Robot, automatic recharging method, control device, and storage medium thereof

Abstract

The present invention discloses a robot and its automatic recharging method, control device, and storage medium. The method includes: controlling the robot to travel to a preset anchor point; controlling the robot to rotate in a preset rotation direction to rotate the robot to a second side aligned with a charging pile; the robot includes an inductive sensor disposed on a first side of the robot and a charging electrode disposed on a second side of the robot; the first side and the second side are disposed opposite each other; when the inductive sensor detects that the robot has rotated to the second side aligned with the charging pile, the robot is controlled to stop rotating and move straight backward; after detecting that the charging electrode is in matching contact with the charging pile, the robot is controlled to stop moving and perform a charging operation. The present invention can realize automatic recharging of the robot, and after the robot completes charging, the robot can directly move toward the first side to break away from contact with the charging pile, thereby avoiding collision with obstacles. The robot has a simple structure and saves costs.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of robotics, and in particular to a robot and an automatic recharging method, a control device, and a storage medium thereof. Background Art

[0002] With the development of science and technology, robots are increasingly being used in various fields. During the movement of robots, sensors are needed to detect obstacles and perform automatic obstacle avoidance. At the same time, robots all have the need for automatic recharging (automatically returning to the location of the charging pile and completing charging through the charging pile), that is, the charging electrodes need to be accurately fitted and docked on the charging pile to complete charging. In the prior art, the sensor and the charging electrode are usually set at the front side of the robot at the same time. In this way, when the robot is finished charging, the robot needs to retreat to disconnect from the charging pile. At this time, the sensor cannot detect the robot's retreat process, and it is very likely to collide with obstacles or people during retreat, and even a safety accident may occur. There is also a solution in the prior art to detect the retreat process by adding a sensor, such as a lidar, to the back side of the robot, but this solution will increase the cost of the robot, increase the size of the robot, and make the robot structure more complex. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Embodiments of the present invention provide a robot and its automatic recharging method, a control device, and a storage medium to solve the problem that the robot's retreat process cannot be detected by a sensor installed only on the front side when the robot retreats.

[0004] A robot comprises a memory, a processor, and computer-readable instructions stored in the memory and executable on the processor. The robot further comprises an inductive sensor and a charging electrode, both communicatively connected to the processor. The inductive sensor is disposed on a first side of the robot, and the charging electrode is disposed on a second side of the robot, the first side being disposed opposite the second side. When the processor executes the computer-readable instructions, the following steps are implemented:

[0005] Receive a charging instruction and control the robot to travel to a preset anchor point; the preset anchor point is located at a preset distance in front of the charging pile;

[0006] Controlling the robot to rotate in a preset rotation direction to rotate the robot to a second side so as to be aligned with the charging pile;

[0007] When the induction sensor detects that the robot has rotated to the second side and is aligned with the charging pile, controlling the robot to stop rotating and move straight backward;

[0008] After detecting that the charging electrode is in matching contact with the charging pile, the robot is controlled to stop moving and perform a charging operation.

[0009] A robot automatic recharging method, comprising:

[0010] Receive a charging instruction and control the robot to travel to a preset anchor point; the preset anchor point is located at a preset distance in front of the charging pile;

[0011] Controlling the robot to rotate in a preset rotation direction so as to rotate the robot to a second side aligned with the charging station; the robot includes an inductive sensor disposed on a first side of the robot and a charging electrode disposed on a second side of the robot; the first side and the second side are disposed opposite each other;

[0012] When the induction sensor detects that the robot has rotated to the second side and is aligned with the charging pile, controlling the robot to stop rotating and move straight backward;

[0013] After detecting that the charging electrode is in matching contact with the charging pile, the robot is controlled to stop moving and perform a charging operation.

[0014] A control device comprising: a memory, a processor, and computer-readable instructions stored in the memory and executable on the processor; the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the processor, implement the aforementioned robot automatic recharging method. A computer-readable storage medium storing computer-readable instructions, the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the processor, implements the aforementioned robot automatic recharging method.

[0015] The above-mentioned robot and its automatic recharging method, control device, and storage medium, the method includes: receiving a charging instruction, controlling the robot to travel to a preset anchor point position; the preset anchor point position is located at a preset distance in front of the charging pile; controlling the robot to rotate in a preset rotation direction to rotate the robot to the second side to align with the charging pile; the robot includes an induction sensor arranged on a first side of the robot and a charging electrode arranged on a second side of the robot; the first side is arranged opposite to the second side; when the induction sensor detects that the robot rotates to the second side to align with the charging pile, controlling the robot to stop rotating and move straight backward; after detecting that the charging electrode is in matching contact with the charging pile, controlling the robot to stop moving and perform a charging operation.

[0016] In the embodiment of the present invention, there is no need to install other inductive sensors on the robot. Automatic recharging of the robot can be achieved only through the charging electrodes and inductive sensors respectively arranged on the first and second opposite sides of the robot. At the same time, after the robot completes charging through the charging electrodes, the robot can move directly toward the first side to break away from the contact with the charging pile, thereby avoiding collision with obstacles. The structure is simple and saves costs. In addition, the embodiment of the present invention also solves the problem of crowded installation space caused by arranging the inductive sensor and the charging electrode on the same side, and there is no mutual interference between the charging electrode and the sensor, thereby improving the detection accuracy. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative labor.

[0018] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a robot in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 2 This is a flow chart of a robot automatic recharging method according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 3 1 is a flow chart of step S10 of the robot automatic recharging method in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 4 4 is a flow chart of step S20 of the robot automatic recharging method in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 5 4 is a flow chart of step S30 of the robot automatic recharging method in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 6 It is a schematic structural diagram of a robot provided by one embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 7 Schematic diagram of a first side and a second side of a robot provided by one embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 8 2 is a schematic diagram of a first side and a second side of a robot provided by another embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the present invention when the first side of the robot is aligned with the charging pile.

[0027] Figure 10 Schematic diagram of a robot in a mileage starting position according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] The reference numerals in the specification are as follows:

[0029] 1. Charging electrode; 2. Inductive sensor; 21. LiDAR; 3. First side; 4. Second side; 5. Chassis; 6. Robot body; 100. Robot; 200. Charging pile; 300. Detection range; F. Front of the charging pile. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] The following will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of them. All other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field based on the embodiments of the present invention without making any creative efforts shall fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0031] In one embodiment, a robot is provided, the structure diagram of which can be as follows: Figure 1 and Figure 6 As shown. The robot includes a processor, a memory, a network interface and a database connected via a system bus. The processor of the robot is used to provide computing and control capabilities. The memory of the robot includes a readable storage medium and an internal memory. The readable storage medium stores an operating system, computer-readable instructions and a database. The internal memory provides an environment for the operation of the operating system and computer-readable instructions in the readable storage medium. The database of the robot is used to store data used by the corresponding robot automatic recharging method. The network interface of the robot is used to communicate with an external terminal via a network connection. When the computer-readable instructions are executed by the processor, a robot automatic recharging method is implemented. The readable storage medium provided in this embodiment includes a non-volatile readable storage medium and a volatile readable storage medium. In an optional embodiment, the robot may also include an input device and a display screen, the input device being used to receive signals, text, etc. sent by other devices; the display screen can be used to display motion information of the robot 100, etc.

[0032] In one embodiment, if Figure 1 As shown, a robot is provided, comprising a memory, a processor, and computer-readable instructions stored in the memory and executable on the processor, such as Figure 6As shown, the robot also includes an inductive sensor 2 and a charging electrode 1, both of which are communicatively connected to the processor. The inductive sensor 2 is disposed on a first side 3 of the robot 100, and the charging electrode 1 is disposed on a second side 4 of the robot 100, with the first side 3 and the second side 4 being disposed opposite each other. The inductive sensor 2 is disposed on the first side 3 of the chassis 5 of the robot 100 (further, the first side 3 is the front side of the robot 100, and the second side 4 is the rear side of the robot 100). It can be used to detect obstacles located on the first side 3 of the robot 100, serving as a three-dimensional obstacle avoidance function, thereby effectively protecting the robot 100 from collisions with obstacles. In one embodiment, the inductive sensor 2 includes a laser radar, which can detect and obtain position data of obstacles, etc., and can then use the detected data to determine the robot's position or guide the robot 100 to avoid obstacles. In other embodiments, the sensing sensor 2 may also include other cameras such as an RGBD camera (depth image camera), an odometer, a monocular camera, a binocular camera or a multi-camera, that is, the sensing sensor 2 may include at least one of the above-listed cameras according to actual needs, so that the robot 100 can locate or determine and avoid obstacles based on the information collected by the sensing sensor 2.

[0033] In an optional embodiment, the charging electrode 1 includes two sub-electrodes spaced apart on the chassis 5 of the robot 100, and the sub-electrodes are arranged along the outer surface of the chassis 5 of the robot 100. The arrangement of the charging electrode 1 can also be set to other forms as required, as long as it can achieve charging of the robot 100 after matching contact with the charging pile 200. It can be understood that the first side 3 and the second side 4 are two structural position ranges arranged on the opposite outer surfaces of the same robot 100, which can be used to set the inductive sensor 2 and install the charging electrode 1 respectively. In a specific embodiment, the robot 100 also includes a chassis 5 and a robot body 6 arranged on the chassis 5, and the inductive sensor 2 and the charging electrode 1 are both installed on the chassis 5. Among them, the connection method of the robot body 6 and the chassis 5 can be set according to requirements, such as snap connection, screw connection or welding, etc., as long as a stable connection between the two can be achieved. Specifically, since the inductive sensor 2 and the charging electrode 1 are both mounted on the chassis 5, and the shape of the chassis 5 can be set as required, for example, the chassis 5 can be a quadrangular prism. In this case, the first side 3 and the second side 4 can refer to two opposite side surfaces on the quadrangular prism chassis 5; and when the chassis 5 is a cylinder or an elliptical cylinder, the first side 3 and the second side 4 should be two oppositely arranged curved surfaces of a certain area on the outer surface of the chassis 5 (wherein the area of ​​the curved surface can be set as required, and the areas of the two opposite curved surfaces can be the same or different, but the lower inductive sensor 2 or the charging electrode 1 can be installed in the curved surface). Furthermore, the geometric midline points of the two curved surfaces can be symmetrically arranged with the center line of the chassis 5 as the axis of symmetry.

[0034] In an optional embodiment, when the chassis 5 or the robot 100 is a cylindrical shape (i.e., a cross section consisting of an indefinite number of arcs or a figure consisting of an indefinite number of arcs and an indefinite number of straight lines), the first side 33 and the second side 4 are arranged relative to each other, which means that there is a line in the chassis 5 parallel to the center line of the chassis 5 and the first side 3 and the second side 4 are not connected. Figure 7 As shown in FIG, the chassis 5 is an elliptical cylinder. In this case, the first side 3 includes Figure 7 The arc segment shown in FIG, the second side 4 includes Figure 7 The arc segment shown in FIG, and the charging electrode 1 is installed on the second side 4, and the inductive sensor 2 is arranged on the first side 3. Figure 8 As shown in FIG, the chassis 5 is a cylinder. In this case, the first side 3 includes Figure 8 The arc segment shown in FIG, the second side 4 includes Figure 8 The arc segment shown in FIG is a circle segment, and the charging electrode 1 is installed on the second side 4 , and the inductive sensor 2 is arranged on the first side 3 .

[0035] like Figure 2As shown, when the processor of the robot executes the computer-readable instructions, the following steps are implemented:

[0036] S10, receiving the charging instruction, controlling the robot 100 to move to the preset anchor point position; the preset anchor point position is located at a preset distance F in front of the charging pile (wherein the preset distance can be set according to demand, and the detection range 300 of the induction sensor 2 should be greater than the preset distance); in an embodiment of the present invention, when the robot 100 moves to the point where the charging electrode 1 and the charging pile 200 are in matching contact, the charging operation of the robot 100 can be realized, and after the charging is completed, the robot 100 needs to retreat to separate the charging electrode 1 from the charging pile 200. It can be understood that the charging pile 200 can be set at a fixed installation position, and the preset anchor point position can refer to a position point set at a preset distance from the installation position and located directly in front of the charging pile 200. However, since the sub-electrode of the charging electrode 1 is long and extends along the outer surface of the chassis 5 of the robot 100, the preset anchor point position may not be located directly in front of the charging pile 200, and there is a certain offset angle between it and the position point directly in front (but it is still necessary to ensure that the preset anchor point position is separated from the installation position by a preset distance). The robot automatic recharging method in the present invention can also be used to make the charging electrode 1 finally match the charging pile 200 to achieve the charging operation.

[0037] In an optional embodiment, in step S10, before receiving the charging instruction, the processor further implements the following steps when executing the computer-readable instruction:

[0038] Real-time detection of the battery power of the robot 100; In this embodiment, the processor detects the battery power of the robot 100 in real time and compares the real-time measured battery power with a preset power threshold. When the battery power is greater than or equal to the preset power threshold, it indicates that there is no necessary charging demand at the moment, and the real-time detection of the battery power will continue. The preset power threshold can be set by the user according to needs, and it can also be a default value. When the battery power is lower than the preset power threshold, it indicates that the robot 100 currently needs to be charged, and the battery of the robot 100 needs to be charged.

[0039] When the battery charge level falls below a preset threshold, the charging instruction is generated. Specifically, when the battery charge level of the robot 100 falls below the preset threshold, it indicates that the robot 100 is in need of charging. Therefore, the processor generates a charging instruction and, based on the charging instruction, proceeds to step S10 to obtain the coordinates of a preset anchor point and control the robot 100 to travel to the preset anchor point. In this embodiment, the charging instruction is automatically generated based on the real-time measured battery charge level, eliminating the need for manual operation and thus achieving automation and intelligent operation of the robot 100.

[0040] In another optional embodiment, in step S10, the receiving of the charging instruction includes: receiving a charging instruction sent by a smart terminal that is communicatively connected to the processor, and the charging instruction is generated when a preset charging button on the smart terminal is triggered. The smart terminal can be a mobile terminal such as a smart phone, PAD, wearable device, or a fixed computer device. The preset charging button refers to a physical button or a virtual button on the smart terminal, which can be triggered by pressing, sliding, etc. In this embodiment, the charging instruction can be issued by the user at any time by triggering the preset charging button on the smart terminal. At this time, the robot 100 can be manually controlled to perform automatic recharging at any time.

[0041] In one embodiment, if Figure 3 As shown, in step S10, before controlling the robot 100 to travel to the preset anchor point position, the processor further implements the following steps when executing the computer-readable instructions:

[0042] S101, obtain the location area of ​​the charging pile 200 in the world map where the robot 100 is located; wherein, in the world map where the robot 100 is located, the charging pile 200 compatible with the robot 100 can be determined; and, the memory stores a world map corresponding to the movable environment of the robot 100, and the installation location of the charging pile 200 will correspond to a charging pile 200 coordinate point in the world map. In this step, the charging pile 200 coordinate point can be directly determined from the world map. The location area can refer to a certain area range radiating outward from the charging pile 200 coordinate point of the charging pile 200 on the world map. For example, the location area can refer to a circular area with a preset radius and the charging pile 200 coordinate point as the center, or it can refer to a rectangular area or an irregular area with the charging pile 200 coordinate point as the geometric center.

[0043] S102, control the robot 100 to move to the position area, and identify the charging pile 200 through the sensing sensor 2; that is, during the movement of the robot 100, the real-time moving coordinates of the robot 100 will also be mapped to the world map accordingly. When the real-time moving coordinates fall within the range of the above-mentioned position area, the charging pile 200 can be scanned and identified by the above-mentioned sensing sensor 2.

[0044] S103, upon identifying the charging pile 200, obtaining the position information of the charging pile 200, and determining the preset anchor point location based on the position information; that is, upon identifying the charging pile 200 by the inductive sensor 2, the position information of the charging pile 200 can be determined using the sensing data corresponding to the charging pile 200 identified by the inductive sensor 2, and then the preset anchor point location can be determined based on the position information. It is understandable that since the coordinates of the charging pile 200 have already been determined, after determining the position information of the charging pile 200, the anchor point coordinates of the preset anchor point location on the world map can also be determined, and then the robot 100 can be controlled to travel to the preset anchor point location. That is, after determining the anchor point coordinates on the world map, the movement path of the robot 100 on the world map can be planned based on the current position of the robot 100 and the anchor point coordinates, and then the robot 100 can be controlled to move along the above-mentioned movement path to the preset anchor point location.

[0045] Furthermore, in step S102, identifying the charging pile 200 by the inductive sensor 2 includes:

[0046] Obtain the preset morphological features of the charging pile 200; wherein, the preset morphological features characterize the shape, size and other features of the charging pile 200, and the charging pile 200 can be identified by the preset morphological features. The preset morphological features are pre-stored in the memory and can be retrieved at any time. In this embodiment, the induction sensor 2 can be Figure 6 The laser radar 21 shown in .

[0047] The inductive sensor 2 is controlled to perform real-time detection in the position area to obtain the first characteristic data within the detection range 300 of the inductive sensor 2; wherein, the first characteristic data refers to the inductive data detected in real time by the inductive sensor 2 within its detection range 300. In this step, the robot can continue to move in the position area (until it confirms that the charging pile 200 is recognized, the movement can be paused; or if the charging pile 200 has not been recognized within a preset time period, it can prompt that the recognition has failed and the movement is paused), and then the inductive sensor 2 is used to detect in real time during the movement to obtain the first characteristic data. It is understandable that the first characteristic data may contain the relevant characteristic data of the charging pile 200, or may not contain it. Therefore, it is necessary to compare and match the detected first characteristic data with the preset morphological characteristics, and then determine whether the inductive sensor 2 has recognized the charging pile 200 based on the comparison and matching results.

[0048] It is understandable that in one embodiment, when the degree of match between the first feature data and the preset morphological feature is greater than or equal to a first preset threshold, the charging pile 200 is confirmed to be identified; that is, the first preset threshold is set according to demand, for example, it can be set to any value between 60% and 100%; it is understandable that when the degree of match between the first feature data and the preset morphological feature is greater than or equal to the first preset threshold, it means that the comparison and matching result is that the induction sensor 2 has detected and identified the charging pile 200, and at this time, step S103 can be entered to further obtain the posture information of the charging pile 200, and determine the preset anchor point position according to the posture information.

[0049] In another embodiment, when the degree of match between the first characteristic data and the preset morphological characteristics is less than the first preset threshold, the inductive sensor 2 is continued to be controlled to perform real-time detection in the location area to continue to obtain the first characteristic data within the detection range 300 of the inductive sensor 2. Understandably, when the degree of match between the first characteristic data and the preset morphological characteristics is less than the first preset threshold, it indicates that the comparison and matching result indicates that the inductive sensor 2 has not detected and identified the charging pile 200. In this case, the inductive sensor 2 is continued to be controlled to perform real-time detection in the location area to continuously obtain different first characteristic data until the charging pile 200 is identified, and then the process proceeds to step S103 for the next step.

[0050] S20: Control the robot 100 to rotate in a preset direction to align the robot 100 to the second side 4 with the charging station 200. The preset direction can be set as needed, and can be either counterclockwise or clockwise. It is understood that in this step, if the first side 3 of the robot 100 is already aligned with the charging station 200 when the robot 100 reaches the preset anchor point, the robot 100 can be directly controlled to rotate in the preset direction to align the robot 100 to the second side 4 with the charging station 200.

[0051] When the robot 100 travels to the preset anchor point, the first side 3 of the robot 100 is not yet aligned with the charging pile 200. At this time, further, in step S20, before controlling the robot 100 to rotate in a preset rotation direction to rotate the robot 100 to align the second side 4 with the charging pile 200, the processor further adjusts the first side 3 of the robot 100 to align with the charging pile 200 when executing the computer-readable instructions; wherein, adjusting the first side 3 of the robot 100 to align with the charging pile 200 specifically includes:

[0052] Obtain the first posture of the robot 100 when it arrives at the preset anchor point position; in an embodiment of the present invention, a world map corresponding to the movable environment of the robot 100 is stored in the memory, and during the walking process of the robot 100, the sensing data collected by the sensors installed on the robot 100 (which can be the above-mentioned sensing sensor 2 or other sensors) and the world map can be used to determine the real-time posture of the robot 100. Therefore, when the robot 100 arrives at the preset anchor point position, the processor can directly obtain the first posture of the robot 100 corresponding to that moment.

[0053] Determine a first adjustment angle and a second adjustment angle according to the first posture, wherein the first adjustment angle refers to the rotation angle corresponding to the robot 100 rotating clockwise until the first side 3 is aligned with the charging pile 200; the second adjustment angle refers to the rotation angle corresponding to the robot 100 rotating counterclockwise until the first side 3 is aligned with the charging pile 200;

[0054] When the first adjustment angle is less than or equal to the second adjustment angle, the robot 100 is controlled to rotate clockwise until the first side 3 is aligned with the charging pile 200;

[0055] When the first adjustment angle is greater than the second adjustment angle, the robot 100 is controlled to rotate counterclockwise until the first side 3 is aligned with the charging pile 200 .

[0056] In this embodiment, based on the first posture of the robot 100 when it arrives at the preset anchor position, it can be determined that when the robot 100 rotates in the clockwise direction and the counterclockwise direction, the first side 3 is rotated to the first adjustment angle and the second adjustment angle corresponding to each of the two directions when it is aligned with the charging pile 200, and then the rotation direction (clockwise or counterclockwise) corresponding to the smaller value of the first adjustment angle and the second adjustment angle is used as the rotation direction adopted by the robot 100 when it rotates to the second side 4 to align with the charging pile 200. It can be understood that in the above embodiment, when the first adjustment angle is less than or equal to the second adjustment angle, the rotation direction adopted by the robot 100 when it rotates to the second side 4 to align with the charging pile 200 is preset to clockwise, but in other embodiments of the present invention, when the first adjustment angle is less than or equal to the second adjustment angle, the rotation direction adopted by the robot 100 when it rotates to the second side 4 to align with the charging pile 200 may also be counterclockwise.

[0057] S30, when the induction sensor 2 detects that the robot 100 rotates to the second side 4 and is aligned with the charging pile 200, the robot 100 is controlled to stop rotating and move straight backward; that is, when the induction sensor 2 detects that the robot 100 rotates to the second side 4 and is aligned with the charging pile 200, it means that the robot 100 only needs to move straight backward without deflection, and can directly retreat to the charging electrode 1 and match the charging pile 200 to complete charging.

[0058] S40, after detecting that the charging electrode 1 is in contact with the charging pile 200, the robot 100 is controlled to stop moving and perform the charging operation. That is, if the robot 100 detects that the charging electrode 1 is in contact with the charging pile 200 through the processor, the robot 100 first needs to stop moving, and then generate a contact signal, and then complete the charging operation according to the contact signal. Specifically, the robot 100 can directly send a charging start instruction to the charging pile 200, at which point the charging pile 200 will be powered on and the robot 100 will start the charging operation; in another optional embodiment, the charging pile 200 can also detect that the charging electrode 1 is in contact with the charging pile 200 and send a contact signal to the robot 100. The robot 100 can confirm that the charging electrode 1 is in contact with the charging pile 200 based on the received contact signal and then stop moving, and then send a charging start instruction to the charging pile 200, at which point the charging pile 200 will be powered on and the robot 100 will start the charging operation.

[0059] In the embodiment of the present invention, there is no need to additionally install other inductive sensors 2 on the robot 100. Automatic recharging of the robot 100 can be achieved by only using the charging electrodes 1 and the inductive sensors 2 respectively arranged on the first and second sides 3 and 4 of the robot 100. At the same time, after the robot 100 completes charging through the charging electrode 1, the robot 100 can move directly toward the first side 3 to break away from contact with the charging pile 200, thereby avoiding collision with obstacles. The structure is simple and costs are saved. In addition, the embodiment of the present invention also solves the problem of crowded installation space caused by arranging the inductive sensor 2 and the charging electrode 1 on the same side, and there is no mutual interference between the charging electrode 1 and the sensor, thereby improving the detection accuracy.

[0060] In one embodiment, if Figure 4 As shown, the inductive sensor 2 includes a laser radar in communication with the processor; the step S20, i.e., controlling the robot 100 to rotate in a preset rotation direction to rotate the robot 100 to the second side 4 to align with the charging pile 200, includes:

[0061] S201, using the laser radar to detect the charging pile 200 in real time and obtain sensing data; that is, in this embodiment, the sensing sensor 2 includes Figure 6 As shown in FIG, within the detection range 300 of the laser radar 21 (i.e., within the laser opening angle range, in an optional embodiment, the laser opening angle may be preferably 180 to 230 degrees, and further, the laser opening angle is 230 degrees), the laser radar 21 will continue to detect the sensing data of the charging pile 200. At this time, since the laser radar 21 installed on the first side 3 is aligned with the charging pile 200 when the rotation starts, Figure 9 As shown in FIG, the charging pile 200 must be within the laser opening angle range (i.e., detection range 300) of the laser radar 21. As the robot 100 continues to rotate, the charging pile 200 will begin to partially exceed the above laser opening angle range at a certain moment. At this time, the sensing data obtained by the real-time detection of the laser radar 21 can be used to determine whether the charging pile 200 is within the laser opening angle range. Figure 10 The critical time point corresponding to the time when the charging pile 200 is about to exceed the detection range 300 of the laser radar 21 and has not yet exceeded the detection range 300 of the laser radar 21 is determined as the time point when the charging pile 200 is detected to have exceeded the detection range 300 of the laser radar 21. In addition, the current posture of the robot 100 corresponding to the critical time point will be recorded as the starting posture of the mileage.

[0062] S202, when it is detected that the charging pile 200 exceeds the detection range 300 of the laser radar 21, the rotation positioning angle is determined according to the sensing data, and the current posture of the robot 100 is recorded as the mileage starting posture; the rotation positioning angle refers to the rotation angle corresponding to the robot 100 rotating from the mileage starting posture to the second side 4 aligning with the charging pile 200; that is, starting from the critical time point when it is detected that the charging pile 200 exceeds the detection range 300 of the laser radar 21, the rotation positioning angle required to continue rotating from the critical time point to the second side 4 aligning with the charging pile 200 will be further determined according to the sensing data.

[0063] S203: The mileage rotation angle of the robot 100, which has been rotated from the mileage starting position, is obtained in real time. When the mileage rotation angle reaches the rotational positioning angle, it is determined that the robot 100 has rotated to the second side 4 and aligned with the charging station 200. That is, in this step, the mileage rotation angle of the robot 100 from the mileage starting position can be recorded by the odometer, and then the robot 100 can be guided to rotate within the aforementioned rotational positioning angle based on the mileage rotation angle, ultimately achieving rotation of the robot 100 to the second side 4 and alignment with the charging station 200.

[0064] It is understandable that in the above embodiment, before the critical time point, the sensing data obtained by the laser radar 21 guides the rotation of the robot 100 (the charging pile 200 is completely within the detection range 300 of the laser radar 21 of the robot 100), and after the critical time point (at least a portion of the charging pile 200 is no longer within the detection range 300 of the laser radar 21 of the robot 100), the odometer guides the robot 100 to continue rotating until the second side 4 is aligned with the charging pile 200. During the entire rotation process, the position (x, y, theta) of the charging pile 200 relative to the robot 100 can be continuously obtained by the laser radar 21 or the odometer, and the angle between the charging pile 200 and the front of the robot 100 can be calculated by the following formula: Included_Angle = atan2(y,x). When the robot 100 detects the charging pile 200 in the last frame during the rotation process (that is, at the critical time point), the angle Theta(last) between the charging pile 200 and the rear of the robot 100 will be recorded. At this time, if the laser opening angle of the laser radar 21 of the robot 100 is 230°, and the center line of the chassis 5 of the robot 100 is guaranteed to be the rotation axis during the rotation of the robot 100, it can be obtained that Theta(last) at this time is 65°; it can be understood that when the robot 100 does not use the center line of the chassis 5 of the robot 100 as the rotation axis (there is a certain range of offset in the rotation axis), Theta(last) can also be regarded as about 65°; and if the offset of the rotation axis is too large, Theta(last) can also be calculated based on the laser opening angle of the laser radar 21, the rotation radius of the laser radar, etc., which will not be repeated here.

[0065] Understandably, in this embodiment, the sensing sensor 2 (such as a laser radar 21), as one of the necessary components for the robot 100 to detect obstacles, originally needs to continuously perform detection work and detect and obtain sensing data (to determine whether an obstacle exists and perform obstacle avoidance processing, etc.). Therefore, the laser radar 21 is used to detect the rotation process of the charging pile 200 before the critical time point, and the rotation positioning angle is determined based on the sensing data obtained by its detection, which reduces the use of the odometer as a standard for the angle guidance of the robot 100 rotation, can save resources and reduce costs.

[0066] Furthermore, the step S201, i.e., detecting the charging pile 200 in real time by the inductive sensor 2 and acquiring inductive data, includes:

[0067] During the process of the robot 100 rotating in a preset rotation direction (which can be counterclockwise or clockwise), the second characteristic data is detected in real time within the detection range 300 of the laser radar 21; wherein, the second characteristic data refers to the sensing data detected in real time by the laser radar 21 within its detection range 300. When the robot 100 starts to rotate, the laser radar 21 installed on the first side 3 is aligned with the charging pile 200. Therefore, Figure 9 As shown, the charging pile 200 must be within the detection range 300 of the laser radar 21. At this time, the matching degree between the second feature data and the preset morphological feature will be greater than or equal to the second preset threshold; and as the robot 100 continues to rotate, the charging pile 200 will begin to partially exceed the above-mentioned detection range 300 at a certain moment. At this time, the matching degree between the second feature data and the preset morphological feature will gradually change from being greater than or equal to the second preset threshold to being less than the second preset threshold; wherein, the second preset threshold can be set according to demand. It can be understood that the first preset threshold mentioned above is a preset value for identifying the charging pile 200, and the second preset threshold is for identifying whether the charging pile 200 begins to partially exceed the above-mentioned detection range 300. Therefore, the second preset threshold must be greater than the first preset threshold. Furthermore, the second preset threshold can be set to one of the values ​​​​between 95% and 100%.

[0068] Obtain the preset morphological features of the charging pile; wherein the preset morphological features characterize the shape, size and other features of the charging pile 200, and the charging pile 200 can be identified by the preset morphological features. The preset morphological features are pre-stored in the memory and can be retrieved at any time. In this embodiment, the induction sensor 2 can be Figure 6 The laser radar 21 shown in .

[0069] When the degree of match between the second characteristic data and the preset morphological feature is greater than or equal to the second preset threshold, it is confirmed that the charging pile 200 has not exceeded the detection range 300 of the laser radar 21; understandably, when the degree of match between the second characteristic data and the preset morphological feature is greater than or equal to the second preset threshold, it means that the charging pile 200 has not begun to exceed the detection range 300 of the laser radar 21. At this time, the second characteristic data will continue to be detected in real time within the detection range 300 of the laser radar 21 until the charging pile 200 begins to exceed the detection range 300 of the laser radar 21, and then enter step S202 to determine the rotation positioning angle according to the sensing data.

[0070] When the degree of match between the second feature data and the preset morphological feature is less than the second preset threshold, it is determined that the charging pile 200 is outside the detection range 300 of the laser radar 21. Understandably, when the degree of match between the second feature data and the preset morphological feature is less than the second preset threshold, it indicates that the charging pile 200 has begun to exceed the detection range 300 of the laser radar 21. At this point, the process proceeds to step S202 to determine the rotational positioning angle based on the sensing data.

[0071] In an optional embodiment, in step S202, determining the rotation positioning angle according to the sensing data includes:

[0072] The target rotation angle is determined according to the width of the charging pile 200, the preset distance and the horizontal viewing angle range of the laser radar 21; that is, the target rotation angle refers to the rotation of the robot 100 in an ideal state (keeping the center line of the chassis 5 of the robot 100 as the rotation axis during the rotation process). At this time, the target rotation angle can be determined according to the width of the charging pile 200, the preset distance and the horizontal viewing angle range of the laser radar 21 (the horizontal viewing angle range of the laser radar 21 is the horizontal viewing angle range of the laser radar in the Figure 9 and Figure 10 The target rotation angle is determined by the laser opening angle in the horizontal direction shown in FIG. The target rotation angle refers to the angle that the robot 100 needs to rotate to the critical time point under ideal conditions.

[0073] The current posture of the robot 100 is obtained from the sensing data, and a first estimated rotation angle is determined based on the current posture; specifically, based on the current posture of the robot 100 and its starting posture when it starts to rotate at a preset anchor point position (the posture corresponding to when the first side 3 of the robot 100 is aligned with the charging pile 200), the first estimated rotation angle of the robot 100 can be determined.

[0074] When the first deviation angle between the first estimated rotation angle and the target rotation angle is within a preset deviation range, the first estimated rotation angle is determined as the rotation positioning angle. That is, the first deviation angle may refer to the difference between the first estimated rotation angle and the target rotation angle. When the first deviation angle between the first estimated rotation angle and the target rotation angle is within a preset deviation range (pre-set according to demand), it indicates that the robot 100 is rotating under an ideal state or can be regarded as rotating under an ideal state. At this time, the first estimated rotation angle can be determined as the rotation positioning angle, and then the next step of the rotation process guided by the odometer is performed according to the rotation positioning angle. In this embodiment, the order of determining the target rotation angle and the first estimated rotation angle is not limited, that is, either the target rotation angle or the first estimated rotation angle can be determined first, or even both can be obtained at the same time.

[0075] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, after determining the target rotation angle and the first estimated rotation angle, the processor further implements the following steps when executing the computer-readable instructions:

[0076] When a first deviation angle between the first estimated rotation angle and the target rotation angle exceeds a preset deviation range, adjusting the current posture of the robot 100 to the target posture according to the first deviation angle;

[0077] When a second deviation angle between a second estimated rotation angle corresponding to the target posture and the target rotation angle is within a preset deviation range, the second estimated rotation angle is determined as the rotation positioning angle.

[0078] In this embodiment, when the first deviation angle between the first estimated rotation angle and the target rotation angle exceeds the preset deviation range, it means that the robot 100 cannot be considered to be rotating in an ideal state. At this time, the rotation axis offset is too large. The current posture of the robot 100 can be adjusted to the target posture according to the above-mentioned first deviation angle. In this embodiment, the target posture of the robot 100 that needs to be adjusted includes the following characteristics: the center line of the chassis 5 of the robot 100 when it is in the target posture is located in the direction pointed to by the front of the charging pile 200 (or the offset between it and the direction is within the preset axis offset range), and the deviation value between the rotation angle (also the second estimated rotation angle to be determined as the rotation positioning angle) when the robot 100 rotates from the starting posture (the posture corresponding to when the first side 3 of the robot 100 is aligned with the charging pile 200) to the target position and the first estimated rotation angle is within the preset deviation range. The above adjustment process can refer to the above-mentioned step S20 and its related processes, which will not be repeated here.

[0079] In an optional embodiment, the inductive sensor 2 further includes an odometer in communication with the processor; in step S203, the real-time acquisition of the odometer rotation angle of the robot 100 starting from the odometer starting position includes:

[0080] The odometer obtains first odometer data of the robot 100 rotating from the odometer starting position in real time, and determines the odometer rotation angle of the robot 100 based on the first odometer data. That is, in this embodiment, the first odometer data includes the odometer trajectory of the robot 100 during rotation, such as velocity, acceleration, and displacement, as detected by the odometer. Furthermore, the odometer rotation angle of the robot 100 can be determined based on the first odometer data.

[0081] In one embodiment, the inductive sensor 2 includes an odometer communicatively connected to the processor; in step S20, controlling the robot 100 to rotate in a preset rotation direction to rotate the robot 100 to the second side 4 so as to align with the charging post 200 includes:

[0082] The odometer is used to obtain second mileage data of the robot 100 during its rotation in real time, and the real-time rotation angle of the robot 100 is determined based on the second mileage data. That is, in this embodiment, the second mileage data includes the movement mileage trajectory of the robot 100 during its rotation detected by the odometer, such as speed, acceleration, and displacement. Furthermore, the real-time rotation angle of the robot 100 can be determined based on the above-mentioned second mileage data.

[0083] When the real-time rotation angle is equal to the preset angle threshold, it is determined that the robot 100 has rotated to the second side 4 to be aligned with the charging pile 200. The preset angle threshold can be set as needed, and may refer to the rotation angle corresponding to the rotation of the robot 100 from the first side 3 and the charging pile 200 to the second side 4 and the charging pile 200 under ideal conditions, such as 180 degrees. Understandably, when the real-time rotation angle is less than the preset angle threshold, it means that the robot 100 has not rotated to the second side 4 to be aligned with the charging pile 200, and the robot 100 will continue to rotate. In the above embodiment, during the entire rotation process of the robot 100, the continuous rotation of the robot 100 is guided only by the odometer until it is confirmed that the second side 4 of the robot 100 is aligned with the charging pile 200.

[0084] In one embodiment, if Figure 5 As shown, in step S30, after controlling the robot 100 to stop rotating and move straight backward, the processor further implements the following steps when executing the computer-readable instructions:

[0085] S301, obtaining in real time the backward distance traveled by the robot 100; that is, the backward distance traveled by the robot 100 can be obtained in real time by an odometer.

[0086] S302, when the backward distance is less than or equal to the backward distance threshold, if the contact signal between the charging electrode 1 and the charging pile 200 is detected, it is confirmed that the charging electrode 1 and the charging pile 200 are in matching contact; the backward distance threshold is greater than or equal to the preset distance; wherein, the backward distance threshold can be set as required to a distance value that is greater than the preset distance (the distance between the preset anchor point position and the charging pile 200) and the difference with the preset distance is within a certain range, so as to avoid movement deviations within a controllable range during rotation or backward straight movement. The robot 100 can also move backward straight normally to finally achieve matching contact between the charging electrode 1 and the charging pile 200. A contact signal will be generated when the charging electrode 1 is in matching contact with the charging pile 200, that is, if the robot 100 detects through the processor that the charging electrode 1 is in matching contact with the charging pile 200, a contact signal will be generated; in another optional embodiment, the charging pile 200 may also detect that the charging electrode 1 is in matching contact with the charging pile 200, and send a contact signal to the robot 100. The robot 100 can confirm that the charging electrode 1 is in matching contact with the charging pile 200 based on the received contact signal.

[0087] S303, when the backward distance is less than or equal to the backward distance threshold, if the contact signal between the charging electrode 1 and the charging pile 200 is not detected, the robot 100 is continued to be controlled to move straight backward. That is, in this embodiment, when the backward distance is less than or equal to the backward distance threshold and the contact signal is detected, it means that the charging electrode 1 is in matching contact with the charging pile 200. At this time, the robot 100 can be directly charged and a prompt indicating that the charging is successful is displayed. When the backward distance is less than or equal to the backward distance threshold and the contact signal is not detected, it means that the charging electrode 1 of the robot 100 is not in matching contact with the charging pile 200. At this time, since the backward distance is not greater than the backward distance threshold, it means that the robot 100 has not yet moved to the location of the charging pile 200. Therefore, the robot 100 will continue to be controlled to move straight backward. At this time, it can also be displayed that charging has not yet started.

[0088] Furthermore, after step S301, that is, after obtaining the backward distance of the robot 100 in real time, the processor further implements the following steps when executing the computer-readable instructions:

[0089] When the backward distance is greater than the backward distance threshold, if the contact signal between the charging electrode 1 and the charging pile 200 has not been detected, the robot 100 is controlled to stop moving and a charging failure prompt is given. That is, when the backward distance is greater than the backward distance threshold, it means that the robot 100 has already moved straight back a sufficient distance to reach the charging pile 200 under an ideal state (after the robot 100 rotates, the second side 4 is aligned with the front of the charging pile 200). Therefore, at this time, the contact signal between the charging electrode 1 and the charging pile 200 has not been detected, indicating that the robot 100 has undergone an abnormal deviation during the rotation process or the backward straight process. Therefore, it is necessary to control the robot 100 to stop moving and a charging failure prompt is given. In an optional embodiment, the robot 100 can automatically generate a new charging instruction (or the user can resend the charging instruction through the smart terminal after receiving the charging failure prompt) and then enter step S10 again to automatically recharge.

[0090] In one embodiment, a robot automatic recharging method is provided, and the robot automatic recharging method is applied to the processor of the above-mentioned robot, such as Figure 2 As shown, the robot automatic recharging method includes the following steps:

[0091] S10, receiving a charging instruction and controlling the robot 100 to travel to a preset anchor point; the preset anchor point is located at a preset distance F in front of the charging pile;

[0092] S20, controlling the robot 100 to rotate in a preset rotation direction so as to rotate the robot 100 to align the second side 4 with the charging station 200; the robot 100 includes an inductive sensor 2 disposed on a first side 3 of the robot 100 and a charging electrode 1 disposed on a second side 4 of the robot 100; the first side 3 and the second side 4 are disposed opposite each other;

[0093] S30, when the induction sensor 2 detects that the robot 100 rotates to the second side 4 and is aligned with the charging pile 200, controlling the robot 100 to stop rotating and move straight backward;

[0094] S40 , after detecting that the charging electrode 1 is in contact with the charging pile 200 , controlling the robot 100 to stop moving and perform a charging operation.

[0095] In the embodiment of the present invention, there is no need to additionally install other inductive sensors 2 on the robot 100. Automatic recharging of the robot 100 can be achieved by only using the charging electrodes 1 and the inductive sensors 2 respectively arranged on the first and second sides 3 and 4 of the robot 100. At the same time, after the robot 100 completes charging through the charging electrode 1, the robot 100 can move directly toward the first side 3 to break away from contact with the charging pile 200, thereby avoiding collision with obstacles. The structure is simple and costs are saved. In addition, the embodiment of the present invention also solves the problem of crowded installation space caused by arranging the inductive sensor 2 and the charging electrode 1 on the same side, and there is no mutual interference between the charging electrode 1 and the sensor, thereby improving the detection accuracy.

[0096] Furthermore, before receiving the charging instruction, the method includes:

[0097] Real-time detection of the battery power of the robot 100;

[0098] When the battery power level is lower than a preset power threshold, the charging instruction is generated.

[0099] Furthermore, the receiving of the charging instruction includes:

[0100] A charging instruction sent by a smart terminal in communication with the processor is received, where the charging instruction is generated when a preset charging button on the smart terminal is triggered.

[0101] In one embodiment, if Figure 3 As shown, before controlling the robot 100 to travel to the preset anchor point position, the process includes:

[0102] S101, obtaining the location area of ​​the charging pile 200 in the world map where the robot 100 is located;

[0103] S102, controlling the robot 100 to travel to the location area and identifying the charging pile 200 through the induction sensor 2;

[0104] S103 , when the charging pile 200 is identified, obtaining the posture information of the charging pile 200 , and determining a preset anchor point position according to the posture information.

[0105] Furthermore, the identifying the charging pile 200 by the inductive sensor 2 includes:

[0106] Obtaining preset morphological features of the charging pile 200;

[0107] Controlling the inductive sensor 2 to perform real-time detection in the location area to obtain first characteristic data within a detection range 300 of the inductive sensor 2;

[0108] When the degree of matching between the first characteristic data and the preset morphological characteristic is greater than or equal to a first preset threshold, confirming that the charging pile 200 is identified; and / or

[0109] When the matching degree between the first feature data and the preset morphological feature is less than the first preset threshold, the sensing sensor 2 is continued to be controlled to perform real-time detection in the position area.

[0110] In one embodiment, before controlling the robot to rotate in a preset rotation direction to rotate the robot until the second side is aligned with the charging pile, the robot automatic recharging method further includes adjusting the first side of the robot to align with the charging pile; wherein adjusting the first side of the robot to align with the charging pile specifically includes:

[0111] Obtaining the first pose of the robot 100 when it arrives at the preset anchor point;

[0112] Determining a first adjustment angle and a second adjustment angle based on the first posture, wherein the first adjustment angle refers to a rotation angle corresponding to a clockwise rotation of the first side 3 of the robot 100 to align with the charging pile 200; and the second adjustment angle refers to a rotation angle corresponding to a counterclockwise rotation of the first side 3 of the robot 100 to align with the charging pile 200;

[0113] When the first adjustment angle is less than or equal to the second adjustment angle, the robot 100 is controlled to rotate clockwise until the first side 3 is aligned with the charging pile 200;

[0114] When the first adjustment angle is greater than the second adjustment angle, the robot 100 is controlled to rotate counterclockwise until the first side 3 is aligned with the charging pile 200 .

[0115] In one embodiment, if Figure 4 As shown, the inductive sensor 2 includes a laser radar 21;

[0116] The controlling the robot 100 to rotate in a preset rotation direction so as to rotate the robot 100 to the second side 4 so as to be aligned with the charging pile 200 includes:

[0117] S201, detecting the charging pile 200 in real time by the laser radar 21 and acquiring sensing data;

[0118] S202, when it is detected that the charging pile 200 is beyond the detection range 300 of the laser radar 21, determining a rotational positioning angle based on the sensing data, and recording the current position of the robot 100 as the mileage starting position; the rotational positioning angle refers to the rotation angle corresponding to the robot 100 rotating from the mileage starting position to aligning the second side 4 with the charging pile 200;

[0119] S203, obtaining in real time the mileage rotation angle of the robot 100 starting from the mileage starting position, and when the mileage rotation angle reaches the rotation positioning angle, determining that the robot 100 has rotated to the second side 4 and is aligned with the charging pile 200.

[0120] Furthermore, the real-time detection of the charging pile 200 by the laser radar 21 and acquisition of sensing data include:

[0121] During the process of the robot 100 rotating in the preset rotation direction, the second characteristic data is detected in real time within the detection range 300 of the laser radar 21;

[0122] Obtaining preset morphological features of the charging pile;

[0123] When the matching degree between the second feature data and the preset morphological feature is greater than or equal to a second preset threshold, it is confirmed that the charging pile 200 does not exceed the detection range 300 of the laser radar 21;

[0124] When the degree of matching between the second feature data and the preset morphological feature is less than the second preset threshold, it is confirmed that the charging pile 200 is beyond the detection range 300 of the laser radar 21 .

[0125] In one embodiment, determining the rotation positioning angle according to the sensing data includes:

[0126] Determine the target rotation angle according to the width of the charging pile 200, the preset distance, and the horizontal viewing angle range of the laser radar 21;

[0127] Obtaining a current posture of the robot 100 from the sensing data, and determining a first estimated rotation angle according to the current posture;

[0128] When a first deviation angle between the first estimated rotation angle and the target rotation angle is within a preset deviation range, the first estimated rotation angle is determined as the rotation positioning angle.

[0129] Furthermore, the robot automatic recharging method further includes:

[0130] When a first deviation angle between the first estimated rotation angle and the target rotation angle exceeds a preset deviation range, adjusting the current posture of the robot 100 to the target posture according to the first deviation angle;

[0131] When a second deviation angle between a second estimated rotation angle corresponding to the target posture and the target rotation angle is within a preset deviation range, the second estimated rotation angle is determined as the rotation positioning angle.

[0132] In one embodiment, the sensing sensor 2 further includes an odometer; and the real-time acquisition of the odometer rotation angle of the robot 100 starting from the odometer starting position includes:

[0133] The odometer obtains first mileage data of the robot 100 rotating from the mileage starting position in real time, and determines the mileage rotation angle of the robot 100 according to the first mileage data.

[0134] In one embodiment, the inductive sensor 2 includes an odometer; and controlling the robot 100 to rotate in a preset rotation direction so as to rotate the robot 100 to the second side 4 so as to be aligned with the charging pile 200 includes:

[0135] Acquire second mileage data during the rotation of the robot 100 in real time through an odometer, and determine a real-time rotation angle of the robot 100 according to the second mileage data;

[0136] When the real-time rotation angle is equal to the preset angle threshold, it is determined that the robot 100 has rotated to the second side 4 and is aligned with the charging pile 200 .

[0137] In one embodiment, if Figure 5 As shown, after controlling the robot 100 to stop rotating and move straight backward, the method further includes:

[0138] S301, obtaining in real time the backward distance traveled by the robot 100;

[0139] S302, when the backward distance is less than or equal to the backward distance threshold, if a contact signal between the charging electrode 1 and the charging pile 200 is detected, confirming that the charging electrode 1 is in matching contact with the charging pile 200; the backward distance threshold is greater than or equal to the preset distance;

[0140] S303 , when the backward distance is less than or equal to the backward distance threshold, if no contact signal between the charging electrode 1 and the charging pile 200 is detected, continue to control the robot 100 to move straight backward.

[0141] Furthermore, after obtaining the backward distance of the robot 100 in real time, the method further includes:

[0142] When the backward distance is greater than the backward distance threshold, if the contact signal between the charging electrode 1 and the charging pile 200 has not been detected, the robot 100 is controlled to stop moving and a charging failure prompt is given.

[0143] It should be understood that the size of the serial numbers of the steps in the above embodiments does not mean the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0144] As will be appreciated, the robot 100 also includes a housing. Components within the robot, such as the processor, memory, and odometer, are housed within the housing to protect them. The inductive sensor 2 can be mounted on the housing to facilitate timely detection of obstacles and information such as the charging station 200.

[0145] In one embodiment, a control device is provided, comprising: a memory, a processor, and computer-readable instructions stored in the memory and executable on the processor; when the computer-readable instructions are executed by the processor, the aforementioned robot automatic recharging method is implemented. The control device may be a server. The control device may include a processor, memory, a network interface, and a database connected via a system bus. The processor of the control device is configured to provide computing and control capabilities. The memory of the control device includes a readable storage medium and an internal memory. The readable storage medium stores an operating system, computer-readable instructions, and a database, and the readable storage medium includes a volatile storage medium and a non-volatile storage medium. The internal memory provides an environment for the operation of the operating system and computer-readable instructions in the readable storage medium. The network interface of the control device is configured to communicate with an external terminal via a network connection. When the computer-readable instructions are executed by the processor, the aforementioned robot automatic recharging method is implemented.

[0146] In one embodiment, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, on which computer-readable instructions are stored. When the computer-readable instructions are executed by a processor, the robot automatic recharging method in the above embodiment is implemented.

[0147] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that all or part of the processes in the above-mentioned embodiment methods can be implemented by instructing the relevant hardware through computer-readable instructions. The computer-readable instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. When executed, the computer-readable instructions can include the processes of the embodiments of the above-mentioned methods. Among them, any reference to memory, storage, database or other media used in the embodiments provided in this application can include non-volatile and / or volatile memory. Non-volatile memory can include read-only memory (ROM), programmable ROM (PROM), electrically programmable ROM (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM) or flash memory. Volatile memory can include random access memory (RAM) or external cache memory. By way of illustration and not limitation, RAM is available in various forms, such as static RAM (SRAM), dynamic RAM (DRAM), synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), double data rate SDRAM (DDRSDRAM), enhanced SDRAM (ESDRAM), synchronous link (Synchlink) DRAM (SLDRAM), memory bus (Rambus) direct RAM (RDRAM), direct memory bus dynamic RAM (DRDRAM), and memory bus dynamic RAM (RDRAM).

[0148] Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that for the sake of convenience and brevity of description, only the division of the above-mentioned functional units and modules is used as an example. In actual applications, the above-mentioned functions can be distributed and completed by different functional units and modules as needed, that is, the internal structure of the device can be divided into different functional units or modules to complete all or part of the functions described above.

[0149] The embodiments described above are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, rather than to limit the same. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments, or make equivalent replacements for some of the technical features therein. These modifications or replacements do not deviate the essence of the corresponding technical solutions from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the various embodiments of the present invention, and should all be included in the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A robot comprising a memory, a processor, and computer-readable instructions stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein: The robot further includes an inductive sensor and a charging electrode, both of which are communicatively connected to the processor; the inductive sensor is disposed on a first side of the robot, and the charging electrode is disposed on a second side of the robot, the first side being disposed opposite the second side; the inductive sensor includes a laser radar communicatively connected to the processor; and when the processor executes the computer-readable instructions, the following steps are implemented: Receive a charging instruction and control the robot to travel to a preset anchor point; the preset anchor point is located at a preset distance in front of the charging pile; Controlling the robot to rotate in a preset rotation direction to rotate the robot to a second side so as to be aligned with the charging pile; When the induction sensor detects that the robot has rotated to the second side and is aligned with the charging pile, controlling the robot to stop rotating and move straight backward; After detecting that the charging electrode is in matching contact with the charging pile, controlling the robot to stop moving and perform a charging operation; The controlling the robot to rotate in a preset rotation direction so as to rotate the robot to the second side to align with the charging pile includes: Detecting the charging pile in real time and acquiring sensing data by the laser radar; When it is detected that the charging pile is beyond the detection range of the laser radar, a rotation positioning angle is determined based on the sensing data, and the current posture of the robot is recorded as the mileage starting posture; the rotation positioning angle refers to the rotation angle corresponding to the robot rotating from the mileage starting posture to the second side aligned with the charging pile; A mileage rotation angle of the robot starting from the mileage starting position is obtained in real time, and when the mileage rotation angle reaches the rotation positioning angle, it is determined that the robot has rotated to the second side and is aligned with the charging pile.

2. The robot according to claim 1, wherein: Before receiving the charging instruction, the processor further implements the following steps when executing the computer-readable instruction: detecting the battery power of the robot in real time; When the battery power level is lower than a preset power threshold, the charging instruction is generated.

3. The robot according to claim 1, wherein: The receiving of the charging instruction includes: A charging instruction sent by a smart terminal in communication with the processor is received, where the charging instruction is generated when a preset charging button on the smart terminal is triggered.

4. The robot according to claim 1, wherein: Before controlling the robot to travel to the preset anchor point, the processor further implements the following steps when executing the computer-readable instructions: Obtaining a location area of ​​the charging pile in a world map where the robot is located; Controlling the robot to travel to the location area and identifying the charging pile through an inductive sensor; When the charging pile is identified, the position information of the charging pile is obtained, and a preset anchor point position is determined according to the position information.

5. The robot according to claim 4, wherein: The identifying the charging pile by using an inductive sensor includes: Obtaining preset morphological features of the charging pile; controlling the inductive sensor to perform real-time detection in the location area to obtain first characteristic data within a detection range of the inductive sensor; When the degree of matching between the first feature data and the preset morphological feature is greater than or equal to a first preset threshold, confirming that the charging pile is identified; and / or When the matching degree between the first feature data and the preset morphological feature is less than the first preset threshold, the sensing sensor is continued to be controlled to perform real-time detection in the position area.

6. The robot according to claim 1, wherein: Before controlling the robot to rotate in a preset rotation direction to rotate the robot to align the second side with the charging post, the processor further adjusts the first side of the robot to align with the charging post when executing the computer-readable instructions; Adjusting the first side of the robot to align with the charging station specifically includes: Obtaining the first pose of the robot when it arrives at the preset anchor position; Determining a first adjustment angle and a second adjustment angle according to the first posture, the first adjustment angle being the rotation angle corresponding to the robot rotating clockwise until the first side is aligned with the charging pile; the second adjustment angle being the rotation angle corresponding to the robot rotating counterclockwise until the first side is aligned with the charging pile; When the first adjustment angle is less than or equal to the second adjustment angle, controlling the robot to rotate clockwise to align the first side with the charging pile; When the first adjustment angle is greater than the second adjustment angle, the robot is controlled to rotate counterclockwise to the first side to be aligned with the charging pile.

7. The robot according to claim 1, wherein: The real-time detection of the charging pile by the laser radar and acquisition of sensing data include: During the process of the robot rotating in a preset rotation direction, detecting second characteristic data in real time within the detection range of the laser radar; Obtaining preset morphological features of the charging pile; When the degree of matching between the second feature data and the preset morphological feature is greater than or equal to a second preset threshold, confirming that the charging pile is within the detection range of the laser radar; When the degree of matching between the second feature data and the preset morphological feature is less than the second preset threshold, it is confirmed that the charging pile is beyond the detection range of the laser radar.

8. The robot according to claim 1, wherein: The determining of the rotation positioning angle according to the sensing data includes: Determining a target rotation angle according to the width of the charging pile, the preset distance, and the horizontal viewing angle range of the laser radar; Obtaining a current posture of the robot from the sensing data, and determining a first estimated rotation angle according to the current posture; When a first deviation angle between the first estimated rotation angle and the target rotation angle is within a preset deviation range, the first estimated rotation angle is determined as the rotation positioning angle.

9. The robot according to claim 8, wherein: When the processor executes the computer-readable instructions, it further implements the following steps: When a first deviation angle between the first estimated rotation angle and the target rotation angle exceeds a preset deviation range, adjusting the current posture of the robot to the target posture according to the first deviation angle; When a second deviation angle between a second estimated rotation angle corresponding to the target posture and the target rotation angle is within a preset deviation range, the second estimated rotation angle is determined as the rotation positioning angle.

10. The robot according to claim 1, wherein: The inductive sensor further includes an odometer communicatively connected to the processor; The real-time acquisition of the mileage rotation angle of the robot starting from the mileage starting position includes: The odometer is used to obtain first mileage data of the robot rotating from the mileage starting position in real time, and the mileage rotation angle of the robot is determined according to the first mileage data.

11. The robot according to claim 1, wherein: The inductive sensor includes an odometer communicatively connected to the processor; The controlling the robot to rotate in a preset rotation direction so as to rotate the robot to a second side aligned with the charging pile includes: Acquiring second mileage data during the rotation of the robot in real time through the odometer, and determining the real-time rotation angle of the robot according to the second mileage data; When the real-time rotation angle is equal to a preset angle threshold, it is determined that the robot has rotated to the second side and is aligned with the charging pile.

12. The robot according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that: After controlling the robot to stop rotating and move straight backward, the processor further implements the following steps when executing the computer-readable instructions: Acquire the backward distance of the robot in real time; When the backward distance is less than or equal to the backward distance threshold, if a contact signal between the charging electrode and the charging pile is detected, it is confirmed that the charging electrode and the charging pile are in matching contact; the backward distance threshold is greater than or equal to the preset distance; When the backward distance is less than or equal to the backward distance threshold, if no contact signal between the charging electrode and the charging pile is detected, the robot continues to be controlled to move straight backward.

13. The robot according to claim 12, wherein: After obtaining the backward distance of the robot in real time, the processor further implements the following steps when executing the computer-readable instructions: When the backward distance is greater than the backward distance threshold, if the contact signal between the charging electrode and the charging pile has not been detected, the robot is controlled to stop moving and a prompt indicating charging failure is given.

14. A robot automatic recharging method, characterized in that: include: Receive charging instructions and control the robot to travel to the preset anchor point; The preset anchor point is located at a preset distance in front of the charging pile; Controlling the robot to rotate in a preset rotation direction so as to rotate the robot to a second side aligned with the charging station; the robot includes an inductive sensor disposed on a first side of the robot and a charging electrode disposed on a second side of the robot; the first side and the second side are disposed opposite each other; When the induction sensor detects that the robot has rotated to the second side and is aligned with the charging pile, controlling the robot to stop rotating and move straight backward; After detecting that the charging electrode is in matching contact with the charging pile, controlling the robot to stop moving and perform a charging operation; The inductive sensor includes a laser radar; The controlling the robot to rotate in a preset rotation direction so as to rotate the robot to a second side aligned with the charging pile includes: Detecting the charging pile in real time and acquiring sensing data by the laser radar; When it is detected that the charging pile is beyond the detection range of the laser radar, a rotation positioning angle is determined based on the sensing data, and the current posture of the robot is recorded as the mileage starting posture; the rotation positioning angle refers to the rotation angle corresponding to the robot rotating from the mileage starting posture to the second side aligned with the charging pile; A mileage rotation angle of the robot starting from the mileage starting position is obtained in real time, and when the mileage rotation angle reaches the rotation positioning angle, it is determined that the robot has rotated to the second side and is aligned with the charging pile.

15. The robot automatic recharging method according to claim 14, characterized in that: Before controlling the robot to travel to the preset anchor point, the following steps are performed: Obtaining a location area of ​​the charging pile in a world map where the robot is located; Controlling the robot to travel to the location area and identifying the charging pile through an inductive sensor; When the charging pile is identified, the position information of the charging pile is obtained, and a preset anchor point position is determined according to the position information.

16. The robot automatic recharging method according to claim 14, characterized in that: The determining of the rotation positioning angle according to the sensing data includes: Determining a target rotation angle according to the width of the charging pile, the preset distance, and the horizontal viewing angle range of the laser radar; Obtaining a current posture of the robot from the sensing data, and determining a first estimated rotation angle according to the current posture; When a first deviation angle between the first estimated rotation angle and the target rotation angle is within a preset deviation range, the first estimated rotation angle is determined as the rotation positioning angle.

17. The robot automatic recharging method according to claim 14, characterized in that: The inductive sensor also includes an odometer; The real-time acquisition of the mileage rotation angle of the robot starting from the mileage starting position includes: The first mileage data of the robot rotating from the mileage starting position is obtained in real time through the mileage meter, and the mileage rotation angle of the robot is determined according to the first mileage data.

18. The robot automatic recharging method according to claim 14, characterized in that: The inductive sensor includes an odometer; The controlling the robot to rotate in a preset rotation direction so as to rotate the robot to a second side aligned with the charging pile includes: Acquire second mileage data during the rotation of the robot in real time through an odometer, and determine the real-time rotation angle of the robot according to the second mileage data; When the real-time rotation angle is equal to a preset angle threshold, it is determined that the robot has rotated to the second side and is aligned with the charging pile.

19. A control device, characterized in that: include: a memory, a processor, and computer-readable instructions stored on the memory and executable on the processor; When the computer-readable instructions are executed by the processor, the robot automatic recharging method according to any one of claims 14 to 18 is implemented.

20. A computer-readable storage medium storing computer-readable instructions, characterized in that: When the computer-readable instructions are executed by a processor, the robot automatic recharging method according to any one of claims 14 to 18 is implemented.

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