KR20210009521A - Step motor assembly capable of origin recognition and modular robot system including the same - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed are a step motor assembly configured to recognize an origin of a rotation shaft of a step motor, and a modular robot system capable of assembling and configuring a plurality of cube-shaped unit robots using the same. According to one aspect of the present invention, the step motor assembly comprises: a step motor rotating by a given pulse around a rotation shaft; and a control device installed to be spaced apart from the step motor and determining an origin on an outer peripheral surface of the rotation shaft of the step motor, wherein an origin identification portion indicting the origin is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the rotation shaft of the step motor, and the control device includes: an optical sensor emitting light toward the outer peripheral surface of the rotation shaft of the step motor; and a control module determining the origin based on a signal outputted from the optical sensor.

Description

Step motor assembly capable of origin recognition and modular robot system including the same}

The present invention relates to a step motor assembly and a modular robot system employing the same. More specifically, the present invention relates to a step motor assembly configured to recognize the origin of a rotating shaft of a step motor, and a modular robot system capable of assembling and configuring a plurality of cube-shaped unit robots employing the same.

Recently, a number of robot-type toys popular with children and adolescents have been released. A toy robot refers to a robot for use in toys made in a form that can automatically perform a certain operation through power supply such as electricity. These robot toys are generally in the form of a finished product, and most of them have regular and monotonous movements, so they are likely to lose interest easily.

On the other hand, robot toys that can be assembled to realize various appearances and movements are being released, but blocks that perform only specific functions are required for this, so in order for users to assemble various robots, all blocks necessary for the robot are required. In order to make a robot that shows different functions or movements, you need to purchase additional blocks. Therefore, there is a disadvantage in that the expenditure cost is very high.

Patent Publication 10-2017-0085667

The present invention is a modular that can perform various shapes and functions by assembling a step motor assembly configured to recognize the origin of the rotating shaft of a step motor and a modular unit block in a simple shape, and can constitute a robot capable of complex movements. It is to provide a robotic system.

According to an aspect of the present invention, a step motor rotating by a given pulse around a rotation axis and a control device installed spaced apart from the rotation axis of the step motor, and a control device for determining an origin on an outer peripheral surface of the step motor, the step motor An origin identification portion indicating the origin is formed on an outer circumferential surface of the rotation axis of the stepper, and the control device includes an optical sensor emitting light toward the outer peripheral surface of the rotation axis of the step motor and the signal output from the optical sensor. A step motor assembly including a control module for determining an origin is provided.

In one embodiment, a protrusion-shaped origin identification portion indicating the origin may be formed on an outer circumferential surface of the rotation shaft of the step motor. In one embodiment, a first portion of the outer circumferential surface of the rotation shaft of the step motor is the step motor. It may be characterized in that it has a different light reflection characteristic from the second portion of the outer circumferential surface except for the first portion. In one embodiment, the origin identification portion has a first light reflection characteristic, and of the step motor The left half of the origin identification portion of the outer circumferential surface of the rotation shaft has a second light reflection characteristic, the right half of the origin identification portion of the outer circumferential surface of the rotation axis of the step motor has a third light reflection characteristic, and the first light The reflection characteristic, the second light reflection characteristic, and the third light reflection characteristic may be different from each other.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a step motor rotating by a given pulse around a rotation axis and a control device for determining an origin on an outer circumferential surface of the rotation shaft of the step motor, wherein the control device comprises: a rotation shaft of the step motor And a control module for determining the origin based on a signal output from the optical sensor and an optical sensor emitting light toward the outer peripheral surface of the stepper, and the left half of the origin identification portion of the outer peripheral surface of the rotation axis of the step motor , The distance from the center of the rotation axis of the step motor continuously decreases from the origin to the opposite side of the origin, and the right half of the origin identification portion of the outer circumferential surface of the rotation shaft of the step motor is of the rotation axis of the step motor. There is provided a stepper motor assembly, characterized in that the distance from the center increases continuously from the opposite side of the origin to the origin.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a step motor rotating by a given pulse around a rotation axis and a control device for determining an origin on an outer circumferential surface of the rotation shaft of the step motor, wherein the control device comprises: a rotation shaft of the step motor And a control module for determining the origin based on a signal output from the optical sensor and an optical sensor emitting light toward the outer peripheral surface of the stepper, and the left half of the origin identification portion of the outer peripheral surface of the rotation axis of the step motor , The distance from the center of the rotation axis of the step motor increases continuously from the origin to the opposite side of the origin, and the right half of the origin identification part of the outer circumferential surface of the rotation shaft of the step motor is of the rotation axis of the step motor. There is provided a stepper motor assembly, characterized in that the distance from the center continuously decreases from the opposite side of the origin to the origin.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a modular robot system including N cube-shaped unit robots (where N is an integer of 2 or more), wherein each of the N cube-shaped unit robots includes a cube-shaped housing and the housing. Including a step motor assembly installed inside, wherein the step motor assembly includes a step motor rotating by a given pulse around a rotation axis and a control device for determining an origin on an outer circumferential surface of the rotation axis of the step motor, the step motor An origin identification portion indicating the origin is formed on an outer circumferential surface of the rotation shaft of the stepper, and the control device includes an optical sensor emitting light toward the outer circumferential surface of the rotation axis of the step motor and the origin based on a signal output from the optical sensor. It includes a control module for determining, and a mounting groove is formed on one side of the housing into which a rotating body rotating by the rotation axis of the step motor can be mounted, and a connection groove of the same shape is formed on the other side of the housing. In addition, a modular robot system capable of connecting with other cube-type unit robots through a connecting body mounted in the connection groove is provided.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a modular robot system including N cube-shaped unit robots (where N is an integer of 2 or more), wherein each of the N cube-shaped unit robots includes a cube-shaped housing and the housing. Including a step motor assembly installed inside, wherein the step motor assembly includes a step motor rotating by a given pulse around a rotation axis and a control device for determining an origin on an outer circumferential surface of the rotation axis of the step motor, the control device Includes an optical sensor that emits light toward the outer peripheral surface of the rotating shaft of the step motor and a control module that determines the origin based on a signal output from the optical sensor, and among the outer peripheral surfaces of the rotating shaft of the step motor In the left half of the origin identification portion, the distance from the center of the rotation axis of the step motor continuously decreases from the origin to the opposite side of the origin, and the right half of the origin identification portion of the outer peripheral surface of the rotation axis of the step motor is , The distance from the center of the rotation axis of the step motor increases continuously from the opposite side of the origin to the origin, and a mounting groove in which a rotating body rotating by the rotation axis of the step motor can be mounted on one surface of the housing. Is formed, a connection groove having the same shape is formed on the other surface of the housing, and a modular robot system that can be connected to another cube-shaped unit robot through a connection body mounted on the connection groove is provided.

In one embodiment, the control unit receives any one of different unique identification numbers assigned to each of the N cube-type unit robots, and N predefined step motor control sequences (here, the N cube-type units The N unique identification numbers transmitted to each robot and the predefined N step motor control sequences correspond to each other one-to-one). The step motor control sequence corresponding to the received unique identification number may be performed.

In one embodiment, the cube-shaped unit robot further comprises a light-emitting body that emits light through a light-emitting area formed in the housing, wherein the control unit includes a color corresponding to the unique identification number received through the light-emitting area. The luminous body can be controlled so that the light of is emitted.

In one embodiment, the modular robot system further comprises a central control terminal, wherein the central control terminal assigns a unique identification number that can be distinguished from each other to each of the N cube-type unit robots, and the controller Of the defined N step motor control sequences (here, the N unique identification numbers transmitted to each of the N cube-type unit robots and the predefined N step motor control sequences correspond to each other one-to-one) The step motor control sequence corresponding to the unique identification number can be performed.

In one embodiment, the control unit stores a lookup table including descriptors of each of the N step motor control sequences defined in advance, and a step motor corresponding to the unique identification number of the cube-type unit robot from the stored lookup table. A control sequence descriptor may be extracted, and a step motor control sequence may be performed based on the extracted step motor control sequence descriptor.

In an embodiment, the descriptor of each of the N step motor control sequences may include a list of the number of pulses per unit time.

In one embodiment, the central control terminal transmits, to each of the N cube-type unit robots, a step motor control sequence descriptor corresponding to a unique identification number corresponding to the cube-type unit robot, and the controller The step motor control sequence may be performed based on the step motor control sequence descriptor transmitted to the robot.

In one embodiment, the central control terminal transmits synchronization information to each of the N cube-type unit robots, transmits all synchronization information to the N cube-type unit robots, and then to each of the N cube-type unit robots. A control sequence start command is transmitted, and the synchronization information includes transmission time information of the synchronization information measured based on a timer operating in the central control terminal, and the control sequence start command is operated by the central control terminal. And start time information calculated based on a timer, and the controller starts a self-timer when synchronization information is transmitted to the cube-type unit robot, and when a control sequence start command is transmitted to the cube-type unit robot, The execution of the step motor control sequence may be started at the start time using the transmission time of the synchronization information included in the synchronization information and the self-timer.

In one embodiment, any one of the N cube-type unit robots serves as a central control terminal, and a cube-type unit robot that serves as the central control terminal is provided in each of the N cube-type unit robots, A unique identification number that can be distinguished from each other is assigned, and the control unit includes N predefined step motor control sequences (here, N unique identification numbers transmitted to each of the N cube-type unit robots and the predefined N steps The motor control sequence corresponds to one-to-one correspondence with each other), and a step motor control sequence corresponding to the unique identification number of the cube-type unit robot may be performed.

In one embodiment, each of the N cube-type unit robots further includes a reader device capable of recognizing information stored in a predetermined recording medium, and the N cube-type unit robots may be installed in any one of the reader devices included in the N cube-type unit robots. Accordingly, when the recording medium is recognized, a cube-shaped unit robot including a corresponding reader device may function as the central control terminal.

According to another aspect of the present invention, as a cube-shaped unit robot, comprising a cube-shaped housing and a step motor assembly installed in the housing, wherein the step motor assembly is a step motor that rotates by a given pulse around a rotation axis, and And a control device for determining the origin on the outer circumferential surface of the rotation shaft of the step motor, wherein an origin identification portion indicating the origin is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the rotation shaft of the step motor, and the control device comprises: An optical sensor that emits light toward an outer circumferential surface and a control module that determines the origin based on a signal output from the optical sensor, and a rotating body rotating by the rotation axis of the step motor is mounted on one surface of the housing. A mounting groove that can be formed is formed, a connection groove having the same shape is formed on the other surface of the housing, and a cube-type unit robot that can be connected to another cube-type unit robot through a connection body mounted on the connection groove is provided.

According to another aspect of the present invention, as a cube-shaped unit robot, comprising a cube-shaped housing and a step motor assembly installed in the housing, wherein the step motor assembly is a step motor that rotates by a given pulse around a rotation axis, and And a control device for determining an origin on an outer circumferential surface of the rotation shaft of the step motor, wherein the control device includes: an optical sensor emitting light toward the outer circumferential surface of the rotation shaft of the step motor; And a control module for determining the origin based on the signal output from the optical sensor, wherein the left half of the origin identification portion of the outer peripheral surface of the rotation axis of the step motor is a distance from the center of the rotation axis of the step motor A decreases continuously from the origin to the other side of the origin, and the right half of the origin identification part of the outer circumferential surface of the rotation axis of the step motor is the distance from the center of the rotation axis of the step motor at the opposite side of the origin. Increasing continuously toward the origin, a mounting groove is formed on one surface of the housing into which a rotating body rotating by the rotational shaft of the step motor can be mounted, and a connection groove of the same shape is formed on the other surface of the housing. , A cube-type unit robot that can be connected to another cube-type unit robot through a connector mounted on the connection groove is provided.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a step motor assembly configured to recognize the origin of a rotating shaft of a step motor and a simple modular unit block are assembled to perform various forms and functions, and a robot capable of complex movements. It is possible to provide a modular robot system that can configure.

In addition, according to an embodiment of the present invention, a modular robot system capable of constructing a robot capable of complex and various movements by assembling a simple modular unit robot may be provided.

In addition, a wide variety of robots can be implemented by different assembly methods or accessories of the cube-shaped unit robot as a unit. That is, according to the technical idea of the present invention, there is an effect that a complete modular robot of various shapes can be implemented by combining a simple cube in various ways.

In addition, there is an effect that various movements can be implemented simply by adjusting only the step motor control sequence to be performed by each cube-type unit robot.

Meanwhile, the modular robot according to an embodiment of the present invention can be applied to a toy. Modular robots in the form of toys are capable of various movements according to the assembly method, so they have the effect of inducing great interest in children playing with them and developing creativity.

Since the unit robot according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention has a shape of a cube, a user may assemble it in an incorrect shape. However, according to an embodiment of the present invention, by allowing a user to easily distinguish each surface of a unit robot having a shape of a cube, it is possible to provide convenience to combine each unit robot in a correct posture.

Brief description of each drawing is provided in order to more fully understand the drawings cited in the detailed description of the present invention.
1 is a view schematically showing the configuration of a modular robot system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a block diagram for explaining the configuration of a cube-type unit robot constituting the modular robot system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a diagram for describing a configuration for recognizing an origin of a step motor included in a unit robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4A is a view showing a cross-section of a step motor assembly included in a unit robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4B is a view showing a graph showing measured values output from the optical sensor included in the step motor assembly according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 4A according to the rotation angle of the step motor.
5 is a view showing a cross-section of a step motor assembly included in a unit robot according to another embodiment of the present invention.
6A is a view showing a cross section of a step motor assembly included in a unit robot according to another embodiment of the present invention.
6B is a view for explaining in more detail a cross section of a rotation shaft of the step motor according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 6A.
6C is a view showing a graph showing a measurement value output from an optical sensor included in the step motor assembly according to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 6A according to a rotation angle of the step motor.
7 is a diagram showing the overall appearance of a cube-type unit robot constituting the modular robot system according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 8 is a cube-type unit constituting the modular robot system according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a diagram showing each side of the robot.
9 is a view for explaining that other cube-type unit robots and accessories are connected to a cube-type unit robot constituting the modular robot system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
10A is a diagram illustrating a process in which a central control terminal and a plurality of cubes are connected.
10B is a flowchart illustrating a process of connecting the central control terminal and the cube from the perspective of the central control terminal.
11A is a diagram illustrating an example of a group selection UI.
11B is a diagram illustrating an example of a model selection UI.
11C is a diagram illustrating an example of an activity selection UI.
12 is a diagram illustrating an example of a lookup table including a descriptor of a step motor control sequence.
13 is a diagram showing a synchronization process between each cube-type unit robot and a central control terminal.
FIG. 14 is a view showing the overall appearance of a cube-type unit robot according to another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 15 is a view showing each surface of the cube-type unit robot shown in FIG. 14.

Since the present invention can apply various transformations and have various embodiments, specific embodiments are illustrated in the drawings and will be described in detail in the detailed description. However, this is not intended to limit the present invention to a specific embodiment, it is to be understood to include all conversions, equivalents, and substitutes included in the spirit and scope of the present invention. In describing the present invention, when it is determined that a detailed description of a related known technology may obscure the subject matter of the present invention, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

Terms such as first and second may be used to describe various components, but the components should not be limited by the terms. These terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another component.

The terms used in the present 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 indicates otherwise.

In the present specification, terms such as "comprise" or "have" are intended to designate the presence of features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or a combination thereof described in the specification, but one or more other It is to be understood that the presence or addition of features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof, does not preclude in advance the possibility of being excluded.

In addition, in the present specification, when one component'transmits' data to another component, the component may directly transmit the data to the other component, or through at least one other component. This means that the data may be transmitted to the other component. Conversely, when one component'directly transmits' data to another component, it means that the data is transmitted from the component to the other component without passing through the other component.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, focusing on embodiments of the present invention. The same reference numerals in each drawing indicate the same member.

1 is a view schematically showing the configuration of a modular robot system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The modular robot system 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include N cube-type unit robots 100-1 to 100-N (N is an integer of 2 or more). The N cube-shaped unit robots may be combined with each other to form one modular robot.

The modular robot system 10 may further include a central control terminal 200 that controls the N cube-shaped unit robots 100-1 to 100-N.

The central control terminal 200 may be any data processing device that processes calculations or data, receives and processes input data, stores and processes the information, and outputs a result. For example, the central control terminal 200 is a general purpose computer, personal computer, server, mobile terminal, mobile terminal, remote station, remote terminal, access terminal, terminal, communication device, communication terminal, user agent, user device, or It may be a data processing device that can be called a user equipment (UE), a terminal, a laptop computer, a tablet PC, a smart phone, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), or the like.

The central control terminal 200 may perform wireless communication with the N cube-type unit robots 100-1 to 100-N. The central control terminal 200 may perform wireless communication with the N cube-shaped unit robots 100-1 to 100-N through various wireless communication methods. For example, the wireless communication method is Wi-Fi, Magnetic Secure Transmission (MST), Bluetooth communication, NFC (Near Field Communication), RFID (Radio Frequency Identification), ZigBee, Z-Wave, IR (Infrared). It may include communication and the like.

In addition, the N cube-shaped unit robots 100-1 to 100 -N may perform wireless communication with each other through the wireless communication method described above. In this case, the wireless communication method used by the central control terminal 200 and the N cube-type unit robots 100-1 to 100-N may be the same.

Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, an example in which the central control terminal 200 and the N cube-type unit robots 100-1 to 100-N communicate wirelessly using Bluetooth will be mainly described. The idea is not limited to this.

Meanwhile, the N cube-shaped unit robots 100-1 to 100-N have a cube shape of a cube and may all have the same size. Each of the cube-type unit robots (100-1 to 100-N) can be coupled to each other through a predetermined connector, and the entire assembly of all of the N cube-type unit robots (100-1 to 100-N) is one The modular robot system can be configured.

Hereinafter, a cube-type unit robot according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 2 to 8.

2 is a block diagram for explaining the configuration of a cube-type unit robot constituting the modular robot system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 2, the cube-type unit robot 100 (hereinafter, referred to as “cube”) may include a housing 101 and a step motor assembly 102.

The step motor assembly 102 installed inside the housing 101 may include a step motor 110 and a control device 120. According to an embodiment, the cube 100 may further include a battery 125, a light emitting body 151, and one or more charging terminals 181 and/or 182. According to an embodiment, the cube 100 may further include other configurations in addition to the configuration illustrated in FIG. 2.

The step motor assembly 102 is installed to be spaced apart from the step motor 110 and the step motor 110 that rotates by a given pulse around the rotation axis, and a control for determining the origin on the outer circumferential surface of the step motor 110 Device 120 may be included.

The step motor 110 may be referred to as a stepper motor or a stepping motor, and may refer to a brushless DC electric motor capable of dividing the rotation of one wheel into a large number of steps. The step motor 110 may rotate a rotating body mounted on the rotating shaft 111.

The step motor 110 may include a two-phase step motor and a multi-phase step motor. In addition, the step motor 110 may include a variable reluctance (VR) type, a permanent magnet (PM) type, and a hybrid type.

In one embodiment, a plurality of serrated electromagnets may be matched around a metal gear in the step motor 110. At this time, the electromagnet is operated by receiving a current from an external control circuit (eg, the control device 120) such as a microcontroller. In order to rotate the rotating shaft 111 of the step motor 110, first, one electromagnet receives electric power so that the teeth of the gear are drawn to the electromagnet. When the teeth of the gear are aligned with the first electromagnet, the gear is gradually shifted to the next electromagnet. Therefore, when the next electromagnet receives power, the previous electromagnet turns off, and the gear teeth are aligned with the next electromagnet, and these actions are repeated. At this time, each action of rotation is called a'step', and numerous steps create the entire rotation. Through this, the motor can be precisely rotated at a certain angle.

Meanwhile, the control device 120 may control the operation and/or resources of various components (eg, the step motor 110, the luminous body 151, etc.) included in the cube 100.

The control device 120 may be a microcontroller or an embedded device including a processor and a memory. The control device 120 may further include a communication module capable of wireless communication with the central control terminal 200 and/or another cube.

The processor included in the control device 120 may include a CPU, GPU, MCU, microprocessor, and the like. The memory included in the control device 120 may store various types of data and computer programs such as data received/input from the outside and data generated by the control device 120. The memory may include volatile memory and nonvolatile memory. The memory may include, for example, flash memory, ROM, RAM, EEROM, EPROM, EEPROM, solid state disk (SSD), and register. Alternatively, the memory may include a file system, a database, and an embedded database.

Meanwhile, according to an implementation example, an origin identification portion may be formed on the outer peripheral surface of the rotation shaft of the step motor 110, and the origin identification portion may be used to allow the control device 120 to know the origin of the rotation shaft.

3 is a diagram for describing a configuration for recognizing an origin of a step motor included in a unit robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 3, the control device 120 determines the origin of the rotation shaft 111 of the step motor 110 based on the optical sensor 121 and the signal output from the optical sensor 121 It may include a module 122. The origin identification portion 113 formed on the outer circumferential surface of the rotation shaft 111 may indicate the origin of the rotation shaft 111 of the step motor 110. Accordingly, the control module 122 may recognize the origin of the rotation shaft 111 by recognizing the origin identification portion 113.

Meanwhile, according to embodiments, an origin identification portion having a protrusion shape indicating the origin may be formed on the outer circumferential surface of the rotation shaft 111 of the step motor 110, that is, inside the rotation shaft 111 of the step motor 110 There may be a protrusion formed, and the formed protrusion may be used to allow the control device 120 to know the rotation origin of the rotation shaft 111. Specifically, the control device 120 may include a sensor capable of recognizing a protrusion, and a point at which the protrusion is recognized may be recognized as an origin.

4A is a view showing a cross-section of a step motor assembly 102 included in a unit robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 4A, the control device 120 includes a step motor 110, an optical sensor 121, and a control module 122 that determines the origin based on a signal output from the optical sensor 121. Can include.

A protrusion 113-1 indicating the origin may be formed on an outer circumferential surface of the step motor 110. At this time, the protrusion 113-1 may be a protruding portion of the outer peripheral surface of the step motor 110. This is a configuration for causing a difference between the measured value of the optical sensor 121 and other parts of the outer circumferential surface, as described later. For a similar function, in another embodiment, a concave groove may be formed on the outer peripheral surface of the step motor 110 instead of a protrusion.

The optical sensor 121 may emit light toward the outer circumferential surfaces 114 and 115 of the step motor 110, as shown in FIG. 4A, and to light reflected from the outer circumferential surface of the step motor 110 You can print out the corresponding measured values. In an embodiment, the measured value output from the photosensor 121 may be a voltage.

Therefore, the value measured by the optical sensor 121 is different from the measured value on the other outer circumferential surface of the step motor 110 by the protrusion 113-1 of the origin, so the control module 122 is the optical sensor ( The origin of the step motor 110 can be determined by the value measured at 121).

Meanwhile, in one embodiment, the first part of the outer circumferential surface of the step motor (for example, the left half of the protrusion 113-1; 114) covers the first part 114 of the outer circumferential surface of the step motor. Except for the second portion 115 (ie, the right half of the protrusion 113-1), it may be characterized in that it has different light reflection characteristics. Therefore, the measurement value measured by the optical sensor 121 by emitting/reflecting light to the first portion 114 is measured by the optical sensor 121 emitting/reflecting light to the second portion 115 It may be different from the measured value.

For example, the first portion 114 and the second portion 115 of the outer circumferential surface may be coated with a pigment or ink having different light reflecting properties, or a tape having different light reflecting properties may be attached.

4B is a view showing a graph showing measured values output from an optical sensor included in the step motor assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention according to a rotation angle of the step motor.

As shown in FIG. 4B, as the step motor 110 rotates, different measurement values may be output according to the rotation angle. For example, assuming that the half 114 of the outer circumferential surface of the step motor 110 is configured to have different light reflection characteristics from the other half 115, if the origin of the step motor 110 is 0 degrees, the The measured value of the optical sensor 121 may have the largest value y1 due to the protrusion located at the origin of the step motor 110. Thereafter, until the rotation angle is π, the optical sensor 121 will output a constant measurement value (y2) smaller than the measurement value at the origin (y1), and then until the rotation angle is 2π, the optical sensor 121 is A measurement value y3 that is smaller than the measurement value y1 at the origin and different from the measurement value y2 until π can be output. In addition, it may be repeated periodically every 1 rotation (ie, 2π).

Accordingly, when the measured value of the optical sensor 121 is within a numerical range of y1 or a similar range, the control module 122 may recognize the position at the time of measurement as the origin. If the measured value of the optical sensor 121 is not within the numerical range of y1 or a similar range, the control module 122 measures the value output from the optical sensor 121 while rotating the step motor 110 So you can recognize the origin.

Meanwhile, in an embodiment, the control module 122 may find the origin by varying the rotation direction according to the measured value of the optical sensor 121. In more detail, the control module 122 may find the origin by changing the rotation direction so as to rotate less until reaching the origin according to the measured value of the optical sensor 121. In the example of FIGS. 4A and 4B, when the measured value of the optical sensor 121 is y3, the control module 122 rotates in a forward direction and may find the origin. On the other hand, when the measured value of the optical sensor 121 is y2, the control module 122 rotates in the reverse direction to find the origin.

Meanwhile, according to another embodiment, the origin recognition portion 113 formed on the outer circumferential surface of the rotation shaft 111 of the step motor 110 has a light reflection characteristic different from other portions of the outer circumferential surface of the rotation shaft 111 It may be implemented so that the cross section of the step motor assembly according to the present embodiment is shown in FIG. 5.

Referring to FIG. 5, the origin identification portion 113-2 of the rotation shaft 111 of the step motor 110 is a first different from the light reflection characteristics of the other portions 114 and 115 of the hwajeon shaft 111. It may have light reflective properties. For example, a pigment having the highest reflectance compared to other parts is applied to the origin identification part 113-2 of the rotation shaft 111 of the step motor 110, or a tape made of a material having the highest reflectance compared to other parts Can be attached.

On the other hand, the left half 114 of the origin identification part 113-2 among the outer circumferential surfaces of the rotation shaft 111 of the step motor 110 has a second light reflection characteristic, and among the outer circumferential surfaces of the rotation shaft of the step motor 110, the The right half 115 of the origin identification portion may have a third light reflection characteristic. In this case, the first light reflection characteristic, the second light reflection characteristic, and the third light reflection characteristic may be different light reflection characteristics.

A graph of the measured value output from the optical sensor included in the step motor assembly according to the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 5 may be similar to that of FIG. 4B, and those of ordinary skill in the art will be able to understand it easily. .

On the other hand, according to another embodiment, the origin identification portion 113 of the rotation shaft 111 of the step motor 110 may be configured to be located closest to the optical sensor 121 compared to other portions of the outer circumferential surface. A cross-section of a step motor assembly according to an embodiment is shown in FIG. 6A.

6A, the left half 114-1 of the origin identification portion 113-3 among the outer circumferential surfaces of the rotation shaft 111-1 of the step motor 110 is the rotation axis of the step motor 110 ( The distance from the center 112-1 of 111-1) decreases continuously from the origin 113-3 to the opposite side 116 of the origin, and the rotation axis 111-1 of the step motor 110 The right half 115-1 of the origin identification portion 113-3 of the outer circumferential surface of the step motor 110 has a distance from the center 112-1 of the rotation axis 111-1 of the step motor 110 opposite the origin. It may increase continuously as it goes from (116) to the origin (113-3).

The cross section of the rotating shaft of the step motor according to the present embodiment may be expressed as a function having the above properties. An example of such a function may be the following [Equation 1].

[Equation 1]

(r is the distance from the center, θ is the angle (radian), α is any positive real number, β is any positive real number)

If the above [Equation 1] is shown as a graph, it may be as shown in Fig. 6B (α = 1, β = 1.5), and the step motor assembly of Fig. 6A is as shown in Fig. 6C, as the step motor 110 rotates. Different measurement values can be output depending on the rotation angle

Meanwhile, another example of a function having the above properties may be as shown in [Equation 2] below, and it goes without saying that various types of functions having the above properties may exist.

[Equation 2]

In addition, according to the embodiment, contrary to that shown in FIG. 6A, the origin identification portion 113 of the rotation shaft 111 of the step motor 110 is located farthest from the optical sensor 121 compared to other portions of the outer circumferential surface. It can also be configured.

On the other hand, the control device 120 can control the operation and/or resources of various components included in the cube 100 (for example, the step motor 110, the luminous body 151, etc.). , Functions performed by the control device 120 in order to realize the technical idea of the present invention will be described in more detail later.

The battery 125 may supply power to various components included in the cube 100 (for example, the step motor 110, the control device 120, the luminous body 151, etc.). The battery 125 may be charged through an external power source in contact with the charging terminals 181 and/or 182.

The light emitter 151 may emit light. The light emitter 151 may be, for example, a light emitting diode (LED). The light emitter 151 may emit light of various colors under the control of the control device 120. In addition, under the control of the control device 120, light may be continuously emitted (lit) or a light emission operation (blinking) may be performed.

In an exemplary embodiment, the light-emitting body 151 emits light through a light-emitting region formed in the housing 101 so that light emission can be recognized from the outside.

7 is a diagram showing the overall appearance of a cube-type unit robot constituting the modular robot system according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 8 is a cube-type unit constituting the modular robot system according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a diagram showing each side of the robot. 8(a) to 8(f) show the front, rear, left, right, plane, and bottom surfaces in order.

Referring to FIG. 7, the cube-shaped unit robot (hereinafter, referred to as “cube”) may include a housing 101 having a cube shape. Meanwhile, as described above, a step motor 110 may be installed inside the howe 101 (see FIG. 2 ).

7 and 8(d), a mounting groove 130 in which a rotating body rotating by the rotating shaft 111 of the step motor 110 can be mounted on one surface of the housing 101 Can be formed. The rotating body mounted in the mounting groove 130 may be, for example, a wheel or a propeller. The rotating body may be formed in various sizes and shapes, but may include a mounting portion to be commonly mounted in the mounting groove 130.

7 and 8(a) to 8(c), and 8(e) to 8(f), connection grooves 141 to 145 are provided on the remaining five surfaces of the housing 101. Can be formed. The connection grooves 141 to 145 formed on the five surfaces may all have the same shape. For example, the connection grooves 141 to 145 may have the same cross shape, but the technical idea of the present invention is not limited thereto.

A predetermined connector may be mounted in the connection grooves 141 to 145. The connector may be a component or accessory that can be connected to the cube 100.

The connector may be formed in various sizes and shapes, but may commonly include a mounting portion for mounting to any one of the connection grooves 141 to 145. For example, if the connection grooves 141 to 145 have a cross-shaped intaglio shape, the mounting portion of the connecting body may have the same cross-shaped relief. On the other hand, some connectors may include two or more mounting portions, and these connectors may perform a function of connecting two or more cubes 100 to each other.

Hereinafter, the rotating body and the connecting body will be collectively referred to as an accessory.

On the other hand, according to the embodiment, the housing 101 may have a light emitting area 150 formed therein, and the cube 100 includes a button 160, a status display LED 171, 172, and/or a speaker 190 It may further include.

The light-emitting area 150 may be a light-emitting area formed by the light-emitting body 151. 7 and 8 illustrate an example in which the light emitting region 150 is formed in a strip shape on the other surfaces of the housing 101 except for the front and rear surfaces, but there is no particular limitation on the location, shape, or size of the region. , Depending on the embodiment, the light emitting regions 150 of various shapes and shapes may be formed at various locations.

The button 160 may be used by a user to turn on or off the cube 100.

Alternatively, the button 160 may be used to switch the mode of the cube 100. For example, when the button 160 is pressed for a certain period of time (eg, 3 seconds) while the power is turned off, the power may be turned on and a standby state may be entered. When the button 160 is pressed in the standby state, all the status display LEDs 171 and 172 are turned off, and may be converted into a sleep mode.

Each of the status display LEDs 171 and 172 may emit light of different colors. For example, the status display LED 171 may be a blue LED, and the status display LED 172 may be a green LED.

The status display LEDs 171 and 172 may display various visual effects indicating the state of the cube 100 under the control of the control device 120. For example, the status LED 171 blinks before the wireless connection with the central control terminal 200 is completed, and may be turned on after the wireless connection is completed. The status display LED 172 lights up during charging, turns off when not charging, and may flash when the state of the battery is below a certain level.

The speaker 190 may output various sounds under the control of the control device 120.

7, 8 (a) and 8 (b), charging terminals 181 and 182 may be formed on the front and rear surfaces, respectively. The charging terminal 181 may be connected to an external power source, and in some cases, may contact the charging terminal of another cube. For example, when the charging terminal 181 of the first cube 100-1 is connected to an external power source and the other charging terminal 182 contacts the charging terminal 181 of the second cube 100-2, The second cube 100 may be charged by receiving power through the first cube. In some cases, three or more cubes may be stacked in sequence and charged at the same time.

Meanwhile, the N cube-shaped unit robots 100-1 to 100-N may be coupled to each other through the above-described connector. 9 is a view for explaining that other cube-type unit robots and accessories are connected to the cube-type unit robot constituting the modular robot system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 9, a wheel-shaped rotating body 300-1 may be mounted in a mounting groove 130-1 formed on a right side of the first cube 100-1. The wheel-shaped rotating body 300-2 may also be mounted in the mounting groove 130-2 formed on the right side of the second cube 100-2. The rotating bodies 300-1 and 300-2 may be rotated by a step motor of each of the cubes 100-1 and 100-2 to which the rotating body is coupled.

On the other hand, one connector 350 is a connection groove 130-1 formed on the left side of the first cube 100-1 and a connection groove 130-2 formed on the left side of the second cube 100-2. ) Can be mounted. In this way, the two cubes 100-1 and 100-2 may be connected to each other through the connection body 350.

In the case of FIG. 9, two cubes 100-1 and 100-2 connected to each other, rotating bodies 130-1 and 130-2 connected to each cube, and a connection connecting two cubes 100-1 and 100-2 The central control terminal 200 that controls the sieve 350 and the two cubes 100-1 and 100-2 may constitute a complete modular robot system.

9 is only showing a very simple form of a modular romot for convenience of understanding and description, it goes without saying that depending on the embodiment, three or more cubes and various types of accessories may be mounted. A wide variety of robots can be implemented by varying the assembly method or accessories of the unit cube. That is, according to the technical idea of the present invention, there is an effect that a complete modular robot of various shapes can be implemented by combining a simple cube in various ways.

As described above, the central control terminal 200 is wirelessly connected to the plurality of cubes 100 and can control them. Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 10A and 10B, the central control terminal 200 includes a plurality of cubes ( 100) will be described in the wireless connection process.

10A is a diagram illustrating a process in which the central control terminal 200 and a plurality of cubes 100 are connected. 10A shows an example in which four cubes are connected.

Referring to FIG. 10A, the central control terminal 200 and the first cube 100-1 may be wirelessly connected by a predetermined wireless communication method (eg, Bluetooth) (S100-1).

Thereafter, the central control terminal 200 may assign a unique identification number 1 to the first connected cube (ie, the first cube 100-1) (S110-1), and the first The cube 100-1 may emit light with a color corresponding to the unique identification number 1 (S120-1).

In more detail, it is as follows. Each unique identification number may be assigned a unique color. For example, red for identification number 1, blue for identification number 2, green color for identification number 3, and yellow color for identification number 4 are pre-designated, and the control device 120 of each cube has previously stored such corresponding information. In FIG. 10B, it is assumed that the color corresponding to the identification number is designated as such.

The control unit 120-1 included in the first cube 100-1 may receive a unique identification number 1 given by the central control terminal 200, and the reception through the light emitting area 150-1 The light emitter 151-1 may be controlled so that light of a color corresponding to one unique identification number ID ₁ is emitted. For example, the control unit 120-1 of the first cube 100-1 may emit red light corresponding to the identification number 1.

Meanwhile, the central control terminal 200 and the second cube 100-2 may be wirelessly connected through the wireless communication method (eg, Bluetooth) (S100-2).

Thereafter, the central control terminal 200 may assign a unique identification number 2 to the second connected cube (ie, the second cube 100-2) (S110-2), and The 2 cube 100-2 may emit light with a color corresponding to the unique identification number 2 (S120-2). For example, the second cube 100-2 may emit blue light corresponding to the identification number 2.

Meanwhile, the central control terminal 200 and the third cube 100-3 may be wirelessly connected through the wireless communication method (eg, Bluetooth) (S100-3).

Thereafter, the central control terminal 200 may assign a unique identification number 3 to the third connected cube (ie, the third cube 100-3) (S110-3), and The 3 cube 100-3 may emit light with a color corresponding to the unique identification number 3 (S120-3). For example, the third cube 100-3 may emit green light corresponding to identification number 3.

Meanwhile, the central control terminal 200 and the fourth cube 100-4 may be wirelessly connected through the wireless communication method (eg, Bluetooth) (S100-4).

Thereafter, the central control terminal 200 may assign a unique identification number 4 to the fourth connected cube (ie, the fourth cube 100-4) (S110-4), and The 4 cube 100-4 may emit light with a color corresponding to the unique identification number 4 (S120-3). For example, the fourth cube 100-4 may emit yellow light corresponding to the identification number 4.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, each cube constituting one modular romot emits light of different colors corresponding to a designated unique number, so that the user can easily distinguish the cube of the same shape. There is.

10B is a flowchart illustrating a process of connecting the central control terminal 200 and the cube 100 from the perspective of the central control terminal.

Referring to FIG. 10B, the central control terminal 200 may select a group i, which is one of groups 1 to N (S200). Group i (where i is an integer of 1<=i<=N) may refer to a group of modular robots that can be created using i cubes. In addition, at least one model may be included in the group i, and the model may mean one completed modular robot that can be made using i cubes.

In an embodiment, the user may select a group through a group selection user interface (UI) output from the central control terminal 200. 11A is a diagram illustrating an example of a group selection UI. The group selection UI() of FIG. 11A may include icons corresponding to groups 1 to N, and a user may designate one of the icons and select a corresponding group.

Referring to FIG. 10B again, one of the models included in the group selected by the central control terminal 200 may be selected (S210). In an embodiment, the user may select a model through the model selection UI output from the central control terminal 200. 11B is a diagram illustrating an example of a model selection UI. 11B illustrates a case in which group 2 is previously selected as an example. In the model selection UI of FIG. 11B, the user can select a desired model.

Referring to FIG. 10B again, the central control terminal 200 may determine whether there are i cubes currently connected (S220), and if not, wait for a wireless connection of a new cube (S230).

When a wireless connection with a new cube is established, the central control terminal 200 may assign a new unique identification number to the newly wirelessly connected cube (S240 and S250).

On the other hand, the cube wirelessly connected to the central control terminal 200 and given a unique identification number can emit light of a color corresponding to the assigned unique identification number through the light emitting area, as described above with reference to FIG. 10A. have.

By repeating this process, the central control terminal 200 may be wirelessly connected to i cubes.

When the central control terminal 200 is wirelessly connected to i cubes, one of at least one activity that can be performed by the modular robot corresponding to the model selected in step S210 may be selected (S260), and the selected activity is modular. A predetermined control process to be performed by the robot may be performed (S270).

In an embodiment, the user may select a model through an activity selection UI output from the central control terminal 200. 11C is a diagram illustrating an example of an activity selection UI. 11C illustrates a case in which a model named “AutoCar” is selected. In the example of FIG. 11C, the modular robot corresponding to the "AutoCar" model includes a control activity by a joystick, a drawing activity that moves while drawing a trajectory of the same shape as a picture drawn by a user, and a dance mode activity that moves along a predetermined trajectory. can do. The user can select one of at least one activity specified in the model.

Data defining each activity may be expressed in the form of a lookup table corresponding to the activity. In this case, the lookup table may include a descriptor of a step motor control sequence corresponding to each cube constituting a modular robot performing an activity.

The step motor control sequence may be a list of step motor control operations performed by one cube 100 (more precisely, the control device 120 included in the cube). For example, the step motor control sequence may include a list of the number of pulses per unit time. The descriptor of the step motor control sequence may be data in a storable form for defining the step motor control sequence.

Meanwhile, as described above, a unique identification number is previously assigned to each cube, and each step motor control sequence may correspond to a unique identification number assigned to the cube one-to-one.

12 is a diagram illustrating an example of a lookup table including a descriptor of a step motor control sequence defining one activity. The lookup table of FIG. 12 defines specific activities that a modular robot including four cubes can perform.

As shown in FIG. 12, the lookup table 1000 for expressing one activity may include descriptors 1100-1 to 1100-4 of four step motor control sequences.

The first cube 100-1 assigned with the identification number 1 can perform the first step motor control sequence 100-1, and the second cube 100-2 with the identification number 2 assigned the second step The motor control sequence 1000-2 can be performed, and the third cube 100-3 assigned with the identification number 3 can perform the third step motor control sequence 1000-3, and the identification number 4 is The assigned fourth cube may perform the fourth step motor control sequence 1000-4.

In the example of FIG. 12, the first cube 100-1 rotates the step motor by 30 pulses for each unit time. On the other hand, the third cube 100-3 rotates the step motor reversely by 30 pulses for each unit time. The second cube 100-2 repeats 60 pulse rotation, 30 pulse reverse rotation, and 90 pulse rotation. The fourth cube repeats 60 pulse rotation, 90 pulse rotation, and 120 pulse rotation.

The step motor control sequence of FIG. 12 is only an example, and there may be a step motor control sequence having various values that are precisely adjusted according to an activity. In addition, the form of the step motor control sequence can be varied, and any form that can individually define the rotational motion of the step motor included in each cube may be used. For example, the step motor control sequence may consist of a list of <drive time, pulse> values. In this case, one value may represent the rotational pulse of the stepper motor during a specific driving time.

As described above, according to an embodiment of the present invention, there is an effect of implementing various movements only by adjusting only the step motor control sequence to be performed by each cube.

Meanwhile, in another embodiment, the step motor control sequence may include a list of rotation angles of the step motor based on the origin of the step motor. For example, the step motor control sequence may be in the form of [30, 60, 30, -30], which must be rotated during the first unit time and moved to a position of 30 degrees from the origin. The motor must rotate and move to a position of 60 degrees from the origin, and the motor must rotate in reverse for the next unit time and move to a position of 30 degrees from the origin, and for the next unit time, the motor must rotate and move to a position of -30 degrees from the origin Defines the action to be performed.

Meanwhile, in an embodiment, a lookup table including a step motor control sequence descriptor may be stored in the central control terminal 200. In this case, the central control terminal 200 may individually transmit a step motor control sequence to be performed in each cube before executing the activity to the corresponding cube in advance.

In another embodiment, the lookup table may be previously stored in each cube (to be precise, the control device 120 of the cube). In this case, each cube can extract a control sequence to be performed by itself from the lookup table and perform it.

In one embodiment, each cube may store all lookup tables corresponding to each of all activities that the cube can perform. You can extract the control sequence and do it.

On the other hand, if the weight of an external object connected to the rotation axis of the stepper motor of each cube (for example, a connector or a rotating body, or another cube connected by a connector or a rotating body) is too heavy, the origin point due to the phenomenon that the motor is idle. In this case, the stepper motor control position recognizes that the motor has moved at a specific angle because a specific pulse is given, but there may be a problem that the rotation axis of the actual motor is located at a different angle. Therefore, this problem is solved. In order to do so, when configuring an activity that can be performed by each cube, a step motor control sequence to be performed in each cube may be configured to go back and forth based on the origin.

Meanwhile, in order for one modular robot composed of N cubes to properly perform a predetermined activity, all of the N cubes need to perform a step motor control sequence at the correct timing. Accordingly, a process of synchronizing the N cubes and a process of controlling the step motor by each of the synchronized N cubes are required. Hereinafter, this process performed will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 13.

13 is a diagram showing a synchronization and activity execution process performed by each cube-type unit robot and a central control terminal. In FIG. 13, each step is shown on a timeline based on a timer operated in the central control terminal 200. Meanwhile, FIG. 13 will be described based on a modular robot composed of three cubes.

Referring to FIG. 13, the central control terminal 200 may transmit synchronization information to each cube. In this case, each synchronization information includes corresponding synchronization information measured based on a timer operated by the central control terminal 200. It may include transmission time information.

In more detail, the central control terminal 200 may transmit synchronization information to the first cube 100-1 at time T ₁ (S300 ). The synchronization information may include information about the transmission time T ₁ of the synchronization information.

Upon receiving the synchronization information, the first cube 100-1 may memorize the transmission time T ₁ of the synchronization information, start a timer that it has, and transmit a response signal Ack to the central control terminal (S310). .

In addition, the central control terminal 200 may transmit synchronization information to the second cube 100-2 at a time point T ₂ (S320 ). The synchronization information may include information on the transmission time T ₂ of the synchronization information.

Upon receiving the synchronization information, the second cube 100-2 may memorize the transmission time T ₂ of the synchronization information, start a timer that it has, and transmit a response signal Ack to the central control terminal (S330). .

In addition, the central control terminal 200 may transmit synchronization information to the third cube 100-3 at time T ₃ (S340). Synchronization information may include information on transmission time T ₃ of the synchronization information.

After receiving the synchronization information, the third cube 100-3 may memorize the transmission time T ₃ of the synchronization information, start a timer that it has, and transmit a response signal Ack to the central control terminal (S330). .

After receiving the last Ack, the central control terminal 200 may transmit a control sequence start command to the first to third cubes 100-1 to 100-3. In this case, the control sequence start command may include start time (T _start ) information calculated based on a timer operated by the central control terminal 200.

The central control terminal 200 determines a time point after a certain period of time from the time point when the last Ack is received as a start point (T _start ), and at this time, sufficiently considers the time at which signals/data are transmitted to each cube through wireless communication. To decide. The central control terminal 200 may determine the _start time T _start with sufficient time margin so that the start time T _start may arrive after the control sequence start command is transmitted to all cubes.

On the other hand, since each cube is synchronized based on the timer of the central control terminal 200, it is included in the control sequence start command using its own timer and the transmission time of synchronization information included in the synchronization information received by itself. It is possible to know whether the present start point (T _start ) has arrived. Accordingly, each cube starts to perform a step motor control sequence corresponding to a unique identification number assigned to itself at the start point T _start (S370-1, S370-2, S370-3).

On the other hand, the user can customize the modular robot to operate in the way he wants by directly creating a step motor control sequence to be executed by each cube to develop a new activity or by modifying the previously defined step motor control sequence. To this end, the central control terminal 200 may provide a UI that allows a user to create/modify a step motor control sequence.

Meanwhile, in the above-described embodiment, since the cube-shaped unit robot has a shape of a cube, a case may occur when a user assembles in an incorrect shape. The cube-type unit robot according to another embodiment of the present invention may have a technical configuration to compensate for this disadvantage, which will be described with reference to FIGS. 14 and 15.

FIG. 14 is a view showing the overall appearance of a cube-type unit robot according to another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 15 is a view showing each surface of the cube-type unit robot shown in FIG. 14.

Referring to FIG. 14, a cube-shaped unit robot according to an embodiment may include a cube-shaped housing 300, and a step motor may be installed inside the housing 300.

As shown in FIGS. 14 and 15(a), a mounting groove 320 may be formed on one surface of the housing 300 in which a rotating body rotating by a rotating shaft of a step motor can be mounted. In addition, as shown in FIGS. 14 and 15(b) to 8(f), connection grooves 331 to 335 may be formed on the remaining five surfaces of the housing 300.

Meanwhile, different types of unique identification marks that can be distinguished from each other may be formed on the remaining five surfaces of the housing 300. According to an embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 15(a) to 15(e), a mark 341 in the shape of a ○ is formed on the front surface of the housing 300 (FIG. 15(a)), and the left side (Fig. 15(b)) has a □-shaped mark 342, a △-shaped mark 343 is formed on the back (Fig. 15(c)), and a ☆ shape on the right side (Fig. 15(d)) The mark 344 of is formed, and a mark 345 in the shape of ♡ may be formed on the plane (upper side) (Fig. 15(e)).

15 illustrates an embodiment in which there is no separate mark on the bottom (lower side), but it goes without saying that a unique identification mark that can be distinguished from other marks may be further formed on the bottom according to the embodiment. That is, there may be embodiments in which unique identification marks of different types that can be distinguished from each other are formed on all six surfaces of the housing 300.

According to the embodiment described with reference to FIGS. 14 and 15, by allowing a user to easily distinguish each surface of a unit robot having a shape of a cube, it is possible to provide convenience for combining each unit robot in a correct posture. have.

On the other hand, except for external differences, most of the technical matters described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 13 can be applied to the unit-type cube robot according to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 14 and 11, in the technical field of the present invention. Those of ordinary skill will be able to understand it easily.

The above description of the present invention is for illustrative purposes only, and those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains will be able to understand that it can be easily modified into other specific forms without changing the technical spirit or essential features of the present invention. will be. Therefore, it should be understood that the embodiments described above are illustrative and non-limiting in all respects. For example, each component described as a single type may be implemented in a distributed manner, and similarly, components described as being distributed may also be implemented in a combined form.

The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims to be described later rather than the detailed description, and all changes or modified forms derived from the meaning and scope of the claims and their equivalent concepts should be construed as being included in the scope of the present invention. .

Claims (19)

A step motor rotating about a rotation axis by a given pulse; And
Including a control device for determining the origin on the outer peripheral surface of the rotation shaft of the step motor,
An origin identification portion indicating the origin is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the rotation shaft of the step motor,
The control device,
An optical sensor emitting light toward the outer circumferential surface of the rotating shaft of the step motor; And
Step motor assembly comprising a control module for determining the origin based on the signal output from the optical sensor.
The method of claim 1,
A step motor assembly in which a protrusion-shaped origin identification portion representing the origin is formed on an outer peripheral surface of the rotation shaft of the step motor.
The method of claim 2,
A step motor assembly, wherein a first portion of the outer circumferential surface of the rotation shaft of the step motor has a different light reflection characteristic from the second portion of the outer circumferential surface of the rotation shaft of the step motor except for the first portion.
The method of claim 1,
The origin identification portion has a first light reflection characteristic, the left half of the origin identification portion of the outer peripheral surface of the rotation axis of the step motor has a second light reflection characteristic, and the origin identification of the outer peripheral surface of the rotation axis of the step motor The right half of the site has a third light reflection property,
The step motor assembly, wherein the first light reflection characteristic, the second light reflection characteristic, and the third light reflection characteristic are different light reflection characteristics.
A step motor rotating about a rotation axis by a given pulse; And
Including a control device for determining the origin on the outer peripheral surface of the rotation shaft of the step motor,
The control device,
An optical sensor emitting light toward the outer circumferential surface of the rotating shaft of the step motor; And
A control module for determining the origin based on a signal output from the optical sensor,
The left half of the origin identification portion of the outer circumferential surface of the rotation axis of the step motor continuously decreases as the distance from the center of the rotation axis of the step motor increases from the origin to the opposite side of the origin,
A step motor assembly, characterized in that the distance from the center of the rotation axis of the step motor continuously increases as the distance from the center of the rotation axis of the step motor increases from the opposite side to the origin on the outer circumferential surface of the rotation shaft of the step motor.
A step motor rotating about a rotation axis by a given pulse; And
Including a control device for determining the origin on the outer peripheral surface of the rotation shaft of the step motor,
The control device,
An optical sensor emitting light toward the outer circumferential surface of the rotating shaft of the step motor; And
A control module for determining the origin based on a signal output from the optical sensor,
The left half of the origin identification portion of the outer circumferential surface of the rotation axis of the step motor continuously increases as the distance from the center of the rotation axis of the step motor increases from the origin to the opposite side of the origin,
A step motor assembly, characterized in that the distance from the center of the rotation axis of the step motor continuously decreases from the opposite side to the origin on the right half of the outer peripheral surface of the rotation shaft of the step motor.
A modular robot system comprising N cube-type unit robots (where N is an integer of 2 or more),
Each of the N cube-type unit robots,
A cube-shaped housing; And
Including a step motor assembly installed in the housing,
The step motor assembly,
A step motor rotating about a rotation axis by a given pulse; And
Including a control device for determining the origin on the outer peripheral surface of the rotation shaft of the step motor,
An origin identification portion indicating the origin is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the rotation shaft of the step motor,
The control device,
An optical sensor emitting light toward the outer circumferential surface of the rotating shaft of the step motor; And
And a control module for determining the origin based on a signal output from the optical sensor,
A mounting groove is formed on one side of the housing into which a rotating body rotating by the rotation shaft of the step motor can be mounted, and a connection groove of the same shape is formed on the other surface of the housing, and a connection mounted on the connection groove A modular robot system that can be connected to other cube-shaped unit robots through a sieve.
A modular robot system comprising N cube-type unit robots (where N is an integer of 2 or more),
Each of the N cube-type unit robots,
A cube-shaped housing; And
Including a step motor assembly installed in the housing,
The step motor assembly,
A step motor rotating about a rotation axis by a given pulse; And
Including a control device for determining the origin on the outer peripheral surface of the rotation shaft of the step motor,
The control device,
An optical sensor emitting light toward the outer circumferential surface of the rotating shaft of the step motor; And
A control module for determining the origin based on a signal output from the optical sensor,
In the left half of the outer peripheral surface of the rotation shaft of the step motor, the distance from the center of the rotation axis of the step motor decreases continuously from the origin to the opposite side of the origin, and the rotation axis of the step motor Of the outer circumferential surface, on the right half of the origin identification portion, the distance from the center of the rotation axis of the step motor increases continuously from the opposite side to the origin,
A mounting groove is formed on one side of the housing into which a rotating body rotating by the rotation shaft of the step motor can be mounted, and a connection groove of the same shape is formed on the other surface of the housing, and a connection mounted on the connection groove A modular robot system that can be connected to other cube-shaped unit robots through a sieve.
The method according to claim 7 or 8,
The control unit,
Receiving any one of different unique identification numbers assigned to each of the N cube-type unit robots,
A unique identification number received from among N predefined step motor control sequences (here, N unique identification numbers transmitted to each of the N cube-type unit robots and the N predefined step motor control sequences correspond to each other one-to-one) A modular robot system that performs a step motor control sequence corresponding to.
The method of claim 9,
The cube-type unit robot,
Further comprising a light emitter emitting light through the light emitting region formed in the housing,
The control unit,
A modular robot system that controls the light emitter so that light of a color corresponding to the received unique identification number is emitted through the light emitting area.
The method according to claim 7 or 8,
The modular robot system further comprises a central control terminal,
The central control terminal,
Each of the N cube-type unit robots is given a unique identification number that can be distinguished from each other,
The control unit,
The cube-type unit robot among N predefined step motor control sequences (here, N unique identification numbers transmitted to each of the N cube-type unit robots and the N predefined step motor control sequences correspond to each other one-to-one) A modular robot system that performs a step motor control sequence corresponding to the unique identification number of.
The method of claim 11,
The control unit,
Store a lookup table including descriptors of each of the N step motor control sequences defined in advance,
Extracting a step motor control sequence descriptor corresponding to the unique identification number of the cube-type unit robot from the stored look-up table,
A modular robot system that performs a step motor control sequence based on the extracted step motor control sequence descriptor.
The method of claim 12,
Descriptors of each of the N step motor control sequences,
Modular robot system including a list of the number of pulses per unit time.
The method of claim 11,
The central control terminal,
To each of the N cube-type unit robots, a step motor control sequence descriptor corresponding to a unique identification number corresponding to the cube-type unit robot is transmitted,
The control unit,
A modular robot system that performs a step motor control sequence based on the step motor control sequence descriptor transmitted to the cube-shaped unit robot.
The method of claim 11,
The central control terminal,
Transmit synchronization information to each of the N cube-type unit robots,
After transmitting all synchronization information to the N cube-type unit robots, a control sequence start command is transmitted to each of the N cube-type unit robots,
The synchronization information includes transmission time information of the synchronization information measured based on a timer operating in the central control terminal,
The control sequence start command includes start time information calculated based on a timer operating in the central control terminal,
The control unit,
When synchronization information is transmitted to the cube-type unit robot, it starts its own timer,
When a control sequence start command is transmitted to the cube-type unit robot, a step motor control sequence is started at the start time by using the transmission time of the synchronization information included in the synchronization information and the self-timer.
The method according to claim 7 or 8,
Any one of the N cube-type unit robots serves as a central control terminal,
The cube-type unit robot serving as the central control terminal,
Each of the N cube-type unit robots is given a unique identification number that can be distinguished from each other,
The control unit,
The cube-type unit robot among N predefined step motor control sequences (here, N unique identification numbers transmitted to each of the N cube-type unit robots and the N predefined step motor control sequences correspond to each other one-to-one) A modular robot system that performs a step motor control sequence corresponding to the unique identification number of.
The method of claim 16,
Each of the N cube-type unit robots,
Further comprising a reader device capable of recognizing information stored in a predetermined recording medium,
A modular robot, characterized in that when the recording medium is recognized by any one of the reader devices included in the N cube-type unit robots, a cube-type unit robot including a corresponding reader device serves as the central control terminal. system.
As a cube-type unit robot,
A cube-shaped housing; And
Including a step motor assembly installed in the housing,
The step motor assembly,
A step motor rotating about a rotation axis by a given pulse; And
It is installed to be spaced apart from the step motor, and includes a control device for determining the origin on the outer peripheral surface of the rotating shaft of the step motor
An origin identification portion indicating the origin is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the rotation shaft of the step motor,
The control device,
An optical sensor emitting light toward the outer circumferential surface of the rotating shaft of the step motor; And
And a control module for determining the origin based on a signal output from the optical sensor,
A mounting groove is formed on one side of the housing into which a rotating body rotating by the rotation shaft of the step motor can be mounted, and a connection groove of the same shape is formed on the other surface of the housing, and a connection mounted on the connection groove A cube-shaped unit robot that can be connected to other cube-shaped unit robots through a sieve.
As a cube-type unit robot,
A cube-shaped housing; And
Including a step motor assembly installed in the housing,
The step motor assembly,
A step motor rotating about a rotation axis by a given pulse; And
Including a control device for determining the origin on the outer peripheral surface of the rotation shaft of the step motor,
The control device,
An optical sensor emitting light toward the outer circumferential surface of the rotating shaft of the step motor; And
A control module for determining the origin based on a signal output from the optical sensor,
In the left half of the outer peripheral surface of the rotation shaft of the step motor, the distance from the center of the rotation axis of the step motor decreases continuously from the origin to the opposite side of the origin, and the rotation axis of the step motor Of the outer circumferential surface, on the right half of the origin identification portion, the distance from the center of the rotation axis of the step motor increases continuously from the opposite side to the origin,
A mounting groove is formed on one side of the housing into which a rotating body rotating by the rotation shaft of the step motor can be mounted, and a connection groove of the same shape is formed on the other surface of the housing, and a connection mounted on the connection groove A cube-shaped unit robot that can be connected to other cube-shaped unit robots through a sieve.

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