A dual-arm robot and collection method for luggage trolley collection

Abstract

The application relates to the technical field of robots, and provides a double-arm robot and a collection method for luggage trolley collection, which comprises a walking chassis, a body frame arranged on the walking chassis, a sensor assembly arranged on the body frame, the sensor assembly being used for sensing the position of the luggage trolley and the surrounding environment, and two mechanical arms arranged on the body frame, the mechanical arms being used for grabbing the handle of the luggage trolley, and the two mechanical arms can be individually adjusted in the horizontal direction to adjust the connection angle between the body frame and the luggage trolley, thereby assisting the walking chassis in steering driving. When the two mechanical arms are consistent in the extension and retraction amount, the robot and the luggage trolley move along a straight line; when the two mechanical arms are inconsistent in the extension and retraction amount, the connection angle between the robot and the luggage trolley is greater than zero, and the robot and the luggage trolley naturally generate a turning action. In combination with two front wheels, the turning and obstacle avoidance actions can be more flexible, and the collection efficiency of the luggage trolley can be effectively improved.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of robots, in particular to a dual-arm robot for luggage cart collection and a collection method. BACKGROUND

[0002] In recent years, the passenger flow of some super large airports is increasing, and a large number of passengers carrying heavy luggage have sharply increased the demand for luggage carts in airports. Luggage carts usually help passengers carry luggage from the airport entrance to the boarding gate, which is convenient for passengers to travel. Therefore, for airports with large passenger flow and luggage flow, they have to hire a large number of staff to allocate luggage carts scattered in various parts of the airport in order to timely supplement the demand gap of luggage carts at the airport entrance. Some airports use robots to collect luggage carts.

[0003] However, the robots currently used for luggage cart collection can usually only adjust the steering through their own drive wheels, and the robot and the luggage cart are fixedly connected through a mechanical arm. Although this structure design is simple and low in cost, it causes the robot to be not flexible enough in steering and needs to rely on the separate steering of the robot chassis. When dealing with some larger angle turns, multiple forward and backward movements may be needed to obtain the turning requirement. Therefore, the current robot driving the luggage cart to move and turn has low maneuverability, which reduces the efficiency of collecting luggage carts.

[0004] Therefore, the above-mentioned technical defects need to be changed. SUMMARY

[0005] In view of the above-mentioned deficiencies of the prior art, the purpose of the present application is to provide a dual-arm robot for luggage cart collection and a collection method, which aims to reduce the turning radius of the robot carrying the luggage cart, improve the flexibility of the robot carrying the luggage cart to move, improve the efficiency of collecting luggage carts in airports and other places, and reduce the cost of collecting luggage carts.

[0006] The technical solution adopted by the present application to solve the technical problems is as follows:

[0007] The first aspect provides a dual-arm robot for luggage cart collection, which comprises:

[0008] a walking chassis;

[0009] a body frame, the body frame being arranged on the walking chassis, the body frame being provided with a sensor assembly, the sensor assembly being used to sense the position of the luggage cart and the surrounding environment;

[0010] and two mechanical arms, the two mechanical arms being arranged on the body frame;

[0011] The two mechanical arms are individually adjustable in the horizontal direction to adjust the connection angle between the body frame and the trolley, and assist the walking chassis in steering.

[0012] The embodiment is further provided with a lifting device arranged on the body frame, and the lifting device is used to adjust the two mechanical arms.

[0013] The embodiment is further provided with a mechanical arm comprising:

[0014] A first rocker arm is movably connected to the body frame and extends along the front end of the body frame, and the angle between the first rocker arm and the body frame in the horizontal direction is adjustable through a first driving member;

[0015] A second rocker arm is movably connected to the first rocker arm at an end away from the body frame, and the angle between the second rocker arm and the first rocker arm in the horizontal direction is adjustable through a second driving member;

[0016] and a mechanical claw arranged at an end of the second rocker arm away from the first rocker arm, the mechanical claw being used to grab the rear handle of the trolley, and the angle between the mechanical claw and the second rocker arm in the horizontal direction being adjustable through a third driving member.

[0017] The embodiment is further provided with two first driving members for driving the first rocker arm and the second rocker arm, respectively, and the rotation axes of the two first driving members are located on the same axial line.

[0018] The embodiment is further provided with the second rocker arm and the first rocker arm both extending in the horizontal direction.

[0019] The embodiment is further provided with the opening of the mechanical claw facing downward.

[0020] The embodiment is further provided with a suspension mechanism arranged between the body frame and the walking chassis, and the suspension mechanism is used to keep the body frame stable.

[0021] The embodiment is further provided with the walking chassis comprising at least two front wheels and at least two rear universal wheels, and the two front wheels are respectively provided with driving motors, and the two driving motors are respectively used to drive the two front wheels.

[0022] The embodiment is further provided with the body frame being an aluminum alloy frame.

[0023] The second aspect of the present application provides a collection method of a double-arm robot for trolley collection based on any one of the first aspect, and the collection method comprises the following steps:

[0024] Obtaining the positions of a plurality of trolleys within a preset space range through the sensor assembly;

[0025] Formulate a collection sequence plan and determine the current position of the luggage cart to be collected based on the principle of collecting nearby;

[0026] Move to the position of the luggage cart to be collected by the walking chassis, obtain the position of the luggage cart handle by the sensor assembly, and grab the luggage cart handle by the two mechanical arms and move the luggage cart to the collection stacking site;

[0027] The step of moving the luggage cart to the collection stacking site comprises:

[0028] Formulate a moving path based on a preset space model according to the current position and the collection stacking site;

[0029] Detect obstacles on the moving path by the sensor assembly, modify the moving path and calculate a turning angle;

[0030] According to the turning angle, calculate the extension difference value of the two mechanical arms;

[0031] Adjust the two mechanical arms according to the extension difference value to generate a corresponding turning angle between the body frame and the luggage cart, and drive the walking chassis to turn and move.

[0032] Compared with the prior art, the application provides a double-arm robot for luggage cart collection and a collection method. In the process of moving the luggage cart by the robot, when the extension amounts of the two mechanical arms are consistent, the robot and the luggage cart move along a straight line; when the extension amounts of the two mechanical arms are inconsistent, the connection angle between the robot and the luggage cart is greater than zero, and the two will naturally produce a turning action. Combined with the two front wheels respectively provided with driving motors, the luggage cart can be more flexibly turned and obstacle-avoiding action is performed, effectively improving the efficiency of collecting the luggage cart. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0033] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application or the prior art, the following will briefly introduce the drawings needed to be used in the embodiments or the prior art description. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are some embodiments of the present application, and those skilled in the art can also obtain other drawings according to these drawings without creative labor.

[0034] Figure 1 is a whole structure schematic diagram of a double-arm robot for luggage cart collection provided by the present embodiment;

[0035] Figure 2 is another whole structure schematic diagram of a double-arm robot for luggage cart collection provided by the present embodiment;

[0036] Figure 3 is a top view of a double-arm robot for luggage cart collection provided by the present embodiment;

[0037] Figure 4 is a structural schematic diagram of a double-arm robot and a luggage cart for luggage cart collection provided by the embodiment;

[0038] Figure 5 is another structural schematic diagram of a double-arm robot and a luggage cart for luggage cart collection provided by the embodiment;

[0039] Figure 6 is Figure 5 is an enlarged schematic view of the mark A.

[0040] In the figure: 1, walking chassis; 11, front wheels; 12, rear universal wheels; 2, body frame; 21, sensor assembly; 22, lifting device; 3, mechanical arm; 31, first rocker arm; 311, first driving piece; 32, second rocker arm; 321, second driving piece; 33, mechanical claw; 331, third driving piece; 4, luggage cart. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0041] The embodiments of the present application are described in detail below, examples of which are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar notations represent the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below by referring to the accompanying drawings are exemplary, only for explaining the present application, and cannot be understood as a limitation of the present application.

[0042] In the description of the present application, it is understood that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by the terms "center", "longitudinal", "transverse", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer" and the like is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and is only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and does not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a particular orientation, be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation of the present application. In addition, the terms "first", "second" are only for the purpose of description, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the technical features indicated. Therefore, the features defined with "first", "second" can explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of the present application, unless otherwise stated, the meaning of "a plurality of" is two or more.

[0043] In the description of the present application, it should be noted that unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "mounting", "connection", "connecting" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be fixed connection, or detachable connection, or integrally connected, it can be mechanical connection, or electrical connection, it can be direct connection, or indirect connection through intermediate medium, or internal communication of two elements. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in the present application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0044] In addition, the technical features involved in the different embodiments of the application described above can be combined with each other as long as there is no conflict.

[0045] The present application provides a double-arm robot for collecting trolleys as shown in Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 4 and Figure 5 The main structure includes: a walking chassis 1, a body frame 2 and two mechanical arms 3; the body frame 2 is arranged on the walking chassis 1, and a sensor assembly 21 is arranged on the body frame 2, which is used to sense the position of the trolley 4 and the surrounding environment; the sensor assembly 21 is used to sense the position of several trolleys 4 and roadblocks. Two mechanical arms 3 are arranged on the body frame 2; wherein the mechanical arm 3 is used to grab the handle of the trolley 4, and both mechanical arms 3 can be adjusted in the horizontal direction to adjust the connection angle between the body frame 2 and the trolley 4, and assist the walking chassis 1 to turn.

[0046] It should be noted that the robot for collecting trolleys 4 at present can usually only adjust the steering through its own driving wheel, and the robot and the trolley 4 are fixedly connected through the mechanical arm 3. Although this structure design is simple and low in cost, it will cause the robot to be not flexible enough in steering, and the robot driving chassis needs to be individually steered. When dealing with some large-angle turning, it may need to move forward and backward several times to obtain the turning requirement. Therefore, the robot of the present brings the trolley 4 to move and turn, and the maneuverability is low, which reduces the efficiency of collecting trolleys 4.

[0047] In the process of moving the trolley 4 by the robot, when the extension amounts of the two mechanical arms 3 are consistent, the robot and the trolley 4 move in a straight line; when the extension amounts of the two mechanical arms 3 are inconsistent, the connection angle between the robot and the trolley 4 is greater than zero, and the turning action of the two will naturally occur. The turning radius of the robot and the trolley 4 is greatly reduced, and the turning and obstacle avoidance action can be more flexible, which can effectively improve the collection efficiency. The automation of the trolley 4 collection process by the robot will certainly reduce the operating cost of airports and other places and improve the efficiency of trolley 4 collection.

[0048] In addition, in combination with the two front wheels 11 respectively provided with driving motors, the luggage cart 4 can be more flexibly turned and obstacle-avoiding actions are performed, thereby effectively improving the efficiency of collecting the luggage cart 4.

[0049] Further, as shown in Figure 2 , Figure 3 , the body frame 2 is provided with a lifting device 22 for adjusting the two mechanical arms 3.

[0050] The lifting device 22 can drive the two mechanical arms 3 to lift, so that the opening of the mechanical claw 33 on the mechanical arm 3 can be aligned with the handle of the luggage cart 4. When the robot approaches the collected luggage cart 4, the position is adjusted. At the same time, the height of the lifting device 22 and the position of the mechanical arm 3 are adjusted, so that the opening of the mechanical claw 33 is aligned with the handle of the luggage cart 4. Then the mechanical claw 33 is lowered by the lifting device 22, so that the handle of the luggage cart 4 enters the grabbing position of the mechanical claw 33, and finally the mechanical claw 33 is tightened to complete the action of grabbing the handle of the luggage cart 4.

[0051] Further, as shown in Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 , the mechanical arm 3 comprises a first rocker arm 31, a second rocker arm 32 and a mechanical claw 33. The first rocker arm 31 is movably connected to the body frame 2 and extends along the front end of the body frame 2. The angle between the first rocker arm 31 and the body frame 2 in the horizontal direction is adjustable by a first driving member 311. The second rocker arm 32 is movably connected to the first rocker arm 31 away from the body frame 2. The angle between the second rocker arm 32 and the first rocker arm 31 in the horizontal direction is adjustable by a second driving member 321. The mechanical claw 33 is arranged at the end of the second rocker arm 32 away from the first rocker arm 31. The mechanical claw 33 is used to grab the handle of the luggage cart 4. The angle between the mechanical claw 33 and the second rocker arm 32 in the horizontal direction is adjustable by a third driving member 331.

[0052] It should be noted that the multi-axis mechanical arm 3 can conveniently adjust the position of the mechanical claw 33, so that the mechanical claw 33 can be more flexibly moved to the handle. Instead of adjusting the walking chassis 1 to align the mechanical claw 33 with the handle of the luggage cart 4.

[0053] Further, as shown in Figure 5 and Figure 6 , the rotation axes of the two first driving members 311 for driving the first rocker arm 31 and the second rocker arm 32 are located on the same axis.

[0054] Further, as shown in Figure 1 , Figure 2 , the second rocker arm 32 and the first rocker arm 31 both extend in the horizontal direction.

[0055] Further, as shown in Figure 2 The opening of the mechanical claw 33 faces downward.

[0056] Further, a suspension mechanism is arranged between the body frame 2 and the walking chassis 1, and the suspension mechanism is used to keep the body frame 2 stable.

[0057] It should be noted that, in the process of moving the robot, if the four-wheel moving chassis is connected as a rigid body, when encountering a corner point protrusion, two wheels of the four-wheel chassis will be off the ground, which will cause the robot to overturn on the left and right sides. If the robot is in an overturned state, falling will cause the robot to suffer irreversible damage. In the chassis mechanical structure design, the suspension mechanism is arranged between the body frame 2 and the walking chassis 1, the rear wheel suspension body is connected through the intermediate main shaft, the snap spring limits the position of the deep groove bearing, and the stepped limiting bolt limits the torsion angle of the rear wheel suspension system. Therefore, when the four-wheel moving chassis encounters a corner point protrusion, at least three wheels can be kept on the ground to maintain a stable state of three points on the same plane, greatly reducing the probability of the robot overturning in the moving process, and enabling the robot to travel smoothly.

[0058] Further, the walking chassis 1 includes at least two front wheels 11 and at least two rear universal wheels 12, and the two front wheels 11 are respectively provided with driving motors, and the two driving motors are respectively used to drive the two front wheels 11.

[0059] Further, the body frame 2 is an aluminum alloy frame.

[0060] It should be noted that the size of the chassis structure design is designed according to the design criterion that the projection area of the top view on the ground is consistent with the projection area of a man on the ground. The entire chassis structure is composed of six parts, namely, the universal wheel, the suspension system, the motor driver, the direct current servo motor, the speed reducer, and the front driving wheel.

[0061] The chassis structure design adopts a four-wheel structure composed of two front wheels 11 and two rear universal wheels 12. Each front wheel 11 is equipped with a direct current servo motor and a motor speed reducer, and both front wheels 11 can generate sufficient torque to provide power for the movement of the robot. The rear universal wheel 12 is connected to the walking chassis 1 through a self-designed suspension mechanism, which can ensure that at least three wheels of the airport trolley 4 robot are on the same plane when moving on the ground, avoiding safety problems such as tipping of the trolley 4 robot.

[0062] The driving motor is a direct current servo driving motor. Compared with the stepper motor, the servo motor operates more smoothly, and vibration phenomenon does not occur even at low speed. Moreover, the servo motor is constant torque output, and has strong overload capacity. In addition, due to the limited space of the lower layer of the chassis, an L-shaped right-angle planetary reducer is selected, which can realize the effect of speed reduction and torque increase, and save the space of the chassis.

[0063] The second aspect of the present application provides a collection method of a double-arm robot for luggage cart 4 collection based on any one of the first aspect, the collection method comprising the following steps:

[0064] Step one, acquire the positions of a plurality of luggage carts 4 within a preset space range through the sensor assembly 21;

[0065] Specifically, the positions of a plurality of luggage carts 4 within a preset space range are sensed through the sensor assembly 21, and the obstacles around the robot are sensed at the same time, so as to calculate the travel route.

[0066] Step two, based on the principle of collecting nearby, make a collection sequence plan and determine the current position of the luggage cart 4 to be recycled;

[0067] Specifically, after acquiring the positions of a plurality of luggage carts 4, a collection sequence plan is made based on the principle of collecting nearby, and the current position of the luggage cart 4 to be recycled is determined. That is, after acquiring the positions of a plurality of luggage carts 4, the sequence of collecting the luggage cart is obtained by calculation and comparison, and then the best moving route is calculated according to the obstacles around the robot.

[0068] Step three, move the walking chassis 1 to the position of the luggage cart 4 to be recycled, acquire the handle position of the luggage cart 4 through the sensor assembly 21, and grab the handle of the luggage cart 4 through the two mechanical arms 3, and move the luggage cart 4 to the collection stacking site;

[0069] The step of moving the luggage cart 4 to the collection stacking site comprises:

[0070] According to the current position and the collection stacking site, a moving path is made based on a preset space model;

[0071] Detect the obstacles on the moving path through the sensor assembly 21, modify the moving path and calculate the turning angle;

[0072] According to the turning angle, the extension difference value of the two mechanical arms 3 is calculated;

[0073] According to the extension difference value, adjust the two mechanical arms 3, so that the corresponding turning angle is generated between the fuselage frame 2 and the luggage cart 4, and drive the walking chassis 1 to turn and move.

[0074] In conclusion, the application provides a double-arm robot and a collecting method for luggage carts 4. When the extension amounts of the two mechanical arms 3 are consistent, the robot and the luggage cart 4 move along a straight line. When the extension amounts of the two mechanical arms 3 are inconsistent, the connection angle between the robot and the luggage cart 4 is greater than zero, and the robot and the luggage cart 4 will naturally turn. In combination with the two front wheels 11 respectively provided with driving motors, the luggage cart 4 can be more flexibly turned and obstacles can be avoided, and the efficiency of collecting the luggage cart 4 can be effectively improved.

[0075] Obviously, the above embodiments are only examples for clearly illustrating the application, and are not intended to limit the embodiments. Based on the above description, other different forms of changes or variations can be made by those skilled in the art. Here, all the embodiments cannot be exhausted, and the obvious changes or variations derived therefrom are still within the protection scope of the application.

Claims

1. A dual-arm robot for collecting luggage carts, characterized in that, include: Walking chassis; A fuselage frame is mounted on the chassis, and a sensor assembly is mounted on the fuselage frame for sensing the position of the luggage cart and the surrounding environment. And two robotic arms, which are mounted on the fuselage frame; The robotic arms are used to grasp the handles of the luggage cart. Both robotic arms can be independently extended and retracted in the horizontal direction to adjust the connection angle between the chassis frame and the luggage cart, assisting the chassis in steering and driving. The robotic arms include: A first rocker arm is movably connected to the fuselage frame and extends along the front end of the fuselage frame. The angle between the first rocker arm and the fuselage frame in the horizontal direction is adjustable by a first drive member. The second rocker arm is movably connected to the first rocker arm at one end away from the fuselage frame, and the horizontal angle between the second rocker arm and the first rocker arm is adjustable by a second drive member. And a mechanical claw, which is located at the end of the second rocker arm away from the first rocker arm. The mechanical claw is used to grab the handle at the rear of the luggage cart. The angle between the mechanical claw and the second rocker arm in the horizontal direction is adjustable by a third drive member. The rotation axes of the two first drive members used to drive the first rocker arm and the second rocker arm are located on the same axis. Both the second rocker arm and the first rocker arm extend in the horizontal direction.

2. A dual-arm robot for collecting luggage carts according to claim 1, characterized in that, The frame is equipped with a lifting device, which is used to adjust the two robotic arms.

3. A dual-arm robot for collecting luggage carts according to claim 1, characterized in that, The opening of the mechanical claw faces downwards.

4. A dual-arm robot for collecting luggage carts according to claim 1, characterized in that, A suspension mechanism is provided between the fuselage frame and the chassis, and the suspension mechanism is used to keep the fuselage frame stable.

5. A dual-arm robot for collecting luggage carts according to claim 1, characterized in that, The chassis includes at least two front wheels and at least two rear swivel wheels. Each of the two front wheels is equipped with a drive motor, and the two drive motors are used to drive the two front wheels respectively.

6. A dual-arm robot for collecting luggage carts according to claim 1, characterized in that, The fuselage frame is an aluminum alloy frame.

7. A collection method for a dual-arm robot used for collecting luggage carts according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The collection method includes the following steps: The locations of several luggage carts within a preset spatial range are obtained through sensor components; Based on the principle of collecting from the nearest location, a collection sequence plan is developed and the current location of the luggage carts to be recycled is determined; The vehicle moves to the location of the luggage cart to be recycled via a walking chassis, obtains the position of the luggage cart handle via sensor components, grabs the luggage cart handle via two robotic arms, and moves the luggage cart to the collection and stacking location; The step of moving the luggage cart to the collection and stacking location includes: Based on the current location and the collection and stacking location, a movement path is determined based on a preset spatial model; The sensor assembly detects obstacles on the movement path, modifies the movement path, and calculates the turning angle. Based on the turning angle, the extension difference between the two robotic arms is calculated; The two robotic arms are adjusted according to the telescopic difference to create a corresponding turning angle between the chassis frame and the luggage cart, thereby driving the chassis to turn and move.

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