Autonomous mobile robot and operation method thereof

Abstract

The invention provides an autonomous mobile robot and an operation method thereof. The autonomous mobile robot comprises a mobile module, a sensing module, a control module and an interaction module. The sensing module continuously senses environmental information around the autonomous mobile robot. The control module comprises a judgment unit and a navigation unit. The judgment unit judges whether obstacles exist around the autonomous mobile robot and on a preset path or not according to the environment information. When an obstacle exists on the preset path, the navigation unit determines an obstacle avoidance strategy according to the environment information and the type of the obstacle, and the obstacle avoidance strategy at least comprises side-by-side advancing, side-by-side avoiding, retreating avoiding and detour. And when an obstacle exists around the autonomous mobile robot or on a preset path, the interaction module executes a corresponding interaction action according to the obstacle avoidance strategy and the type of the obstacle.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This case is about an autonomous mobile robot and its operating method, and in particular, an autonomous mobile robot that can actively avoid obstacles on its moving path and its operating method. Background Art

[0002] With the rapid development of science and technology, robots are playing an increasingly important role in many fields, especially in tasks that are highly repetitive, risky, or require high precision. Now, many industries are beginning to apply robots to areas where there is a shortage of manpower, such as the delivery of meals, goods, and medicines. In addition, robots are also beginning to play a role in the field of medical care, especially in long-term care and visiting work. These applications not only reduce the burden of manpower, but also improve work efficiency, and in some cases provide more stable services than manpower.

[0003] In some places where frequent delivery is required, such as hospitals, nursing homes or offices, robots can replace human labor in the delivery of meals or medicines. This not only reduces labor costs, but also effectively reduces the risk of human error, which is crucial, especially in drug delivery.

[0004] However, robots must first overcome the unique environments in these fields, such as narrow passages, complex routes, or pedestrians or equipment that need to be avoided. Especially in some environments with narrow roads or dense crowds, robots must have the ability to flexibly plan paths and make immediate avoidance. For example, in a narrow corridor, the robot may need to actively slow down or avoid to let pedestrians pass first.

[0005] In addition, in areas where there are many people with limited mobility or the elderly, the robot needs to be able to identify mobility aids such as crutches and wheelchairs, and perform more cautious avoidance actions accordingly. At the same time, the robot also needs to show a certain degree of politeness to make its behavior more humane. Summary of the invention

[0006] The purpose of this case is to provide an autonomous mobile robot and its operation method, which can actively avoid obstacles in the surroundings or on the path according to environmental information, and at the same time perform appropriate interactive actions, so that the behavior of the autonomous mobile robot is more polite and humane.

[0007] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present invention provides an autonomous mobile robot for moving in a building using a preset map, and includes a mobile module, a sensing module, a control module and an interactive module. The mobile module is used to make the autonomous mobile robot move. The sensing module is used to continuously sense the environmental information around the autonomous mobile robot. The control module is electrically connected to the mobile module and the sensing module, and is used to control the mobile module and the sensing module, wherein the mobile module moves the autonomous mobile robot to the destination according to the instructions of the control module, and the control module includes a judgment unit and a navigation unit. The judgment unit is used to judge whether there are obstacles around the autonomous mobile robot and on the preset path according to the environmental information sensed by the sensing module. The navigation unit is electrically connected to the judgment unit. When the judgment unit judges that there are obstacles on the preset path, the navigation unit determines the obstacle avoidance strategy according to the environmental information and the type of obstacle, wherein the obstacle avoidance strategy at least includes moving to the side, avoiding moving to the side, avoiding moving backward and detouring. The interactive module is electrically connected to the control module and is controlled by the control module. When the judgment unit judges that there are obstacles around the autonomous mobile robot or on the preset path, the interactive module performs corresponding interactive actions according to the obstacle avoidance strategy and the type of obstacle, and the interactive action at least includes voice prompts.

[0008] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present case further provides an operation method of an autonomous mobile robot, wherein the autonomous mobile robot is used to move in a building using a preset map, and comprises a mobile module, a sensing module, a control module and an interactive module. The operation method comprises: using the control module to control the mobile module to make the autonomous mobile robot move toward the destination; using the sensing module to continuously sense the environmental information around the autonomous mobile robot; using the judgment unit of the control module to judge whether there is an obstacle on the preset path of the autonomous mobile robot according to the environmental information sensed by the sensing module, wherein when the judgment unit judges that there is an obstacle on the preset path, using the navigation unit of the control module to determine the obstacle avoidance strategy according to the environmental information and the type of obstacle, and using the control module to control the interactive module to perform corresponding interactive actions according to the obstacle avoidance strategy and the type of obstacle, wherein the obstacle avoidance strategy at least comprises moving forward by the side, moving side to avoid, moving backward to avoid and detouring, and the interactive action at least comprises voice prompts; and using the judgment unit to judge whether there is an obstacle around the autonomous mobile robot according to the environmental information sensed by the sensing module, wherein when the judgment unit judges that there is an obstacle around the autonomous mobile robot, using the control module to control the interactive module to perform corresponding interactive actions according to the type of obstacle. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] Figure 1 FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of an autonomous mobile robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0010] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of a flow chart of an operating method of an autonomous mobile robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0011] Figure 3 , Figure 4 , Figure 5 , Figure 6 , Figure 7 , Figure 8 and Fig. 9 The obstacle avoidance strategies adopted by the autonomous mobile robot in this case are illustrated in different application situations.

[0012] Fig.10 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the architecture of an embodiment of an interaction module.

[0013] The reference numerals are described as follows:

[0014] 1: Autonomous Mobile Robot

[0015] 11: Mobile module

[0016] 12: Sensing module

[0017] 13: Control module

[0018] 14: Interaction Module

[0019] 121: Camera element

[0020] 122: Optical radar

[0021] 131: Judgment unit

[0022] 132: Navigation unit

[0023] S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, S6, S7: Steps

[0024] 2: Personnel

[0025] F1, F2: Moving direction

[0026] D1: Preset distance

[0027] D2: Safe distance

[0028] 31: First side

[0029] 32: Second side

[0030] D31, D32: Distance

[0031] 4: Avoidance point

[0032] 5: Personnel

[0033] F5: Move direction

[0034] 61: Static Objects

[0035] 62: Personnel

[0036] 141: Radio components

[0037] 142: Audio Processing Unit

[0038] 143: Speech Recognition Unit

[0039] 144: Response generation unit

[0040] 145: Speech Synthesis Unit

[0041] 146: Broadcasting components DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0042] Some typical embodiments that embody the features and advantages of the present invention will be described in detail in the following description. It should be understood that the present invention can have various variations in different aspects without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0043] See also Figure 1 , Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of an autonomous mobile robot according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 As shown, the autonomous mobile robot 1 is used to move in a building using a preset map, and the autonomous mobile robot 1 includes a moving module 11 , a sensing module 12 , a control module 13 and an interaction module 14 .

[0044] The mobile module 11 is used to move the autonomous mobile robot 1 , wherein the mobile module 11 may include wheels, tracks or other moving parts driven by a motor. Specifically, the mobile module 11 moves the autonomous mobile robot 1 to a destination according to the instructions of the control module 13 .

[0045] The sensing module 12 is used to continuously sense the environmental information around the autonomous mobile robot 1, so that the autonomous mobile robot 1 can know the terrain and obstacles around and on the preset path, as well as the type, position, movement trajectory and movement direction of the obstacles through the environmental information obtained by the sensing module 12. For example, the sensing module 12 may include a camera element 121 and / or an optical radar (LiDAR, Light Detection and Ranging) 122. The camera element 121 is used to capture images around the autonomous mobile robot 1. Correspondingly, when the sensing module 12 includes the camera element 121, the environmental information obtained by the sensing module 12 includes the images captured by the camera element 121. The optical radar 122 is used to generate high-precision three-dimensional images using optical technology. Correspondingly, when the sensing module 12 includes the optical radar 122, the environmental information obtained by the sensing module 12 includes the three-dimensional images generated by the optical radar 122. In some embodiments, when the sensing module 12 includes both the camera element 121 and the optical radar 122, the camera element 121 may be used as the main sensing element, and the optical radar 122 may be used as an auxiliary sensing element. For example, under normal circumstances, the sensing module 12 obtains the environmental information around the autonomous mobile robot 1 through the camera element 121, and when the confidence of the image captured by the camera element 121 is lower than a threshold (for example, when the light is dark or the image cannot be recognized), the sensing module 12 may use the optical radar 122 to obtain the environmental information around the autonomous mobile robot 1 instead.

[0046] The control module 13 is electrically connected to the mobile module 11, the sensing module 12 and the interactive module 14, and is used to control the mobile module 11, the sensing module 12 and the interactive module 14, wherein the control module 13 may adopt an appropriate processor or microcontroller. In the process of the autonomous mobile robot 1 moving to the destination along the preset path, the control module 13 is configured to instantly determine whether the path of the autonomous mobile robot 1 needs to be adjusted for avoidance according to the environmental information sensed by the sensing module 12, and control the mobile module 11 and the interactive module 14 to perform corresponding actions when avoidance is required. In this embodiment, the control module 13 includes a judgment unit 131 and a navigation unit 132. The judgment unit 131 is used to determine whether there are obstacles around the autonomous mobile robot 1 and on the preset path according to the environmental information sensed by the sensing module 12, and further determine the type of obstacles (such as people or objects such as shoe cabinets, shoes and doors) when there are obstacles. The navigation unit 132 is electrically connected to the judgment unit 131, and is used to set the moving path of the autonomous mobile robot 1. When the judgment unit 131 determines that there is an obstacle on the preset path of the autonomous mobile robot 1, the navigation unit 132 determines the obstacle avoidance strategy according to the environmental information and the type of obstacle, so that the autonomous mobile robot 1 actively avoids the obstacle, wherein the obstacle avoidance strategy at least includes moving forward by the side, avoiding by the side, moving backward and taking a detour. In the description of this case, the movement of the autonomous mobile robot 1 is achieved by controlling the mobile module 11 by the navigation unit 132, which will not be described in detail below.

[0047] When executing the obstacle avoidance strategy of moving sideways, the autonomous mobile robot 1 moves to one side of the road to avoid obstacles and continues to move to the destination (i.e., continues to move forward). When executing the obstacle avoidance strategy of moving sideways, the autonomous mobile robot 1 moves to one side of the road and stops, waiting for the obstacle to pass before continuing to move to the destination. When executing the obstacle avoidance strategy of retreating and avoiding, the autonomous mobile robot 1 retreats to the avoidance point where the obstacle can pass, moves to one side of the road and stops, and waits for the obstacle to pass before continuing to move to the destination. When executing the obstacle avoidance strategy of taking a detour, the autonomous mobile robot 1 changes the path to bypass the road where the obstacle is located, and moves to the destination via another road.

[0048] When it is determined that there are obstacles around the autonomous mobile robot 1 or on the preset path, the interactive module 14 performs corresponding interactive actions according to the obstacle avoidance strategy determined by the navigation unit 132 and the type of obstacle, wherein the interactive actions at least include voice prompts and / or visual prompts. For example, when the navigation unit 132 decides to execute the avoidance strategy of moving sideways and the obstacle is a person, the interactive module 14 can greet the person through voice prompts and inform the person that the autonomous mobile robot 1 is about to move to one side of the road and continue to move forward. The interactive actions that the interactive module 14 can perform depend on the specific implementation of the interactive module 14. For example, the interactive module 14 can include a broadcasting element (such as a speaker) to perform voice prompts. In addition, the interactive module 14 can also include a display element (such as a screen) to display text and / or images.

[0049] It can be seen that the autonomous mobile robot 1 of this case can actively avoid obstacles when there are obstacles around or on the path based on environmental information, and at the same time perform appropriate interactive actions, making the behavior of the autonomous mobile robot 1 more polite and humane.

[0050] See also Figure 2 And with Figure 1 , Figure 2 FIG. 1 is a flow chart of an operation method of an autonomous mobile robot according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 As shown, the operation method of the autonomous mobile robot 1 includes the following steps. In step S1, the mobile module 11 moves the autonomous mobile robot 1 toward the destination according to the instruction of the control module 13. In step S2, the sensing module 12 continuously senses the environmental information around the autonomous mobile robot 1. In step S3, the judgment unit 131 judges whether there is an obstacle on the preset path of the autonomous mobile robot 1 according to the environmental information sensed by the sensing module 12. If the judgment result of step S3 is no, that is, there is no obstacle on the preset path of the autonomous mobile robot 1, then step S4 is executed. On the contrary, if the judgment result of step S3 is yes, that is, there is an obstacle on the preset path of the autonomous mobile robot 1, then step S5 is executed to use the navigation unit 132 to determine the obstacle avoidance strategy according to the environmental information and the type of obstacle, and use the interactive module 14 to perform corresponding interactive actions according to the obstacle avoidance strategy and the type of obstacle, and execute step S4 after executing step S5.

[0051] In step S4, the judgment unit 131 further judges whether there are obstacles around the autonomous mobile robot 1 according to the environmental information sensed by the sensing module 12. If the judgment result of step S4 is no, that is, there are no obstacles around the autonomous mobile robot 1, step S6 is executed. On the contrary, if the judgment result of step S4 is yes, that is, there are obstacles around the autonomous mobile robot 1, step S7 is executed to use the interaction module 14 to perform corresponding interaction actions according to the type of obstacles, and step S6 is executed after step S7 is executed.

[0052] In step S6, the control module 13 determines whether the autonomous mobile robot 1 has arrived at the destination. If the judgment result of step S6 is yes, that is, the autonomous mobile robot 1 has arrived at the destination, then this process ends. On the contrary, if the judgment result of step S6 is no, that is, the autonomous mobile robot 1 has not arrived at the destination, then step S2 is executed again. By continuously executing steps S2, S3 and S4 in the process of going to the destination, the environmental information of the autonomous mobile robot 1 can be continuously sensed during the movement process, and it can be confirmed whether there are obstacles around the autonomous mobile robot 1 and on the preset path, and corresponding obstacle avoidance strategies and interactive actions can be executed when obstacles exist.

[0053] In the embodiment of the present case, the autonomous mobile robot 1 can select a suitable obstacle avoidance strategy according to the position and type of the obstacle. For example, when there is a static obstacle on the preset path of the autonomous mobile robot 1, the autonomous mobile robot 1 can determine the path of travel according to the position and size of the static obstacle and the distance between the two sides of the road, such as bypassing or detouring to other paths. When there is a person on the preset path of the autonomous mobile robot 1, the autonomous mobile robot 1 can decide whether to pull over to avoid, move forward, retreat to avoid, or take other detours according to the type of person, direction of travel and / or speed. For example, when the person belongs to a specific type, such as an elderly person with slow movements, the autonomous mobile robot 1 can decide to pull over to avoid, move forward, or take other detours according to the walking speed of the elderly. For another example, when the person belongs to an elderly person using a mobility aid, the autonomous mobile robot 1 can decide to pull over to avoid, move forward, retreat to avoid, or take other detours according to the space occupied by the mobility aid on the road.

[0054] When there are static obstacles around the autonomous mobile robot 1, the autonomous mobile robot 1 can determine the path to travel according to the location and size of the static obstacles and the distance from both sides of the road, such as bypassing or detouring to other paths. Furthermore, when there are other people around the autonomous mobile robot 1, the autonomous mobile robot 1 can also interact with the people through voice or other means to request the people to help remove the static obstacles.

[0055] According to the avoidance principle of the autonomous mobile robot 1 in this case, when the obstacle on the preset path is a static object, the autonomous mobile robot 1 will adjust the path (pull over or take a detour) according to the position and width of the object to reach the destination; when the obstacle on the preset path is a dynamic obstacle, when the autonomous mobile robot 1 and the dynamic obstacle move in the same direction, the autonomous mobile robot 1 will maintain a certain safety distance from the dynamic obstacle, and will not exceed the dynamic obstacle when the dynamic obstacle contains a person. In the case where the autonomous mobile robot 1 and the dynamic obstacle move in opposite directions, the autonomous mobile robot 1 can move over the side when the road width is sufficient, and will try to let the dynamic obstacle pass first (for example, pull over, retreat or take a detour) when the road width is insufficient. For example, a dynamic obstacle may include a person and / or a dynamic object, wherein the dynamic object may be, for example, but not limited to, an object pushed or held by a person (for example, a wheelchair or baby carriage pushed by a person, a cane or walker held by a person), other creatures (for example, a cat, a dog) or other autonomous mobile robots 1. In addition, in some embodiments, when the obstacle on the preset path is a person moving with a mobility aid (such as but not limited to a wheelchair and crutches), and the autonomous mobile robot 1 moves in the opposite direction to the person, the autonomous mobile robot 1 will back up or take a detour to provide sufficient road width for the person as much as possible. The following will illustrate several application scenarios in which the autonomous mobile robot 1 adopts appropriate obstacle avoidance strategies based on environmental information and the type of obstacles. However, it should be noted that the actual application scenarios are not limited to these, and even in application scenarios not illustrated in this case, the autonomous mobile robot 1 can also adopt appropriate obstacle avoidance strategies based on the aforementioned avoidance principles.

[0056] When the judgment unit 131 determines that there is an obstacle on the preset path and the obstacle is a dynamic obstacle, the navigation unit 132 obtains the width of the road where the autonomous mobile robot 1 is located and the width and walking trajectory of the dynamic obstacle through environmental information, and determines the obstacle avoidance strategy based on the width of the road, the width of the autonomous mobile robot 1, and the width and walking trajectory of the dynamic obstacle.

[0057] See also Figure 3 .At Figure 3 In the example, there is an obstacle on the preset path and the obstacle is person 2, and the moving direction F2 of person 2 is the same as the moving direction F1 of the autonomous mobile robot 1. At this time, the control module 13 controls the interaction module 14 to inform person 2 of the moving direction F1 of the autonomous mobile robot 1 by performing an interaction action (such as voice prompt) when the distance between the autonomous mobile robot 1 and person 2 is less than the preset distance D1. In addition, in this case, if the moving speed of the autonomous mobile robot 1 is greater than the moving speed of person 2, the distance between the autonomous mobile robot 1 and person 2 will gradually shorten. Figure 4As shown, when the distance between the autonomous mobile robot 1 and the person 2 is gradually approaching the safety distance D2, the autonomous mobile robot 1 reduces its moving speed so as to keep the distance between it and the person 2 greater than or equal to the safety distance D2. In addition, in this case, in some embodiments, when the moving speed of the person 2 is less than the preset speed, if the autonomous mobile robot 1 determines that the task to be performed may be affected (e.g., causing task delay) due to the slow moving speed, the autonomous mobile robot 1 will change the path to reach the destination via another road.

[0058] See also Figure 5 .At Figure 5 In the example, there is an obstacle on the preset path and the obstacle is person 2. Person 2's moving direction F2 is opposite to the moving direction F1 of the autonomous mobile robot 1. In this case, if the distance between person 2 and either side of the road is greater than the preset value, the autonomous mobile robot 1 will avoid that side and continue to the destination. The preset value is greater than the width of the autonomous mobile robot 1, which means that the autonomous mobile robot 1 can pass through without getting too close to person 2. The preset value can be adjusted according to actual needs. Figure 5 In the illustrated embodiment, the distance D31 between the person 2 and the first side 31 of the road is greater than a preset value, and the distance between the person 2 and the second side 32 of the road is less than a preset value, so the autonomous mobile robot 1 avoids to the first side 31 of the road and continues to the destination. At the same time, the control module 13 controls the interaction module 14 to inform the person 2 of the moving path of the autonomous mobile robot 1 by performing interactive actions (such as voice prompts). Figure 5 The dotted line in the figure represents the historical movement trajectory.

[0059] See also Figure 6 .At Figure 6 In the example, there is an obstacle on the preset path and the obstacle is person 2, and the moving direction F2 of person 2 is opposite to the moving direction F1 of the autonomous mobile robot 1. In this case, if the distance between person 2 and both sides of the road is less than the preset value, but the sum of the distance between person 2 and both sides of the road is greater than the preset value, the autonomous mobile robot 1 avoids to one side of the road and stops, and requests person 2 to pass between the autonomous mobile robot 1 and the other side of the road through the interaction module 14. The autonomous mobile robot 1 waits for person 2 to pass before continuing to the destination. Figure 6 In the illustrated embodiment, the distances D31 and D32 between the person 2 and both sides of the road are smaller than the preset values, but the sum of the distances D31 and D32 is larger than the preset value, so the autonomous mobile robot 1 avoids to the first side 31 of the road and stops, and requests the person 2 to pass between the autonomous mobile robot 1 and the second side 32 of the road through the interaction module 14, and continues to the destination after waiting for the person 2 to pass. Figure 6In the embodiment of the present invention, the autonomous mobile robot 1 can decide which side of the road to avoid according to preset rules, preset judgment conditions or actual conditions, for example, according to road use rules (prioritizing left or right), the distance between the autonomous mobile robot 1 or the person 2 and the two sides of the road, the inclination direction of the trajectory of the person 2, etc. In this embodiment, the autonomous mobile robot 1 can move to the first side 31 of the road and maintain a stopped state. The length of the stopped state can be a preset stop time, or a stop time to be waited according to the speed of the person 2, or even after detecting that the person 2 passes the autonomous mobile robot 1 and is a preset distance away, the autonomous mobile robot 1 returns to the moving state.

[0060] See also Figure 7 .At Figure 7 In the example, there is an obstacle on the preset path and the obstacle is person 2. Person 2's moving direction F2 is opposite to the moving direction F1 of the autonomous mobile robot 1. In this case, if the sum of the distances between person 2 and both sides of the road is less than the preset value, it means that the road may be too narrow to stop and avoid. The autonomous mobile robot 1 then retreats and selects a suitable avoidance point on the previously passed path or adjacent space. After arriving at the avoidance point, it avoids to one side of the road and stops, and waits for person 2 to pass before continuing to the destination. At the avoidance point, the width of the road is greater than the sum of the width of person 2 and the preset value. Figure 7 In the illustrated embodiment, the sum of the distances D31 and D32 between the person 2 and the two sides of the road is less than the preset value, so the autonomous mobile robot 1 retreats to the avoidance point 4, avoids to the first side 31 of the road and stops, and continues to the destination after waiting for the person 2 to pass. At the same time, the control module 13 controls the interaction module 14 to inform the person 2 of the moving path of the autonomous mobile robot 1 by performing an interactive action (such as a voice prompt). In some embodiments, the autonomous mobile robot 1 can find an avoidance point during the retreat process. In other words, the autonomous mobile robot 1 continues to confirm the width of the road when retreating, and avoids when the width of the road is greater than the sum of the person 2 and the preset value. In addition, in some embodiments, a plurality of avoidance points are set in the preset map for the autonomous mobile robot 1 to avoid the person 2. When the autonomous mobile robot 1 needs to adopt the obstacle avoidance strategy of retreating and avoiding, the autonomous mobile robot 1 retreats and moves to the avoidance point that meets the preset conditions, wherein the preset conditions include that the avoidance point is closest to the autonomous mobile robot 1 and / or the avoidance point is located on the previous moving path of the autonomous mobile robot 1.

[0061] See also Figure 8 .At Figure 8In the example, there is an obstacle on the preset path and the obstacle is a person 5 who moves with a mobility aid, and the moving direction F5 of the person 5 is opposite to the moving direction F1 of the autonomous mobile robot 1. In this case, the autonomous mobile robot 1 will retreat to the avoidance point 4, avoid to one side of the road and stop, and wait for the person 5 to pass before continuing to the destination. At the same time, the control module 13 controls the interaction module 14 to inform the person 5 of the moving path of the autonomous mobile robot 1 by performing an interactive action (such as a voice prompt) and / or remind the person 5 to pay attention to the existence and position of the autonomous mobile robot 1 in a voice or visual manner. Similarly, the autonomous mobile robot 1 can find an avoidance point during the retreat process, or move to an avoidance point that meets the preset conditions according to a preset map. In some embodiments, when the autonomous mobile robot 1 is looking for an avoidance point during the retreat process, the autonomous mobile robot 1 will retreat until the increase in the distance between the autonomous mobile robot 1 and one side of the road is greater than a preset value, and then avoid to the side of the road and stop, so that the person 5 can pass without changing the moving path.

[0062] It should be noted that, when there are people on the preset path of the autonomous mobile robot 1, the autonomous mobile robot 1 will inform the people of its moving path when avoiding the people. In addition, when the people are around the autonomous mobile robot 1 but not on the preset path, the control module 13 of the autonomous mobile robot 1 will control the interactive module 14 to greet the people by performing interactive actions. Furthermore, when the people are around the autonomous mobile robot 1 or on the preset path, the autonomous mobile robot 1 will slow down when the distance with the people is less than the first distance, and the autonomous mobile robot 1 will ensure that the distance with the people is greater than the second distance, so as to avoid collision with the people and improve safety, wherein the first distance and the second distance can be set according to actual needs (such as the type of building, the average road width and the operating mode of the autonomous mobile robot 1, etc.).

[0063] When the judgment unit 131 determines that there is an obstacle on the preset path and the obstacle is a static object, the navigation unit 132 obtains the width of the road where the autonomous mobile robot 1 is located and the position and width of the static object through environmental information, and determines the obstacle avoidance strategy according to the width of the road, the width of the autonomous mobile robot 1, and the position and width of the static object. Specifically, when the remaining width of the road is sufficient for the autonomous mobile robot 1 to pass, the autonomous mobile robot 1 will adopt the obstacle avoidance strategy of moving forward by the side; and when the remaining width of the road is insufficient for the autonomous mobile robot 1 to pass, the autonomous mobile robot 1 will adopt the obstacle avoidance strategy of taking a detour.

[0064] In some embodiments, the building where the autonomous mobile robot 1 is located includes multiple floors. When there is an obstacle on the preset path, and the autonomous mobile robot 1 determines that there is no available obstacle avoidance strategy on the current floor based on the preset map, environmental information and the type of obstacle (for example, the remaining width of the road is not enough to execute the obstacle avoidance strategy of walking on the side or avoiding on the side, and there is no avoidance point or other road on the current floor for executing the obstacle avoidance strategy of retreating or detouring), the autonomous mobile robot 1 can go to the destination through another floor (for example, take an elevator to another floor).

[0065] In addition, in some embodiments, the interactive actions that can be performed by the interactive module 14 also include dialogue. Therefore, in some special cases, the autonomous mobile robot 1 can communicate with the personnel and cooperate with the personnel through dialogue to implement a specific obstacle avoidance strategy. Fig. 9 As shown, in the case where there is an obstacle on the preset path and the obstacle is a static object 61, when the distances between the static object 61 and both sides of the road are less than the preset value, and the sum of the distances between the static object 61 and both sides of the road is greater than the preset value, if the judgment unit 131 determines that the static object 61 is movable and there is a person 62 around the autonomous mobile robot 1, the autonomous mobile robot 1 communicates with the person 62 to request the person 62 to assist in moving the static object 61 to either side of the road for the autonomous mobile robot 1 to pass.

[0066] See also Fig.10 , Fig.10 for Figure 1 In order to enable the interactive actions that can be executed by the interactive module 14 to include dialogue, in some embodiments, such as Fig.10As shown, the interaction module 14 can use a language model to generate response content according to the speech of the person, so as to realize the dialogue between the autonomous mobile robot 1 and the person, wherein the language model can be, for example, but not limited to, a large language model (LLM) based on a neural network. The interaction module 14 includes a sound receiving element 141, an audio processing unit 142, a speech recognition unit 143, a response generation unit 144, a speech synthesis unit 145 and a broadcasting element 146. The sound receiving element 141 is used to receive the sound emitted by the person and generate a corresponding sound signal, which can be, for example, but not limited to, a microphone. The audio processing unit 142 is connected to the sound receiving element 141 and is used to perform audio processing (including but not limited to eliminating noise) on the sound signal generated by the sound receiving element 141. The speech recognition unit 143 is connected to the audio processing unit 142 and is used to convert the sound signal processed by the audio processing unit 142 into text content, wherein the speech recognition unit 143 can, for example, but not limited to, use a Whisper model to convert the sound signal into text content. The response generation unit 144 is connected to the speech recognition unit 143 and is used to generate a response text based on the language model to respond to the text content generated by the speech recognition unit 143. The speech synthesis unit 145 is connected to the response generation unit 144 and is used to convert the response text generated by the response generation unit 144 into a sound signal. The broadcasting element 146 is connected to the speech synthesis unit 145 and plays the speech according to the sound signal generated by the speech synthesis unit 145.

[0067] In some embodiments, the response generation unit 144 includes an AI (artificial intelligence) chatbot, such as but not limited to ChatGPT. Through this AI chatbot, the autonomous mobile robot 1 can communicate with personnel about the actual situation and discuss feasible obstacle avoidance strategies, and is not limited to dialogue with preset questions and answers, thereby improving the applicability of the autonomous mobile robot 1.

[0068] It should be noted that the above is only a preferred embodiment for illustrating the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described. The scope of the present invention is determined by the attached claims. Moreover, the present invention may be modified in various ways by those skilled in the art, but all of them are within the scope of the protection intended by the attached claims.

Claims

1. An autonomous mobile robot for moving in a building using a preset map, comprising: a moving module, used to enable the autonomous mobile robot to move; A sensing module, used for continuously sensing the environmental information around the autonomous mobile robot; a control module, electrically connected to the mobile module and the sensing module, and used to control the mobile module and the sensing module, wherein the mobile module moves the autonomous mobile robot to a destination according to the instruction of the control module, and the control module comprises: a determination unit, configured to determine whether there are obstacles around the autonomous mobile robot and on a preset path according to the environmental information sensed by the sensing module; and a navigation unit electrically connected to the determination unit, wherein when the determination unit determines that the obstacle exists on the preset path, the navigation unit determines an obstacle avoidance strategy according to the environmental information and the type of the obstacle, wherein the obstacle avoidance strategy at least includes moving forward along the side, moving forward along the side to avoid, moving backward to avoid, and taking a detour; and An interaction module is electrically connected to the control module and controlled by the control module, wherein when the judgment unit determines that the obstacle exists around the autonomous mobile robot or on the preset path, the interaction module performs a corresponding interaction action according to the obstacle avoidance strategy and the type of the obstacle, and the interaction action at least includes a voice prompt.

2. The autonomous mobile robot as described in claim 1, wherein when the judgment unit determines that the obstacle exists on the preset path and the obstacle is a dynamic obstacle, and the moving direction of the dynamic obstacle is the same as the moving direction of the autonomous mobile robot, the navigation unit obtains the moving speed of the dynamic obstacle through the environmental information, and adjusts the moving speed and moving path of the autonomous mobile robot according to the moving speed of the dynamic obstacle, wherein the dynamic obstacle includes a person and / or a dynamic object.

3. The autonomous mobile robot as described in claim 2, wherein when the moving direction of the dynamic obstacle is the same as the moving direction of the autonomous mobile robot, and the dynamic obstacle includes the person, the control module controls the interaction module to inform the person of the moving direction of the autonomous mobile robot by executing the interaction action when the distance between the autonomous mobile robot and the person is less than a preset distance.

4. The autonomous mobile robot as described in claim 2, wherein when the moving direction of the dynamic obstacle is the same as the moving direction of the autonomous mobile robot, the navigation unit controls the mobile module so that the distance between the autonomous mobile robot and the dynamic obstacle is greater than or equal to the safety distance.

5. The autonomous mobile robot as described in claim 2, wherein when the moving direction of the dynamic obstacle is the same as the moving direction of the autonomous mobile robot, and the moving speed of the dynamic obstacle is less than a preset speed, the navigation unit controls the mobile module to make the autonomous mobile robot go to the destination via another road.

6. The autonomous mobile robot as described in claim 1, wherein when the judgment unit determines that the obstacle exists on the preset path and the obstacle is a dynamic obstacle, and the moving direction of the dynamic obstacle is opposite to the moving direction of the autonomous mobile robot, the navigation unit obtains the width of the road where the autonomous mobile robot is located and the width of the dynamic obstacle through the environmental information, and determines the obstacle avoidance strategy according to the distance between the dynamic obstacle and both sides of the road and the width of the autonomous mobile robot.

7. The autonomous mobile robot as described in claim 6, wherein when the moving direction of the dynamic obstacle is opposite to the moving direction of the autonomous mobile robot, and the distance between the dynamic obstacle and either side of the road is greater than a preset value, the navigation unit controls the mobile module to make the autonomous mobile robot avoid to that side and continue to move to the destination, wherein the preset value is greater than the width of the autonomous mobile robot.

8. The autonomous mobile robot as described in claim 6, wherein when the moving direction of the dynamic obstacle is opposite to the moving direction of the autonomous mobile robot, and the distances between the dynamic obstacle and the two sides of the road are both less than a preset value, if the sum of the distances between the dynamic obstacle and the two sides of the road is greater than the preset value, the navigation unit controls the mobile module to make the autonomous mobile robot avoid to one of the two sides of the road and stop, and continue to move to the destination after the dynamic obstacle passes, wherein the preset value is greater than the width of the autonomous mobile robot.

9. The autonomous mobile robot as described in claim 6, wherein when the moving direction of the dynamic obstacle is opposite to the moving direction of the autonomous mobile robot, and the sum of the distances between the dynamic obstacle and the two sides of the road is less than a preset value, the navigation unit controls the mobile module to make the autonomous mobile robot retreat until the width of the road is greater than the sum of the width of the dynamic obstacle and the preset value, avoids to one side of the road and stops, and continues to move to the destination after the dynamic obstacle passes, wherein the preset value is greater than the width of the autonomous mobile robot.

10. The autonomous mobile robot as described in claim 6, wherein a plurality of avoidance points are set in the preset map; when the moving direction of the dynamic obstacle is opposite to the moving direction of the autonomous mobile robot, and the sum of the distances between the dynamic obstacle and the two sides of the road is less than a preset value, the navigation unit controls the mobile module to make the autonomous mobile robot retreat and move to the avoidance point that meets the preset conditions and stop, and continue to move to the destination after the dynamic obstacle passes, wherein the preset conditions include that the avoidance point is closest to the autonomous mobile robot and / or the avoidance point is located on the previous moving path of the autonomous mobile robot.

11. The autonomous mobile robot as described in claim 1, wherein when the judgment unit determines that the obstacle exists on the preset path and the obstacle is a person moving with a mobility aid, if the moving direction of the person is opposite to the moving direction of the autonomous mobile robot, the navigation unit controls the mobile module to make the autonomous mobile robot retreat until the increase in the distance between the autonomous mobile robot and one side of the road is greater than a preset value, avoids to the side of the road and stops, and continues to move to the destination after the person passes, wherein the preset value is greater than the width of the autonomous mobile robot.

12. The autonomous mobile robot as described in claim 1, wherein a plurality of avoidance points are set in the preset map; when the judgment unit determines that the obstacle exists on the preset path and the obstacle is a person moving with a mobility aid, if the moving direction of the person is opposite to the moving direction of the autonomous mobile robot, the navigation unit controls the mobile module to make the autonomous mobile robot retreat and move to the avoidance point that meets the preset conditions and stop, and continue to move to the destination after the person passes, wherein the preset conditions include that the avoidance point is closest to the autonomous mobile robot and / or the avoidance point is located on the previous moving path of the autonomous mobile robot.

13. The autonomous mobile robot as described in claim 1, wherein when the judgment unit determines that the obstacle exists on the preset path and the obstacle is a static object, the navigation unit obtains the width of the road where the autonomous mobile robot is located and the position and width of the static object through the environmental information, and determines the obstacle avoidance strategy according to the width of the road, the width of the autonomous mobile robot, and the position and width of the static object.

14. The autonomous mobile robot as described in claim 1, wherein when the judgment unit determines that the obstacle exists around the autonomous mobile robot or on the preset path and the obstacle is a person, the control module controls the interaction module to inform the person of the moving path of the autonomous mobile robot by executing the interaction action.

15. The autonomous mobile robot as described in claim 1, wherein the building comprises multiple floors, and when the judgment unit determines that the obstacle exists on the preset path, and determines that the obstacle avoidance strategy is not available on the current floor based on the preset map, the environmental information and the type of the obstacle, the navigation unit controls the mobile module to make the autonomous mobile robot go to the destination through another floor.

16. The autonomous mobile robot as described in claim 1, wherein the interactive action also includes a dialogue; when the judgment unit determines that the obstacle exists on the preset path and the obstacle is a static object, when the distance between the static object and both sides of the road is less than a preset value, and the sum of the distances between the static object and the both sides of the road is greater than the preset value, if the judgment unit determines that the static object is movable and there is a person around the autonomous mobile robot, the interactive module dialogues with the person to request the person to assist in moving the static object for the autonomous mobile robot to pass, wherein the preset value is greater than the width of the autonomous mobile robot.

17. An operating method of an autonomous mobile robot, wherein the autonomous mobile robot is used to move in a building using a preset map and comprises a mobile module, a sensing module, a control module and an interaction module, the operating method comprising: Using the control module to control the movement module to make the autonomous mobile robot move toward a destination; Utilizing the sensing module to continuously sense environmental information around the autonomous mobile robot; A judgment unit of the control module is used to judge whether there is an obstacle on a preset path of the autonomous mobile robot according to the environmental information sensed by the sensing module, wherein when the judgment unit judges that the obstacle exists on the preset path, a navigation unit of the control module is used to determine an obstacle avoidance strategy according to the environmental information and the type of the obstacle, and the control module is used to control the interaction module to perform a corresponding interaction action according to the obstacle avoidance strategy and the type of the obstacle, wherein the obstacle avoidance strategy at least includes moving sideways, avoiding sideways, retreating to avoid, and detouring, and the interaction action at least includes voice prompts; and The judgment unit is used to judge whether the obstacle exists around the autonomous mobile robot according to the environmental information sensed by the sensing module. When the judgment unit judges that the obstacle exists around the autonomous mobile robot, the control module is used to control the interaction module to perform the corresponding interaction action according to the type of the obstacle.

18. The operating method according to claim 17, further comprising: When the judgment unit determines that the obstacle exists on the preset path and the obstacle is a dynamic obstacle, and the moving direction of the dynamic obstacle is the same as the moving direction of the autonomous mobile robot, the navigation unit is used to obtain the moving speed of the dynamic obstacle through the environmental information, and the moving speed and moving path of the autonomous mobile robot are adjusted according to the moving speed of the dynamic obstacle, wherein the dynamic obstacle includes a person and / or a dynamic object.

19. The operating method according to claim 18, further comprising: When the moving direction of the dynamic obstacle is the same as the moving direction of the autonomous mobile robot, and the dynamic obstacle includes the person, the control module is used to control the interaction module to inform the person of the moving direction of the autonomous mobile robot by executing the interaction action when the distance between the autonomous mobile robot and the person is less than a preset distance.

20. The operating method according to claim 18, further comprising: When the moving direction of the dynamic obstacle is the same as the moving direction of the autonomous mobile robot, the navigation unit is used to control the mobile module so that the distance between the autonomous mobile robot and the dynamic obstacle is greater than or equal to the safety distance.

21. The operating method of claim 18, further comprising: When the moving direction of the dynamic obstacle is the same as the moving direction of the autonomous mobile robot, and the moving speed of the dynamic obstacle is less than a preset speed, the navigation unit is used to control the mobile module to enable the autonomous mobile robot to go to the destination via another road.

22. The operating method of claim 17, further comprising: When the judgment unit determines that the obstacle exists on the preset path and the obstacle is a dynamic obstacle, and the moving direction of the dynamic obstacle is opposite to the moving direction of the autonomous mobile robot, the navigation unit is used to obtain the width of the road where the autonomous mobile robot is located and the width of the dynamic obstacle through the environmental information, and the obstacle avoidance strategy is determined according to the distance between the dynamic obstacle and the two sides of the road and the width of the autonomous mobile robot.

23. The operating method of claim 22, further comprising: When the moving direction of the dynamic obstacle is opposite to the moving direction of the autonomous mobile robot, and the distance between the dynamic obstacle and either side of the road is greater than a preset value, the navigation unit is used to control the mobile module to make the autonomous mobile robot avoid to that side and continue to move to the destination, wherein the preset value is greater than the width of the autonomous mobile robot.

24. The operating method of claim 22, further comprising: When the moving direction of the dynamic obstacle is opposite to the moving direction of the autonomous mobile robot, and the distances between the dynamic obstacle and the two sides of the road are both less than a preset value, if the sum of the distances between the dynamic obstacle and the two sides of the road is greater than the preset value, the navigation unit is used to control the mobile module to make the autonomous mobile robot avoid to one of the two sides of the road and stop, and continue to move to the destination after the dynamic obstacle passes, wherein the preset value is greater than the width of the autonomous mobile robot.

25. The operating method of claim 22, further comprising: When the moving direction of the dynamic obstacle is opposite to the moving direction of the autonomous mobile robot, and the sum of the distances between the dynamic obstacle and the two sides of the road is less than a preset value, the navigation unit is used to control the mobile module to make the autonomous mobile robot retreat until the width of the road is greater than the sum of the width of the dynamic obstacle and the preset value, and then avoid to one side of the road and stop, and continue to move to the destination after the dynamic obstacle passes, wherein the preset value is greater than the width of the autonomous mobile robot.

26. The operating method of claim 22, wherein a plurality of avoidance points are set in the preset map, and the operating method further comprises: When the moving direction of the dynamic obstacle is opposite to the moving direction of the autonomous mobile robot, and the sum of the distances between the dynamic obstacle and the two sides of the road is less than a preset value, the navigation unit is used to control the mobile module to make the autonomous mobile robot retreat and move to the avoidance point that meets the preset conditions and stop, and continue to move to the destination after the dynamic obstacle passes, wherein the preset conditions include that the avoidance point is closest to the autonomous mobile robot and / or the avoidance point is located on the previous moving path of the autonomous mobile robot.

27. The operating method of claim 17, further comprising: When the judgment unit determines that the obstacle exists on the preset path and the obstacle is a person moving with a mobility aid, if the moving direction of the person is opposite to the moving direction of the autonomous mobile robot, the navigation unit is used to control the mobile module to make the autonomous mobile robot retreat until the increase in the distance between the autonomous mobile robot and one side of the road is greater than a preset value, and then the autonomous mobile robot avoids to the side of the road and stops, and continues to move to the destination after the person passes, wherein the preset value is greater than the width of the autonomous mobile robot.

28. The operating method of claim 17, wherein a plurality of avoidance points are set in the preset map, and the operating method further comprises: When the judgment unit determines that the obstacle exists on the preset path and the obstacle is a person moving with a mobility aid, if the moving direction of the person is opposite to the moving direction of the autonomous mobile robot, the navigation unit is used to control the mobile module to make the autonomous mobile robot retreat and move to the avoidance point that meets the preset conditions and stop, and continue to move to the destination after the person passes, wherein the preset conditions include that the avoidance point is closest to the autonomous mobile robot and / or the avoidance point is located on the previous moving path of the autonomous mobile robot.

29. The operating method of claim 17, further comprising: When the judgment unit determines that the obstacle exists on the preset path and the obstacle is a static object, the navigation unit is used to obtain the width of the road where the autonomous mobile robot is located and the position and width of the static object through the environmental information, and the obstacle avoidance strategy is determined based on the width of the road, the width of the autonomous mobile robot, and the position and width of the static object.

30. The operating method of claim 17, further comprising: When the judgment unit determines that the obstacle exists around the autonomous mobile robot or on the preset path and the obstacle is a person, the control module is used to control the interaction module to inform the person of the moving path of the autonomous mobile robot by executing the interaction action.

31. The operating method of claim 17, wherein the building comprises a plurality of floors, the operating method further comprising: When the judgment unit determines that the obstacle exists on the preset path, and determines that no obstacle avoidance strategy is available on the current floor based on the preset map, the environmental information and the type of the obstacle, the navigation unit is used to control the mobile module to make the autonomous mobile robot go to the destination through another floor.

32. The operation method of claim 17, wherein the interactive action further comprises a dialogue, and the operation method further comprises: In the case where the judgment unit determines that the obstacle exists on the preset path and the obstacle is a static object, when the distances between the static object and both sides of the road are less than the preset value, and the sum of the distances between the static object and the both sides of the road is greater than the preset value, if the judgment unit determines that the static object is movable and there is a person around the autonomous mobile robot, the interaction module is used to communicate with the person to request the person to assist in moving the static object for the autonomous mobile robot to pass, wherein the preset value is greater than the width of the autonomous mobile robot.

Images