Legged robot control method, device, legged robot and storage medium

Abstract

The present application discloses a legged robot control method, device, legged robot, and storage medium, which can be used to harvest weeds, crops, and other plants in uneven areas. A legged robot control method, applied to a legged robot, comprises: planning a global path based on a pre-acquired global map and a global traversable map according to the principle of moving in a proximate direction; the global path includes all grid points in a traversable area of ​​the global traversable map; the global map includes information on pre-harvested plants; the proximate direction is the direction with the smallest angular deviation from the current running direction among multiple candidate directions; and controlling the legged robot to harvest the pre-harvested plants according to the global path.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The embodiments of the present application relate to the field of robots, and in particular to a control method and device for a legged robot, a legged robot, and a storage medium. Background Art

[0002] Robots can be used in agricultural production to promote the development of modern agriculture. Conventional wheeled robots are not suitable for uneven terrain, such as in orchards and mountainous areas. To achieve tasks like weeding in orchards and harvesting crops in mountainous areas, legged robots with robotic arms can replace conventional wheeled robots. However, there is currently no method for legged robots to perform weeding in orchards and harvesting crops in mountainous areas. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In view of the above, the embodiments of the present application provide a legged robot control method, device, legged robot and storage medium, which can realize the harvesting of weeds, crops and other pre-harvested plants in uneven areas.

[0004] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a legged robot control method, which is applied to a legged robot, the method comprising: planning a global path according to the principle of moving in a similar direction based on a pre-acquired global map and a global traversable map; the global path includes all grid points in the traversable area of ​​the global traversable map; the global map includes information on pre-harvested plants; the similar direction is the direction in which the next running direction has the smallest angular deviation from the current running direction among multiple candidate directions; and controlling the legged robot to harvest the pre-harvested plants according to the global path.

[0005] According to some embodiments of the present application, the global path is planned according to the principle of moving in a similar direction based on the pre-acquired global map and the global traversable map, including: determining the resolution of the global traversable map according to the size of the legged robot and the workspace of the robotic arm of the legged robot; wherein, the larger the size of the legged robot and the workspace of the robotic arm, the lower the resolution; lowering the resolution of the pre-acquired global traversable map according to the resolution to obtain a target global traversable map; planning the global path according to the principle of moving in a similar direction based on the global map and the target global traversable map; the global path includes all grid points in the traversable area of ​​the target global traversable map.

[0006] According to some embodiments of the present application, planning the global path according to the principle of moving in a similar direction based on a pre-acquired global map and a global passable map includes: starting from the starting point of the global path, determining from the grid point set a point that is adjacent to the current point and whose direction of the vector formed with the current point and the direction of the vector formed by the current point and the previous point of the current point are the closest as the next point, until all points in the grid point set are determined; the grid point set is a set of all grid points in the passable area; being adjacent to the current point means that the distance between the point and the current point in a 360-degree direction around the current point is the shortest; the next point excludes the points in the grid point set that have been determined for forming the global path; and the global path is formed in the order in which the points in the grid point set are determined.

[0007] According to some embodiments of the present application, planning the global path according to the principle of moving in a similar direction based on the pre-acquired global map and the global traversable map also includes: if the current point is the starting point of the global path, then determining the point closest to the starting point from the grid point set as the next point.

[0008] According to some embodiments of the present application, controlling the legged robot to harvest the pre-harvested plants according to the global path includes: controlling the legged robot to harvest the pre-harvested plants at the starting point of the global path; obtaining a local map and a local traversable map around the legged robot within a preset range; determining a local path in the global path of the legged robot based on the local map, the local traversable map, the global path, information of the robotic arm of the legged robot and the current position of the legged robot; controlling the legged robot to harvest the pre-harvested plants according to the local path; and continuing to update the local path and harvest the pre-harvested plants until the global path is completely updated.

[0009] According to some embodiments of the present application, the preset range is the perception range of the legged robot, and the local path in the global path of the legged robot is determined based on the local map, the local traversable map, the global path, the arm length information of the robotic arm of the legged robot and the current position of the legged robot, including: determining a target point based on the global path, the current position of the legged robot and the arm length information of the robotic arm of the legged robot, the target point being a point on the global path, the target point being farthest from the current position of the legged robot and closest to the circle formed by the robotic arm of the legged robot at the current position; determining the local path in the global path of the legged robot based on the local map, the local traversable map, the target point and the current position of the legged robot.

[0010] According to some embodiments of the present application, in the global map and the local map, the area where the pre-harvested plants exist is a traversable area.

[0011] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a legged robot control device, the device comprising: a path planning unit, for planning a global path according to the principle of moving in a similar direction based on a pre-acquired global map and a global traversable map; the global path includes all grid points in the traversable area of ​​the global traversable map; the global map includes information on pre-harvested plants; the similar direction is the direction in which the next running direction has the smallest angular deviation from the current running direction among multiple candidate directions; a harvesting unit, for controlling the legged robot to harvest the pre-harvested plants according to the global path.

[0012] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a legged robot, comprising a processor and a memory, wherein the memory is used to store program instructions, and when the processor calls the program instructions, the legged robot control method as described in any possible embodiment of the first aspect above is implemented.

[0013] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium, wherein the computer-readable storage medium stores a program, and the program enables a computer device to implement the legged robot control method as described in any possible embodiment of the first aspect above.

[0014] The legged robot control method, device, legged robot and storage medium of the present application plan a global path according to the principle of moving in a similar direction based on a global map and a global traversable map, and make the global path include all grid points in the traversable area of ​​the global traversable map. This can plan a global path in uneven areas and avoid the need for the legged robot to make large turns during walking. At the same time, it can also ensure that all pre-harvested plants corresponding to all grid points in the traversable area of ​​the global traversable map are harvested, thereby realizing the harvesting of pre-harvested plants such as weeds and crops in uneven areas, and facilitating the robot's walking when harvesting pre-harvested plants. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present application or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings described below are merely embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on the provided drawings without any creative work.

[0016] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the hardware structure of the legged robot according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0017] Figure 2 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of a legged robot according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0018] Figure 3 This is a flowchart of a robot control method according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0019] Figure 4 This is a top view of the orchard according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0020] Figure 5 This is a plan view of the 2.5D global path of an embodiment of the present application.

[0021] Figure 6 This is a flowchart of controlling a legged robot to harvest pre-harvested plants according to the global path in the robot control method of an embodiment of the present application.

[0022] Figure 7 This is a logical structure diagram of the robot control device according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0023] Description of main component symbols

[0024] Legged Robot 100

[0025] Mechanical Unit 101

[0026] Communication unit 102

[0027] Sensing unit 103

[0028] Interface unit 104

[0029] Storage unit 105

[0030] Display unit 106

[0031] Input unit 107

[0032] Control module 110

[0033] Power Supply 111

[0034] Driver board 1011

[0035] Motor 1012

[0036] Mechanical Structure 1013

[0037] Body 1014

[0038] Legs 1015

[0039] Foot 1016

[0040] Head structure 1017

[0041] Tail structure 1018

[0042] Carrying structure 1019

[0043] Saddle structure 1020

[0044] Camera structure 1021

[0045] Display panel 1061

[0046] Touch panel 1071

[0047] Input device 1072

[0048] Touch detection device 1073

[0049] Touch Controller 1074

[0050] Legged robot control device 700

[0051] Global path planning unit 701

[0052] Harvesting unit 702

[0053] First Harvest Unit 7021

[0054] Acquisition unit 7022

[0055] Local path planning unit 7023

[0056] Second harvest unit 7024

[0057] The following specific implementation methods will further illustrate this application in conjunction with the above-mentioned drawings. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0058] It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0059] In the subsequent description, suffixes such as "module," "component," or "unit" used to represent components are used only to facilitate the description of the present invention and have no specific meaning. Therefore, "module," "component," or "unit" may be used interchangeably.

[0060] See also Figure 1 , Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the hardware structure of a legged robot 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1In the illustrated embodiment, the legged robot 100 includes a mechanical unit 101, a communication unit 102, a sensor unit 103, an interface unit 104, a storage unit 105, a display unit 106, an input unit 107, a control module 110, and a power supply 111. The various components of the legged robot 100 can be connected in any manner, including wired or wireless connections. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that Figure 1 The specific structure of the legged robot 100 shown in the figure does not constitute a limitation of the legged robot 100. The legged robot 100 may include more or fewer components than shown in the figure. Some components are not necessary components of the legged robot 100 and can be omitted or combined as needed without changing the essence of the invention.

[0061] The following combination Figure 1 The following describes the various components of the legged robot 100:

[0062] The mechanical unit 101 is the hardware of the legged robot 100. Figure 1 As shown, the mechanical unit 101 may include a driving plate 1011, a motor 1012, and a mechanical structure 1013. Figure 2 As shown, the mechanical structure 1013 may include a body 1014, extendable legs 1015, and a foot 1016. In other embodiments, the mechanical structure 1013 may further include an extendable mechanical arm (not shown), a rotatable head structure 1017, a swingable tail structure 1018, a cargo structure 1019, a saddle structure 1020, and a camera structure 1021. It should be noted that the various component modules of the mechanical unit 101 may be one or more, and can be arranged according to specific circumstances. For example, there may be four legs 1015, each leg 1015 may be configured with three motors 1012, corresponding to a total of twelve motors 1012.

[0063] The communication unit 102 can be used to receive and send signals and can also communicate with the network and other devices. For example, after receiving instructions from a remote control or other legged robot 100 to move in a specific direction at a specific speed according to a specific gait, the communication unit 102 can be transmitted to the control module 110 for processing. The communication unit 102 can include, for example, a WiFi module, a 4G module, a 5G module, a Bluetooth module, an infrared module, etc.

[0064] The sensing unit 103 is used to obtain information about the legged robot 100's surroundings and monitor parameter data of various components within the legged robot 100, and transmits this information to the control module 110. The sensing unit 103 includes various sensors, such as lidar (for long-range object detection, distance determination, and / or velocity determination), millimeter-wave radar (for short-range object detection, distance determination, and / or velocity determination), cameras, infrared cameras, and a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). Sensors for monitoring various components within the legged robot 100 include an inertial measurement unit (IMU) (for measuring velocity, acceleration, and angular velocity), a foot sensor (for monitoring the foot's foot contact point location, foot posture, and ground contact force magnitude and direction), and a temperature sensor (for detecting component temperature). Other sensors that may be configured for the legged robot 100, such as load sensors, touch sensors, motor angle sensors, and torque sensors, are not detailed here.

[0065] The interface unit 104 can be used to receive input (e.g., data information, power, etc.) from an external device and transmit the received input to one or more components within the legged robot 100, or can be used to output (e.g., data information, power, etc.) to an external device. The interface unit 104 may include a power port, a data port (e.g., a USB port), a memory card port, a port for connecting a device with an identification module, an audio input / output (I / O) port, a video I / O port, etc.

[0066] The storage unit 105 is used to store software programs and various data. The storage unit 105 may primarily include a program storage area and a data storage area. The program storage area may store operating system programs, motion control programs, and application programs (such as a text editor), while the data storage area may store data generated by the legged robot 100 during use (such as various sensor data acquired by the sensor unit 103 and log file data). Furthermore, the storage unit 105 may include high-speed random access memory and non-volatile memory, such as disk storage, flash memory, or other volatile solid-state memory.

[0067] The display unit 106 is used to display information input by the user or information provided to the user. The display unit 106 may include a display panel 1061, which may be configured in the form of a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic light-emitting diode (OLED), or the like.

[0068] The input unit 107 is used to receive input digital or character information. Specifically, the input unit 107 may include a touch panel 1071 and other input devices 1072. The touch panel 1071, also known as a touch screen, detects user touch operations (such as operations performed on or near the touch panel 1071 using a palm, finger, or suitable accessory) and drives corresponding connected devices according to pre-set programs. The touch panel 1071 may include a touch detection device 1073 and a touch controller 1074. The touch detection device 1073 detects the user's touch position and detects signals generated by the touch operation, transmitting the signals to the touch controller 1074. The touch controller 1074 receives the touch information from the touch detection device 1073, converts it into touch point coordinates, and then sends it to the control module 110. The touch controller 1074 can also receive and execute commands from the control module 110. In addition to the touch panel 1071, the input unit 107 may also include other input devices 1072. Specifically, other input devices 1072 may include but are not limited to one or more of a remote control operating handle, etc., which are not specifically limited here.

[0069] Furthermore, the touch panel 1071 may cover the display panel 1061. When the touch panel 1071 detects a touch operation on or near it, it transmits the information to the control module 110 to determine the type of touch event. Subsequently, the control module 110 provides corresponding visual output on the display panel 1061 according to the type of touch event. Figure 1 In the embodiment, the touch panel 1071 and the display panel 1061 are used as two independent components to realize input and output functions respectively. However, in some embodiments, the touch panel 1071 and the display panel 1061 can be integrated to realize input and output functions, which is not limited here.

[0070] The control module 110 is the control center of the legged robot 100. It uses various interfaces and lines to connect the various components of the entire legged robot 100, and controls the legged robot 100 as a whole by running or executing software programs stored in the storage unit 105 and calling data stored in the storage unit 105.

[0071] The power supply 111 is used to supply power to each component. The power supply 111 may include a battery and a power control board. The power control board is used to control functions such as battery charging, discharging, and power consumption management. Figure 1 In the illustrated embodiment, the power supply 111 is electrically connected to the control module 110. In other embodiments, the power supply 111 may also be electrically connected to the sensor unit 103 (such as a camera, radar, speaker, etc.) and the motor 1012. It should be noted that each component can be connected to a different power supply 111 or powered by the same power supply 111.

[0072] Based on the above embodiments, specifically, in some embodiments, a terminal device can be used to establish a communication connection with the legged robot 100. When the terminal device and the legged robot 100 are communicating, the terminal device can send command information to the legged robot 100. The legged robot 100 can receive the command information via the communication unit 102 and, upon receiving the command information, transmit the command information to the control module 110, so that the control module 110 can process the command information to obtain a target speed value. Terminal devices include, but are not limited to, mobile phones with image capture capabilities, tablet computers, servers, personal computers, wearable smart devices, and other electrical devices.

[0073] The command information can be determined based on preset conditions. In one embodiment, the legged robot 100 may include a sensing unit 103, which can generate command information based on the current environment of the legged robot 100. Based on the command information, the control module 110 can determine whether the current speed of the legged robot 100 meets the corresponding preset conditions. If so, the current speed and gait of the legged robot 100 are maintained. If not, a target speed and gait are determined based on the preset conditions, thereby controlling the legged robot 100 to move at the target speed and gait. Environmental sensors may include temperature sensors, air pressure sensors, visual sensors, and sound sensors. The command information may include temperature information, air pressure information, image information, and sound information. Communication between the environmental sensors and the control module 110 can be wired or wireless. Wireless communication methods include, but are not limited to, wireless networks, mobile communication networks (3G, 4G, 5G, etc.), Bluetooth, and infrared.

[0074] Please refer to Figure 3 , is a flow chart of a legged robot control method according to an embodiment of the present application. The legged robot control method is applied to the legged robot. The legged robot control method includes:

[0075] Step S301: A global path is planned based on a pre-acquired global map and a global traversable map according to the principle of moving in a similar direction; the global path includes all grid points in the traversable area of ​​the global traversable map; the global map includes pre-harvested plant information; the similar direction is the direction with the smallest angular deviation from the current running direction among multiple candidate directions.

[0076] In some embodiments, the global map may be a three-dimensional map of the orchard. Figure 4 , is a bird's-eye view of the orchard. Figure 4 In FIG, the black dots represent fruit trees 401. Figure 4 As can be seen in the figure, there is a certain amount of horizontal and vertical spacing between fruit trees. The fruit trees are an inaccessible area for the legged robot, while the area outside the fruit trees contains pre-harvested plants, which are traversable by the robot. Therefore, in the global map, the area containing the pre-harvested plants is a traversable area. The pre-harvested plants may be weeds. It is understood that the global map may also be a two-dimensional map or other three-dimensional map, such as a three-dimensional map of a mountainous area, in which case the pre-harvested plants in the mountainous area are crops, which is not a limitation of this application.

[0077] In some embodiments, before planning a global path according to the principle of moving in a similar direction based on a pre-acquired global map and a global traversable map, the method further includes: controlling the legged robot to traverse and walk within the working area; acquiring surrounding environment information through sensors of the legged robot; establishing a global map based on the surrounding environment information acquired by the sensors; and establishing a global traversable map of the legged robot based on the global map and the operation and control performance parameters of the legged robot. In some embodiments, the legged robot can be directly controlled to traverse and walk within the working area by a remote control, a terminal, or software within the legged robot. The working area may be an orchard, a mountain, or the like. The sensor may be at least one of a laser radar, a millimeter-wave radar, a camera, an infrared camera, or the like. The global map may be a three-dimensional elevation map. The operation and control performance parameters of the legged robot include a leg-lifting height parameter of the legged robot, a slope gradient parameter of the legged robot across the slope, a step length parameter of the legged robot, and the like. The leg-lifting height parameter of the legged robot indicates the height limit of the steps that the legged robot can climb, the slope gradient parameter of the legged robot indicates the slope gradient limit that the legged robot can cross, and the step length parameter of the legged robot indicates the step length limit of the legged robot.

[0078] In some embodiments, the global map can also be obtained from a terminal device, which can be a mobile phone, tablet computer, server, personal computer, wearable smart device, etc. with image shooting function. At this time, the legged robot can establish a global traversable map of the legged robot based on the obtained global map and the operation and control performance parameters of the legged robot. This application does not impose any restrictions on this.

[0079] In some embodiments, the global map and the global traversable map can also be obtained from a terminal device, which can be a mobile phone, tablet computer, server, personal computer, wearable smart device, etc. with image capture function. This application does not impose any restrictions on this.

[0080] In some embodiments, the global traversable map is a grid map, wherein all grid points of the traversable area in the global traversable map constitute the global path of the robot.

[0081] In some embodiments, the starting point of the global path may be the current position of the legged robot. It is understood that the starting point of the global path may also be a user-preset point or any arbitrary point within the working area, and the legged robot may be controlled to move to the starting point of the global path, which is not limited in this application.

[0082] In some embodiments, planning the global path according to the principle of moving in a similar direction based on the pre-acquired global map and the global traversable map includes: starting from the starting point of the global path, determining from the grid point set a point that is adjacent to the current point and whose direction of the vector formed with the current point and the direction of the vector formed by the current point and the previous point of the current point are similar as the next point, until all points in the grid point set are determined; the grid point set is a set of all grid points in the traversable area; being adjacent to the current point means that the distance between the current point and the current point in a 360-degree direction around the current point is the shortest; the next point excludes the points in the grid point set that have been determined for forming the global path; and the global path is formed in the order in which the points in the grid point set are determined.

[0083] In some embodiments, if the current point is the starting point of the global path, the point closest to the starting point is determined from the grid point set as the next point. For example, if pr is the starting point of the global path, and if the current point is pr and the grid point set is Pt, then the point pi closest to the starting point pr in the grid point set Pt can be selected as the next point.

[0084] In some embodiments, the direction of the vector is the direction toward the center of the grid to which the azimuth angle of the vector is closest. For example, the previous point is pr, the current point is pi, and the azimuth angle wc of the vector formed by the previous point pr and the current point pi is 60°. Among them, the azimuth angle wc is not exactly 0°, 45°, 90°, 135°, 180°, 225°, 270°, 315°, or 360°. Since the global traversable map is a grid map, the walking direction of the legged robot needs to be the direction formed by the current grid and the center of the 8 grids around the current grid, that is, one of the directions in the azimuth angle set Ws {0°, 45°, 90°, 135°, 180°, 225°, 270°, 315°, 360°}. Therefore, the direction of the vector is an azimuth angle of 45° in the azimuth angle set Ws that has the smallest deviation from the azimuth angle wc.

[0085] In some embodiments, determining as the next point a point adjacent to the current point from the grid point set and having a direction of a vector formed with the current point and a direction of a vector formed between the current point and the point preceding the current point in a similar direction includes: determining all points adjacent to the current point in the grid point set; and determining as the next point a point whose direction of a vector formed with the current point and the direction of a vector formed between the current point and the point preceding the current point in a manner that minimizes the deviation between the direction of the vector formed with the current point and the direction of the vector formed between the current point and the point preceding the current point in a manner that minimizes the deviation between the direction of the vector formed with ...

[0086] It can be understood that if the above-mentioned point pi1 is the current point, all points Pnn adjacent to the current point pi1 can be found from the grid point set Pt, and the optimal point pn1 can be determined as the next point from all points Pnn, wherein the direction wn1 of the vector formed by the optimal point pn1 and the current point pi1 has the smallest deviation from the direction wi1 of the vector formed by the current point and the previous point, and the next point with the smallest deviation between the adjacent direction formed by the current point and the direction of the vector formed by the current point and the previous point can be found from the grid point set pt until all points in the grid point set Pt are determined. The global path can be determined based on the points in the determined grid point set, and this application does not impose any restrictions on this.

[0087] In some embodiments, the method further includes: deleting the determined next point from the grid point set. The step of determining all points in the grid point set includes determining until the grid point set is empty. Thus, after determining a next point, the determined next point can be deleted from the grid point set. After all points in the grid point set are determined, all points in the grid point set are deleted. When the grid point set is empty, it can be determined that all points in the grid point set are determined. Thus, the next point can exclude points in the grid point set that have already been determined to form the global path.

[0088] In some embodiments, each time a next point is determined from a grid point set, the next point can be connected to the endpoints of the path formed by the other points in the determined grid point set to ultimately form a global path. In some embodiments, after the grid point set is empty, the global path can be formed by connecting all points in the grid point set one by one in the order in which they were determined. The order of determination can be from the earliest to the latest time of determination, or from the latest to the earliest time of determination, and this application does not limit this.

[0089] In some embodiments, the global path may be a 2.5D global path. It is understood that the global path may also be a 2D global path, which is not limited in this application.

[0090] In some embodiments, planning a global path based on a pre-acquired global map and a global traversable map according to the principle of advancing in similar directions includes: determining the resolution of the global traversable map based on the size of the legged robot and the workspace of the legged robot's manipulator; lowering the resolution of the pre-acquired global traversable map based on the resolution to obtain a target global traversable map; planning the global path based on the global map and the target global traversable map according to the principle of advancing in similar directions; the global path including all grid points in the traversable area of ​​the target global traversable map. In some embodiments, the larger the size of the legged robot and the workspace of the manipulator, the lower the resolution. For example, if the size of the legged robot and the workspace of the manipulator are large, the resolution of the traversable map of the legged robot can be adjusted from 5 cm to 30 cm. Thus, a high computational speed of the legged robot can be achieved using a low-resolution traversable map of the legged robot. In some embodiments, the working range of the legged robot is the spatial area accessible by the manipulator of the legged robot. It can be understood that, accordingly, the specific planned global path in the above embodiments may be a global path planned according to a target global traversable map.

[0091] Please refer to Figure 5 , is a plan view of the global path of the embodiment of the present application. Figure 5 In FIG, the black dots represent fruit trees 501, and the black straight line represents the planned global path 502. Figure 5 As can be seen in FIG, the global path 502 can avoid the fruit trees 501 and cover all passable areas.

[0092] Step S302: Control the legged robot to harvest the pre-harvested plants according to the global path.

[0093] In some embodiments, as Figure 6 As shown, controlling the legged robot to harvest the pre-harvested plants according to the global path includes:

[0094] Step S601: Control the legged robot to harvest the pre-harvested plants at the starting point of the global path.

[0095] In some embodiments, controlling the legged robot to harvest the pre-harvested plants at the starting point of the global path may include: controlling the legged robot to rotate 360° at the starting point of the global path, and controlling the robotic arm of the legged robot to harvest the pre-harvested plants while the legged robot rotates.

[0096] It is understandable that after the robotic arm of the legged robot harvests the pre-harvested plants, for example, after clearing weeds, the ground around the legged robot will be exposed. At this time, the environmental information of the working area of ​​the legged robot may change.

[0097] Step S602: Obtain a local map and a local traversable map around the legged robot within a preset range.

[0098] In some embodiments, obtaining a local map and a local traversable map of the legged robot within a preset range may include: obtaining environmental information about the surrounding area after harvesting or pre-harvested plants using sensors of the legged robot; establishing a local map of the surrounding area within the preset range based on the environmental information obtained by the sensors; and establishing a local traversable map of the legged robot based on the local map and operational control performance parameters of the legged robot. In some embodiments, the preset range is a range sensed by the sensors of the legged robot. The local map may be a three-dimensional local map.

[0099] In some embodiments, the local map can also be obtained from other external devices, and the external devices may be unmanned aerial vehicles, mobile phones, wearable smart devices, etc. with image shooting functions. At this time, the legged robot can establish a local passable map of the legged robot based on the obtained local map and the operation and control performance parameters of the legged robot. This application does not impose any restrictions on this.

[0100] In some embodiments, the local map and the local traversable map can also be obtained from other external devices. The external devices may be unmanned aerial vehicles, mobile phones, wearable smart devices, etc. with image shooting functions. This application does not impose any restrictions on this.

[0101] In some embodiments, in the local map, the area where the pre-harvested plants exist is a traversable area.

[0102] Step 603: Determine a local path in the global path of the legged robot based on the local map, the local traversable map, the global path, information of the robotic arm of the legged robot, and the current position of the legged robot.

[0103] In some embodiments, determining the local path in the global path of the legged robot based on the local map, the local traversable map, the global path, information of the legged robot's robotic arm and the current position of the legged robot includes: determining a target point based on the global path, the current position of the legged robot and arm length information of the legged robot's robotic arm, the target point being a point on the global path, the target point being farthest from the current position of the legged robot and closest to a circle formed by the legged robot's robotic arm at the current position; determining the local path in the global path of the legged robot based on the local map, the local traversable map, the target point and the current position of the legged robot.

[0104] In some embodiments, determining the target point according to the global path, the current position of the legged robot, and the arm length information of the robotic arm of the legged robot may be performed before step S601.

[0105] In some embodiments, the closest point to the current position of the circle formed by the legged robot's robotic arm is the point where the distance between at least one point on the circle formed by the legged robot's robotic arm and the target point is the minimum distance between each point on the global path and each point on the circle formed by the legged robot's robotic arm. In some embodiments, the target point is within the operating range of the legged robot's robotic arm.

[0106] In some embodiments, based on the local map, the local traversable map, the target point, and the current position of the legged robot, an algorithm such as A-Star (A*) is used to determine the local path within the global path of the legged robot. It is understood that other algorithms may also be used to determine the local path within the global path of the legged robot, and this application does not limit this.

[0107] Step S604: Control the legged robot to harvest the pre-harvested plants according to the local path.

[0108] In some embodiments, controlling the legged robot to harvest the pre-harvested plants according to the local path includes: performing path tracking according to the local path; determining whether there are pre-harvested plants in front of the legged robot; and if there are pre-harvested plants in front of the legged robot, controlling the robotic arm of the legged robot to harvest the pre-harvested plants.

[0109] In some embodiments, it can be determined whether there are pre-harvested plants in front of the legged robot based on the environmental information acquired by the sensor, the local map, and the local navigable map.

[0110] It is understandable that the legged robot can also harvest the pre-harvested plants in other ways, for example, while performing path tracking, it can harvest the pre-harvested plants by rotating at a certain angle, and this application does not impose any limitation on this.

[0111] Step S605: Continue updating the local paths and harvesting the pre-harvested plants until all global paths are updated.

[0112] In some embodiments, continuing to update the local paths and harvesting the pre-harvested plants until the global path is completely updated may include: determining whether the global path is completely updated; if the global path is not completely updated, continuing to update the local paths and harvesting the pre-harvested plants until the global path is completely updated.

[0113] In some embodiments, whether the global path has been fully updated can be determined by comparing the updated local path with the global path. For example, if the endpoint of the updated local path is not the endpoint of the global path, then the global path is determined to have not been fully updated. If the endpoint of the updated local path is the endpoint of the global path, then the global path is determined to have been fully updated.

[0114] In some embodiments, if the global path has not been fully updated, updating the local paths and harvesting the pre-harvested plants are performed cyclically. While the legged robot is harvesting the pre-harvested plants within its working range, the method continuously updates the local paths of the global path and harvests the pre-harvested plants according to the updated local paths, and determines whether the global path has been fully updated. If the global path has not been fully updated, the updating of the local paths of the global path is continued, and the pre-harvested plants are harvested according to the updated local paths. If the global path has been fully updated, harvesting the pre-harvested plants within the working range is completed.

[0115] It is understood that the resolution of the global traversable map can be the workspace reachable by the legged robot's manipulator, and the workspace can be circular. For example, if the arm length information of the legged robot's manipulator is 25 cm, then the radius of the workspace reachable by the legged robot's manipulator is 25 cm. The resolution of the global traversable map can be 25 cm, so that the actual distance between any two adjacent pathpoints on the global path is 25 cm, which is the arm length information of the manipulator. Accordingly, step S603 can be determining a local path within the global path of the legged robot based on the local map, the local traversable map, the next pathpoint of the current pathpoint on the global path, and the current position of the legged robot. The current pathpoint is the pathpoint on the global path corresponding to the current position of the legged robot. In this case, the target point is the next pathpoint on the global path corresponding to the current pathpoint, and the current pathpoint is the pathpoint on the global path corresponding to the current position of the legged robot. This is not limited in this application.

[0116] Please refer to Figure 7 , is a logical structure diagram of the legged robot control device of an embodiment of the present application. The legged robot control device 700 includes a global path planning unit 701 and a harvesting unit 702. The global path planning unit 701 is used to plan a global path according to the principle of moving in a similar direction based on the pre-acquired global map and the global traversable map; the global path includes all grid points in the traversable area of ​​the global traversable map; the global map includes information on pre-harvested plants; the pre-harvested direction is the direction with the smallest angular deviation from the current running direction among multiple candidate directions. The harvesting unit 702 is used to control the legged robot to harvest the pre-harvested plants according to the global path.

[0117] In some embodiments, the global path planning unit 701 is further used to determine the resolution of the global traversable map based on the size of the legged robot and the workspace of the manipulator of the legged robot; wherein, the larger the size of the legged robot and the workspace of the manipulator, the lower the resolution. The global path planning unit 701 is also used to lower the resolution of the pre-acquired global traversable map according to the resolution to obtain a target global traversable map. The global path planning unit 701 is also used to plan the global path according to the principle of moving in a similar direction based on the global map and the target global traversable map; the global path includes all grid points in the traversable area of ​​the target global traversable map.

[0118] Pre-harvest In some embodiments, the starting point of the global path includes the current position of the legged robot.

[0119] In some embodiments, the global path planning unit 701 is further configured to, starting from the starting point of the global path, determine from the grid point set a point adjacent to the current point and having a vector formed with the current point in a direction similar to the direction of the vector formed between the current point and the point immediately preceding the current point, as the next point, until all points in the grid point set are determined; the grid point set is a set of all grid points in the traversable area. The global path planning unit 701 is further configured to form the global path in the order in which the points in the grid point set are determined.

[0120] In some embodiments, the global path planning unit 701 is further configured to, if the current point is the starting point of the global path, determine the point closest to the starting point from the grid point set as the next point.

[0121] In some embodiments, the direction of the vector is a direction toward the center of the grid to which the azimuth angle of the vector is closest.

[0122] In some embodiments, the global path planning unit 701 is further configured to determine all points in the grid point set that are adjacent to the current point. The global path planning unit 701 is further configured to determine, from among all the points, a point whose direction of a vector formed with the current point and a direction of a vector formed with the current point and a point immediately preceding the current point has the smallest deviation as the next point.

[0123] In some embodiments, the global path planning unit 701 is further configured to delete the next point determined from the grid point set. Then, the step of moving until all points in the grid point set is determined as moving until the grid point set is empty.

[0124] In some embodiments, the harvesting unit 702 includes a first harvesting unit 7021, an acquisition unit 7022, a local path planning unit 7023, and a second harvesting unit 7024. The first harvesting unit 7021 is used to control the legged robot to harvest the pre-harvested plants at the starting point of the global path. The acquisition unit 7022 is used to obtain a local map and a local traversable map around the legged robot within a preset range. The local path planning unit 7023 is used to determine a local path in the global path of the legged robot based on the local map, the local traversable map, the global path, information of the robotic arm of the legged robot, and the current position of the legged robot. The second harvesting unit 7024 is used to control the legged robot to harvest the pre-harvested plants according to the local path. The local path planning unit 7023 is also used to continue updating the local path and harvesting the pre-harvested plants until the global path is completely updated.

[0125] In some embodiments, the local path planning unit 7023 is further configured to determine a target point based on the global path, the current position of the legged robot, and the arm length information of the legged robot's robotic arm. The target point is a point on the global path that is farthest from the current position of the legged robot and closest to the circle formed by the legged robot's robotic arm at the current position. The local path planning unit 7023 is further configured to determine a local path within the global path of the legged robot based on the local map, the local traversable map, the target point, and the current position of the pre-harvest legged robot.

[0126] In some embodiments, in the global map and the local map, the area where the pre-harvested plants are present is a traversable area.

[0127] In some embodiments, the second harvesting unit 7024 is further configured to perform path tracking based on the local path. The second harvesting unit 7024 is further configured to determine whether there are pre-harvested plants in front of the legged robot. If there are pre-harvested plants in front of the legged robot, the second harvesting unit 7024 is further configured to control the robotic arm of the legged robot to harvest the pre-harvested plants.

[0128] The legged robot control device 700 described in the embodiment of the present application can be used to implement the operations performed by the legged robot described in the above-mentioned legged robot control method.

[0129] In addition to the above methods and devices, an embodiment of the present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium, which stores instructions that, when executed on a processor, implement a legged robot control method.

[0130] The present application plans a global path according to the principle of moving in a similar direction based on the global map and the global traversable map, and makes the global path include all grid points in the traversable area in the global traversable map. It can plan a global path in uneven areas and avoid the need for the legged robot to make large turns during walking. At the same time, it can also ensure that all pre-harvested plants corresponding to all grid points in the traversable area in the global traversable map are harvested, thereby realizing the harvesting of pre-harvested plants such as weeds and crops in uneven areas, and facilitating the robot's walking when harvesting pre-harvested plants.

[0131] Through the description of the above implementation methods, technical personnel in the relevant field can clearly understand that for the convenience and simplicity of description, only the division of the above-mentioned functional modules is used as an example. In actual applications, the above-mentioned functions can be assigned to different functional modules as needed, that is, the internal structure of the device can be divided into different functional modules to complete all or part of the functions described above.

[0132] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are merely illustrative. For example, the division of the modules or units is merely a logical functional division. In actual implementation, other division methods may be used, such as combining or integrating multiple units or components into another device, or ignoring or not implementing certain features.

[0133] In addition, the functional units in the various embodiments of the present application may be integrated into a single processing unit, or each unit may exist physically separately, or two or more units may be integrated into a single unit. The aforementioned integrated units may be implemented in the form of hardware or software functional units.

[0134] If the integrated unit is implemented in the form of a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the embodiment of the present application, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or all or part of the technical solution can be embodied in the form of a software product, which is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions for enabling a device (which can be a single-chip microcomputer, chip, etc.) or a processor to execute all or part of the steps of the method described in each embodiment of the present application. The aforementioned storage medium includes: U disk, mobile hard disk, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), disk or optical disk, and other media that can store program code.

[0135] 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 the present application. Although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that the technical solutions of the present application may be modified or replaced by equivalents without departing from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the present application.

Claims

1. A control method for a legged robot, applied to a legged robot, characterized in that: The method comprises: establishing a global map based on surrounding environment information, wherein the global map includes pre-harvest plant information; Establishing a global traversable map based on the global map and the control performance parameters of the legged robot; Obtaining a first resolution of the global traversable map; determining a second resolution of the global navigable map based on a size of the legged robot and a workspace of a manipulator arm of the legged robot; adjusting the first resolution down according to the second resolution; A global path is planned according to the global map and the global traversable map in accordance with the principle of moving in a similar direction; the global path includes all grid points in the traversable area of ​​the global traversable map; the similar direction is the direction with the smallest angular deviation from the current running direction among multiple candidate directions; controlling the legged robot to harvest the pre-harvested plants at a starting point of the global path; Obtaining a local map and a local traversable map within the sensing range of the legged robot; Determining a target point on the global path according to the global path, the current position of the legged robot, and arm length information of the robotic arm of the legged robot; the target point is farthest from the current position of the legged robot and closest to a circle formed by the robotic arm of the legged robot; determining a local path in the global path based on the local map, the local traversable map, the target point, and the current position of the legged robot; controlling the legged robot to harvest the pre-harvested plants according to the local path; The local paths are updated and the pre-harvested plants are harvested until all the global paths are updated.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein The larger the size of the legged robot and the working space of the robotic arm, the lower the second resolution.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein Planning the global path according to the principle of moving in a similar direction based on the global map and the global traversable map includes: Starting from the starting point of the global path, a point adjacent to the current point and having the direction of the vector formed with the current point and the direction of the vector formed with the current point and the direction of the vector formed with the previous point of the current point is the closest is determined as the next point from the grid point set, until all points in the grid point set are determined; the grid point set is a set of all grid points in the passable area; adjacent to the current point means the point with the shortest distance to the current point in all directions of 360 degrees around the current point; the next point excludes the points in the grid point set that have been determined to form the global path; The global path is formed in the order in which the points in the grid point set are determined.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein Planning the global path according to the principle of moving in a similar direction based on the global map and the global traversable map further includes: If the current point is the starting point of the global path, the point closest to the starting point is determined from the grid point set as the next point.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The traversable area is an area where the pre-harvested plants exist in the global map and the local map.

6. A control device for a legged robot, characterized in that: The device comprises: a path planning unit, configured to establish a global map based on surrounding environment information, the global map including pre-harvested plant information; establish a global traversable map based on the global map and the operation and control performance parameters of the legged robot; obtain a first resolution of the global traversable map; determine a second resolution of the global traversable map based on the size of the legged robot and the workspace of the legged robot's manipulator; adjust the first resolution down based on the second resolution; plan a global path based on the global map and the global traversable map according to the principle of advancing in a proximate direction; the global path includes all grid points in the traversable area of ​​the global traversable map; the proximate direction is a direction having the smallest angular deviation from the current running direction among a plurality of candidate directions; A harvesting unit, used to control the legged robot to harvest the pre-harvested plants at the starting point of the global path; obtain a local map and a local traversable map within the perception range of the legged robot; determine a target point on the global path according to the global path, the current position of the legged robot and the arm length information of the robotic arm of the legged robot; the target point is farthest from the current position of the legged robot and closest to the circle formed by the robotic arm of the legged robot; determine a local path in the global path according to the local map, the local traversable map, the target point and the current position of the legged robot; control the legged robot to harvest the pre-harvested plants according to the local path; update the local path and harvest the pre-harvested plants until the global path is completely updated.

7. A legged robot, characterized in that: The legged robot includes a processor and a memory, wherein the memory is used to store program instructions. When the processor calls the program instructions, the legged robot control method according to any one of claims 1 to 5 is implemented.

8. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that The computer-readable storage medium stores a program, which enables a computer device to implement the legged robot control method according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

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