Robot pile back driving method, device, equipment, storage medium and system

Abstract

The application discloses a robot pile returning method, device, equipment, storage medium and system, and relates to the technical field of robots. The method comprises the following steps: a robot sends a first signal to a workstation, so that the workstation starts to send a second signal after receiving the first signal; a receiver of the robot receives the second signal, and determines an area where the receiver is located according to the second signal; in the case that the receiver is located in a first area or a second area, the robot is controlled to move so that the receiver moves to a central area; in the case that the receiver is located in the central area, the robot is controlled to move a preset distance based on a reference direction; the robot is controlled to rotate so that the receiver returns to the central area again, and the robot is controlled to move to the workstation based on a target direction, the target direction being determined based on the reference direction and the area where the receiver is located. Through the above technical means, the problem that the process of returning the robot to the workstation is time-consuming in the prior art is solved, and the pile returning efficiency of the robot is improved.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of robots, and in particular to a robot returning pile method, device, equipment, storage medium and system. BACKGROUND

[0002] With the expanding application of intelligent robots in the fields of cleaning, security and delivery, the requirement for their automatic operation is increasingly improved. In order to achieve the goal of fully replacing manual work, robots need to have the self-returning pile technology to automatically return to the work station when idle, low in power, refilling water, discharging sewage or completing the task. The precision and success rate of the automatic returning pile technology are important indicators of the automatic operation, and are crucial to the use experience of intelligent robots.

[0003] In the prior art, during the returning pile process of the intelligent robot, the moving direction is constantly adjusted based on the received infrared signal emitted by the work station, which results in a long time consumption and low efficiency of the robot returning to the charging pile. SUMMARY

[0004] The present application provides a robot returning pile method, device, equipment, storage medium and system to solve the problem of long time consumption of the robot returning to the work station in the prior art, and improve the returning pile efficiency of the robot.

[0005] In a first aspect, the present application provides a robot returning pile method, comprising:

[0006] controlling the robot to send a first signal to the work station, so that the work station starts to send a second signal after receiving the first signal;

[0007] receiving the second signal by a receiver of the robot, and determining the area where the receiver is located according to the second signal, the area comprising a first area, a second area and a center area, the first area and the second area being located on both sides of the center area;

[0008] in the case that the receiver is located in the first area or the second area, controlling the robot to move so that the receiver moves to the center area;

[0009] in the case that the receiver is located in the center area, controlling the robot to move a preset distance based on a reference direction, the reference direction being the direction of the line between the rotation center of the robot and the receiver, and the preset distance being determined based on the distance between the rotation center and the receiver;

[0010] controlling the robot to rotate so that the receiver returns to the center area again, and controlling the robot to move to the work station based on a target direction, the target direction being determined based on the reference direction and the area where the receiver is located.

[0011] In a second aspect, the present application provides a robot pile returning device, comprising:

[0012] a signal sending module configured to control the robot to send a first signal to a workstation, so that the workstation starts to send a second signal after receiving the first signal;

[0013] a region determining module configured to receive the second signal by a receiver of the robot, and determine a region where the receiver is located according to the second signal, the region comprising a first region, a second region and a center region, the first region and the second region being located on two sides of the center region;

[0014] a first movement control module configured to control the robot to move so that the receiver moves to the center region when the receiver is located in the first region or the second region;

[0015] a second movement control module configured to control the robot to move a preset distance based on a reference direction when the receiver is located in the center region, the reference direction being a direction of a line between a rotation center of the robot and the receiver, and the preset distance being determined based on a distance between the rotation center and the receiver;

[0016] a third movement control module configured to control the robot to rotate so that the receiver returns to the center region, and control the robot to move to the workstation based on a target direction, the target direction being determined based on the reference direction and the region where the receiver is located.

[0017] In a third aspect, the present application provides a robot pile returning device, comprising:

[0018] one or more processors; a memory storing one or more programs, when the one or more programs are executed by the one or more processors, the one or more processors implement the robot pile returning method as described in the first aspect.

[0019] In a fourth aspect, the present application provides a storage medium containing computer executable instructions for executing the robot pile returning method as described in the first aspect when executed by a computer processor.

[0020] In a fifth aspect, the present application provides a pile returning system, comprising:

[0021] a workstation provided with an infrared module, the infrared module being used to send a second signal;

[0022] The robot is provided with a receiver and a processor, the receiver is used for receiving the second signal; the processor is used for controlling the robot to send a first signal to the workstation, so that the workstation starts to send a second signal after receiving the first signal; the second signal is received by the receiver of the robot, and the area where the receiver is located is determined according to the second signal, the area includes a first area, a second area and a center area, the first area and the second area are located on both sides of the center area; in the case that the receiver is located in the first area or the second area, the robot is controlled to move so that the receiver moves to the center area; in the case that the receiver is located in the center area, the robot is controlled to move a preset distance based on a reference direction, the reference direction is the direction of the connecting line between the rotation center of the robot and the receiver, and the preset distance is determined based on the distance between the rotation center and the receiver; the robot is controlled to rotate so that the receiver returns to the center area, and the robot is controlled to move to the workstation based on a target direction, the target direction is determined based on the reference direction and the area where the receiver is located.

[0023] In the present application, when the robot triggers the back-piling operation, a first signal is sent to the workstation, so that the workstation starts to send a second signal after receiving the first signal. After the receiver receives the second signal, the area where the receiver is located is determined according to the second signal. If the receiver is located in the first area or the second area, the robot is controlled to move to the center area located between the first area and the second area. If the receiver is located in the center area, the robot is controlled to move a preset distance based on a reference direction so that the rotation center of the robot moves to the center area. After the rotation center moves to the center area, the robot is controlled to rotate and stop rotating after the receiver returns to the center area. At this time, the receiver and the rotation center are both in the center area, the current posture of the robot is consistent or approximately consistent with the posture located in the workstation, the target direction of the robot can be determined through the reference direction and the area where the receiver is located, and the robot is controlled to move to the workstation according to the target direction. Through the above technical means, the workstation starts to send the second signal only after the robot triggers the back-piling operation, which saves the energy consumption of the workstation and avoids guiding other robots to return to the workstation. After the receiver of the robot enters the center area for the first time, the robot is controlled to move straight and rotate, so as to quickly adjust the posture of the robot to the posture located in the workstation, and then the robot is controlled to move to the workstation based on the target direction, thereby reducing the frequency of adjusting the moving direction of the robot and the amplitude of rotating, shortening the time consumption of the robot returning to the workstation, and improving the piling efficiency of the robot. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0024] Figure 1 is a flowchart of a robot back-piling method provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0025] Figure 2 is a top view schematic diagram of a workstation provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0026] Figure 3 is one of the schematic diagrams of the coverage area of the second infrared signal provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0027] Figure 4 is one of the schematic diagrams of the coverage area of the second infrared signal provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0028] Figure 5 is one of the schematic diagrams of the coverage area of the second infrared signal provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0029] Figure 6 is one of the schematic diagrams of the coverage area of the second infrared signal provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0030] Figure 7 is one of the top view schematic diagrams of a workstation and a robot provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0031] Figure 8 is one of the top view schematic diagrams of a workstation and a robot provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0032] Figure 9 is one of the top view schematic diagrams of a robot movement provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0033] Figure 10 is one of the top view schematic diagrams of a robot movement provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0034] Figure 11 is one of the top view schematic diagrams of a robot after rotation provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0035] Figure 12 is one of the top view schematic diagrams of a robot self-rotation provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0036] Figure 13 is one of the top view schematic diagrams of a robot self-rotation provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0037] Figure 14 is one of the top view schematic diagrams of a robot after rotation provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0038] Figure 15 is a structural schematic diagram of a robot pile returning device provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0039] Figure 16 is a structural schematic diagram of a robot pile returning device provided by an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, specific embodiments of this application will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely for explaining this application and not for limiting it. It should also be noted that, for ease of description, only the parts relevant to this application are shown in the drawings, not all of them. Before discussing exemplary embodiments in more detail, it should be mentioned that some exemplary embodiments are described as processes or methods depicted as flowcharts. Although the flowcharts describe operations (or steps) as sequential processes, many of these operations can be performed in parallel, concurrently, or simultaneously. Furthermore, the order of the operations can be rearranged. A process can be terminated when its operation is completed, but it may also have additional steps not included in the drawings. A process can correspond to a method, function, procedure, subroutine, subroutine, etc.

[0041] The terms "first," "second," etc., used in the specification and claims of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and not to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such use of data can be interchanged where appropriate so that embodiments of this application can be implemented in orders other than those illustrated or described herein, and the objects distinguished by "first," "second," etc., are generally of the same class and the number of objects is not limited; for example, a first object can be one or more. Furthermore, in the specification and claims, "and / or" indicates at least one of the connected objects, and the character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0042] In common existing implementations, the robot can trigger a return-to-workstation operation and move back to its workstation location when it detects low battery power requiring charging, completes a cleaning task, or needs to return to the workstation to add water, drain wastewater, or clean cleaning tools. The workstation continuously sends infrared signals to the area in front of the charging port. When the robot's infrared receiver moves into this area, it receives the infrared signal from the workstation; when the receiver moves out of this area, it no longer receives the signal. The robot continuously adjusts its direction of movement based on whether it receives an infrared signal, ensuring it returns to the workstation aligned with the charging port. Because the robot frequently adjusts its direction of movement during the return-to-workstation process to ensure it returns in the correct orientation, the process is time-consuming and inefficient.

[0043] To address the aforementioned issues, this embodiment provides a robot re-piling method to control the robot to quickly re-pile.

[0044] The robot returning pile method provided in the embodiment can be executed by a robot returning pile device. The robot returning pile device can be realized by software and / or hardware, and can be composed of two or more physical entities or one physical entity. For example, the robot returning pile device can be a robot itself or a processor of the robot.

[0045] The robot returning pile device is installed with at least one operating system, including but not limited to an Android system, a Linux system and a Windows system. The robot returning pile device can install at least one application based on the operating system. The application can be an application provided by the operating system or an application downloaded from a third-party device or server. In the embodiment, the robot returning pile device has at least one application that can execute the robot returning pile method.

[0046] For the convenience of understanding, the robot is taken as an example to describe the robot returning pile method.

[0047] Figure 1 A flowchart of the robot returning pile method provided in the embodiment is given. Referring to FIG. 1, the robot returning pile method specifically includes the following steps. Figure 1

[0048] S110, controlling the robot to send a first signal to a work station, so that the work station starts to send a second signal after receiving the first signal.

[0049] The work station refers to a device with the functions of dust collection, charging, water replacement, cleaning and / or drying. The first signal can be understood as a signal used by the robot to inform the work station that the robot has started the returning pile operation. From the signal mode, the first signal can be a visible spectrum signal, an infrared signal, a Bluetooth signal and a wifi signal, etc. For example, if the first signal is an electromagnetic wave signal such as a Bluetooth signal or a wifi signal, the robot broadcasts the first signal around when triggering the returning pile operation. When the work station receives the first signal broadcasted by the robot, it confirms that the robot is performing the returning pile operation, and thus starts to send the second signal. If the first signal is a light spectrum signal such as a visible spectrum signal or an infrared signal, the robot sends the first signal to a certain area when triggering the returning pile operation. With the movement of the robot, the area covered by the first signal also moves. When the work station enters the area covered by the first signal, the work station receives the first signal and confirms that the robot has triggered the returning pile operation and is located near the work station, and thus starts to send the second signal.

[0050] ​The second signal is a signal for guiding the robot to return to the workstation, which can be a visible spectrum signal or an infrared signal. Compared with the visible spectrum signal, the infrared signal has a longer wavelength and is less affected by ambient light, thus having a better guiding effect. The embodiment is described by taking the second signal as an infrared signal. It should be noted that, compared with the traditional return-to-pile mode in which the workstation continuously sends an infrared signal to the forward area, the first signal is sent by the robot in the embodiment, so that the workstation starts the infrared signal sending function after receiving the first signal and confirming that the robot triggers the return-to-pile operation, which can effectively save the energy consumption of the workstation. Moreover, when the workstation sends the infrared signal, if there are other robots in the space and the other robots are in the process of returning to other workstations, the other robots may be misdirected into mismatched workstations to cause errors in the return-to-pile operation when receiving the infrared signal. Therefore, the guiding return-to-pile function of the workstation is started after the robot triggers the return-to-pile operation in the embodiment, so as to avoid guiding other robots to return to the workstation.

[0051] The broadcasting range of an electromagnetic wave signal such as a Bluetooth signal or a wifi signal is larger than the coverage range of a light spectrum signal such as a visible spectrum signal or an infrared signal. If the robot uses an electromagnetic wave signal such as a Bluetooth signal or a wifi signal as the first signal, the workstation can receive the first signal and start sending the infrared signal when the robot is far away from the workstation. Before the robot enters the area covered by the infrared signal sent by the workstation, the robot cannot receive the infrared signal. During the period from when the workstation starts sending the infrared signal to when the robot receives the infrared signal, the infrared signal is an invalid signal, that is, the workstation sending the infrared signal is an invalid consumption. If a light spectrum signal such as a visible spectrum signal or an infrared signal is used as the first signal, the coverage area of the first signal is limited. When the robot just triggers the return-to-pile operation, the workstation can be far away from the robot and cannot receive the first signal. After the robot moves to the vicinity of the workstation so that the workstation enters the coverage range of the first signal, the workstation receives the first signal and starts sending the infrared signal. At this time, the robot is located in the vicinity of the workstation, and the robot does not need to spend much time to enter the area covered by the infrared signal sent by the workstation. Therefore, compared with using an electromagnetic wave signal such as a Bluetooth signal or a wifi signal as the first signal, using a light spectrum signal such as a visible spectrum signal or an infrared signal as the first signal can further save the energy consumption of the workstation.

[0052] The embodiment is described by taking the first signal as an infrared signal. To distinguish the first signal and the second signal, the first signal is described as a first infrared signal and the second signal is described as a second infrared signal in the following.

[0053] In an embodiment, the workstation is provided with an infrared module, which can send infrared signals to a certain area and receive infrared signals sent by other devices, wherein the second infrared signal is the infrared signal sent by the workstation through the infrared module. The robot is provided with an infrared receiver and an infrared transmitter, which can use the same lamp bead in design and increase the receiving angle to ensure the effective range of the pile. The infrared transmitter is used to send infrared signals to a certain area, and the infrared receiver is used to receive infrared signals, wherein the first infrared signal is the infrared signal sent by the robot through the infrared transmitter. For example, when the robot triggers the pile returning operation, the first infrared signal can be sent through the infrared transmitter. As the robot moves towards the workstation, when the infrared module enters the area covered by the first infrared signal, the infrared module of the workstation receives the first infrared signal and confirms that the robot is near the workstation, and then the second infrared signal is sent through the infrared module so that the infrared receiver enters the area covered by the second infrared signal and receives the second infrared signal.

[0054] Since the coverage area of the first infrared signal is limited, when the robot just triggers the pile returning operation, the workstation may be far away from the robot, and the infrared module cannot receive the first infrared signal. Therefore, from the time when the robot triggers the pile returning operation to the time when the workstation enters the coverage area of the first infrared signal, the first infrared signal is an invalid signal, that is, the sending of the first infrared signal by the infrared transmitter is an invalid consumption. In this embodiment, in order to reduce the invalid consumption of the infrared transmitter, a target pile returning point can be set near the workstation according to the coverage range of the first infrared signal, so that when the robot moves to the target pile returning point, the infrared module is located in the coverage area of the first infrared signal.

[0055] In an embodiment, the process that the robot moves to the target pile returning point is: collecting first point cloud data by the laser radar, generating a local map according to the first point cloud data, determining the pose information of the robot according to the local map and a preset global map; planning a pile returning path of the robot according to the pose information of the robot, the global map and the pose information of the target pile returning point; and controlling the robot to move to the target pile returning point according to the pile returning path. The first point cloud data can be understood as the point cloud data obtained by scanning the surrounding environment by the laser radar when the robot triggers the pile returning operation. The global map can be understood as a map constructed by scanning the entire space by the laser radar in advance. The robot can construct a local map of the surrounding environment according to the first point cloud data, and match the local map with the global map to determine the position information and the attitude information of the robot. The pose information of the target pile returning point includes the position information of the target pile returning point and the attitude information of the robot when the robot moves to the target pile returning point and sends the first infrared signal. It can be understood that the angle of the infrared emitter sending the first infrared signal is limited, and when the robot maintains the corresponding attitude information at the target pile returning point, it can ensure that the infrared module is located within the coverage area of the first infrared signal. The global map records the fixed obstacles in the space, and the pile returning path that avoids various fixed obstacles can be planned according to the pose information of the robot, the position of the target pile returning point and the position information of each fixed obstacle in the global map, wherein the starting point of the pile returning path is the current position of the robot, and the end point is the position of the target pile returning point.

[0056] In this embodiment, the pile returning path of the robot can be determined by a global path planning algorithm. The global path planning algorithm is based on the global map to plan a path, and finds an optimal path from the current position of the robot to the target pile returning point. However, the global path planning algorithm belongs to a static planning algorithm, which is suitable for scenarios where the surrounding environment does not change. However, there may be various dynamic obstacles in the space where the robot is located, and it is impossible to avoid these dynamic obstacles by relying on the global path planning algorithm alone. In this regard, the pile returning path of the robot can also be planned by a dynamic path search algorithm based on the pose information of the robot, the global map and the pose information of the target pile returning point. The dynamic path search algorithm can determine the environmental information around the robot according to the environmental perception sensors installed on the robot, such as vision sensors and laser radars, and plan a safe moving path for the robot. Further, the dynamic path search algorithm can use the D-Star algorithm (an incremental heuristic path search algorithm). The D-Star algorithm can correct the path in real time during calculation, adapt to environmental changes and dynamic obstacles, and ensure the safe movement of the robot. Moreover, the D-Star algorithm can efficiently process large-scale maps and provide good path planning performance under limited computing resources, thereby enabling the robot to move to the target pile returning point by itself.

[0057] When the robot moves to the target pile returning point and is in the pose corresponding to the target pile returning point, the first infrared signal is sent through the infrared emitter. At this time, the infrared module is in the coverage area of the first infrared signal, and the infrared module can receive the first infrared signal and start sending the second infrared signal. It should be noted that, in order to improve the pile returning efficiency of the robot, the target pile returning point can be set according to the coverage areas of the first infrared signal and the second infrared signal, so that when the robot is in the pose of the target pile returning point, the infrared module is in the coverage area of the first infrared signal and the infrared receiver is in the coverage area of the second infrared signal. Therefore, after the infrared module sends the second infrared signal, the infrared receiver can immediately receive the second infrared signal, and then the robot can return to the workstation according to the second infrared signal.

[0058] When the environment in the space where the robot is located changes frequently, the robot cannot accurately move to the target pile returning point, that is, there is an error between the position of the target pile returning point to which the robot moves and the actual position of the target pile returning point. Since the coverage areas of the first infrared signal and the second infrared signal are small, this error can cause the infrared module not to be in the coverage area of the first infrared signal or the infrared receiver not to be in the coverage area of the second infrared signal. In this case, when the robot moves to the target pile returning point, the pose of the robot can be adjusted by means of the reference object installed on the workstation, so that the infrared module falls into the coverage area of the first infrared signal and the infrared receiver falls into the coverage area of the second infrared signal.

[0059] In an embodiment, the process of adjusting the pose of the robot based on the reference object is: collecting second point cloud data by the laser radar, screening third point cloud data of the reference object from the second point cloud data, determining the center axis of the reference object according to the third point cloud data, and controlling the robot to move towards the center axis based on a direction perpendicular to the center axis. When the robot moves to the center axis, the robot is controlled to rotate so that the receiver faces the workstation. The second point cloud data can be understood as the point cloud data obtained by scanning the surrounding environment by the laser radar when the robot moves to the target pile point. At present, the robot is located near the workstation, so the second point cloud data includes the third point cloud data of the reference object installed on the workstation. The characteristics of the reference object can be distinguished from the objects in the surrounding environment, for example, the shape or material of the reference object is different from the shape or material of the surrounding objects. The third point cloud data of the reference object can be screened from the second point cloud data based on the characteristics of the reference object. For example, when the reference object adopts a reflector, the third point cloud data of the reference object can be screened from the second point cloud data according to the reflection intensity value of the second point cloud data, wherein the reflection intensity value of the third point cloud data satisfies the reflection intensity threshold of the reflector. Since the reflection intensity value of the object with reflective material is much larger than the reflection intensity value of the object with non-reflective material, the intensity threshold of the reflector can be regarded as the minimum reflection intensity value of the point cloud data corresponding to the reflector formed by the reflector, and the reflection intensity value of other objects in the second point cloud data is less than the reflection intensity threshold of the reflector. Therefore, when screening the third point cloud data of the reference object from the second point cloud data, the point cloud data with a reflection intensity value greater than or equal to the reflection intensity threshold of the reflector is screened from the second point cloud data as the third point cloud data of the reference object according to the reflection intensity value of the second point cloud data. When the shape of the reference object is different from that of the surrounding objects, the third point cloud data of the reference object can be screened from the second point cloud data according to the shape of the reference object. When the distance between the reference object and the surrounding objects is far, the second point cloud data can be clustered based on a density clustering algorithm to divide the second point cloud data corresponding to each object into each point cloud set, match the shape formed by the second point cloud data in each point cloud set with the shape of the reference object, and take the point cloud data in the point cloud set matched with the shape as the third point cloud data of the reference object.

[0060] After determining the third point cloud data of the reference object, the center axis of the reference object is determined according to the coordinates of each point cloud in the third point cloud data. The center axis is a straight line perpendicular to the installation surface of the reference object and passing through the center of the reference object, and the installation surface of the reference object is the front surface of the workstation. For example, when the reference object is a plate-shaped object, the surface of the reference object is parallel to the installation surface, the expression of the surface of the reference object is fitted according to the third point cloud data, and the center axis perpendicular to the surface of the reference object and passing through the center point of the reference object is determined according to the expression. Figure 2 is a top view schematic diagram of the workstation provided by the embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 2As shown, when the infrared module 11 of the workstation 10 sends the second infrared signal to the front of the workstation 10, a coverage area 30 of the second infrared signal is formed in front of the workstation 10, and the central axis 13 of the reference object 12 falls within the coverage area 30 of the second infrared signal. The robot can plan a path to move vertically to the central axis 13 according to the position information of the central axis 13 and the current position of the robot. When the robot moves to the central axis 13, the posture of the infrared receiver and the infrared transmitter when facing the workstation 10 is determined based on the coordinates of the center point of the reference object 12 and the coordinates of itself, and the robot is controlled to rotate in place until the posture is met, so that the infrared receiver and the infrared transmitter face the workstation 10.

[0061] When the infrared receiver and the infrared transmitter face the workstation, the infrared module is within the coverage area of the first infrared signal, and the infrared receiver is within the coverage area of the second infrared signal. At this time, the robot can send the first infrared signal through the infrared transmitter, so that the infrared module starts to send the second infrared signal after receiving the first infrared signal, and the infrared receiver receives the second infrared signal.

[0062] S120, receiving the second signal through the receiver of the robot, and determining the area where the receiver is located according to the second signal, the area including a first area, a second area and a central area, the first area and the second area being located on both sides of the central area.

[0063] In the case where the second signal is an infrared signal, the receiver is an infrared receiver. The infrared module includes at least two infrared transmitters, and the infrared module can send different encoded second infrared signals to different areas through different infrared transmitters. The robot can determine the area where the infrared receiver is located according to the encoding of the second infrared signal received by the infrared receiver, and control the robot to return to the workstation according to the area where the infrared receiver is located. In this embodiment, the coverage area of the second infrared signal includes the first area, the second area and the central area, wherein the encoding of the second infrared signal in the first area and the second area is different, and the encoding of the second infrared signal in the central area can be composed based on the encoding of the first area and the second area, or can be different from the encoding of the first area and the second area.

[0064] This embodiment is described by taking the encoding of the second infrared signal in the central area as an example based on the encoding of the first area and the second area.

[0065] In an embodiment, Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the coverage area of the second infrared signal provided by the embodiment of the application. As Figure 3As shown, the infrared module 11 includes a first infrared emitter 111 and a second infrared emitter 112, the first infrared emitter 111 emits the first coded second infrared signal to the first coded signal area, and the second infrared emitter 112 emits the second coded second infrared signal to the second coded signal area. Wherein, the central area 31 is the overlapping area of the first coded signal area and the second coded signal area, the first area 32 is the area of the first coded signal area except the central area 31, and the second area 33 is the area of the second coded signal area except the central area 31.

[0066] In another embodiment, Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the coverage area of the second infrared signal provided by the embodiment of the present application. As Figure 4 shown, the infrared module 11 includes a first infrared emitter 111, a second infrared emitter 112 and a third infrared emitter 113, the first infrared emitter 111 emits the first coded second infrared signal to the first coded signal area, the second infrared emitter 112 emits the second coded second infrared signal to the second coded signal area, and the third infrared emitter 113 emits the third coded second infrared signal to the third coded signal area. Wherein, the central area 31 is the overlapping area of the first coded signal area, the second coded signal area and the third coded signal area, the first area 32 is the area of the overlapping area of the first coded signal area and the third coded signal area except the central area, the second area 33 is the area of the overlapping area of the second coded signal area and the third coded signal area except the central area, the third area 34 is the area of the first coded signal area except the first area and the central area, and the fourth area 35 is the area of the second coded signal area except the second area and the central area.

[0067] It should be noted that the more the coverage area of the second infrared signal can be divided into areas, the higher the efficiency of the robot searching for the central area, and thus the higher the efficiency of the robot returning to the pile. In this embodiment, the coverage area of the second infrared signal is divided into Figure 4 five areas as shown for description.

[0068] For example, in the case that the infrared receiver only receives the first coded second infrared signal, it can be determined that the infrared receiver is in the third area, in the case that the infrared receiver only receives the second coded second infrared signal, it can be determined that the infrared receiver is in the fourth area, in the case that the infrared receiver receives the first coded and third coded second infrared signals, it can be determined that the infrared receiver is in the first area, in the case that the infrared receiver receives the second coded and third coded second infrared signals, it can be determined that the infrared receiver is in the second area, and in the case that the infrared receiver receives the first coded, second coded and third coded second infrared signals, it can be determined that the infrared receiver is in the central area.

[0069] In an embodiment, the first, second and third infrared emitters can transmit infrared signals of 38K to accurately transmit digital signals while avoiding interference from other signal sources. The three infrared emitters are controlled by respective timers to modulate the USART (Universal Asynchronous / Receiver / Transmitter) waveform, which can transmit the encoding of the infrared signals in the form of bytes. Each output is independent and does not interfere with each other. Since time-sharing transmission affects the reception efficiency of the infrared receiver, the first, second and third infrared emitters can transmit the second infrared signal synchronously. In this embodiment, in order to improve the transmission and reception efficiency of the second infrared signal, the encoding information of the second infrared signal is represented by one byte, but in fact, the encoding of the second infrared signal only occupies two bytes. For example, the encoding information of the first encoded second infrared signal is 01000000, but in fact, the first encoding is 01; the encoding information of the second encoded second infrared signal is 00100000, but in fact, the second encoding is 10; the encoding information of the third encoded second infrared signal is 00001100, but in fact, the third encoding is 11. It should be noted that the two bits occupied by different encodings are different in the position of the encoding information. As mentioned above, the first encoding occupies the first two bits of the byte of the encoding information, and the two bits of the second encoding can only be selected from the last six bits of the byte of the encoding information.

[0070] Correspondingly, when the infrared receiver receives the second infrared signal, the infrared data can be generated according to the second infrared signal, the infrared data includes one byte of encoding information, the encoding information includes the code corresponding to the second signal, and the code occupies two bits; the infrared data is converted into a logic value, and the area where the receiver is located is determined according to the logic value. For example, if the infrared receiver receives the second infrared signal sent by the first infrared emitter and the second infrared signal sent by the third infrared emitter, the second infrared signal sent by the first infrared emitter is converted into corresponding infrared data, the infrared data includes one byte of encoding information corresponding to the first code and one byte of frame identification in the header, and the second infrared signal sent by the third infrared emitter is converted into corresponding infrared data, the infrared data includes one byte of encoding information corresponding to the third code and one byte of frame identification in the header. The robot combines the encoding information of the two infrared data after parsing the header of the two infrared data. For example, the encoding information corresponding to the first code is 01000000, the encoding information corresponding to the third code is 00100000, and the combined encoding information is 01100000. If the infrared receiver receives the second infrared signal of the first code, the second code and the third code, the encoding information of the first code, the second code and the third code is combined. If only one encoding second infrared signal is received, the encoding information of the code can be converted into a logic value. Further, in order to ensure the unified output of the infrared protocol, the combined encoding information is converted into a logic value, and the area where the infrared receiver is located is determined according to the mapping relationship between the preset areas and the logic values. If the infrared emitter in the infrared module is replaced with other models to change the code, the mapping relationship between the areas and the corresponding logic values can be directly modified, and the area where the infrared receiver is located can be determined based on the modified mapping relationship.

[0071] S130, in the case that the receiver is located in the first area or the second area, the robot is controlled to move so as to move the receiver to the center area.

[0072] For example, after the robot moves to the target pile point or adjusts the pose based on the reference axis, the infrared receiver faces the workstation. Wherein, the infrared receiver facing the workstation can be understood as the connection direction between the rotation center of the robot and the infrared receiver, that is, the reference direction of the robot points to the workstation, at this time, no matter which area the infrared receiver is located in outside the center area, the robot can move the infrared receiver to the center area based on the reference direction.

[0073] It should be noted that, due to the small width of the center region, when the robot moves at a high speed, the infrared receiver can have left the center region before the robot reacts. Therefore, the robot can be controlled to slow down and move slowly so as to better control the robot to return to the pile later. In this embodiment, when the infrared receiver is located in the first region or the second region, the robot is controlled to move at a first speed, which is less than the moving speed of the robot when the infrared receiver does not receive the second infrared signal. The moving speed of the robot when the infrared receiver does not receive the second infrared signal can be understood as the moving speed of the robot outside the coverage area of the second infrared signal. For example, the robot moves to the target return pile point or the central axis of the reference object at the moving speed, and after the infrared emitter sends the first infrared signal, the infrared receiver determines which region the infrared receiver is located in based on the first received second infrared signal. If the robot is located in the first region or the second region, the robot is controlled to move slowly at the first speed in the reference direction.

[0074] Reference Figure 4 When the third region 34 is located on one side of the first region 32 and the fourth region 35 is located on one side of the second region 33, the infrared receiver can also be located in the third region 34 or the fourth region 35. Correspondingly, when the infrared receiver is located in the third region 34 or the fourth region 35, the robot is controlled to move at a second speed so as to move the infrared receiver to the first region 32 or the second region 33; the second speed is greater than the first speed and less than the moving speed of the robot when the infrared receiver does not receive the second infrared signal. For example, if it is determined that the infrared receiver is located in the third region 34 or the fourth region 35 based on the first received second infrared signal, the robot can be controlled to move slowly at the second speed in the reference direction. After the infrared receiver enters the first region 32 or the second region 33, the robot is controlled to slow down to the first speed and continue to move in the reference direction.

[0075] After the infrared receiver moves to the center region 31, the robot is controlled to slow down from the first speed to a third speed, and then the robot moves at the third speed until it returns to the work station.

[0076] S140, when the receiver is located in the center region, the robot is controlled to move a preset distance based on the reference direction, the reference direction being the direction of the line between the rotation center of the robot and the receiver, and the preset distance being determined based on the distance between the rotation center and the receiver.

[0077] In this embodiment, the center region is used to guide the robot to return to the work station in the posture when the robot is located in the work station, and the width between the two sides of the center region is generally between 5 mm and 20 mm. The two sides of the center region can be straight lines as shown in the figure, or can be arc lines as shown in the figure. As shown in the figure, the two sides of the center region are arc lines. Figures 3-5 Figure 6 In this embodiment, the center region is used to guide the robot to return to the work station in the posture when the robot is located in the work station, and the width between the two sides of the center region is generally between 5 mm and 20 mm. The two sides of the center region can be straight lines as shown in the figure, or can be arc lines as shown in the figure. As shown in the figure, the two sides of the center region are arc lines.​Figure 5 As shown, the small angle between the straight lines on both sides of the central region 31 ensures that the width of the central region 31 on both sides is within a certain range. Alternatively, as... Figure 3 and 4 As shown, the lines on both sides of the central region 31 are parallel to each other. Figure 6 As shown, the large curvature and small angle of the arcs on both sides of the central region 31 ensure that the width of the central region 31 is within a certain range. Overall, when the robot's infrared receiver and rotation center are both located within the central region 31, the robot's current posture is consistent with or nearly consistent with the robot's posture within the workstation.

[0078] It should be noted that the smaller the width of the central region 31, the stronger the constraint force on the robot's infrared receiver and rotation center within the central region 31, meaning the robot's current posture is closer to its posture within the workstation. Compared to a central region 31 with angled sides, a central region 31 with parallel sides exerts a stronger constraint force on the robot's infrared receiver and rotation center within the central region 31, and the robot's current posture is also closer to its posture within the workstation. This embodiment describes a central region 31 with parallel sides. No particular limitations are made here regarding the infrared module and / or its optical constraint structure that generates the central region 31 with parallel sides.

[0079] The robot's posture within the workstation can be understood as its posture when the workstation performs operations such as dust collection, charging, water changing, cleaning, or drying after the robot returns to the workstation. For example, when the workstation supplies power to the robot, the robot's posture when its charging port is aligned with the workstation's charging port is its posture within the workstation; similarly, when the workstation changes the robot's water supply, the robot's posture when its water inlet is aligned with the workstation's water outlet is its posture within the workstation. In other words, the robot's posture within the workstation primarily refers to the posture exhibited when the interfaces on the robot and the interfaces on the base station are aligned and docked. These interfaces can include at least a charging interface, an injection interface, a sewage discharge interface, and a dedicated alignment interface for docking.

[0080] In this embodiment, the robot's posture when its charging port is aligned with the workstation's charging port is taken as the robot's posture when returning to the workstation. Figure 7 and Figure 8 This is a top view schematic diagram of the workstation and robot provided in the embodiments of this application. Figure 7 As shown, workstation 10 is equipped with an infrared module 11 and a first charging port 14. The infrared module 11 is positioned above the first charging port 14. Robot 20 is equipped with an infrared receiver 22 and a second charging port 21. The infrared receiver 22 is positioned above or below the second charging port 21. Alternatively, as...Figure 8 As shown, the infrared module 11 of the workstation 10 is arranged at the left side of the first charging port 14 and keeps a horizontal distance a with the first charging port 14. The infrared receiver 22 of the robot 20 is arranged at the left side of the second charging port 21 and keeps a horizontal distance a with the second charging port 21. The robot 20 takes the direction of the line between the infrared receiver 22 and the rotation center 23 of the robot 20 as the reference direction of the robot 20. When the infrared receiver 22 is located in the center area 31, the robot 20 is in the charging posture in the workstation 10. Figure 7 and Figure 8 It can be seen that when the infrared receiver 22 and the rotation center 23 are located in the center area 31, the current posture of the robot 20 is equivalent or approximate to the posture of the robot 20 in the workstation 10 for charging, and at this time, the robot 20 can quickly move to the workstation 10 based on the reference direction or finely adjust the moving direction to quickly move to the workstation 10. When the robot 20 returns to the workstation 10, the first charging port 14 is aligned with the second charging port 21, and the workstation 10 charges the robot 20. It should be noted that Figure 7 and Figure 8 It is shown that the robot 20 is square, but the robot 20 can also be circular or other shapes, which are not limited in the embodiment.

[0081] Figure 9 and Figure 10 is a top view schematic diagram of the robot moving provided by the embodiment of the application. As shown in Figure 9 When the infrared receiver 22 first enters the center area 31 in the process of returning to the stake, the infrared receiver 22 receives the second infrared signals of the first code, the second code and the third code, and then determines that the infrared receiver 22 is in the center area 31. Since the reference direction is the direction of the line between the infrared receiver 22 and the rotation center 23, if the robot 20 moves the distance b between the infrared receiver 22 and the rotation center 23 along the reference direction, the rotation center 23 will move to the position where the infrared receiver 22 is previously located in the center area 31, that is, the rotation center 23 moves to the center area 31. It should be noted that since the rotation center 23 is a position point and the infrared receiver 22 is an object, in the case that the size of the infrared receiver 22 is large and the width of the center area 31 is small, after the robot 20 moves the distance b along the reference direction, the rotation center 23 is still outside the center area 31, so the preset distance moved by the robot 20 can be determined based on the volume of the infrared receiver 20, the width of the center area 31 and the straight line distance b between the infrared receiver 22 and the rotation center 23.

[0082] The embodiment takes the distance b between the rotation center 23 and the receiver as an example for description. As shown in Figure 10S130, control the robot to move a distance b in the reference direction, wherein the distance b is the distance between the center area and the first area.

[0083] S150, control the robot to rotate so that the receiver returns to the center area, and control the robot to move to the work station based on a target direction, wherein the target direction is determined based on the reference direction and the area where the receiver is located.

[0084] Exemplarily, Figure 11 is a top view schematic diagram of the robot after rotation according to an embodiment of the present application. As Figure 10 and Figure 11 illustrated, when the robot 20 rotates in place in the Figure 10 , the rotation center 23 remains in the center area 31, and the infrared receiver 22 rotates around the rotation center 23. When the robot 20 confirms that the infrared receiver 22 re-receives the second infrared signals of the first code, the second code and the third code, it is determined that the infrared receiver 22 returns to the center area 31, at which time the current posture of the robot 20 is equivalent or similar to the posture of the robot 20 when it is located in the work station for charging.

[0085] In an embodiment, there are first and second areas 32 on both sides of the center area, and after the rotation center of the robot moves to the center area, the robot can be controlled to rotate clockwise or counterclockwise according to whether the infrared receiver is located on the left or right side of the center area, so as to reduce the rotation angle of the robot and improve the efficiency of the robot in searching for the pile. Figure 12 and Figure 13 is a top view schematic diagram of the robot rotating in place according to an embodiment of the present application. As Figure 12 and Figure 13As shown, the first region 32 is located at the left side of the center region 31, and the second region 33 is located at the right side of the center region 31. In the case that the infrared receiver 22 is located in the first region 32, the robot 20 is controlled to rotate in the clockwise direction so as to make the infrared receiver 22 return to the center region 31. It can be understood that, when the infrared receiver 22 is located in the first region 32, the angle between the line connecting the infrared receiver 22 and the rotation center 23 and the center region 31 is less than or equal to 90 degrees in the clockwise direction, and thus the robot 20 can be controlled to rotate in the clockwise direction to make the infrared receiver 22 quickly return to the center region 31. In the case that the infrared receiver 22 is located in the second region 33, the robot is controlled to rotate in the counterclockwise direction so as to make the infrared receiver 22 return to the center region 31. Similarly, when the infrared receiver is located in the second region 33, the angle between the line connecting the infrared receiver 22 and the rotation center 23 and the center region 31 is less than or equal to 90 degrees in the counterclockwise direction, and thus the robot 20 can be controlled to rotate in the counterclockwise direction to make the infrared receiver 22 quickly return to the center region 31.

[0086] Reference Figure 7 Or Figure 8 When the infrared receiver 22 of the robot 20 and the rotation center 23 are both located in the center region 31, the current posture of the robot 20 can be the same as the posture located in the work station 10 in the center region 31, and at this time the reference direction can be determined as the target direction of the robot so as to make the robot 20 straightly move to the work station 10 based on the target direction. Wherein, if the infrared receiver 22 is installed at the tail of the robot 20, the robot 20 is controlled to retreat in the target direction, and if the infrared receiver 22 is installed at the head of the robot 20, the robot 20 is controlled to advance in the target direction.

[0087] In the process that the robot 20 returns to the work station, when the infrared receiver 22 of the robot 20 moves out of the center region 31, the infrared receiver 22 receives the second infrared signal of the first code and the third code, or receives the second infrared signal of the second code and the third code, and it can be immediately confirmed that the infrared receiver 22 is located in the first region 32 or the second region 33. At this time, the current posture of the robot 20 has a small deviation from the posture located in the work station, and thus the target direction can be obtained by fine-tuning the reference direction according to the region where the infrared receiver 22 is located, and the infrared receiver 22 of the robot 20 can be quickly moved back to the center region 31 based on the target direction, thereby improving the efficiency of the robot 20 returning to the work station 10. Figure 14 is a top view schematic diagram of the robot after rotation provided by the embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 14 , in Figure 12 Or Figure 13When the robot 20 is shown to rotate to bring the infrared receiver 22 back into the center region 31, the current orientation of the robot 20 is consistent or close to consistent with the orientation of the robot 20 when located in the work station 10, the reference direction can be determined as the current target direction of the robot 20 to move the robot 20 based on the target direction. During the movement, if the infrared receiver 22 receives the second infrared signals of the first code, the second code and the third code, it can be determined that the infrared receiver 22 remains in the center region 31, and the reference direction is determined as the target direction to move the robot 20 along the reference direction. If the infrared receiver 22 receives the second infrared signals of the first code and the third code, it indicates that the infrared receiver 22 has been shifted to the left from the center region 31 into the first region 32, and the target direction can be determined as the direction of the reference direction rotated to the right, and the robot 20 is controlled to gradually move to the right and backward according to the target direction until the infrared receiver 22 returns to the center region 31, and the target direction is set back to the reference direction. If the infrared receiver 22 receives the second infrared signals of the second code and the third code, it indicates that the infrared receiver 22 has been shifted to the left from the center region 31 into the second region 33, and the target direction can be determined as the direction of the reference direction rotated to the left, and the robot 20 is controlled to gradually move to the left and backward according to the target direction until the infrared receiver 22 returns to the center region 31, and the target direction is set back to the reference direction. When the first charging port 11 contacts the second charging port 21, it is determined that the robot 20 completes the back-piling operation.

[0088] In summary, the robot pile returning method provided by the embodiments of the present application comprises the following steps: when the robot triggers the pile returning operation, a first signal is sent to the workstation, so that the workstation starts to send a second signal after receiving the first signal. After the receiver receives the second signal, the area where the receiver is located is determined according to the second signal. If the receiver is located in the first area or the second area, the robot is controlled to move to the central area located between the first area and the second area. If the receiver is located in the central area, the robot is controlled to move a preset distance based on the reference direction, so that the rotation center of the robot moves to the central area. After the rotation center moves to the central area, the robot is controlled to rotate and stop rotating after the receiver returns to the central area again. At this time, the receiver and the rotation center are both in the central area, the current posture of the robot is consistent or approximately consistent with the posture located in the workstation, the target direction of the robot can be determined through the reference direction and the area where the receiver is located, and the robot is controlled to move to the workstation according to the target direction. Through the above technical means, the workstation starts to send the second signal only after the robot triggers the pile returning operation, which saves the energy consumption of the workstation and avoids guiding other robots to return to the workstation. After the receiver of the robot enters the central area for the first time, the robot is controlled to move straight and rotate, so that the posture of the robot can be quickly adjusted to the posture located in the workstation, and then the robot is controlled to move to the workstation based on the target direction, thereby reducing the frequency of adjusting the moving direction of the robot and the amplitude of rotating, shortening the time consumption of the robot returning to the workstation, and improving the pile returning efficiency of the robot.

[0089] On the basis of the above embodiments, Figure 15 A structural schematic diagram of a robot pile returning device provided by the embodiments of the present application is shown in FIG. 1. Figure 15 The robot pile returning device provided by the embodiments of the present application specifically comprises a signal sending module 41, an area determining module 42, a first movement control module 43, a second movement control module 44 and a third movement control module 45.

[0090] The signal sending module 41 is configured to control the robot to send a first signal to the workstation, so that the workstation starts to send a second signal after receiving the first signal.

[0091] The area determining module 42 is configured to receive the second signal through the receiver of the robot, and determine the area where the receiver is located according to the second signal. The area comprises a first area, a second area and a central area, and the first area and the second area are located on both sides of the central area.

[0092] The first movement control module 43 is configured to control the robot to move so that the receiver moves to the central area in the case that the receiver is located in the first area or the second area.

[0093] The second movement control module 44 is configured to control the robot to move a preset distance based on a reference direction when the receiver is located in the central area, the reference direction being a direction of a line between the rotation center of the robot and the receiver, and the preset distance being determined based on a distance between the rotation center and the receiver.

[0094] The third movement control module 45 is configured to control the robot to rotate to make the receiver return to the central area, and control the robot to move to the work station based on a target direction, the target direction being determined based on the reference direction and the area where the receiver is located.

[0095] On the basis of the above-mentioned embodiments, the robot pile returning device further comprises: a pose determination module configured to, before controlling the robot to send the first signal to the work station, collect first point cloud data by the laser radar, generate a local map according to the first point cloud data, and determine the pose information of the robot according to the local map and a preset global map; a path planning module configured to plan a pile returning path of the robot according to the pose information of the robot, the global map, and the pose information of the target pile returning point; and a fourth movement control module configured to control the robot to move to the target pile returning point according to the pile returning path.

[0096] On the basis of the above-mentioned embodiments, the path planning module comprises a path planning unit configured to plan the pile returning path of the robot by a dynamic path search algorithm based on the pose information of the robot, the global map, and the pose information of the target pile returning point.

[0097] On the basis of the above-mentioned embodiments, the robot pile returning device further comprises: a point cloud screening module configured to, before controlling the robot to send the first signal to the work station, when the robot moves to the target pile returning point, collect second point cloud data by the laser radar, screen third point cloud data of a reference object from the second point cloud data, the reference object being installed on the work station; a fifth movement control module configured to determine a central axis of the reference object according to the third point cloud data, and control the robot to move toward the central axis based on a direction perpendicular to the central axis; and a rotation control module configured to, when the robot moves to the central axis, control the robot to rotate to make the receiver face the work station.

[0098] On the basis of the above-mentioned embodiments, the point cloud screening module comprises: a first screening unit configured to screen the third point cloud data of the reference object from the second point cloud data according to a reflection intensity value of the second point cloud data; wherein the reference object is a light-reflecting plate, and the reflection intensity value of the third point cloud data satisfies a reflection intensity threshold value of the light-reflecting plate; or a second screening unit configured to screen the third point cloud data of the reference object from the second point cloud data according to a shape of the reference object.

[0099] On the basis of the above-mentioned embodiments, the first movement control module 43 comprises: a first movement control unit configured to control the robot to move based on a first speed when the receiver is located in the first area or the second area, the first speed being less than the movement speed of the robot when the receiver does not receive the second signal.

[0100] On the basis of the above-mentioned embodiments, the area further comprises a third area and a fourth area, the third area being located on one side of the first area, and the fourth area being located on one side of the second area; correspondingly, the first movement control module 43 further comprises: a second movement control unit configured to, after determining the area where the receiver is located according to the second signal received by the receiver, control the robot to move based on a second speed to move the receiver to the first area or the second area when the receiver is located in the third area or the fourth area; the second speed being greater than the first speed and less than the movement speed of the robot when the receiver does not receive the second infrared signal.

[0101] On the basis of the above-mentioned embodiments, the third movement control module 45 comprises: a first rotation control unit configured to control the robot to rotate in a clockwise direction to make the receiver return to the center area again when the receiver is located in the first area; wherein the first area is located on the left side of the center area; a second rotation control unit configured to control the robot to rotate in a counterclockwise direction to make the receiver return to the center area again when the receiver is located in the second area; wherein the second area is located on the right side of the center area.

[0102] On the basis of the above-mentioned embodiments, the workstation emits a first encoded second signal to the first encoded signal area, a second encoded second signal to the second encoded signal area, and a third encoded second signal to the third encoded signal area, the center area is the overlapping area of the first encoded signal area, the second encoded signal area, and the third encoded signal area, the first area is the area in the overlapping area of the first encoded signal area and the third encoded signal area except the center area, the second area is the area in the overlapping area of the second encoded signal area and the third encoded signal area except the center area, the third area is the area in the first encoded signal area except the first area and the center area, and the fourth area is the area in the second encoded signal area except the second area and the center area.

[0103] On the basis of the above-mentioned embodiments, the area determination module 42 comprises: an infrared data generation unit configured to generate infrared data according to the second signal, the infrared data comprising one byte of encoded information, the encoded information comprising an encoding corresponding to the second signal, the encoding occupying two bits; an area determination unit configured to convert the infrared data into a logic value, and determine the area where the receiver is located according to the logic value.

[0104] The robot pile returning device provided by the embodiment of the application is described above. When the robot triggers the pile returning operation, a first signal is sent to the workstation, so that the workstation starts to send a second signal after receiving the first signal. After the receiver receives the second signal, the area where the receiver is located is determined according to the second signal. If the receiver is located in the first area or the second area, the robot is controlled to move to the central area between the first area and the second area. If the receiver is located in the central area, the robot is controlled to move a preset distance based on the reference direction, so that the rotation center of the robot moves into the central area. After the rotation center moves into the central area, the robot is controlled to rotate and stop rotating after the receiver returns to the central area again. At this time, the receiver and the rotation center are both in the central area, the current posture of the robot is consistent or approximately consistent with the posture located in the workstation, the target direction of the robot can be determined through the reference direction and the area where the receiver is located, and the robot is controlled to move to the workstation according to the target direction. Through the above technical means, the workstation starts to send the second signal only after the robot triggers the pile returning operation, which saves the energy consumption of the workstation and avoids guiding other robots to return to the workstation. After the receiver of the robot enters the central area for the first time, the robot is controlled to move straight and rotate, so that the posture of the robot can be quickly adjusted to the posture located in the workstation, and then the robot is controlled to move to the workstation based on the target direction, thereby reducing the frequency of adjusting the moving direction of the robot and the amplitude of rotating, shortening the time consumption of the robot returning to the workstation, and improving the pile returning efficiency of the robot.

[0105] The robot pile returning device provided by the embodiment of the application can be used to execute the robot pile returning method provided by the above embodiment, and has corresponding functions and beneficial effects.

[0106] Figure 16 is a structural schematic diagram of a robot pile returning device provided by the embodiment of the application, referring to Figure 16 The robot pile returning device includes a processor 51, a memory 52, a communication device 53, an input device 54, and an output device 55. The number of processors 51 in the robot pile returning device can be one or more, and the number of memories 52 in the robot pile returning device can be one or more. The processor 51, the memory 52, the communication device 53, the input device 54, and the output device 55 of the robot pile returning device can be connected through a bus or other means.

[0107] The memory 52, as a computer readable storage medium, can be used to store software programs, computer executable programs and modules, such as program instructions / modules corresponding to the robot pile returning method of any embodiment of the present application (for example, the signal sending module 41, the area determining module 42, the first movement control module 43, the second movement control module 44 and the third movement control module 45 in the robot pile returning device). The memory 52 can mainly include a program storage area and a data storage area, wherein the program storage area can store an operating system and an application program required by at least one function; the data storage area can store data created according to the use of the device, etc. In addition, the memory 52 can include a high-speed random access memory, and can also include a non-volatile memory, such as at least one magnetic disk storage device, a flash memory device, or other non-volatile solid-state memory device. In some examples, the memory can further include a memory remotely arranged with respect to the processor, which can be connected to the device through a network. Examples of the above network include but are not limited to the Internet, an intranet, a local area network, a mobile communication network and a combination thereof.

[0108] The communication device 53 is used for data transmission.

[0109] The processor 51 executes various functional applications and data processing of the device by running the software programs, instructions and modules stored in the memory 52, that is, realizes the above-mentioned robot pile returning method.

[0110] The input device 54 can be used to receive input digital or character information, and generate key signal input related to user settings and function control of the device. The output device 55 can include a display device such as a display screen.

[0111] The robot pile returning device provided above can be used to execute the robot pile returning method provided by the above-mentioned embodiments, and has corresponding functions and beneficial effects.

[0112] The embodiment of the present application also provides a storage medium containing computer executable instructions, which, when executed by a computer processor, are used to perform a robot pile returning method, the robot pile returning method comprising the following steps: controlling a robot to send a first signal to a workstation, so that the workstation starts to send a second signal after receiving the first signal; receiving the second signal by a receiver of the robot, and determining an area where the receiver is located according to the second signal, wherein the area comprises a first area, a second area and a central area, and the first area and the second area are located on both sides of the central area; in the case that the receiver is located in the first area or the second area, controlling the robot to move so that the receiver moves to the central area; in the case that the receiver is located in the central area, controlling the robot to move a preset distance based on a reference direction, wherein the reference direction is the direction of a line between the rotation center of the robot and the receiver, and the preset distance is determined based on the distance between the rotation center and the receiver; controlling the robot to rotate so that the receiver returns to the central area again, and controlling the robot to move to the workstation based on a target direction, wherein the target direction is determined based on the reference direction and the area where the receiver is located.

[0113] Storage medium - any of various types of memory devices or storage devices. The term "storage medium" is intended to include an installation medium, e.g., a CD-ROM, floppy disks, or tape device; a computer system memory or random access memory such as DRAM, DDR RAM, SRAM, EDO RAM, Rambus RAM, etc.; or a non-volatile memory such as a magnetic medium (e.g., a hard disk or optical storage); registers, or other similar types of memory elements upon which instructions are stored. The storage medium can also include other types of storage. For instance, the storage medium can also include a cache, or networked repositories from which a processor or computer is able to read instructions. Likewise, the storage medium can be located in a first computer in which instructions stored therein are executed, or it can be located in a second different computer that connects to the first computer over a network, such as the Internet. The second computer can provide program instructions to the first computer for execution. The term "storage medium" can include two or more storage mediums that reside in different locations, e.g., in different computers that are connected over a network. The storage medium can store program instructions (e.g., as an installed program) that are executable by one or more processors.

[0114] Of course, the storage medium containing computer executable instructions provided by the embodiment of the present application is not limited to the robot pile returning method as above, and can also perform the related operations in the robot pile returning method provided by any embodiment of the present application.

[0115] The embodiment of the application further provides a pile returning system, which comprises a workstation and a robot. The workstation is provided with an infrared module for sending a second signal. The robot is provided with a receiver and a processor. The receiver is used for receiving the second signal. The processor is used for controlling the robot to send a first signal to the workstation, so that the workstation starts to send the second signal after receiving the first signal. The second signal is received by the receiver of the robot, and the area where the receiver is located is determined according to the second signal. The area comprises a first area, a second area and a central area. The first area and the second area are located on both sides of the central area. In the case that the receiver is located in the first area or the second area, the robot is controlled to move so as to move the receiver to the central area. In the case that the receiver is located in the central area, the robot is controlled to move a preset distance based on a reference direction. The reference direction is the direction of the connecting line between the rotation center of the robot and the receiver. The preset distance is determined based on the distance between the rotation center and the receiver. The robot is controlled to rotate so as to move the receiver back to the central area. The robot is controlled to move to the workstation based on a target direction. The target direction is determined based on the reference direction and the area where the receiver is located.

[0116] The robot pile returning device, the storage medium and the robot pile returning equipment provided in the above embodiments can execute the robot pile returning method provided in any embodiment of the application. Technical details not described in detail in the above embodiments can be referred to the robot pile returning method provided in any embodiment of the application.

[0117] The above are only the preferred embodiments of the application and the technical principles used. The application is not limited to the specific embodiments herein. Various obvious changes, readjustments and replacements made by those skilled in the art without departing from the protection scope of the application are all included in the application. Therefore, although the application is described in detail through the above embodiments, the application is not limited to the above embodiments. More other equivalent embodiments can be included without departing from the concept of the application, and the scope of the application is determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A robot-based method for returning piles to their original positions, characterized in that, include: The robot is controlled to send a first signal to the workstation, so that the workstation, upon receiving the first signal, begins to send a second signal. The robot receives the second signal through its receiver and determines the area where the receiver is located based on the second signal. The area includes a first area, a second area, and a central area, with the first area and the second area located on either side of the central area. If the receiver is located in the first area or the second area, the robot is controlled to move so that the receiver moves to the central area; When the receiver is located in the central region, the robot is controlled to move a preset distance based on a reference direction, which is the direction of the line connecting the robot's rotation center and the receiver, and the preset distance is determined based on the distance between the rotation center and the receiver; The robot is controlled to rotate so that the receiver returns to the central area, and the robot is controlled to move to the workstation based on a target direction, which is determined based on the reference direction and the area where the receiver is located.

2. The robot-assisted pile-back method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Before the control robot sends the first signal to the workstation, the following is also included: The robot's pose information is determined by collecting first point cloud data using lidar, generating a local map based on the first point cloud data, and then determining the robot's pose information based on the local map and a preset global map. Based on the robot's pose information, the global map, and the pose information of the target return point, the robot's return path is planned; The robot is controlled to move to the target pile return point according to the pile return path.

3. The robot-based pile-back method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The step of planning the robot's return path based on the robot's pose information, the global map, and the pose information of the target return point includes: Based on the robot's pose information, the global map, and the pose information of the target return point, a dynamic path search algorithm is used to plan the robot's return path.

4. The robot-assisted pile-back method according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, Before the control robot sends the first signal to the workstation, the following is also included: When the robot moves to the target return point, it collects second point cloud data through the lidar, and filters out the third point cloud data of the reference object from the second point cloud data. The reference object is installed on the workstation. The central axis of the reference object is determined based on the third point cloud data, and the robot is controlled to move toward the central axis in a direction perpendicular to the central axis. As the robot moves to the central axis, the robot is controlled to rotate so that the receiver faces the workstation.

5. The robot-assisted pile-back method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The third point cloud data from which the reference object is selected from the second point cloud data includes: Based on the reflection intensity value of the second point cloud data, a third point cloud data of a reference object is selected from the second point cloud data; wherein, the reference object is a reflector, and the reflection intensity value of the third point cloud data meets the reflection intensity threshold of the reflector; or, Based on the shape of the reference object, the third point cloud data of the reference object is selected from the second point cloud data.

6. The robot-assisted pile-back method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step of controlling the robot's movement when the receiver is located in the first area or the second area includes: When the receiver is located in the first area or the second area, the robot is controlled to move based on a first speed, which is less than the robot's movement speed when the receiver does not receive the second signal.

7. The robot-assisted pile-back method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The region further includes a third region and a fourth region, wherein the third region is located on one side of the first region and the fourth region is located on one side of the second region; correspondingly, after determining the region where the receiver is located based on the second signal received by the receiver, the method further includes: When the receiver is located in the third or fourth region, the robot is controlled to move based on a second speed to move the receiver to the first or second region; the second speed is greater than the first speed and less than the robot's movement speed when the receiver does not receive the second signal.

8. The robot-based pile-back method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Controlling the robot to rotate so that the receiver returns to the central area includes: With the receiver located in the first region, the robot is controlled to rotate clockwise so that the receiver returns to the central region; wherein the first region is located to the left of the central region; With the receiver located in the second region, the robot is controlled to rotate counterclockwise so that the receiver returns to the central region; wherein the second region is located to the right of the central region.

9. The robot-based pile-back method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The workstation transmits a second signal with a first code to a first code signal region, a second signal with a second code to a second code signal region, and a second signal with a third code to a third code signal region. The central region is the overlapping region of the first code signal region, the second code signal region, and the third code signal region. The first region is the region other than the central region in the overlapping region of the first code signal region and the third code signal region. The second region is the region other than the central region in the overlapping region of the second code signal region and the third code signal region. The third region is the region other than the first region and the central region in the first code signal region. The fourth region is the region other than the second region and the central region in the second code signal region.

10. The robot-based pile-back method according to claim 9, characterized in that, Determining the location of the receiver based on the second signal includes: Infrared data is generated based on the second signal. The infrared data includes one byte of encoded information, which includes an encoding corresponding to the second signal. The encoding occupies two bits. The infrared data is converted into logical values, and the area where the receiver is located is determined based on the logical values.

11. A robotic pile-returning device, characterized in that, include: The signal transmitting module is configured to control the robot to send a first signal to the workstation, so that the workstation starts to send a second signal after receiving the first signal; The region determination module is configured to receive the second signal through the robot's receiver, and determine the region where the receiver is located based on the second signal. The region includes a first region, a second region, and a central region, with the first region and the second region located on either side of the central region. A first motion control module is configured to control the robot to move the receiver to the central area when the receiver is located in the first area or the second area. The second motion control module is configured to control the robot to move a preset distance based on a reference direction when the receiver is located in the central region. The reference direction is the direction of the line connecting the robot's rotation center and the receiver. The preset distance is determined based on the distance between the rotation center and the receiver. The third motion control module is configured to control the robot to rotate so that the receiver returns to the central area, and to control the robot to move to the workstation based on a target direction, the target direction being determined based on the reference direction and the area where the receiver is located.

12. A robotic pile-returning device, characterized in that, include: One or more processors; A memory that stores one or more programs that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to implement the robot re-stall method as described in any one of claims 1-10.

13. A storage medium containing computer-executable instructions, characterized in that, The computer-executable instructions, when executed by a computer processor, are used to perform the robot back-piling method as described in any one of claims 1-10.

14. A pile-back system, characterized in that, include: The workstation is equipped with an infrared module, which is used to transmit a second signal; The robot is equipped with a receiver and a processor, the receiver being used to receive the second signal; The processor controls the robot to send a first signal to the workstation, so that the workstation, upon receiving the first signal, begins sending a second signal; receives the second signal through the robot's receiver, and determines the location of the receiver based on the second signal. The location includes a first area, a second area, and a central area, with the first and second areas located on either side of the central area. If the receiver is located in the first or second area, the processor controls the robot to move so that the receiver moves to the central area. If the receiver is located in the central area, the processor controls the robot to move a preset distance based on a reference direction, where the reference direction is the direction of the line connecting the robot's rotation center and the receiver, and the preset distance is determined based on the distance between the rotation center and the receiver. The processor controls the robot to rotate so that the receiver returns to the central area, and controls the robot to move to the workstation based on a target direction, where the target direction is determined based on the reference direction and the location of the receiver.

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