JPH1069314A - Micro robot - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Problem] To provide a micro robot which is small, can be wirelessly controlled, and has a prevention function. SOLUTION: At least two sensors whose detection areas partially overlap and generate an output corresponding to a detected amount, at least one pair of driving units which are driven independently of each other based on the output of the sensor, and an output of the sensor A control unit for controlling the drive unit based on the control unit, a power supply device including a rechargeable battery, supplying a power supply voltage to the sensor, the drive unit, and the control unit, and a waterproof case configured from a magnetically permeable member. On the body, the drive,
A drive wheel that accommodates the control unit and the power supply device and that is driven to rotate by the drive unit and moves the robot body is disposed outside the waterproof housing.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a small and wirelessly controllable micro robot.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, when a robot is wirelessly controlled, control called radio control is performed, and a control method using radio waves has been used. Also,
In order to control the direction, steering was performed by superimposing a control signal on radio waves. Further, in order to autonomously direct a desired direction, an antenna having directivity is used, or a visual sensor or the like is used together. The running part used wheels to reduce running resistance. In addition, the terminal for charging was formed of a rigid contact and was formed in a recess of the frame.

[0003]

However, since the above-mentioned robot control system uses radio waves, a large number of electric elements are required on both the transmitting side and the receiving side, and a mechanism for steering is required. It was not suitable for miniaturization. Further, for example, in order to make the system autonomously move in the direction in which radio waves are transmitted, it is necessary to add the above-mentioned antenna and sensor, and this point is not suitable for miniaturization. Further, when a portion other than the driving portion is supported by wheels, if the wheels are small, it is not possible to get over large irregularities. Conversely, if the wheels are large, it is difficult to reduce the size. The charging terminal could not be reduced in handling, which hindered miniaturization.

The present invention has been made under such a situation, and an object of the present invention is to provide a micro robot which is small, can be wirelessly controlled, and has a waterproof function.

[0005]

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a micro robot having at least two sensors whose detection areas partially overlap each other to generate an output according to a detection amount, and a micro robot based on an output of the sensor. A power supply device that includes at least a pair of drive units that are driven independently of each other, a control unit that controls the drive unit based on an output of the sensor, and a rechargeable battery, and that supplies a power supply voltage to the sensor, the drive unit, and the control unit. With
A drive unit, a control unit, and a power supply device are housed in a waterproof housing composed of a magnetically permeable member, and drive wheels that are rotationally driven by the drive unit and move the robot body are disposed outside the waterproof housing.

In a micro robot according to another aspect of the present invention, the driving wheels are housed in a waterproof housing and are rotationally driven by the driving unit, and a pair of first driving wheels on which permanent magnets are arranged and distributed are provided. A second pair of second members arranged outside the housing and rotated with the rotation of the permanent magnet to move the robot body.
Drive wheels. Further, a micro robot according to another aspect of the present invention includes at least two sensors whose detection regions partially overlap and generate an output according to a detection amount,
At least one pair of driving units that are driven independently of each other based on the output of the sensor, a control unit that controls the driving unit based on the output of the sensor, and a rechargeable battery, and power is supplied to the sensor, the driving unit, and the control unit. A power supply device for supplying a voltage, and a control unit, a power supply device, and a driving unit including a vibrator are housed in a waterproof housing formed of a vibration transmitting member, and vibration is transmitted to the outside of the waterproof housing. To obtain the driving force. By adopting the waterproof structure as described above, even when the micro robot is operated in a place with a bad environment, the internal power supply device, the control unit, and the like can be appropriately protected.

[0007]

1 is a side view of a micro robot according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a top view thereof. As shown, a pair of sensors 12, 1 are provided on the front of the robot body 10.
4 are provided. As the sensors 12 and 14, for example, an optical sensor including a photodiode and a phototransistor, an ultrasonic sensor for converting a sound wave into a voltage by a piezoelectric element, and the like are used. In this embodiment, a phototransistor is used. . The sensor 12 has a field of view A1 as a detection area, and the sensor 14 also has a field of view A2 as a detection area. The two fields of view A1 and A2 overlap at the center thereof. Have overlapping fields of view A3. Accordingly, when the light from the light source is in front, that is, in the field of view A3, both sensors 12, 14 detect the light. Since the sensor 12 is disposed on the left side of the robot body 10, it will be described as an L sensor in the flow charts of the drawings described later. Further, since the sensor 14 is disposed on the right side of the robot body 10, the R sensor is similarly provided. It is described. A transmitting element 13 is further attached to the front part of the robot body 10, and is used for detecting an obstacle and inputting a work command as described later.

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of FIG. A power supply unit 16 is disposed at a central portion, and is composed of, for example, an electric double layer capacitor, a nickel cadmium battery, or the like, and is configured to be chargeable via a haptic unit 18 and a tail 20 provided for charging and a balancer. ing. A circuit section 22 is provided near the power supply section 16. The circuit section 22 includes a CPU-IC 24 mounted on a circuit board 23, a chip resistor 26 for pull-down, and the like, the details of which will be described later. The drive units 28 and 30 each include a step motor and a speed reduction mechanism, and are controlled by the circuit unit 22. The output shafts 32 and 3 are controlled via the step motor and the speed reduction mechanism.
The wheels 36 and 38 fitted with 4 are driven to rotate. Wheel 3
Rubbers 6 and 38 are attached to the outer periphery. Note that the shape of the wheels 36 and 38 is not limited to a circle, and may take various shapes such as a triangle and a square depending on the use.

The spacer 39 supports the power supply section 16, the circuit section 22, and the driving sections 28 and 30 with respect to the frame body 39a. The power supply unit 16 and the circuit unit 22 include a pair of driving units 28, 3
0, and both are arranged so as to overlap.
Therefore, the power supply unit 16 and the circuit unit 22 can have a large area for the whole volume. For this reason, the internal resistance of the capacitor and the secondary battery can be reduced in the power supply section 16 so that a large current can be efficiently taken out, and the circuit section 22 is advantageous for mounting a large-sized IC chip having a complicated function. Further, since the driving units 28 and 30 are arranged at positions separated from each other, there is no magnetic interference or the like.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing details of the CPU-IC 24. The CPU core 40 including an ALU, various registers, and the like stores an R in which a program is stored.
OM 42, an address decoder 44 of the ROM 42, a RAM 46 for storing various data, and the RAM 46
Are connected. The crystal oscillator 50 is connected to an oscillator 52, and an oscillation signal of the oscillator 52 is supplied to the CPU core 40 as a clock signal. Outputs of the sensors 12, 13, and 14 are input to the input / output control circuit 54, which is output to the CPU core 40. The voltage regulator 56 is for stabilizing the voltage of the power supply unit 16 to a low voltage and supplying the voltage to the circuit unit 22. The motor drive control circuit 58 exchanges control signals with the CPU core 40 and controls the step motors 64 and 66 via the motor drive circuits 60 and 62. The power supply voltage of each of the circuits described above is supplied from the power supply unit 16 or the voltage regulator 56.

The stepping motor 64 is built in the driving section 30 and is disposed on the right side of the robot body 10.
A motor is described, and the step motor 66 is
8 and is located on the left side of the robot body 10, so it is similarly described as an L motor.

FIG. 5 is a circuit diagram of the sensor 12. The sensor 12 includes a phototransistor 12a, and a pull-down resistor 26 is connected in series to the emitter of the phototransistor 12a. Phototransistor 12b
The light-receiving output is taken out from the emitter of the CPU, and the light-receiving output is shaped by the input / output control circuit 54 and output to the CPU core 40. This circuit diagram is an example of the sensor 12, but the sensor 14 also has exactly the same configuration.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the driving section 30, and FIG. 7 is an expanded view thereof. The stepping motor 64 has the exciting coil 6
8 and a rotor 70 composed of a magnet, and an electromagnetic two-pole step motor used in an electronic timepiece is used in this embodiment. The rotor 70 drives the pinion 72, the pinion 72 drives the pinion 74 via a gear, and the pinion 74 drives the pinion 7 via a gear.
6 is driven, and the pinion 76 thus decelerated drives the wheel 38 to rotate. 6 and 7 apply the mechanism of the electronic timepiece. The mechanism of the drive unit 28 is the same as the mechanism shown in FIGS. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the step motors 64 and 66 are configured to reduce the size of the driving units 30 and 28 by rotating the wheels at a high speed so as to rotate the wheels. Further, since the exciting coil 68 is provided at a position distant from the rotor 70, the driving units 30, 2 are also provided at this point.
8 is made thinner and smaller.

FIG. 8 is a timing chart showing a basic operation example of the robot of the above embodiment. Sensor 12,1
The output is 0 V when no light is incident on 4, but when it is incident, a voltage corresponding to the light amount is output. The voltage is shaped into a desired threshold voltage in the input / output control circuit 54 and input to the CPU core 40. The motor drive control circuit 58 alternately forwards and reverses the current to the step motors 64 and 66 via the drive circuits 64 and 66. Is supplied with a drive pulse. Therefore, in the section S1 in which the sensor 12 receives light, the step motor 64 is driven, and the wheels 38 are driven to rotate. In the section S2 where the sensor 14 receives light, the step motor 66 is driven, and the wheels 36 are rotationally driven. Both sensors 12,
In the section W in which the stepping motor 14 receives light, the stepping motors 64, 6
6 is driven, and the wheels 38, 36 are rotationally driven.

Accordingly, as the simplest driving example, when light from the light source is present in the visual field A1 (except for the visual field A3), the optical sensor 12 receives the light, and the step motor 64 receives the light from the wheel 38 according to the received light output. To rotate. At this time, since the wheels 36 are in a stopped state, the entire robot body 10 turns to the left. When light from the light source is in the field of view A2 (except for the field of view A3), the optical sensor 14 receives it and
6 rotates the wheel 36 according to the light receiving output. At this time, since the wheels 38 are in a stopped state, the entire robot body 10 turns to the right. Further, when the light from the light source is in the field of view A3, the optical sensors 12 and 14 receive it, and the step motors 64 and 66 receive the light.
Causes the wheels 38 and 36 to rotate in accordance with the received light output, and the robot body 10 moves straight.
The robot body 10 moves toward the light source by being controlled in this manner.

In the above description of the operation, an example has been described in which the drive is performed at a constant speed when the light receiving sensors 12 and 14 receive light. However, when the drive is started, the drive force is increased by driving with acceleration. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a basic operation when acceleration control is performed at the start of driving. First, the CPU core 40 includes a step motor 64.
Set the clock frequency Rc of the driving pulse to 16 Hz.
(S1) Then, the value Rc of the counter for counting the driving pulse is reset (S2). Next, it is determined whether or not there is a light receiving output from the sensor 12 (S3). If there is a light receiving output, one drive pulse of the clock frequency Rc is supplied to drive the step motor 64, The pulses at that time are counted (S4). The count value Rn is a predetermined value, for example, 15
Is determined (S5), and if it is not 15, the above processing (S3) and (S4) are repeated.

When driving is performed for 15 pulses with a drive pulse having a clock frequency Rc (= 16 Hz), it is next determined whether or not the clock frequency Rc of the drive pulse has reached 128 Hz (maximum value). in case of,
The clock frequency Rc of the drive pulse is set to, for example, 32 Hz (S7), and the above processing is repeated in the same manner. Then, the clock frequency Rc of the drive pulse is 128 Hz (maximum value).
Is reached (S6), and thereafter, driving is performed with a driving pulse of that frequency. When the light receiving output from the sensor 12 disappears (S3), the step motor 64 is stopped (S8). This flowchart shows the relationship between the sensor 12 (L sensor) and the step motor 64 (R motor).
The relationship between the sensor) and the step motor 66 (L motor) is exactly the same.

In the flowchart of FIG. 9, the relationship between the sensor 12 and the sensor 14 is not described for easy understanding. For example, when the sensor 14 is in the light receiving state, the step motor 66 is driven, and the robot body 10 Is directed toward the light source, the sensor 12 is also in a light receiving state. In this case, the driving state of the step motor 64 driven by the sensor 12 needs to match the driving state of the step motor 66. If the driving state is not positioned as described above, the robot cannot move linearly when the robot body 10 faces the light source. That is, the transition from the turning movement to the linear movement is not performed smoothly.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart of the control in consideration of the above points. As described above, the CPU core 40
Is the clock frequency R of the drive pulse of the step motor 64
c is set to 16 Hz (S1), and the counter value Rc for counting the number of the driving pulses is reset (S2). next,
It is determined whether there is a light receiving output of the sensor 14 on the other side (S2a). When there is a light receiving output of the sensor 14, the clock frequency Lc of the drive pulse of the control system on the sensor 14 side and the value Ln of the counter are initialized as the clock frequency Rc of the drive pulse on the sensor 12 side and the value Rn of the counter. (S2b). After setting in this way,
The processing is performed in the same manner as in the flowchart of FIG. Although this flowchart shows the operation of the control system of the sensor 12, the same applies to the control system of the sensor 14.

That is, when the control system of another sensor is in a driving state at the start of driving, the state is taken as an initial value and the engine is started. Therefore, when only one of the sensors receives light, the direction is increased while accelerating. Is changed, and when both sensors receive light, both control systems are driven in the same driving state at that moment to go straight. Therefore, the transition from the turning movement to the linear movement is performed smoothly, and the response to light is improved.

By the way, in the above description, the operation of the transmitting element 13 for generating a code signal by infrared rays or ultrasonic waves is omitted for the sake of simplicity.
Next, the operation of the transmitting element 13 will be described. FIG.
Reference numeral 1 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the operation of the transmitting element 13. In the figure, a code signal such as infrared rays or ultrasonic waves different from the code signal of the transmitting element 13 can be emitted from the controller 80. I do. Hereinafter, a description will be given on the assumption that a light emitting diode that emits infrared light is used as the transmitting element 13, a code signal is generated from the controller 80 by infrared light, and the sensors 12 and 14 also respond to infrared light.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the operation taking into account the operation of the light emitting diode 13. First, the step motors 64 and 66 are driven (S11). Next, the light emitting diode 13 is caused to emit light based on a predetermined code signal (S12).
. Then, the input / output control circuit 54 inputs the light receiving signals of the sensors 12 and 14 (S13), and after amplifying and filtering the signals, takes them into the CPU core 40 (S14). At this time, the sensors 12 and 14 receive the light reflected by the light of the light emitting diode 13 hitting the obstacle and returning.
There is an optical signal according to a work command of the controller 80. C
The PU core 40 determines whether the input signal is an obstacle code (S15). If it is determined that the input signal is not the code of the obstacle, the signal from the controller 80 is decoded regardless of the input signal to either of the sensors 12 and 14 (S
16) Perform work (running / working) based on the contents (S
17). The input signal is determined to be an obstacle code,
It is determined whether or not light is incident on the R sensor 14 (S18).
When it is determined that light is incident on the sensor 14, the R motor 64 is reversely rotated for a predetermined time, for example, 5 seconds to avoid an obstacle (S1).
9). If it is determined that there is no light incident on the R sensor 14, the L motor 66 is reversely rotated for a predetermined time, for example, 5 seconds to avoid an obstacle (S20). As described above, an obstacle can be avoided and an arbitrary work command can be given from the controller 80. In such a configuration, the optical sensor 12,
The operation of not only the directivity by the directivity but also the work can be controlled by receiving the code signal.

In the above embodiment, an example in which an obstacle is monitored by emitting light by the light emitting diode 13 has been described. However, if the obstacle emits a code signal, the light emitting diode 13 can be omitted. In this case, the process (S12) in FIG. 13 is omitted. Although the case where the code signal is received by the L sensor 12 and the R sensor 14 has been described, a dedicated sensor for receiving the code signal may be provided. Further, FIG.
As shown in FIG. 3, a light emitting diode (LED) 13b and a photo sensor
3a may be built in. In this case, light is emitted by applying a voltage to the terminals of VDD and VSS, and the light receiving signal becomes OUT
Appear at the terminal.

FIG. 14 is a top view of an immobile microrobot according to another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 15 is a front view thereof. Tires 84 and 86 are attached to the front and rear portions of the robot main body 82, respectively, and the direction of the tires 84 is steered left and right like the front wheels of a bicycle. 4 is built in the robot body 82. One motor is built in a drive unit for driving the robot, and the other motor is built in a steering unit for controlling the direction of the tire 84. And is controlled by a drive control circuit 58. Further, it is assumed that a lamp 88 is lit on the upper part of the robot main body 82.

FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing the control for making the robot body 82 stand alone. First, it is determined whether or not the received light output of the L sensor 12 and the received light output of the R sensor 14 are the same (S11). If both are determined to be the same, the robot main body 82 is vertically independent. The direction of the tire 84 is maintained as it is (S12). Also, L
The light receiving output of the sensor 12 is compared with the light receiving output of the R sensor 14, and if the light receiving output of the L sensor 12 <the light receiving output of the R sensor 14, the direction of the tire 84 is operated so that the robot body 82 returns to the right side. Yes (S14). That is, the tire 84
Is controlled to the L side in FIG. In addition, the L sensor 12
If the condition of <light reception output of the R sensor 14 is not satisfied, the direction of the tire 84 is operated so that the robot body 82 returns to the left side (S15). That is, the direction of the tire 84 is controlled to the R side in FIG. By repeating the above processing, the robot body 82 becomes independent.

FIG. 17 is a front view of a microrobot showing a modification of the embodiment shown in FIGS. In this micro robot, the central portion of the wire 89 is
, A lamp 92 is attached to one end of the wire rod 89, and a weight 94 is attached to the other end. By mounting the lamp 92 and the weight 94 in this way and by setting the weight 94 to always face the vertical direction, for example, when the robot body 82 is inclined as shown in the figure, the light receiving output of the R sensor 14 becomes large, The self-sustained control is performed by controlling according to the flowchart of FIG.

By the way, a waterproof / dustproof structure may be required depending on the environment in which the micro robot is used.
FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view of a microrobot having a waterproof / dustproof structure in such a case, in which an example using a magnetic coupling is shown. Waterproof wall 10 that is entirely magnetically permeable
The R motor 64 and the L motor 66 are disposed inside the waterproof wall 100, and a pair of drive wheels 102 driven by the R motor 64 and the L motor 66 are disposed on the left and right sides. The driving wheel 102 has a permanent magnet 10
4 are distributed and mounted. A pair of drive wheels 106 are also arranged in a recess provided outside the waterproof wall 100. A permanent magnet 108 is attached to the drive wheel 106 at a position facing the permanent magnet 104. Therefore, when the R motor 64 and the L motor 66 are respectively driven, the pair of drive wheels 102 also rotates. When the driving wheel 102 rotates, the permanent magnet 102 of the driving wheel 106
As a result, the drive wheel 106 also rotates. The rotation of the drive wheels 106 causes the robot body to move.

FIG. 19 is a sectional view of another example of a micro robot having a waterproof / dustproof structure. Here, an example of direct drive is shown. The whole is covered with a waterproof wall 100 that transmits magnetism, and a pair of electromagnets 110 are arranged on the left and right inside the waterproof wall 100. A pair of drive wheels 112 are also arranged in a recess provided outside the waterproof wall 100. A permanent magnet 114 is attached to the drive wheel 112 on a side facing the electromagnet 110. And
A flat motor 116 is constituted by the electromagnet 110 and the permanent magnet 114. Accordingly, by appropriately exciting the electromagnet 110, the flat motor 116 rotates, the drive wheels 112 rotate, and the robot body moves. In addition,
Although the embodiment of FIG. 19 describes an example of a motor using an electromagnetic force, an ultrasonic motor can be similarly applied.

FIG. 20 is a sectional view of another example of a micro robot having a waterproof / dustproof structure, in which an annular ultrasonic motor is used as a drive motor. The driving circuit 134 includes the vibrator 1
A signal for driving the wheel 32 is generated, and the vibration unit 131 makes frictional contact with the wheel 130 via the waterproof wall 100 to rotate the wheel 130. A vibration isolator 133 is provided below the waterproof wall 100, and has a function of transmitting vibration and a function of waterproofing. In such a configuration, vibration can be transmitted through the waterproof wall 100, so that waterproofing and dustproofing are easy. Of course, various methods can be used as the ultrasonic motor, and it is possible to move the running surface by directly applying vibration to the running surface without driving the wheels. Further, in a liquid, a flow by ultrasonic vibration can be caused to be propelled.

FIG. 21 is a plan view showing the orbit of the micro robot, and FIG. 22 is a sectional view taken along line 22-22. Convex portions 120a, 120b as shown
Is provided, a guide wall is formed by the projections 120a and 120b. Therefore, the micro robot can be moved along the trajectory 120 without strictly guiding the micro robot with the light source.

FIG. 23 is a sectional view showing a modified example of the above-mentioned track. This trajectory 120A has a projecting shape as a whole, and the movement of the micro robot becomes unstable contrary to the example of FIG. This is useful, for example, when using a micro robot in a game. For example, a game is won if the player goes to the end point along the trajectory 120A and loses if the microrobot falls off the trajectory. The trajectories shown in FIG. 21 and FIGS. 22 and 23 can be realized by using paper as a raw material and pressing it, and for example, can be bound in a magazine or the like.

FIG. 24 is a plan view showing the relationship between the sensors 12, 14 and the circuit section 22, and shows a flexible circuit board 23.
CPU-IC 24 and sensors 12 and 1 having directivity
4 is implemented. As described above, it is needless to say that the positional relationship of the sensors is important for partially overlapping the detection areas and maintaining stable directional characteristics. Therefore,
The sensor 12 and the sensor 14 are connected by an integrated circuit board to make the distance between the two constant and to make wiring easier.
It is also integrated with the circuit board 23 on which the PU-IC 24 is mounted. In addition, the circuit board 23 is made of a material such as polyimide and has flexibility, so that it can be attached to the eyes of the robot main body 10 shown in FIGS. At this time, the sensor 12,
By determining the direction of 14, the directional characteristics of the detection area are further stabilized.

FIG. 25 is a side view of a micro robot according to another embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, a writing instrument 120 is attached to the robot body 10 instead of the tail 20 in FIG. In such a configuration, since the trajectory is drawn as the robot travels, characters and pictures are applied by programming or external commands. Therefore, a very small plotter is configured.

FIG. 26 is a circuit diagram of a micro robot according to another embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the simplest form of the above-mentioned micro robot is employed, and switches 150 and 160 which operate in a non-contact manner and have detection areas partially overlap each other are used as sensors. This switch 1
The power supplied to the R / L motors 64 and 66 from the power supply unit is controlled by turning on and off 50 and 160. In this case, for the switches 150 and 160, for example, a Darlington type phototransistor or a Hall IC that can supply a current capable of directly driving the R / L motors 64 and 66 is used.

In this embodiment, for example, the switch 150
Is turned on when an object to be detected (for example, light) is detected, the R motor 64 is supplied with electric power and starts driving, and the robot body moves toward the left side. When the switch 160 detects an object to be detected, it is turned on, the power is supplied to the L motor 66, and the L motor 66 starts driving, and the robot body moves rightward. Further, when both the switches 150 and 160 detect, the R / L motors 64 and 66 are driven to move forward.

[0036]

According to the present invention, a function of autonomously moving with respect to a target with a simple circuit can be obtained by overlapping the detection areas of the sensors. Further, since the driving units are independently controlled, complicated operations can be controlled with a simple mechanism. Since the sensor is provided with a command input detecting function, a similar function can be obtained without the command input sensor. And, by employing the waterproof structure, even when the micro robot is operated in a place with a bad environment, the internal power supply device, the control unit, and the like can be appropriately protected.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view of a micro robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a top view of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating details of a circuit unit in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a circuit diagram of a sensor.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the driving unit of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a development view of FIG. 6;

8 is a timing chart showing a basic operation example of the robot of the embodiment in FIG.

9 is a timing chart showing a basic operation of the embodiment of FIG. 1 at the time of starting driving of the robot.

10 is a timing chart showing an operation of the embodiment of FIG. 1 at the start of driving of the robot.

FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an operation of the light emitting / receiving element of FIG. 1;

FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing an operation taking into account the operation of the transmitting element.

FIG. 13 is a circuit diagram showing details of a light emitting / receiving element.

FIG. 14 is a top view of an inverted micro robot according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 15 is a front view of the micro robot in FIG. 14;

FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing control for making the robot body of FIG. 15 stand alone.

FIG. 17 is a front view of a micro robot showing a modification of the embodiment of FIGS. 14 and 15;

FIG. 18 is a sectional view of a micro robot according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 19 is a sectional view of a micro robot according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 20 is a sectional view of a micro robot according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 21 is a plan view showing the trajectory of the micro robot.

FIG. 22 is a sectional view taken along line 22-22 of FIG. 21;

FIG. 23 is a sectional view showing a modification of FIG. 22;

FIG. 24 is a plan view showing a relationship between a sensor and a circuit unit.

FIG. 25 is a side view of a micro robot according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 26 is a circuit diagram of a micro robot according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. at least two sensors whose detection areas partially overlap and generate an output corresponding to a detected amount; at least one pair of drive units that are driven independently of each other based on an output of the sensor; A control unit that controls the driving unit based on an output of a sensor; and a power supply device that includes a rechargeable battery and supplies a power supply voltage to the sensor, the driving unit, and the control unit. The driving unit,
A micro robot which houses the control unit and the power supply device, and has a drive wheel, which is rotationally driven by the drive unit and moves the robot body, disposed outside the waterproof housing. 2. The driving wheel is housed in the waterproof housing and is rotationally driven by the driving unit, and a pair of first driving wheels on which permanent magnets are arranged and distributed are arranged outside the waterproof housing. The micro robot according to claim 1, further comprising a pair of second drive wheels that rotate with the rotation of the permanent magnet and move the robot body. 3. At least two sensors whose detection areas partially overlap and generate an output corresponding to a detected amount, at least one pair of drive units that are driven independently of each other based on an output of the sensor, A control unit that controls the drive unit based on an output of a sensor; and a power supply device that includes a rechargeable battery and supplies a power supply voltage to the sensor, the drive unit, and the control unit. The control unit, the power supply device, and the driving unit including a vibrator are housed in the waterproof housing, and vibration is transmitted to the outside of the waterproof housing to obtain a driving force. robot.