Robot operation path planning method, mobile robot and chip

Abstract

The invention provides a robot operation path planning method, a mobile robot and a chip, an area scanned by a line laser module is divided into a plurality of sub-areas, the distribution condition of obstacles is more accurately marked, and then the operation path of the robot is planned according to the position relation between the obstacle distribution on the sub-areas and the non-operation area. Compared with a collision sensor or an infrared sensor, a reasonable obstacle avoidance direction can be selected more intelligently, the problem of the obstacle avoidance direction is solved, the path planned by the robot is smoother, and the obstacle avoidance capacity of the robot is greatly improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of intelligent robots, and specifically to a robot operation path planning method, a mobile robot and a chip. Background Art

[0002] Nowadays, more and more families are choosing to use sweeping robots to clean the floor. However, during use, many users found that the obstacle avoidance ability and cleaning efficiency of sweeping robots vary. For example, some sweeping robots are often blocked by obstacles on the ground, or they bump into tables, chairs and benches without thinking because of route planning problems, affecting the sweeping efficiency. One of the reasons for this problem is that the sweeping robots do not mark obstacles precisely enough. Obstacles marked by general collision sensors or visual sensors will be clumped together on the map, which is not conducive to the sweeping robot's cleaning path planning and greatly reduces the sweeping robot's obstacle avoidance ability. Summary of the invention

[0003] This application provides a robot operation path planning method, a mobile robot and a chip. The specific technical solutions are as follows:

[0004] A robot operation path planning method, the path planning method comprising: step S1, during the process of line laser module scanning, the robot divides the area scanned by the line laser module into a plurality of sub-areas, and marks obstacles on the sub-areas respectively; step S2, the robot determines the obstacle distribution on the sub-areas according to the obstacle marks, and then plans the robot's operation path according to the positional relationship between the obstacles and the non-operated area.

[0005] Furthermore, in step S1, the area scanned by the line laser module is located directly in front of the robot, the length of the area is equal to the length of the line laser emitted by the line laser module, and the area is equally divided into a number of sub-areas.

[0006] Furthermore, in step S1, the method for marking obstacles on the sub-areas includes: step S11, the robot obtains point cloud data of the line laser module and equally divides it into several data intervals, each corresponding to a number of sub-areas; step S12, respectively calculates the height averages of the point cloud data in the several data intervals, and then compares the height average with the preset height; if the height average is greater than or equal to the preset height, an obstacle is marked on the sub-area corresponding to the height average.

[0007] Furthermore, in the step S2, the method for planning the robot's working path according to the positional relationship between obstacles and non-operated areas includes: step S21, during the operation process, the robot determines whether there are obstacles in several sub-areas according to obstacle marks, if there are obstacles in all sub-areas, the robot turns around, if there are obstacles in some sub-areas, the robot enters step S22; step S22, the robot determines the positional relationship between the obstacle and the non-operated area, if at least one sub-area with an obstacle is connected to the non-operated area, the robot turns around, if at least one sub-area without obstacles is connected to the non-operated area, the robot bypasses the obstacle through the sub-area without obstacles.

[0008] Furthermore, in step S22, when at least one sub-area where an obstacle exists is connected to the non-operating area, the robot first executes obstacle avoidance and makes a judgment. If the robot does not move to the next operating path during the obstacle avoidance process, the robot continues to execute obstacle avoidance until the obstacle avoidance is successful. If the robot moves to the next operating path during the obstacle avoidance process, the obstacle avoidance is terminated and the robot turns around.

[0009] Furthermore, the robot equally divides the area scanned by the line laser module into four sub-areas, including a first sub-area, a second sub-area, a third sub-area and a fourth sub-area.

[0010] A mobile robot is used to implement the robot operation path planning method. The mobile robot comprises a line laser module, and the line laser module is used to obtain point cloud data.

[0011] Furthermore, the line laser module is arranged at the front end of the mobile robot, and the line laser emitted by the line laser module is a horizontal straight line slanting downward.

[0012] Furthermore, the model of the line laser module is ALF02-S, which includes a straight line laser and a camera.

[0013] A chip stores computer program code, and when the computer program code is executed, the robot operation path planning method is implemented.

[0014] The robot operation path planning method described in the present application divides the area scanned by the line laser module into several sub-areas, more accurately marks the distribution of obstacles, and then plans the robot's operation path according to the positional relationship between the obstacle distribution in the sub-areas and the non-operating areas. Compared with collision sensors or infrared sensors, it can more intelligently select a reasonable obstacle avoidance direction, solve the problem of obstacle avoidance direction, make the robot's planned path smoother, and greatly improve the robot's obstacle avoidance ability. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] Figure 1 A flowchart of a robot operation path planning method according to an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0016] In the following description, specific details such as specific system structures, technologies, etc. are provided for the purpose of illustration rather than limitation, so as to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments of the present application. However, it should be clear to those skilled in the art that the present application may also be implemented in other embodiments without these specific details. In other cases, detailed descriptions of well-known systems, devices, circuits, and methods are omitted to prevent unnecessary details from obstructing the description of the present application.

[0017] It should be understood that when used in this application, the term "comprising" indicates the presence of the described features, integral bodies, steps, operations, elements and / or components, but does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integral bodies, steps, operations, elements, components and / or their collections. It should also be understood that the term "and / or" used in this application refers to any combination of one or more of the associated listed items and all possible combinations, and includes these combinations.

[0018] As used in this application, the term "if" can be interpreted as "when" or "uponce" or "in response to determining" or "in response to detecting", depending on the context. Similarly, the phrase "if it is determined" or "if [described condition or event] is detected" can be interpreted as meaning "uponce it is determined" or "in response to determining" or "uponce [described condition or event] is detected" or "in response to detecting [described condition or event]", depending on the context.

[0019] In addition, in the description of the present application, the terms "first", "second", "third", etc. are only used to distinguish the description and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance. The reference to "one embodiment" or "some embodiments" described in the specification of the present application means that one or more embodiments of the present application include specific features, structures or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment. Therefore, the statements "in one embodiment", "in some embodiments", "in some other embodiments", "in some other embodiments", etc. that appear in the differences in this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, but mean "one or more but not all embodiments", unless otherwise specifically emphasized in other ways. The terms "including", "comprising", "having" and their variations all mean "including but not limited to", unless otherwise specifically emphasized in other ways.

[0020] Nowadays, more and more families are choosing to use sweeping robots to clean the floor. However, during use, many users found that the obstacle avoidance ability and cleaning efficiency of sweeping robots vary. For example, some sweeping robots are often blocked by obstacles on the ground, or they bump into tables, chairs and benches without thinking because of route planning problems, affecting the sweeping efficiency. One of the reasons for this problem is that the sweeping robots do not mark obstacles precisely enough. Obstacles marked by general collision sensors or visual sensors will be clumped together on the map, which is not conducive to the sweeping robot's cleaning path planning and greatly reduces the sweeping robot's obstacle avoidance ability.

[0021] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present application provides a robot operation path planning method, which divides the area scanned by the line laser module into several sub-areas, more accurately marks the distribution of obstacles, and then plans the robot's operation path according to the positional relationship between the obstacle distribution in the sub-areas and the non-operating areas. Compared with collision sensors or infrared sensors, it can more intelligently select a reasonable obstacle avoidance direction, solve the problem of obstacle avoidance direction, make the robot's planned path smoother, and greatly improve the robot's obstacle avoidance ability.

[0022] like Figure 1 As shown, the path planning method includes:

[0023] Step S1, during the scanning process of the line laser module, the robot divides the area scanned by the line laser module into several sub-areas, and marks obstacles on the sub-areas respectively;

[0024] In step S2, the robot determines the distribution of obstacles in the sub-area according to the obstacle marks, and then plans the robot's operating path according to the positional relationship between the obstacles and the non-operated area.

[0025] It should be noted that the line laser module emits an infrared laser through a laser transmitter and scans the target object. The receiver then receives the reflected light and calculates the three-dimensional coordinate information of the target object based on the calibrated relative position between the receiver and the laser transmitter. Information such as height, distance and angle can be obtained, thereby completing the precise positioning of the target object.

[0026] As one implementation, in step S1, the area scanned by the line laser module is located directly in front of the robot, the length of the area is equal to the length of the line laser emitted by the line laser module, and the area is equally divided into several sub-areas. The method described in this embodiment can more accurately indicate the distribution of obstacles.

[0027] As one of the implementation modes, in step S1, the method of marking obstacles on the sub-areas includes: step S11, the robot obtains the point cloud data of the line laser module and equally divides it into several data intervals, which correspond to several sub-areas respectively; step S12, respectively calculates the height average of the point cloud data in several data intervals, and then compares the height average with the preset height. If the height average is greater than or equal to the preset height, an obstacle mark is made on the sub-area corresponding to the height average. Wherein, when a sub-area has the obstacle mark, it indicates that there is an obstacle in the sub-area. The obstacle mark can be represented by a grayscale value. Preferably, the preset height is 1.8 cm, and the robot can directly cross obstacles with an average height lower than 1.8 cm without marking the obstacles, or make other marks different from the obstacle mark type, such as obstacle crossing marks.

[0028] As one of the implementation modes, in step S2, the method for planning the robot's operation path according to the positional relationship between obstacles and non-operating areas includes: step S21, during the operation, the robot determines whether there are obstacles in several sub-areas according to the obstacle marks, if there are obstacles in all sub-areas, the robot turns around, if there are obstacles in some sub-areas, then enters step S22; step S22, the robot determines the positional relationship between the obstacle and the non-operating area, if at least one sub-area with obstacles is connected to the non-operating area, the robot turns around, if at least one sub-area without obstacles is connected to the non-operating area, the robot bypasses the obstacle through the sub-area without obstacles. The method described in this embodiment enables the robot to more intelligently select the obstacle avoidance method or obstacle bypassing direction based on the precise obstacle distribution, thereby improving the rationality and fluency of path planning.

[0029] As one of the implementation modes, in the step S22, when at least one sub-area where obstacles exist is connected to the non-operating area, the robot first executes obstacle avoidance and makes a judgment. If the robot does not move to the next operating path during the obstacle avoidance process, the robot continues to execute obstacle avoidance until the obstacle avoidance is successful. If the robot moves to the next operating path during the obstacle avoidance process, the obstacle avoidance is terminated and the robot turns around. The method described in this embodiment can ensure the rationality of the robot's operation, avoid the robot from moving to a farther area due to obstacle avoidance, and also avoid the occurrence of missed areas. It should be noted that the robot of the present application plans the operating path in a bow-shaped manner, and the above-mentioned operating path refers to the long side of the bow-shaped path. In the present application, when the robot encounters an obstacle on the short side, conventional methods are used to avoid obstacles and return to the long side.

[0030] As one of the implementation methods, the robot divides the area scanned by the line laser module into four sub-areas, including the first sub-area, the second sub-area, the third sub-area and the fourth sub-area. In one embodiment, the length of the line laser emitted by the line laser module is 40 cm, which is equivalent to the diameter of the robot, and the length of each sub-area is 10 cm. The total length of the sub-areas just corresponds to the diameter of the robot, which is convenient for the robot to grasp the location of obstacles and reasonably plan the operation path.

[0031] Based on the above embodiment, when there are obstacles in the first sub-area, the second sub-area, the third sub-area and the fourth sub-area, the robot directly turns around to operate. When there is no obstacle in the fourth sub-area (assuming that the fourth sub-area is connected to the non-operated area), and there is an obstacle in at least one of the other three sub-areas, the robot uses the fourth sub-area to bypass the obstacle. During the obstacle bypassing process, the line laser module will continue to scan, or obtain information through the historical map on whether the non-operated area connected to the fourth sub-area is passable. If the length of the adjacent sub-area without obstacles is less than the diameter of the robot, the robot will change the obstacle bypassing operation to a U-turn operation. When there is an obstacle in at least the fourth sub-area, the robot first tries to bypass the obstacle, and turns around if the obstacle bypassing fails.

[0032] The present application also provides a mobile robot, the mobile robot is used to implement the robot operation path planning method, the mobile robot includes a line laser module, and the line laser module is used to obtain point cloud data. The mobile robot described in the present application divides the area scanned by the line laser module into several sub-areas, more accurately marks the distribution of obstacles, and then plans the robot's operation path according to the positional relationship between the obstacle distribution in the sub-area and the non-operated area. Compared with collision sensors or infrared sensors, it can more intelligently select a reasonable obstacle avoidance direction, solve the problem of obstacle avoidance direction, make the robot's planned path smoother, and greatly improve the robot's obstacle avoidance ability.

[0033] As one implementation method, the line laser module is arranged at the front end of the mobile robot, and the line laser emitted by the line laser module is a horizontal straight line slanting downward. The present application only needs one line laser module to realize the robot operation path planning method, which has a simple structure, low cost and high practical value.

[0034] As one implementation method, the line laser module is ALF02-S, which includes a straight line laser and a camera, has high precision and good effect. The camera is a camera specially used to receive infrared laser.

[0035] The present application also provides a chip, wherein the chip stores a computer program code, and when the computer program code is executed, the robot operation path planning method is implemented. The chip is arranged in the above-mentioned mobile robot, so that the path planned by the mobile robot is smoother, and the obstacle avoidance ability of the mobile robot is greatly improved.

[0036] It will be understood by those skilled in the art that all or part of the processes in the above-mentioned embodiment methods can be implemented by instructing the relevant hardware through a computer program, and the computer program can be stored in a non-volatile computer-readable storage medium. When the computer program is executed, it can include the processes of the embodiments of the above-mentioned methods. Among them, the references 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 may include read-only memory ROM, programmable memory PROM, electrically programmable memory DPROM, electrically erasable programmable memory DDPROM or flash memory. Volatile memory may include random access memory RAM or external cache memory.

[0037] The technical features of the above embodiments may be arbitrarily combined. To make the description concise, not all possible combinations of the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0038] The above embodiments only express several embodiments of the present application, and the descriptions thereof are relatively specific and detailed, but they cannot be understood as limiting the scope of the patent application. It should be pointed out that, for ordinary technicians in this field, several variations and improvements can be made without departing from the concept of the present application, and these all belong to the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A robot operation path planning method, characterized in that: The path planning method comprises: Step S1, during the scanning process of the line laser module, the robot divides the area scanned by the line laser module into several sub-areas, and marks obstacles on the sub-areas respectively; In step S2, the robot determines the distribution of obstacles in the sub-area according to the obstacle marks, and then plans the robot's operating path according to the positional relationship between the obstacles and the non-operated area.

2. A robot operation path planning method according to claim 1, characterized in that: In the step S1, the area scanned by the line laser module is located directly in front of the robot. The length of the area is equal to the length of the line laser emitted by the line laser module, and the area is equally divided into several sub-areas.

3. A robot operation path planning method according to claim 2, characterized in that: In step S1, the method of marking obstacles on the sub-areas includes: Step S11, the robot obtains point cloud data of the line laser module and equally divides it into a number of data intervals, each corresponding to a number of sub-areas; Step S12, respectively calculate the average height of the point cloud data in several data intervals, and then compare the average height with the preset height. If the average height is greater than or equal to the preset height, mark the obstacle on the sub-area corresponding to the average height.

4. A robot operation path planning method according to claim 3, characterized in that: In step S2, the method for planning the robot's operating path according to the positional relationship between the obstacle and the non-operating area includes: Step S21: During the operation, the robot determines whether there are obstacles in several sub-areas according to the obstacle marks. If there are obstacles in all sub-areas, the robot turns around. If there are obstacles in some sub-areas, the robot proceeds to step S22. In step S22, the robot determines the positional relationship between the obstacle and the non-operated area. If at least one sub-area with an obstacle is connected to the non-operated area, the robot turns around. If at least one sub-area without an obstacle is connected to the non-operated area, the robot bypasses the obstacle through the sub-area without an obstacle.

5. A robot operation path planning method according to claim 4, characterized in that: In step S22, when at least one sub-area with obstacles is connected to the non-operating area, the robot first performs obstacle avoidance and makes a judgment. If the robot does not move to the next operating path during the obstacle avoidance process, the robot continues to perform obstacle avoidance until the obstacle avoidance is successful. If the robot moves to the next operating path during the obstacle avoidance process, the obstacle avoidance is terminated and the robot turns around.

6. A robot operation path planning method according to claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The robot equally divides the area scanned by the line laser module into four sub-areas, including a first sub-area, a second sub-area, a third sub-area and a fourth sub-area.

7. A mobile robot, characterized in that: The mobile robot is used to implement the robot operation path planning method described in any one of claims 1 to 6, and the mobile robot includes a line laser module, and the line laser module is used to obtain point cloud data.

8. A mobile robot according to claim 7, characterized in that: The line laser module is arranged at the front end of the mobile robot, and the line laser emitted by the line laser module is a horizontal straight line slanting downward.

9. A mobile robot according to claim 8, characterized in that: The model of the line laser module is ALF02-S, which includes a straight line laser and a camera.

10. A chip storing computer program code, characterized in that: When the computer program code is executed, the robot operation path planning method according to any one of claims 1 to 6 is implemented.

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