WO2023024772A1

WO2023024772A1 - Transfer robot

Info

Publication number: WO2023024772A1
Application number: PCT/CN2022/106844
Authority: WO
Inventors: 孔哲
Original assignee: 深圳市海柔创新科技有限公司
Priority date: 2021-08-25
Filing date: 2022-07-20
Publication date: 2023-03-02
Also published as: CN218255156U

Abstract

A transfer robot (100). The transfer robot (100) comprises a base plate (110), a storage frame (120) and a detection assembly, wherein the storage frame (120) is arranged on the base plate (110); the detection assembly is used for detecting obstacles on a circumferential side of the transfer robot (100); the detection assembly comprises a first detection unit (140) and a second detection unit (150); both the first detection unit (140) and the second detection unit (150) are arranged on the storage frame (120); and detection areas of the first detection unit (140) and the second detection unit (150) are both located on a front side of the transfer robot (100) in an advancing direction, so that a detection range can be enlarged, and the accuracy of obstacle identification can be increased.

Description

Handling robot

This application claims the priority of a Chinese utility model patent application with the application number 202122038679.1 and the application name "handling robot" filed with the China Patent Office on August 25, 2021, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety middle.

technical field

The present application relates to the technical field of warehousing and logistics, in particular to a handling robot.

Background technique

With the development of artificial intelligence and automation technology, handling robots are widely used in the field of warehousing and logistics to transport goods. In the process of carrying out cargo delivery tasks, the handling robot needs to identify and judge obstacles on its action path, so as to avoid them in time and avoid collision accidents.

At present, the handling robot usually relies on installing a detection unit to realize obstacle recognition. The detection unit can generally be a laser sensor, or a visual sensor such as a camera. , so as to identify the obstacles in front of its advancing path.

However, in the prior art, the obstacle detection range of the handling robot is small, and the obstacle cannot be accurately identified.

Contents of the invention

The embodiment of the present application provides a handling robot, which has a larger obstacle detection range and improves the accuracy of obstacle identification.

The handling robot provided in the embodiment of the present application includes a chassis, a storage rack, and a detection assembly. The storage rack is arranged on the chassis. The detection assembly is used to detect obstacles around the handling robot. The detection assembly includes a first detection unit and a second detection unit unit, the first detection unit and the second detection unit are all arranged on the storage rack, and the detection areas of the first detection unit and the second detection unit are located at the front side of the transport robot along the forward direction.

In the handling robot provided in the present application, the first detection unit and the second detection unit installed on the storage unit can detect obstacles in the space ahead of the forward direction of the handling robot, and cooperate with each other to improve the accuracy of obstacle recognition.

As an optional implementation manner, the detection assembly includes at least two third detection units, the third detection units are wide-angle radars, the chassis is square, and the third detection units are center-symmetrical to the center of the chassis on the chassis.

As an optional implementation manner, there may be two third detection units, and the two third detection units are arranged diagonally on the chassis, so that the detection range can cover the peripheral area of the chassis to the greatest extent.

As an optional implementation, the detection area of the third detection unit is a scanning plane parallel to the ground, and the boundary line of the scanning plane extends along the outer edge of the chassis, so that the boundary of the detection areas of the two third detection units Convergence, eliminating detection blind spots.

As an optional implementation, the detection area of the first detection unit and the projection of the detection area of the second detection unit on the ground at least partially overlap, so that the two can cooperate with each other to identify and judge obstacles sequentially or simultaneously, improving Accuracy of obstacle recognition.

As an optional implementation, the distance between the boundary of the detection area of the first detection unit projected on the ground and the chassis is greater than the distance between the boundary of the detection area of the second detection unit projected on the ground and the chassis. Among them, the first detection unit can identify the obstacle first, and the second detection unit can perform secondary identification to accurately determine whether the obstacle needs to be avoided or how to avoid it.

As an optional implementation manner, the detection angle range of the third detection unit is 260° to 280°, so that the boundary of the detection area of the third detection unit matches the shape of the corner and outer edge of the chassis.

As an optional implementation manner, the third detection unit may be a linear laser radar, and the third detection unit may rotate horizontally relative to the corner outer edge of the chassis.

As an optional implementation manner, the third detection unit may be a millimeter-wave radar, and the electromagnetic wave emission range of the millimeter-wave radar covers the edge of the chassis.

As an optional implementation manner, the third detection unit may be a sonic radar, and the sonic emission range of the sonic radar covers the edge of the chassis.

As an optional implementation, the first detection unit may be a laser radar or a vision sensor, the first detection unit is located on the top of the storage shelf, and the detection area of the first detection unit is inclined toward the ground relative to the horizontal direction.

The second detection unit can also be a laser radar or a vision sensor. The second detection unit is installed on the side of the storage rack facing the forward direction of the transport robot. The detection area of the second detection unit is inclined toward the ground relative to the horizontal direction. When the laser radar is used, the scanning line of the laser radar is inclined towards the ground relative to the horizontal direction. When the visual sensor is used, the lens of the visual sensor faces the ground in front of the forward direction of the handling robot.

As an optional implementation, the first detection unit can be tilted and rotated relative to the storage rack, and the rotation angle range of the first detection unit can be 40° to 90°, so that the detection area of the first detection unit covers the handling robot The ground ahead of the heading.

As an optional implementation, the front edge of the chassis along the forward direction is located in the detection area of the second detection unit, so as to prevent the second detection unit from having a detection blind spot in front of the forward direction of the transport robot.

As an optional implementation, the second detection unit can be movably installed on the storage rack, and the second detection unit can move along the height direction of the storage rack, so that when an obstacle appears in front of the handling robot, it can By moving up and down to change the shooting focal length of the second detection unit, the accuracy of obstacle identification is improved.

As an optional implementation, the detection assembly may also include a support frame, the support frame is installed on the storage rack, and the support frame can move along the height direction of the storage rack, and the second detection unit is installed on the support frame to The reliability of the installation structure of the second detection unit is guaranteed.

As an optional implementation, the storage rack may include a frame and a plurality of storage units, the plurality of storage units are arranged at intervals along the height direction of the frame, and the two ends of the support frame are respectively movably connected to the two ends of the frame. side, and the support frame surrounds the outside of the storage unit to avoid interference with the storage unit when the support frame moves up and down.

As an optional implementation, the top of the storage rack can be provided with an indicator light, which can form an indicator mark on the ground in front of the forward direction of the handling robot, thereby prompting the staff or equipment around the handling robot to avoid accidents such as collisions.

The handling robot provided by the present application includes a chassis, a storage rack, and a detection assembly. The storage rack is arranged on the chassis. The detection assembly is used to detect obstacles around the handling robot. The detection assembly includes a first detection unit and a second detection unit. The first detection unit and the second detection unit are both arranged on the storage rack, and the detection areas of the first detection unit and the second detection unit are located at the front side of the transport robot along the forward direction, thereby reducing the distance between the surrounding sides of the transport robot. Detect blind spots, expand the detection range, and cooperate to improve the accuracy of obstacle recognition.

In addition to the technical problems solved by the embodiments of the present application described above, the technical features that constitute the technical solutions, and the beneficial effects brought by the technical features of these technical solutions, other technical problems that the handling robot provided by the present application can solve, Other technical features contained in the technical solution and the beneficial effects brought by these technical features will be further described in detail in the specific implementation manner.

Description of drawings

In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application or the prior art, the following will briefly introduce the drawings that need to be used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art. Obviously, the accompanying drawings in the following description These are some embodiments of the present application. Those skilled in the art can also obtain other drawings based on these drawings without any creative effort.

FIG. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a handling robot provided in an embodiment of the present application;

Fig. 2 is a top view of the handling robot provided by the embodiment of the present application;

Fig. 3 is a side view of the handling robot provided by the embodiment of the present application.

Explanation of reference signs:

100-handling robot; 110-chassis; 120-storage rack; 121-storage unit; 130-third detection unit; 140-first detection unit; 150-second detection unit; 160-support frame; 170-take Delivery device.

Detailed ways

In order to make the purposes, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present application clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments It is a part of the embodiments of this application, not all of them. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by persons of ordinary skill in the art without creative efforts fall within the protection scope of this application.

First of all, those skilled in the art should understand that these embodiments are only used to explain the technical principle of the present application, and are not intended to limit the protection scope of the present application. Those skilled in the art can make adjustments as needed so as to adapt to specific applications.

Secondly, it should be noted that in the description of the present application, terms such as "inside" and "outside" indicate directions or positional relationships based on the directions or positional relationships shown in the drawings, which are only for convenience of description. It is not intended to indicate or imply that a device or component must have a particular orientation, be constructed, or operate in a particular orientation, and thus should not be construed as limiting the application.

In addition, it should be noted that in the description of this application, unless otherwise specified and limited, the terms "connected" and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection or a detachable connection , or integrally connected; it can be mechanically connected or electrically connected; it can be the internal communication of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meanings of the above terms in this application according to specific situations.

In the description of this specification, references to the terms "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "exemplary embodiments," "example," "specific examples," or "some examples" are intended to mean that the implementation A specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described by an embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the present disclosure. In this specification, schematic representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in any one or more embodiments or examples.

In order to improve the efficiency of warehousing and logistics, handling robots have been widely used to carry out the task of delivering goods. The handling robot can deliver multiple goods or multiple orders at a time, and some handling robots can also automatically pick and place goods. While improving logistics efficiency, it can also reduce logistics costs. The handling robot usually has a fixed moving path preset when performing tasks, or can use its control system to automatically form a moving path for specific tasks according to the respective specific tasks.

In the process of carrying out cargo delivery tasks according to its moving path, the handling robot needs to identify and judge the obstacles on its action path, and avoid them in time to avoid collision accidents. The handling robot usually relies on the installation of detection units to realize obstacle recognition , the detection unit can generally be a laser sensor, or a visual sensor such as a camera, and the detection unit can be set on the bottom or top of the handling robot, and face forward in the forward direction of the handling robot, so as to identify obstacles in front of its forward path.

However, since the detection units have a certain detection range, no matter whether the handling robot in the prior art is equipped with a detection unit on the front side or the rear side, it is easy to produce detection blind spots, especially on both sides of the moving robot along the forward direction. The range of the blind zone is relatively large, and correspondingly, the detection range of obstacles is relatively small. When an obstacle enters the blind zone, the detection unit cannot recognize the obstacle, and thus cannot respond to evasion or parking, which is prone to crashes. The number of detection units will increase the manufacturing cost. In addition, even if the existing detection method detects an obstacle, it cannot identify and judge whether the obstacle needs to be avoided or how to avoid it, which sometimes causes unnecessary parking and reduces logistics efficiency. .

The embodiment of the present application provides a handling robot. The handling robot has a large obstacle detection range, which greatly reduces the detection blind area around it, and can further judge the obstacle while recognizing the obstacle. In order to determine whether the obstacle needs to be avoided, or how to avoid it, the accuracy of obstacle identification is improved.

First of all, it should be explained that the obstacles identified by the handling robot provided in this embodiment can be obstacles on the ground, or suspended obstacles that do not contact the ground, or can be fixed relative to the ground. The obstacle can also be an obstacle that can move through the moving path of the handling robot. Specifically, it can be an obstacle that protrudes from the ground and causes terrain changes, such as shelves, fixed equipment, etc., or it can pass through the handling robot. Peripheral staff or other mobile devices, etc., this embodiment does not limit the types of obstacles that the handling robot in the embodiment recognizes and avoids, as long as they appear within the detection range of the surrounding area, the identification required for the handling robot is as follows Contrasts or evasions are collectively referred to as "obstacles", and will not be described in detail here.

In addition, the handling robot provided in this embodiment is mainly used to carry out goods delivery tasks. It can deliver goods directly, or transport boxes containing goods, and the handling robot can be applied to the storage and retail of inventory products in manufacturing factories. It can also be used in different fields such as express delivery in and out of e-commerce logistics. The goods involved in the transportation can be industrial parts, electronic accessories or products, medicines, clothing accessories, food, books, etc., and this application The embodiment does not specifically limit this.

Fig. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a handling robot provided in an embodiment of the present application, Fig. 2 is a top view of a handling robot provided in an embodiment of the present application, and Fig. 3 is a side view of a handling robot provided in an embodiment of the present application.

As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the handling robot 100 provided in this embodiment includes a chassis 110, a storage rack 120 and a detection assembly. For the cargo delivery task, the detection component is used to detect obstacles around the handling robot 100, so as to avoid obstacles when the handling robot 100 performs the delivery task, so as to avoid collision accidents.

Wherein, the detection assembly includes a first detection unit 140 and a second detection unit 150, and the first detection unit 140 and the second detection unit 150 are both arranged on the storage rack 120, and the first detection unit 140 and the second detection unit 150 The detection areas are all located on the front side of the transport robot 100 along the forward direction. The first detection unit 140 and the second detection unit 150 can independently complete the detection and identification of obstacles in their respective detection areas. Improve the accuracy of obstacle recognition while detecting blind spots.

In some embodiments, the detection assembly may further include a third detection unit 130 , there are at least two third detection units 130 , and the third detection unit 130 is arranged on the chassis 110 .

It can be understood that the third detection unit 130 is a wide-angle detection unit, and the chassis 110 is square, and the third detection unit 130 is symmetrically arranged on the chassis 110 with respect to the center of the chassis 110 .

Exemplarily, the third detection unit may be a laser radar, an acoustic wave radar or a millimeter wave radar. Taking a linear laser radar as an example, the linear laser radar rotates through the emitted laser scanning lines to form a scanning surface, and the linear laser radar on the opposite corner of the chassis 110 The scanning surfaces formed by the radars intersect with each other to form a complete detection area around the chassis 110 .

It should be noted that, in the handling robot 100 provided in this embodiment, the third detection unit 130 arranged symmetrically on the center of the chassis 110 can detect whether there is an obstacle around the chassis 110, and the square chassis 110 cooperates with the diagonally arranged The third detection unit 130 can reduce the detection blind area around the chassis 110 and expand the detection range, while the first detection unit 140 and the second detection unit 150 arranged on the storage can block the space in front of the forward direction of the transport robot 100. object detection, and cooperate with the third detection unit 130 to improve the accuracy of obstacle recognition.

In addition, the chassis 110 can move forward by means of wheel movement or track movement, and can be driven by a motor, which is not specifically limited in this embodiment, and the movement structure and driving method of the chassis 110 are all existing technologies, which will not be described here. repeat.

The specific detection methods and detection areas of the third detection unit 130 , the first detection unit 140 and the second detection unit 150 will be described in detail below.

Please continue to refer to FIG. 2. Since the chassis 110 is a moving part of the handling robot 100, it is necessary to be able to detect obstacles in all angle ranges around the chassis 110, and the detection around the chassis 110 mainly relies on the third detection unit. 130 realizes that a plurality of wide-angle radars are arranged symmetrically in the center, and at the same time, in order to reduce costs, the detection area formed by the scanning surface of the third detection unit 130 is utilized to the maximum extent.

It can be understood that one or more third detection units 130 can be arranged symmetrically on the opposite sides of the chassis 110 respectively. Exemplarily, they can be arranged symmetrically with respect to the center line of the chassis 110, or can be mirrored with respect to the center of the chassis 110. symmetry.

Alternatively, a third detection unit 130 can be arranged diagonally on the chassis 110, and one third detection unit 130 can be arranged on each of the two corners of the chassis 110, that is, there can be two third detection units 130, so that the detection The range covers the peripheral area of the chassis 110 to the greatest extent.

Exemplarily, the third detection unit 130 may be respectively provided at the front left corner and the right rear corner of the chassis 110 ;

Wherein, since the scanning surface of the linear lidar is formed by the rotation of the laser scanning line, the detection area of the third detection unit 130 may be a scanning surface parallel to the ground, and the boundary line of the scanning surface extends along the outer edge of the chassis 110, The boundaries of the detection areas of the two third detection units 130 meet to eliminate detection blind areas.

In the actual detection process, the detection laser emitted by the linear laser radar will be reflected if it hits an obstacle, and the linear laser radar can judge the distance from the obstacle to the chassis 110 after receiving the reflected light. The working principle is the prior art, and will not be repeated here.

Optionally, the third detection unit 130 can rotate horizontally relative to the corner outer edge of the chassis 110, and the rotation angle range of the third detection unit 130 can be α, and the value range of α can be 260° to 280°, The boundary of the detection area of the third detection unit 130 is made to match the shape of the corner outer edge of the chassis 110 . The detection area of the third detection unit 130 can be regarded as a fan-shaped area radiating outwards from itself, the rotatable angle of the third detection unit 130 relative to the chassis 110 is the angle of the fan-shaped area, and the two sides of the fan-shaped area The boundary is the boundary of the detection area of the third detection unit 130 .

Exemplarily, the rotation angle range α of the third detection unit 130 relative to the chassis 110 can be 260°, 270° and 280°, and different rotation angle ranges correspond to different ranges of detection areas that can be formed by the third detection unit 130, That is, the angle of the fan-shaped area formed by it, taking 270° as an example, at this time, the radiation angle of the detection area of the third detection unit 130 is equal to the outer angle of the corner of the chassis 110, and the two third detection units 130 arranged diagonally The formed detection area can relatively completely cover all areas around the chassis 110 .

It should be noted that the square chassis 110 can be a square or a rectangle, and the specific size of the chassis 110 is not limited in this embodiment, and the corners of the chassis 110 can be right angles, or a small radius can be set at each corner of the chassis 110 chamfers for increased safety.

In addition, since the chassis 110 is square, there are two sets of diagonal positions on the chassis 110, and the two third detection units 130 can be arranged at any set of diagonal positions, and the third detection units 130 on any set of diagonal positions are all Obstacle detection and recognition on the peripheral side of the chassis 110 can be completed.

When the third detection unit 130 adopts the millimeter-wave radar or the acoustic wave radar, it can adopt a similar setting position as the linear laser radar, and has a similar detection range. The specific passing principles of the millimeter-wave radar and the acoustic wave radar are all existing technologies. I won't go into details here. In addition, the laser radar may be a rotating linear laser radar or a non-rotating diffuse laser radar, which may have a similar detection range, which is not specifically limited in this embodiment.

Since the first detection unit 140 and the second detection unit 150 are both arranged on the storage rack 120, and mainly detect the forward direction of the transport robot 100, the first detection unit 140 and the second detection unit 150 The setting manner and detection area are different from the third detection unit 130, which will be described below.

Please continue to refer to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the first detection unit 140 and the second detection unit 150 can work together, the detection area of the first detection unit 140 and the projection of the detection area of the second detection unit 150 on the ground at least partially overlap, Therefore, the two can recognize and judge obstacles sequentially or simultaneously, and improve the accuracy of obstacle recognition.

Wherein, the distance between the boundary of the detection area of the first detection unit 140 projected on the ground and the chassis 110 may be greater than the distance between the boundary of the detection area of the second detection unit 150 projected on the ground and the chassis 110, that is, described from the detection range, the first The detection unit 140 can detect obstacles that are farther away from the chassis 110, so that during the forward process of the transport robot 100, the first detection unit 140 can first identify the obstacles, and the second detection unit 150 can perform secondary identification, so as to Accurately determine whether the obstacle needs to be avoided or how to avoid it.

Optionally, the first detection unit 140 can also be a laser radar or a vision sensor. The first detection unit 140 is located on the top of the storage rack 120. The detection area of the first detection unit 140 is inclined toward the ground relative to the horizontal direction. The unit 140 can tilt and rotate relative to the storage rack 120 .

It can be understood that when the first detection unit 140 is a laser radar, for example, a linear laser radar, since the scanning line of the first detection unit 140 scans to the front and lower side of the forward direction of the transfer robot 100, that is, the first detection unit 140 forms a The detection area is a fan-shaped area on the ground facing the front side of the transport robot 100. In the actual detection process, the first detection unit 140 and the third detection unit 130 can jointly determine the distance between the obstacle located in front of the transport robot 100 and the chassis 110 , and the height of the obstacle relative to the ground, so as to obtain more detailed obstacle information.

In addition, the first detection unit 140 may be disposed in the middle of the top of the storage box, and the first detection unit 140 mainly cooperates with the third detection unit 130 on the front corner of the chassis 110 along the forward direction.

Optionally, the rotation angle range of the first detection unit 140 may be β, and the value of β may be 40° to 90°, and the angle range of the pitch rotation of the first detection unit 140 is the range of its detection area, so that Make the detection area of the first detection unit 140 cover the ground in front of the moving direction of the transfer robot 100, and obtain as wide a detection range as possible.

Exemplarily, the rotation angle range β of the first detection unit 140 may be 40°, 45°, 50°, 60°, 70°, 80°, 90°, specifically according to the height of the storage rack 120, that is, the first The height set by the detection unit 140 and the actual operating scene of the handling robot 100 are selected, which is not specifically limited in this embodiment.

As an optional implementation manner, the second detection unit 150 may be a laser radar or a vision sensor.

It can be understood that when the second detection unit 150 is a visual sensor, for example, a three-dimensional camera, the three-dimensional camera faces the front side of the forward direction of the transfer robot 100, and the lens of the three-dimensional camera is inclined toward the ground relative to the horizontal direction, thereby forming an inclined The following shooting angle is used to identify obstacles in front of the moving direction of the transport robot 100 . The specific working principle and structure of the 3D camera are all in the prior art, and will not be repeated here.

Wherein, the second detection unit 150 can more accurately identify obstacles within the detection range, and the second detection unit 150 can cooperate with the first detection unit 140 to complete the obstacle detection process. The boundary range of the detection area of the first detection unit 140 is larger than that of the second detection unit 150, therefore, the first detection unit 140 can first complete the preliminary obstacle identification, and then, when the transport robot 100 continues to move forward along the forward direction, it may When an existing obstacle enters the detection range of the second detection unit 150 , the second detection unit 150 can accurately recognize the obstacle, so as to determine whether the obstacle needs to be avoided by changing the moving path.

Exemplarily, when there is a deceleration belt protruding from the horizontal ground in front of the forward path of the transport robot 100, the detection structures of the third detection unit 130 and the first detection unit 140 may conclude that there is an obstacle ahead. When the speed bump enters the detection area of the second detection unit 150, it can be judged that the obstacle is a speed bump through the three-dimensional scanning of the three-dimensional camera, and there is no need to avoid it. Unnecessary downtime improves logistics efficiency.

In addition, since the detection areas of the third detection unit 130 and the first detection unit 140 are scanning surfaces formed by linear lasers, there may be obstacles in the air on one side during the forward process of the handling robot 100, such as the edge of the shelf protruding out. At this time, the obstacle may not be within the detection area of the third detection unit 130 and the first detection unit 140, but the second detection unit 150 can identify the obstacle and make the handling robot 100 Avoid obstacles in time to avoid crashes.

It should be noted that when the first detection unit 140 and the second detection unit 150 perform cooperative detection work, one of the two can be a laser radar, and the other can be a visual sensor. During detection, the laser radar can be used first. Detect the distance between the obstacle and the handling robot 100, and then use the visual sensor to identify what the obstacle is; In addition, the first detection unit 140 and the second detection unit 150 can both be laser radars, thereby forming a dual laser detection method, or both the first detection unit 140 and the second detection unit 150 can be visual sensors, thereby forming a dual vision detection The method is used to meet the requirements of different application scenarios, which is not specifically limited in this embodiment.

In order to eliminate the detection blind zone of the second detection unit 150 on the front side of the forward direction of the transport robot 100 as much as possible, the front side edge of the chassis 110 along the forward direction is located in the detection area of the second detection unit 150, that is, the front side of the chassis 110 The edge is within the field of view of the three-dimensional camera, so as to prevent the second detection unit 150 from having a detection blind spot in front of the forward direction of the transport robot 100 .

The specific installation manner of the second detection unit 150 on the storage rack 120 will be described below.

In some embodiments, the second detection unit 150 can be installed on the column of the storage rack 120, or installed on the storage rack 120 through the support frame 160, and the second detection unit 150 can adjust the detection by pitching and rotating. The area, the manner and range of pitching of the second detection unit 150 may be similar to that of the first detection unit 140 , which will not be repeated here.

When the support frame 160 is provided, the support frame 160 can be a frame structure provided with a peripheral storage tray, or a pole structure extending from a column or a beam to the forward direction of the transport robot 100, so as to avoid interference with the storage frame 120 , while not interfering with the detection range of the second detection unit 150 .

Please continue to refer to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 , as an optional implementation, the second detection unit 150 can be movably installed on the storage rack 120 , and the second detection unit 150 can move along the height direction of the storage rack 120 , so that when an obstacle appears in front of the transport robot 100, the shooting focal length of the second detection unit 150 can be changed by moving up and down, so as to improve the accuracy of obstacle identification.

Wherein, the 3D camera adopted by the second detection unit 150 itself can also adjust the focal length, and the up and down movement of the second detection unit 150 cooperates with its own focal length adjustment to realize the identification of obstacles more quickly, thereby improving the handling robot 100. The speed of reaction when encountering obstacles. The viewing angle range of the three-dimensional camera can cover a certain area in front of the handling robot 100. From the side viewing angle of the handling robot 100, the viewing angle range γ of the three-dimensional camera in the lateral plane can be 45° to 180°, γ It can be 45°, 60°, 90°, 150°, 180°, and its value can be selected according to the lens width of the 3D camera. In the top view angle of the handling robot 100, its angle of view range γ can also have a similar choice , which is not specifically limited in this embodiment.

Those skilled in the art can understand that the first detection unit 140 can also realize the movement along the height direction of the storage rack 120 in a similar manner to the second detection unit 150, thereby improving the accuracy of obstacle identification and further improving the handling capacity. Accuracy of robot 100 obstacle avoidance. The manner in which the first detection unit 140 and the second detection unit 150 improve the accuracy of obstacle avoidance will be described below through specific examples.

Exemplarily, during the moving process of the handling robot 100, when a shelf or a moving material truck appears in front of the moving path of the handling robot 100, and when there is a distance between the bottom layer of the shelf and the material vehicle and the ground, the third detection unit 130 passes the laser Scanning may not be able to determine whether there is an obstacle in front of the handling robot 100, but the first detection unit 140 can change its detection range by moving along the height direction of the storage rack 120 and tilting, when the first detection unit 140 moves along the storage rack 120 The height direction of 120 moves upwards. At this time, the detection range of the first detection unit 140 becomes larger. The scanning laser emitted by the first detection unit 140 can determine that there may be obstacles ahead. At this time, the second detection unit 150 is used to The second detection unit 150 can identify and judge the characteristics of obstacles, and when the handling robot 100 approaches a possible obstacle, the second detection unit 150 can move down along the height direction of the storage rack 120 to improve its image recognition performance. Accuracy, and can accurately determine that the obstacle in front is a shelf or a material truck, so as to complete the obstacle identification in a timely and accurate manner. The handling robot 100 can stop and wait or actively avoid operations based on the identification result.

Optionally, the support frame 160 is installed on the storage rack 120, and the support frame 160 can move along the height direction of the storage rack 120, and the second detection unit 150 is installed on the support frame 160 to ensure that the second detection unit 150 is installed structural reliability.

The storage rack 120 can include a frame and a plurality of storage units 121, and the plurality of storage units 121 can be arranged at intervals along the height direction of the frame, and the two ends of the support frame 160 are movably connected to both sides of the frame, The frame 160 surrounds the outside of the storage unit 121 to prevent the support frame 160 from interfering with the storage unit 121 when moving up and down.

It should be noted that the support frame 160 can specifically move along the height direction of the frame body through belt transmission or chain transmission, that is, conveyor belts or chain structures can be arranged along the height direction on both sides of the frame, and can be driven by a motor. The embodiment does not limit the specific driving method for the support frame 160 and the second detection unit 150 to move up and down.

As an optional implementation, the top of the storage rack 120 can be provided with an indicator light, which can form an indicator mark on the ground in front of the forward direction of the handling robot 100, thereby prompting the staff or equipment around the handling robot 100 to avoid accidents such as collisions.

It should be noted that the handling robot 100 provided in this embodiment can also be provided with a pick-and-place device 170, and the pick-and-place device 170 can be a manipulator, which is used for picking and placing goods or loading goods during the process of carrying out goods delivery tasks. The material box, the manipulator structure and the mode of operation of taking and placing goods are prior art, do not repeat them here.

In addition, the handling robot 100 provided in this embodiment can also include a controller, the controller can be arranged on the chassis 110, and each detection unit of the detection component, the power unit of the chassis 110 and the drive unit of the pick-and-place device 170 can be connected with each other. The controller is electrically connected, and the controller can receive the detection signals fed back by each detection unit, so as to control the chassis 110 to stop, move forward or change the moving path to avoid obstacles.

The handling robot provided in this embodiment includes a chassis, a storage rack, and a detection assembly. The storage rack is arranged on the chassis. The detection assembly is used to detect obstacles around the handling robot. The detection assembly includes a first detection unit and a second detection unit. , the first detection unit and the second detection unit are both arranged on the storage rack, and the detection areas of the first detection unit and the second detection unit are located at the front side of the transport robot along the forward direction, so that the peripheral side of the transport robot can be reduced The blind spot of detection is widened, the detection range is expanded, and the accuracy of obstacle recognition is improved at the same time.

Finally, it should be noted that: the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, and are not intended to limit it; although the application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those of ordinary skill in the art should understand that: It is still possible to modify the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or perform equivalent replacements for some or all of the technical features; and these modifications or replacements do not make the essence of the corresponding technical solutions depart from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application. .

Claims

A handling robot, characterized in that it includes a chassis, a storage rack and a detection assembly, the storage rack is arranged on the chassis, the detection assembly is used to detect obstacles around the handling robot, the The detection assembly includes a first detection unit and a second detection unit, the first detection unit and the second detection unit are both arranged on the storage rack, and the first detection unit and the second detection unit The detection areas are all located on the front side of the handling robot along the forward direction.
The handling robot according to claim 1, wherein the detection area of the first detection unit and the projection of the detection area of the second detection unit on the ground at least partially overlap.
The handling robot according to claim 1, wherein the distance between the boundary of the detection area of the first detection unit projected on the ground and the chassis is greater than the distance between the boundary of the detection area of the second detection unit projected on the ground The chassis distance.
The handling robot according to any one of claims 1-3, wherein the detection assembly further includes at least two third detection units, the chassis is square, and the third detection units are arranged on the chassis on, and is centrally symmetrical with respect to the center of the chassis.
The handling robot according to claim 4, characterized in that there are two third detection units, the third detection units are wide-angle radars, and the two third detection units are diagonally positioned on the chassis set up.
The transport robot according to claim 5, wherein the detection area of the third detection unit is a scanning plane parallel to the ground, and the boundary line of the scanning plane extends along the outer edge of the chassis.
The handling robot according to claim 5, wherein the detection angle range of the third detection unit is 260° to 280°.
The handling robot according to claim 7, wherein the third detection unit is a linear laser radar, and the third detection unit can rotate horizontally relative to the corner outer edge of the chassis.
The handling robot according to claim 7, wherein the third detection unit is a millimeter-wave radar, and the electromagnetic wave emission range of the millimeter-wave radar covers the edge of the chassis.
The handling robot according to claim 7, wherein the third detection unit is a sonic radar, and the sound wave emission range of the sonic radar covers the edge of the chassis.
The handling robot according to any one of claims 1-3, wherein the first detection unit is located on the top of the storage rack, the first detection unit is a laser radar, and the first detection unit The scan line is inclined towards the ground relative to the horizontal direction; or,

The first detection unit is a visual sensor, and the lens of the visual sensor faces the ground on the front side of the forwarding direction of the transport robot.
The transfer robot according to claim 11, wherein the first detection unit can be tilted and rotated relative to the storage rack.
The handling robot according to claim 12, wherein the rotation angle of the first detection unit ranges from 40° to 90°.
The handling robot according to any one of claims 1-3, wherein the second detection unit is installed on the side of the storage rack facing the advancing direction of the handling robot, and the second detection unit is In the laser radar, the scanning line of the second detection unit is inclined toward the ground relative to the horizontal direction; or,

The second detection unit is a visual sensor, and the lens of the visual sensor faces the ground on the front side of the forwarding direction of the transport robot.
The transfer robot according to claim 14, characterized in that, the front edge of the chassis along the forward direction is located in the detection area of the second detection unit.
The handling robot according to claim 14, wherein the second detection unit is movably installed on the storage rack, and the second detection unit can move along the height direction of the storage rack .
The handling robot according to claim 16, wherein the detection assembly further comprises a support frame, the support frame is installed on the storage rack, and the support frame can be moved along the height of the storage rack direction movement, the second detection unit is installed on the support frame.
The handling robot according to claim 17, wherein the storage rack comprises a frame and a plurality of storage units, and the plurality of storage units are arranged at intervals along the height direction of the frame, and the support Two ends of the frame are respectively movably connected to two sides of the frame body, and the support frame surrounds the outside of the storage unit.
The transport robot according to any one of claims 1-3, wherein an indicator light is provided on the top of the storage rack, and the indicator light can form an indicator mark on the ground ahead of the forward direction of the transport robot.