JPH05119835A - Robot device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reduce a load of an operation and a communication, and to form a target group form as a whole of plural robots by constituting the device so that each robot controls a running means to form a group, based on an instructing signal from a general control means and a result of detection by a detecting means. CONSTITUTION:With respect to three or more robots R1, R2..., a general control means 1 applies a common instructing signal for instructing their group form. Each robot R1, R2... receives this signal by a receiving means (not shown in the figure), and controls the own running means (not shown in the figure) in order to form a group form together with other robots R1, R2... detected by a detecting means (not shown in the figure) in response thereto. In such a way, the robots R1, R2... can run and move so as to keep an appropriate distance to those adjacent robots R1, R2, even if they have only the recognizing capacity of the extent of a position and a speed of the own adjacent robots R1, R2.... Accordingly, the robots R1, R2... can form a group by small arithmetic quantity and communication quantity.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a variable form robot apparatus capable of exhibiting various novel functions by operating as a group of a large number of robots each having only a simple movement function. .

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art One of the directions of research and development of such a robot apparatus is to organize single-function robots whose functions are reduced as much as possible into groups and to collect these robots into a desired form. A technology that can be implemented as one functional body is important. For example, a large number of robots with only a single eye can be assembled into a desired shape to form a compound eye assembly such as a dragonfly's eye, or a robot with only two legs can be assembled to achieve running performance. It is possible to form an excellent centipede leg. these,
If you try to achieve it by giving all the necessary commands to individual robots one after another as in the past, the amount of communication data will become huge if the number of robots increases, and it will be realized due to the generation of instruction signals and the restriction of communication capacity. Expected to be almost impossible.

The concept of a multi-robot system in which a plurality of robots act as a group to realize various tasks has already been proposed (for example, Fukuda, “SE.
What is R (Self Evolution Robot)? ", Proceedings of the 7th Academic Lecture Meeting of the Robotics Society of Japan, p.
p. 407-408, 1989, Small Blacksmith, "Fractal Robot", Proceedings of 7th Academic Lecture Meeting of the Robotics Society of Japan, pp. 419-420, Fukuda, Nakagawa, "Study on Dynamically Reconfigurable Robot System", Proceedings of the Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers (C edition), Vol. 56, No. 509, pp. 114-
118, 1989, etc.). In such a prior art, when attempting to operate in cooperation with a plurality of robots, simply considering, in the arithmetic processing unit that controls the robots as described above, the action (for example, position, position, etc.) of each robot should be taken. A configuration is conceivable in which the speed) is calculated one by one, and each robot is commanded. In this case, when the number of robots increases, the amount of calculation becomes huge,
In addition, since the number of communicating parties increases, it becomes impossible to secure channels for communication, and communication takes a huge amount of time.Therefore, the interval between commands to individual robots becomes longer, and the required operation speed is secured. It causes problems such as not being able to. On the other hand, it is conceivable to intelligentize individual robots in order to reduce the frequency of commands and reduce the amount of communication, but doing so will give a new idea of what action each individual robot should take. It becomes a problem.

[0004]

As described above, in order to control the behavior of a group of robots, if the operation of each robot is instructed one by one, the processing load of the central processing unit and the communication This imposes a heavy burden on the user and limits the operations that can be performed at a realistic speed.

An object of the present invention is to provide a robot apparatus which reduces the burden of calculation and communication and realizes a target group form as a whole of a plurality of robots.

[0006]

The present invention includes three or more robots and an overall control means for giving an instruction signal for instructing a common robot group form to each robot. Means, receiving means for receiving an instruction signal from the traveling means, detected means for being detected and identified by another robot, and detecting means for detecting and identifying the detected means of another robot, A robot characterized by including individual control means for controlling the traveling means so as to form a group form represented by the instruction signal together with other robots detected by the detecting means, in response to the instruction signal received by the receiving means. It is a device.

[0007]

According to the present invention, an instruction signal for instructing the group form of the robots is given to the three or more robots from the overall control means,
By receiving the instruction signal in the receiving means of each robot, each robot travels so as to form a group form represented by the instruction signal based on the detected means of another robot detected by the detecting means. The means are controlled by the individual control means, so that even if each robot has only simple functions such as movement and coupling between robots, the robots act as a group to give new functions. Will be done. The behavior of each robot does not depend on a detailed operation command from the overall control means, but autonomously operates under a simple behavioral norm in response to an instruction signal instructing the group form of the robot, Operation as a group can be realized. The operation command by the instruction signal from the overall control means is not given to each robot one by one, but
The group morphology can be realized by simultaneously notifying all the robots what kind of group morphology to achieve. As a result, it is possible to significantly reduce the load of generating operation commands and communication for a large number of robots and realize a so-called multi-robot system. In this way, each robot itself decides its own behavior and operates, so that it is possible to reduce the amount of calculation and the amount of communication by the overall control means. Therefore, in the present invention, the robots and the overall control means do not perform communication for identifying all the robots, but simultaneously transmit the same instruction signal to all the robots, and each robot has a code of behavior corresponding to the instruction signal. It operates under the form of a group and becomes a predetermined form. As described above, the operation control command is not individually given to each robot, but the operation that each robot should take in order to reach the target form is instructed from the operation control unit. For example, if all the robots are given an instruction signal that indicates the group shape of the robots, "keep a certain distance behind the other closest robot (or join each other)", Under proper initial placement, or irrespective of such initial placement, the robots will eventually line up. In this way, it becomes possible to simplify the instruction to each robot by the integrated control means.

[0008]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 is a simplified perspective view showing the overall construction of an embodiment of the present invention. 3 or more robots R1 and R
In response to an instruction signal from the general control means 1, which is common to them, R2, R3, ... Are arranged in a row 2 to form a belt-like robot device capable of performing, for example, rough terrain crossing. Alternatively, as shown by reference numeral 3, it becomes possible to form, for example, a solar cell panel in a matrix form, that is, in a mesh form. Reference mark R
1, R2, R3, ... May be collectively denoted by reference numeral R.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the robot R. The robot body 4 is provided with traveling means 5 including wheels for traveling and a motor for driving the wheels.
The robot body 4 is formed in, for example, a cubic or rectangular parallelepiped shape, and has a follow-up surface 6 and a follow-up surface 7. Further, a detection means 8 is provided on the upper part of the robot body 4. The detected means 8 has a structure for being detected and identified by another robot R, and may be a structure that emits light in all directions such as a light emitting diode, or optically detects it. It may have a configuration in which an identification mark or the like for enabling the above is drawn. The robot body 4 is provided with detection means 9 for detecting and identifying the detected means 8 of the robot. The detecting means 9 is provided above the detecting means 8 and is angularly displaceable around its vertical axis, for example, and can detect the detected means 8 of another robot in all directions. Such a detection means 9 can also be realized by an optical configuration such as a television camera. The tracking sensor 11 provided so as to face the tracking surface 6 has a function of notifying the position of the tracking surface 7 of the robot which has approached another robot from itself. The tracked sensor 12 also functions to detect that another robot has tracked the tracked surface 7. The robot body 4 is provided with an antenna 13 for communication.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configurations of the overall control means 1 and the robot R, respectively. Integrated control means 1
In the above, in the processing circuit 14 realized by a microcomputer or the like, the man-machine interface 1
5, the operator can instruct and input the group form of the robot R, for example. In response to the output of the man-machine interface 15, the processing circuit 14 derives an instruction signal for instructing the group form of the robot R, gives the instruction signal to the communication circuit 16 for transmission / reception, and supplies the instruction signal to the antenna 19
Sent from.

A signal transmitted from the antenna 13 via the processing circuit 14 and thus the communication circuit 16 is
In addition to the above-mentioned instruction signal 17 for instructing the group form as shown in FIG. 4, another instruction signal 18 for instructing the action as the group after the robots R form the group form is included. .. Such signals 17 and 18 are received by all the robots R.

In the robot R, the instruction signal received by the antenna 13 is received by the communication circuit 20 which transmits and receives, and is given to the processing circuit 21 realized by a microcomputer or the like. The outputs of the sensors 11 and 12 are given to the processing circuit 21, and the detection output from the detecting means 9 is given to the processing circuit 21. A signal is generated from the processing circuit 21 for activating or deactivating the detected means 8. Furthermore, the traveling means 5 is given a signal indicating the direction and speed at which the robot R should travel, and the traveling means 5 is controlled.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart for explaining the operation of the processing circuit 21. When the integrated control means 1 sends out an instruction signal 17 instructing that the robots should be arranged in one row, which is a group form of robots, the instruction signal is received by the communication circuit 20 in step n1, and the next signal is received. At step n2, one of a plurality of group forms indicated by the instruction signal is selected, and at next step n3, the controlled means 8 is activated, and the detected means 8 is, for example, a light emitting diode. Sometimes robot 4
Activated blinking lights or lights for identifying different colors are generated.

In step n4, the detecting operation of the other robot R is performed by the detecting means 9, and in step n5,
Determine if the nearest robot can be determined. For example, in the robot R2, the detected means 8 provided in the robot R1 closest to the robot R2 is detected, and the robot R1 is determined to be the nearest robot. At step n6, it is judged whether or not another robot R3 follows the surface 7 to be followed of its own robot R2, and whether or not this is detected by the tracked sensor 12, and there is another robot R3 that has followed. When this is done, the detected means 8 is disabled in step n7. In step n8, when there is another robot R3 that has followed the surface 7 to be followed of the robot R2, or when there is no such robot R3, the process proceeds to the next step n8,
The robot R2 of its own approaches and runs closer to another robot R1 to be followed. In step n9,
When it is determined that the own robot R2 has approached another robot R1, in step n10, the surface to be followed 7 of the opponent robot R1 is searched, and the surface to be followed 7 of the opponent robot R1 is found. Then, in the next step n12,
The following surface 6 of the own robot R2 is used as the opponent robot R1.
The surface 7 to be followed is closely approached or is joined by a connecting means or the like. Such a follow-up surface 7 of the opponent robot R1 is searched, and the finding and the follow-up operation are performed in response to the output of the follow-up sensor 11. Step n13
At the opponent's robot R3,
When it is detected that the number 2 has been followed, step n14
Then, the marker 8 as the detected means is disabled in step n14.

In step n5, when the robot of its own, for example R1 in this case, is not determined, the process proceeds to step n15, and the time spent for determination of the nearest robot is set. However, if it is determined in step n15 that a predetermined time, for example, about 1 second or more has elapsed, the next step n16
Then, it is determined whether there are other robots R2, R3, etc. following the robot R1 of its own. When there is a robot following the robot R1 of its own in step n16, the process moves to step n17, it is determined that the group form of the robots R arranged in one row is completed, and the processing circuit 21 notifies this. A signal is sent from the antenna 13 by the transmitting circuit of the communication circuit 20, and this signal is detected by the receiving circuit of the transmitting circuit 16 from the antenna 19 in the general control means 1 and given to the processing circuit 14. Then, the processing circuit 14 sends an instruction signal 18 to all the robots R1, R2, R3, ... Instructing them to act as a group of the robots R1, R2, R3 ,. To do. Steps n5 and n1
In the robot R1 which has performed the operations of 5, n16 and n17,
The processing circuit 21 determines that the robot R1 is the head, and the robot R1 that is determined to be the head in this way, when receiving the instruction signal 18 (see FIG. 4 described above), forms a group. And perform the process as the head.

The robot R which operates in response to the instruction signal 18 instructing the action as such a group may be determined each time by the steps n5, n15, n16 and n17 of FIG. 5 as described above. However, as another embodiment, the robots that give the commands for the action as such a group are predetermined, and the action as the group is performed by the command from the general control means 1 with only such a predetermined robot. May be performed.

In order to act as a group in this way, the robot R1 that happens to be at the head position according to the form must be the head, as in the embodiments of FIGS. 1 to 5 described above. If it is instructed to line up in one vertical column, it means that the robot without other robots in front of its own robot R1 is the head robot, and the head robot R1 Is the overall control means 1
Communicate with. In this way the robot R1 at the beginning position
The criterion for determining whether or not is determined in advance in accordance with the code of conduct. As another embodiment, as described above, a required robot to be a representative is determined in advance, and the general control means 1 communicates with the required robot to give instructions and reports. May operate under the same code of conduct as before.

FIG. 6A shows another embodiment of the present invention.
As shown in simplified form in FIG.
When R2, R3, R4, ... Are scattered in the initial stage and the overall control means 1 instructs that the group form is a band, the group form becomes a band as shown in FIG. When the group form is instructed to be ring-shaped, the ring-shaped group form is as shown in FIG. 6C, and when it is instructed to be reticulated, the mesh-shaped group form is as shown in FIG. .. Such robots R1, R
2, R3, R4, ... preferably have means for interlocking connection with each other, for example the connection means of the robot R1 is indicated by reference numeral 23, which also applies to other robots. It is the same.

[0019]

As described above, according to the present invention, three or more robots receive an instruction signal from the general control means common to the robots, and give an instruction together with other robots detected by the detection means. Since the control means is controlled so as to form a group form representing signals, it is possible to significantly reduce the amount of calculation and the amount of communication of the overall control means, and it is possible to simplify communication. In addition, since the overall control means only needs to generate the instruction signal for instructing the group form, it is possible to simplify the instruction of each robot. In this way, each robot has only the ability to recognize, for example, the position and speed of a robot in its vicinity, and each robot can move so as to maintain a distance and a posture with respect to a robot in its vicinity. Each robot receives the above-mentioned instruction signal and may be configured to run and move while maintaining the distance and posture of only the robot at its own distance so as not to contradict this instruction signal. Is also achieved, and thus maintenance is also facilitated.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view for explaining a group form of robots R according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a robot R.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the overall control means 1 and a robot R.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a configuration of a signal sent from the overall control means 14 to the robot R.

5 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the processing circuit 21 of the robot R. FIG.

FIG. 6 is a view showing a group form of another embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Integrated control means 2 Band-shaped group form 3 Net-shaped group form 4 Robot body 5 Running means 6 Followed surface 7 Followed surface 8 Detected means 9 Detection means 11 Followed sensor 12 Followed sensor R, R1, R2, R3, R4 robot

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Kenji Ogimoto, 1 Kawasaki-cho, Kakamigahara-shi, Gifu Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. Gifu factory (72) Nobuyoshi Muroi, Kawasaki-cho, Kakamigahara-shi, Gifu Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. Gifu in the factory

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A robot comprising: three or more robots; and an overall control means for giving an instruction signal for instructing a group shape of the robots common to the robots, each robot including traveling means for traveling and instructions from the traveling means. Receiving means for receiving a signal, detected means for being detected and identified by another robot, detecting means for detecting and identifying the detected means of another robot, and an instruction signal received by the receiving means In response to the above, the robot apparatus includes individual control means for controlling the traveling means so as to form a group form represented by the instruction signal together with other robots detected by the detection means.