KR20220009305A - Moving robot apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

A mobile robot device is disclosed. The present mobile robot device includes a main body, first and second wheels disposed on both sides of the main body, a first driving device for providing driving force to each of the first and second wheels, and the main body as the center of the first and second wheels A second driving device that moves in a vertical direction with respect to the axis and a processor that controls the second driving device so that the main body moves in contact with the ground or moves apart from the ground.

Description

Mobile robot device {MOVING ROBOT APPARATUS}

The present disclosure relates to a mobile robot device, and more particularly, to a mobile robot device capable of stable driving and information collection as a main body moves in contact with the ground or moves apart from the ground.

With the development of robot technology, the supply of robots is becoming common not only in specialized academic fields or industrial fields requiring large-scale labor but also in general households. In addition, a mobile robot capable of moving a position as well as a robot performing a function with a fixed position is popular. Among mobile robots, a two-wheeled robot having two wheels has the advantage of occupying a small ground area, and thus various types of two-wheeled robots (Segway, Ninebot, etc.) are widely used.

In the conventional two-wheeled robot, the center of gravity of the main body is always above the rotation axis of the wheel, and balancing is controlled so as not to fall over. The mobile robot having such a structure has problems in that it is difficult to travel stably because there is shaking according to the rotational inertia force and action and reaction, and it is impossible to return to the original posture if it falls down.

The present disclosure is in accordance with the above-mentioned necessity, and an object of the present disclosure is to provide a mobile robot device capable of stable driving and information collection as the main body moves in contact with the ground or moves apart from the ground.

A mobile robot device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure for achieving the above object includes a main body, first and second wheels disposed on both sides of the main body, respectively, and driving force to each of the first and second wheels A first driving device to provide, a second driving device for moving the main body in a vertical direction with respect to the central axis of the first and second wheels, and the second driving device so that the main body moves in contact with the ground or moves apart from the ground 2 It may include a processor for controlling the driving device.

The first driving device may include a first motor providing a driving force to the first wheel and a second motor providing a driving force to the second wheel.

The second driving device may include a rack disposed on at least one of the first and second wheels and a pinion disposed within the body to engage the rack.

The rack may be arranged vertically.

The rack includes a first rack disposed within the first wheel and a second rack disposed within the second wheel, wherein the pinion includes a first pinion and a second rack disposed to engage the first rack. and a second pinion arranged to engage with the .

The second driving device may include a third motor rotating the first pinion and a fourth motor rotating the second pinion.

The first wheel includes a rotatable first wheel cover and a first intermediate member disposed between the first wheel cover and the main body, wherein the second wheel includes a rotatable second wheel cover and the second wheel A second intermediate member may be disposed between the cover and the main body, wherein the first rack may be disposed on the first intermediate member, and the second rack may be disposed on the second intermediate member.

The mobile robot device may further include a guide rail disposed on at least one of the first and second intermediate members, and the main body may include a block movable along the guide rail on a side surface.

The guide rail may be vertically disposed.

The mobile robot device may further include a camera disposed on the main body to image a surrounding environment of the mobile robot device.

The body may include a caster rotatably connected to the lower surface.

The axis of rotation of the caster may be parallel to the axis of rotation of the first and second wheels.

The processor may control the second driving device so that the caster selectively contacts the ground or is spaced apart from the ground.

The processor may control the second driving device to tilt the main body in a direction in which the mobile robot device rotates.

In the processor, when the main body falls and comes into contact with the ground, the first and second wheels rotate the main body until the center of gravity of the main body is located outside the section between the contact point of the main body and the contact point of the first and second wheels. The second driving device may be controlled to move toward the .

1 is a front perspective view of a mobile robot device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;
2 is a rear perspective view of a mobile robot device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
3 is a front view of the mobile robot device in which the main body is in contact with the ground.
4 is a front perspective view of the mobile robot device in which the main body is moved upward.
5 is a front view of the mobile robot device in which the main body is spaced apart from the ground.
6 is an exploded perspective view of a mobile robot device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;
7 is a cross-sectional view of the mobile robot device shown in FIG. 1 taken along line I-I.
8 is a side view of a first wheel according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;
9 is a block diagram schematically illustrating a control process of a mobile robot apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
10 is a cross-sectional view of the mobile robot device shown in FIG. 1 taken along line II-II.
11 is a cross-sectional view of the mobile robot device shown in FIG. 4 taken along line III-III.
12 and 13 are views illustrating a state in which the main body is tilted when the mobile robot device turns.
14 to 16 are views illustrating a process of returning to an original posture when the body falls over.

It should be understood that the embodiments described below are illustratively shown to help the understanding of the present disclosure, and the present disclosure may be implemented with various modifications, different from the embodiments described herein. However, in the following description of the present disclosure, if it is determined that a detailed description of a related well-known function or component may unnecessarily obscure the gist of the present disclosure, the detailed description and specific illustration thereof will be omitted. In addition, the accompanying drawings are not drawn to scale in order to help understanding of the disclosure, but dimensions of some components may be exaggerated.

The terms used in this specification and claims have been chosen in consideration of the function of the present disclosure. However, these terms may vary depending on the intention of a person skilled in the art, legal or technical interpretation, and emergence of new technology. Also, some terms are arbitrarily selected by the applicant. These terms may be interpreted in the meanings defined herein, and in the absence of specific definitions, they may be interpreted based on the general content of the present specification and common technical common sense in the art.

In this specification, expressions such as “have,” “may have,” “include,” or “may include” indicate the presence of a corresponding characteristic (eg, a numerical value, function, operation, or component such as a part). and does not exclude the presence of additional features.

In addition, since the present specification describes components necessary for the description of each embodiment of the present disclosure, the present disclosure is not necessarily limited thereto. Accordingly, some components may be changed or omitted, and other components may be added. In addition, they may be distributed and arranged in different independent devices.

Further, an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and the contents described in the accompanying drawings, but the present disclosure is not limited or limited by the embodiments.

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

1 is a front perspective view of a mobile robot device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; 2 is a rear perspective view of a mobile robot device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 3 is a front view of the mobile robot device in which the main body is in contact with the ground.

The mobile robot device 1 is a device having various functions, such as recognizing a surrounding environment, capable of autonomous driving and information collection, and transmitting information to a user. The mobile robot device 1 may recognize a surrounding environment based on voice, sound, and image recognition. In addition, information can be transmitted to the user by controlling other electronic products or outputting voice through wireless communication.

The mobile robot device 1 may enable stable autonomous driving by collecting and analyzing various information such as sounds, voices, and images in the surrounding environment. For example, the mobile robot device 1 may include a microphone, a camera, a sensor, etc. for collecting information about the surrounding environment.

The mobile robot device 1 can be physically moved by including a driving member, and through this, various functions of the mobile robot device 1 can be executed throughout the user's environment including indoors and outdoors.

When the mobile robot device 1 is used in the home, it interacts with electronic products such as TVs, vacuum cleaners, and washing machines placed in the home to execute functions and collect information, and transmit the collected information to family members including pets. can As a result, it is possible to connect all members of the household and electronic products.

The mobile robot device 1 can connect the user with family members who need help, including pets, by continuously checking and inspecting the environment in the home even when the user is absent. In addition, it is possible to check and manipulate other home appliances in the home through physical movement. Through this, it is possible to promote safety in the home and strengthen security.

The mobile robot apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may be implemented in a form of performing work at home, but is not limited thereto, and may be implemented as a robot apparatus according to various embodiments.

1 to 3 , the mobile robot apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include a body 100 , a first wheel 200 , and a second wheel 300 . The covers of the main body 100 , the first wheel 200 , and the second wheel 300 may have the same curvature, and thus the exterior of the mobile robot device 1 may be formed to form a sphere.

Although not shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 , a motor, a battery, an actuator, a gear, a bearing, etc. for driving the mobile robot device 1 may be included in the body 100 of the mobile robot device 1 . .

A camera 101 for capturing the surrounding environment of the mobile robot apparatus 1 may be disposed on the outer surface of the main body 100 . In addition, at least one sensor 102 may be disposed on the outer surface of the body. The sensor 102 may be at least one of an image sensor detecting an obstacle, a sound sensor detecting a voice, a temperature sensor detecting temperature, and a humidity sensor detecting humidity.

The mobile robot device 1 recognizes the surrounding environment based on the information collected from the camera 101 and at least one sensor 102 disposed on the main body 100, autonomous driving and information collection are possible, and provides information to the user. can pass

The body 100 may include a caster 103 rotatably connected to the lower surface. The rotation axis X2 of the caster 103 may be parallel to the central axis X1 of the first and second wheels 200 and 300 .

A part of the caster 103 may protrude outward from the lower surface of the main body 100 . The caster 103 may be formed of plastic or metal, and has a rotatable ball caster shape, so that frictional force with the ground may be reduced.

The first and second wheels 200 and 300 may contact the ground at a first point S1 and a second point S2, respectively. In addition, the lower surface of the main body 100 excluding the caster 103 may be spaced apart from the ground, and the caster 103 may contact the ground at a third point S3 .

Accordingly, the mobile robot apparatus 1 may be supported at the first to third points S1, S2, and S3 on the ground (three-point support mode). Accordingly, the main body 100 may be in contact with the ground, and the center of gravity of the main body 100 may be located below the central axis X1 of the first and second wheels 200 and 300 .

When the mobile robot apparatus 1 completes movement to a specific position, the center of gravity of the main body 100 moves to a lower side than the central axis X1 of the first and second wheels 200 and 300, and the mobile robot apparatus (1) can be stopped in a stable posture at that specific position.

When the center of gravity of the main body 100 is lower than the central axis X1 of the first and second wheels 200 and 300 , the mobile robot device 1 may travel stably at a low speed without shaking. In addition, the camera 101 disposed on the body 100 that is not shaken can accurately image the surrounding environment of the mobile robot device 1 .

In addition, since the control of the second driving device ( FIGS. 9 and 500 ) for moving the main body 100 to be described later in the vertical direction with respect to the central axis of the first and second wheels 200 and 300 is not required, the mobile robot device (1) enables efficient driving with low power.

The first wheel 200 and the second wheel 300 may be respectively disposed on both sides of the body 100 . The first and second wheels 200 and 300 may receive driving force from the first driving device ( FIGS. 6 and 400 ), respectively, and rotate about the central axis X1 . The central axis X1 of the first and second wheels 200 and 300 may be disposed horizontally with the ground.

As the first and second wheels 200 and 300 rotate with respect to the X1 axis, the mobile robot device 1 may move forward or backward, or rotate to freely move to a desired position.

4 is a front perspective view of the mobile robot device in which the main body is moved upward. 5 is a front view of the mobile robot device in which the main body is spaced apart from the ground.

4 to 5 , the body 100 may move in a vertical direction with respect to the central axis X1 of the first and second wheels 200 and 300 . Accordingly, the main body 100 may further increase the separation distance from the ground, and the center of gravity of the main body 100 may be located above the central axis X1 of the first and second wheels 200 and 300 . have.

That is, since both the lower surface of the body 100 and the casters 103 do not contact the ground, only the first and second wheels 200 and 300 are in contact with the ground at the first and second points S1 and S2, The mobile robot apparatus 1 may move while being supported at the first and second points S1 and S2 on the ground (two-point support mode).

Accordingly, sufficient clearance is ensured for the main body 100 from the ground, so that the main body 100 can run efficiently without touching the ground even on a cushioned ground such as a carpet. In addition, since a sufficient distance is secured between the main body 100 and the ground for the obstacle to pass, the mobile robot device 1 can move easily while avoiding the collision between the main body 100 and the obstacle.

6 is an exploded perspective view of a mobile robot device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; 7 is a cross-sectional view of the mobile robot device shown in FIG. 1 taken along line I-I. 8 is a side view of a first wheel according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; 9 is a block diagram schematically illustrating a control process of a mobile robot apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

6 to 9 , the first wheel 200 may include a first wheel cover 210 and a first intermediate member 220 , and the second wheel 300 may include a second wheel cover 310 . ) and a second intermediate member 320 . Also, the mobile robot device 1 may further include a first driving device 400 , a second driving device 500 , and a processor 600 .

The first and second wheel covers 210 and 310 may be rotatably connected to the first and second intermediate members 220 and 320 that do not rotate, respectively. In addition, both sides of the main body 100 may be vertically movable to the first and second intermediate members 220 and 320 .

That is, the first and second wheel covers 210 and 310 may rotate based on the first and second intermediate members 220 and 320 , and the main body 100 includes the first and second intermediate members 220 , 320) can be moved up and down.

The first and second intermediate members 220 and 320 are disposed between the wheel covers 210 and 310 and the main body 100 and include the first driving device 400 , the racks 530 and 560 and the guide rails 221 and 321 . ) can be supported.

The first driving device 400 may provide driving force to each of the first and second wheels. The first driving device 400 may include a first motor 410 providing a driving force to the first wheel 200 and a second motor 420 providing a driving force to the second wheel 300 .

The first motor 410 is disposed on the first intermediate member 220 to rotate the first wheel cover 210 , and the second motor 420 is disposed on the second intermediate member 320 to rotate the second wheel. The cover 310 may be rotated.

The second driving device includes racks 530 and 560 disposed on at least one of the first and second wheels 200 and 300 and pinions 520 and 550 disposed to engage the racks 530 and 560 within the body 100 . ) may be included.

Specifically, the second driving device 500 may include a third motor 510 , a first pinion 520 , and a first rack 530 . The first pinion 520 may be disposed to engage the first rack 530 in the body 100 , and the first rack 530 may be disposed within the first wheel 200 .

When the third motor 510 rotates the first pinion 520 , the first pinion 520 may move along the first rack 530 . Accordingly, the body 100 may move up and down relative to the first wheel 200 .

In addition, the second driving device 500 may include a fourth motor 540 , a second pinion 550 , and a second rack 560 . The second pinion 550 may be disposed to engage the second rack 560 within the body 100 , and the second rack 560 may be disposed within the second wheel 300 .

When the fourth motor 540 rotates the second pinion 550 , the second pinion 550 may move along the second rack 560 . Accordingly, the main body 100 may move up and down relative to the second wheel 300 .

The first and second racks 530 and 560 may be vertically disposed. Accordingly, the body 100 may move in a direction perpendicular to the ground relative to the first and second wheels 200 and 300 .

In addition, the first and second racks 530 and 560 may be disposed on the first and second intermediate members 220 and 320, respectively. Accordingly, since the first and second racks 530 and 560 maintain a constant shape regardless of rotation of the first and second wheel covers 210 and 310, the main body 100 stably first and second It can move up and down relative to the intermediate members 220 and 320 .

As described above, as the second driving device includes two pairs of motors 510 and 540, pinions 520, 550, and racks 530 and 560, the main body 100 can stably move up and down and , as will be described later in FIGS. 12 and 13 , when the mobile robot device 1 turns, the body 100 is tilted, thereby preventing the body 100 from overturning.

In addition, the mobile robot device 1 further includes guide rails 221 and 321 disposed on at least one of the first and second intermediate members 220 and 320 , and the main body 100 has a guide rail 221 on its side surface. , 321 may include movable blocks 110 and 120 .

Specifically, the first guide rail 221 may be disposed on the first intermediate member 220 , and the second guide rail 321 may be disposed on the second intermediate member 320 . The first and second guide rails 221 and 321 may be vertically disposed.

In addition, the main body 100 includes a first block 110 movable along the first guide rail 221 on one side and a second block 120 movable along the second guide rail 321 on the other side. can do.

As the first and second blocks 110 and 120 of the main body 100 are coupled to the first and second guide rails 221 and 321, respectively, and move, the main body 100 includes the first and second intermediate members ( 220, 320) can be moved up and down. In addition, since the first and second guide rails 221 and 321 guide the movement path of the main body 100 , the main body 100 can move up and down more stably.

The mobile robot device 1 may include a processor 600 for controlling the operation of the mobile robot device 1, and may include a sensor for recognizing a surrounding environment and a communication device for communicating with other electronic devices. have.

The processor 600 may control the overall operation of the mobile robot device 1 . To this end, the processor may include one or more of a central processing unit (CPU), an application processor (AP), or a communication processor (CP). The processor may be a microcontroller (MCU).

The processor 600 may control hardware or software components connected to the processor 600 by driving an operating system or an application program, and may perform various data processing and operations. In addition, the processor 600 may load and process commands or data received from at least one of the other components into the volatile memory, and store various data in the non-volatile memory.

The processor 600 receives the surrounding environment information of the mobile robot device 1 received from the camera 101 and the at least one sensor 102 , and based on the received information, the first driving device 400 and the second driving device 400 . The driving device 500 may be controlled. Details of the processor 600 controlling the first and second driving devices 400 and 500 will be described later in detail.

10 is a cross-sectional view of the mobile robot device shown in FIG. 1 taken along line II-II. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the mobile robot device shown in FIG. 4 taken along line III-III.

10 and 11 , when the mobile robot device 1 needs to travel at high speed or to avoid obstacles, the processor 600 includes the main body 100 using the first and second wheels 200, The second driving device 500 may be controlled to move upward with respect to the central axis of the 300 . In addition, the processor 600 may control the second driving device 500 such that the caster 103 selectively contacts the ground or is spaced apart from the ground.

Specifically, in the processor 600, the first pinion 520 rotates in a first direction (counterclockwise in FIG. 11), and the second pinion 550 rotates in a second direction opposite to the first direction (in FIG. 11). The third and fourth motors 510 and 540 may be controlled to rotate in a clockwise direction.

Accordingly, since the first and second pinions 520 and 550 move upward relative to the first and second racks 530 and 560, respectively, the main body 100 also includes the first and second wheels 200 and 300 ) can be moved upwards based on the central axis.

12 and 13 are views illustrating a state in which the main body is tilted when the mobile robot device turns. 12 and 13 , the processor 600 may control the second driving device 500 to tilt the main body 100 in the direction in which the mobile robot device 1 rotates.

For example, when the mobile robot device 1 turns to the front left, the processor 600 causes the first pinion 520 to rotate in the first direction (counterclockwise in FIG. 11 ), and the second pinion 550 to rotate. ) may control the third and fourth motors 510 and 540 not to rotate. However, the control process of the processor 600 is not limited thereto, and in order to tilt the main body 100 to a larger angle, the processor 600 is configured such that the first and second pinions 520 and 550 are rotated in opposite directions. The third and fourth motors 510 and 540 may be controlled to rotate.

Accordingly, since the first pinion 520 moves upward relative to the first rack 530 , the main body 100 is tilted in the direction in which the mobile robot device 1 rotates (the -X direction in FIG. 13 ). can That is, since the main body 100 is tilted in the opposite direction to the centrifugal force caused by the turning, it is possible to prevent the mobile robot device 1 from overturning.

14 to 16 are views illustrating a process of returning to an original posture when the body falls over.

14 to 16 , while the mobile robot device 1 is moving in the above-described two-point support mode, the main body 100 rotates in the first direction R1 and falls over the ground and the first contact point B ) can be found in In this case, the first and second wheels 200 and 300 may come into contact with the ground at the second ground point W.

In the processor 600, the center of gravity (M) of the main body is located outside the section (C) between the first contact point (B) of the main body 100 and the second contact point (W) of the first and second wheels ( 200 , 300 ) The second driving device 500 may be controlled so that the first and second wheels 200 and 300 move toward the main body 100 until the

Specifically, the main body 100 is stationary in place, and the first and second wheels 200 and 300 may move forward toward the main body 100 . Accordingly, the second grounding point W of the first and second wheels 200 and 300 is close to the first grounding point B of the main body 100 , and the center of gravity M of the main body 100 is the first And it may be located outside the section (C) between the second ground points (B, W).

The main body 100 is moved in a second direction R2 opposite to the first direction R1 that fell down by gravity acting on the center of gravity M located outside the grounding section C with respect to the grounding section C as a reference. As a result, a restoring torque may be applied. Accordingly, the mobile robot apparatus 1 may return to the posture before falling down again as shown in FIG. 14 .

In the above-described control process, it is assumed that the main body 100 falls forward in the first direction R1, but the direction in which the main body 100 falls is not limited thereto, and may fall backward. have. Even when the main body 100 falls backward, the above-described control process may be applied in the same manner, so that the mobile robot device 1 may return to the posture before the fall.

In the above, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure have been illustrated and described, but the present disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, and in the technical field to which the disclosure belongs without departing from the gist of the present disclosure as claimed in the claims. Any person skilled in the art can make various modifications, of course, and such modifications are within the scope of the claims.

1: mobile robot device 100: body
103: caster 200: first wheel
300: second wheel 400: first driving device
500: second driving device 600: processor

Claims (15)

A mobile robot device comprising:
main body;
first wheels and second wheels respectively disposed on both sides of the body;
a first driving device for providing driving force to each of the first and second wheels;
a second driving device for vertically moving the main body with respect to the central axes of the first and second wheels; and
A mobile robot device including a; According to claim 1,
The first driving device is
a first motor providing a driving force to the first wheel; and
and a second motor for providing a driving force to the second wheel. According to claim 1,
The second driving device,
a rack disposed on at least one of the first and second wheels; and
and a pinion disposed within the body to engage the rack. 4. The method of claim 3,
The rack is a mobile robot device that is arranged vertically. 4. The method of claim 3,
The rack is
a first rack disposed within the first wheel; and
a second rack disposed within the second wheel;
The pinion is
a first pinion disposed to engage the first rack; and
and a second pinion disposed to engage the second rack. 6. The method of claim 5,
The second driving device,
a third motor for rotating the first pinion; and
and a fourth motor configured to rotate the second pinion. 6. The method of claim 5,
The first wheel is
a rotatable first wheel cover and
A first intermediate member disposed between the first wheel cover and the main body,
The second wheel is
rotatable second wheel cover and
and a second intermediate member disposed between the second wheel cover and the main body,
The first rack is disposed on the first intermediate member,
The second rack is a mobile robot device disposed on the second intermediate member. 8. The method of claim 7,
Further comprising; a guide rail disposed on at least one of the first and second intermediate members;
The main body is a mobile robot device including a block movable along the guide rail on the side. 9. The method of claim 8,
The guide rail is a mobile robot device that is vertically disposed. According to claim 1,
and a camera disposed on the main body to image a surrounding environment of the mobile robot device. According to claim 1,
The main body is a mobile robot device including a caster rotatably connected to the lower surface. 12. The method of claim 11,
The rotating shaft of the caster is parallel to the rotating shaft of the first and second wheels. 12. The method of claim 11,
The processor is
A mobile robot device for controlling the second driving device so that the caster selectively contacts the ground or is separated from the ground. According to claim 1,
The processor is
A mobile robot device for controlling the second driving device so that the main body is tilted in a direction in which the mobile robot device rotates. According to claim 1,
The processor is
When the main body falls into contact with the ground, the first and second wheels move toward the main body until the center of gravity of the main body is located outside the section between the contact points of the main body and the first and second wheels. A mobile robot device for controlling the second driving device.

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