary storage area 140 as virtual obstacle information 148.

  In step S 11, the position & direction information 144, the physical obstacle information 146 and the virtual obstacle information 148 stored in the temporary storage area 140 are transmitted from the communication circuit 46 via the communication LAN board 44 to the mobile robot 10 and remote control. Transmit to each of the devices 12. Then, it returns to step S1 and repeats the same process as the above.

  Thereby, since the mobile robot 10 can know the position and moving direction of the mobile robot 10 itself, the mobile robot 10 can move autonomously. In addition, since the operator who operates the remote control device 12 can know the position and moving direction of the mobile robot 10, the mobile robot 10 can be remotely controlled. The server 14 may be omitted from the remote control system 100, and the mobile robot 10 itself may calculate the position and the moving direction based on the sensor information 156. This calculation result (position & direction information 144) is transmitted to the remote control device 12.

  The above-described step S9, that is, the calculation of the area arrangement of the virtual obstacle is executed in detail according to the flow of FIG. Referring to FIG. 13, CPU 40 first arranges a physical obstacle based on physical obstacle information 146 on a map based on map information 138 in step S21, and then, in step S23, the map. For example, as shown in FIG. 17A, the process proceeds to step S25.

  In step S25, radio waves from each antenna 202a to 206a to each lattice point are traced (ray tracing) on the map, and the electric field strength at each lattice point is calculated. In the next step S27, based on the calculation result, that is, the electric field strength at each lattice point, a region surrounding the lattice point group whose electric field strength is below the threshold is detected.

  For example, in a certain section on the map, 25 grid points (1, 1) to (5, 5) are defined as shown in FIG. 17B, and 7 adjacent grid points (2 , 2), (3, 2), (2, 3), (3, 3), (4, 3), (3,4) and (4, 4) A region IOi surrounding the seven lattice point groups is detected. In addition, even if there is a grid point where the electric field strength of any grid point is equal to or higher than the threshold value or the electric field strength is lower than the threshold value, if the arrangement is discrete, it is considered that there is no corresponding region.

  Next, it is determined in step S29 whether or not the size of the area thus detected is larger than a threshold value. The threshold value is determined such that the major axis is 2 m, the minor axis is 1 m, etc., assuming that the shape of the detection region is an ellipse. If “NO” in the step S29, the registration information corresponding to the area is deleted (passing if there is no corresponding registration information) in a step S39. Thereafter, the process returns to the upper flow (see FIG. 12). If “YES” in the step S29, the process proceeds to a step S31.

  In step S31, the detected area is regarded as a virtual obstacle, and its detection time and area arrangement (position, shape, size, etc.) are registered in the virtual obstacle information 148 (see FIG. 10) (or registered information is registered). Update. In the next step S33, it is determined whether or not the detected area is moving based on the change in the position registered in the virtual obstacle information 148. If YES here, the movement calculated from the position change is determined. The direction / speed is further registered in the virtual obstacle information 148 in step S35. If “NO” in the step S33, “fixed” is further registered in the virtual obstacle information 148 in a step S37 instead of the moving direction / speed. After registering the moving direction / speed or “fixed” in this way, the process returns to the upper flow.

  The CPU 20 of the remote control device 12 executes control processing according to the flow of FIG. 14 based on the communication control program 152 and the input / output control program 154 (see FIG. 9) stored in the memory 22. Referring to FIG. 14, first, at step S41, a map screen with an obstacle (see FIG. 7) is initially displayed on display 30, and then at step S43, it is determined whether or not there is an operation input to operation panel 28. If NO, the process proceeds to step S47. If “YES” in the step S43, operation information indicating the contents of the operation input is transmitted from the communication circuit 26 to the mobile robot 10 via the communication LAN board 24 in a step S45, and then, the process proceeds to a step S47.

  In step S47, it is determined whether various information (sensor information, position & direction information 144, physical obstacle information 146, virtual obstacle information 148) is received from the mobile robot 10 or the server 14 by the communication LAN board 24. If NO, the process returns to step S43. If “YES” in the step S47, the map screen with an obstacle on the display 30 is updated based on the received information in a step S49, and then, the process returns to the step S43. Then, the same processing as described above is repeated.

  Thus, the display 30 has a map screen with obstacles that visually shows sensor information from the mobile robot 10, position & direction information 144 from the server 14, physical obstacle information 146, and virtual obstacle information 148. Displayed in real time. The operator can perform remote control of the mobile robot 10 by operating the operation panel 28 as necessary while viewing this screen.

  The CPU 80 of the mobile robot 10 executes control processing according to the flow of FIGS. 15 and 16 based on the communication control program 172 and the motion control program 174 (see FIG. 10). Referring to FIG. 15, first, initial processing is performed in step S61. The initial processing includes processing such as initialization of the temporary storage area 180 and initial setting of various parameters (mode 192, target position 194 and temporary target position 196) stored in the parameter area 190.

  In the initial setting of the mode 192, for example, one of the normal mode and the tracking mode is selected by the user via the operation panel 28 of the remote control device 12, and the selected mode is stored. In the initial setting of the target position 194, in the normal mode, an arbitrary position is designated by the user, and coordinates indicating the designated position are stored. On the other hand, in the tracking mode, an arbitrary target (person, vehicle, etc.) is designated by the user, and coordinates indicating the initial position of the designated target are stored. In the initial setting of the temporary target position 196, “not set” is stored.

  When the initial process is completed, the process proceeds to step S63, and sensor information is acquired from various sensors (40, 46, 58, 70, 112a and 112b). In the next step S65, the sensor information 162 stored in the temporary storage area 180 is updated based on the sensor information thus obtained. The updated sensor information 162 is transmitted to the remote control device 12 by the wireless communication circuit 116 via the communication LAN board 114 via the antenna 118. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S67.

  In step S67, it is determined whether or not various types of information (position & direction information 144, physical obstacle information 146, and virtual obstacle information 148) are received from the server 14. If NO, the process proceeds to step S71. If “YES” in the step S67, the position & direction information 144, the physical obstacle information 146, and the virtual obstacle information 148 stored in the temporary storage area 180 are updated based on the received information in a step S69, and then the step S71. Proceed to

  In step S71, it is determined whether or not operation information has been received from the remote control device 12. If NO, the process proceeds to step S75. If “YES” in the step S71, the operation information 164 stored in the temporary storage area 180 is updated based on the received information in a step S73, and then, the process proceeds to a step S75.

  In step S75, motion control information 182 is generated based on sensor information 162, operation information 164, position & direction information 144, physical obstacle information 146 and virtual obstacle information 148, and in step S77, the motion control information Based on 182, various motors (92 to 98, 110, 36 a and 36 b) are driven. Then, it returns to step S63 and repeats the same process as the above. As a result, various movements of the mobile robot 10, such as movement and communication behavior as described above, are realized.

  The motion control information 182 generated in step S75 includes movement control information 182a and operation control information 182b. Of these, the movement control information 182a is generated, for example, according to the flow shown in FIG. Note that description of the operation control information 182b is omitted.

  Referring to FIG. 16, in the first step S91, it is determined whether or not the current mode, that is, the mode 192 stored in the parameter area 190 indicates the tracking mode. If NO here, that is, if the mode 192 indicates the normal mode, the process proceeds to step S95. If “YES” in the step S91, the target position 194 is updated to the current position of the tracking partner in a step S93, and then the process proceeds to the step S95. Note that the current position of the tracking partner is extracted from the position & direction information 144 stored in the temporary storage area 180.

  In step S95, it is determined whether or not the distance to the target position 194, that is, the distance between the mobile robot 10 itself and the tracking partner is within a threshold (for example, 1 m). If YES here, the process proceeds to step S109. Branch to (described later).

  Note that the threshold used in the determination in step S95 is not limited to a fixed value, and may be a variable value. For example, the threshold value may be stored in the parameter area 190 as one parameter, and a value corresponding to the environment (for example, 2 m outdoors, 1 m indoors, etc.) may be set through the initial processing in step S61.

  If “NO” in the step S95, the position and direction information 144 are referred to in a step S97 to calculate the position to be traveled from the position of the mobile robot 10 itself and the target position 194. In the next step S99, it is determined based on the map information 138 and the virtual obstacle information 148 whether there is a fixed obstacle in the calculated traveling direction. Here, the fixed obstacle is specifically a static physical obstacle described in the map information 138 (a building or a road in the case of an outdoor map, a wall surface or an exhibition shelf in the case of a floor plan). Fixed fixed prohibited areas may be included), and “fixed” obstacles registered in virtual obstacle information 148 (static virtual obstacles and dynamic virtual obstacles that do not move) ) Refers to an object or area falling under any of the following.

  If there is a fixed obstacle as described above in the traveling direction calculated in step S97, YES is determined in step S99, and the process proceeds to step S105 (described later). On the other hand, if there is no fixed obstacle as described above in the calculated traveling direction, NO is determined in the step S99, and the process proceeds to the step S101. In step S101, it is determined based on the physical obstacle information 146 and the virtual obstacle information 148 whether there is a moving obstacle in the calculated traveling direction. Here, the moving obstacle is specifically a dynamic physical obstacle registered in the physical obstacle information 146 and a “moving” obstacle registered in the virtual obstacle information 148 (dynamic Or an area corresponding to any one of the virtual obstacles that move).

  If there is no moving obstacle as described above in the traveling direction calculated in step S97, NO is determined in step S101, and the process proceeds to step S107 (described later). On the other hand, if there is a moving obstacle as described above in the calculated traveling direction, YES is determined in the step S101, and the process proceeds to the step S103. In step S103, based on the speed of the mobile robot 10 extracted from the position & direction information 144 and the speed of the moving obstacle extracted from the physical obstacle information 146 or the virtual obstacle information 148, the movement is performed. The estimated arrival time to the obstacle is calculated, and it is determined whether or not the calculated estimated arrival time is equal to or greater than a threshold value. Note that the estimated arrival time has two movement speeds, for example, the movement speed of the mobile robot 10 itself and the movement speed of the moving obstacle based on the time when the influence of the deterioration of the communication environment is allowed for the safety of the robot control. Is set as a function of If NO in step S103, the process proceeds to step S105, and if YES, the process proceeds to step S107.

  In step S105, a temporary target position 196 that avoids the moving obstacle is set. Preferably, the temporary target position 196 is such that the difference between the traveling direction newly calculated based on this and the traveling direction calculated in step S97 is as small as possible within the range in which the moving obstacle can be avoided. Set to position. Thereby, a detour can be made as short as possible. After the setting, the process returns to step S97 and the same processing as described above is repeated. In step S97 executed in a state where the temporary target position 196 is set, the calculation is performed using the temporary target position 196 instead of the target position 194.

  In step S107, movement control information 182a indicating movement in the traveling direction calculated in step S97 is generated. Specifically, if the traveling direction calculated in step S97 coincides with the current traveling direction of the mobile robot 10 itself extracted from the position & direction information 144, the rotation of the right and left wheel motors 36a and 36b is changed to the current state. The movement control information 182a to be maintained is generated. On the other hand, if the calculated traveling direction is different from the current traveling direction, movement control information 182a for changing the rotations of the right and left wheel motors 36a and 36b is generated so that they coincide with each other. After generation, the flow returns to the upper flow (see FIG. 15).

  The processing in the case where YES is determined in the step S95 is as follows. In step S109, it is determined whether or not the target position 194 is the temporary target position 196 (that is, whether or not the temporary target position 196 is set). After returning 196 to the original target position 194 (that is, after deleting the temporary target position 196), the process returns to step S97. Therefore, in the next step S97, the target position 194 is referred to. If “NO” in the step S109, the movement control information 182a indicating the movement stop is generated in a step S113, and then the process returns to the upper flow.

  Although not shown, the movement speed is controlled as appropriate according to the distance to the nearby obstacle, the mode, the surrounding situation, and the like simultaneously with the movement direction control as shown in FIG.

  In this embodiment, the physical obstacle is detected by the LRFs 122 and 124. Alternatively, the physical obstacle may be detected by radar, infrared distance measurement, stereoscopic image processing of the camera image, or the like, and an appropriate combination thereof. You may detect by.

  On the other hand, in this embodiment, the virtual obstacle is detected (predicted) by the ray launching method or the imaging method, which is a ray tracing method based on the map information 138 and the physical obstacle information 146, but is not limited thereto. It can be predicted using various ray tracing methods and various electromagnetic field analysis methods such as the FDTD (Finite Difference Time Domain) method, as well as conditions such as distance to nearby obstacles, moving speed, ambient conditions, radio frequency, etc. Accordingly, it is possible to predict by combining these. Alternatively, it is possible to collect actual measurement data indicating the relationship between the position of the moving object and the occurrence probability of the dead zone, the influence amount on the radio resource, and the like, and predict it from the past actual measurement data by a statistical method or the like. Alternatively, in addition to predicting by calculation using an electromagnetic field analysis method or a statistical method, detection may be performed based on actual measurement information provided from a sensor placed in an environment or a sensor mounted on a moving body, You may detect combining the prediction by calculation, and the measurement by a sensor.

  In this embodiment, the electric field strength is used for the determination of the virtual obstacle. However, as a more advanced determination method, the signal-to-noise ratio obtained from the position of the noise source, propagation path information, etc., or a desired method can be used instead of the electric field strength. It is also possible to use a wave interference wave ratio. In addition, it is also possible to use an index such as a bit error rate or a packet error rate calculated from these physically determined information and system parameters such as error correction capability.

  As is apparent from the above, the mobile robot remote control system 100 of this embodiment includes the mobile robot 10, the remote control device 12, the server 14, the APs 202 to 206, and the sensors (122, 124, 40, 46, 58, 70, 112a). 112b). The remote control device 12 and the server 14 are each connected to the network 200, and the mobile robot 10 is connected to the network 200 via the APs 202 to 206. The mobile robot 10 is provided with a part of sensors (40, 46, 58, 70, 112a, 112b), and the server 14 is connected with another part of sensors (122, 124). In the storage areas 170, 130, and 150 of the mobile robot 10, the remote control device 12, and the server 14, map information 138 (see FIG. 6) describing the arrangement of static physical obstacles 302 to 312 is stored.

  The CPU 40 of the server 14 determines the position and moving direction of the mobile robot 10 in the area corresponding to the map information 138 based on the sensor information from the sensors (122, 124, 40, 46, 58, 70, 112a, 112b). Detect (S1, S5). Further, the position and moving direction of the dynamic physical obstacles PO1 and PO2 (see FIG. 7) that move within the area corresponding to the map information 138 are further detected, and the dynamic physical obstacle is detected based on the detection result. Physical obstacle information 146 indicating at least the positions of PO1 and PO2 is created (S7). The position & moving direction information 144 indicating the detection result and the created physical obstacle information 146 are transmitted to the mobile robot 10 and the remote control device 14 through the network 200. As a result, the mobile robot 10, the remote control device 12 and the server are transmitted. In the 14 temporary storage areas 180, 140 and 160, position & moving direction information 144 and physical obstacle information 146 are stored.

  The CPU 40 of the server 14 further, based on the map information 138 and the physical obstacle information 146, static communication failure areas IO1 and IO2 (see FIG. 7) that occur in the area corresponding to the map information 138 and the map information. The virtual obstacle information 148 indicating at least the position of the dynamic communication failure areas IO3 to IO5 (see FIG. 7) generated and moved in the area corresponding to 138 is created (S9). The created virtual obstacle information 148 is transmitted to the mobile robot 10 and the remote control device 12 through the network 200. As a result, the virtual obstacle information 148 is virtually stored in the temporary storage areas 180, 140, and 160 of the mobile robot 10, the remote control device 12, and the server 14. Obstacle information 148 is further stored.

  The CPU 20 of the remote control device 12 displays a map screen with an obstacle as shown in FIG. 7 on the display 30 based on the map information 138, the position & direction information 144, the physical obstacle information 146, and the virtual obstacle information 148, for example. Then (S41, S49), the operation by the operation panel 28 is accepted (S43), and the operation information 164 is transmitted to the mobile robot 10 (S45).

  Based on the map information 138, the position & movement direction information 144, the physical obstacle information 146, the virtual obstacle information 148, and the operation information 164, the CPU 80 of the mobile robot 10 performs static physical obstacles 302 to 312, The movement control information 182a for moving the mobile robot 10 so as to avoid the physical obstacles PO1 and PO2, the static virtual obstacles IO1 and IO2, and the dynamic virtual obstacles IO3 to IO5 is created (S75, S105).

  As a result, in addition to static dead zones and out-of-service areas, it is possible to maintain high communication quality even in an environment where time-sensitive dead zones are scattered, so that mobile devices can be remotely controlled safely with a simple configuration. Become.

  In this embodiment, the server 14 is used, but the remote control device 12 may also function as the server 14. However, the use of the server 14 facilitates control when a large number of mobile robots 10 are remotely controlled. In this embodiment, remote control is performed via the network 200 (and APs 202 to 206 provided therein). However, the mobile robot 10 is directly controlled by short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark). May be.

  In this embodiment, remote control due to a communication failure is performed by placing a wireless out-of-service area or dead zone as a virtual obstacle on the map used for moving route selection, and selecting a route to avoid them. The virtual obstacle is not limited to the out-of-service area or the dead zone.

  For example, in a place where many antennas are visible at the same time, the communication partner of the mobile robot 10 may not be determined, and communication may be difficult or unstable. Therefore, it may be handled as a virtual obstacle like an out-of-service area or dead zone. it can. Also, in places where a large number of mobile robots 10 are gathering (regions where the density of mobile robots 10 is more than a certain level), communication may be difficult or unstable due to interference, and this can be handled in the same way. It is.

  For this type of communication failure area, instead of selecting a route that avoids this, changing the frequency used for wireless communication when reaching or approaching a virtual obstacle avoids the communication failure that occurs in that area. There is a possibility. Therefore, instead of or in addition to the movement control information 182a, frequency change information (not shown) for changing the frequency used by the wireless communication circuit 116 for wireless communication is created in the communication LAN board 114 of the mobile robot 10. May be.

  Generally, areas that make it difficult to use individual radio resources or adversely affect the stable operation of the entire communication system are placed on the map as virtual obstacles, and routes that avoid this are selected or the frequency is changed. By performing the avoidance operation such as the communication quality, the communication quality can be maintained, and smooth robot control is realized.

  In other words, on the contrary to reducing the possibility of communication failure, avoiding movement to places where communication failure can occur or changing the communication frequency by predicting the occurrence in advance, low latency and Highly reliable communication can be maintained, and as a result, safe maneuvering can be performed.

  In the above description, the remote control system 100 according to an embodiment has been described. However, the present invention can be used to separate a mobile body such as a mobile robot or an unmanned cart by wireless communication via a network or direct wireless communication. It can be applied to a remote control system for remote control from a place.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Mobile robot 12 ... Remote control device 14 ... Server 20, 40, 80 ... CPU
22, 42, 84 ... Memory 24, 44, 114 ... Communication LAN board 26, 46 ... Communication circuit 116 ... Wireless communication circuit 118 ... Antenna for mobile robot 122, 124 ... LRF (laser range finder)
200 ... network 202 to 206 ... AP (access point)
202a to 206a ... AP antenna

Claims (10)

A mobile remote control system for remotely controlling a mobile body by wireless communication,
A first memory for storing map information;
A second memory for storing, as virtual obstacle information, information indicating a communication failure area where a failure occurs in wireless communication within an area corresponding to the map information;
Detection means for detecting at least a position of the moving body in an area corresponding to the map information based on sensor information from the sensor; and at least the map information, the virtual obstacle information, and a detection result of the detection means A mobile remote control system comprising control information creation means for creating control information for controlling the mobile body so as to avoid a radio communication failure in the communication failure area.   The mobile control system according to claim 1, wherein the control information creation unit creates movement control information for moving the mobile body so as to avoid the communication failure area. The map information describes the position of a static physical obstacle,
The second memory further stores physical obstacle information related to a dynamic physical obstacle moving within an area corresponding to the map information;
The moving body according to claim 2, wherein the control information creating means creates the movement control information based on the map information, the physical obstacle information, the virtual obstacle information, and a detection result of the detecting means. Remote control system. The detecting means further detects at least a position of the dynamic physical obstacle;
Physical obstacle information creating means for creating physical obstacle information indicating at least a position of the dynamic physical obstacle based on a detection result of the detecting means; and the map information and physical obstacle information creating Based on the physical obstacle information created by the means, the static communication failure area that occurs in the area corresponding to the map information and the dynamic communication that occurs and moves in the area corresponding to the map information Further comprising virtual obstacle information creating means for creating virtual obstacle information indicating at least a position of the obstacle region;
The mobile object according to claim 3, wherein the second memory stores physical obstacle information created by the physical obstacle information creating unit and virtual obstacle information created by the virtual obstacle information creating unit. Remote control system. The detection means further detects the moving direction of the moving body and the moving direction of the dynamic physical obstacle,
The physical obstacle information creating means creates physical obstacle information indicating the position and moving direction of the dynamic physical obstacle based on the detection result of the detecting means,
The virtual obstacle information creating means includes virtual obstacle information indicating the position and moving direction of the dynamic obstacle area based on the map information and the physical obstacle information created by the physical obstacle information creating means. Create
The control information creating means
When there is at least one of a static physical obstacle and a static virtual obstacle in the moving direction of the moving object, movement control information for immediately performing avoidance movement is generated,
There is neither a static physical obstacle nor a static virtual obstacle in the moving direction of the mobile body, and at least one of a dynamic physical obstacle that moves and a dynamic virtual obstacle that moves 5. The mobile remote control system according to claim 4, wherein, when there is one, the mobile control information for causing the mobile body to perform the avoidance movement when the estimated time of arrival of the mobile body to the mobile obstacle falls below a threshold value. An antenna for performing wireless communication with the mobile unit disposed in an area corresponding to the map information;
The virtual obstacle information creating means calculates an electric field intensity distribution from the antenna based on the map information and the physical obstacle information, and sets an area where the calculated electric field intensity is smaller than a threshold as a communication obstacle area. The mobile remote control system according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein information is specified and information indicating at least a position of the specified communication failure area is created as the virtual obstacle information. A server connected to the network;
The antenna is provided at an access point to the network of the mobile;
The mobile remote control system according to claim 6, wherein the physical obstacle information creating means and the virtual obstacle information creating means are provided in the server, and the control information creating means is provided in the mobile body. A remote control device connected to the network;
The mobile remote control system according to claim 7, wherein the first memory and the second memory are provided in each of the server, the mobile body, and the remote control device.   The mobile remote control system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein a part of the sensor is provided in the mobile body, and another part of the sensor is disposed in an area corresponding to the map information. A control program executed in a computer of a mobile remote control system for remotely controlling a mobile body by wireless communication,
The control program controls the computer,
A first memory for storing map information;
A second memory for storing, as virtual obstacle information, information indicating a communication failure area where a failure occurs in wireless communication within an area corresponding to the map information;
Detection means for detecting at least a position of the moving body in an area corresponding to the map information based on sensor information from the sensor; and at least the map information, the virtual obstacle information, and a detection result of the detection means A control program that functions as control information creation means for creating control information for controlling the mobile body so as to avoid a radio communication failure in the communication failure area.

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