JP2017215916A - Autonomous mobile robot and autonomous movement method of robot - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an autonomous mobile robot and an autonomous movement method of the robot, in which a robot travels in a chicken house everywhere, for applying stimulation to chickens for making the chickens move for promoting the chickens to eat prey.SOLUTION: An autonomous mobile robot which can autonomously move in a chicken house comprises: a housing comprising at least one pair of drive wheels, and auxiliary wheels provided on front and rear sides of the drive wheels in a travel direction; a force detection part for detecting reaction force by contact to an obstacle in three directions, namely, the travel direction of the housing, and directions inclined to left and right sides of the travel direction; a light emission part for radiating a visible light to the three force detection directions of the force detection part; and a control part for distinguishing between chickens and a stationary object, for performing stimulation operation control and travel control. An autonomous movement method is configured to perform light radiation stimulation by the light emission part to the force detection direction, when the force detection part detects the reaction force, and distinguish between chickens and a stationary object by a change amount of the reaction force of the force detection part, when it is determined that the objects are chickens, mechanical stimulation is applied to the chickens, and when it is determined that the object is the stationary object, the robot is made to avoid the stationary object.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to an autonomous mobile robot that promotes foraging by exercising chickens in a poultry house and an autonomous mobile method of the robot.

  Chickens are known to have the habit of eating food while waking up.

  However, if there are chickens that wake up and eat food, and chickens that do not sleep and move, there is a difference in chicken growth, so workers are sleeping by walking regularly in the house. Raising chickens to encourage foraging is being done. In a general poultry house, tens of thousands of chickens are raised in a flat area, making it a vast building with a depth of several hundred meters, and walking inside this building surrounded by many chickens is a work The burden is great for the person. In addition, from the viewpoint of reducing the risk of infection with diseases such as bird flu, it is necessary to reduce the number of people entering and leaving the poultry house. Therefore, it is required that the robot autonomously moves without depending on a person, thereby stimulating the chicken and exercising the chicken to encourage foraging.

  As a conventional autonomous movement method, a self-propelled electronic device is known. Autonomous movement control is performed by detecting contact in various directions (see Patent Document 1). FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating a cross section of a self-propelled electronic device that performs conventional obstacle detection described in Patent Document 1. In FIG. According to FIG. 12, the left contact sensor 14CL and the right contact sensor 14CR that detect displacement generated in the bumper 2c due to the contact between the bumper 2c disposed on the outer periphery of the housing and the obstacle, and respond to the detection of the displacement. Thus, the control unit 11 controls the left driving wheel 22L and the right driving wheel 22R so as to self-travel while avoiding an obstacle, thereby enabling autonomous movement in the room.

JP 2014-137694 A

  However, when the self-propelled electronic device according to the conventional method is used in a poultry house, the self-propelled electronic device is configured to detect contact with an obstacle by the bumper 2c, and the following is detected according to the detected position. This is control for determining the traveling direction, and the detected obstacle moves away from the obstacle without distinguishing between the chicken and the stationary object. For this reason, there is not enough stimulation to the chicken and the chicken cannot be exercised. In addition, when the surroundings are surrounded by chickens, because the direction of travel changes repeatedly due to contact, it becomes a run that is biased to a part of the running surface in the poultry house, and there is a problem that it is not possible to run the poultry house thoroughly Yes.

  The present invention solves the above-described conventional problems, and an autonomous mobile robot capable of promptly foraging by exercising the chicken by exercising the chicken by stimulating and stimulating the chicken in the chicken house. An object is to provide a moving method.

To achieve the above object, according to an autonomous mobile robot according to one aspect of the present invention, a housing including at least a pair of drive wheels and auxiliary wheels,
A force detector that detects a reaction force by contact with an obstacle in any of three directions around the housing;
A light emitting unit that emits visible light with respect to the force detection direction of the force detection unit in the three directions;
Detection information in the force detection unit is input, and the pair of driving wheels and the light emitting unit are driven and controlled, and the obstacle is a dynamic object based on the detection information in the force detection unit or An autonomous mobile robot that autonomously moves with a control unit that determines whether it is a stationary object and performs stimulus operation control and travel control,
The controller is
An autonomous travel control unit in which the robot travels autonomously based on detection information in the force detection unit;
A light irradiation stimulation operation unit that performs stimulation by light irradiation in the light emitting unit with respect to the force detection direction when a reaction force is detected by the force detection unit;
A discriminating unit for discriminating whether the obstacle is the dynamic object or the stationary object according to the amount of change in the reaction force of the force detection unit during the light irradiation stimulation by the light irradiation stimulation operation unit;
When it is determined that the obstacle is the dynamic object, the pair of driving wheels are driven and controlled with respect to the dynamic object, and the casing is moved while contacting or moving away from the dynamic object. A mechanical stimulus applying unit for applying mechanical stimulus,
And an avoidance control unit that performs control to avoid the stationary object when it is determined that the obstacle is the stationary object.

In order to achieve the above object, according to an autonomous movement method of a robot according to another aspect of the present invention, a housing including at least a pair of driving wheels and auxiliary wheels, and three directions around the housing A force detection unit that detects a reaction force by contact with an obstacle in any of the above, a light emitting unit that emits visible light with respect to the force detection direction of the force detection unit in the three directions, and the force detection unit Detection information is input to control driving of the pair of driving wheels and the light emitting unit, and based on the detection information of the force detection unit, whether the obstacle is a dynamic object or a stationary object. An autonomous moving method of an autonomous mobile robot comprising a controller that performs stimulus operation control and travel control by determining,
When the reaction force is detected by the force detection unit, stimulation by light irradiation is performed by the light emitting unit with respect to the force detection direction,
Determine whether the obstacle is the dynamic object or the stationary object according to the amount of change in the reaction force of the force detection unit at that time,
When it is determined that the obstacle is the dynamic object, the pair of driving wheels are driven and controlled with respect to the dynamic object, and the casing is moved while contacting or moving away from the dynamic object. When the obstacle is determined to be the stationary object, the control for avoiding the stationary object is performed.

  According to the autonomous mobile robot and the robot autonomous movement method of the present invention, it is possible to discriminate between a chicken and a stationary object in a contact state with respect to an unknown obstacle on the traveling route in the chicken house, When it is determined that the obstacle is a chicken, the chicken can be stimulated and the chicken can be exercised to encourage foraging.

Explanatory drawing which shows the positional relationship and the robot structure in the poultry house in the embodiment of the present invention The block diagram which shows the control structure of the autonomous mobile robot in embodiment of this invention in hardware structure The block diagram which shows functionally the control structure of the autonomous mobile robot in embodiment of this invention Explanatory drawing which shows the force detection part of the autonomous mobile robot in embodiment of this invention Explanatory drawing which shows the light emission part of the autonomous mobile robot in embodiment of this invention The flowchart of the autonomous movement operation | movement of the autonomous mobile robot in embodiment of this invention Flowchart of the autonomous movement operation of the autonomous mobile robot in the embodiment of the present invention following FIG. 5A. Explanatory drawing which scans the visible light with high directivity to the chicken in the autonomous mobile robot of embodiment of this invention Explanatory drawing which shows the movement which encourages the exercise | movement with respect to the chicken in the autonomous mobile robot of embodiment of this invention Explanatory drawing which shows the movement which pushes away the chicken in the autonomous mobile robot of embodiment of this invention, and gives a stimulus Explanatory drawing which shows the movement which avoids the stationary object of the left side in the autonomous mobile robot of embodiment of this invention Explanatory drawing which shows the movement which avoids the stationary object of the left side in the autonomous mobile robot of embodiment of this invention Explanatory drawing which shows the movement which avoids the stationary object of the left side in the autonomous mobile robot of embodiment of this invention Explanatory drawing which shows the movement which avoids the stationary object of the front in the autonomous mobile robot of embodiment of this invention Explanatory drawing which shows the conventional self-propelled electronic device described in patent document 1

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  An autonomous mobile robot and an autonomous mobile method of the robot according to the first embodiment of the present invention are an autonomous mobile robot and an autonomous mobile robot for moving autonomously in a poultry house. Detects reaction force when it comes into contact with unknown obstacles such as chickens or stationary objects that exist on the travel route, and performs stimulation by light irradiation in the reaction force detection direction, and changes in reaction force after light stimulation When a chicken and a stationary object are discriminated according to the amount, a mechanical stimulus such as a vibration or push-off operation is given to the reaction force detection direction when the chicken is discriminated. Performs an operation to avoid contact from a stationary object.

  Hereinafter, an autonomous mobile robot and an autonomous movement method according to an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted as appropriate. The following examples of the present invention are illustrative and are not intended to limit the present invention.

(Embodiment)
In FIG. 1, the positional relationship of the autonomous mobile robot 101 in a poultry house and an obstruction in embodiment of this invention is shown. In the poultry house, a breeding area is constructed by surrounding it with a wall 109. It is assumed that the chicken 107 including the adult chicken 106a and the chicken chick 106b is present on the running surface 114 of the breeding area. Further, a stationary object 108 such as a feeder or an object fixing block, a fan 110, and an autonomous mobile robot 101 are installed on the traveling surface 114.

  The autonomous mobile robot 101 is a robot that can autonomously move in the poultry house, and includes a housing (robot body) 101a including a pair of drive wheels 104 and auxiliary wheels 103, a force detection unit 112, and a light emitting unit 113. The control unit 102 is provided at least. The force detector 112 detects a reaction force by contact with an obstacle in any of the three directions around the casing.

  The light emitting unit 113 irradiates visible light with respect to the force detection direction of the three-direction force detection unit 112.

  The control unit 102 receives detection information from the force detection unit 112 and controls the driving of the pair of driving wheels 104 and the light emitting unit 113, and the obstacle is a dynamic object based on the detection information from the force detection unit 112. Whether it is 107 or a stationary object 108 is discriminated, and stimulus operation control and travel control are performed. More specifically, the control unit 102 includes an autonomous running control unit 135, a light irradiation stimulus operation unit 131, a determination unit 132, a mechanical stimulus application unit 133, and an avoidance control unit 134.

  Here, each will be briefly described. The autonomous traveling control unit 135 controls the robot 101 to autonomously travel based on detection information from the force detecting unit 112.

  The light irradiation stimulation operation unit 131 performs stimulation by light irradiation with the light emitting unit 113 in the force detection direction when the reaction force is detected by the force detection unit 112.

  The determination unit 132 determines the dynamic object 107 and the stationary object 108 based on the amount of change in the reaction force of the force detection unit 112 during the light irradiation stimulation performed by the light irradiation stimulation operation unit 131.

  When the mechanical stimulus imparting unit 133 determines that the obstacle is the dynamic object 107, the mechanical stimulus imparting unit 133 controls driving of the pair of driving wheels 104 with respect to the dynamic object 107 as an example of the mechanical stimulus. Control is performed so that the housing 101 a is moved while being in contact with or separated from the 107.

  The avoidance control unit 134 performs control to avoid the stationary object 108 when it is determined that the obstacle is the stationary object 108. As an example, the robot 101 can further include an obstacle detection unit 117 including a distance measuring sensor 105 in addition to the force detection unit 112 and a gauge 111.

  Hereinafter, each component will be described in detail.

  The drive wheels 104 are connected to the motor 119 via a gear mechanism that transmits the power, and the robot 101 is moved forward, backward, or turned by rotating the drive wheels 104 forward and backward. An encoder (not shown) is connected to the motor 119 that drives the drive wheels 104 in the forward and reverse directions to detect the rotation amount and output it to the control unit 102.

  The auxiliary wheels 103 are respectively arranged in the forward direction and the backward direction with respect to the drive wheel 104 and are easy to turn with a free wheel to prevent the robot 101 from overturning.

  The distance measuring sensor 105 is fixed to the upper part of the housing 101a, and does not detect the position of the wall surface 109 at a high place around the housing 101a, the position of the fan 110 placed on the traveling surface 114, and the position of the operator. Detection is performed by contact, and detection result information is output to the control unit 102. The distance measuring sensor 105 is provided with a laser range finder as an example. The distance measuring sensor 105 may be an infrared sensor or an ultrasonic sensor. By installing the distance measuring sensor 105 at a position higher than the chicken 107 and the stationary object 108, the wall 109 is detected without being affected by the presence of the stationary object 108 and the chicken 107. Considering that the adult chicken 106a is higher than the stationary object 108, the height from the running surface 114 to the measuring unit of the distance measuring sensor 105 fixed to the upper portion of the housing 101a is H, and the adult chicken When the height of 106a is hmax, it is installed at a position where H> hmax. Note that the wall 109 and the electric fan 110 are made higher in height than the measurement unit of the distance measuring sensor 105 and are set as conditions that can be detected by the distance measuring sensor 105 in a non-contact manner. This makes it possible to estimate the position of the robot 101 based on the information on the wall 109.

  The gauge 111 is disposed around the casing and prevents the chicken 107 from being caught in the robot 101 when the robot 101 moves in the poultry house.

  The force detection unit 112 is connected to the gauge 111, and the front force detection unit 112b for the traveling direction of the housing 101a and the left force detection for two directions inclined at 45 ° to the left and right positions with respect to the traveling direction. The unit 112a and the right force detector 112c are configured with a total of three directions of force detectors. These three force detectors 112 detect reaction forces caused by contact between an obstacle and the gauge 111 in three directions via the gauge 111. Therefore, for example, the reaction force from the chicken 107 or the stationary object 108 via the gauge 111 is detected by the force detection unit 112 and output to the control unit 102.

  The light emitting unit 113 emits visible light to the force detection direction detected by the force detection unit 112 among the three directions under the control of the control unit 102.

  The control unit 102 discriminates between the chicken 107 and the stationary object 108 by the discrimination unit 132, stimulation operation control by the light irradiation stimulation operation unit 131 and the mechanical stimulus application unit 133, an autonomous running control unit 135, and an avoidance control unit 134 is executed. The control unit 102 includes a storage unit 130 that stores an installation position of the stationary object 108 or the fan 110 placed on the wall 109 or the traveling surface 114, various settings of the robot 101, and a traveling route.

  The worker uses the input / output unit 136 such as a touch panel or a keyboard to access the control unit 102 of the robot 101 by wireless communication, and installs the stationary object 108 or the fan 110 placed on the wall 109 or the running surface 114. In addition, various settings and travel routes of the robot 101 are stored in the storage unit 130 in advance.

  When an operator accesses the control unit 102 of the robot 101 by wireless communication and instructs the control unit 102 to start autonomous movement, the robot 101 detects the amount of rotation of the pair of driving wheels 104 and the wall 109 detected by the distance measuring sensor 105. Based on the information, the autonomous traveling control unit 135 of the control unit 102 performs autonomous movement control based on a control program described later. The robot 101 detects the electric fan 110 placed on the traveling surface 114 with the distance measuring sensor 105 in a non-contact manner, and uses the avoidance control unit 134 of the control unit 102 to move while avoiding the position where the electric fan 110 is detected. Avoid control.

  Further, when the reaction force from the obstacle such as the chicken 107 or the stationary object 108 is detected by the force detection unit 112, the light irradiation stimulation operation unit 131 of the control unit 102 gives a stimulus by the light emitting unit 113, and the force at that time Based on the amount of change in the reaction force of the detection unit 112, the determination unit 132 of the control unit 102 determines the chicken 107 and the stationary object 108. For example, as a reaction force change amount, a moving object such as a chicken 107 has a non-linear force load change, whereas a stationary object 108 has a linear force load change. The discriminating unit 132 can discriminate between the chicken 107 and the stationary object 108. If the determination unit 132 determines that the obstacle is the chicken 107, the mechanical stimulus applying unit 133 gives mechanical stimulation such as vibration or push-out to the chicken 107, while the obstacle is the stationary object 108. When the determination unit 132 determines that the stationary object 108 is avoided by the avoidance control unit 134 of the control unit 102.

  If there is no abnormality in the control unit 102 of the robot 101, the traveling is continued, and if the control unit 102 is abnormal, the autonomous movement is stopped as an alarm state. Here, the abnormality means detecting that a trouble that the robot 101 cannot run is detected. For example, in the case of a drive system trouble, the encoder feedback pulses from the left and right motor drivers are monitored by the control unit 102, and the drive wheel 104 does not rotate when the control unit 102 determines that the number of pulses does not increase. Therefore, the control unit 102 determines that there is an abnormality. When the control unit 102 receives a motor overload alarm from the left or right motor driver, it means that the mechanical part of the drive system has failed and is not rotating, so the control unit 102 determines that it is abnormal. . Further, as a fear of the robot falling, the control unit 102 monitors the tilt of the robot 101 via a tilt sensor (not shown), and if the control unit 102 detects a tilt exceeding 20 degrees, the robot 101 The controller 102 determines that it is abnormal that the vehicle should be stopped in order to prevent the vehicle from falling over.

  Further, the wall 109 is detected by the distance measuring sensor 105, self-position is estimated from the detection information, and when the travel end point is reached based on the control program, the control unit 102 completes the autonomous movement, and the travel end point If not, the control unit 102 continues the autonomous movement. Here, whether or not the control unit 102 has reached the travel end point is determined by whether the end position of the travel route stored in advance in the storage unit 130 matches the position estimated by the robot 101. It means to judge by.

  The stationary object 108 or the electric fan 110 placed on the running surface 114 of the breeding area is an obstacle for the robot 101, and the installation position of these obstacles is changed by the operator according to the growth condition of the chicken 107. Therefore, the position information of the stationary object 108 or the electric fan 110 when stored in the storage unit 130 in advance and the positional information of the stationary object 108 or the electric fan 110 when actually running may be different. As a method for detecting obstacles having different position information, an object having a height higher than the measurement unit of the distance measuring sensor 105 such as the electric fan 110 or an operator is detected by the distance measuring sensor 105 without contact. In addition, the chicken 107 or the stationary object 108 such as the one having a height lower than that of the measuring unit of the distance measuring sensor 105 is contacted by the gauge 111 installed in the forward direction of the housing 101a and the contacted gauge 111 is used. The reaction force is detected by the force detection unit 112 connected to the gauge 111. From this, sudden obstacles with different position information are detected by the distance measuring sensor 105 or the force detection unit 112, and avoidance control is performed by the avoidance control unit 134 of the control unit 102, so that traveling is not interrupted. Autonomous movement control is performed in the poultry house by the autonomous traveling control unit 135 of the control unit 102.

  2A and 2B are block diagrams for explaining the control configuration of the robot 101 in the embodiment of the present invention in terms of hardware configuration and functional configuration. The control unit 102 is a part that controls the operation of each component of the robot 101. The control unit 102 includes an input / output controller 115, a motor controller 116, and a storage unit 130, and the input / output controller 115 and the motor controller 116 are realized by a microcomputer having the storage unit 130. Each hardware is operated based on a control program developed in the RAM of the microcomputer, and the autonomous running operation function of the robot 101 of this embodiment is realized.

  The distance sensor 105 of the obstacle detection unit 117 detects the position of the wall 109 and the electric fan 110, and the input / output controller 115 of the control unit 102 functions as the light irradiation stimulation operation unit 131 and the determination unit 132. When the reaction detecting unit 131 detects the reaction force by the irradiation stimulation operation unit 131, the light detection unit 113 controls the light detection unit to give a stimulus by light irradiation in the force detection direction, and then the force detection unit 112 at that time The change amount of the reaction force is detected, and based on the detected change amount of the reaction force, the control unit 102 determines the chicken 107 and the stationary object 108 by the determination unit 132. The light emitting unit 113 is configured to be movable independently by the actuator θZ axis 121 and the actuator θY axis 122 so that the light source 123 can be irradiated in the force detection direction. This will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

  The motor controller 116 of the control unit 102 functions as the autonomous traveling control unit 135 and the avoidance control unit 134 and controls the motor 119 of the driving unit 118. The robot 101 uses a DC power source for portability, and the motor 119 operates with the DC power source. The power source 120 is a part that mainly supplies electric power for running control. For example, a storage battery such as a lithium ion battery, a nickel metal hydride battery, or a lead shield battery is used as the power source 120.

  Note that a mechanical stimulus applying unit 133 described later achieves a function in both the input / output controller 115 and the motor controller 116.

  FIG. 3 is a top view for explaining the force detection unit 112 of the robot 101. The force detection unit 112 is installed in a total of three directions including the traveling direction of the housing 101a and the left and right directions inclined to the left and right positions of 45 degrees with respect to the traveling direction. The sensor used as the force detection unit 112 may be any sensor that can convert the magnitude of the reaction force detected by contact with an obstacle in proportion to an electrical signal, and includes, for example, a load cell or a potentiometer. The electric signal output from the force detection unit 112 to the control unit 102 is input to the input / output controller 115, and the control unit 102 analyzes the change of the signal to detect contact with an obstacle, and the chicken 107 and a stationary object. 108 is discriminated.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of the light emitting unit 113 provided in the upper front portion of the robot 101. By placing the light source 123 on the actuator θZ axis 121 and the actuator θY axis 122, the light irradiation stimulus operation unit 131 can move the light source 123 to an arbitrary position. Each of the actuator θZ axis 121 and the actuator θY axis 122 may be any one that can be positioned, such as a servo motor or a stepping motor. The light source 123 is a light source that emits visible light with high directivity, and is provided with a red laser diode as an example that is easily recognizable by the chicken 107. The light source 123 includes an LED (Light Emitting Diode) and a lens. Another method such as a combination may be used. Visible light with high directivity emitted from the light source 123 is controlled by the light irradiation stimulation operation unit 131 independently of each of the actuator θZ axis 121 and the actuator θY axis 122 so that the visible light is directed toward the direction in which the obstacle is detected. Can be scanned. Further, the stimulation effect on the chicken 107 can be enhanced by changing the drive operation and the scanning speed of the actuator θZ axis 121 and the actuator θY axis 122 by the light irradiation stimulation operation unit 131. An example of enhancing the stimulation effect is illustrated in the upper part of FIG. As an example, as indicated by reference numeral 91 in FIG. 4, there is a method of reciprocating between upper and lower irradiation points and left and right irradiation points. Further, as indicated by reference numeral 92 in FIG. 4, there is a method of irradiating while moving the irradiation points in the order of lower left, upper left, upper right, lower right, and lower left so as to draw a square in a clockwise direction. Also, as indicated by reference numeral 93 in FIG. 4, in the letter W, the round trip between the upper left irradiation point and the lower right irradiation point, and the lower right irradiation point and the upper right irradiation point. While reciprocating between the point, reciprocating between the oblique upper right irradiation point and the oblique lower right irradiation point, and reciprocating between the oblique lower right irradiation point and the oblique upper right irradiation point There is a method of irradiation.

  5A and 5B are operation flowcharts of the autonomous movement method according to the embodiment of the present invention, and the respective operations are combined with FIGS. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10A, 10B, and 11. explain. The numerical values in the flowchart and the description are described in order to facilitate understanding of the operation content, and can be changed as parameters, and do not limit the present invention.

  First, the autonomous movement of the robot 101 is started in step S1 in block a in FIG. 5A. That is, the wall 109 is detected by the distance measuring sensor 105, self-position is estimated from the information, and the autonomous traveling control unit 135 moves autonomously according to the traveling route previously stored in the storage unit 130.

  Next, in step S2, the control unit 102 determines whether there is an abnormality. If the controller 102 determines that there is no abnormality, the vehicle continues traveling and proceeds to step S3. When the control unit 102 determines that there is an abnormality, the process proceeds to step 23, and the autonomous traveling by the autonomous traveling control unit 135 is stopped as an alarm state (block b in FIG. 5B).

  Next, when continuing traveling, the control unit 102 determines whether or not the traveling end point has been reached. If the control unit 102 determines that the travel end point has been reached, the autonomous travel by the autonomous travel control unit 135 is terminated. When the control unit 102 determines that the travel end point has not been reached, the autonomous travel control unit 135 continues the autonomous movement and proceeds to step S4.

  Next, in step S4 in block c in FIG. 5A, an obstacle having a height higher than that of the measuring unit of the distance measuring sensor 105 such as the electric fan 110 or an operator is detected by the distance measuring sensor 105 without contact. When such an obstacle is detected in a non-contact manner by the distance measuring sensor 105, an avoidance operation is performed by the avoidance control unit 134 of the control unit 102 in step S5.

  Next, in steps S6, S7, and S8 in the blocks d and e in FIG. 5A, force detection is performed when an obstacle that is lower than the measuring unit of the distance measuring sensor 105 such as the chicken 107 or the stationary object 108 is contacted. This is detected by the unit 112. For example, in step S6, it is first detected whether or not the left force detection unit 112a has detected, and if detected, in step S9, the travel stop and the detection direction are stored in the storage unit 130, and then the process proceeds to step S10 and detected. If not, the process proceeds to step S7. In step S7, it is first detected whether or not it is detected by the front force detection unit 112b. If detected, the travel stop and the detection direction are stored in the storage unit 130 in step S9, and then the process proceeds to step S11 and is not detected. If so, the process proceeds to step S8. In step S8, it is first detected whether or not it is detected by the right force detection unit 112c. If detected, the travel stop and the detection direction are stored in the storage unit 130 in step S9, and then the process proceeds to step S12 and is not detected. If so, the process returns to step S1.

  After step S9, in steps S10, S11, and S12, the light emitting unit (for example, a laser pointer) 113 emits light toward the scanning region 124 in the detected direction while keeping the force detecting unit 112 in contact with the obstacle. Visible light with high directivity is scanned at an angle of 40 degrees for 3 seconds.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 6, when the left force detection unit 112a detects an obstacle in step S6, the travel is stopped in step S9 and the left direction in which the force is detected is stored in the storage unit 130. Next, the process proceeds to step S10, and a light emitting unit (for example, a laser pointer) is directed toward the detected left scanning region 124 under the control of the light irradiation stimulation operation unit 131 while the left force detection unit 112a is in contact with an obstacle. The visible light with high directivity emitted by 113 is scanned at an angle of 40 degrees for 3 seconds. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S13. Here, FIG. 6 representatively shows the movement when the left force detection unit 112a detects an obstacle on the left side. The irradiation angle or time of the light emitting unit 113 is an example, and is not limited to this.

  If an obstacle is detected by the front force detection unit 112b in step S6, the traveling is stopped in step S9 and the front direction in which the force is detected is stored in the storage unit 130. Next, proceeding to step S11, visible light having high directivity emitted by the light emitting unit (for example, a laser pointer) 113 toward the detected scanning region in the front direction while the front force detecting unit 112b is in contact with the obstacle. Scan for 3 seconds at an angle of 40 degrees. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S13.

  If an obstacle is detected by the right force detection unit 112c in step S6, the traveling is stopped and the right direction in which the force is detected is stored in the storage unit 130 in step S9. Next, the process proceeds to step S12, and visible light with high directivity emitted by the light emitting unit (for example, a laser pointer) 113 is emitted toward the detected rightward scanning region while the right force detecting unit 112c is in contact with the obstacle. Scan for 3 seconds at an angle of 40 degrees. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S13.

  Here, as an example, if any one of steps S6, S7, and S8 is detected, the flow proceeds to step S9 and subsequent steps. However, the flow is not limited to this, and steps S6 and S7 In the case of detecting both of them, the case of detecting in both steps S7 and S8 may be considered. As such, when the detection is performed in two or more steps, as the corresponding operations in steps S10 to S12, the corresponding operations in the respective steps may be sequentially performed, or any one operation may be representatively performed.

  Next, in step S13 in block f in FIG. 5B, after scanning visible light with high directivity, the obstacle is determined by the change in reaction force from the obstacle after light stimulation (whether the change in force is large). Is determined by the determination unit 132 of the control unit 102 to be a chicken 107 or a stationary object 108. When the obstacle is a moving object such as the chicken 107, the amount of change in the reaction force is larger than the threshold value, whereas when the obstacle is a stationary object such as the stationary object 108, the amount of change in the reaction force is Utilizing that the value is below the threshold. Here, when the obstacle is a moving object such as the chicken 107, the amount of change in the reaction force is greater than the threshold value, because the chicken 107 moves when the force detection unit 112 and the chicken 107 come into contact with each other. A non-linear force load change means that the amount of change in reaction force is greater than the threshold value. In addition, if the chicken 107 is sleeping, the chicken 107 wakes up by contact with the force detection unit 112. Therefore, by applying a light stimulus to the awakened chicken 107, the amount of change in the reaction force is increased. It becomes larger than the threshold value. On the other hand, if the control unit 102 determines that the change amount of the reaction force is equal to or less than the threshold value, the process proceeds to step S14. In step S14, the determination unit of the control unit 102 determines that the obstacle is the stationary object 108. After the determination at 132, the process proceeds to step S15. On the other hand, when the control unit 102 determines that the change amount of the reaction force is greater than the threshold value, the process proceeds to step S30, and in step S30, the determination unit 132 of the control unit 102 determines that the obstacle is the chicken 107. Then, the process proceeds to step S31.

  After the determination unit 132 determines that the obstacle is the chicken 107 in step S30, if the left, front, or right force detection units 112a, 112b, and 112c do not detect contact in step S31, the process returns to step S1. .

  After the determination unit 132 determines that the obstacle is the chicken 107 in step S30, if any of the left, front, or right force detection units 112a, 112b, and 112c detects contact in step S31, step S32 Proceed to

  The case where any of the three force detection units 112a, 112b, and 112c detects contact is estimated to be a case where the chicken 107 does not move while in contact with the robot 101. For this reason, in step S32, as shown in (1) to (5) of FIG. 7, under the control of the mechanical stimulus applying unit 133, the robot 101 is controlled against the chicken 107 in the direction in which the robot 101 detects the force. The movement of the chicken 107 is promoted by swinging the 101 to the left and right in small increments. Specifically, (1) of FIG. 7 shows a state when contact detection is performed by the front force detection unit 112b. At this time, first, the front force detection unit 112b is left-turned 10 degrees around the center of the robot 101 while being in contact with the chicken 107 to obtain the state of (2) in FIG. Then, from the state of (2) in FIG. 7, it is turned 20 degrees around the center of the robot 101 under the control of the mechanical stimulus applying unit 133 to obtain the state of (3) in FIG. 7. Then, it is turned 20 degrees around the center of the robot 101 under the control of the mechanical stimulus applying unit 133 to obtain the state of (4) in FIG. By repeating the forward / reverse turning and swinging movements such as the positions of (3) and (4) of FIG. 7 ten times under the control of the mechanical stimulus applying unit 133, the robot 101 Is created, and the movement is given to the chicken 107 to encourage the chicken 107 to move. Then, under the control of the mechanical stimulus imparting unit 133, the robot 101 is turned right by 10 degrees around the center of the robot 101 to obtain the state shown in FIG. Stop according to the direction of travel. During this series of operations, even if the other force detectors 112a and 112c detect contact, the operation continues and prompts the chicken 107 to exercise (block g in FIG. 5B). The turning swinging operation and the rotation angle are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to this.

  After the movement to urge the chicken 107 to exercise in step S32, the process proceeds to step S33, and the left force detection unit 112a detects whether or not there is force detection. If there is force detection in the left force detection unit 112a in step S33, the process proceeds to step S34, and the chicken 107 is pushed away with respect to the force detection direction to turn left while moving forward, and then the process proceeds to step S37. . If there is no force detection in the left force detection unit 112a in step S33, the process proceeds to step S35, and the presence or absence of force detection is detected by the front force detection unit 112b. If force detection is present in the front force detection unit 112b in step S35, the process proceeds to step S36, where the chicken 107 is pushed away from the force detection direction to move forward, and then the process proceeds to step S37. If there is no force detection in the front force detection unit 112b in step S35, the process proceeds to step S38 and the right force detection unit 112c detects whether or not there is force detection. If force detection is present in the right force detection unit 112c in step S38, the process proceeds to step S39, where the chicken 107 is pushed away with respect to the force detection direction that turns to the right while moving forward, and then the process proceeds to step S37. . For example, when the left force detection unit 112a of the robot 101 detects the chicken 107 on the left side in the traveling direction, the robot 101 turns to the left while moving forward, and pushes the chicken 107 away as shown in FIG. (1) of FIG. 8 is a state when the chicken 107 is detected by the left force detection unit 112a. Then, as shown in (2) of FIG. 8, the robot 101 is advanced 10 cm while turning the robot 101 to the left in the detection direction while keeping the robot 101 in contact with the chicken 107, thereby pushing the chicken 107 away by the robot 101 (FIG. 5B h block). This operation and the amount of advance are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to this.

  On the other hand, if there is no force detection in the right force detection unit 112c in step S38 after the movement urging the chicken 107 in step S32, in other words, step S33, step S35, and step S38. If the three force detectors 112a, 112b, 112c of the robot 101 do not detect the contact of the chicken 107, the process proceeds to step S24.

  In step S24, the robot 101 is returned to the original movement route (block j in FIG. 5B), and then the process returns to step S1 to resume autonomous movement by the autonomous traveling control unit 135.

  After the pushing-out operation in step S34 or S36 or S39, the chicken 107 is separated from the robot 101 as shown in (3) of FIG. 8, and all the detection units 112a and 112b in the left, front, and right direction of the force detection unit 112 are detected. , 112c, the process proceeds to step S24. In step S24, the robot 101 is returned to the original movement route (i block in FIG. 5B), and then the process returns to step S1 to resume the autonomous movement by the autonomous traveling control unit 135.

  (4) of FIG. 8 is a diagram collectively showing the movements of (1), FIG. 8 (2), and FIG. 8 (3) of FIG. On the other hand, if an obstacle is detected by any of the force detection units 112 after the push-out operation, it is determined that the chicken 107 cannot be evicted, the chicken 107 is determined to be equivalent to a stationary object, and the next The avoidance control unit 134 described below performs an avoidance operation of a stationary object.

  The avoiding operation of the stationary object by the avoidance control unit 134 is performed by detecting the stationary object 108 by any one of the force detection units 112a, 112b, and 112c of the robot 101 and moving the robot 101 by the avoidance control unit 134 of the control unit 102 according to the detected position. This is achieved by performing turnaround control and avoidance operation. Examples will be described with reference to FIGS. 9, 10A, 10B, and 11. FIG.

  In FIG. 9, the left force detection unit 112a of the robot 101 detects contact with the stationary object 108 on the left side (step S14), and one avoidance operation is performed by the avoidance control unit 134 of the control unit 102 based on the detection information. Shows how to avoid it. (1) of FIG. 9 is a state in which the left force detection unit 112a detects the contact of the stationary object 108 (step S14). Then, in step S15, under the control of the control unit 102, as shown in (2) of FIG. To the correct area. Thereafter, in step S16, as shown in (3) of FIG. 9, the robot 101 turns 30 degrees to the right so as to face the direction opposite to the direction in which the robot 101 detects the stationary object 108. Furthermore, in step S19, as shown in (4) of FIG. 9, the robot 101 is advanced 20 cm. At this time, if the robot 101 does not contact the stationary object 108 and no contact detection is detected by all the force detection units 112 in step S20, the avoidance control unit 134 of the control unit 102 determines that the robot 101 has avoided, and in step S24 the robot 101 Is returned to the original movement route (k block in FIG. 5B), the process returns to step S1 and the autonomous movement by the autonomous traveling control unit 135 is resumed. (5) in FIG. 9 is a diagram collectively showing the movements of (1) in FIG. 9, (2) in FIG. 9, (3) in FIG. 9, and (4) in FIG.

  FIGS. 10A and 10B show how the left force detection unit 112a of the robot 101 detects contact with the stationary object 108 on the left side and avoids it by two avoidance operations by the avoidance control unit 134. FIG. (1) of FIG. 10A is a state in which the left force detection unit 112a detects the contact of the stationary object 108. Then, in step S15, under the control of the control unit 102, as shown in (2) of FIG. 10A, the robot 101 moves back 10 cm along the route on which the robot 101 has traveled, so that it can move away from the stationary object 108 and operate normally. To the correct area. Thereafter, in step S18, as shown in (3) of FIG. 10A, the robot 101 turns 30 degrees to the right so as to face the direction opposite to the direction in which the stationary object 108 is detected. Further, in step S19, as shown in (4) of FIG. 10A, when the robot 101 contacts the stationary object 108 in step S20 while the robot 101 is being advanced 20 cm, the number of retries is 3 in step S21. In step S22, the number of retries is increased by 1, and the avoidance operation by the avoidance control unit 134 is retried. That is, in step S15, under the control of the control unit 102, as shown in (5) of FIG. 10B, the robot 101 moves away from the stationary object 108 by moving backward on the route along which the robot 101 has traveled, and can operate normally. To the correct area. After that, in step S18, as shown in (6) of FIG. 10B, the robot 101 turns 30 degrees to the right so as to face the direction opposite to the direction in which the stationary object 108 is detected. Further, in step S19, as shown in (7) of FIG. 10B, the robot 101 is moved forward by 20 cm. At this time, in step S20, the robot 101 does not contact the stationary object 108, and all the force detection units 112 make contact. If there is no detection, it is determined that the avoidance control unit 134 of the control unit 102 has avoided, the robot 101 is returned to the original movement path in step S24 (k block in FIG. 5B), and the autonomous traveling control unit 135 returns to step S1. Resuming autonomous movement by. (8) in FIG. 10B corresponds to (1) in FIG. 10A, (2) in FIG. 10A, (3) in FIG. 10A, (4) in FIG. 10A, (5) in FIG. 10B, and (6) in FIG. It is the figure which showed the motion with (7) of FIG. 10B collectively.

  In step S21, if avoidance of the specified number of retries is avoided by the avoidance control unit 134 (block 1 in FIG. 5B), the autonomous traveling control unit 135 is set as an alarm state (block b in FIG. 5B) in step S23. Stops autonomous movement by.

  FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a movement that the front force detection unit 112b detects the contact of the front stationary object 108 and is avoided by the avoidance control unit 134. (1) in FIG. 11 shows a state in which the contact of the stationary object 108 is detected by the front force detection unit 112b. Then, in step S15, as shown in (2) of FIG. 11, under the control of the control unit 102, the robot 101 moves away from the stationary object 108 by moving backward on the route along which the robot 101 has traveled, and can operate normally. To the correct area. Thereafter, in step S17, as shown in (3) of FIG. 11, the robot 101 turns 60 degrees so as to face away from the wall 109 along the traveling direction. Furthermore, in step S19, as shown in (4) of FIG. 11, the robot 101 is advanced by 20 cm. At this time, if the robot 101 does not come into contact with the stationary object 108 in step S20 and no contact is detected by all the force detection units 112, the avoidance control unit 134 of the control unit 102 determines that it is avoided, and the robot 101 in step S24. 101 is returned to the original movement route (m block in FIG. 5B), and the process returns to step S1 to resume the autonomous movement by the autonomous traveling control unit 135. (5) in FIG. 11 is a diagram collectively showing the movements of (1) in FIG. 11, (2) in FIG. 11, (3) in FIG. 11, and (4) in FIG.

  In step S21, if the avoidance control unit 134 cannot avoid the specified number of retries (block 1 in FIG. 5B), the autonomous traveling control unit 135 is set as an alarm state (block b in FIG. 5B) in Step S23. Stops autonomous movement by.

  With the above configuration and operation, it was confirmed that the robot 101 moved autonomously within the poultry house by the autonomous traveling control unit 135 and stimulated the chicken 107 to exercise by feeding the chicken 107 with stimulation.

  Therefore, according to the embodiment, it is possible to discriminate between the chicken 107 and the stationary object 108 in a contact state with respect to an unknown obstacle on the traveling route in the poultry house, When it discriminate | determines by the chicken 107 and the discrimination | determination part 132, a stimulus can be given to the chicken 107 and the chicken 107 can be exercise | moved and can be encouraged to eat.

  In addition, it can be made to show the effect which each has by combining arbitrary embodiment or modification of the said various embodiment or modification suitably. In addition, combinations of the embodiments, combinations of the examples, or combinations of the embodiments and examples are possible, and combinations of features in different embodiments or examples are also possible.

  By mounting the autonomous mobile robot and robot autonomous movement method of the present invention on the robot, it is possible to discriminate between chickens and stationary objects in contact with unknown obstacles on the traveling route in the poultry house. At the same time, when it is determined that the obstacle in contact is a chicken, the chicken can be stimulated and the chicken can be exercised to encourage foraging, reducing the difference in chicken growth. The present invention is not limited to this, and the present invention can also be applied to autonomous movement of a robot in an environment where there are many other organisms.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 101 Robot 101a Case 102 Control part 103 Auxiliary wheel 104 Drive wheel 105 Distance sensor 106a Adult chicken 106b Chicken chick 107 Chicken 108 Stationary object 109 Wall 110 Electric fan 111 Gauge 112 Force detection part 113 Light emission part 114 Running surface 115 Input / output Controller 116 Motor controller 117 Obstacle detection unit 118 Drive unit 119 Motor 120 Power source 121 Actuator θZ axis 122 Actuator θY axis 123 Light source 124 Laser scanning area 130 Storage unit 131 Light irradiation stimulation operation unit 132 Discrimination unit 133 Mechanical stimulus application unit 134 Avoidance Control unit 135 Autonomous traveling control unit 136 Input / output unit

Claims (6)

A housing having at least a pair of drive wheels and auxiliary wheels;
A force detector that detects a reaction force by contact with an obstacle in any of three directions around the housing;
A light emitting unit that emits visible light with respect to the force detection direction of the force detection unit in the three directions;
Detection information in the force detection unit is input, and the pair of driving wheels and the light emitting unit are driven and controlled, and the obstacle is a dynamic object based on the detection information in the force detection unit or An autonomous mobile robot that autonomously moves with a control unit that determines whether it is a stationary object and performs stimulus operation control and travel control,
The controller is
An autonomous travel control unit in which the robot travels autonomously based on detection information in the force detection unit;
A light irradiation stimulation operation unit that performs stimulation by light irradiation in the light emitting unit with respect to the force detection direction when a reaction force is detected by the force detection unit;
A discriminating unit for discriminating whether the obstacle is the dynamic object or the stationary object according to the amount of change in the reaction force of the force detection unit during the light irradiation stimulation by the light irradiation stimulation operation unit;
When it is determined that the obstacle is the dynamic object, the pair of driving wheels are driven and controlled with respect to the dynamic object, and the casing is moved while contacting or moving away from the dynamic object. A mechanical stimulus applying unit for applying mechanical stimulus,
An autonomous mobile robot comprising: an avoidance control unit that performs control for avoiding the stationary object when it is determined that the obstacle is the stationary object. The determination unit of the control unit is
When determining whether the obstacle is the dynamic object or the stationary object,
Based on the obstacle detection by the force detection unit and the stimulus to the obstacle by the light emitting unit in the light irradiation stimulation operation unit, if the amount of change of the force detection unit is greater than a threshold, the obstacle is the The autonomous mobile robot according to claim 1, wherein the autonomous mobile robot is determined to be a dynamic object, and the obstacle is determined to be the stationary object when a change amount of the force detection unit is equal to or less than the threshold. When the determination unit determines that the obstacle is the dynamic object and the chicken in the determination between the dynamic object and the stationary object, the mechanical stimulus applying unit applies the pair to the chicken. When driving the housing while driving or controlling the drive wheel of the
The mechanical stimulus applying unit is:
First, the forward and reverse drive control of the pair of drive wheels is performed, and the housing is mechanically vibrated to the left and right with respect to the detection direction of the reaction force to stimulate the chicken,
Further, when a reaction force is detected by any of the force detection units in the three directions, the pair of drive wheels are driven and controlled to push the chicken away from the force detection direction. Or the autonomous mobile robot of 2. A housing including at least a pair of driving wheels and auxiliary wheels, a force detection unit that detects a reaction force by contact with an obstacle in any of the three directions around the housing, and the three directions A light emitting unit that emits visible light with respect to the force detection direction of the force detection unit, detection information from the force detection unit is input, and the pair of driving wheels and the light emitting unit are driven and controlled, and the force detection is performed. An autonomous moving method of an autonomous mobile robot comprising: a control unit that determines whether the obstacle is a dynamic object or a stationary object based on detection information at a unit and performs stimulus operation control and traveling control There,
When the reaction force is detected by the force detection unit, stimulation by light irradiation is performed by the light emitting unit with respect to the force detection direction,
Determine whether the obstacle is the dynamic object or the stationary object according to the amount of change in the reaction force of the force detection unit at that time,
When it is determined that the obstacle is the dynamic object, the pair of driving wheels are driven and controlled with respect to the dynamic object, and the casing is moved while contacting or moving away from the dynamic object. A method for autonomously moving a robot, which performs control for avoiding the stationary object when it is determined that the obstacle is the stationary object while providing mechanical stimulation. When determining whether the obstacle is the dynamic object or the stationary object in the control unit,
Based on the obstacle detection by the force detection unit and the stimulus to the obstacle by the light emitting unit, if the amount of change of the force detection unit is greater than a threshold, it is determined that the obstacle is the dynamic object The robot autonomously moving method according to claim 4, wherein when the amount of change of the force detection unit is equal to or less than the threshold value, the obstacle is determined to be the stationary object. When it is determined that the obstacle is the dynamic object and the chicken in the determination of the dynamic object and the stationary object,
First, the forward and reverse drive control of the pair of drive wheels is performed, and the housing is mechanically vibrated to the left and right with respect to the detection direction of the reaction force to stimulate the chicken,
Further, when a reaction force is detected by any of the force detection units in the three directions, the pair of driving wheels are driven and controlled to push the chicken away from the force detection direction. Or the autonomous movement method of the robot of 5.

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