WO2020230978A1

WO2020230978A1 - Serving robot

Info

Publication number: WO2020230978A1
Application number: PCT/KR2020/000696
Authority: WO
Inventors: 정호정
Original assignee: 주식회사 알지티
Priority date: 2019-05-16
Filing date: 2020-01-14
Publication date: 2020-11-19

Abstract

A serving robot according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises: an accommodation unit in which a plurality of plates for accommodating food are arranged spaced apart from each other at predetermined intervals so as to form a multilayer structure; a control unit which generates a control signal for moving the serving robot to a target table; a driving unit which moves the serving robot on the basis of the control signal; and an output unit which outputs a serving completion signal for delivering the food to the target table. When the serving robot reaches the target table, the control unit generates the serving completion signal and transmits the serving completion signal to the output unit.

Description

Serving Robot

The present invention relates to a serving robot, and more specifically, a plurality of plates on which food can be placed are arranged in a form spaced apart by a predetermined interval in the vertical direction to form a multi-layered structure. It relates to a serving robot that moves and guides customers to take food through voice or display.

In companies that provide services such as restaurants, employees work to respond to customers. In addition to the recent service response problem, the introduction of a 52-hour workweek and a minimum wage increase, which intensifies the burden of labor costs, and the unmanned system that does not employ employees is rapidly progressing. In particular, kiosk, an unmanned comprehensive information information system that provides unmanned orders and payments, is being actively used by service companies.

However, in the case of services that provide food such as dishes or beverages completed through cooking or processing, the development of unmanned technology is insufficient. In addition to the above-described order and payment, there is a continuous demand for the development of technology to enable unmanned service provision in connection with serving to deliver finished food to customers.

On the other hand, the development of intelligent robot technology is actively progressing for various reasons such as replacement of labor costs, response to aging, enhancement of industrial competitiveness, and strengthening of national defense power. Robots are widely used in industries such as medical, agriculture, safety, and marine, but the development of serving robots for serving in restaurants is lagging behind.

As a prior patent document, there is KR2001-0106845A.

The present invention has been devised in accordance with the technical development requirements as described above, and in detail, an object of the present invention is to provide a robot for unmanned serving in operating a service that provides food.

As an embodiment of the present invention, a serving robot may be provided.

In the serving robot according to an embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of plates for receiving food are arranged in a form spaced apart at a predetermined interval to form a multilayer structure, and a control signal for moving the serving robot to the target table is transmitted. It includes a generated control unit, a driving unit for moving the serving robot based on the control signal, and an output unit for performing an operation for delivering food to the target table.

When the serving robot reaches the target table, the control unit may generate a serving completion signal and transmit it to the output unit. Accordingly, the output unit performs a predetermined operation based on the serving complete signal.

The output unit of the serving robot according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a speaker module, an LED module, and a display module that operate based on the serving complete signal.

The display module of the serving robot according to an embodiment of the present invention may be attached to at least one of a plurality of plates.

The display module may be attached to one surface (eg, an upper surface) of the plate in an inclined form.

In the serving robot according to an embodiment of the present invention, an LED module may be provided at the edges of a plurality of plates, and the control unit illuminates an LED module provided on a plate containing food to be provided to a customer among the plurality of plates. Serving complete signal can be generated.

In the serving robot according to an embodiment of the present invention, the driving unit is a power supply unit that generates a driving force, at least one steering unit that changes the traveling direction of the serving robot, and at least one that drives the serving robot using the driving force. It can be provided with the above conveying part.

The power supply unit may be disposed in a housing provided under a lowermost plate among a plurality of plates, and a steering unit and a transfer unit may be disposed on a bottom surface of the housing.

The steering unit and the transfer unit may be a pair of driving wheels disposed on both sides of the bottom surface of the housing. At the front and rear of the bottom surface of the housing, driven wheels may be further provided to follow the moving direction of the serving robot that is moved by the driving wheel.

In the serving robot according to an embodiment of the present invention, the serving robot may move along a track provided in advance. To this end, the serving robot may further include a first sensor unit for detecting a track and a second sensor unit for detecting an object located around or in front of the serving robot.

At least one hole is provided on the plate, and a support part that moves up and down along an inner surface of the hole is provided inside the hole, and the support part may move upward based on a serving completion signal from the control unit.

The plate includes a rail module extending in a front-rear direction and a tray moving part that can protrude forward from the plate by moving in a forward-rearward direction on the rail module, and the tray moving part can move forward based on a serving completion signal from the controller have.

The plate is provided with a tag recognition unit for recognizing an electronic tag placed on the plate, and the control unit may check whether the order information of the electronic tag recognized by the tag recognition unit matches the order signal stored in the serving robot.

Some or all of the receiving part may be detachable from the serving robot body.

The serving robot may be equipped with a module 690 for performing functions other than serving. The module 690 may be additionally mounted on the serving robot or may be mounted in place of some or all of the receiving part 11.

According to the serving robot provided as an embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to solve labor cost problems and service quality problems in restaurants through unmanned operation using the serving robot, and there is an effect of attracting customers.

1 and 2 are perspective views showing a serving robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.

3 is an example attempt showing the front and rear surfaces of the serving robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.

4 is a side view showing a serving robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.

5 is a plan view showing a serving robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.

6 is a bottom view showing a serving robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.

7 and 8 are exemplary diagrams illustrating a state in which a display module outputs a serving completion signal in the serving robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.

9 is an exemplary view showing a state in which a menu for an order is provided from a display module in the serving robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.

10 is an exemplary diagram illustrating a process of placing an order in a display module in a serving robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.

11 is an exemplary view showing a support part provided on a plate in the serving robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.

12 is an exemplary view showing a state in which a tray is movable through a plate in the serving robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.

13 is an exemplary view showing a state in which an additional housing formed in a form surrounding a receiving part and an additional display module are further included in the serving robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.

14 is an exemplary view showing a serving robot for garbage collection according to an embodiment of the present invention.

15 is a diagram showing a control system of a serving robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.

10: serving robot 11: receiving portion 110: plate 111: first plate 112: second plate 113: third plate 115: weighing sensor 117: tag recognition portion 120: column frame 130: rail module 140: tray moving portion 150: First sensor unit 160: second sensor unit 170: position measurement sensor 180: hole 190: support unit 20: control unit 210: data storage unit 23: driving unit control signal 24: serving completion signal 30: driving unit 310: power supply unit 320: Steering unit 330: transfer unit 340: drive wheel 350: driven wheel 40: output unit 430: display module 431: tilt adjustment unit 432: order information 433: order correction display 434: payment display 435: employee call display (second input unit) 436 : Pickup complete indication (1st input part) 437: Additional order indication (3rd input part) 439: Menu 455: Pickup information 456: 1st arrow 457: 2nd arrow 485: Table confirmation display (4th input part) 470: LED module 490: speaker module 50: tray 51: electronic tag 600: housing 610: receiving hole 650: additional housing 690: additional display module 70: power supply unit 80: communication unit 90: microphone M: track

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

As an embodiment of the present invention, a serving robot 10 may be provided.

1 to 6 and 15, the serving robot 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a receiving unit 11 for receiving food, a control unit 20 for controlling the serving robot 10, and , And a driving unit 30 for moving the serving robot 10, and an output unit 40 for performing an operation for delivering food from the target table.

The receiving part 11 is provided on the serving robot 10 and includes a plurality of plates 110 arranged in a form spaced apart at predetermined intervals to form a multi-layered structure. Food is placed on the upper surface of the plate 110. That is, food is accommodated in the upper space of each

plate

111, 112, 113.

The control unit 20 controls the serving robot 10 overall. For example, the control unit 20 generates a control signal for moving the serving robot 10 to a target table. In addition, when the serving robot 10 arrives at the target table, the control unit 20 outputs a serving completion signal 24 and transmits it to the output unit 40.

The driving unit 30 moves the serving robot 10 based on a control signal from the control unit 20.

The output unit 40 operates based on the serving complete signal 24. When the serving robot 10 reaches the target table, the output unit 40 transmits the food received in the receiving unit 11 to the target table based on the serving completion signal 24 Inform the customer that the ordered food has been brought. For example, a customer may sense a visual and/or audible signal and/or motion generated by the output unit 40 by the serving complete signal 24, and move the food to his/her table.

After confirming that the serving robot 10 has reached the target table, the control unit 20 may generate a serving completion signal 24 and transmit it to the output unit 40.

The receiving part 11 of the serving robot 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention is formed in a form in which a plurality of plates are provided in a multilayer. Food may be accommodated on each of the plates 110. In the embodiment, as shown in Figs. 1 to 6, three plates 110 are provided to illustrate that the receiving portion is formed in a three-layer structure, but this is only an example, and as well as two layers, a multilayer of four or more layers It is obvious that it can be formed into a structure.

In addition, although the embodiment illustrates that the plate 110 is a disk shape, the plate 110 may be formed in various shapes such as a disk shape and a square shape. In addition, the plurality of plates 110 may be formed in different shapes, respectively. For example, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 6, the thickness of each plate 110 may be formed differently. However, it is preferable that the plurality of plates 110 are all formed in a flat shape so that the food placed on the top surface of the plate 110 can be transferred to the customer's table without shaking.

The plurality of plates 110 may be connected through at least one or more pillar frames 120. In the embodiment, a structure in which a plurality of plates 110 are connected to each other through three pillar frames 120 is illustrated. The three pillar frames 120 are disposed on the left, right and rear sides of the plate 110 so that the upper space of the plate 110 is opened to the front.

The control unit 20 of the serving robot 10 according to an embodiment generates a driving unit control signal 23 for moving the serving robot 10 to the target table as described above, and the serving robot 10 is Upon reaching the table, a serving complete signal 24 is generated, and in addition, the overall operation of the serving robot 10 is controlled. For example, the controller 20 may control the operation of the driving unit 30, the output unit 40, the power supply unit 70, and the communication unit 80 of the serving robot 10 as shown in FIG. 15.

The driving unit control signal 23 of the controller 20 may be a signal for controlling the operation of the driving unit 30 so that the serving robot 10 moves to the target table. The driving unit control signal 23 is based on information related to movement, such as a movement path, movement speed, and starting point for the serving robot 10 to move from the starting point (Ex. kitchen) to the destination point (Ex. target table). It may be a generated signal. The target table is a table in which food ordered by an orderer (Ex. customer) is provided, and the target table may refer not only to a simple table, but also to all places reserved by the orderer or to receive services.

The serving complete signal 24 is a control signal that causes the output unit 40 to perform an operation to inform the orderer that the serving has been completed. The output unit 40 performs an alarm function to inform the orderer that the ordered food has reached the target table based on the serving completion signal 24. That is, when the serving robot 10 completes the movement to the target table while receiving the food and the food reaches the target table, the output unit 40 indicates that the food has arrived and the location of the food (food on a plate). Recognition) to the customer. These notifications include visual notifications using the display module 430, audible notifications using the speaker module 490, and/or visual notifications using the LED module 470, a support unit 190 or a tray moving unit 140 to be described later. ) May include a motion notification.

In the serving robot 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention, the driving unit 30 includes a power supply unit 310 generating a driving force, and at least one steering unit 320 for changing the direction of the serving robot 10 And it may include at least one or more transfer unit 330 for driving the serving robot 10 according to the driving force.

A housing 600 is provided below the lowermost plate 130 of the plurality of plates 110, and a steering unit for moving the serving robot 10 in contact with the floor at the lower end of the housing 600 320 and the transfer unit 330 may be disposed.

There is no limitation on the type of driving force generated through the power supply unit 310. For example, the driving force may be a rotational force or a linear movement force. In addition, there is no limitation on how the power supply unit 310 generates a driving force. For example, the power supply unit may include an electric motor, a compressor, and the like.

The steering unit 320 changes the direction of the serving robot 10. And the transfer unit 330 drives the serving robot 10. The steering unit 320 and the transfer unit 330 may be provided as separate wheels, respectively, or may be integrated on the same wheel as in the embodiment. Referring to FIGS. 2 and 6, in an embodiment, two driving wheels 340 disposed on the left and right form a steering unit 320 and a transfer unit 330. The two driving wheels 340 may be, for example, in-wheel motors whose rotation direction and rotation speed are independently controlled. When the two driving wheels 340 rotate in the same direction and at the same rotational speed, the serving robot 10 may go straight forward or backward. In addition, when the two driving wheels 340 rotate at the same rotational speed in opposite directions, the serving robot 10 may rotate in place. In addition, when the two driving wheels 340 rotate in the same direction but have different rotation speeds, the serving robot 10 may move in a curved trajectory.

The driven wheel 350 is disposed back and forth so that the serving robot 10 stably stands on the floor. The driven wheel 350 rotates about a predetermined horizontal axis. In addition, the driven wheel 350 is provided on the bottom surface of the housing 600 and viewed around a predetermined vertical axis passing through the center of the receiving hole 610 accommodating the driven wheel 350. . Accordingly, the driven wheel 350 may follow the moving direction of the serving robot 10 and the direction thereof may be aligned around the vertical axis.

However, the number and arrangement of the driving wheels 340 and the driven wheels 350 are not limited to the structures described above, and the structures of the steering unit 320 and the transfer unit 330 are also not limited thereto. That is, of course, the steering unit 320 and the transfer unit 330 may each be configured as separate wheels.

The housing 600 may be provided under the serving robot 10. As shown in FIG. 2, the serving robot 10 may be provided with a receiving portion 11 including a first plate 111, a second plate 112, and a third plate 113. The housing 600 may be formed to be connected to a third plate 113 corresponding to a lowermost plate among the plurality of plates 110. That is, the housing 600 may be integrally formed with the plate 113 of the lowermost layer.

In addition, the output unit of the serving robot 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a speaker module 490, an LED module 470, and a display module 430 for notifying a customer that serving has been completed.

The speaker module 490 may be disposed at a predetermined position of the serving robot 10. For example, the speaker module 490 may be provided for each layer of a multi-layered receiving portion provided with a plurality of plates 110. In addition, the speaker module 490 may be provided on the plate 110 together with the display module 430. In addition, the speaker module 490 may be provided inside the housing 600. The speaker module 490 may convert the serving completion signal 24 into voice data and provide it to an orderer (Ex. customer) located in a target table. In addition, the speaker module 490 may provide the orderer with voice data for ordering and payment as well as voice data related to serving to the orderer.

7 and 8 are exemplary views illustrating a state in which a serving complete signal 24 is output to the display module 430 in the serving robot 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. That is, the orderer (customer) can check the displayed screen as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 through the display module 430 provided in the serving robot 10.

First, referring to FIG. 7, order information 432 and pickup information 455 of food cooked according to an order may be displayed on the screen of the display module 430. That is, the display module 430 may display order information 423 on food ordered by the orderer. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, the food ordered by the orderer is displayed on the display module 430 as "one cup of ice americano", and accordingly, the orderer can check the displayed order information 423.

In addition, pickup information 455 related to the location of food ordered from the serving robot 10 may be displayed on the display module 430. Likewise, as shown in FIG. 7, the orderer can confirm that the ordered "1 cup of ice americano" is placed on the third floor of the serving robot 10 equipped with a three-layered receiving unit through the display module 430. . In particular, first arrows 456 and second arrows 457 having different shapes, shapes and/or colors may be additionally displayed on the display module 430 so that the orderer can intuitively understand them. For example, the plate 110 on which the food ordered by the orderer and reached the target table where the orderer is placed may be indicated by a first arrow 456, and the remaining plate 110 is indicated by a second arrow 457. I can. The first arrow 456 and the second arrow 457 may have different shapes or may be displayed in different colors. Also, only one of the first arrow 456 and the second arrow 457, for example, only the first arrow 456 may be displayed to flash on the screen of the display module 430.

Additionally, the serving robot 10 may further include a first input unit 436 capable of applying a pickup complete signal. As shown in FIG. 7, the first input unit 436 may be implemented as a touch input of a pickup completion indication 436 displayed on the touch display module 430 by the orderer. The orderer may input the pickup completion signal to the control unit 20 of the serving robot 10 by touching the pickup completion indication 436 to apply a pickup completion signal. That is, a signal confirming that the food ordered by the orderer has been taken from the serving robot 10 through the pickup completion signal input by the orderer may be provided to the serving robot 10.

In addition, the serving robot 10 may further include a second input unit 435 for applying an employee call signal. The second input unit 435 may be implemented as a touch input of the employee call display 435 displayed on the touch display module 430. The orderer may input the employee call signal to the control unit 20 of the serving robot 10 by touching the employee call display 435. In order to call an employee in case a problem occurs in serving due to an error in a specific operation of the serving robot 10, the employee call signal may be input to the serving robot 10 by an orderer.

In addition, the serving robot 10 may further include a third input unit 437 capable of applying an additional order signal. The third input unit 437 may be implemented as a touch input of an additional order display 437 displayed on the display module 430. The orderer may input an additional order signal to the control unit 20 of the serving robot 10 by touching the additional order display 437. When there is food to be ordered additionally or modifying the existing order information, the orderer may input an additional order signal by touching the additional order display 437 displayed on the display module 430. In response to the input of the additional order signal, a screen for ordering may be displayed on the display module 430 of the serving robot 10 as shown in FIG. 9.

Signals that can be input to the serving robot 10 by an orderer, such as the pickup completion signal, an employee call signal, and an additional order signal, may be applied through a touch operation of the display module 430. In addition, in addition to this, the orderer enters the serving robot 10 into the standby state for voice input through the orderer's trigger voice signal, and the pickup complete signal and the employee call signal to the serving robot 10 through the orderer's voice signal. , You can also input additional order signals. To this end, the serving robot 10 may further include a microphone 90 for voice input.

Unlike the screen of the display module 430 shown in FIG. 7, the serving robot 10 may provide the order information 432 and the pickup information 455 to the orderer by displaying a screen as shown in FIG. Additionally, as shown in FIG. 8, a map indicating the location of the target table where the orderer is located may be output through the display module 430. As such, the display module 430 may display the position of the orderer's table in order to check errors that may occur in the movement of the serving robot 10.

In addition, on the display module 430, a table check mark 485 may be additionally displayed as shown in FIG. 8. When the orderer confirms that the table reached by the serving robot 10 is not the displayed table (T1 in FIG. 8), the orderer may touch the table confirmation display 485 to input a table mismatch signal. For example, if the table reached by the serving robot 10 is "Table T2" rather than "Table T1", which is the target table, since the serving robot 10 has not moved to the correct place, a table mismatch signal By inputting, the serving robot 10 may return to a starting point or search for a target table and move again. That is, the serving robot 10 may further include a fourth input unit 485 capable of applying a table mismatch signal, which can be implemented as a touch input of the table check mark 485 displayed on the display module 430. I can.

In addition, on the map, as shown in FIG. 8, a path to which the serving robot 10 has moved may be additionally displayed. The orderer can easily determine whether the serving robot 10 has arrived at the correct target position by checking the route.

The display module 430 of the serving robot 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention may be attached to one surface of at least one of the plurality of plates 110 in an inclined manner.

1, 3 and 4, the display module 430 may be installed in a shape inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the surface of the plate 110. That is, the display module 430 may have a slope of a shape that increases from a position attached to the surface of the plate 110 toward the center of the plate 110. In other words, as shown in Figs. 1 and 7, the display module 430 is installed near the edge of the plate 110, and is inclined so that the orderer existing outside the serving robot 10 can easily check it. It can be formed into a shape.

In addition, the display module 430 may be provided on a plate 110 of an arbitrary layer among a plurality of plates 110 having a multilayer structure. In an embodiment, it is provided on the top layer of the plate as shown in FIG. 1. The display module 430 may be provided on all of the plurality of plates 110, respectively.

In addition, the display module 430 may additionally include an inclination adjusting unit (refer to 431 of FIG. 14) for adjusting an inclined angle of the display module 430 from the lower surface of the plate 110. That is, since there is an angle that makes it easy to check the display module 430 for each orderer, the inclination angle of the display module 430 may be adjusted using the inclination adjustment unit 431 of the display module 430. The tilt adjustment unit 431 may be a horizontal hinge axis provided at a lower end of the display module 430. That is, the tilt adjustment unit 431 may include a tilting structure of the display module 430. In addition, although not shown, a swivel structure capable of rotating the display module 430 with respect to a vertical axis of rotation may be further included.

In the serving robot 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention, the LED module 470 may be provided at the edges of the plurality of plates 110, respectively. The control unit 20 may generate a serving complete signal 24 for causing the LED module 470 provided in the plate 110 to contain food to be provided to emit light.

That is, the first plate 111, the second plate 112, and the third plate 113 of FIG. 2 will be described as an accommodation unit 11 provided with the orderer A in the first plate 111. Ordered food A may exist, and food B ordered by orderer B may exist on the second plate 112. When the serving robot 10 is moved to the table A where the orderer A is located, the food A, not the food B, must be provided to the orderer A, so a plurality of pieces provided at the edge of the first plate 111 in which the food A is accommodated Four LED modules can be made to emit light. In addition, the LED module may repeat not only a light emission operation but also a light emission/flashing operation at predetermined time intervals. The plurality of LED modules may be spaced apart along the edge of the plate 110 at a predetermined interval.

In the serving robot 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention, the serving robot 10 may move along a previously provided track (see M in FIG. 10 ). To this end, the serving robot 10 may be provided with a first sensor unit 150 for detecting the track M.

The serving robot 10 may detect and move the track based on a line tracing algorithm. As an example, the track may be a magnetic tape attached to a floor, and the first sensor unit 150 may be a magnetic sensing sensor that senses the magnetic force of the magnetic tape. The self-sensing sensor of the first sensor unit 150 may be disposed and provided in a predetermined shape on the lower surface of the housing 600.

As another example, the first sensor unit 150 may include a light emitting unit for irradiating light to the track and a light receiving unit for sensing the light reflected from the track by being irradiated. The light-emitting part and the light-receiving part of the first sensor part 150 may be disposed in a predetermined shape on the lower surface of the housing 600.

The serving robot 10 may further include a second sensor unit 160. A plurality of second sensor units 160 may be provided along the circumferential surface of the serving robot 10. The second sensor unit 160 is for detecting an object located around the serving robot 10 and may include at least one of an object detecting sensor and a distance detecting sensor. The second sensor unit 160 may be a sensor including both the object detecting sensor and the distance detecting sensor. The object detection sensor may include at least one of an infrared sensor, a proximity sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, and a motion sensor. In addition, the distance detection sensor may include at least one of an infrared sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) sensor, and a radar sensor (Radio Detection And Ranging, RADAR). The second sensor unit 160 may also include a scanning sensor.

Unlike using the line tracking algorithm, the serving robot 10 detects objects existing within a predetermined distance from the serving robot 10 using the second sensor unit 160, and a 3D model generated through the detection You can also use to move to the destination table.

The serving robot 10 may further include a position measurement sensor 170. The position measurement sensor 170 may include at least one of a Global Positioning System (GPS) module, a Wireless Fidelity (WiFi) module, and an Inertial Measurement Unit. A user operating the serving robot 10 can check the location of the serving robot 10 in real time using the position measurement sensor 170 when the serving robot 10 moves to the target table. The user may be an operator or employee of a restaurant.

Additionally, a weighing sensor 115 may be provided at a predetermined position of the plate 110. The weighing sensor 115 measures the weight of the food accommodated in the plate 110 and provides it to the control unit 20, and the control unit 20 controls the moving speed of the serving robot 10 based on this. I can.

In addition, a communication unit 80 may be further provided in the serving robot 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The communication unit 80 may perform communication between components in the serving robot 10 of the present application, as well as communication with other devices such as an orderer terminal and a user terminal. As the communication method of the communication unit, various wired or wireless communication methods may be used. That is, the communication method is not limited to a specific communication method.

The user may transmit an order signal to the serving robot 10 using a user terminal. The order signal may be a signal generated by the user terminal according to an order for food by an orderer. That is, the user may generate an order signal using the user terminal based on order information provided from the orderer. The order information may include information related to food order, such as orderer information, ordered food information, reservation information, orderer table information, and the like, and the order signal may be a signal including the order information.

9 is an exemplary diagram illustrating a state in which a menu for an order is provided to the display module 430, and FIG. 10 is an exemplary diagram illustrating a process of placing an order in the display module 430.

9 and 10, an orderer may also input an order signal for ordering food to the serving robot 10 by using the serving robot 10. The menu shown in FIG. 9 may be displayed on the display module 430 of the serving robot 10, and the orderer may select the food to be ordered using a menu as shown in FIG. 9.

In addition, the orderer can select a table located in the restaurant. As illustrated in FIG. 10, a table map of a restaurant may be displayed on the display module 430. The user can select any one of the displayed tables.

The display module 430 may further include an order information 432, an order correction display 433, a payment display 434, and an employee call display 435 along with the table map. That is, the orderer may display the menu shown in FIG. 9 again to change the order information 432 by using the order modification display 433. In addition, the orderer may pay for food through the serving robot 10 using the payment display 434.

As such, an order signal may be generated by a user or an orderer, and the order signal may be stored in the data storage unit 210 of the serving robot 10. The control unit 20 of the serving robot 10 may check the position of the target table to which the ordered food is to be delivered based on the order signal. In addition, the controller 20 may generate a path for the serving robot 10 to move to the target table based on the order signal.

In the serving robot 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention, food is accommodated on the plate 110 in the receiving part 11 while being contained in the tray 50, and the food contained in the tray at the bottom of the tray An electronic tag 51 for inputting the order information is attached, and a tag recognition unit 117 for recognizing the electronic tag 51 disposed on the plate 110 is further provided on the plate 110. Can be included.

When the electronic tag 51 recognized by the tag recognition unit 117 is recognized, the control unit 20 provides an order signal stored in the serving robot 10 and order information input to the electronic tag 51 in the above-described process. Determine if is a match. The user may input order information for food completed through a cooking process into the electronic tag 51 of the tray 50 using the user terminal. The serving robot 10 can determine whether the information included in the order signal generated and transmitted by the orderer or user matches the order information input to the electronic tag 51 recognized by the tag recognition unit 117. have. The control unit 20 of the serving robot 10, when the order signal of the serving robot 10 and the order information input to the electronic tag 51 match, the serving robot ( It is possible to generate the driving unit control signal 23 so that 10) is moved.

11 is an exemplary view showing a support part provided on the plate 110 in the serving robot 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The support part 190 may be formed in a column shape so as to be movable vertically along an inner surface of at least one hole 180 formed on the plate 110. That is, the support portion 190 may be formed in the hole 180 provided in the plate 110 to be moved up and down. The support part 190 may move downwardly into the hole 180 to be located at a position lower than the upper surface of the plate 110. In addition, the support unit 190 moves upward along the inner surface of the hole 180 and is positioned at the same height as the top surface of the plate 110, so that the top surface of the plate 110 is generally flat, or By being positioned at a high position, the support portion 190 may protrude more upward than the upper surface of the plate 110.

When the support part 190 is moved downward, a recessed space is formed in the hole 180, and a cup or a side dish may be seated in the recessed space. On the other hand, when the serving robot 10 reaches the target table, the support unit 190 moves upward based on the serving complete signal 24 of the control unit 20 and protrudes through the support unit 190. A plate or cup can be easily obtained by the orderer.

12 is an exemplary view showing a state in which the tray 50 is movable through the plate 110 in the serving robot 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 12, the plate 110 may further include a rail module 130 extending in a front-rear direction and a tray moving part 140 movable in a front-rear direction on the rail module 130. When the serving robot 10 reaches the target table, the tray moving unit 140 can move forward along the rail module 130 based on the serving completion signal 24 of the control unit 20, and thus Accordingly, the orderer can easily obtain the tray 50 located on the plate 110.

13 is an exemplary view showing a state in which an additional housing 650 formed in a form surrounding the rear of the receiving portion 11 is further included in the serving robot 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 13, the serving robot 10 further includes an additional housing 650 formed by extending upward from one side of the housing 600, that is, from the rear to surround a part of the plurality of

plates

111, 112, 113 I can. The additional housing 650 prevents food placed on the plate 110 from falling from the plate 110 despite the sudden movement of the serving robot 10. The shape of the additional housing 650 is not limited to the shape shown in FIG. 13 and may be formed in various shapes or structures for preventing food from falling from the plate 110.

14 is an exemplary view showing a robot for garbage collection according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 14, the serving robot 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention can be used not only to deliver food to a table in a restaurant, but also to transport objects. Unlike FIG. 13, the second plate of the serving robot 10 of FIG. 14 is separated. Although the three plates 110 are used in a three-layer structure to form a receiving part, the plurality of plates 110 may be separated from the serving robot 10, respectively.

In consideration of the shape (Ex. volume, size, height, etc.) of the object to be transported using the serving robot 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention, each plate 110 is the additional housing 650 Alternatively, it may be detachable from the column frame 120 for connecting the plurality of plates 110. Known techniques may be applied with respect to the coupling/separation of the plate 110. For example, the plate 110 can be coupled/separated to the additional housing 650 or the column frame 120 using magnetic force, an adhesive material can also be used, and various coupling/separating methods as well as ring-shaped coupling Can be utilized.

In the serving robot 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention, a service process performed at a restaurant, including serving, or a separate process for providing a service (Ex. employees go to throw away garbage or move a delivered item to a restaurant) It can be used for (for example). In addition, the serving robot 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention is not limited to a specific field such as service provision, but may be used when an object is to be transported in various industrial fields. That is, the serving robot 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention is not limited to a purpose of use for serving at a restaurant. For example, the serving robot 10 is used as a serving during business hours of a restaurant, but may be cleaned after the business is closed. You can also go outside the restaurant to promote it to attract customers. The cleaning function or promotion function may be implemented by additionally installing an additional cleaning module, a display module, a speaker module, or the like.

14 shows the serving robot 10 in a state in which the second plate 112 is detachably installed and the food waste bin is accommodated in a wider receiving portion. As such, the serving robot 10 may detach some components in a module form in order to perform other functions.

In FIG. 13, an additional display module 690 is shown that covers the receiving portion 11 opened to the front and is coupled to the front of the additional housing 650. For example, the serving robot 10, while the additional display module 690 is mounted, goes out to the street, and through the additional display module 690, the speaker module 490, the display module 430, etc. You can advertise to attract customers.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 14 illustrates that the serving robot 10 performs another first function (eg, cleaning) by separating a part (eg, a second plate) of the components provided for serving. In addition, the embodiment shown in FIG. 13 illustrates that the serving robot 10 installs a necessary configuration (eg, an additional display module) to the serving robot 10 in order to perform another second function (eg, advertisement).

Although not shown, for the same purpose, in order to enable the serving robot 10 to perform other functions, some or all of the components provided for serving are separated from the serving robot 10 in a module form, Instead, it is possible to easily utilize the serving robot 10 for a variety of purposes by mounting a configuration required to perform other functions in a module form.

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 interpreted as being included in the scope of the present invention. .

Claims

A plurality of plates 110 for accommodating food are arranged in a form spaced apart at a predetermined interval to form a multi-layered structure;

A control unit 20 for generating a control signal for moving the serving robot 10 to a target table;

A driving unit 30 for moving the serving robot based on the control signal; And

It includes; an output unit 40 that operates to deliver the food to the target table,

When the serving robot 10 reaches the target table, the control unit 20 generates a serving complete signal 24 and transmits it to the output unit 40,

The output unit 40 performs a predetermined operation based on the serving complete signal 24, a serving robot.
The method of claim 1,

The output unit 40 includes at least one of a speaker module 490, an LED module 470, and a display module 430 operating based on the serving complete signal 24. Serving robot.
The method of claim 2,

The display module 430 is attached to at least one of the plurality of plates 110 in an inclined manner.
The method of claim 2,

The LED module 470 is provided at the edges of the plurality of plates 110,

The control unit 20 generates a serving complete signal 24 that illuminates the LED module 470 provided on the plate 110 containing food to be provided.
The method of claim 1,

The driving unit 30 is:

A power supply unit 310 generating a driving force;

A steering unit 320 for changing the direction of the serving robot; And

Includes; a transfer unit 330 for driving the serving robot 10 by the driving force,

The steering unit 320 and the transfer unit 330 are a pair of driving wheels 340 disposed on both sides of the bottom surface of the housing,

At the front and rear of the bottom surface of the housing 600, a driven wheel 350 that follows the moving direction of the serving robot 10 moved by the driving wheel 340 is further provided, the serving robot.
The method of claim 5,

The serving robot 10 further includes a housing 600 provided under a lowermost plate among the plurality of plates,

The driving wheel 340 and the driven wheel 350 are disposed on the bottom surface of the housing 600, a serving robot.
The method of claim 1,

The serving robot 10 moves along a pre-equipped track M,

The serving robot 10 includes a first sensor unit 150 for detecting the track M, and a second sensor unit 160 for detecting an object located around the serving robot, Serving robot.
The method of claim 1,

At least one hole 180 is provided on the plate 110,

The inside of the hole 180 is provided with a support portion 190 that moves up and down along the inner surface of the hole 180,

The support unit 190 moves upward based on the serving completion signal 24 of the control unit 20, a serving robot.
The method of claim 1,

The plate 110 includes a rail module 130 extending in the front-rear direction and a tray moving part 140 that moves in a front-rear direction on the rail module 130 and protrudes forward than the plate 110,

The tray moving unit 140 moves forward based on the serving completion signal 24 of the control unit 20, a serving robot.
The method of claim 9,

The plate 110 is provided with a tag recognition unit 117 for recognizing the electronic tag 51 placed on the plate 110,

The control unit 20 checks whether the order information of the electronic tag 51 recognized by the tag recognition unit 117 matches the order signal stored in the serving robot 10.
The method of claim 1,

Part or all of the receiving part 11 is detachable from the serving robot body,

In the serving robot, a module 690 for performing a function other than serving is additionally mounted or a part or all of the receiving part 11 is replaced.