JPS60217743A - Optical repeater for moving robot system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reduce the size and weight of an optical repeater and, at the same time, to remove restriction on the range of the action of a moving robot, by providing function which can automatically follow a light emitter and light receiver in the direction of a transmission and reception partner to the optical repeater. CONSTITUTION:If the optical axis of a light receiver 1 is not aligned with that of the light emitter of a ground station when a signal f1 is received by the light receiver 1 and amplified at a selection amplifier 2 and a light emitter 3 transmits the information to the next repeater or robot, the signal f1 cannot be received or becomes weak. Therefore, the effective value of the signal component of the signal f1 is found by an effective value circuit 4 and, when the effective value becomes lower than the voltage of a reference power source 5, it is detected by a comparator circuit 6 and a motor is rotated by driving a relay 7. When the intensity of the receiving light increases and the output of the circuit 4 becomes higher than the voltage of the reference power source 5, the output of the comparator circuit 6 is turned off and the relay 7 is disconnected and, as a result, the motor is stopped.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] [Technical field to which the invention pertains] This invention relates to an optical repeater for a mobile robot system used when signal communication between a remotely controlled mobile robot and a ground station that operates it is carried out by light. Regarding.

[Technical background of the invention]

As the power of nuclear facilities increases, there is a growing movement to introduce remote-controlled robots into facilities in order to reduce the radiation exposure of maintenance personnel and reduce facility downtime, and research is being conducted in various directions. It's coming.

In this complicated robot system, the distance between the mobile robot and the ground station that operates it becomes long, and data transmission between them becomes a problem. Conventional data transmission methods for general remote control p-bots include wired methods and wireless methods, and the latter can be divided into those that use sound waves, radio waves, and light.

However, in method (2), the mobile robot must move by dragging long signal lines, which is a major drawback when moving within a narrow plant with complicated equipment and piping, and limits the mobile robot's range of action. I end up.

The sonic method (2) has the drawback that in a closed space such as a nuclear power plant, standing waves occur and the sound waves reflected from calm equipment are superimposed in a complicated manner, deteriorating the SA ratio. Furthermore, the method using radio waves has the disadvantage that in environments where metal equipment and piping are arranged in a complicated manner, radio wave absorption and reflection may occur and information may not be received properly depending on the location.

Although the light-based method described in (2) allows for high-quality communication even in such locations, it has the disadvantage that communication cannot be achieved if there is a light blocking object between the robot and the ground station.

Circumstances (=Thinking) In a remote-controlled mobile robot system in which information is exchanged between a mobile robot and a ground station using optical communication, the inventors installed several optical repeaters on the mobile robot in advance and used it to transmit information on the way out. at an appropriate place in the path of the mobile robot (= while the mobile robot installs the optical repeater,
We proposed a remote-controlled mobile robot system that uses the repeater to control the robot to reach a target point, and then return to the starting point while recovering the robot.

It is desirable that the optical repeaters used in such a system be small and lightweight in order to mount a large number of repeaters on a mobile robot in order to widen its action range.

In addition, by increasing the reach of light energy, if there are no obstacles in the way, the robot's range of action can be expanded without increasing the number of optical repeaters, but the power of the light emitter must be increased. The capacity of the battery incorporated into the optical repeater increases, which goes against the purpose of making it smaller and lighter.

For this reason, if the directivity of the emitter is increased, information can be transmitted over a long distance with small power, so it seems that the problem can be solved, but if the directivity is increased unnecessarily, the direction of installation of the repeater cannot be accurately Not only is it necessary to do so, but there remains the crucial problem of limiting the action range of a mobile robot that moves around, even if there is no light blocking object between the optical repeater and the mobile robot.

[Purpose of the invention]

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and an object of the invention is to provide an optical repeater for a mobile robot system that is small, lightweight, and does not limit the movement range of a mobile robot.

[Summary of the invention]

This invention relates to a remote-controlled mobile robot system that uses light to exchange information between a mobile robot and a ground station. An m-motion robot that has a mechanism that can automatically track the direction of the destination of transmission and reception, reduces the weight of the optical repeater by 1%, and makes it possible to limit the range of motion of the mobile robot. This is an optical repeater for the system.

〔Effect of the invention〕

According to the present invention, it is possible to use a highly directional advanced receiver, the optical repeater can be made smaller and lighter, and the range of action of a mobile robot can be greatly improved.

[Embodiments of the invention]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an optical repeater for a mobile robot system according to the present invention. 1 as shown in Figure 1.

Circuits 7 and 7 represent relays.

FIG. 2 shows an example of the mechanical configuration of an optical repeater, and explains the intended content of the present invention (2) Other than necessary parts, such as supports for parts, are omitted.

In FIG. 2, 11 is a motor, and 12 and 13 are gears. A base plate 14 with a protrusion is integrated into the gear 13, and the support 15 is attached to the base plate 14 and attached b).

Therefore, when the motor 11 rotates, the column 15 rotates around the vertical axis, and the directions (azimuths) of the light receiver 1 and the light emitter 3' attached to the upper part of the column 15 can be freely changed.

Microswitches 16 and 17 are mounted around the board 14, and the protrusions of the board 14 turn them on and off.
It's supposed to turn off.

A motor 18 is mounted on the top of the column 15 so that its axis is horizontal, and an L-shaped light emitter 3 is attached to the axis.
', a light receiving/emitting device bottom plate 19 to which the light receiving device 1 is attached is attached.

Therefore, by rotating the motor 18, the angle of elevation or depression of the optical axes of the light emitter 3' and the light receiver 1 can be changed as desired.

A micro switch 20 is installed around the bottom plate 19 of the receiver and emitter.
．． 21 are attached, and these are turned on and off by the protrusion of the bottom plate 19 of the receiver and emitter.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an embodiment of a control circuit that controls the mechanical portion of FIG. 2. In FIG. 3, R1*n.

is a resistor, Trl, Tr is a transistor, E**E
l is a power supply, 30 is a flip-flop circuit, 11 (111
9 is the motor shown in FIG. 2, 16 (2α), 17 (21) is a microswitch.

Further, 7 (7) is the relay shown in FIG.

Now, let us say that the frequency of the fundamental wave of the optical signal when sending information from the ground station to the mobile robot is fl, and that of the optical signal going from the robot to the ground station is f2. In Fig. 1, when receiver 1 receives a signal fl, amplifies it with selective amplifier 2, and transmits information to the next repeater or robot with emitter 3, the optical axis of receiver 1 and the ground station are connected. If the optical axis of the light emitter is misaligned, the fl signal cannot be received or becomes weak.

Therefore, the effective value circuit 4 calculates the effective value of the signal component of f, and the comparator circuit 6 detects when the voltage becomes lower than the voltage of the reference power supply 5, drives the relay 7, and turns on the power supply E2 of the transistor circuit shown in FIG. Make it.

When this power source E2 is turned on, the motor 11 rotates.

The direction of rotation of the motor 11 depends on which of the outputs of the flip-flop circuit 30 is at a high level (i.e., which transistor is turned on). When the motor 11 starts rotating, the column in FIG. 2 starts rotating. , receiver 1
The optical axis of the light emitter 3 rotates horizontally and its azimuth changes. As the azimuth changes, the received light intensity increases and when the output of the effective value circuit 4 becomes greater than the voltage of the reference power source, the output of the comparator circuit 6 is turned off and the relay 7 is turned off.

Therefore, the motor 11 stops there.

Even if the rotation direction of the motor 11 is in a direction that weakens the received light signal, the protrusion of the board 14 will eventually close the microswitch 16.
Alternatively, the motor 11 is turned on and the output of the flip-flop circuit 30 is inverted, so that the motor 11 rotates in the reverse direction.

Therefore, the optical axis of the light receiver 1 will automatically stop at a point where it almost coincides with the optical axis of the light emitter of the ground station.

If the optical axis height of the optical repeater is different from the optical axis height of the ground station or robot's optical emitter/receiver, it is necessary to adjust the elevation or depression angle of the optical axis of the optical transmitter/receiver of the optical repeater. Become. In that case, another set of control circuits shown in FIG. 3 may be prepared to control the motor 18 in the same manner as the motor 11.

The other channel for transmitting the signal f from the robot to the ground station shown in FIG. 1 is treated in the same way as the channel for signal f1. However, the configuration of the pair of light receiver and light emitter is such that the light emitter for the ft signal and the receiver for the f, signal are in one set, and the receiver for the f1 signal and the light emitter for the ft signal are in one set, and the direction is controlled. It goes without saying that you must do this.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of an optical repeater according to the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the mechanical configuration of the optical repeater of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram showing an embodiment of a control circuit for controlling the \1 mechanical section. 1.1...Receiver 11.18...Motor 2.2'
...Selection amplifier 12.13...Gear 8.3...
Light emitter 14...Support plate 4.4...Effective value circuit 1
5... Support 5.5... Reference power source 16.17.21
．． 22...Micro switch 6.6...Comparison circuit
19... Light emitter/receiver mounting plate 7.7... Relay 30.
・Flip full-tub circuit Tr1. Tr,...Transistor R1, R2...Resistor B2. lit, ... Power supply agent Kensuke Norichika (and 1 other person) Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 8

Claims (1)

[Claims] In an optical repeater that relays mutual optical communication between the ground station and the mobile robot of a mobile robot system that is remotely controlled from the ground station, there are two pairs of light emitters and light receivers, and one pair is connected to the ground station side. 1. An optical repeater for a mobile robot system, comprising automatic tracking means for automatically tracking the other pair in the direction of the light emitter on the robot side and the other pair in the direction of the light emitter on the robot side.