JP5088875B2 - Mobile robot and behavior control method of mobile robot - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a mobile robot and a mobile robot behavior control method suitable for, for example, collecting information by approaching the powerful crime or armed force as a target in a danger zone where a powerful crime or armed force lurks. .

Conventionally, as the above-described mobile robot, for example, external environment measuring means such as a laser range finder or stereo camera, self-position measuring means such as GPS or odometer, environmental data obtained by the external environment measuring means and self-position measuring means can be obtained. There is an autonomous traveling type equipped with a data processing unit for processing self-position data.
In such a mobile robot, when autonomously traveling to a target, the robot moves while maintaining a certain distance from an obstacle based on the surrounding environment data obtained by the external environment measurement means and the self-position measurement means ( It is controlled to move along the wall), to move in combination with the movement along the wall and straight movement, or to move on the best route selected on the map database in advance, these control methods are Are appropriately selected according to the operation purpose (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 to 3).
JP 2006-309544 JP Japanese Patent No. 3536418 JP 2007-260822 A

The operational purpose of the mobile robot mentioned above is, for example, information gathering activities in dangerous zones where powerful criminals and armed forces lurk, but this information gathering activity is not found as much as possible for the target powerful criminals and armed forces. Thus approaching is required.
However, the control method employed in the conventional mobile robot described above is not suitable for this information gathering activity because the frequency of exposure to the target is high when approaching the target.

Also, when the danger zone is an urban area, the surrounding environment changes frequently due to the daily life of the citizens. However, it has a problem that it cannot keep up with changes in the environment, and solving these problems has been a conventional problem.
The present invention has been made by paying attention to the above-described conventional problems. For example, in the case of using for information gathering activities in a danger zone where powerful crimes and armed forces lurk, when approaching the targeted powerful crimes and armed forces, The purpose is to provide a mobile robot and a mobile robot action control method that can suppress the possibility of being detected in a small amount and can always move in accordance with the environment without being influenced by environmental changes. .

  A mobile robot according to a first aspect of the present invention includes a drive unit, a self-position measuring unit that obtains a self-position, an external environment measuring unit that measures the position of a shield that exists from the self-position to a target, and the self-position measuring unit. And a controller that creates a local map that reflects a target based on the self-location data obtained in step 1 and the environmental data obtained by the external field measurement unit, the control unit being recognized by the external field measurement unit on the local map The shielding object is approximated to a polyhedron, and ray tracing is performed from the target with respect to a plurality of vertices of the approximate polygon of the shielding object to set a shielding area by the approximate polygon of the shielding object, and three-dimensionalized While calculating the rate at which the self model is exposed to the shielding area, determining a movement route and action pattern with a low rate of exposure, and outputting a command signal to the drive unit. And characterized by, that the configuration of the mobile robot as a means for solving the conventional problems described above.

In this case, for example, a laser range finder or a stereo camera can be used as the external measurement unit that measures the position of the shielding object existing from the self position to the target.
On the other hand, as a self-position measuring unit that obtains a self-position and clarifies a measurement point by the external measuring unit, for example, a GPS or an inertial measurement device that can obtain absolute position accuracy can be used, and measurement with continuity is possible. Can be used, and it is desirable to use the GPS and the self-position data respectively obtained from the odometer.

Moreover, in the mobile robot according to the present invention, as claimed in claim 2, the control unit calculates a ratio of the three-dimensional self-model exposed to the shielding area in a three-dimensional city model (from a high viewpoint of the city). A supplementary means such as a drawn bird's-eye view three-dimensional map) is used.
In the behavior control method for a mobile robot according to claim 3 of the present invention, when controlling the behavior of the mobile robot described above, the self-position measurement unit recognizes the self-position and the external measurement unit obtains environment data. Subsequently, in the control unit, after creating a local map reflecting the target based on the self-location data and the environment data, the shielding object recognized by the external measurement unit on the local map is approximated to a polygon. In addition, ray tracing is performed for each of a plurality of vertices of the approximate polygon of the shielding object from the target to set a shielding area by the approximate polygon of the shielding object. Of calculating the exposure ratio with respect to the vehicle, and determining a movement route and an action pattern with a low exposure ratio and then outputting a command signal to the drive unit It is.

In the mobile robot behavior control method according to the present invention, as claimed in claim 4, when the control unit calculates a ratio at which the three-dimensional self-model is exposed with respect to the shielding area, the three-dimensional city model is supplemented. The means is used.
In the mobile robot and the mobile robot action control method according to the present invention, for example, when used for information gathering activities in a dangerous zone where powerful criminals and armed forces lurk, such as vehicles left on the road and trees beside the road The scattered obstacles are measured by the external measurement unit, and the movement path and the action pattern with a low exposure rate of the self model are determined based on the shielding area by the approximate polygon of the shielding object that is recognized and set by this. In the movement route and action pattern determined in Step 1 , move at a normal speed while hiding in the shielded area, and move at a high speed outside the shielded area to approach the target powerful offender and armed forces. than you, it will be obtained close to the target is hardly found, this time, since the constantly measured near the external measuring unit, is influenced by environmental changes Movement so that the the may be made suitable for the place without.

  Since the mobile robot according to claim 1 and the mobile robot action control method according to claim 3 of the present invention are configured as described above, for example, when used for information gathering activities in a danger zone where powerful crimes and armed forces lurk. , It is possible to approach the target powerful criminals and armed forces almost without being discovered, and in addition, it is possible to always move suitable for the place without being influenced by environmental changes This is a very good effect.

  Moreover, since the mobile robot according to claim 2 of the present invention and the behavior control method of the mobile robot according to claim 4 are respectively configured as described above, a portion that could not be measured by the mounted measuring means, for example, Even if there is a building covered with trees, it is possible to approximate this building to a polygon and set the shielding area by this building, and as a result, it will approach the target powerful crimes and armed forces This is a very good effect that the frequency of discovery can be further reduced.

Hereinafter, a mobile robot and a mobile robot action control method according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
1 to 5 show an embodiment of a mobile robot according to the present invention. In this embodiment, the mobile robot according to the present invention is used as an example for information gathering activities in a danger zone where armed forces lurk. I will give you a description.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the mobile robot 1 includes a drive unit 2, a dead-reckoning wheel odometer, a yaw rate sensor, and a GPS, a self-position measuring unit 3 that obtains a self-position, and a laser range finder. , A stereo camera and other sensors, and an external measurement unit 4 for measuring the position of a shielding object existing from the self-position to the target armed force, and environmental data and self-position measurement obtained by the external measurement unit 4 A control unit 5 is provided that creates a local map reflecting a target based on the self-location data obtained by the unit 3.

In this case, the drive unit 2 is mounted at the center of the vehicle body C, and the self-position measuring unit 3 is mounted at the rear end portion (right end portion in FIG. 1) together with the control unit 5, while the outside measurement unit 4. Is mounted at the front end of the vehicle body C (left end portion in FIG. 1), the communication device 6 and the power source 7 are built in the vehicle body C, and the GPS antenna 8 is disposed at the rear end portion of the vehicle body C. It is.
The control portion 5, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, polyhedrin the vehicle A and trees B as shield recognized by external measurement unit 4 on the local map (straight rectangular parallelepiped in this embodiment) In addition to the approximation, ray tracing is performed from the target T to a plurality of vertices of the approximate polygons A1 and B1 of the shielding object, and the shielding regions A2 and B2 by these approximate polygons A1 and B1 are set and three-dimensionalized. The ratio of exposure of the self model (the model of the mobile robot 1 itself) to these shielding areas A2 and B2 is calculated, the movement path and the action pattern with a low exposure ratio are determined, and the drive unit 2 is instructed. A signal is output.

In this embodiment, the control unit 5 uses the three-dimensional city model as a complementing means at the stage of calculating the degree of exposure of the three-dimensional self model with respect to the shielding areas A2 and B2.
Next, the movement procedure of the mobile robot 1 when performing information gathering activities in a danger zone where armed forces are hidden will be described.

First, as shown in FIG. 5, following the recognition of the self position by the self position measurement unit 3 in step S1, the external measurement unit 4 of the shielding objects A and B existing from the self position to the target T in step S2 Perform three-dimensional measurement of the environment including the position.
Next, in step S3, the control unit 5 creates a local map based on the environmental data obtained by the external field measurement unit 4 and the self-position data obtained by the self-position measurement unit 3, and in step S4 the target T is set on the local map. Next, in step S5, the control unit 5 similarly approximates the vehicle A and the tree B as the shielding object recognized by the external measurement unit 4 on the local map to a polygon, and in step S6, the approximate polygon of the shielding object. Ray tracing is performed from the target T to a plurality of vertices of the bodies A1 and B1, and shielding areas A2 and B2 by these approximate polygons A1 and B1 are set.

  In step S7, the control unit 5 calculates the rate at which the three-dimensional self-model (the model of the mobile robot 1 itself) is exposed to these shielding areas A2 and B2, and in step S8 and 9 the rate of exposure. When the movement path and the action pattern with a low value are determined and finally a command signal is output to the drive unit 2 in step S10, the mobile robot 1 displays the figure in the shielding areas A2 and B2 of the shielding object approximate polygons A1 and B1. 3 moving at a normal speed along the thin arrows in FIG. 3, while moving at high speed along the dark arrows in FIG. 3 in the areas other than the shielding areas A2 and B2 by the approximate polygons A1 and B1 of the shielding object. Become.

  When calculating the ratio at which the self-model three-dimensionalized in step S6 is exposed to the shielding areas A2 and B2, a three-dimensional city model can be used as a supplementary means. In this case, the mounted measuring means 4 Then, even if there is a part that could not be measured, for example, a building covered with trees, in steps S11 and S12, the building can be approximated to a polygon and a shielding area by this building can be set.

As described above, in the mobile robot 1, when information gathering activities are performed in a danger zone where armed forces are lurking, scattered obstacles such as vehicles A left on the road and trees B beside the road are measured. Based on the shielding areas A2 and B2 by the approximate polygons A1 and B1 of the shielding object that are measured by the unit 4 and recognized and set, a movement path and an action pattern with a low exposure rate of the mobile robot 1 itself are determined. In the movement path and action pattern determined in this way, the shielded areas A2 and B2 move at a normal speed while hiding themselves, and other than the shielded areas A2 and B2, they move at a high speed so that the target armed force than you approach towards, will be obtained close to the target is hardly found, so this time, are constantly measured near the external measuring unit 4, it is dependent on environmental change Movement so that the the may be made suitable for the place without.

  In addition, in this embodiment, since the control unit 5 uses the three-dimensional city model as a complementing means in the step of calculating the exposure to the shielding areas A2 and B2 of the three-dimensional self-model, it is installed. Even if there is a part that could not be measured by the measuring means 4, for example, a building covered with trees, this building can be approximated to a polygon and a shielding area by this building can be set. It is possible to further reduce the frequency of discovery when approaching.

In the above-described embodiment, the case where the mobile robot 1 is a vehicle type robot has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this.
Further, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the mobile robot according to the present invention is used for information collection activities in a danger zone where armed forces lurk is described as an example, but the operation form of the mobile robot according to the present invention is described here. The present invention is not limited, and can be used as a guard action if the mobile robot according to the present invention is intentionally moved outside the shielding area.

It is side explanatory drawing which shows one Embodiment of the mobile robot which concerns on this invention . FIG. 2 is a configuration block diagram of the mobile robot in FIG. 1. It is an overhead view explaining action control of the mobile robot in FIG. FIG. 2 is an explanatory plan view (a) illustrating behavior control of the mobile robot in FIG. 1 and an overhead view (b) from the mobile robot. It is a flowchart explaining action control of the mobile robot in FIG.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Mobile robot 2 Drive part 3 Self-position measurement part 4 External field measurement part 5 Control part A Vehicle (shielding object)
A1 Approximate polygon of vehicle A2 Shield area by approximate polygon of vehicle B Tree (shield)
B1 Approximate polyhedron of tree B2 Shielded area by approximate polyhedron of tree T Target

Claims (4)

A drive unit;
A self-position measuring unit for obtaining self-position;
An external measurement unit that measures the position of a shield that exists from its own position to the target;
A control unit for creating a local map reflecting a target based on the self-position data obtained by the self-position measurement unit and the environmental data obtained by the external measurement unit;
The control unit approximates the shielding object recognized by the external field measurement unit on the local map to a polygon, and ray-traces the plurality of vertices of the approximate polygon of the shielding object from the target, respectively. Set the shielding area by the approximate polygon of the shielding object, calculate the rate at which the three-dimensional self-model is exposed to the shielding area, determine the movement route and the action pattern with a low exposure rate, and A mobile robot characterized by outputting a command signal to a drive unit.   The mobile robot according to claim 1, wherein the control unit uses a complementing means such as a three-dimensional city model in a step of calculating a ratio at which the three-dimensional self-model is exposed to the shielding area. A behavior control method for a mobile robot according to claim 1,
After recognizing the self-position by the self-position measurement unit and acquiring environmental data by the external measurement unit,
In the control unit, after creating the local map reflecting the target based on the self-location data and the environment data, the shielding object recognized by the external measurement unit on the local map is approximated to a polygon. Then, a plurality of vertices of the approximate polygon of the shielding object are ray-traced from the target to set a shielding area by the approximate polygon of the shielding object, and then the three-dimensional self-model is applied to the shielding area. A mobile robot behavior control method comprising: calculating an exposure ratio and determining a movement path and an action pattern having a low exposure ratio and then outputting a command signal to the drive unit.   The behavior control method for a mobile robot according to claim 3, wherein the control unit uses a complementing means such as a three-dimensional city model when calculating a ratio at which the three-dimensional self-model is exposed to the shielding area.

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