JP2021182171A - Mobile body, control method and program - Google Patents

Abstract

To enable a robot to avoid collision while continuing movement smoothly.SOLUTION: A control section shares information, which is information of space set so as to enclose an enclosure, of a virtual reaction force wall which is space in which a parameter of reaction force generating according to distance between another mobile body and a robot is set, with the other mobile body and controls a drive section on the basis of information of a plurality of shared virtual reaction force walls. This technique can be applied to a robot control system which performs control of a moving robot.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

The present art relates to mobiles, control methods, and programs, and in particular to mobiles, control methods, and programs that allow collisions to be avoided while continuing to move smoothly.

In an environment where a plurality of robots exist, a collision prevention technology that can be performed by a single robot or a collision prevention technology that can be performed by a plurality of robots has been proposed.

Patent Document 1 proposes a technique in which a robot recognizes another object by itself and performs a shielding operation according to a relative distance to the object in order to avoid a collision with the object.

Patent Document 2 proposes a technique for avoiding a collision by stopping a plurality of robots by stopping the robots by determining whether they exist in a preset intrusion prohibition area or not.

International Publication No. 2006/0433396 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2006-192554

In the collision prevention technology described in Patent Document 2, since the robot is stopped by determining whether it exists in the intrusion prohibited area or not, it is difficult to avoid the collision while continuing to move smoothly. Met.

This technology was made in view of such a situation, and makes it possible to avoid a collision while continuing to move smoothly.

The moving body on one side of the present technology is information on the space set to surround the housing, and is a virtual space in which the parameter of the reaction force generated according to the distance to another moving body is set. It is provided with a control unit that shares information on the reaction force wall with the other moving body and controls a drive unit based on the shared information on the plurality of virtual reaction force walls.

In one aspect of the present technology, virtual reaction force, which is information on the space set to surround the housing, is a space in which the parameter of the reaction force generated according to the distance to another moving body is set. The wall information is shared with the other moving body, and the drive unit is controlled based on the shared information of the plurality of virtual reaction force walls.

According to this technology, it is possible to avoid a collision while continuing to move smoothly.

The effects described herein are not necessarily limited, and may be any of the effects described in the present disclosure.

It is a figure which shows the example of the virtual reaction force wall set in the robot to which this technology is applied. It is a figure which shows the example of the virtual reaction force wall set for each of a plurality of robots. It is a figure which shows the example of the case where another robot invades the virtual reaction force wall. It is a figure which shows the example of the shape of a virtual reaction force wall. It is a figure which shows the example of the shape of a virtual reaction force wall. It is a figure which shows the 1st configuration example of the robot control system to which this technique is applied. It is a figure which shows the example of the information shared by a robot. It is a figure which shows the example of the parameter which shows the shape of a virtual reaction force wall. It is a block diagram which shows the configuration example of a robot. It is a figure which shows the functional composition example of a control part. It is a flowchart explaining the processing of a robot. It is a figure which shows the timing chart of the transmission / reception of information. It is a figure which shows the 2nd configuration example of the robot control system which applied this technology. It is a block diagram which shows the functional structure example of the control part in the case of the robot of FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the hardware configuration example of a server. It is a block diagram which shows the functional configuration example of a server. It is a flowchart explaining the processing of the robot and the server of FIG. It is a figure which shows the timing chart of the transmission / reception of the information of FIG. It is a figure which shows the 3rd configuration example of the robot control system which applied this technology.

Hereinafter, a mode for implementing the present technology will be described. The explanation will be given in the following order.
1. 1. First embodiment (virtual reaction force wall)
2. 2. Second embodiment (use of communication between robots)
3. 3. Third embodiment (use of server)
4. Fourth Embodiment (robot having a plurality of control units)
5. others

<1. First embodiment (virtual reaction force wall)>
<Robot and virtual reaction force wall>
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a virtual reaction force wall set on a robot to which the present technology is applied.

Robot 1 is a so-called drone, which is an aircraft capable of unmanned flight. The robot 1 is not limited to a drone, and may be composed of a robot, a car, or a trolley which is a mobile body capable of autonomously moving.

As shown in FIG. 1, a virtual reaction force wall 2 is set around the robot 1. The virtual reaction force wall 2 is a space set so as to surround the housing of the robot 1 according to the size of the housing of the robot 1. In the virtual reaction force wall 2, a parameter of the reaction force generated in the robot 1 when an object such as an obstacle invades into the space set as the virtual reaction force wall 2 is set. The reaction force is, for example, a repulsive force generated between an invading object and a reaction force.

Robot 1 has map information. When an obstacle such as a roadside tree invades the virtual reaction force wall 2, the robot 1 calculates a reaction force parameter according to the position of the obstacle (distance between the robot 1 and the obstacle) in the map information. The robot 1 changes the moving direction and acceleration based on the calculated reaction force parameters, and drives the robot 1 so as to avoid obstacles.

In this way, since the moving direction and the acceleration are changed based on the parameters of the reaction force before the obstacle collides with the housing, the robot 1 can avoid the obstacle.

<Example of information sharing>
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a virtual reaction force wall set for each of a plurality of robots.

As shown in FIG. 2, virtual reaction force walls 2-1 to 2-3 are set on the robots 1-1 to 1-3, respectively. Robots 1-1 to 1-3 are connected by wireless communication.

As shown by the arrow P1, the robot 1-1 transmits the information and the position information of its own virtual reaction force wall 2-1 to the robot 1-2 and the robot 1-3. The information and the position information of the virtual reaction force wall 2-1 of the robot 1-1 are received by the robot 1-2 and the robot 1-3.

As shown by the arrow P2, the robot 1-2 transmits the information and the position information of its own virtual reaction force wall 2-2 to the robot 1-3 and the robot 1-1. The information and the position information of the virtual reaction force wall 2-2 of the robot 1-2 are received by the robot 1-3 and the robot 1-1.

As shown by the arrow P3, the robot 1-3 transmits the information and the position information of its own virtual reaction force wall 2-3 to the robot 1-1 and the robot 1-2. The information and the position information of the virtual reaction force wall 2-3 of the robot 1-3 are transmitted by the robot 1-1 and the robot 1-2.

As described above, the information of the virtual reaction force walls 2-1 to 2-3 and the position information are shared between the robots 1-1 to 1-3. In the robots 1-1 to 1-3, the process of updating the virtual reaction force wall information and the position information of the other robots in the map information owned by the robots 1-1 to 1-3 is repeatedly performed based on the information from the other robots.

In addition to the virtual reaction force wall information and position information, other information such as velocity information may be shared by the robots 1-1 to 1-3.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example when another robot invades the virtual reaction force wall.

For example, in the robot 1-1, whether or not the robot 1-2 or the robot 1-3 has invaded the virtual reaction force wall 2-1 is determined based on the map information.

When the robot 1-2 or the virtual reaction wall 2-2 of the robot 1-2 invades the virtual reaction wall 2-1, the robot 1-1 uses the position information of the robot 1-2 and the virtual reaction wall 2. The reaction force parameter AF12 is calculated according to -2. The robot 1-1 controls its own drive so as to change the moving direction and the acceleration based on the calculated reaction force parameter AF12.

Similarly, when the virtual reaction force wall 2-3 of the robot 1-3 or the robot 1-3 invades the virtual reaction force wall 2-1, the robot 1-1 has the position information of the robot 1-3 and the virtual reaction. The reaction force parameter AF13 is calculated according to the force wall 2-3. The robot 1-1 controls its own drive so as to change the moving direction and the acceleration based on the calculated reaction force parameter AF13.

The same processing as that of the robot 1-1 is performed in the robot 1-2 and the robot 1-3.

As described above, in each robot, the drive is controlled based on the reaction force parameter calculated according to the information of the other robot. This makes it possible to realize collision avoidance, that is, seamless collision avoidance while continuing the movement smoothly without stopping the movement.

4 and 5 are views showing an example of the shape of the virtual reaction force wall.

In the example of FIG. 4, the shape of the housing of the robot 1-1 is elliptical, and the shape of the housing of the robot 1-2 is circular. Further, the shape of the housing of the robots 1-3 is rectangular. The housing of the robot 1-1 is larger than the housing of the robot 1-2 and smaller than the housing of the robot 1-3. The two ellipses above each robot represent the propellers provided in the housing.

A medium-sized elliptical virtual reaction force wall 2-1 is set in the robot 1-1 according to the shape (oval) and size (medium) of the housing. A small circular virtual reaction force wall 2-2 is set in the robot 1-2 according to the shape (circular) and size (small) of the housing. A large rectangular virtual reaction force wall 2-3 is set in the robots 1-3 according to the shape (rectangle) and size (large) of the housing.

The size of the virtual reaction force walls 2-1 to 2-3 may be changed according to the magnitude of the tolerance for the risk of collision. When the tolerance for the risk of collision is large, the virtual reaction force walls 2-1 to 2-3 having a small size are set. On the other hand, when the tolerance for the risk of collision is small, the virtual reaction force walls 2-1 to 2-3 having a large size are set.

For example, in the case where the vehicle is brought close to the limit if it does not collide, the tolerance for the risk of collision is set as a large value.

The shape of the virtual reaction force wall set as described above changes depending on the moving direction and the like.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the shape of a moving virtual reaction force wall.

In FIG. 5, the white arrows V1 to V3 represent the traveling directions of the robots 1-1 to 1-3, respectively. The lengths of the white arrows V1 to V3 represent the velocity (V2 <V1 <3).

Further, the bidirectional arrows L1 to L3 represent the length (width) of the virtual reaction force walls 2-1 to 2-3 in the traveling direction, and the bidirectional arrows N1 to N3 are in the direction opposite to the traveling direction. Represents the length of the virtual reaction force walls 2-1 to 2-3.

As shown as L1 to L3, the faster the speed of the robots 1-1 to 1-3, the longer the length of the virtual reaction force walls 2-1 to 2-3 in the traveling direction.

Further, the length of the virtual reaction force walls 2-1 to 2-3 in the traveling direction is longer than the length of the virtual reaction force walls 2-1 to 2-3 in the direction opposite to the traveling direction. For example, in the robot 1-1, as shown by N1 <L1, the length of the virtual reaction force wall 2-1 is longer in the traveling direction than N1 which is the length in the direction opposite to the traveling direction. L1 is longer.

As described above, the shape and size of the virtual reaction force walls 2-1 to 2-3 can be changed according to the traveling direction and speed of the robots 1-1 to 1-3.

<2. Second embodiment (use of communication between robots)>
FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a first configuration example of a robot control system to which the present technology is applied.

The robot control system of FIG. 6 is configured by connecting robots 1-1 to 1-5 by wireless communication. Robots 1-1 to 1-5 are driven, for example, in a densely moving environment. Although not shown, the robots 1-1 to 1-5 are set with a virtual reaction force wall as described above.

The alternate long and short dash line circle represents the range of information transmission / reception with other robots set for the robot 1-1. For example, the reach of radio waves is set as the transmission / reception range. The transmission / reception range of the robot 1-1 is, for example, a range of a predetermined radius such as about 200 m centered on the position of the robot 1-1. The broken line circle represents the range of information transmission / reception with other robots set for robots 1-5.

In the example of FIG. 6, it is assumed that the robot 1-2 and the robot 1-3 are within the transmission / reception range of the robot 1-1, and the robot 1-4 is within the transmission / reception range of the robot 1-5. ..

The robot 1-1 mutually transmits and receives the information of the virtual reaction force wall and the position information between the robots 1-2 and the robots 1-3 existing in the transmission / reception range. In this example, the robot that has received the information transmitted from the other robot is configured to reply (reply) its own information to the transmitting robot. When the responses are received from the robots 1-2 and the robots 1-3, the robots 1-1 know that the robots 1-2 and the robots 1-3 are within the transmission / reception range.

The method for confirming whether or not the robot 1 exists within the transmission / reception range is not limited to the above-mentioned method. Further, the size of the transmission / reception range may be changed according to the size of the robot or the virtual reaction force wall.

Robots 1-5 mutually transmit and receive virtual reaction force wall information and position information with robots 1-4 existing within the transmission / reception range. When the response is received from the robot 1-4, the robot 1-5 knows that the robot 1-4 is within the transmission / reception range.

The robots 1-2 to 1-4 also transmit and receive virtual reaction force wall information and position information with other robots existing within the transmission / reception range of each of the robots 1-2 to 1-4.

In the example of FIG. 6, five robots are shown, but the number of robots constituting the robot control system is not limited to five.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of information shared by a plurality of robots.

In the example of FIG. 7, for example, it is assumed that the robot 1-4 of FIG. 6 has moved within the transmission / reception range of the robot 1-1. Information on the virtual reaction force wall and position information will be shared between the robots 1-1 to 1-4.

As shown in FIG. 7, the information to be shared includes basic size (X, Y, Z), physical property value (k, μ), position (x, y, z), velocity (Vx, Vy, Vz), and virtual. Information on the reaction force wall shape (θ, Af, Ab, B) is included. The basic size (X, Y, Z) and physical property value (k, μ) are fixed values, and the position (x, y, z), velocity (Vx, Vy, Vz), and virtual reaction force wall shape (θ, Af). , Ab, B) is the updated information.

The basic size (X, Y, Z) indicates the three-dimensional size of the robot.

In the example of FIG. 7, the basic sizes of the robots 1-1 to 1-4 are (80,200,80), (80,300,80), (80,50,80), and (100,80,100), respectively. There is.

The physical property value (k, μ) is the material information (spring constant k, viscosity coefficient μ) of the virtual reaction force wall.

In the example of FIG. 7, the physical property values (k, μ) of the robots 1-1 to 1-4 are (5,8), (5,8), (10,8), (5,8). It is said that.

The position (x, y, z) indicates the three-dimensional position of the robot.

In the example of FIG. 7, the respective positions (x, y, z) of the robots 1-1 to 1-4 are (100,20,60), (120,40,40), (140,25,55). ), (105,28,80).

Velocity (Vx, Vy, Vz) indicates the velocity of the robot.

In the example of FIG. 7, the respective velocities (Vx, Vy, Vz) of the robots 1-1 to 1-4 are (10,2,5), (12,4,4), (0, -20, 8), (-3, -15, -25).

The virtual reaction force wall shape (θ, Af, Ab, B) indicates the shape of the virtual reaction force wall.

In the example of FIG. 7, the virtual reaction force wall shapes (100,100,300,90), (-60,800,500,90), (15,400,300,50), (-45,700,350,85) of the robots 1-1 to 1-4 are used. ing.

Each variable of the virtual reaction force wall shape (θ, Af, Ab, B) will be described with reference to FIG.

The white circles in FIG. 8 represent the positions (x, y, z) of the robot. θ indicates the angle of the speed vector of the robot with respect to the horizontal direction.

The virtual reaction force wall is composed of a semi-elliptical body having a long axis in the traveling direction centered on the position (x, y, z) and a short axis in the direction perpendicular to the traveling direction. In this semi-ellipsoid, the length of the major axis is different between the traveling direction side and the traveling direction opposite side.

Af indicates the length of the semi-ellipsoid on the long axis in the traveling direction on a line parallel to the velocity vector from the position (x, y, z) of the robot. Ab indicates the length from the position of the robot (x, y, z) on the line parallel to the velocity vector in the direction opposite to the traveling direction of the long axis of the semi-ellipsoid. B indicates the length of the radius of the minor axis of the semi-ellipsoid.

The formula for calculating the parameters of the virtual reaction force wall as described above is expressed by the following formula (1).

Here, G is a coefficient that converts the velocity V of the robot into the shape of the virtual reaction force wall.

<Robot configuration example>
FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the robot 1.

In FIG. 9, the robot 1 is composed of a control unit 21, a wireless communication unit 22, an input unit 23, an output unit 24, and a drive unit 25.

The control unit 21 is composed of a computer having a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), a flash memory, and the like. The control unit 21 executes a predetermined program by the CPU and controls the entire operation of the robot 1.

For example, the control unit 21 generates a virtual reaction force wall based on the position information supplied from the sensor of the input unit 23, and transmits the generated virtual reaction force wall information and the position information to another robot. When the information and the position information of the virtual reaction force wall are transmitted from the other robot, the control unit 21 updates the information and the position information of the virtual reaction force wall of the other robot in the map information.

Based on the map information, the control unit 21 calculates the reaction force parameter by superimposing the information on the virtual reaction force wall of itself and another robot. The control unit 21 controls the drive unit 25 based on the calculated reaction force parameter.

The wireless communication unit 22 performs wireless communication with another robot, a server, a controller that controls the robot 1, or any other device.

The input unit 23 includes a camera, a sensor, and the like. The input unit 23 outputs the image obtained by shooting and the data acquired by the sensor to the control unit 21. Sensors include distance measuring sensors that measure the distance to surrounding objects, positioning sensors such as GPS, and the like.

The output unit 24 is composed of a monitor, an indicator, and the like.

The drive unit 25 is a mechanism for flying or moving the robot 1. The drive unit 25 includes, for example, a motor and a propeller. The drive unit 25 is driven according to the control of the control unit 21 to realize the action of the robot 1.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration example of the control unit 21.

As shown in FIG. 10, the control unit 21 includes a position detection unit 51, a virtual reaction force wall generation unit 52, a data transmission / reception unit 53, a map calculation unit 54, a reaction force calculation unit 55, a motion purpose command unit 56, and an acceleration / attitude. It is composed of a control unit 57 and a drive control unit 58. At least a part of the functional units shown in FIG. 10 is realized by executing a predetermined program by the CPU constituting the control unit 21.

The position detection unit 51 detects the position of the robot 1 based on the information of the positioning sensor of the input unit 23, and outputs the detected position information to the virtual reaction force wall generation unit 52 and the acceleration / attitude control unit 57.

The virtual reaction force wall generation unit 52 is based on the position information supplied from the position detection unit 51 and information such as the preset physical property values (k, μ) of the virtual reaction force wall of the robot 1. Create a wall. The virtual reaction force wall generation unit 52 outputs the generated virtual reaction force wall information and position information of the robot 1 to the data transmission / reception unit 53.

The data transmission / reception unit 53 transmits / receives data to / from the outside via the wireless communication unit 22. The data transmission / reception unit 53 outputs the information and the position information of the virtual reaction force wall of the robot 1 supplied from the virtual reaction force wall generation unit 52 to the map calculation unit 54 and transmits it to another robot. The data transmission / reception unit 53 sets the received virtual reaction force wall information and position information of the other robot into the map calculation unit 54.

The map calculation unit 54 updates the information and the position information of the virtual reaction wall of itself and other robots in the map information. The map calculation unit 54 outputs the updated map information to the reaction force calculation unit 55.

The reaction force calculation unit 55 calculates the reaction force parameter by superimposing the virtual reaction force wall of itself and another robot based on the map information supplied from the map calculation unit 54. The reaction force calculation unit 55 outputs the calculated reaction force parameter to the acceleration / attitude control unit 57.

The formula for calculating the reaction force parameter is expressed by the following formula (2).

Note that F (x, y) is a reaction force vector applied to the robot. K and μ are the spring constant and the viscosity coefficient described above in FIG. 7. x is a position vector that interferes with the two virtual reaction force walls. v is a velocity vector that interferes with the virtual reaction wall.

The exercise purpose command unit 56 outputs the exercise command information based on a preset path or the like to the acceleration / attitude control unit 57. Further, the exercise purpose command unit 56 outputs the exercise command information received from the controller that controls itself to the acceleration / attitude control unit 57.

The acceleration / attitude control unit 57 generates acceleration control information for the robot 1 based on the reaction force parameters supplied from the reaction force calculation unit 55. The acceleration / attitude control unit 57 supplies the generated control information to the drive control unit 58.

The control formula for the acceleration of the robot itself based on the reaction force of the virtual reaction force wall is expressed by the following formula (3).

M is the mass of the robot. α is the acceleration of the robot. A (β) is an acceleration force based on command information for achieving the purpose of exercise.

When there is a command from the user, the acceleration / attitude control unit 57 generates control information based on the command information supplied from the exercise purpose command unit 56.

The drive control unit 58 controls the drive unit 25 based on the control information from the acceleration / attitude control unit 57, and realizes the action of the robot 1.

<Robot operation>
Next, the processing of the robot 1 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

In step S11, the position detection unit 51 detects its own position information. The virtual reaction force wall generation unit 52 generates a virtual reaction force wall based on the position information supplied from the position detection unit 51.

In step S12, the data transmission / reception unit 53 determines whether or not a predetermined time such as 1 second has elapsed since the previous transmission to another robot. If it is determined in step S12 that one second has elapsed, the process proceeds to step S13.

In step S13, the data transmission / reception unit 53 updates its own virtual reaction force wall and transmits information on the virtual reaction force wall and position information to other robots.

If it is determined in step S12 that one second has not elapsed, the process of step S13 is skipped.

In step S14, the data transmission / reception unit 53 determines whether or not another robot exists within the transmission / reception range. When a reply to the information transmitted in step S13 arrives, it is determined in step S14 that another robot exists within the transmission / reception range, and the process proceeds to step S15.

In step S15, the data transmission / reception unit 53 determines whether or not the update information of the other robot has been transmitted. The update information represents the information of the virtual reaction force wall and the position information.

When the virtual reaction wall information and the position information transmitted from the other robot are received, it is determined in step S15 that the update information of the other robot has been transmitted, and the process proceeds to step S16. The data transmission / reception unit 53 sets the received virtual reaction force wall information and position information of the other robot into the map calculation unit 54.

In step S16, the map calculation unit 54 updates the virtual reaction force wall information and the position information, which are the update information of other robots in its own map information.

If it is determined in step S14 that no other robot exists within the transmission / reception range, the processes of steps S15 and S16 are skipped. If it is determined in step S15 that the update information has not been transmitted from another robot, the process of step S16 is skipped.

In step S17, the reaction force calculation unit 55 calculates the reaction force parameter by superimposing the virtual reaction force wall between itself and another robot based on the map information.

In step S18, the acceleration / attitude control unit 57 performs a motion control calculation based on the parameter of the reaction force supplied from the reaction force calculation unit 55. The motion control calculation includes an acceleration calculation.

In step S19, the drive control unit 58 executes control to the drive unit 25. After the process of step S19, the process returns to step S11, and the subsequent processes are repeated.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a timing chart for transmitting and receiving information.

In FIG. 12, the horizontal axis represents time. Vertical arrows represent the exchange of information. Specifically, the arrow pointing to transmission from the operation control at time t1 or the like represents the output of its own information from the virtual reaction force wall generation unit 52 to the data transmission / reception unit 53. The arrow pointing to the reception of another robot from the transmission at time t2 or the like indicates the transmission of its own information from the data transmission / reception unit 53 to the other robot.

The arrow pointing from the transmission at time t2 or the like to the motion control indicates the transmission of its own information from the data transmission / reception unit 53 to the map calculation unit 54. The arrow pointing from reception to motion control at time t3 or the like represents the output of information of another robot from the data transmission / reception unit 53 to the map calculation unit 54.

At time t1, the virtual reaction force wall generation unit 52 of the robot 1-2 outputs information about itself (robot 1-2) to the data transmission / reception unit 53. At time t2, the data transmission / reception unit 53 of the robot 1-2 transmits the information of the robot 1-2 to the robot 1-1, and the information of itself (robot 1-2) is transmitted to the map calculation unit 54. It is output.

At time t3, the data transmission / reception unit 53 of the robot 1-1 outputs the information of the robot 1-2 to the map calculation unit 54. At time t4, the information of itself (robot 1-1) is output from the virtual reaction force wall generation unit 52 of the robot 1-1 to the data transmission / reception unit 53. At time t5, the data transmission / reception unit 53 of the robot 1-1 transmits the information of the robot 1-1 to the robot 1-2, and the information of itself (robot 1-1) is transmitted to the map calculation unit 54. It is output.

At time t6, the data transmission / reception unit 53 of the robot 1-2 outputs the information of the robot 1-2 to the map calculation unit 54.

After the time t7, the same processing as the above-mentioned processing of the time t1 to the time t6 is repeated, and therefore the description thereof will be omitted.

As described above, in the present technology, the virtual reaction force is a space set so as to surround the housing and in which the parameter of the reaction force generated according to the distance to another moving body is set. Wall information is shared with other mobiles. The drive unit is controlled so as to change the moving direction and acceleration based on the information of a plurality of shared virtual reaction force walls and avoid obstacles.

As a result, according to the present technology, it is possible to avoid collisions between robots while continuing to move smoothly.

In particular, since it is not necessary to mount a large number of sensors that were conventionally required for collision avoidance, it is possible to realize robot manufacturing at low cost.

The fact that it is not necessary to mount a large number of sensors required for collision avoidance is particularly effective for robots that require weight reduction such as drones.

Further, since it is not necessary to process the information of a large number of sensors, the calculation load in the robot can be reduced.

<3. Third embodiment (use of server)>
FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a second configuration example of a robot control system to which the present technology is applied.

The robot control system of FIG. 13 differs from the robot control system of FIG. 9 in that a server 112 is added.

As shown in FIG. 13, the robot control system is a cloud system in which robots 111-1 to 111-5 and a server 112 are connected by wireless communication. Although not shown, the robots 111-1 to 111-5 are provided with a virtual reaction force wall as described above.

The dashed-dotted circle represents the range of information transmission / reception with other robots set for the robot 111-1, as in the example of FIG. For example, in the server 112, other robots within the transmission / reception range can be obtained based on the position information of each robot. The transmission / reception range of the robot 111-1 is, for example, a range of a predetermined waveform such as about 200 m centered on the position of the robot 111-1.

In the example of FIG. 13, the robot 111-2 and the robot 111-3 are assumed to exist within the transmission / reception range of the robot 111-1.

The robots 111-1 to 111-5 transmit the position information of the robot to the server 112. The robots 111-1 to 111-5 receive information and position information of their own virtual reaction wall and the virtual reaction wall of another robot transmitted from the server 112.

Robots 111-1 to 111-5 calculate reaction force parameters using the received information on their own virtual reaction force wall, information on the virtual reaction force wall of other robots, and position information, and the calculated reaction force of the calculated reaction force. It controls its own drive based on the parameters.

The server 112 is composed of a computer or the like.

The server 112 has a function of generating a virtual reaction force wall. When the server 112 receives the position information from the robots 111-1 to 111-5, the server 112 generates each virtual reaction force wall of each robot 111-1 to 111-5. The server 112 obtains information on the virtual reaction force walls of the robots 111-1 to 111-5, information on the virtual reaction force walls of other robots existing within their respective predetermined ranges, and position information on each robot 111-. It is transmitted to 1 to 111-5.

Based on the position information of the robot 111-1, the server 112 retrieves the information and the position information of the virtual reaction force wall of another robot existing in the transmission / reception range of the robot 111-1 from the robot information storage unit 154. The server 112 transmits information and position information of the virtual reaction force wall of the robot 111-1 and the virtual reaction force wall of another robot existing within the transmission / reception range of the robot 111-1 to the robot 111-1.

The server 112 also exists in the robots 111-2 to 111-4 within the virtual reaction force walls of the robots 111-2 to 111-4 and the transmission / reception range of the robots 111-2 to 111-4. Sends information and position information of the virtual reaction wall of other robots.

Hereinafter, when it is not necessary to distinguish the robots 111-1 to 111-5, they are referred to as robots 111. In the example of FIG. 13, five robots 111-1 to 111-5 are shown as robots constituting the robot control system, but the robot control system may be configured to include a plurality of robots. For example, the number of robots is not limited to five.

<Robot configuration example>
FIG. 14 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration example of the control unit 21 in the case of the robot 111.

Among the configurations shown in FIG. 14, the same configurations as those described with reference to FIG. 10 are designated by the same reference numerals. Duplicate explanations will be omitted as appropriate.

As shown in FIG. 14, the control unit 21 includes a position detection unit 51, a data transmission / reception unit 121, a map calculation unit 54, a reaction force calculation unit 55, a motion purpose command unit 56, an acceleration / attitude control unit 57, and a drive control unit. It is composed of 58. That is, the control unit 21 of FIG. 14 is different from the control unit 21 of FIG. 10 in that the data transmission / reception unit 53 is replaced with the data transmission / reception unit 121 and the virtual reaction force wall generation unit 52 is removed.

The position detection unit 51 outputs the position information of the robot 111 to the acceleration / attitude control unit 57 and the data transmission / reception unit 121.

The data transmission / reception unit 121 outputs the position information of the robot 111 supplied from the position detection unit 51 to the map calculation unit 54 and transmits the position information to the server 112. The data transmission / reception unit 121 outputs the received information on its own virtual reaction force wall, information on the virtual reaction force wall of another robot, and position information to the map calculation unit 54.

<Server configuration example>
FIG. 15 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration example of the server.

In the server, the CPU 131, ROM 132, and RAM 133 are connected to each other by the bus 134.

An input / output interface 135 is further connected to the bus 134. An input unit 136, an output unit 137, a storage unit 138, a communication unit 139, and a drive 140 are connected to the input / output interface 135.

The input unit 136 includes a keyboard, a mouse, a microphone, and the like. The output unit 137 includes a display, a speaker, and the like. The storage unit 138 includes a hard disk, a non-volatile memory, and the like. The communication unit 139 includes a network interface and the like. The drive 140 drives a removable medium 141 such as a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, or a semiconductor memory.

FIG. 16 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration example of the server.

At least a part of the functional units shown in FIG. 16 is realized by executing a predetermined program by the CPU 131 of FIG.

As shown in FIG. 16, in the server 112, a data transmission / reception unit 151, a control unit 152, a virtual reaction force wall generation unit 153, and a robot information storage unit 154 are realized.

The data transmission / reception unit 151 receives the position information of the robot 111 transmitted from the robot 111. The data transmission / reception unit 151 outputs the received position information of the robot 111 to the control unit 152. The data transmission / reception unit 151 transmits the information of the virtual reaction force wall of the robot 111 output from the control unit 152, the information of the virtual reaction force wall of another robot, and the position information to the robot 111.

The control unit 152 outputs the position information of the robot 111 supplied from the data transmission / reception unit 151 to the virtual reaction force wall generation unit 153. The control unit 152 stores information and position information of virtual reaction walls of other robots existing within the transmission / reception range from the robot 111 based on the position information of the robot 111 supplied from the data transmission / reception unit 151. Take out from 154.

The control unit 152 outputs the information of the virtual reaction force wall of the robot 111 supplied from the virtual reaction force wall generation unit 153 to the data transmission / reception unit 151. The control unit 152 outputs the information and the position information of the virtual reaction force wall of another robot taken out from the robot information storage unit 154 to the data transmission / reception unit 151.

The virtual reaction force wall generation unit 153 virtualizes based on the position information of the robot 111 supplied from the control unit 152 and the preset physical property values (k, μ) of the virtual reaction force wall of the robot 111. Create a reaction wall. The virtual reaction force wall generation unit 153 outputs the generated virtual reaction force wall information of the robot 111 to the control unit 152. The virtual reaction force wall generation unit 153 outputs the generated virtual reaction force wall information and position information of the robot 111 to the robot information storage unit 154.

The robot information storage unit 154 stores information and position information of the virtual reaction force wall of the robot 111.

<Operation of robot and server>
Next, the processing of the robot 111 and the server 112 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

In step S111, the position detection unit 51 of the robot 111 detects its own position information.

In step S112, the data transmission / reception unit 121 determines whether or not a predetermined time such as 1 second has elapsed since the previous transmission to another robot. If it is determined in step S112 that one second has elapsed, the process proceeds to step S113.

In step S113, the data transmission / reception unit 121 transmits the position information to the server 112.

If it is determined in step S112 that one second has not elapsed, the process of step S13 is skipped.

In step S131, the control unit 152 of the server 112 waits until it is determined that the data transmission / reception unit 151 has received the position information from the robot 111. If it is determined in step S131 that the position information has been received, the process proceeds to step S132.

In step S132, the virtual reaction force wall generation unit 153 uses information such as the position information of the robot 111 supplied from the control unit 152 and the preset physical property values (k, μ) of the virtual reaction force wall of the robot 111. Based on this, a virtual reaction force wall is generated. The generated virtual reaction force wall information and position information of the robot 111 are stored in the robot information storage unit 154 and output to the data transmission / reception unit 151 via the control unit 152.

In step S133, the data transmission / reception unit 151 transmits information on the virtual reaction force wall to the robot 111.

In step S134, the control unit 152 refers to the position information stored in the robot information storage unit 154, and determines whether or not another robot exists within the transmission / reception range from the robot 111. If it is determined in step S134 that another robot is within the transmission / reception range, the process proceeds to step S135.

In step S135, the control unit 152 determines whether or not the update information of the other robot has been transmitted. As described above, the updated information represents the information and the position information of the virtual reaction force wall of another robot.

When the information and the position information of the virtual reaction force wall of the other robot are received and updated, it is determined in step S135 that the update information of the other robot has been transmitted, and the process proceeds to step S136. The control unit 152 reads out the information of the virtual reaction force wall and the position information, which are the update information of other robots, from the robot information storage unit 154, and outputs the information to the data transmission / reception unit 151.

In step S136, the data transmission / reception unit 151 transmits the update information (information on the virtual reaction force wall and the position information) of the other robot to the robot 111. After the process of step S136, the process returns to step S131, and the subsequent processes are repeated.

The data transmission / reception unit 121 of the robot 111 receives the information of its own virtual reaction wall transmitted from the server 112 in step S133. The data transmission / reception unit 121 receives the information and the position information of the virtual reaction force wall of another robot transmitted from the server 112 in step S136.

In step S114, the map calculation unit 54 updates the information of its own virtual reaction force wall in its own map information, the information of the virtual reaction force wall of another robot, and the position information.

In step S115, the reaction force calculation unit 55 calculates the reaction force parameter by superimposing the virtual reaction force wall between itself and another robot.

In step S116, the acceleration / attitude control unit 57 performs a motion control calculation based on the parameter of the reaction force supplied from the reaction force calculation unit 55.

In step S117, the drive control unit 58 executes control to the drive unit 25. After the process of step S117, the process returns to step S111, and the subsequent processes are repeated.

FIG. 18 is a diagram showing a timing chart for transmitting and receiving information.

In FIG. 18, the horizontal axis represents time. Vertical arrows represent the exchange of information. Specifically, the arrow pointing to transmission from the operation control at time T1 or the like represents the output of its own position information from the position detection unit 51 to the data transmission / reception unit 121. The arrow pointing to the server 112 from the transmission at time T2 or the like represents the transmission of its own position information from the data transmission / reception unit 121 to the server 112.

The arrow pointing to the reception from the server at time T5 or the like indicates the transmission of information of itself and other robots from the server 112 to the data transmission / reception unit 121. The arrow pointing from the reception to the motion control at the time T6 or the like indicates the transmission of information of itself and other robots from the data transmission / reception unit 121 to the map calculation unit 54.

At time T1, the position detection unit 51 of the robot 111-2 outputs the position information of itself (robot 111-2) to the data transmission / reception unit 121. At time T2, the position information of itself (robot 111-2) is transmitted from the data transmission / reception unit 121 of the robot 111-2 to the server 112.

At time T3, the position detection unit 51 of the robot 111-1 outputs information about itself (robot 111-1) to the data transmission / reception unit 121. At time T4, the position information of itself (robot 111-1) is transmitted from the data transmission / reception unit 121 of the robot 111-1 to the server 112.

At time T5, information about itself (robot 111-1) and robot 111-2 is transmitted from the server 112 to the data transmission / reception unit 121 of robot 111-1. At time T6, the data transmission / reception unit 121 of the robot 111-1 outputs information about itself (robot 111-1) and the robot 111-2 to the map calculation unit 54.

At time T7, information about itself (robot 111-2) and robot 111-1 is transmitted from the server 112 to the data transmission / reception unit 121 of robot 111-2. At time T8, the data transmission / reception unit 121 of the robot 111-2 outputs information about itself (robot 111-2) and the robot 111-1 to the map calculation unit 54.

After the time T9, the same processing as the above-mentioned processing of the time T1 to the time T8 is repeated, and therefore the description thereof will be omitted.

As described above, in the third embodiment, in addition to the effect of the second embodiment, the virtual reaction force wall is generated by the server, so that the virtual reaction force wall in each robot is generated. The calculation load required for generation can be reduced.

<Fourth embodiment (robot having a drive unit)>
FIG. 19 is a diagram showing a third configuration example of a robot control system to which the present technology is applied.

The robot control system of FIG. 19 is configured by connecting the robot 211 and the robot 212 by wireless communication. The robot 211 and the robot 212 are provided in an environment where they work closely together.

The robot 211 and the robot 212 are humanoid robots. A virtual reaction force wall 221 is set around the robot 211. A virtual reaction force wall 222 is set around the robot 212.

The robot 211 includes a head drive unit 211-1, a body drive unit 211-2, a right foot drive unit 211-3, a left foot drive unit 211-4, an upper arm drive unit 211-5, and a lower arm drive unit. It is composed of 211-6. In the robot 211, each drive unit is electrically connected.

The robot 212 includes a head drive unit 212-1, a body drive unit 212-2, a right foot drive unit 212-3, a left foot drive unit 212-4, an upper arm drive unit 212-5, and a lower arm drive unit. It is composed of 212-6. In the robot 212, each drive unit is electrically connected.

The virtual reaction force wall 221 is configured by a virtual reaction force wall corresponding to the drive unit in the robot 211. The virtual reaction wall 221 includes a virtual reaction wall 221-1 on the head, a virtual reaction wall 221-2 on the body, a virtual reaction wall 223-1 on the right foot, and a virtual reaction wall 221-4 on the left foot. , The virtual reaction force wall 221-5 of the upper arm portion, and the virtual reaction force wall 221-6 of the lower arm portion.

The virtual reaction force wall 222 is configured by a virtual reaction force wall corresponding to the drive unit in the robot 212. The virtual reaction wall 222 includes a virtual reaction wall 222-1 on the head, a virtual reaction wall 222-2 on the body, a virtual reaction wall 222-3 on the right foot, and a virtual reaction wall 222-4 on the left foot. , A virtual reaction wall 222-5 on the upper arm, and a virtual reaction wall 222-6 on the lower arm.

The robot 211 and the robot 212 share information and position information on the virtual reaction force walls of all the drive units of the robot 211, and information and position information on the virtual reaction force walls of all the drive units of the robot 212.

When the robot 211 and the robot 212 receive the information transmitted from the other robot, they update the information and the position information of the virtual reaction wall of the other robot in the map information that they have.

In FIG. 19, the white arrows VP1 and VP2 indicate the moving directions of the lower arm drive units 211-6 and 212-6, respectively. The lengths of the white arrows VP1 and VP2 represent the velocity (VP2 <VP1).

As shown by VP1, the robot 211 drives the lower arm drive unit 211-6 so as to move in the direction of the body drive unit 212-2 at a speed faster than that of the lower arm drive unit 212-6. .. As shown by VP2, the robot 212 drives the lower arm drive unit 212-6 so as to move in the direction of the lower arm drive unit 211-6 at a slower speed than the lower arm drive unit 211-6. do.

As a result, the virtual reaction force wall 222-6 of the lower arm portion of the robot 212 invades the virtual reaction force wall 221-6 of the lower arm portion of the robot 211, so that the robot 211 is the virtual reaction force wall of the robot 212. And the reaction force parameter is calculated according to the position. The robot 211 controls the necessary drive of the drive unit so as to avoid the lower arm drive unit 212-6 based on the calculated reaction force parameter.

Since the virtual reaction force wall 221-6 of the lower arm of the robot 211 invades the virtual reaction force wall 222-6 of the lower arm of the robot 212, the robot 212 is positioned at the virtual reaction force wall of the robot 211. The reaction force parameters are calculated accordingly. The robot 212 controls the necessary drive of the drive unit so as to avoid the lower arm drive unit 211-6 based on the calculated reaction force parameter.

By doing so, it is possible to avoid a collision while continuing to move smoothly even when a large number of robots are driven to perform irregular and complicated work.

In the conventional collision prevention technology, in an environment where a plurality of robots exist, a single robot performs a shielding operation according to a relative distance to the object in order to avoid a collision with the object. It was operated in a certain shape and size regardless of the moving speed and direction of the robot.

In this technology, information on virtual reaction walls of multiple robots is shared, and map information is updated with the shared information. In addition, the shape and size of the virtual reaction force wall are changed according to the moving speed and direction of each robot.

As a result, the present technology can be applied to a system composed of a robot having a complicated shape composed of a plurality of drive units as described above, so that a highly accurate collision prevention technology can be provided.

<5. Others>
<Computer hardware configuration example>
The series of processes described above can be executed by hardware or software. When a series of processes are executed by software, the programs constituting the software are installed in the computer. Here, the computer includes a computer embedded in dedicated hardware and, for example, a general-purpose personal computer capable of executing various functions by installing various programs.

The installed program is provided by recording on the removable media 141 shown in FIG. 15, which comprises an optical disk (CD-ROM (Compact Disc-Read Only Memory), DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), etc.), a semiconductor memory, or the like. It may also be provided via a wired or wireless transmission medium such as a local area network, the Internet, or digital broadcasting. The program can be pre-installed in the ROM 132 or the storage unit 138.

The program executed by the computer may be a program in which processing is performed in chronological order according to the order described in the present specification, in parallel, or at a necessary timing such as when a call is made. It may be a program in which processing is performed.

Further, in the present specification, the system means a set of a plurality of components (devices, modules (parts), etc.), and it does not matter whether or not all the components are in the same housing. Therefore, a plurality of devices housed in separate housings and connected via a network, and a device in which a plurality of modules are housed in one housing are both systems. ..

It should be noted that the effects described in the present specification are merely examples and are not limited, and other effects may be obtained.

The embodiment of the present technology is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various changes can be made without departing from the gist of the present technology.

For example, the present technology can be configured as cloud computing in which one function is shared by a plurality of devices via a network and jointly processed.

Further, each step described in the above-mentioned flowchart may be executed by one device or may be shared and executed by a plurality of devices.

Further, when a plurality of processes are included in one step, the plurality of processes included in the one step can be executed by one device or shared by a plurality of devices.

<Example of configuration combination>
The present technology can also have the following configurations.
(1)
The information on the virtual reaction force wall, which is the information of the space set so as to surround the housing and in which the parameters of the reaction force generated according to the distance to the other moving body are set, is the above-mentioned other information. A moving body including a control unit that is shared with the moving body and controls the driving unit based on the information of the plurality of shared virtual reaction force walls.
(2)
The moving body according to (1), wherein the control unit controls the drive unit by using a parameter of the reaction force obtained by superimposing a plurality of the virtual reaction force walls.
(3)
The moving body according to (2), wherein the control unit controls the drive unit based on an acceleration calculated by using the reaction force parameter.
(4)
A receiving unit that receives information on the virtual reaction wall of the other moving body and position information of the other moving body.
Further provided with a map calculation unit that updates the corresponding information of the map information by using the received information of the virtual reaction force wall and the position information of the other moving body.
The movement according to (2) or (3), wherein the control unit controls the drive unit using the reaction force parameter obtained by superimposing a plurality of the virtual reaction force walls based on the map information. body.
(5)
It also has a transmitter that sends its location information to the server.
The mobile body according to (4), wherein the receiving unit receives information on the virtual reaction wall of its own calculated by the server.
(6)
The mobile body according to (5), wherein the receiving unit receives the position information of the other mobile body and the information of the virtual reaction force wall of the other mobile body calculated by the server.
(7)
Further provided with a transmitter for transmitting information on its own virtual reaction wall and its own position information to the other mobile body.
The receiving unit is described in any one of (4) to (6), which receives information on the virtual reaction force wall of the other moving body and the position information of the other moving body from the other moving body. Mobile body.
(8)
A generator that generates information about the virtual reaction wall of its own,
The movement according to any one of (4) to (6) above, further comprising: the generated information on the virtual reaction wall of the own and the transmission unit for transmitting the position information of the own to the other moving body. body.
(9)
The moving body according to claim 1, wherein the information of the plurality of virtual reaction force walls is shared with the other moving bodies existing within a predetermined range.
(10)
The mobile body
The information on the virtual reaction force wall, which is the information of the space set so as to surround the housing and in which the parameters of the reaction force generated according to the distance to the other moving body are set, is the above-mentioned other information. A control method that is shared with a moving body and controls a drive unit based on information on a plurality of shared virtual reaction force walls.
(11)
The information on the virtual reaction force wall, which is the information of the space set so as to surround the housing and in which the parameters of the reaction force generated according to the distance to the other moving body are set, is the above-mentioned other information. A program that operates a computer as a control unit that is shared with a moving body and controls a drive unit based on information on a plurality of shared virtual reaction force walls.

1,1-1 to 1-5 Robot, 2,2-1 to 2-3 Virtual reaction force wall, 21 Control unit, 22 Wireless communication unit, 23 Input unit, 24 Output unit, 25 Drive unit, 51 Position detection unit , 52 Virtual reaction force wall generation unit, 53 Data transmission / reception unit, 54 Map calculation unit, 55 Reaction force calculation unit, 56 Motion purpose command unit 56, 57 Acceleration / attitude control unit, 58 Drive control unit, 111, 111-1 to 111-5 Robot, 112 server, 121 data transmission / reception unit, 151 data transmission / reception unit, 152 control unit, 153 virtual reaction force wall generation unit 153, 154 robot information storage unit, 211 robot, 212 robot, 221 virtual reaction force wall, 222 Virtual reaction wall

Claims (11)

The information on the virtual reaction force wall, which is the information of the space set so as to surround the housing and in which the parameters of the reaction force generated according to the distance to the other moving body are set, is the above-mentioned other information. A moving body including a control unit that is shared with the moving body and controls the driving unit based on the information of the plurality of shared virtual reaction force walls. The moving body according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the drive unit by using a parameter of the reaction force obtained by superimposing a plurality of the virtual reaction force walls. The moving body according to claim 2, wherein the control unit controls the drive unit based on an acceleration calculated by using the reaction force parameter. A receiving unit that receives information on the virtual reaction wall of the other moving body and position information of the other moving body.
Further provided with a map calculation unit that updates the corresponding information of the map information by using the received information of the virtual reaction force wall and the position information of the other moving body.
The moving body according to claim 2, wherein the control unit controls the drive unit using the reaction force parameter obtained by superimposing a plurality of the virtual reaction force walls based on the map information. It also has a transmitter that sends its location information to the server.
The mobile body according to claim 4, wherein the receiving unit receives information on the virtual reaction wall of its own calculated by the server. The mobile body according to claim 5, wherein the receiving unit receives the position information of the other mobile body and the information of the virtual reaction force wall of the other mobile body calculated by the server. Further provided with a transmitter for transmitting information on its own virtual reaction wall and its own position information to the other mobile body.
The moving body according to claim 4, wherein the receiving unit receives information on the virtual reaction force wall of the other moving body and the position information of the other moving body from the other moving body. It further comprises a generator that generates information about its own virtual reaction wall.
The moving body according to claim 7, wherein the transmitting unit transmits the generated information on the virtual reaction force wall of the own and the position information of the own to the other moving body. The moving body according to claim 1, wherein the information of the plurality of virtual reaction force walls is shared with the other moving bodies existing within a predetermined range. The mobile body
The information on the virtual reaction force wall, which is the information of the space set so as to surround the housing and in which the parameters of the reaction force generated according to the distance to the other moving body are set, is the above-mentioned other information. A control method that is shared with a moving body and controls a drive unit based on information on a plurality of shared virtual reaction force walls. The information on the virtual reaction force wall, which is the information of the space set so as to surround the housing and in which the parameters of the reaction force generated according to the distance to the other moving body are set, is the above-mentioned other information. A program that operates a computer as a control unit that is shared with a moving body and controls a drive unit based on information on a plurality of shared virtual reaction force walls.

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