KR102495728B1 - Autonomous Working System, Method and Computer Readable Recording Medium - Google Patents

Abstract

An autonomous working system, method and computer readable recording medium are provided. An autonomous working system according to an embodiment of the present invention is an autonomous working system including a master working robot and at least one slave working robot, wherein the master working robot includes: a data receiver for receiving information on a work target space; A sensing unit for sensing the work target space, a sensing setting unit for setting a moving path of the master robot, a sensing position, and a sensing angle of the sensing unit, and sensing data and reference map data obtained through the sensing unit at the sensing position. and a first position determination unit for determining the position of the master robot by comparing the , and the slave robot includes a second position determination unit for determining the position of the slave robot.

Description

Autonomous Working System, Method and Computer Readable Recording Medium

The present invention relates to an autonomous working system, method, and computer-readable recording medium, and more particularly, to an autonomous working system, method, and computer-readable recording medium using a plurality of working robots including a position determination function.

With the development of technology, the area where machines replace human roles is gradually increasing. Programs equipped with human learning capabilities appear, or self-driving vehicles that limit human intervention to a minimum fall into those categories.

There are an increasing number of cases where machines or robots that perform various tasks at work sites by self-locating themselves are increasingly being applied. In order for machines to self-locate themselves in space, expensive equipment with high complexity is required. .

On the other hand, in order to quickly perform various tasks in the field, more equipment is used, but a problem of cost increase may occur due to the use of a large number of expensive equipment.

Therefore, there is a need for a method capable of ensuring the accuracy of work performance while using a system as simple as possible.

An object of the present invention is to provide an autonomous work system, method, and computer readable recording medium capable of guaranteeing high accuracy and efficiency through a simple configuration while performing work using a plurality of work equipment.

An autonomous working system according to an embodiment of the present invention is an autonomous working system including a master working robot and at least one slave working robot, wherein the master working robot includes: a data receiver for receiving information on a work target space; A sensing unit for sensing the work target space, a sensing setting unit for setting a moving path of the master robot, a sensing position, and a sensing angle of the sensing unit, and sensing data and reference map data obtained through the sensing unit at the sensing position. and a first position determiner for determining the position of the master robot by comparing the above, and the slave robot may include a second position determiner for determining the position of the slave robot.

In addition, the second position determination unit receives the position information of the master robot, and determines the position of the slave robot in consideration of the received position and the distance and angle between the slave robot and the master robot. can

In addition, the slave working robot may further include a distance measurement unit for measuring a distance to the master working robot and a distance to a specific point in the work target space.

The apparatus may further include a location information management unit receiving location information of the master work robot from the first location determination unit, wherein the second location determination unit may receive location information of the master work robot from the location information management unit. .

In addition, the second position determiner may receive a position signal output from a transceiver installed at an arbitrary position, and determine the position of the slave robot from the position signal.

The master robot may further include an information display unit for displaying work information in the work target space, and the slave robot may further include a work unit for recognizing the work information and performing a task corresponding to a recognition result. there is.

In addition, the job information may further include location information corresponding to a location where the work information is displayed, and the second location determiner may determine the location of the slave robot using the location information.

In addition, the location where the work information is displayed may exist on a moving path of the master work robot.

Also, the sensing setting unit may set the sensing position for sensing the work space in consideration of reference map data corresponding to the work space.

In addition, the master robot may further include a map generator for generating the reference map from sensing data obtained through the sensing unit at a predetermined reference position.

On the other hand, an autonomous working method according to an embodiment of the present invention is an autonomous working method using an autonomous working system including a master working robot and at least one slave working robot, comprising the steps of receiving information about a work target space; Setting a movement path, a sensing position, and a sensing angle at the sensing position of the master working robot, comparing sensing data obtained at the sensing position with reference map data to determine the position of the master working robot, and the slave A step of determining the position of the working robot may be included.

The determining of the position of the slave robot may include receiving position information of the master robot and calculating a distance and an angle between the slave robot and the master robot.

In addition, in the step of determining the position of the slave robot, a position signal output from a transceiver installed at an arbitrary position may be received, and the position of the slave robot may be determined from the position signal.

The method may further include displaying, by the master robot, work information in the work target space, and recognizing the work information, and performing a task corresponding to a recognition result by the slave robot.

In addition, the job information may further include location information corresponding to a location where the job information is displayed, and in the step of determining the location of the slave work robot, the location of the slave work robot may be determined using the location information. .

Meanwhile, a computer readable recording medium on which a program for performing the autonomous work method according to the present invention is recorded may be provided.

The present invention can provide an autonomous working system, method, and computer readable recording medium capable of guaranteeing high accuracy and efficiency through a simple configuration while performing work using a plurality of work equipment.

1 is a diagram showing an example of a working robot to which an autonomous working system according to the present invention is applied.
2 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of an autonomous working system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of a slave work robot according to another embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of an autonomous working system according to another embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of an autonomous working system according to another embodiment of the present invention.
6 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of an autonomous working system according to another embodiment of the present invention.
7 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of a master work robot according to another embodiment of the present invention.
8 is a diagram exemplarily illustrating a method of calculating a position of a slave robot through relative positions of a master robot and a slave robot.
9 is a diagram showing the configuration of a working robot to which an autonomous working system according to the present invention is applied by way of example.
10 is a diagram exemplarily illustrating a data conversion process of comparing reference map data and scan data to determine the location of a master robot.
11 is a diagram showing a movement path of a master robot according to an embodiment of the present invention by way of example.
12 is a diagram exemplarily illustrating a reference map obtained through a master robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.
13 is a diagram schematically illustrating an autonomous task method according to an embodiment of the present invention.
14 is a diagram schematically illustrating an autonomous task method according to another embodiment of the present invention.
15 is a diagram schematically illustrating an autonomous task method according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Advantages and features of the present invention, and methods of achieving them, will become clear with reference to the detailed description of the embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the examples presented below, but may be implemented in various different forms, and includes all conversions, equivalents, and substitutes included in the spirit and scope of the present invention. do. The embodiments presented below are provided to complete the disclosure of the present invention and to fully inform those skilled in the art of the scope of the invention to which the present invention belongs. In describing the present invention, if it is determined that a detailed description of related known technologies may obscure the gist of the present invention, the detailed description will be omitted.

Terms used in this application are only used to describe specific embodiments, and are not intended to limit the present invention. Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In this application, terms such as "comprise" or "have" are intended to designate that there is a feature, number, step, operation, component, part, or combination thereof described in the specification, but one or more other features It should be understood that the presence or addition of numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof is not precluded. Terms such as first and second may be used to describe various components, but components should not be limited by the terms. These terms are only used for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another.

1 is a diagram showing an example of a working robot to which an autonomous working system according to the present invention is applied.

The autonomous work system according to the present invention can perform various tasks in a work space using a plurality of work robots. Basically, the plurality of work robots can determine their own positions in the work space and can perform the work assigned to them at the position where they will perform the work.

Referring to FIG. 1 , an autonomous working system according to the present invention may be implemented through a plurality of working robots. The plurality of work robots may include at least one master work robot (Master) and at least one slave work robot (Slave). The master robot can determine its own location in the work target space and display information about the work to be performed by the slave robot.

The slave robot can determine its location based on the location of the master robot, analyze information displayed by the master robot, recognize a task to be performed, and perform the recognized task. .

In the present specification, it is referred to as a working robot, but the robot is used only for description of the invention, and the scope of the present invention is not necessarily limited by the term robot.

It can be understood that the master robot and the slave robot can freely move in a working space by including a driving device providing a driving force, and can move not only on the ground but also in the air and underwater.

On the other hand, although one master robot and two slave robots are shown in FIG. 1, this is merely an example for explanation, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to a specific number.

2 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of an autonomous working system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 2 , an autonomous working system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes at least one master working robot 10 and at least one slave working robot 20 . Meanwhile, the master robot 10 includes a data receiving unit 11, a sensing unit 12, a sensing setting unit 13, and a first position determination unit 14, and the slave robot 20 has a second position. A determination unit 21 may be included.

The data receiving unit 11 receives information about a work target space. The work target space means a space in which the master robot 10 and the slave robot 20 perform work, and information received by the data receiving unit 11 includes a drawing corresponding to the work target space, the work target It may include information about the position and size of walls, columns, windows, etc. existing in the space, that is, information about the architectural and spatial elements of the work target space. Also, the data receiving unit 11 may receive information about a task to be performed by the master robot 10 and the slave robot 20 in the work target space.

Meanwhile, the information on the work target space may include information on allowable movement ranges of the master robot 10 and the slave robot 20 . For example, the work target space may include a space in which walls, pillars, windows, etc. are to be installed, and prior to installation, the space in which the master robot 10 and the slave robot 20 must be prevented from entering is can exist In a space where a wall is to be built or an elevator is to be installed, the floor surface may be disconnected before actual work is performed, and in some cases, there is a risk that the master robot 10 and the slave robot 20 may fall. can Accordingly, the information on the work target space includes information on the allowable movement range, so that the movement ranges of the master robot 10 and the slave robot 20 can be limited.

The data receiving unit 11 may be connected to the sensing unit 12 by wire or wirelessly, electrically or non-electrically to receive data obtained from the sensing unit 12 . Optionally, the data receiving unit 11 may include a terminal to which an external storage medium such as a USB port or a CD-ROM may be connected, and may receive data about the work space stored in the external storage medium. Optionally, the data receiving unit 11 may be electrically connected to a separate input unit (not shown) to receive data on the work target space input from the input unit. Optionally, the data receiving unit 11 may be electrically connected to a separate computing device to receive data on the work target space from the computing device.

The sensing unit 12 senses the work target space. The sensing unit 12 may include at least one sensor and a driving unit such as a motor that controls rotation of the sensor, but is not necessarily limited thereto, and when the sensing range of the sensor is 360°, the motor and The same driving unit may not be included. Meanwhile, the master robot 10 shown in FIG. 2 is shown to include all of the data receiving unit 11, the sensing unit 12, the sensing setting unit 13, and the first position determination unit 14, The sensing setting unit 13 and the first position determination unit 14 may be independently present at a position separated from the master robot 10 .

Meanwhile, various types of sensors capable of sensing the work target space may be used as the sensor. For example, a distance to an object may be measured, a shape of an object may be sensed, or movement of the master robot 10 may be sensed. there is. Such a sensor may include a sensor using a laser, a sensor using sound waves, light waves, and/or radio waves, an IMU sensor, a GPS sensor, and/or an image acquisition sensor capable of acquiring moving and/or still images, such as a camera. can include When the sensor includes a laser sensor, a LiDAR sensor may be included as an example of the laser sensor.

The sensing unit 12 may include at least one such sensor, and sensing accuracy may be improved by combining a plurality of sensors of different types. For example, by using a lidar sensor as a laser sensor and further including an IMU sensor to sense the movement of the master robot 10, the sensing precision of the work target space can be improved. In addition, optionally and/or additionally, a camera sensor may be included so that the camera sensor captures the work space, for example, the state and/or texture of a specific surface of the work space, specifically the floor. It is possible to set and/or correct the movement and/or work path of the master robot 10 and/or the slave robot 20 through photography. Also, optionally and/or additionally, a distance measuring sensor may be included to measure the distance to a specific point, such as a wall or pillar. As a result, the measured position of a specific point existing in the work target space is reflected in setting and / or correcting the movement and / or work path of the master robot 10 and / or slave robot 20. can Various sensor combinations of the sensing unit 12 as described above do not necessarily have to be installed only in the master robot 10, and some sensors constituting the sensing unit 12 are installed in the slave robot 20, and the data is communicated with the master working robot 10 so that the movement and/or working path of the master working robot 10 and/or the slave working robot 20 can be set and/or corrected before and/or during work. . This configuration of the sensing unit may be applied to all embodiments of the present specification.

The master robot 10 may sense the surrounding space using the sensor, and may acquire the position of an object in the surrounding space in the form of polar coordinates using information on which a signal output from the sensor is reflected. The motor can rotate the sensor by a desired angle, for example, 360 degrees. The rotation direction of the sensor may be controlled in various ways as needed.

Meanwhile, horizontal rotation, horizontal movement, tilt, and/or vertical movement of the sensor may be controlled by a separate driving unit. The horizontal rotation, horizontal movement, tilt and/or vertical movement of the sensor may be controlled independently of each other, and a control signal for controlling the horizontal rotation, horizontal movement, tilt and/or vertical movement is also independently generated so that the drive unit can be provided in

The sensing setting unit 13 may set a movement path of the master robot 10 , a sensing position, and a sensing angle of the sensing unit 12 . Specifically, the sensing setting unit 13 sets the movement path, designates an arbitrary point on the movement path, and sets the designated point as a sensing position. Also, the sensing location may be set to a plurality of locations if necessary according to the work target space. Correspondingly, when the master robot 10 reaches the sensing position, the sensor performs a sensing operation, for example, a scanning operation. And at this time, the sensor is rotated according to the sensing angle set by the sensing setting unit 13 .

Meanwhile, in another embodiment of the present invention, the sensing height of the sensor may be adjusted, and the sensing setting unit 13 may set the sensing angle and sensing height of the sensor together at the set sensing position. Also, the sensing position and the sensing angle may be set in consideration of the characteristics of the work target space.

In addition, when it is difficult to obtain sensing data, such as light passing through rather than reflecting light, the sensing position and sensing angle are arranged in an empty space in the work target space to sense a pillar or obstacle at a position and angle. can be set.

Meanwhile, when a drawing of the work target space exists, the sensing setting unit 13 may set the movement path, the sensing position, and the sensing angle of the sensor at the sensing position in consideration of the drawing.

It can be understood that the master robot 10 performs a sensing operation at a specific location on the moving path. Also, the specific sensing location is designated to accurately determine the location of the master robot 10 .

The specific location may be set to a finite number of locations, but is not necessarily limited thereto, and the sensing operation may be continuously performed while moving on the movement path.

Meanwhile, the sensing angle means a sensing angle of the sensor at each sensing position and can be expressed in degrees or radians. Further, the size of the sensing angle may be expressed based on a specific coordinate axis, for example, the x-axis, or may be expressed based on the angle of the sensor at the time when the sensing operation at the previous sensing position is finished.

As such, the sensing setting unit may send operation signals to a plurality of driving units of the master working robot 10 to set the moving path of the master working robot 10, the sensing position, and the sensing angle of the sensing unit 12.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the master robot 10 stops at each of the sensing positions, and senses, eg, scans, the surrounding space by rotating the sensor in a state of being stopped at the sensing positions. Alternatively, in another embodiment of the present invention, the master robot 10 may not stop at the sensing position, and may sense, eg, scan, the surrounding space through the sensor while moving. The first position determiner 14 determines the position of the master robot 10 by comparing the sensing data acquired through the sensing unit 12 with reference map data at the plurality of sensing positions.

The reference map data may be expressed as coordinates of pixels included in an image frame, and coordinates of pixels corresponding to locations where objects exist may have different values from coordinates of pixels corresponding to empty locations. As described above, data obtained through the sensor may be obtained in the form of polar coordinates, and when the reference map data and the sensing data are compared, the position of the master robot 10 within the work target space can be determined. can

More specifically, the first location determination unit 14 may convert the reference map data into data in the form of polar coordinates obtained through the sensor, and compare the converted data with the sensing data.

In another embodiment, the first position determiner 14 may receive a position signal output from a transceiver (not shown) installed at an arbitrary position, and determine the position of the master robot from the position signal. When the location of the transceiver is determined, the transceiver may determine the location of the master robot 10 based on its own location and provide the determined location information to the first location determining unit 14 . Such a transceiver may be installed indoors and help determine the position of the master robot 10 by communicating with the master robot. As another example, the transceiver is installed at the four corners of the building, recognizes the coordinate value of the building by receiving GPS signals, and then transmits a new signal based on the value to determine the location of the master robot 10. can help

Alternatively, the first position determiner 14 may determine the position of the master robot 10 in consideration of the distance from the master robot 10 to the transceiver, angle data, and location information of the transceiver. Optionally, the first position determiner 14 may sense the position of a marker (not shown) installed at an arbitrary position and determine the position of the master robot from the marker. For example, the first position determining unit 14 may inversely determine the position of the master robot 10 from the position where the position of the marker is sensed and/or analysis of the sensed data.

The operation performed by the first position determination unit 14 aims to determine the position of the master robot 10 as accurately as possible, and the transceiver and/or marker may be placed at an arbitrary position in the work target space, such as a column or It can be attached to a wall to transmit the location signal and/or display the location.

However, the location of the transceiver and/or the marker is not limited to an arbitrary location within the sensing target space. For example, when the work space is an open space, the position of the master robot 10 can be tracked even if the transceiver and/or the marker are located outside the work space.

The master robot 10 may include a receiver (not shown) capable of receiving the position signal and determining the position of the transceiver that transmitted the received position signal and the distance and/or angle to the transceiver, The receiver may determine the position of the master robot 10 in consideration of the position signal received from at least one transceiver.

The transceiver may be configured through a signal sharer or a beacon, and may be used when it is not easy to determine the exact location of the master robot 10 through comparison of the sensing data and reference map data.

The marker may display a specific color or shape or a predetermined number, and the master robot 10 may determine the position of the master robot by including a recognition unit capable of recognizing the color, shape or number. there is. Meanwhile, the marker may be displayed to be identifiable through a special device such as a UV camera.

Meanwhile, the second position determining unit 21 of the slave working robot 20 determines the position of the slave working robot 20 . The second position determination unit 21 may use various methods to determine the position of the slave robot 20, and the first position determination unit 14 is used to determine the position of the master robot 10. method can be applied. For example, the second position determination unit 21 may receive a position signal output from a transceiver installed at an arbitrary position and determine the position of the slave robot 20 from the position signal. Optionally, the second position determiner 21 may determine the position of the slave robot 20 by sensing the position of a marker installed at an arbitrary position. Since the specific method for determining the position of the slave robot 20 by the second position determination unit 21 is the same as the specific method for determining the position of the master robot 10 by the first position determination unit 14, Detailed descriptions are omitted.

Alternatively, the second position determiner 21 determines the position of the slave robot 20 in consideration of the location information of the master robot 10 and the relative positional relationship between the slave robot 20 and the master robot 10. can also judge.

For example, the second position determiner 21 receives the position information of the master robot 10 and considers the received position and the distance and angle between the slave robot 20 and the master robot 10 The position of the slave working robot 20 can be determined.

The master robot 10 may determine its position by itself through the first position determination unit 14 , and position information of the master robot 10 may be provided to the slave robot 20 . At this time, if relative positional information between the master working robot 10 and the slave working robot 20, for example, angle information is obtained, the position of the slave working robot 20 may be determined using the positional information of the master working robot 10. can

Meanwhile, the second position determining unit 21 may receive location information of the master robot 10 from the first position determining unit 14 in real time. Since the master robot 10 and the slave robot 20 can continuously move in the work target space, when the location information of the master robot 10 is provided in real time, the position of the slave robot 20 can be checked in real time. can be judged accurately.

An example of a method for the second position determining unit 21 to determine the position of the slave working robot 20 will be described in more detail with reference to the following drawings.

3 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of a slave work robot according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 3 , the slave robot 20 according to another embodiment of the present invention includes a second position determining unit 21 and a distance measuring unit 22 . The second position determiner 21 determines the position of the slave robot 20, and at this time, distance information measured by the distance measurer 22 may be used.

For example, the distance measuring unit 22 may measure the distance from the slave robot 20 to the master robot 10 or to a specific point in the work space. Also, the distance measurement unit 22 may further measure an angle between the slave robot 20 and the master robot 10 .

The distance measurer 22 may use a laser method or a GPS method to measure the distance, and any method applicable to those skilled in the art may be used.

In order to measure the angle between the slave working robot 20 and the master working robot 10, after setting an arbitrary reference point and defining the angle between the reference point and the direction to which the distance measuring unit 22 is directed as 0 °, An angle when the distance measurement unit 22 is directed to a specific position of the master robot 10 may be measured. Therefore, it is preferable that the specific position is set to a position corresponding to the sensor included in the master robot 10 .

Alternatively, the angle can be determined using the distance between the master robot 10 and the slave robot 20, respectively, from the wall of the working space and the distance between the master robot 10 and the slave robot 20. Measurement methods can also be applied.

On the other hand, the time when the distance measurer 22 measures the distance to the master robot 10 and the time when the location information of the master robot 10 is provided from the first position determiner 14 (time) ) is preferably synchronized with each other. That is, since the location information of the master robot 10 and the distance from the slave robot 20 to the master robot 10 are obtained at the same time, the second position determiner 21 determines the position of the slave robot 20. position can be obtained accurately.

4 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of an autonomous working system according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 4 , an autonomous working system 200 according to another embodiment of the present invention includes a master working robot 10 , a slave working robot 20 and a location information management unit 30 . Since the master working robot 10 and the slave working robot 20 include substantially the same configuration as the master working robot 10 and the slave working robot 20 described with reference to FIG. should be omitted.

The location information manager 30 receives the location information of the master robot 10 from the first location determination unit 14, and the second position determination unit 21 receives the position information of the master robot 10 from the position information management unit 30. ) receive location information.

As described with reference to the previous drawings, the second position determining unit 21 may determine the position of the slave working robot 20 by referring to the position information of the master working robot 10, and the position information management unit 30 ) provides the position information of the master working robot 10 received from the first position determining unit 14 to the second position determining unit 21, so that the second position determining unit 21 determines the slave working robot 20 It can be used as a reference for determining the location of

Communication between the location information management unit 30 and the first and second location determining units 14 and 21 can be performed using any communication method such as wired communication or wireless communication, and the second location determining unit 21 is currently working as a slave. Preferably, the position information of the master robot 10 is provided to the second position determiner 21 in real time so that the position of the robot 20 can be accurately determined.

5 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of an autonomous working system according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 5 , an autonomous working system 300 according to another embodiment of the present invention includes a master working robot 10 and a slave working robot 20, and the master working robot 10 includes an information display unit 15 ), and the slave work robot 20 may further include a work unit 23.

The information display unit 15 displays work information on at least a portion of the work target space, and the work unit 23 recognizes the work information and performs a task corresponding to the recognition result. The job information includes information on a job to be performed by the slave robot 20 in the work target space, and the work unit 23 performs marking, drilling, and marking in response to the job information. Welding, cutting, screwing, fastening, tightening, locking, or punching may be performed. The marking may include marking data on the work surface using pigment, leaving scratches on the work surface, partially etching the work surface with a laser, and displaying data on the work surface such as a line machine. there is. Accordingly, the working unit 23 includes a marking unit, a drilling unit, a welding unit, a cutting unit, a screwing unit, and a locking unit to perform marking, drilling, welding, cutting, screwing, fastening, bundling, fastening, or punching. It may further include various tool units such as a work unit, a tightening work unit, a fastening work unit and a punching unit.

Optionally, the work unit 23 may include a mowing unit to display the data by mowing the grass when grass is planted on the floor.

Optionally, the work unit 23 may include a plate unit to display a three-dimensional shape by pushing sand or a block.

Optionally, the work unit 23 may include a 3D printing unit to print a three-dimensional shape.

Optionally, the work unit 23 may include an arm unit capable of stacking objects such as blocks in a three-dimensional shape.

Optionally, the work unit 23 may be provided to perform a work of installing a specific device on a wall, column, floor, or ceiling in the work target space. For example, the work unit 23 may perform an operation of installing an outlet on a wall, pillar, floor, or ceiling.

Of course, various embodiments of the work unit 23 can be applied to all embodiments of the present specification.

The work information may be displayed by a symbol that the work unit 23 can recognize, and may be displayed by, for example, at least one of a barcode, a QR code, numbers, or letters. Optionally, the work information may be marked with a special photoresist that can be recognized by the work unit. For example, the photosensitizer may not be directly identified with the naked eye, but may be recognized by the work unit 23 . To this end, the work unit 23 may further include a sensing unit capable of recognizing a special photoresist.

When the autonomous working system according to the present invention includes a plurality of slave working robots, the information display unit 15 may display different job information corresponding to each of the plurality of slave working robots. For example, when the plurality of slave robots include a first robot and a second robot, the information display unit 15 distinguishes between job information corresponding to the first robot and job information corresponding to the second robot. can be displayed

In another embodiment including a plurality of master robots, for example, an embodiment including a first master robot and a second master robot, one master robot and one slave robot are matched one-to-one or one-to-many to display work information. You may.

Meanwhile, the job information may further include location information corresponding to a location where the job information is displayed. At this time, the second location determination unit 21 determines the location of the slave robot 20 using the location information. can do.

Since the master robot 10 can determine its own location, the information display unit 15 has location information displaying the operation information. Accordingly, the information display unit 15 may include the position information in the job information, and the second position determination unit 21 may determine the position of the slave robot 20 by recognizing the job information.

The slave work robot 20 may have information about where the work is to be performed in advance, but since it may not be able to determine its own location, it has the location information included in the work information in advance. It can be used to perform accurate work by comparing existing information.

Meanwhile, in another embodiment of the present invention, the master robot 10 may display a separate mark corresponding to the movement route on the work target space while moving along the movement route. For example, when the movement path of the master robot 10 is a circle, the master robot 10 forms a path corresponding to the movement path in the work target space using the information display unit 15 as a circle. can be displayed As described above, since the information display unit 15 displays work information in the work target space, the master robot 10 moves along the movement path and uses the information display unit 15 to display information corresponding to the movement path. Displaying a mark and displaying the job information may be performed together.

The slave working robot 20 can move by following the master working robot 10 by tracking the path and/or the mark displayed by the information display unit 15, and if the working information is detected during the movement, at the corresponding position. A task corresponding to the detected task information may be performed.

The information display unit 15 may display the path and/or mark to be identifiable with the naked eye, or to be identifiable only through a special device although not visually identifiable. For example, the information display unit 15 displays the path and/or mark through a method such as applying a photoresist that cannot be identified with the naked eye, and the slave work robot 20 uses special equipment, for example, a device such as an ultraviolet camera. The path and/or mark may be recognized by recognizing the applied photosensitizer. However, it is not necessarily limited thereto, and the path and/or mark may be displayed to be visible to the naked eye. Accordingly, an administrator can check the accuracy of the route and/or mark. Such a path and/or mark may be formed of a material that is automatically erased over time after the work is finished, but is not necessarily limited thereto, and may be formed of a material that can be easily erased after the work is finished.

Meanwhile, the route and/or mark displayed by the information display unit 15 may include location information. For example, the information display unit 15 may include coordinate information of the point A in the specific point A on the route and/or the mark. Alternatively, the route and/or landmark may include information about work information displayed in the work target space, for example, C meters along the route and/or landmark from point B to a specific point B on the route ( meter) to indicate that job information is displayed.

6 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of an autonomous working system according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 6 , an autonomous working system 400 according to another embodiment of the present invention includes a master working robot 10 and a slave working robot 20, and the master working robot 10 is a first working unit. (16), and the slave working robot 20 further includes a second working unit 23. In FIG. 6, configurations other than the first work unit 16 and the second work unit 23 are not shown for the master robot 10 and the slave robot 20, respectively, but this is for convenience of explanation. The master working robot 10 and the slave working robot 20 of the embodiment shown in FIG. 6 may include all the components of the above-described embodiments in addition to the first working unit 16 and the second working unit 23, respectively. .

According to this configuration, the master robot 10 performs its own task and at the same time instructs the slave robot 20 to perform the same task. Accordingly, the master robot 10 and the slave robot 20 perform the same task. can be divided into each other, or different tasks can be performed simultaneously.

To this end, the first working unit 16 and the second working unit 23, as described above, are a marking unit, a drill, a welding unit, a cutting unit, a screwing unit, a locking unit, a fastening unit, and a fastening unit. unit and various tool units such as a punching unit, a mowing unit, a plate unit, a 3D printing unit, and/or an arm unit. In addition, the first work unit 16 and the second work unit 23 may be provided to install a specific device on a wall, column, floor, or ceiling in a work target space.

7 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of a master robot according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 7 , the master robot 40 according to another embodiment of the present invention further includes a reference map generating unit 43, which is a sensing unit 42 at an arbitrary reference position. ) to generate a reference map from the acquired sensing data.

As described with reference to FIG. 2, the reference map is used by the first position determination unit 45 to determine the position of the master robot 10, and may be generated from a drawing corresponding to the work target space However, the reference map generator 43 may directly generate a reference map that can more accurately reflect the real environment or characteristics of the work target space.

The reference position may be an arbitrary position within the work target space, and generally may be selected as a center point of the work target space. A location where there are nearby obstacles including a window may not be suitable as the reference location. This is because it may be difficult to obtain sensing data of a space behind the obstacle and/or a space related to the obstacle when an obstacle exists in a nearby location. However, if necessary, the reference position may be an arbitrary position outside the work target space.

In addition, when it is difficult to obtain sensing data, such as when light is transmitted rather than reflected, the reference position is disposed in an empty space within the sensing target space and set to a position where a sensable object such as a pillar or an obstacle can be sensed. It can be.

Meanwhile, when it is difficult to obtain complete sensing data due to an obstacle, more complete sensing data can be obtained by performing primary sensing at the reference position and then performing secondary sensing at an arbitrary position beyond the obstacle.

Optionally and/or additionally, the reference map generator 43 may measure a distance to a specific point such as a wall or a pillar using a distance measurement sensor as described above, and reflect the distance to reference map data. there is. By measuring the distance, the center point of a column, for example, can be estimated, and based on this, a reference position can be set.

Optionally and/or additionally, the reference map generator 43 may measure a state of a specific surface, for example, a floor surface, using an image capturing sensor as described above, and reflect the condition to reference map data. . A movement path and/or a work path of the master robot and/or the slave robot may be set in consideration of the state measurement.

In a state where the master robot 40 is stopped at the reference position, the sensor rotates 360 degrees to sense the work target space and generate the sensing data. In addition, if necessary, the sensing angle of the sensor included in the sensing unit 42 may be controlled in a high/low direction through a tilt control or the like. However, in the process of generating the sensing data for generating the reference map, the position of the master robot 40 does not necessarily have to be fixed to the reference position, and the sensing data is generated while moving within a predetermined reference space. It is also possible to do

The reference map generating unit 43 generates a reference map of the work target space from the sensing data, and generates the reference map by applying, for example, a SLAM algorithm to the sensing data obtained from the reference position. can do.

Meanwhile, the reference map may include image data of pixels included in an image frame corresponding to the sensing data. For example, when the work target space is expressed as one frame, pixels corresponding to positions where objects exist may be displayed in black, and pixels corresponding to empty spaces may be displayed in white. there is.

However, this refers to an embodiment of a data format that the reference map data can include, and is not necessarily limited to including color information for individual pixels, and the reference map data is expressed in a format such as a vector or polar coordinates. It can be.

In another embodiment of the present invention, when the drawing corresponding to the work target space and the reference map generated by the reference map generator 43 do not match each other, a weight is applied to the drawing and the reference map, respectively. and can provide work target space information usable in the sensing setting unit 44 .

8 is a diagram exemplarily illustrating a method of calculating a position of a slave robot through relative positions of a master robot and a slave robot.

Referring to FIG. 8 , a master working robot M and a slave working robot S are shown, d is the distance between the master working robot M and the slave working robot S, and l is the master working robot. It means the difference in the distance between (M) and the slave working robot (S) forming a specific wall of the work target space. That is, the relationship l = l _m -l _s is established, l _m means the distance the master working robot M is away from the specific wall, and l _s is the distance the slave working robot S is away from the specific wall means distance. Also, θ means an angle between the master robot M and the slave robot S.

The master robot M may measure the distance l _m to the wall surface using a sensor, and the slave robot S may use the distance measuring unit 22 described with reference to FIG. 3 to perform the master task. The distance d to the robot M and the distance l _s to the wall surface can be measured. Accordingly, the distance l may be calculated using the difference between l _m and l _s , and the angle θ may be calculated using the distance d measured by the distance measuring unit 22 .

The second position determining unit of the slave working robot S determines the position of the slave working robot S by using the distance d and the angle θ and the location information of the master working robot M provided from the first position determining unit. can do. Therefore, it can be understood that the l _m value measured by the master robot M is provided to the second position determiner together with the location information of the master robot M.

Alternatively, the second position determining unit determines the coordinates included in the position information of the master working robot (M) provided from the first position determining unit, and the master working robot (M) and the slave working robot (S) in the work target space. The position of the slave working robot S can be determined using a distance away from a pair of walls existing in the . In this case, the position of the slave robot S can be determined without measuring the value d of the distance between the master robot M and the slave robot S.

At this time, it is obvious to those skilled in the art that l _m and l _s are measured as the closest values among the distances from the master working robot M and the slave working robot S to the measured wall surface, respectively.

9 is a diagram showing the configuration of a working robot to which an autonomous working system according to the present invention is applied by way of example.

Referring to FIG. 9 , the working robot, particularly the master working robot, may include a sensor, for example, a scanning sensor. The working robot may move using the configuration shown in FIG. 9 , for example, a pair of wheels disposed on both sides of the body. In addition, although not shown in FIG. 9 , the working robot may further include at least one wheel at a lower portion, through which balance may be maintained. However, it is not necessarily limited thereto, and may include any configuration capable of moving to an arbitrary position by providing power to the working robot.

For example, the working robot may be configured to be able to fly like a drone, and may be configured through a plurality of pairs of driving devices. In addition, it may be configured to be able to move and perform work even underwater. Alternatively, it may be configured to be movable through a structure imitating human or animal legs.

As described with reference to FIG. 2 , since the position of the master working robot can be determined through the sensor, it can be understood that the position of the master working robot is substantially the same as the position of the sensor. However, it is not necessarily limited to this, and the position of the work part of the master robot may be defined as the position of the master robot, and the position of the work part may be accurately corrected using a predetermined positional difference between the position of the sensor and the position of the work part. can Hereinafter, in this specification, for convenience, it is considered that the position of the sensor and the position of the master robot are substantially the same.

The position of the working robot can be expressed by coordinates of (p _x , p _y ) and can be rotated by a motor. And, the rotation direction of the sensor can be controlled in various ways as needed. In this case, the angle of the sensor may be expressed based on the x-axis of FIG. 9 , and the position of the object detected by the sensor may be expressed in polar coordinates of (θ _L , d). Here, d means the distance to the detected object.

Meanwhile, the master robot may include a marking unit (not shown). The marking unit is provided to be freely movable, including up and down, left and right, in order to perform a work corresponding to marking data included in information corresponding to the work target space received by the data receiving unit 11 described with reference to FIG. 2 In response to the marking data, a certain mark can be made at a specific location on the work surface or an operation of drawing a line on a moving path can be performed.

10 is a diagram exemplarily illustrating a data conversion process of comparing reference map data and sensing data to determine a position of a master robot.

Referring to FIG. 10 , the reference map data may be displayed in a grid format, and a darker portion than other grid areas indicates that there is an object that reflects the scan signal of the laser sensor. Each lattice area may be displayed in a coordinate format such as (x _m,i , y _m,i ) or (x _m,l , y _m,l ).

The first position determination unit 14 according to an embodiment of the present invention described with reference to FIG. 2 performs an operation of comparing the reference map data and sensing data to determine the position of the master robot 10 However, unlike the reference map data including grid data, the sensing data includes data about the distance and angle to the object. Accordingly, the first location determining unit 14 may convert the reference map data in a grid format into data related to distance and angle in order to compare the reference map data with the sensing data.

Referring to FIG. 10, the positions represented by the coordinates of (x _m,i , y _m,i ) and (x _m,l , y _m,l ) in the reference map data are (Φ _m,i ,d _m,i ) and (Φ _m,l ,d _m,l ) polar coordinate data, and the polar coordinate data matches the data format of the sensing data. Accordingly, the first position determiner 14 may directly compare the converted reference map data with the sensing data, and determine the position of the master robot 10 using the comparison result.

However, the reference map data and the sensing data are not limited to a grid format and a polar coordinate format, respectively, and are not necessarily limited to converting grid format data into a polar coordinate format in order to compare the two types of data. Accordingly, the reference map data and the sensing data may be expressed in data in a form other than a grid format or a polar coordinate format, and it is also possible to compare the two types of data by converting the sensing data to correspond to the format of the reference map data. possible.

In FIG. 10 , it can be understood that the plurality of grid areas correspond to each pixel when expressed through a display device, but it is not necessarily limited thereto, and one grid area corresponds to a plurality of pixel aggregates. it could be The reference point for polar coordinate conversion is not necessarily limited to the origin (0) as shown in FIG. 9 .

Meanwhile, when the sensing unit 12 obtains sensing data for an object existing in the work target space, the first position determining unit 14 converts the distance/angle data corresponding to the sensing data and the converted reference map data. It is possible to determine whether matching data exists by comparing .

Depending on the determination result, there may be several matching data, and the first position determination unit 14 may compare a plurality of sensing data with the converted reference map data to improve the accuracy of determining the position of the moving object. there is.

The first location determination unit 14 may determine the most reliable location as the location of the moving object by comparing each of a plurality of sensed data with the reference map data.

For example, when first through nth sensing data are obtained using the sensor at the same location, the first location determiner 14 may search for reference map data corresponding to the first sensing data. As a result of the search, m pieces of reference map data corresponding to the first sensing data may exist, and the first location determiner 14 compares the second sensing data with the m pieces of reference map data. When this process is repeatedly performed, the position at which the first to n th sensing data is finally acquired, that is, the position of the master robot 10 can be detected.

Meanwhile, in order to detect the position of the master robot 10 by comparing the reference map data with the sensing data, the first position determiner 14 may use the most recently acquired sensing data.

In FIG. 10, positions a, b, and c exemplarily represent some positions that exist on the movement path of the master robot 10, and the master robot 10 moves from position a to position c, and the sensor moves to position c. The description will be made by assuming the case of looking in the direction from a to the position c.

The sensor may acquire sensing data by performing a sensing operation, for example, a scanning operation, at positions a, b, and c. When the sensor can sense only a limited range, for example, the sensor is When a total range of 180° can be sensed at ±90°, referring to FIG. 10 , data amounts of sensing data obtained through the sensor at positions a, b, and c may differ from each other.

For example, the amount of sensing data obtained at location a may be greater than the amount of sensing data obtained at location c. At this time, in detecting the position of the master robot 10 by comparing the reference map data and the sensing data when the master robot 10 exists at position c, the first position determining unit 14 is obtained at position b. Sensing data and the reference map data may be compared.

Since the sensing data acquired at location a includes a greater amount of data than the sensing data acquired at location b, calculation speed may be increased by comparing the sensing data obtained at location b with the reference map data.

The sensor acquires sensing data by continuously sensing, for example, scanning, and the first position determiner 14 can continuously detect the exact position of the master robot 10 using the sensing data. , using data acquired at a point in time closest to the current point in time can be a method of improving the accuracy of location detection.

11 is a diagram showing a movement path of a master robot according to an embodiment of the present invention by way of example.

The movement path of the master robot may include information about at least one sensing position and a sensing angle of a sensor. Referring to the embodiment shown in FIG. 11, the master robot performs a sensing operation, for example, scanning, using the sensor at a first point (x1, y1, θ1) to a seventh point (x7, y7, θ7). perform the action

11 shows several specific sensing positions where the master robot performs a sensing operation, and this is to accurately determine the position of the master robot.

However, the master robot according to another embodiment of the present invention may continuously perform a sensing operation while moving along the set movement path without designating a specific sensing position.

Meanwhile, the sensing angle means a sensing angle of the sensor at each sensing position and can be expressed in degrees or radians. Also, the size of the sensing angle may be expressed based on the x-axis or based on the angle of the sensor at the time when the sensing operation at the previous sensing position is finished.

The master robot stops at each sensing position, and senses the surrounding space by rotating the sensor in a state of being stopped at the sensing position. However, as described above, the master robot may continuously perform a sensing operation while moving along the set movement path without designating a specific sensing location. Therefore, in this case, it can be understood that the operation of stopping at the sensing position is not performed.

In addition, by comparing the sensing data obtained through the sensing operation with the reference map data, it is possible to determine whether the position of the master robot matches the movement path.

Therefore, through the autonomous working system according to an embodiment of the present invention, the master working robot can move along a set movement path and perform an operation of displaying a specific mark or drawing a line at a corresponding position according to marking data. there is.

In addition, at the same time, through a sensing operation through a sensor at a plurality of sensing positions, it is determined whether the position of the self coincides with the preset movement path, and if it does not match the movement path, the location is moved along the movement path. can be controlled.

Meanwhile, although a total of 7 scan positions are shown in FIG. 11, the present invention is not necessarily limited to the 7 sensing positions, and the sensing positions vary depending on the positions of pillars, windows, obstacles, etc. existing in the sensing target space. can be changed to In addition, when an empty space exists in the sensing target space, sensing may be difficult in the empty space, so the plurality of sensing positions and sensing angles may be set in consideration of the position of the empty space.

12 is a diagram exemplarily illustrating a reference map obtained through a master robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.

12 shows a reference map obtained through sensing data acquired through a sensor at a reference position, and reflection of a scan signal does not occur at a position where a glass window exists, so that the glass window It can be confirmed that normal sensing data is not obtained from the position of to the reference position.

In addition, it can be confirmed that sensing data is not normally obtained from the space behind the pillar. Accordingly, when the reference map is generated using the sensing data obtained through the sensor, it is possible to roughly determine the location of a window and the location of a pillar or obstacle in the sensing target space.

On the other hand, when the reference map is generated using sensing data obtained by rotating a sensor in a stationary state, the scan distance becomes longer according to the size of the sensing target space, and thus accuracy may decrease. Therefore, the reference map Preferably, it is used as reference data for setting the moving path, sensing position, and sensing angle of the master robot.

In addition, when a drawing of the work target space exists, using the drawing and the reference map together may be helpful in realizing a more accurate operation of the master robot.

Meanwhile, the movement path, sensing position, and sensing angle of the master robot are set to obtain accurate sensing data for the sensing target space, and in FIG. A position and an angle maximally spaced from the pillar may be set.

13 is a diagram schematically illustrating an autonomous task method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

An autonomous working method according to an embodiment of the present invention is an autonomous working method using an autonomous working system including a master working robot and at least one slave working robot. Referring to FIG. 13, information receiving step (S10), sensing setting Step (S20), a master position determination step (S30) and a slave position determination step (S40) are included.

In the information receiving step (S10), information on a work target space is received. The work space refers to a space in which the master robot and the slave robot work, and the information received in the information receiving step (S10) includes a drawing corresponding to the work space and information present in the work space. Information on the location and size of walls, columns, windows, etc., that is, information on architectural and spatial elements of the work space may be included. In addition, in the information receiving step (S10), the master robot and the slave robot may receive information about a task to be performed in the target space.

Meanwhile, the information on the work target space may include information on allowable movement ranges of the master and slave robots. For example, the work target space may include a space in which walls, pillars, windows, etc. are to be installed, and there may be a space in which the master and slave robots must be prevented from entering prior to installation. In a space where a wall is to be erected or an elevator is to be installed, the floor surface may be disconnected before actual work is performed, and in some cases, there may be a risk of the master and slave robots falling. Accordingly, the information on the work target space may include information on the allowable movement range so as to limit the movement ranges of the master and slave robots. Also, the information on the work target space may indicate a specific point, for example, a center position of a wall or a column. These specific points may be used as reference points when moving and/or working with the master robot and/or the slave robot.

In the information receiving step (S10), data obtained from the sensor may be received by being connected to a sensor included in the master robot by wire or wireless, electrically or non-electrically. In addition, in the information receiving step (S10), data on the work target space stored in an external storage medium may be received. Optionally, in the information receiving step (S10), data on the work target space input from the input unit of the master robot may be received. Optionally, in the information receiving step ( S10 ), the master robot may be electrically connected to a separate computing device to receive data on the work target space from the computing device.

Meanwhile, the sensor may measure the distance to the object, sense the shape of the object, or sense the movement of the master robot. Such a sensor may include a sensor using a laser, a sensor using sound waves, light waves, and/or radio waves, an IMU sensor, a GPS sensor, and/or an image acquisition sensor capable of acquiring moving and/or still images, such as a camera. can include When the sensor includes a laser sensor, a LiDAR sensor may be included as an example of the laser sensor.

The master robot may include at least one such sensor, and sensing accuracy may be improved by combining a plurality of sensors of different types. For example, by using a lidar sensor as a laser sensor and further including an IMU sensor to sense the movement of the master robot, it is possible to improve the sensing precision of the work target space. In addition, optionally and/or additionally, a camera sensor may be included so that the camera sensor captures the work space, for example, the state and/or texture of a specific surface of the work space, specifically the floor. and/or set and/or calibrate the movement and/or working path of the master working robot and/or the slave working robot. Also, optionally and/or additionally, a distance measuring sensor may be included to measure the distance to a specific point, such as a wall or pillar. Accordingly, the measured position of a specific point existing in the work target space can be reflected in setting and/or correcting the movement and/or work path of the master work robot and/or the slave work robot. The various sensor combinations as described above are not necessarily installed only on the master working robot, and some sensors are installed on the slave working robot, and the data is communicated with the master working robot, so that the master working robot and/or Alternatively, the movement and/or work path of the slave work robot may be set and/or corrected.

The master robot can sense the surrounding space using the sensor while stationary and/or moving, and the position of an object in the surrounding space is displayed in polar coordinates using information reflected by a signal output from the sensor. can be obtained The motor enables the sensor to rotate by a desired angle, for example, to rotate 360 degrees, and the rotation direction of the sensor can be controlled in various ways as needed.

Meanwhile, horizontal rotation, horizontal movement, tilt, and/or vertical movement of the sensor may be controlled by a separate driving unit. The horizontal rotation, horizontal movement, tilt and/or vertical movement of the sensor may be controlled independently of each other, and a control signal for controlling the horizontal rotation, horizontal movement, tilt and/or vertical movement is also independently generated so that the drive unit can be provided in

In the sensing setting step (S20), a movement path of the master robot, a sensing position, and a sensing angle at the sensing position are set. Specifically, in the sensing setting step (S20), the movement path is set, and an arbitrary point on the movement path is designated to set the designated point as a sensing position. Also, the sensing location may be set to a plurality of locations if necessary according to the work target space. Correspondingly, when the master robot reaches the sensing position, the sensor performs a sensing operation. And at this time, the sensor is rotated according to the sensing angle set in the sensing setting step (S20).

Meanwhile, in another embodiment of the present invention, the sensing height of the sensor may be adjusted, and in the sensing setting step (S20), the sensing angle and sensing height of the sensor may be set together at the set sensing position. Also, the sensing position and the sensing angle may be set in consideration of the characteristics of the work target space.

In addition, when it is difficult to obtain sensing data, such as light passing through rather than reflecting light, the sensing position and sensing angle are arranged in an empty space in the work target space to sense a pillar or obstacle at a position and angle. can be set.

Meanwhile, when a drawing of the work target space exists, in the sensing setting step (S20), the moving path, the sensing position, and the sensing angle of the sensor at the sensing position may be set in consideration of the drawing.

It can be understood that the master robot performs a sensing operation at a specific location on the moving path. And, the designation of the specific sensing location is to accurately determine the location of the master robot.

The specific location may be set to a finite number of locations, but is not necessarily limited thereto, and the sensing operation may be continuously performed while moving on the movement path.

Meanwhile, the sensing angle means a sensing angle of the sensor at each sensing position and can be expressed in degrees or radians. Further, the size of the sensing angle may be expressed based on a specific coordinate axis, for example, the x-axis, or may be expressed based on the angle of the sensor at the time when the sensing operation at the previous sensing position is finished.

In this way, in the sensing setting step ( S20 ), an operation signal may be sent to a plurality of driving units of the master working robot to set the moving path of the master working robot, the sensing position, and the sensing angle of the sensing unit.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the master robot may stop at each sensing position and sense the surrounding space by rotating the sensor in a state of being stopped at the sensing position. Alternatively, in another embodiment of the present invention, the master robot may not stop at the sensing position, and may sense the surrounding space through the sensor while moving.

In the master position determination step (S30), the position of the master robot is determined by comparing the sensing data obtained from the sensing position with reference map data.

The reference map data may be expressed as coordinates of pixels included in an image frame, and coordinates of pixels corresponding to locations where objects exist may have different values from coordinates of pixels corresponding to empty locations. As described above, data obtained through the sensor may be obtained in the form of polar coordinates, and the position of the master robot within the work target space may be determined by comparing the reference map data and the sensing data. . At this time, as described above, the sensed data may be compared with a specific point reflected in the reference map data, for example, the center of a wall or column.

More specifically, in the master location determination step (S30), the reference map data may be converted into data in the form of polar coordinates obtained through the sensor, and the converted data may be compared with the sensing data.

In another embodiment of the present invention, in the master position determination step (S30), a position signal output from a transceiver installed at an arbitrary position may be received, and the position of the master robot may be determined from the position signal. When the location of the transceiver is determined, in the master location determination step (S30), the location of the master robot may be determined based on the location of the transceiver. Alternatively, in the master position determination step (S30), the position of the master robot may be determined in consideration of the distance from the master robot to the transmitter/receiver, angle data, and location information of the transmitter/receiver.

Optionally, in the master position determination step (S30), the position of a marker installed at an arbitrary position may be sensed, and the position of the master robot may be determined from the marker. For example, in the master position determination step (S30), the position of the master robot can be reversely determined from the analysis of the position where the position of the marker is sensed and/or the sensed data.

The operation performed in the master position determination step (S30) is aimed at determining the position of the master robot as accurately as possible, and the transceiver and/or marker are attached to an arbitrary position in the work space, for example, a column or a wall. It can transmit the location signal and/or display the location.

However, the location of the transceiver and/or the marker is not limited to an arbitrary location within the sensing target space. For example, when the work space is an open space, the location of the master robot can be tracked even if the transceiver and/or the marker are located outside the work space.

The master robot may include a receiver capable of receiving the position signal and determining a position of a transceiver transmitting the received position signal and a distance and/or angle to the transceiver, the receiver comprising at least one The position of the master robot may be determined in consideration of the position signal received from the transceiver.

The transceiver may be configured through a device such as a signal sharer or a beacon, and may be used when it is not easy to determine the exact location of the master robot through comparison between the sensing data and reference map data.

The marker may display a specific color or shape or a predetermined number, and the receiver may determine the position of the master robot by recognizing the color, shape or number. Meanwhile, the marker may be displayed to be identifiable through a special device such as a UV camera.

In the slave position determination step (S40), the position of the slave robot is determined. Various methods may be used to determine the position of the slave working robot in the slave position determining step (S40), and the method used to determine the position of the master working robot in the master position determining step (S30) may be applied. . For example, in the slave position determination step (S40), a position signal output from a transceiver installed at an arbitrary position may be received, and the position of the slave robot may be determined from the position signal. Optionally, in the slave position determination step (S40), the position of the slave working robot may be determined by sensing the position of a marker installed at an arbitrary position. Since the specific method of determining the position of the slave working robot in the slave position determining step (S40) is the same as the specific method of determining the position of the master working robot in the master position determining step (S30), a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

Alternatively, in the slave position determination step (S40), the position of the slave robot may be determined in consideration of the position information of the master robot and the relative positional relationship between the slave robot and the master robot.

For example, in the slave position determination step (S40), position information of the master robot is received, and the position of the slave robot is determined in consideration of the received position and the distance and angle between the slave robot and the master robot. can

The master robot may determine its position by itself through the master position determining step (S30), and the position information of the master robot may be provided to the slave robot. In this case, if relative positional information between the master working robot and the slave working robot, for example, angle information is obtained, the position of the slave working robot may be determined using the positional information of the master working robot.

Meanwhile, in the slave position determining step (S40), position information of the master robot may be provided in real time from the master position determining step (S30). Since the master robot and the slave robot can continuously move in the working space, the position of the slave robot can be more accurately determined when the location information of the master robot is provided in real time.

14 is a diagram schematically illustrating an autonomous task method according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 14, the autonomous operation method according to another embodiment of the present invention includes information receiving step (S10), sensing setting step (S20), master location determination step (S30), master location receiving step (S41), master and a relative position determination step S42 and a slave position determination step S43. In the information receiving step (S10), sensing setting step (S20), master position determining step (S30), and slave position determining step (S43), the information receiving step (S10) and sensing setting step (S20) described with reference to FIG. ), the master position determination step (S30), and the slave position determination step (S40), since substantially the same operation is performed, a detailed description will be omitted only for redundant content.

In the master position receiving step (S41), the position information of the master working robot is received, and in the relative position determination step (S42) with the master, the distance and angle between the slave working robot and the master working robot are calculated.

As described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 8 , the slave working robot can measure the distance to the master working robot using the distance measuring unit and also measure the distance to a wall. Similarly, the master robot may measure the distance to the wall surface using a sensor or the distance measuring unit provided in the slave robot.

When the position information of the master robot is received in the master position receiving step ( S41 ), the position of the slave robot can be determined using the relative position obtained in the relative position determination step ( S42 ) with the master. Here, the relative position may be understood to mean a distance between the master and slave robots and an angle between the master and slave robots, or a distance between the master and slave robots from a pair of walls.

15 is a diagram schematically illustrating an autonomous task method according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 15, an autonomous task method according to another embodiment of the present invention includes information receiving step (S100), sensing setting step (S200), master location determination step (S300), work information display step (S400), It includes a task performing step (S500), and a slave position determining step (S600). In the information receiving step (S100), sensing setting step (S200), master position determining step (S300), and slave position determining step (S600), the information receiving step (S10) and sensing setting step (S20) described with reference to FIG. ), it can be understood that substantially the same operation as in the master position determination step (S30) and the slave position determination step (S40) is performed.

In the work information display step (S400), the master work robot displays work information on the work target space. In the task performing step (S500), the slave robot recognizes the task information and performs a task corresponding to the recognition result.

The job information includes information about a job to be performed by the slave robot in the work target space, and the slave robot performs marking, drilling, and welding in response to the job information. , cutting, screwing, fastening, tightening, locking, or punching. The marking may include marking data on the work surface using pigment, leaving scratches on the work surface, partially etching the work surface with a laser, and displaying data on the work surface such as a line machine. there is.

Optionally, the slave robot may perform mowing work to display the data by mowing the grass when grass is planted on the floor.

Optionally, the slave robot may push sand or a block to display a three-dimensional shape.

Optionally, the slave robot may perform 3D printing to print a three-dimensional shape.

Optionally, the slave working robot may perform a task of stacking objects such as blocks in a three-dimensional shape.

Optionally, the slave robot may perform a task of installing a specific device on a wall, a column, a floor, or a ceiling in the work target space.

And, the work information may be displayed by a symbol recognizable by the slave working robot, and may be displayed by, for example, at least one of a barcode, a QR code, numbers, or letters. Optionally, the work information may be marked with a special photoresist that can be recognized by the work unit. For example, the photosensitizer may not be directly identified with the naked eye, but may be recognized by the work unit 23 . To this end, the work unit 23 may further include a sensing unit capable of recognizing a special photoresist.

When the autonomous working system according to the present invention includes a plurality of slave working robots, in the displaying of work information (S400), different work information may be displayed corresponding to each of the plurality of slave working robots. For example, when the plurality of slave robots include a first robot and a second robot, in the displaying of work information (S400), work information corresponding to the first robot and work information corresponding to the second robot are displayed with each other. can be displayed separately.

In another embodiment including a plurality of master robots, for example, an embodiment including a first master robot and a second master robot, one master robot and one slave robot are matched one-to-one or one-to-many to display work information. You may.

Meanwhile, in the slave position determination step (S600), the position of the slave robot may be determined using position information included in the job information. Since the master robot can determine its position by itself, the job information displayed in the job information display step (S400) has position information on the corresponding position. Therefore, in the displaying of the job information (S400), the position information may be included in the job information, and in the slave position determination step (S600), the position of the slave robot may be determined by recognizing the job information.

The slave working robot may have information in advance at which position it should perform work, but may not be able to determine its own position by itself, so the position information included in the job information and the information previously possessed It can be used to perform accurate work by comparing .

Meanwhile, in another embodiment of the present invention, the master robot may display a separate mark corresponding to the movement route on the work target space while moving along the movement route. For example, when the moving path of the master working robot is a circle, the master working robot may display a path corresponding to the moving path in the work target space as a circle. As described above, the master work robot may display a mark corresponding to the movement route while moving along the movement route, and may simultaneously perform tasks of displaying the work information.

The slave work robot may follow the master work robot by tracking the displayed path and/or mark and move, and if work information is detected during movement, it may perform a work corresponding to the work information detected at the corresponding location. there is.

The master robot may display the path and/or the mark to be identifiable with the naked eye or to be identifiable only through a special device. For example, the master working robot displays the path and/or the mark through a method such as applying a photosensitizer that cannot be identified with the naked eye, and the slave working robot displays the applied photosensitive agent using an imaging device, for example, a device such as an ultraviolet camera. It is possible to recognize the path and / or mark by recognizing. However, it is not necessarily limited thereto, and the path and/or mark may be displayed to be visible to the naked eye. Accordingly, an administrator can check the accuracy of the route and/or mark. Such a path and/or mark may be formed of a material that is automatically erased over time after the work is finished, but is not necessarily limited thereto, and may be formed of a material that can be easily erased after the work is finished.

Meanwhile, the path and/or mark displayed by the master robot may include location information. For example, the master robot may include coordinate information of point A in a specific point A on the path and/or the mark. Alternatively, the route and/or landmark may include information about work information displayed in the work target space, for example, C meters along the route and/or landmark from point B to a specific point B on the route ( meter) to indicate that job information is displayed.

Optionally, the master working robot may also perform various tasks like the slave working robot. Accordingly, the master robot performs its own task and at the same time instructs the slave robot to perform tasks, and accordingly, the master robot and the slave robot divide the same task or simultaneously perform different tasks. there is.

Of course, all the embodiments of the present invention described above can be applied to other embodiments in combination with each other.

Meanwhile, the present invention can be implemented as computer readable codes on a computer readable recording medium. The computer-readable recording medium includes all types of recording devices in which data that can be read by a computer system is stored. Examples of computer-readable recording media include ROM, RAM, CD-ROM, magnetic tape, floppy disk, and optical data storage devices.

In addition, the computer-readable recording medium may be distributed to computer systems connected through a network, so that computer-readable codes may be stored and executed in a distributed manner. In addition, functional programs, codes, and code segments for implementing the present invention can be easily inferred by programmers in the technical field to which the present invention belongs.

The steps constituting the method according to the present invention may be performed in any suitable order unless an order is explicitly stated or stated to the contrary. The present invention is not necessarily limited according to the order of description of the steps.

The use of all examples or exemplary terms (eg, etc.) in the present invention is simply to explain the present invention in detail, and the scope of the present invention due to the examples or exemplary terms is not limited unless it is limited by the claims. It is not limited. In addition, those skilled in the art can recognize that various modifications, combinations, and changes can be made according to design conditions and factors within the scope of the appended claims or equivalents thereof.

Therefore, the spirit of the present invention should not be limited to the above-described embodiments and should not be determined, and not only the claims to be described later, but also all ranges equivalent to or equivalently changed from these claims fall within the spirit of the present invention. would be considered to be in the category.

100, 200, 300: autonomous working system 10: master working robot
20: slave working robot 30: location information management unit
11, 41: data receiving unit 12, 42: sensing unit
13, 44: sensing setting unit 14, 45: first position determining unit
15: information display unit 21: second position determination unit
22: distance measuring unit 23: working unit
43: reference map generation unit

Claims (16)

An autonomous working system comprising a master working robot and at least one slave working robot,
The master task robot,
a data receiving unit receiving information about a work target space;
a sensing unit that senses the work target space;
a sensing setting unit configured to set a moving path of the master robot, a sensing position, and a sensing angle of the sensing unit;
a first position determiner configured to determine a position of the master robot by comparing the sensing data obtained through the sensing unit at the sensing position with reference map data; and
a first work unit provided to perform work in the work target space;
including,
The slave working robot,
a second position determiner for determining the position of the slave robot; and
a second work unit provided to perform work in the work target space;
including,
The master working robot is provided to determine its own position within the working space by itself through the first position determination unit, and the slave working robot uses positional information of the master working robot within the working space. It is equipped to determine its location by
The master working robot performs its own work in the work target space through the first working unit and simultaneously instructs the slave working robot to work, and the slave working robot performs the task according to the instructions of the master working robot. 2 It is provided to perform work within the work target space through the work unit,
The master robot further includes an information display unit displaying work information in the work target space;
The location where the work information is displayed exists on the moving path of the master work robot. According to claim 1,
The second position determining unit receives the position information of the master robot, and determines the position of the slave robot by considering the received position and the distance and angle between the slave robot and the master robot. system. According to claim 2,
The slave working robot further comprises a distance measuring unit for measuring a distance to the master working robot and a distance to a specific point in the work target space. According to claim 2,
Further comprising a location information management unit receiving location information of the master robot from the first location determination unit;
The second location determining unit receives the location information of the master working robot from the location information management unit. According to claim 1,
The second position determining unit receives a position signal output from a transceiver installed at an arbitrary position, and determines the position of the slave working robot from the position signal. According to claim 1,
The slave work robot recognizes the work information through the second work unit and performs a work corresponding to a recognition result. According to claim 6,
The job information further includes location information corresponding to a location where the job information is displayed,
The second position determining unit determines the position of the slave working robot using the position information. delete According to claim 1,
The autonomous work system of claim 1 , wherein the sensing setting unit sets the sensing position for sensing the work space in consideration of reference map data corresponding to the work space. According to claim 9,
The master task robot,
The autonomous working system further includes a map generator configured to generate the reference map from sensing data obtained through the sensing unit at an arbitrary reference position. An autonomous working method using an autonomous working system comprising a master working robot and at least one slave working robot, comprising:
Receiving information about a work target space;
setting a movement path of the master robot, a sensing position, and a sensing angle at the sensing position;
Determining the position of the master robot by comparing the sensing data obtained from the sensing position with reference map data; and
determining the position of the slave working robot;
including,
The master working robot is provided to determine its own position within the working space, and the slave working robot is configured to determine its own position within the working space using positional information of the master working robot. are provided,
The master robot performs its own work within the work space and at the same time instructs the slave work robot to perform work, and the slave work robot performs work within the work space according to instructions from the master work robot. equipped to perform
The master robot further comprises displaying work information in the work target space,
The location where the work information is displayed exists on the moving path of the master work robot. According to claim 11,
Determining the position of the slave work robot,
Receiving location information of the master robot; and
calculating a distance and an angle between the received position and the slave working robot and the master working robot;
An autonomous working method comprising a. According to claim 11,
In the step of determining the position of the slave working robot,
An autonomous work method for receiving a position signal output from a transceiver installed at an arbitrary position and determining the position of the slave working robot from the position signal. According to claim 11,
displaying, by the master robot, work information on the work target space; and
Recognizing the job information and performing a job corresponding to the recognition result by the slave job robot;
An autonomous working method further comprising a. According to claim 14,
The job information further includes location information corresponding to a location where the job information is displayed,
In the step of determining the position of the slave working robot, the autonomous working method determines the position of the slave working robot using the position information. A computer-readable recording medium on which a program for performing the method according to any one of claims 11 to 15 is recorded.

Images