JP2024058879A - Working robot - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a highly versatile working robot. [Solution] A working robot 100 includes a traveling unit 2 and a first working unit 3. The traveling unit 2 is configured to be capable of autonomous traveling. The traveling unit 2 has a first control unit 26 and a first connector 27. The first control unit 26 executes a first process related to autonomous traveling. The first connector 27 is electrically connected to the first control unit 26. The first working unit 3 is removably mounted on the traveling unit 2. The first working unit 3 has a second control unit 35 and a second connector 36. The second control unit 35 executes a second process related to work. The second connector 36 is electrically connected to the second control unit 35 and is removably connected to the first connector 27. [Selected Figure] Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a work robot.

In recent years, work robots such as food delivery robots that deliver food in restaurants have begun to be used. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a food delivery robot that can autonomously navigate within a restaurant while detecting and avoiding obstacles such as people and objects.

JP 2022-104301 A

The wiring robot described above has the problem that it can only be used for serving food, and is therefore not very versatile. Therefore, the objective of the present invention is to provide a versatile work robot.

The work robot according to the first aspect includes a traveling unit and a first working unit. The traveling unit is configured to be capable of autonomous traveling. The traveling unit has a first control unit and a first connector. The first control unit is configured to execute a first process related to autonomous traveling. The first connector is electrically connected to the first control unit. The first working unit is removably mounted on the traveling unit. The first working unit has a second control unit and a second connector. The second control unit is configured to execute a second process related to the work. The second connector is electrically connected to the second control unit and removably connected to the first connector.

With this configuration, the first work unit is removably mounted on the traveling unit, so that the first work unit can be removed from the traveling unit and replaced with another work unit instead of the first work unit. This gives the work robot high versatility.

The working robot according to the second aspect is the working robot according to the first aspect, but is configured as follows: The first working unit has a LAN cable that connects the second connector and the second control unit.

The working robot according to the third aspect is the working robot according to the first or second aspect, and is configured as follows: The first control unit is configured to execute the first process based on information acquired from the second control unit.

The working robot according to the fourth aspect is a working robot according to any one of the first to third aspects, and is configured as follows: The traveling unit has a first sensor configured to detect the distance to an object. The first working unit has a second sensor configured to detect the distance to an object. The first control unit is configured to execute a first process based on data acquired from the first sensor and the second sensor.

The working robot according to the fifth aspect is the working robot according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, further comprising a second working unit. The second working unit is removably mounted on the traveling unit in place of the first working unit. The second working unit has a third control unit and a third connector. The third control unit is configured to execute a third process related to a task different from the task in the second process. The third connector is electrically connected to the third control unit and removably attached to the first connector.

The working robot according to the sixth aspect is a working robot according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, and is configured as follows: The traveling unit or the first working unit has a communication unit configured to transmit data acquired during work to a server via the internet.

The present invention makes it possible to increase the versatility of work robots.

Schematic diagram of a work robot. FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of a working robot according to a modified example. FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of a working robot according to a modified example.

The working robot according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, the working robot 100 has a traveling unit 2 and a first working unit 3. In this embodiment, the working robot 100 is used, for example, as a serving robot in a restaurant.

<Travel unit>
The traveling unit 2 has a first unit body 21, a pair of driving wheels 22, a pair of driven wheels 23, a pair of electric motors 24, a plurality of first sensors 25, a first control unit 26, and a first connector 27. The traveling unit 2 is configured to be capable of autonomous traveling. The traveling unit 2 is a so-called AMR (Autonomous Mobile Robot).

The driving wheels 22 and driven wheels 23 are attached to the first unit body 21. The driving wheels 22 are arranged at a distance from each other on the left and right. The pair of driven wheels 23 are arranged at a distance from each other on the front and rear. The driven wheels 23 are attached to the first unit body 21 so as to be rotatable. For example, the driven wheels 23 are casters. The driving wheels 22 are arranged between the pair of driven wheels 23 in the front and rear direction. Note that the traveling unit 2 may have a pair of driving wheels 22 instead of a pair of driven wheels 23. In other words, all four wheels of the traveling unit 2 may be driving wheels 22.

The electric motor 24 is configured to drive the drive wheels 22. When the electric motor 24 rotates forward, the drive unit 2 moves forward, and when the electric motor 24 rotates reversely, the drive unit 2 moves backward. One of the pair of electric motors 24 drives the right drive wheel 22, and the other electric motor 24 drives the left drive wheel 22.

The first sensor 25 is configured to detect the distance to an object around the traveling unit 2. The first sensor 25 outputs data related to the detected distance to the first control unit 26. The first sensor 25 is connected to the first control unit 26 by wired or wireless communication. The first sensor 25 is a distance measurement sensor such as LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging). In this embodiment, the first sensor 25 is LiDAR. The first sensor 25 outputs detected data (e.g. point cloud data) to the first control unit 26. The first sensor 25 is attached to both the front and rear surfaces of the first unit body 21.

The first control unit 26 is configured to execute a first process related to autonomous driving. In detail, the first control unit 26 is configured to control each electric motor 24 as the first process. The first control unit 26 is also configured to perform self-position estimation and environmental map creation as the first process. The first control unit 26 is configured, for example, by a computer (e.g., a microcomputer) including a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a ROM (Read Only Memory). The ROM stores programs for performing various calculations. The CPU executes the programs stored in the ROM.

The first control unit 26 controls each electric motor 24 to move the traveling unit 2 forward, backward, turn left or right, or stop. The first control unit 26 also performs self-location estimation and environmental map creation based on data acquired from the first sensor 25 and the second control unit 35 described below. Note that the first control unit 26 may perform self-location estimation and environmental map creation based only on data acquired from the first sensor 25. The first control unit 26 stores the created environmental map. The first control unit 26 causes the traveling unit 2 to travel based on the created environmental map, the data acquired from the first sensor 25, and the data acquired from the second control unit 35.

The first connector 27 is electrically connected to the first control unit 26. The first connector 27 is disposed on the top surface of the first unit body 21. Specifically, the first connector 27 is configured by a LAN port.

<First Working Unit>
The first work unit 3 is configured to perform tasks such as serving food and guiding. The first work unit 3 is removably mounted on the traveling unit 2. The first work unit 3 has a second unit body 31, a touch panel monitor 32, a plurality of second sensors 33, a plurality of cameras 34, a second control unit 35, a second connector 36, and a LAN cable 37.

The second unit body 31 is attached to the first unit body 21 so as to be fixed in a state in which it is placed on the first unit body 21. For example, the first unit body 21 has a rail portion (not shown), and the second unit body 31 has an attachment protrusion (not shown). The second unit body 31 can be attached to the first unit body 21 by inserting the attachment protrusion of the second unit body 31 into the rail portion and sliding the second unit body 31. After the second unit body 31 is attached to the first unit body 21, the second unit body 31 is fixed by a ratchet type fastening fitting or the like so that it does not slide relative to the first unit body 21. This allows the second unit body 31 to be attached to and detached from the first unit body 21 without using tools. Therefore, the first working unit 3 can be removed from the traveling unit 2, and another working unit can be attached to the traveling unit 2 in place of the first working unit 3.

The second unit body 31 has multiple shelves 311 inside, and is configured so that food or tableware can be placed on each shelf 311.

The monitor 32 is attached to the front of the second unit body 31. The monitor 32 is configured to be able to display menus, advertisements, etc. based on data from the second control unit 35. The monitor 32 is of a touch panel type and is able to accept input from the user. The monitor 32 outputs the input data to the second control unit 35. The monitor 32 is connected to the second control unit 35 by wired or wireless communication.

The second sensor 33 is configured to detect the distance to the target object. The second sensor 33 is a distance measurement sensor such as a ToF (Time of Flight) sensor or LiDAR. In this embodiment, the second sensor 33 is a ToF sensor. The first working unit 3 also has two second sensors 33. Of the two second sensors 33, one is disposed at the front and bottom, and the other is disposed at the rear and top. The second sensor 33 outputs data related to the detected distance (e.g., depth image data) to the second control unit 35. The second sensor 33 is connected to the second control unit 35 by wired or wireless communication.

One of the pair of cameras 34 is attached to the front of the second unit body 31, and the other is attached to the rear of the second unit body 31. The camera 34 is configured to capture images of people and the like around the work robot 100. The camera 34 then outputs the image data obtained by capturing the images to the second control unit 35. The camera 34 is connected to the second control unit 35 by wired or wireless communication.

The second control unit 35 is configured to execute a second process related to the work. For example, as the second process, the second control unit 35 performs person detection based on image data acquired from the camera 34. Note that in addition to the image data acquired from the camera 34, the second control unit 35 may also acquire from the first control unit 26 point cloud data acquired by the first control unit 26 from the first sensor 25 acquired via the first control unit 26, and perform person detection based on this image data and point cloud data. The second control unit 35 outputs distance information acquired from the second sensor 33 to the first control unit 26.

The second control unit 35 is configured by a computer including, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a ROM (Read Only Memory). The ROM stores programs for performing various calculations. The CPU executes the programs stored in the ROM.

The second connector 36 is electrically connected to the second control unit 35. Specifically, a LAN cable 37 extends from the second control unit 35, and the second connector 36 is attached to the tip of the LAN cable 37. In other words, the LAN cable 37 connects the second connector 36 and the second control unit 35.

The second connector 36 is removably connected to the first connector 27. By connecting the second connector 36 to the first connector 27, the first control unit 26 and the second control unit 35 are connected so as to be able to communicate with each other. The second connector 36 is, for example, a LAN connector. The second connector 36 is connected to the first connector 27 by being inserted into the first connector 27.

<Operation>
Working robot 100 configured as described above operates as follows. First, working robot 100 is caused to travel within the store, and first sensor 25 detects the distance to each obstacle in the store, and outputs data relating to that distance (e.g., point cloud data) to first control unit 26. First control unit 26 creates an environmental map based on that data. Note that first control unit 26 may also obtain distance-related data (e.g., depth image data) from second sensor 33 in addition to the data obtained from first sensor 25, and create an environmental map using both sets of data.

Next, we will explain how the working robot 100 is controlled when guiding a customer to a table. First, the store clerk operates the working robot 100 to put it into guidance mode, which causes the working robot 100 to move to the first waiting position. The store clerk may put the working robot 100 into guidance mode using his or her own terminal, or may put the working robot 100 into guidance mode using the monitor 32 of the working robot 100.

When a customer stands in front of the working robot 100, the working robot 100 captures an image of the person using its camera 34 and outputs the captured image data to the second control unit 35. The second control unit 35 determines the attributes of the person based on the information from the camera 34 and stores it in the memory unit.

The store clerk operates his/her own terminal or the monitor 32 of the working robot 100 to specify the table to which the customer should be guided. The first control unit 26 calculates the route to the specified table based on the environmental map stored in the memory unit. Then, based on the environmental map and the data acquired from the first sensor 25 and the second sensor 33, the first control unit 26 drives the electric motor 24 to drive the working robot 100 to the specified table.

The second control unit 35 determines whether the customer is following the work robot 100 based on the point cloud data from the first sensor 25 and the image data from the camera 34. That is, the second control unit 35 determines whether the distance between the work robot 100 and the customer is equal to or less than a predetermined value. The second control unit 35 then outputs to the first control unit 26 so that the above-mentioned distance is equal to or less than the predetermined value, and the first control unit 26 controls the electric motor 24 based on the data obtained from the second control unit 35 to drive the traveling unit 2. That is, the first control unit 26 controls the traveling unit 2 according to the control content in the second control unit 35.

Next, the control of the working robot 100 when it is used to serve food will be explained. The waiter switches the working robot 100 to food serving mode by operating his/her own terminal or the monitor 32 of the working robot 100. This causes the working robot 100 to move to the second waiting position. The waiter places the food on the shelf 311 of the working robot 100 waiting at the second waiting position. The waiter then specifies the table to which the food should be served using the terminal or monitor 32. The working robot 100 carries the food to the specified table using the same control as in the guidance mode.

The working robot 100 that operates as a food distribution robot as described above can be made to operate as a different working robot 100 by replacing the first working unit 3 with a different working unit. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the first working unit 3 can be removed from the traveling unit 2 and the second working unit 4 can be attached to the traveling unit 2.

The second work unit 4 has a third unit body 41, a picking arm 42, a third sensor 43, a camera 44, a third control unit 45, a LAN cable 46, and a third connector 47.

The third unit body 41, like the second unit body 31, is attached to the first unit body 21 so that it is fixed in a position placed on the first unit body 21.

The picking arm 42 is attached to the third unit body 41. The picking arm 42 is driven by an actuator (not shown). The third sensor 43 is a distance measurement sensor, similar to the second sensor 33. The camera 44 is configured to capture images of people and objects to be picked around the work robot 100. The camera 44 then outputs image data obtained by capturing the images to the third control unit 45.

The third control unit 45 is configured to execute a third process related to an operation different from the operation in the second process. Specifically, the third control unit 45 executes the third process related to a picking operation. The third control unit 45 controls the picking arm 42 based on data acquired from the third sensor 43 and the camera 44. Note that the third control unit 45 may control the picking arm 42 using point cloud data acquired from the first sensor 25 in addition to the above data.

The LAN cable 46 extends from the third control unit 45, and has a third connector 47 attached to its tip. The third connector 47 is removably connected to the first connector 27. By connecting the third connector 47 to the first connector 27, the first control unit 26 and the third control unit 45 are connected so as to be able to communicate with each other. The third connector 47 is, for example, a LAN connector.

[Modification]
Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the traveling unit 2 or the first working unit 3 may have a communication unit 38. The communication unit 38 is configured to transmit data acquired by the traveling unit 2 or the first working unit 3 during work to a server via the Internet. For example, the second control unit 35 of the first working unit 3 acquires attribute data (such as gender and age) of customers based on information acquired from the camera 34. The second control unit 35 is then configured to transmit the attribute data to the server via the communication unit 38. This makes it possible to collect data from multiple working robots 100 used in different stores.

2: Traveling unit 25: First sensor 26: First control unit 27: First connector 3: First working unit 33: Second sensor 35: Second control unit 36: Second connector 37: LAN cable 4: Second working unit 45: Third control unit 46: LAN cable 47: Third connector 100: Working robot

Claims (6)

A traveling unit configured to be capable of autonomous traveling, the traveling unit having a first control unit configured to execute a first process related to autonomous traveling and a first connector electrically connected to the first control unit;
a first working unit having a second control unit configured to execute a second process related to a work and a second connector electrically connected to the second control unit and removably connected to the first connector, the first working unit being removably mounted on the traveling unit;
A work robot comprising:
The first working unit has a LAN cable connecting the second connector and the second control unit.
The working robot according to claim 1 .
The first control unit is configured to execute the first process based on the data acquired from the second control unit.
The working robot according to claim 1 .
The traveling unit has a first sensor configured to detect a distance to an object;
The first operational unit has a second sensor configured to detect a distance to the object,
The first control unit is configured to execute the first process based on data acquired from the first sensor and the second sensor.
The working robot according to claim 1 .
a third control unit configured to execute a third process related to a task different from the task in the second process, and a third connector electrically connected to the third control unit and removably attached to the first connector, and a second working unit removably mounted on the traveling unit in place of the first working unit;
The working robot according to claim 1 .
The traveling unit or the first working unit has a communication unit configured to transmit data acquired during work to a server via the Internet,
The working robot according to claim 1 .

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