KR102514499B1 - Artificial intelligence lawn mower robot and controlling method for the same - Google Patents

Abstract

In the present specification, when the state of the driving area is determined based on the photographing result of the photographing unit while driving in the driving area, and an object whose position is changed in the driving area is detected, driving is controlled in response to the sensing object. It relates to an artificial intelligence mobile robot and its control method.

Description

Artificial intelligence mobile robot and its control method {ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE LAWN MOWER ROBOT AND CONTROLLING METHOD FOR THE SAME}

The present invention relates to a mobile robot that autonomously travels in a driving area and a control method thereof.

In general, a mobile robot is a device that automatically performs a predetermined operation while traveling in a predetermined area by itself without a user's manipulation. The mobile robot detects an obstacle installed in the area and approaches or avoids the obstacle to perform an action.

Such a mobile robot may include a cleaning robot that cleans while driving in an area as well as a mobile robot that mows the lawn of the floor of an area. In general, lawn mowers include a ride-on device that mows or weeds grass on the floor while a user rides and moves according to the user's driving, and a walk-behind type or hand-type device that mows grass while the user moves by manually dragging or pushing. There is a device of Such a lawn mowing device is moved by a user's direct manipulation, and it is inconvenient for a user to directly operate the device to mow the lawn. Accordingly, research is being conducted on a mobile robot-type lawn mower equipped with a means for mowing the lawn in the mobile robot.

In the case of such a mobile robot (lawn mower) for lawn mowing, since it operates outdoors, not indoors, many restrictions are imposed on driving. For example, there may be dynamic obstacles such as pets and other mobile robots outdoors, and these dynamic obstacles may interfere with the mobile robot's driving or weeding operation due to flow. Alternatively, the mobile robot weeds the grass in the driving area by rotating a sharp blade that cuts the grass, and a pet or baby whose object recognition ability is not developed compared to the user of the mobile robot exists on the driving area. In this case, it is impossible to avoid the mobile robot, and there is a concern that an accident caused by the weeding means of the mobile robot may occur. That is, the mobile robot is subjected to driving restrictions and safety guarantee restrictions due to dynamic obstacles in the driving area.

On the other hand, Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2018-0023303 (published date: March 7, 2018) (hereinafter referred to as prior literature) discloses a mobile robot that travels to avoid by detecting a fan or a person's feet, The mobile robot disclosed in these prior documents is limited to a mobile robot that travels in an indoor environment, and is difficult to apply to a mobile robot for lawn mowing that travels in an outdoor environment. That is, the prior literature did not suggest driving control considering dynamic obstacles in the outdoor environment because factors and restrictions according to the outdoor environment were not considered.

As a result, in the conventional mobile robot technology for lawn mowing, driving restrictions and safety problems due to dynamic obstacles in the outdoor environment have been followed, which ensures the accuracy, stability, reliability, effectiveness and usability of the driving and operation of the mobile robot There were limits to what could not be done. In addition, a technique capable of improving these limitations has not been proposed even in mobile robot technology in general, so that the limitations caused by dynamic obstacles have not been resolved.

The problem to be solved by the present invention is to improve the limitations of the prior art as described above.

Specifically, it is intended to provide a mobile robot capable of detecting a dynamic obstacle existing on a driving area and controlling driving according to a detection result, and a control method thereof.

In addition, it is intended to provide a mobile robot capable of accurately detecting a dynamic obstacle existing on a driving area and a control method thereof.

In addition, it is intended to provide a mobile robot and a control method thereof capable of appropriately responding to a detected dynamic obstacle.

The mobile robot and its control method according to the present invention for solving the above problems are to detect a dynamic obstacle through a photographing means for photographing a driving area and to control driving accordingly.

Specifically, by utilizing/applying artificial intelligence technology, an object whose position change is detected among objects in the driving area photographed by the photographing unit is detected as a dynamic obstacle, and the driving of the main body is controlled according to the detection result.

That is, the mobile robot and its control method according to the present invention, when the state of the driving area is determined based on the photographing result of the photographing unit while traveling in the driving area, and an object whose position is being changed is detected on the driving area. , Controlling driving in response to the sensing target is used as a solution.

Through such a solution, the mobile robot and its control method according to the present invention detects a dynamic obstacle present in the driving area and performs corresponding driving according to the detection result, thereby solving the above-described problems.

The above technical features include a control means for controlling the mobile robot, a mobile robot and a method for controlling the mobile robot, a dynamic obstacle detection method of the mobile robot, a control method based on dynamic obstacle detection, or a mobile robot applying artificial intelligence, artificial intelligence It can be implemented as a method of detecting a dynamic obstacle using intelligence, etc., and the present specification provides an embodiment of a mobile robot and a control method thereof using the above technical features as a means for solving problems.

The mobile robot according to the present invention using the above technical features as a means for solving problems includes a main body, a driving unit for moving the main body, a photographing unit for generating image information about a driving area of the main body by photographing the surroundings of the main body, and and a control unit configured to control driving of the main body by controlling the driving unit and to determine a state of the driving area based on the image information, wherein the control unit controls the driving area while the main body is traveling in the driving area. As a result of determining the state, when an object whose position is changed in the driving area is detected, driving of the main body is controlled in response to the object to be sensed.

In addition, the method for controlling a mobile robot according to the present invention using the above technical features as a means for solving problems is to control a main body, a driving unit for moving the main body, a photographing unit for capturing the surroundings of the main body, and the driving unit to control the main body. A control method of a mobile robot including a control unit for controlling driving and determining a state of a driving area of the body based on a photographing result of the photographing unit, wherein the surroundings of the body are photographed while traveling in the driving area Generating image information about the driving area, detecting a sensing object whose position changes in the driving area based on the image information, and controlling driving of the main body according to a detection result.

A mobile robot and its control method according to the present invention detects a dynamic obstacle through a photographing means for capturing a driving area, controls driving accordingly, detects a dynamic obstacle existing on a driving area, and according to the detection result It has the effect of controlling driving.

In addition, the mobile robot and its control method according to the present invention can accurately detect a dynamic obstacle existing on a driving area, and can perform appropriate corresponding driving according to the detected dynamic obstacle.

In addition, the mobile robot and its control method according to the present invention has the effect of improving the user's safety risk problem due to the driving restriction of the mobile robot by dynamic obstacles and the driving and weeding operation of the mobile robot.

As a result, the mobile robot and its control method according to the present invention not only improve the limitations of the prior art, but also improve the accuracy, reliability, stability, effectiveness and usability of the field of mobile robot technology for lawn mowing using / applying artificial intelligence. There is an effect that can be increased.

Figure 1a is a configuration diagram showing an embodiment of a mobile robot according to the present invention a.
Figure 1b is a configuration diagram showing an embodiment of a mobile robot according to the present invention b.
Figure 1c is a configuration diagram showing an embodiment of a mobile robot according to the present invention c.
2 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an embodiment of a driving area of a mobile robot according to the present invention.
Figure 3a is a conceptual diagram showing the driving principle of the mobile robot according to the present invention.
3B is a conceptual diagram illustrating signal flow between devices for determining the location of a mobile robot according to the present invention.
4 is a configuration diagram showing a specific configuration of a mobile robot according to the present invention.
Figure 5a is an exemplary diagram showing an example of a sensing object on a driving area of a mobile robot according to the present invention a.
Figure 5b is an exemplary diagram showing an example of a sensing object on a driving area of a mobile robot according to the present invention b.
6 is a flowchart illustrating an operation process according to an embodiment of a mobile robot according to the present invention.
7 is an exemplary view showing an example of corresponding driving for a sensing object according to an embodiment of a mobile robot according to the present invention;
Figure 8a is an exemplary view showing a specific example of corresponding driving for a sensing object according to an embodiment of a mobile robot according to the present invention a.
Figure 8b is an exemplary view showing a specific example of corresponding driving for the sensing target according to an embodiment of the mobile robot according to the present invention b.
Figure 8c is an exemplary view showing a specific example of corresponding driving for the sensing target according to an embodiment of the mobile robot according to the present invention c.
9 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of a control method of a mobile robot according to the present invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of a mobile robot and a control method thereof according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, but the same or similar components are given the same reference numerals regardless of reference numerals, and overlapping descriptions thereof to omit

In addition, in describing the technology disclosed in this specification, if it is determined that a detailed description of a related known technology may obscure the gist of the technology disclosed in this specification, the detailed description will be omitted. In addition, it should be noted that the accompanying drawings are only intended to facilitate understanding of the spirit of the technology disclosed in this specification, and should not be construed as limiting the spirit of the technology by the accompanying drawings.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of a mobile robot (hereinafter referred to as a robot) according to the present invention will be described.

The robot may refer to a robot capable of autonomous driving, a mobile lawn mowing robot, a lawn mowing robot, a lawn mowing device, or a mobile robot for lawn mowing.

As shown in FIG. 1A, the robot 100 moves the main body 10 by photographing the main body 10, the driving unit 11 that moves the main body 10, and the surroundings of the main body 10. The driving of the main body 10 is controlled by controlling the photographing unit 12 and the driving unit 11 that generate image information about the area 1000, and the state of the driving area 1000 based on the image information. It includes a control unit 20 that determines the.

The control unit 20 determines the current position of the main body 10 and controls the driving of the main body 10 by controlling the driving unit 11 to travel within the driving area 1000, and (10) Controls the photographing unit 12 to photograph the surroundings of the main body 10 while driving in the driving area 1000, and based on the image information generated by the photographing unit 12, The state of the driving area 1000 may be determined.

In this way, in the robot 100 including the main body 10, the driving unit 11, the photographing unit 12, and the control unit 20, the control unit 20 determines that the main body 10 is the driving unit. As a result of determining the state of the driving area 1000 while driving in the area, when a sensing target whose position changes on the driving area 1000 is detected, driving of the main body 10 is controlled in response to the sensing object. do.

That is, in the robot 100, the control unit 20 detects the object present on the driving area 1000 while driving, and controls the driving of the main body 10 according to the detection result. to be

As shown in FIGS. 1B and 1C , the robot 100 may be a self-driving robot including the main body 10 that is movable and capable of cutting grass. The main body 10 forms the exterior of the robot 100, and is provided with one or more means for performing operations such as driving and lawn cutting of the robot 100. The main body 10 is provided with the driving unit 11 capable of moving and rotating the main body 10 in a desired direction. The driving unit 11 may include a plurality of rotatable driving wheels, and each wheel may be individually rotated, so that the main body 10 may be rotated in a desired direction. More specifically, the driving unit 11 may include at least one main driving wheel 11a and an auxiliary wheel 11b. For example, the main body 10 may include two main driving wheels 11a, and the main driving wheels may be installed on a rear bottom surface of the main body 10.

The robot 100 can travel by itself within the driving area 1000 as shown in FIG. 2 . The robot 100 may perform a specific operation while driving. Here, the specific operation may be an operation of cutting grass within the driving area 1000 . The driving area 1000 is an area corresponding to a driving and operation target of the robot 100, and a predetermined outdoor/outdoor area may be formed as the driving area 1000. For example, a garden or a yard for the robot 100 to cut grass may be formed as the driving area 1000 . A charging device 500 for charging driving power of the robot 100 may be installed in the driving area 1000, and the robot 100 is connected to the charging device 500 installed in the driving area 1000. It can be docked to charge the driving power.

As shown in FIG. 2 , the driving area 1000 may be formed as a certain boundary area 1200 . The boundary area 1200 corresponds to the boundary line between the driving area 1000 and the outside area 1100, so that the robot 100 travels within the boundary area 1200 so as not to deviate from the outside area 1100. can be done In this case, the boundary area 1200 may be formed as a closed curve or a closed loop. Also, in this case, the boundary region 1200 may be defined by the wire 1200 formed as a closed curve or closed loop. The wire 1200 may be installed in an arbitrary area, and the robot 100 may travel within a driving area 1000 of a closed curve formed by the installed wire 1200 .

Also, as shown in FIG. 2 , one or more transmitters 200 may be disposed in the driving area 1000 . The transmitter 200 is a signal generating means for transmitting a signal for the robot 100 to determine location information, and may be distributed and installed within the driving area 1000 . The robot 100 may receive a signal transmitted from the emitter 200 and determine a current location based on a reception result or determine location information about the driving area 1000 . In this case, the robot 100 may receive the signal through a receiver that receives the signal. The transmitter 200 may be preferably disposed near the border area 1200 in the driving area 1000 . In this case, the robot 100 may determine the border area 1200 based on the location of the transmitter 200 disposed near the border area 1200 .

The robot 100 cutting the grass while traveling in the driving area 1000 shown in FIG. 2 can operate according to the driving principle shown in FIG. 3A and in the position shown in FIG. 3B. A signal flow between devices for determination may be made.

As shown in FIG. 3A, the robot 100 communicates with the terminal 300 moving in a predetermined area, and tracks the position of the terminal 300 based on the data received from the terminal 300 and travels. can The robot 100 sets a virtual boundary in a predetermined area based on location information received from the terminal 300 or collected while driving following the terminal 300, and the inside formed by the boundary An area may be set as the driving area 1000 . When the boundary area 1200 and the driving area 1000 are set, the robot 100 may travel within the driving area 1000 without leaving the boundary area 1200 . In some cases, the terminal 300 may set the border area 1200 and transmit it to the robot 100 . When an area is changed or expanded, the terminal 300 transmits the changed information to the robot 100 so that the robot 100 can drive in the new area. In addition, the terminal 300 can monitor the operation of the robot 100 by displaying data received from the robot 100 on a screen.

The robot 100 or the terminal 300 may determine a current location by receiving location information. The robot 100 and the terminal 300 may determine the current location based on location information transmitted from the transmitter 200 disposed in the driving area 1000 or a GPS signal using the GPS satellite 400. can The robot 100 and the terminal 300 can determine the current position by receiving signals transmitted from preferably three transmitters 200 and comparing the signals. That is, three or more transmitters 200 may be preferably disposed in the driving area 1000 .

The robot 100 sets any one point in the driving area 1000 as a reference position, and then calculates the position during movement as coordinates. For example, the initial start position and the position of the charging device 500 can be set as a reference position, and the coordinates for the driving area 1000 can be set using the position of any one of the transmitters 200 as a reference position. can be calculated In addition, the robot 100 may determine the position while traveling after setting the initial position as the reference position in each operation. The robot 100 calculates the travel distance based on the reference position, the number of revolutions of the drive wheels 11, the rotation speed, the rotation direction of the main body 10, and the like, and accordingly, the travel area 1000 ) can determine the current position within. The robot 100 may determine the position using any one point as a reference position even when determining the position using the GPS satellite 400.

As shown in FIG. 3 , the robot 100 may determine a current location based on location information transmitted from the emitter 200 or the GPS satellite 400 . The location information may be transmitted in the form of a GPS signal, an ultrasonic signal, an infrared signal, an electromagnetic signal, or an ultra wide band (UWB) signal. The signal transmitted from the transmitter 200 may preferably be a UWB (Ultra Wide Band) signal. Accordingly, the robot 100 may receive the UWB (Ultra Wide Band) signal transmitted from the emitter 200 and determine the current location based on this.

As shown in FIG. 4 , the robot 100 operating in this way includes the main body 10, the driving unit 11, the photographing unit 12, and the control unit 20, and includes the driving area. While driving on the driving area 1000, the object to be sensed existing on the driving area 1000 may be detected, and the driving area 1000 may be driven according to the detection result. The robot 100 also includes a communication unit 13, an output unit 14, a storage unit 15, a sensing unit 16, a receiving unit 17, an input unit 18, an obstacle detection unit 19, and a weeding unit. (30) may further include one or more.

The driving unit 11 is a driving wheel provided at a lower portion of the main body 10, and may rotate and drive the main body 10 to move. That is, the driving unit 11 may drive the main body 10 to travel in the driving area 1000 . The driving unit 11 may include at least one driving motor to move the main body 10 so that the robot 100 travels. For example, a left wheel drive motor for rotating the left wheel and a right wheel drive motor for rotating the right wheel may be included.

The driving unit 11 may transmit information about a driving result to the controller 20 and receive a control command for an operation from the controller 20 . The driving unit 11 may operate according to a control command transmitted from the control unit 20 . That is, the driving unit 11 may be controlled by the control unit 20 .

The photographing unit 12 may be a camera that photographs the periphery of the main body 10 . The photographing unit 12 may detect an obstacle existing around the main body 10 and on the driving area 1000 by photographing the front of the main body 10 . The photographing unit 12 is a digital camera, and may include an image sensor (not shown) and an image processing unit (not shown). An image sensor is a device that converts an optical image into an electrical signal, and is composed of a chip in which a plurality of photo diodes are integrated. A pixel may be exemplified as the photo diode. Charges are accumulated in each pixel by the image projected on the chip by light passing through the lens, and the charges accumulated in the pixels are converted into electrical signals (eg, voltage). As an image sensor, a charge coupled device (CCD), a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS), and the like are well known. In addition, the photographing unit 12 may include a video processing unit (DSP) for generating the image information by processing a photographed result into an image.

The photographing unit 12 may transmit a photographing result to the controller 20 and receive a control command for an operation from the controller 20 . The photographing unit 12 may operate according to a control command transmitted from the control unit 20 . That is, the photographing unit 12 may be controlled by the controller 20 .

The communication unit 13 may communicate with one or more communication target means that communicate with the robot 100 . The communication unit 13 may communicate with the transmitter 200 and the terminal 300 in a wireless communication method. The communication unit 13 may also communicate with an external server or the terminal 300 that controls the robot 100 by being connected to a predetermined network. When communicating with the terminal 300, the communication unit 13 transmits a generated map to the terminal 300, receives a command from the terminal 300, and controls the operating state of the robot 100. Data may be transmitted to the terminal 300 . The communication unit 13 may transmit/receive data by including communication modules such as Wi-Fi and WiBro as well as short-range wireless communication such as ZigBee and Bluetooth.

The communication unit 13 may transmit information about a communication result to the control unit 20 and receive a control command for an operation from the control unit 20 . The communication unit 13 may operate according to a control command received from the control unit 20 . That is, the communication unit 13 may be controlled by the control unit 20 .

The output unit 14 is an output means for outputting information about the state of the robot 100 in the form of voice, and may include, for example, a speaker. When an event occurs during operation of the robot 100, the output unit 14 may output an alarm related to the event. For example, when the driving power of the robot 100 is exhausted, an impact is applied to the robot 100, or an accident occurs on the driving area 1000, an alarm sound is provided to inform the user about the accident. may be output.

The output unit 14 may transmit information about an operating state to the controller 20 and receive a control command for an operation from the controller 20 . The output unit 14 may operate according to a control command transmitted from the control unit 20 . That is, the output unit 14 may be controlled by the control unit 20 .

The storage unit 15 is a storage means for storing data that can be read by a microprocessor, and includes a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state disk (SSD), a silicon disk drive (SDD), a ROM, It may include RAM, CD-ROM, magnetic tape, floppy disk, and optical data storage devices. In the storage unit 15, a received signal may be stored, reference data for determining an obstacle may be stored, and obstacle information on the detected obstacle may be stored. In addition, the storage unit 15 includes control data for controlling the operation of the robot 100, data according to the operation mode of the robot 100, location information to be collected, the driving area 1000 and its boundaries ( 1200) may be stored.

The sensing unit 16 may include one or more sensors that sense information about the posture and motion of the main body 10 . The sensing unit 16 may include at least one of a tilt sensor for detecting the movement of the main body 10 and a speed sensor for detecting the driving speed of the driving unit 11 . The tilt sensor may be a sensor that senses posture information of the main body 10 . The inclination sensor may sense posture information of the main body 10 by calculating an inclined direction and an angle when the main body 10 is tilted in front, rear, left, and right directions. A tilt sensor, an acceleration sensor, and the like may be used as the inclination sensor, and any one of a gyro type, an inertial type, and a silicon semiconductor type may be applied to the acceleration sensor. In addition, various sensors or devices capable of detecting the movement of the main body 10 may be used. The speed sensor may be a sensor that senses a driving speed of a driving wheel provided in the driving unit 11 . The speed sensor may sense the driving speed by detecting rotation of the driving wheel when the driving wheel rotates.

The sensing unit 16 may transmit information about a sensing result to the controller 20 and receive a control command for an operation from the controller 20 . The sensing unit 16 may operate according to a control command transmitted from the control unit 20 . That is, the sensing unit 16 may be controlled by the control unit 20 .

The receiver 17 may include a plurality of sensor modules for transmitting and receiving location information. The receiver 17 may include a position sensor module that receives the signal from the emitter 200 . The position sensor module may transmit a signal to the emitter 200. When the transmitter 200 transmits a signal in any one of ultrasonic, UWB (Ultra Wide Band), and infrared, the receiver 17 is a sensor module that transmits and receives ultrasonic, UWB, and infrared signals correspondingly. may be provided. The receiver 17 may preferably include a UWB sensor. For reference, UWB wireless technology means using a very wide frequency band of several GHz or more in a baseband without using an RF carrier. UWB radio technology uses very narrow pulses of a few nanoseconds or a few picoseconds. Since the pulse emitted from such a UWB sensor is several nano or several pico, the penetrability is good, and thus, even if there is an obstacle around, a very short pulse emitted from another UWB sensor can be received.

When the robot 100 drives by following the terminal 300, the terminal 300 and the robot 100 each include a UWB sensor and can transmit and receive UWB signals to each other through the UWB sensor. there is. The terminal 300 transmits a UWB signal through a UWB sensor, and the robot 100 determines the position of the terminal 300 based on the UWB signal received through the UWB sensor. ) can be followed. In this case, the terminal 300 operates as a transmitting side and the robot 100 operates as a receiving side. When the transmitter 200 has a UWB sensor and transmits a signal, the robot 100 or the terminal 300 can receive the signal transmitted from the transmitter 200 through the provided UWB sensor. At this time, the signal method of the transmitter 200 and the signal method of the robot 100 and the terminal 300 may be the same or different.

The receiver 17 may include a plurality of UWB sensors. When two UWB sensors are included in the receiving unit 17, for example, they are provided on the left and right sides of the main body 10, respectively, and receive signals, thereby comparing a plurality of received signals to calculate an accurate position. It can be done. For example, if the distance measured by the sensor on the left and the sensor on the right is different according to the positions of the robot 100 and the transmitter 200 or the terminal 300, based on this, the robot 100 and The relative position of the transmitter 200 or the terminal 300 and the direction of the robot 100 may be determined.

The receiver 17 may further include a GPS module for transmitting and receiving GPS signals from the GPS satellites 400 .

The receiver 17 may transmit a signal reception result to the controller 20 and receive a control command for an operation from the controller 20 . The receiving unit 17 may operate according to a control command transmitted from the control unit 20 . That is, the receiver 17 can be controlled by the control unit 20 .

The input unit 18 includes an input unit such as at least one button, switch, or touch pad, and an output unit such as a display unit to receive a user command and output an operating state of the robot 100. .

The input unit 18 may display a state of the robot 100 through the display unit and display a control screen on which control operations of the robot 100 are performed. The control screen may refer to a user interface screen on which a driving state of the robot 100 is displayed and output and a command for driving the robot 100 is input from a user. The control screen is displayed on the display unit under the control of the control unit 20, and commands displayed on the control screen and input may be controlled by the control unit 20.

The input unit 18 may transmit information about an operating state to the controller 20 and receive a control command for an operation from the controller 20 . The input unit 18 may operate according to a control command transmitted from the control unit 20 . That is, the input unit 18 may be controlled by the control unit 20 .

The obstacle detection unit 19 includes a plurality of sensors to detect obstacles present in the driving direction. The obstacle detecting unit 19 may detect an obstacle in front of the main body 10, that is, in a driving direction, by using at least one of laser, ultrasonic, infrared, and 3D sensors. The obstacle detection unit 19 may further include a cliff detection sensor installed on the rear surface of the main body 10 to detect a cliff.

The obstacle detecting unit 19 may transmit information about a detection result to the controller 20 and receive a control command for an operation from the controller 20 . The obstacle detection unit 19 may operate according to a control command transmitted from the control unit 20 . That is, the obstacle detection unit 19 may be controlled by the control unit 20 .

The weeding unit 30 mows the grass on the floor while driving. The weeding unit 30 may be provided with a brush or a blade for mowing grass and mow the grass of the floor through rotation.

The weeding unit 30 may transmit information about an operation result to the control unit 20 and receive a control command for operation from the control unit 20 . The weeding unit 30 may operate according to a control command transmitted from the control unit 20 . That is, the weeding unit 30 may be controlled by the control unit 20 .

The controller 20 may perform overall motion control of the robot 100, including the central processing unit. The control unit 20 determines the state of the driving area 1000 while driving in the driving area 1000 through the main body 10, the driving unit 11 and the photographing unit 12 to determine the state of the main body (10), the communication unit 13, the output unit 14, the storage unit 15, the sensing unit 16, the receiving unit 17, the input unit 18, the obstacle Functions/operations of the robot 100 may be controlled to be performed through the sensor 19 and the weeding unit 30 .

The controller 20 may control the input/output of data and control the driving unit 11 so that the main body 10 travels according to settings. The control unit 20 controls the driving unit 11 to independently control the operation of the left wheel drive motor and the right wheel drive motor, so that the main body 10 can be driven straight or rotated.

The controller 20 sets a boundary 1200 for the driving area 1000 based on location information received from the terminal 300 or location information determined based on a signal received from the transmitter 200. can The control unit 20 may also set a boundary 1200 for the driving area 1000 based on location information collected by itself during driving. The controller 20 may set any one area of the area formed by the set boundary 1200 as the driving area 1000 . The control unit 20 may set the boundary 1200 in a closed loop form by connecting discontinuous location information with a line or a curve, and set the inner area as the driving area 1000 . When the driving area 1000 and the corresponding boundary 1200 are set, the control unit 20 controls the driving of the main body 10 so as to drive within the driving area 1000 and not deviate from the set boundary 1200. can do. The control unit 20 determines the current location based on the received location information and controls the driving unit 11 to control the driving of the body 10 so that the determined current location is located within the driving area 1000. can

In addition, the controller 20 controls the driving of the main body 10 to avoid obstacles according to obstacle information input by at least one of the photographing unit 12 and the obstacle detecting unit 19. can do. In this case, the controller 20 may modify the driving area 1000 by reflecting the obstacle information in pre-stored area information for the driving area 1000 .

In the robot 100 configured as shown in FIG. 4 , when the controller 20 determines the state of the driving area 1000 based on the image information and detects the object to be detected as a result of the determination , the driving of the main body 10 may be controlled in response to the sensing object.

The robot 100 may perform set motions while traveling in the driving area 1000 . For example, grass existing on the bottom surface of the driving area 1000 may be cut while driving the driving area 1000 captured in the image information as shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B .

In the robot 100, the main body 10 may travel through driving of the driving unit 11. The main body 10 may be driven by driving the driving unit 11 to move the main body 10 .

In the robot 100, the driving unit 11 may move the main body 10 by driving driving wheels. The driving unit 11 may move the main body 10 by driving the driving wheel, thereby driving the main body 10 .

In the robot 100, the photographing unit 12 may photograph the periphery of the main body 10 from the provided position and generate image information according to a photographing result. The photographing unit 12 may be provided on an upper portion of the rear side of the main body 10 . As such, since the photographing unit 12 is provided on the upper rear side of the main body 10, contamination of the photographing unit 12 by foreign substances generated by driving and cutting operations of the main body 10 can be prevented. there is. The photographing unit 12 may photograph the running direction of the main body 10 . That is, the photographing unit 12 may photograph the front of the main body 10 on which the main body 10 travels. Accordingly, the front state in which the main body 10 travels can be photographed. The photographing unit 12 may generate the image information by capturing the surroundings of the main body 10 in real time while the main body 10 is traveling in the driving area 1000 . Also, the photographing unit 12 may deliver a photographing result to the controller 20 in real time. Accordingly, the controller 20 may determine the real-time state of the driving area 1000 .

In the robot 100, the controller 20 controls the driving of the body 10 by controlling the driving unit 11 to travel in the driving area 1000, and controls the driving of the main body 10, based on the image information. The sensing object D can be sensed by determining the state of 1000 . The sensing object D refers to an object whose position is changed among objects existing on the driving area 1000 . That is, the sensing object D may be a dynamic obstacle. For example, it may be a pet, a wild animal, a person, or a robot entering the outdoors where the driving area 1000 is formed. The controller 20 determines the state of the driving area 1000 based on the image information, and when detecting the sensing object D whose position changes on the driving area 1000, the main body ( 10) can be controlled to travel in response to the sensing object (D). That is, the control unit 20 detects whether or not the detection target D exists on the driving area 1000 based on the image information, and when the detection target D is detected, the detection target D is detected. The driving of the body 10 may be controlled in response to the object D.

The control unit 20 may recognize an object whose location change is sensed among objects photographed in the image information, and may detect the recognized object as the detection object D. That is, the controller 20 may detect the object D by recognizing an object whose location change is sensed on the image information. For example, as shown in FIG. 5A, when the location of object 1 (D1) captured by the photographing unit 12 and included in the image information is changed as shown in FIG. 5B, the location change is made. Object 1 (D1) may be sensed as the sensing object (D). Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 5A, when the location of object 2 (D2) not included in the image information is changed and included in the image information as shown in FIG. 5B, the object 2 whose location is changed (D2) may be sensed as the sensing object (D).

In this way, the robot 100 that senses the object D and travels according to the detection result operates in the same process as shown in FIG. 6 and travels according to the result of detecting the object D. It can be. As shown in FIG. 6, the robot 100 starts driving (P1), captures the surroundings (P2), generates image information (P3), detects an object to be detected (P4), and maintains driving (P5) or responds thereto. It may be operated in order of driving (P6).

After the main body 10 starts traveling in the driving area 1000 (P1), the robot 100 photographs the surroundings of the main body 10 through the photographing unit 12 (P2) Thus, image information as shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B may be generated (P3). The control unit 20 detects (P4) the detection target D existing on the driving area 1000 based on the image information generated by the photographing unit 12, and detects the detection target D based on the detection result. The main body 10 may be controlled to maintain driving (P5) or to travel (P6) in response to the sensing object (D). The control unit 20 may detect an object whose position is changed, such as object 1 (D1) and object 2 (D2), as the sensing object (D) on the image information captured in the order of FIGS. 5A to 5B. . That is, the control unit 20 may detect the object D by recognizing an object whose location change is sensed on the image information. The control unit 20 controls the main body 10 to maintain driving (P5) when the detection target object D is not sensed, and when the detection target object D is detected, the detection target object ( It can be controlled to drive (P6) in response to D). That is, the robot 100 may maintain driving (P5) when a dynamic obstacle is not detected, and may travel (P6) in response to a dynamic obstacle when a dynamic obstacle is detected. Driving corresponding to the object D to be sensed may be, for example, stopping driving or changing driving.

When the controller 20 controls the driving of the main body 10 in response to the object D to be detected (P6), the driving of the main body 10 is controlled according to one or more of a plurality of preset control modes. You can control it. The control mode may be a mode for controlling a driving operation of the main body 10 . For example, it may be a mode in which the main body 10 is controlled to stop, a mode in which the main body 10 is controlled to decelerate the traveling speed, and the like.

The control unit 20 may control the main body 10 to travel in response to the sensing object D by combining one or more of the control modes. The plurality of control modes include a first control mode for controlling the main body 10 to travel slowly, a second control mode for controlling the main body 10 to wait for driving, and a control mode for controlling the main body 10 to travel at the detection target It may include a third control mode for controlling driving while avoiding (D). That is, when the controller 20 controls driving in response to the sensing object D, the main body ( 10) can be controlled. Accordingly, the robot 100 may operate in one or more of slow motion, standby, and avoidance in response to the sensing object D. In this case, the controller 20 may control the main body 10 to sequentially operate a plurality of operations. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, the driving of the main body 10 is controlled according to one or more of the plurality of control modes to operate in the order of slowing (C1), standby (C2), and avoiding (C3). can For a more specific example, as shown in FIG. 8A, control is performed in the first control mode so that the main body 10 moves slowly (C1) around the object D to be sensed (L1), and the main body ( 10) moves slowly (C1) and reaches the vicinity (L2) of the object (D), as shown in FIG. is controlled to stop (C2), and when the sensing object (D) maintains its position, as shown in FIG. 8C, the sensing object (D) is avoided by controlling in the third control mode. It may be controlled to travel (C3) in a direction (L3) different from the location of D). Accordingly, the robot 100 may perform a plurality of motions and travel in response to the object D to be sensed.

When the control unit 20 controls the driving of the main body 10 according to one or more of the plurality of control modes, the separation distance between the main body 10 and the sensing object D is maintained at a predetermined distance or more. It is possible to control the driving of the main body 10 as much as possible. That is, when controlling the driving of the main body 10 according to the plurality of control modes, the control unit 20 will control the main body 10 and the object D to be separated by a predetermined distance or more. can Here, the predetermined distance is a distance that secures the safety of the robot 100 and the object D to be detected, and may be set by the user of the robot 100 . Accordingly, when the robot 100 travels in one or more motions of slow movement, waiting, or avoidance in response to the sensing object D, a state in which the distance from the sensing object D is secured at least the predetermined distance. can be driven by

The control unit 20 may control driving of the main body 10 in one or more control modes among the plurality of control modes until the detection of the object D is stopped. That is, the control unit 20 is configured to drive in response to the detection target D until the detection target D is separated from the peripheral area of the main body 10 and is not captured by the photographing unit 20. can be controlled

In this way, when the sensing object D is sensed, the control unit 20 for controlling the driving of the main body 10 in response to the sensing object D, according to the type of the sensing object D The driving of the main body 10 can be controlled. For example, driving of the main body 10 may be controlled by combining one or more of the plurality of control modes according to the type of the object D to be detected. The control unit 20 determines the type of the sensing object D based on a result of sensing the sensing object D and a predetermined sensing criterion, and the main body ( 10) can be controlled. The detection criterion is a criterion for characteristics/characteristics of each type of the detection object D, and may be a criterion for determining the type of the detection object D. According to this, the control unit 20 determines the characteristics/characteristics of the detection target D from the detection result of detecting the detection target D, compares the determination result with the detection criterion, and based on the comparison result The type of the sensing object (D) may be determined. The control unit 20 may also control the driving of the main body 10 according to a predetermined control criterion according to the type of the sensing object D. That is, the control unit 20 determines the type of the sensing object (D) based on the detection result, and determines a criterion corresponding to the determined type of the sensing object (D) among the preset control criteria, According to the determined control criterion, the main body 10 may be controlled to travel in response to the object D to be sensed. Here, the control criterion may be a criterion for a combination of the plurality of control modes according to the type of the object D to be sensed. For example, when the detection target D is a pet, as shown in FIG. 7 , the first control mode, the second control mode, and the second control mode drive the vehicle in the order of slow travel (C1), standby (C2), and avoidance (C3). It may be set to control the driving of the main body 10 in order of the control mode and the third control mode. The type of the object D to be detected and the control criterion may be set by the user of the robot 100 . For example, even in the case of a pet, it may be set to control driving in an order other than the order shown in FIG. 7 or in a combination of other control modes.

In this way, when the sensing object D is sensed, the control unit 20 that controls the driving of the main body 10 in response to the sensing object D controls other components included in the robot 100. Thus, an operation corresponding to the sensing object D may be performed.

The robot 100 further includes the communication unit 13 communicating with an external communication target unit, wherein the control unit 20 generates notification information for a result of detecting the detection target D, The notification information may be transmitted to the communication target means through the communication unit 13 . Here, the communication target means may be the user's terminal 300 or the like. That is, when the control unit 20 detects the detection target object D, the user of the robot 100 through the communication unit 13 provides information on the detection result of the detection target object D. It can be.

The robot 100 further includes an output unit 14 that outputs audio to the outside, and the control unit 20 generates an alarm signal for a result of detecting the object D to be monitored, and outputs the output A sound according to the alarm signal may be output through the unit 14 . That is, when the control unit 20 detects the detection target object D, it may generate an alarm for the detection result of the detection target object D through the output unit 14.

The robot 100 as described above may be implemented by applying a control method (hereinafter, referred to as a control method) of the mobile robot to be described below.

The control method is a method for controlling the mobile robot 100 as shown in FIGS. 1A to 1C and can be applied to the robot 100 described above, and can also be applied to other than the robot 100 described above. there is.

The control method controls the main body 10, the driving part 11 for moving the main body 10, the photographing part 12 for photographing the surroundings of the main body 10, and the driving part 11 The robot ( As the control method of 100), it may be a method of controlling driving by sensing the object D to be sensed.

The control method may be a method in which the controller 20 controls the operation of the robot 100 .

The control method may be a control method performed by the controller 20 .

As shown in FIG. 8, the control method generates image information for the driving area 1000 by photographing the surroundings of the main body 10 while driving in the driving area 1000 (S10). , Step (S20) of detecting an object (D) whose position is changed on the driving area (1000) based on the image information and controlling the driving of the main body (10) according to the detection result (S30) include

That is, the robot 100 may be controlled in the order of the generating step (S10), the sensing step (S20), and the controlling step (S30).

The generating step ( S10 ) may be a step of generating the image information by taking a picture of the surroundings of the main body 10 by the photographing unit 12 while driving in the driving area 1000 .

That is, in the generating step (S10), the control unit 20 controls the capturing unit 12 so that the capturing unit 12 photographs the surroundings of the main body 10 to generate the image information. may be a step.

In the generating step (S10), the image information may be generated by photographing the front of the main body 10.

In the generating step (S10), while the main body 10 is traveling in the driving area 1000, the photographing unit 12 captures the surroundings of the main body 10 in real time to generate the image information. can do.

The sensing step (S20) may be a step of the controller 20 sensing the object (D) based on the image information generated in the generating step (S10).

That is, the detecting step (S20) may be a step in which the control unit 20 detects an object corresponding to the detection target object D on the image information generated by the photographing unit 12.

In the sensing step (S20), an object whose position change is sensed among the objects captured in the image information may be recognized, and the recognized object may be sensed as the sensing object D.

In the sensing step (S20), as a result of determining the state of the driving area 1000 based on the image information, when an object whose position changes on the driving area 1000 is recognized, the detected object is detected. It can be detected as an object (D).

The controlling step (S30) may be a step in which the controller 20 controls the driving of the main body 10 according to the result detected in the sensing step (S20).

That is, the controlling step (S30) may be a step in which the controller 20 controls the driving of the main body 10 according to the detection result of the object D to be detected.

In the controlling step (S30), when the detection object (D) is not detected, the main body 10 may be maintained and controlled.

That is, in the controlling step (S30), when the detection object (D) is not detected, it may be controlled to maintain driving and operation being performed.

In the controlling step (S30), when the detection target object D is sensed, driving of the main body 10 may be controlled in response to the detection target object D.

In the controlling step (S30), the type of the sensing object D is determined based on the sensing result and a predetermined sensing criterion, and the main body 10 is driven according to the type of the sensing object D. You can control it.

The controlling step (S30) determines the characteristics/characteristics of the detection object D from the detection result of the detection target D from the detection result, compares the determination result with the detection standard, and compares the result. Based on the result, it is possible to determine the type of the sensing object (D).

In the controlling step (S30), the driving of the main body 10 may be controlled according to a predetermined control criterion according to the type of the object D to be detected.

In the controlling step (S30), the driving of the main body 10 may be controlled according to the determined control criterion by determining a criterion corresponding to the type of the object to be detected (D) determined among the control criterion.

In the controlling step (S30), when the driving of the main body 10 is controlled in response to the object D, the driving of the main body 10 is controlled according to one or more of a plurality of preset control modes. can do.

In the controlling step (S30), when controlling the driving of the main body 10 in response to the sensing object D, a first control mode for controlling the main body 10 to travel slowly, the main body ( Driving of the main body 10 in at least one control mode of a second control mode in which the main body 10 is controlled to wait for driving and a third control mode in which the main body 10 is controlled to avoid the sensing object D and travel can control.

In the controlling step (S30), one or more of the control modes may be combined to control the main body 10 to travel in response to the object D to be detected.

In the controlling step (S30), when the driving of the main body 10 is controlled according to one or more of the plurality of control modes, the separation distance between the main body 10 and the object D to be detected is equal to or greater than a predetermined distance. It is possible to control the driving of the main body 10 so as to be maintained.

In the controlling step (S30), driving of the main body 10 may be controlled in one or more control modes from among the plurality of control modes until the detection of the object D is stopped.

In the controlling step (S30), when the sensing object (D) is detected, notification information for a result of sensing the sensing object (D) is generated, and the communication unit included in the robot 100 ( Through 13), the notification information can be transmitted to the communication target means.

The controlling step (S30) also generates an alarm signal for a result of detecting the monitoring object (D) when the detection object (D) is detected, and the output unit included in the robot 100 A sound according to the alarm signal can be output through (14).

The control method including the generating step (S10), the sensing step (S20), and the controlling step (S30) can be implemented as computer readable code on a program recorded medium. The computer-readable medium includes all types of recording devices in which data that can be read by a computer system is stored. Examples of computer-readable media include Hard Disk Drive (HDD), Solid State Disk (SSD), Silicon Disk Drive (SDD), ROM, RAM, CD-ROM, magnetic tape, floppy disk, optical data storage device, etc. , and also includes those implemented in the form of a carrier wave (eg, transmission over the Internet). Also, the computer may include the controller 20.

As described above, the mobile robot and its control method according to the present invention are a mobile robot control means, a mobile robot system, a mobile robot control system, a method for controlling a mobile robot, an obstacle detection method of a mobile robot, and a dynamic movement of a mobile robot. It may be applied and implemented such as an obstacle detection method. In particular, artificial intelligence for controlling a mobile robot, a control means or control method for a mobile robot applying/using artificial intelligence, or a mobile robot applying/using artificial intelligence can be usefully applied and implemented. However, the technology disclosed in this specification is not limited thereto, and may be applied to all mobile robots to which the technical idea of the above technology may be applied, a control means for controlling the mobile robot, a mobile robot system, a method for controlling the mobile robot, and the like. can

Although specific embodiments according to the present invention have been described so far, various modifications are possible without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of the present invention should not be limited to the described embodiments and should not be defined, and should be defined by not only the scope of the claims to be described later, but also those equivalent to the scope of these claims.

As described above, although the present invention has been described with limited embodiments and drawings, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and those skilled in the art in the field to which the present invention belongs can make various modifications and changes from these descriptions. transformation is possible Therefore, the spirit of the present invention should be grasped only by the claims described below, and all equivalent or equivalent modifications thereof will be said to belong to the scope of the spirit of the present invention.

10: main body 11: driving unit
12: photographing unit 20: control unit
100: mobile robot 200: transmitter
300: terminal 400: GPS satellite
1000: driving area

Claims (9)

In a mobile robot that travels while cutting grass on an outdoor driving area,
main body;
a driving unit for moving the main body;
a photographing unit generating image information about the driving area by photographing the periphery of the main body;
a weeding unit cutting grass on a floor surface while the main body travels in the driving area; and
A control unit configured to control driving of the body by controlling the drive unit, determine a state of the driving area based on the image information, and control a grass cutting operation on the driving area by controlling the weeding unit;
The control unit,
As a result of determining the state of the driving area while the main body is driving in the driving area, when it detects an object whose position is changed on the driving area,
Stopping the operation of the weeding unit in response to the object to be detected and controlling the driving of the main body by combining one or more control modes among a plurality of preset control modes,
The plurality of control modes,
a first control mode for controlling the main body to travel slowly;
a second control mode for controlling the main body to wait for driving; and
A third control mode for controlling the main body to avoid the sensing target and drive;
The control unit,
Among the objects photographed in the image information, an object whose position change is detected is recognized, the recognized object is detected as the sensing object, and the type of the sensing object is determined based on the detection result of the sensing object and a preset detection criterion. and stopping the operation of the weeding unit until the object to be detected is separated from the peripheral area of the main body and the detection of the object is stopped, and among the plurality of control modes combined according to the type of the object to be sensed. Control the driving of the main body in a combination mode combining one or more;
When controlling the driving of the main body according to the combination mode,
The mobile robot characterized in that the driving of the main body is controlled so that the separation distance between the main body and the object to be sensed is maintained at a predetermined distance or more while stopping the operation of the weeding unit. According to claim 1,
the filming unit,
Mobile robot, characterized in that provided on the upper rear side of the main body. According to claim 1,
the filming unit,
Mobile robot, characterized in that for photographing the traveling direction of the main body. delete delete According to any one of claims 1 to 3,
A communication unit that communicates with an external communication target means; further comprising,
The control unit,
The mobile robot, characterized in that generating notification information for a result of detecting the detection target, and transmitting the notification information to the communication target unit through the communication unit. According to any one of claims 1 to 3,
An output unit for outputting audio to the outside; further comprising,
The control unit,
The mobile robot, characterized in that for generating an alarm signal for a result of sensing the object to be detected, and outputting a voice according to the alarm signal through the output unit. main body;
a driving unit for moving the main body;
a photographing unit for photographing the periphery of the main body;
a weeding unit that cuts grass on the floor while the main body drives in an outdoor driving area; and
A control unit that controls driving of the main body by controlling the driving unit, determines a state of a driving area of the main body based on a photographing result of the capturing unit, and controls a grass cutting operation in the driving area by controlling the weeding unit. In the control method of a mobile robot that travels while cutting grass on a driving area that includes,
generating image information about the driving area by photographing the periphery of the main body while driving in the driving area;
detecting an object whose position is changed in the driving area based on the image information; and
Including; controlling the driving of the main body according to the detection result;
The detecting step is
Among the objects photographed in the image information, an object whose position change is detected is recognized, and the recognized object is detected as the sensing object;
The control step is
When the object to be detected is detected, the operation of the weeding unit is stopped so that the cutting operation of the grass is stopped, and the type of the object to be sensed is determined based on the detection result and a preset detection criterion. Control the driving of the main body by combining one or more control modes among a plurality of set control modes,
The plurality of control modes,
a first control mode for controlling the main body to travel slowly;
a second control mode for controlling the main body to wait for driving; and
A third control mode for controlling the main body to avoid the sensing target and drive;
The control step is
The main body travels so that the separation distance between the main body and the sensing object is maintained at a predetermined distance or more while stopping the operation of the weeding unit until the sensing object is separated from the surrounding area of the main body and sensing of the sensing object is stopped. A control method of a mobile robot, characterized in that for controlling. delete

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