Camera modules, differential chassis and mobile robots

Abstract

The utility model relates to the field of robot technology, and discloses a camera module, a differential chassis, and a mobile robot. The camera module is applied to the differential chassis, and the camera module includes a circuit board, a first camera, and a second camera. The circuit board is fixed to the differential chassis; the first camera is fixed to the circuit board and electrically connected to the circuit board; the second camera is fixed to the circuit board and electrically connected to the circuit board; wherein the first camera is used to identify a target object at a long distance, and the second camera is used to identify a target object at a short distance. The utility model applies the camera module to the differential chassis, aiming to solve the technical problem that the differential chassis needs to be repeatedly moved and adjusted back and forth when performing a long-distance guiding task, which takes a long time and leads to low work efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of robots, and in particular to a camera module, a differential chassis and a mobile robot. Background Art

[0002] The differential chassis of a mobile robot refers to a structure in which the chassis uses a differential as a drive device. The differential chassis has unique advantages and is suitable for automated navigation and transportation systems.

[0003] In related technologies, the differential chassis needs to navigate to a specific location and aim at the target. The optimal control method is to have the camera recognize the target at a long distance and plan a path from the current location to the target location. If the target is aimed at a very close distance, the differential chassis can only move forward and backward but not horizontally. At this time, the differential chassis needs to be moved back and forth repeatedly, which takes a long time and leads to low working efficiency of the mobile robot. Utility Model Content

[0004] The utility model aims to provide a camera module, a differential chassis and a mobile robot to solve the technical problem that the differential chassis needs to be moved back and forth repeatedly for adjustment, which takes a long time and leads to low working efficiency of the mobile robot.

[0005] In order to achieve the above object, the utility model provides a camera module, which is applied to a differential chassis and includes:

[0006] A circuit board, wherein the circuit board is fixed to the differential chassis;

[0007] a first camera, the first camera being fixed to the circuit board and electrically connected to the circuit board;

[0008] a second camera, the second camera being fixed to the circuit board and electrically connected to the circuit board;

[0009] The first camera is used to identify a target object at a long distance, and the second camera is used to identify a target object at a short distance.

[0010] In the camera module of the present application, the first camera includes a first base and a first lens installed on the first base, the second camera includes a second base and a second lens installed on the second base, the first base and the second base are fixed to the circuit board, and the focal length of the first lens is greater than the focal length of the second lens.

[0011] In the camera module of the present application, the camera module includes a fill light device, and the fill light device is used to emit light to the target object so that the target object reflects the light.

[0012] In the camera module of the present application, the fill light device includes a first light board and a second light board, the first light board is connected to the first lens, and the second light board is connected to the second lens.

[0013] In the camera module of the present application, the first light board is mounted on the periphery of the first lens, and the second light board is mounted on the periphery of the second lens.

[0014] In the camera module of the present application, the fill light device includes a first power line and a second power line, the first light board is electrically connected to the circuit board through the first power line, and the second light board is electrically connected to the circuit board through the second power line.

[0015] In the camera module of the present application, the first light board abuts against the second light board.

[0016] In the camera module of the present application, the circuit board is provided with a data port, and the data port is connected to the controller of the differential chassis.

[0017] In a second aspect, the utility model provides a differential chassis including the camera module.

[0018] In a third aspect, the utility model provides a mobile robot including the differential chassis.

[0019] The utility model provides a camera module, which has the following beneficial effects:

[0020] The camera module of the utility model is applied to a differential chassis. When the differential chassis is far away from the target object, the first camera can identify the target object at a long distance, so that the differential chassis can accurately capture and identify the target object at a long distance when moving. The processing unit inside the circuit board plans a path from the current position to the target position so that the differential chassis can move quickly toward the target object. When the differential chassis moves to a closer distance to the target object, the second camera identifies the target object at a close distance. When the differential chassis approaches the target object, the second camera can provide more accurate and detailed image information. The dual-camera configuration of the utility model greatly improves the differential chassis's ability to perceive the target object. Whether it is a distant target object or a nearby target object, the camera module can quickly and accurately capture it, thereby overcoming the technical problem that the differential chassis uses a single camera and the differential chassis needs to be moved back and forth repeatedly for adjustment due to insufficient depth of field. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0022] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a camera module provided by an embodiment of the utility model;

[0023] Figure 2 Another structural schematic diagram of a camera module provided by an embodiment of the utility model;

[0024] Figure 3 for Figure 2 Front view of .

[0025] The following are marked in the figure:

[0026] 10. first camera; 11. first base; 12. first lens;

[0027] 20. second camera; 21. second base; 22. second lens;

[0028] 30. Circuit board; 31. Data port;

[0029] 40. Fill light device; 41. First light board; 42. Second light board; 43. First power cord; 44. Second power cord;

[0030] 100. Camera module. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] The following is a further detailed description of the specific implementation of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and examples. The following examples are used to illustrate the present invention, but are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

[0032] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that the terms "upper", "lower", "front", "back", "inside", "outside", etc. used in the present invention to indicate the orientation or positional relationship are based on the positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the devices and elements referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present invention.

[0033] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "first", "second", etc. are used in the present invention to describe various information, but these information should not be limited to these terms, and these terms are only used to distinguish the same type of information from each other. For example, without departing from the scope of the present invention, "first" information may also be referred to as "second" information, and similarly, "second" information may also be referred to as "first" information.

[0034] In related technologies, mobile robots include automatic guided vehicles (AGVs), autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) and other types. A camera is usually installed on the differential chassis of the mobile robot. Through high-resolution cameras and image processing technology, the camera can obtain surrounding environment information in real time and detect target objects, so that the mobile robot can accurately perceive and respond in complex environments, thereby completing the task of guiding movement.

[0035] In order to enable the differential chassis of the mobile robot to accurately identify the target during movement, the camera must be able to see the target at a long distance (about 1m away) and can see the target throughout the whole process, so the camera needs to have a very large depth of field range (that is, the range in which the camera can clearly image), but the current cameras on the market cannot achieve such a large depth of field range. For example, if a camera that can image clearly at 1m is selected (called camera A), then the depth of field of camera A may be 0.8m-1.2m. When the differential chassis gradually approaches the target, the image of the camera within 0.8m begins to blur, resulting in the inability to clearly see the target. At this time, the planned path is not accurate enough. If you choose a camera that can produce clear images at 0.05m (called camera B), the depth of field of camera B may be 0.05m-0.1m (generally speaking, the shorter the focal length, the smaller the depth of field). The target cannot be seen beyond 0.1m, and the camera must be moved closer to a distance of only 0.1m to see the target before it can begin to adjust the alignment. This causes the differential chassis to need to be moved back and forth repeatedly for adjustment, which in turn greatly reduces the working efficiency of the mobile robot.

[0036] The above-mentioned task is called a long-distance guidance task. It can be seen that it is unrealistic to use one camera to complete the long-distance guidance task. In addition to the problem that the ordinary camera is limited by the depth of field, there are other problems such as automatic zoom camera (zoom speed is too slow and cannot keep up with the movement speed of the differential chassis), manual zoom camera (the control logic is complex and the control of the camera needs to be coupled with the movement of the differential chassis, which increases the complexity of the system and reduces the robustness).

[0037] In view of this, if Figure 1As shown, an embodiment of the utility model provides a camera module 100 applied to a differential chassis, wherein the camera module 100 includes a circuit board 30, a first camera 10 and a second camera 20, wherein the circuit board 30 is fixed to the differential chassis; the first camera 10 is fixed to the circuit board 30 and is electrically connected to the circuit board 30; the second camera 20 is fixed to the circuit board 30 and is electrically connected to the circuit board 30; wherein the first camera 10 is used to identify a target object at a long distance, and the second camera 20 is used to identify a target object at a close distance.

[0038] Based on the above technical solution, the camera module 100 of this embodiment is applied to the differential chassis. When the differential chassis is far away from the target object, the first camera 10 can identify the target object at a long distance, so that the differential chassis can accurately capture and identify the target object at a long distance when moving. The processing unit inside the circuit board 30 plans a path from the current position to the target position, so that the differential chassis can move quickly toward the target object. When the differential chassis moves to a closer distance to the target object, the second camera 20 identifies the target object at a close distance. When the differential chassis approaches the target object, the second camera 20 can provide more accurate and detailed image information. In this way, the configuration of the dual cameras greatly improves the differential chassis's ability to perceive the target object. Whether it is a distant target object or a nearby target object, the camera module 100 can capture it quickly and accurately, thereby overcoming the technical problem that the differential chassis uses a single camera and the differential chassis needs to be repeatedly moved back and forth for adjustment due to insufficient depth of field.

[0039] In this embodiment, the circuit board 30, as the core component of the camera module 100, is fixed to the differential chassis to ensure the installation stability of the camera module 100. The fixing method of the camera module 30 is different depending on the different positions installed on the differential chassis. Generally speaking, there are four screw holes at the four corners of the circuit board 30, and screws are passed through the screw holes to fix it to a certain position on the chassis. Even on bumpy roads or in high-speed movement, the circuit board 30 and the two cameras thereon can maintain a stable working state. The first camera 10 and the second camera 20 are both electrically connected to the circuit board 30 to ensure the efficiency and stability of data transmission, and the image information captured by the camera can be quickly and accurately transmitted to the processing unit in the circuit board 30 for processing.

[0040] As an embodiment, the first camera 10 includes a first base 11 and a first lens 12 installed on the first base 11, the second camera 20 includes a second base 21 and a second lens 22 installed on the second base 21, the first base 11 and the second base 21 are fixed to the circuit board 30, and the focal length of the first lens 12 is greater than the focal length of the second lens 22.

[0041] Specifically, Figure 2As shown, the left side shows the specific structure of the first camera 10, and the right side shows the specific structure of the second camera 20. The first lens 12 is mounted on the circuit board 30 through the first base 11, and the second lens 22 is mounted on the circuit board 30 through the second base 21. Both lenses are electrically connected to the chip inside the circuit board 30. The lens is mounted on the circuit board 30 through the base, which facilitates the assembly and disassembly of the two cameras and helps with later maintenance and upgrading. When the lens needs to be replaced or upgraded, only the corresponding base and lens need to be replaced, without replacing the entire circuit board 30.

[0042] It is understandable that, unlike ordinary binocular cameras, the focal lengths of the two lenses of this embodiment are different. The focal length of the first lens 12 is greater than the focal length of the second lens 22. The first lens 12 can identify distant target objects as a telephoto lens, and the second lens 22 can identify close target objects as a short-focus lens. The recognition of long and short distances is achieved by setting the difference in the focal lengths of the two lenses. For example, the focal length of the first lens 12 (telephoto lens) is 16 mm, and the focal length of the second lens 22 (short-focus lens) is 4 mm.

[0043] For example, when the differential chassis is far away from the target object, such as 2-3 meters, the first lens 12 (telephoto lens) can clearly and accurately identify the target object and move toward the target object along the optimal path. When the differential chassis moves to a closer distance to the target object, such as 0.05 meters, the first lens 12 (telephoto lens) cannot focus and cannot identify the target object. The target object is identified by the second lens 22 (short-focus lens). In this way, the target object can be captured quickly and accurately regardless of whether it is a long distance or a close distance.

[0044] As an implementation method, Figure 2 As shown, the camera module 100 includes a fill light device 40, which is used to emit light to a target object so that the target object reflects the light.

[0045] Specifically, because the camera module 100 is mainly used for the long-distance guidance task of the differential chassis, the role of the fill light device 40 is to emit light to the target object at a long distance, so that the target object reflects sufficiently strong light, otherwise the target object is not easy to be seen at a relatively far distance, that is, the camera module 100 cannot recognize it. In practical applications, the target object is designed with a reflective material, so that the target object can have a better reflection effect on the light emitted by the fill light device 40, so as to facilitate the recognition of the camera module 100. In addition, in the case of insufficient light or dim environment, the fill light device 40 can provide an additional light source, so that the target object reflects more light into the lens of the camera module 100.

[0046] As an implementation method, Figure 2 or Figure 3 As shown, the fill light device 40 includes a first light board 41 and a second light board 42 . The first light board 41 is connected to the first lens 12 , and the second light board 42 is connected to the second lens 22 .

[0047] Specifically, the first light board 41 and the second light board 42 respectively provide fill light for the first lens 12 and the second lens 22, ensuring that each lens can obtain sufficient lighting. The light board is connected to the lens, making the structure of the entire fill light device 40 more compact and easy to install and disassemble. Of course, in actual applications, the light board and the lens may not be connected, and the light board may be installed on a base corresponding to the lens.

[0048] It should be noted that when the differential chassis is used at a long distance, the first light board 41 and the second light board 42 will both run at full power, and the two light boards are in the brightest state. When used at a close distance, the target object is easily visible. At this time, the first light board 41 can be turned off, the second light board 42 can be turned on, and the second light board 42 can be controlled to be in a weaker light intensity mode to meet the optical fiber requirements for identifying the target object. In actual applications, the light board generally uses a 940nm or 850nm infrared fill light, so that no glaring light visible to the human eye will be generated under the maximum or minimum power conditions.

[0049] As an implementation method, Figure 2 or Figure 3 As shown, the first light board 41 is sleeved on the outer periphery of the first lens 12 , and the second light board 42 is sleeved on the outer periphery of the second lens 22 .

[0050] Specifically, in this embodiment, two light boards are respectively mounted on the peripheries of two lenses, so that the entire fill light device 40 has a more compact structure and can reduce the overall volume of the camera module 100. Since the light board is tightly mounted on the periphery of the lens, the light emitted by the light board can be more directly and accurately irradiated to the target object, so that the target object can be adequately filled with light.

[0051] It is understandable that the light board is directly mounted on the periphery of the lens, and the installation process is simpler and faster. At the same time, due to the compact structure and tight connection, maintenance is also more convenient. If the light board needs to be replaced or repaired, it is only necessary to remove the old light board and install a new one, without large-scale disassembly or adjustment of the camera module 100.

[0052] As an implementation method, Figure 3 As shown, the first lamp board 41 abuts against the second lamp board 42 .

[0053] Specifically, since the size of the components of the two lenses themselves will occupy a certain position, the first lens 12 and the second lens 22 cannot be completely attached together. Generally speaking, there is a distance of 2-3 cm between the first lens 12 and the second lens 22. However, in actual application, it depends on how large the field of view of the two lenses is. In this embodiment, when the light board is set on the periphery of the lens, the first light board 41 is abutted against the second light board 42, and the two lenses are as close together as possible, so that the fields of view of the two lenses have as much overlapping area as possible.

[0054] As an implementation method, Figure 2 As shown, the fill light device 40 includes a first power line 43 and a second power line 44 , the first light board 41 is electrically connected to the circuit board 30 via the first power line 43 , and the second light board 42 is electrically connected to the circuit board 30 via the second power line 44 .

[0055] Specifically, the specifications, quantity and arrangement of the lamp beads of the first lamp board 41 and the second lamp board 42 can be the same. However, the light intensity of the first lamp board 41 and the second lamp board 42 can be controlled independently. In this embodiment, the first lamp board 41 is electrically connected to the circuit board 30 through the first power line 43, and the second lamp board 42 is electrically connected to the circuit board 30 through the second power line 44, so as to realize independent control of the brightness and color temperature of the first lamp board 41 and the second lamp board 42.

[0056] As an implementation method, Figure 2 or Figure 3 As shown, the circuit board 30 is provided with a data port 31 , and the data port 31 is connected to a controller of the differential chassis.

[0057] Specifically, the data port 31 is a USB data port, which is used to connect to the controller of the differential chassis and is responsible for power supply and data transmission. After the circuit board 30 is fixed to the differential chassis, the data connection between the camera module 100 and the differential chassis is realized through the data port 31.

[0058] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a differential chassis (not shown in the drawings), which includes a camera module 100 .

[0059] Specifically, this embodiment applies the camera module 100 to the differential chassis, thereby overcoming the technical problem that the differential chassis uses a single camera, and the differential chassis needs to be repeatedly moved back and forth for adjustment due to insufficient depth of field, which is time-consuming and has low work efficiency.

[0060] It is understandable that the differential chassis is a key structure of the mobile robot, which is mainly used to realize the movement and steering functions of the robot. The design of the differential chassis is based on the principle of two-wheel differential movement, and various movement and steering operations are achieved by controlling the speed difference of the two wheels.

[0061] The differential chassis mainly includes power wheels, universal wheels, motors, reducers, controllers and sensors, etc. Among them, the differential chassis is usually equipped with two power wheels, located on the left and right sides of the chassis. The two power wheels independently control the speed, and the steering control of the chassis is achieved by giving different speeds. In addition to the two power wheels, the differential chassis is generally equipped with multiple universal wheels for auxiliary support. These universal wheels adopt a shock-absorbing design to ensure that the four wheels are grounded at the same time, avoid slipping, and improve the stability of movement. The motor is used to drive the rotation of the power wheel. The reducer is used to reduce the speed of the motor and increase the torque to meet the speed and power requirements of the power wheel. The controller is the core part of the differential chassis, which is responsible for receiving instructions from a computer or other control device, and sending them to the motor driver after parsing to control the speed and steering of the power wheel. At the same time, the controller is also responsible for the control of other chassis devices, such as collision sensors, obstacle avoidance sensors, etc. Sensors include collision sensors, obstacle avoidance sensors, etc., which are used to detect environmental information around the robot to help the robot achieve autonomous navigation and obstacle avoidance functions. Of course, the differential chassis can also include other structures, which are not specifically limited in this embodiment.

[0062] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the utility model provides a mobile robot, which includes a differential chassis.

[0063] Specifically, by setting the camera module 100 on the differential chassis, the mobile robot can obtain the surrounding environment information in real time and detect the target object, so that the mobile robot can accurately perceive and respond in a complex environment, thereby completing the task of guiding movement.

[0064] It should be understood that the term "and / or" used in the present utility model specification and the appended claims refers to any combination of one or more of the associated listed items and all possible combinations, including these combinations. It should be noted that, in this article, the terms "include", "comprise" or any other variants thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, article or system including a series of elements includes not only those elements, but also includes other elements not explicitly listed, or also includes elements inherent to such process, method, article or system. In the absence of further restrictions, an element defined by the sentence "including a..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article or system including the element.

[0065] The serial numbers of the embodiments of the utility model are only for description and do not represent the advantages and disadvantages of the embodiments. The above description is only a specific embodiment of the utility model, but the protection scope of the utility model is not limited to this. Any technician familiar with the technical field can easily think of various equivalent modifications or replacements within the technical scope disclosed by the utility model, and these modifications or replacements should be included in the protection scope of the utility model. Therefore, the protection scope of the utility model shall be based on the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A camera module, applied to a differential chassis, characterized in that: include: A circuit board, wherein the circuit board is fixed to the differential chassis; a first camera, the first camera being fixed to the circuit board and electrically connected to the circuit board; a second camera, the second camera being fixed to the circuit board and electrically connected to the circuit board; The first camera is used to identify a target object at a long distance, and the second camera is used to identify a target object at a short distance.

2. The camera module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first camera includes a first base and a first lens installed on the first base, the second camera includes a second base and a second lens installed on the second base, the first base and the second base are fixed to the circuit board, and the focal length of the first lens is greater than the focal length of the second lens.

3. The camera module according to claim 2, characterized in that: The camera module includes a fill light device, which is used to emit light to the target object so that the target object reflects the light.

4. The camera module according to claim 3, characterized in that: The fill light device includes a first light board and a second light board, wherein the first light board is connected to the first lens, and the second light board is connected to the second lens.

5. The camera module according to claim 4, characterized in that: The first light board is sleeved on the outer periphery of the first lens, and the second light board is sleeved on the outer periphery of the second lens.

6. The camera module according to claim 4, characterized in that: The fill light device includes a first power line and a second power line. The first light board is electrically connected to the circuit board via the first power line, and the second light board is electrically connected to the circuit board via the second power line.

7. The camera module according to claim 4, characterized in that: The first light board abuts against the second light board.

8. The camera module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The circuit board is provided with a data port, and the data port is connected to a controller of the differential chassis.

9. A differential chassis, characterized in that: Comprising the camera module as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. A mobile robot, characterized in that: Comprising the differential chassis as claimed in claim 9.

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