Laser module, robotic device, and robotic system

Abstract

The application discloses a laser module, a robot device and a robot system. The laser module comprises a base, a transmitting module connected with the base, the transmitting module comprising at least two lasers, the at least two lasers respectively emitting laser light so that the transmitting module outputs at least two beams of transmitting light with different pitch angles, a receiving module connected with the base, the receiving module receiving receiving light, and a scanning component, the scanning component deflecting the transmitting light to form transmitting scanning light, and / or the scanning component deflecting laser light reflected by a detected object to form the receiving light. Since the transmitting module can output at least two beams of transmitting light with different pitch angles, each transmitting light can scan a region with different heights, so that map construction and obstacle avoidance are simultaneously realized by one laser module.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the field of robotic equipment technology, and in particular relates to a laser module, robotic equipment, and robotic system. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of technology, service robots are becoming increasingly ubiquitous in all aspects of life, such as cleaning robots, food delivery robots, and nursing robots. All types of robots involve map building, navigation, and active obstacle avoidance functions, enabling them to accurately navigate their environment along pre-set paths and avoid obstacles such as shoes, chairs, pets, and walls in complex environments.

[0003] In related technologies, two laser modules are typically used to achieve map building and obstacle avoidance respectively, which not only makes the structure complex but also increases the size of the robot device. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application aims to address at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. To this end, this application proposes a laser module, a robotic device, and a robotic system, wherein the laser module can be used for both map building and obstacle avoidance.

[0005] In a first aspect of this application, a laser module is provided, comprising: a base; an emitting module connected to the base, the emitting module including at least two lasers, the at least two lasers emitting lasers respectively, so that the emitting module outputs at least two emitted light beams with different pitch angles; a receiving module connected to the base, the receiving module receiving received light; and a scanning component, the scanning component deflecting the emitted light to form emitted scanning light, and / or the scanning component deflecting laser light reflected by a probed object, thereby forming the received light.

[0006] In some implementations, the at least two lasers are periodically excited in time-segmented manner.

[0007] In some embodiments, of the at least two emitted beams, at least one emitted beam has an elevation angle of α, where α ≥ 0°; and at least one emitted beam has an elevation angle of β, where β < 0°.

[0008] In some implementations, α satisfies 0°≤α≤5°; and β satisfies -15°≤β≤-8°.

[0009] In some embodiments, the horizontal scanning angle α of the emitted scanning light satisfies 90°<α≤140°.

[0010] In some embodiments, a first circuit board is also included, wherein the at least two lasers and the receiver of the receiving module are respectively electrically connected to the first circuit board.

[0011] In some embodiments, the emitting module further includes a first optical element; the lasers emitted by the at least two lasers pass through the first optical element to form the at least two emitted beams with different pitch angles.

[0012] In some embodiments, the at least two lasers are both mounted on the first circuit board; the at least two lasers are spaced apart in a vertical direction, and the beam emission direction of the at least two lasers is perpendicular to the first circuit board; the first optical element includes at least one first collimating lens, and the lasers emitted by the at least two lasers pass through the first collimating lens to form at least two emitted beams with different pitch angles.

[0013] In some embodiments, the first optical element includes at least two second collimating lenses that are the same number as the lasers and correspond one-to-one; the beam emission directions of at least two of the at least two lasers are not parallel, and the lasers emitted by the at least two lasers pass through the corresponding second collimating lenses.

[0014] In some embodiments, the beam emission direction of each of the lasers is parallel to the optical axis of the corresponding second collimating lens.

[0015] In some embodiments, each of the second collimating lenses is integrally formed.

[0016] In some embodiments, the receiving module includes the receiver and a second optical element; each of the received light beams passes through the second optical element and is directed toward the receiver. In some embodiments, the second optical element includes a first converging lens, and the number of receivers is the same as the number of lasers; each received light passes through the first converging lens and is directed toward its corresponding receiver.

[0017] In some embodiments, the second optical element includes the same number of second converging lenses as the laser; the optical axes of at least two of the second converging lenses are not parallel; and each of the received beams passes through its corresponding second converging lens and is directed toward the receiver.

[0018] In some embodiments, the optical axis of each of the second converging lenses is parallel to the direction of the corresponding received light.

[0019] In some embodiments, each of the second converging lenses is integrally formed.

[0020] In some embodiments, the focal points of each of the second converging lenses coincide, and the receiver is located at the focal point.

[0021] In some embodiments, the second optical element includes a first converging lens, and the receiver is sized to cover the illumination position of each of the received lights after passing through the first converging lens.

[0022] In some embodiments, the scanning component includes a rotating mirror and a rotating power element; the rotating mirror is driven to rotate by the rotating power element, thereby deflecting the laser in a predetermined angular sequence.

[0023] In some embodiments, the rotating mirror includes a first reflective part, a light-blocking part, and a second reflective part arranged sequentially along the rotation axis; the first reflective part deflects the emitted light when rotating, and the second reflective part deflects the laser light reflected by the detection object when rotating.

[0024] In a second aspect of this application, a robotic device is provided, including a device body and the laser module described in the first aspect above; the laser module is connected to the device body.

[0025] In a third aspect of this application, a robot system is provided, including a base station and the robot device described in the second aspect above; the robot device can dock with the base station or leave the base station.

[0026] A laser module according to one or more embodiments of this application includes a base, a transmitting module, a receiving module, and a scanning component. Both the transmitting and receiving modules are mounted on the base. The transmitting module includes at least two lasers, each capable of emitting laser light, so that the transmitting module outputs at least two beams of emitted light with different elevation angles. The receiving module receives the received light, the number of which is the same as the number of emitted beams. The scanning component can deflect the emitted light to form an emitted scanning beam; and / or the scanning component can deflect laser light reflected from a detected object to form a received beam. Since the transmitting module can output at least two beams of emitted light with different elevation angles, each beam can scan areas at different heights. Part of the emitted light can be used for ranging of surrounding targets, which can be used for mapping and localization; part of the emitted light can be used for detecting ground obstacles, which can be used for obstacle avoidance. Thus, map building and obstacle avoidance can be achieved simultaneously using a single laser module.

[0027] The laser module provided according to one or more embodiments of this application can simultaneously achieve map building and obstacle avoidance. When applied to robotic devices, it can be assembled in a relatively compact space, thereby reducing the size of the robotic devices. Attached Figure Description

[0028] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0029] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the laser optical path of a laser module in one or more embodiments of this application is shown.

[0030] Figure 2A The schematic diagram of the laser module structure in one or more embodiments of this application is shown. Figure 1 .

[0031] Figure 2B A second schematic diagram of the structure of a laser module in one or more embodiments of this application is shown.

[0032] Figure 2C The schematic diagram of the laser module structure in one or more embodiments of this application is shown. Figure 3 .

[0033] Figure 2D The schematic diagram of the laser module structure in one or more embodiments of this application is shown. Figure 4 .

[0034] Figure 2E The schematic diagram of the laser module structure in one or more embodiments of this application is shown. Figure 5 .

[0035] Figure 2F The schematic diagram of the laser module structure in one or more embodiments of this application is shown. Figure 6 .

[0036] Figure 3 The excitation timing diagrams of different lasers in one or more embodiments of the laser module are shown.

[0037] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the optical path of the laser module with different pitch angles is shown in one or more embodiments of this application.

[0038] Figure 5 The schematic diagram of the laser module structure in one or more embodiments of this application is shown. Figure 7 .

[0039] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the structure of a robot device in one or more embodiments of this application is shown.

[0040] Figure 7A schematic diagram of the structure of a robot system in one or more embodiments of this application is shown.

[0041] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached drawings: 1000-Robot system; 100-Robot equipment; 110-Equipment body; 120-Laser module; 10-Emitting module; 11-Laser; 12-First optical component; 12a-First collimating lens; 12b-Second collimating lens; 20-Receiving module; 21-Receiver; 22-Second optical component; 22a-First converging lens; 22b-Second converging lens; 30-Scanning component; 30a-Reflecting surface; 31-Rotating mirror; 311-First reflecting part; 312-Second reflecting part; 313-Light blocking part; 32-Rotating power component; 40-First circuit board; 50-Second circuit board; 60-Base; 130-Wheel; 200-Base station; A-Emitted light; B-Emitted scanning light; C-Received scanning light; D-Received light; T-Detected object. Detailed Implementation

[0042] To enable those skilled in the art to more clearly understand this application, the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0043] Furthermore, reference numerals and / or reference letters may be repeated in different examples in this application. Such repetition is for simplification and clarity purposes and does not in itself indicate a relationship between the various embodiments and / or settings discussed. In addition, this application provides examples of various specific processes and materials; however, those skilled in the art will recognize the application of other processes and / or the use of other materials.

[0044] In related technologies, robotic devices are typically equipped with linear laser obstacle avoidance modules or binocular obstacle avoidance modules for obstacle avoidance, while LiDAR is used for SLAM (Simultaneous Localization-and Mapping) mapping and localization. This results in a large overall size and relatively high cost.

[0045] To save costs, some laser modules in related technologies use a beam splitter to divide the laser beam into two beams: one for map building and the other for obstacle avoidance. This allows a single laser module to perform both map building and obstacle avoidance simultaneously.

[0046] However, on the one hand, adding a beam splitter would increase the size of the laser module, which would still increase the overall size of the robot. On the other hand, since the beam splitter only splits a laser beam into two, but the two laser beams are emitted simultaneously, the problem of interference between the two laser beams still exists. Even if a light-absorbing structure can be set up to absorb one of the laser beams, so that only one laser beam is emitted at a certain time, the light-absorbing structure cannot achieve 100% light absorption, so the problem of light interference still exists.

[0047] To address this, this application proposes a laser module, a robotic device, and a robotic system. The laser module can be used for both map building and obstacle avoidance simultaneously without significantly increasing the size of the laser module or causing light interference.

[0048] The specific technical solutions of this application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale. Similar or identical reference numerals may be used to designate the same or similar parts in different drawings. The use of similar or identical reference numerals in different drawings does not mean that all drawings including similar or identical reference numerals constitute a single or the same embodiment. The accompanying drawings illustrate the various embodiments discussed in this application in a generalized manner, by way of example and not limitation.

[0049] Please see Figure 1 According to a first aspect of this application, a laser module 120 is provided. Similar to the prior art, the laser module 120 of this application also includes a transmitting module 10, a receiving module 20, and a scanning component 30. The transmitting module 10 can emit laser light; the receiving module 20 can receive laser light; and the scanning component 30 can deflect laser light. Through controllable beam deflection, the laser light is "directed" and projected to different spatial angles, ensuring that the echo signal can return along the original path and be received by the receiving module 20, thereby covering the field of view point by point, line by line, and surface by surface to construct a three-dimensional point cloud.

[0050] Please combine Figure 1 The diagram illustrates the optical principle of the laser module 120 detecting an object. To facilitate understanding of the laser transmission between the emitting module 10, the receiving module 20, the scanning component 30, and the object T, the laser beam emitted by the emitting module 10 is called the "emitted light" and denoted as emitted light A; the laser beam formed by the emitting light A being irradiated by the scanning component 30 and deflected by the scanning component 30 is called the "emitted scanning light" and denoted as emitted scanning light B; the echo beam formed by the emitted scanning light B being irradiated by the object T and reflected by the object T is called the "received scanning light" and denoted as received scanning light C; and the beam received by the receiving module 20 is called the "received light" and denoted as received light D.

[0051] Since the receiving module 20 can directly receive the echo beam reflected by the object being detected T, i.e., the receiving scan light C; the receiving module 20 can also direct the receiving scan light C onto the scanning component 30, forming a laser beam deflected by the scanning component 30. Therefore, if the echo beam reflected by the object being detected T is directly incident on the receiving module 20, then the receiving scan light C is also the receiving light D. If the echo beam reflected by the object being detected T is first deflected by the scanning component 30 before being incident on the receiving module 20, then the directions of the receiving scan light C and the receiving light D are different. Figure 1 In the optical principle diagram of the laser module 120 for detecting objects, due to the optical characteristics of laser, the emitted light A and the received light D are basically parallel, and the emitted scanning light B and the received scanning light C are basically parallel.

[0052] Please see Figure 2A , Figure 2B , Figure 2C , Figure 2D , Figure 2E and Figure 2F The diagrams show structural schematics of the laser module 120 in different embodiments. In the laser module 120 of this application, the emitting module 10 includes at least two lasers 11, each capable of emitting a laser beam, so that the emitting module 10 outputs at least two beams A with different elevation angles. Since the emitting module 10 can output at least two beams A with different elevation angles, each beam A can scan areas at different heights. The beam A with a relatively higher scanning height can be used for SLAM mapping and positioning, while the beam A with a relatively lower scanning height can be used for obstacle avoidance.

[0053] For example, the emitted light A with a relatively small pitch angle is closer to a horizontal scan, enabling ranging of surrounding targets and can be used for SLAM mapping and localization. Conversely, the emitted light A with a relatively large pitch angle has a larger deviation from the horizontal direction, allowing for obstacle detection when illuminating downwards at an angle, and can be used for obstacle avoidance. This allows for simultaneous map building and obstacle avoidance using a single laser module 120. Because this laser module 120 performs both map building and obstacle avoidance, when applied to the robot device 100, it can be installed in a more compact space, thus reducing the size of the robot device 100.

[0054] Furthermore, since this application only increases the number of lasers 11, and the lasers 11 themselves are extremely small (millimeter-scale), the volume of the laser module 120 will not be significantly increased. The configuration can maintain complete consistency with the volume and outer envelope dimensions of current single-laser-11 laser modules 120. Additionally, since the emitted light A at different elevation angles is emitted by different lasers 11, the problem of optical interference can be solved by setting different excitation times for the different lasers 11 or different orientations for the different lasers 11.

[0055] Please see Figure 2A , Figure 2B , Figure 2C , Figure 2D , Figure 2E and Figure 2F In some embodiments, the laser module 120 further includes a first circuit board 40, to which at least two lasers 11 of the emitting module 10 and a receiver 21 of the receiving module 20 are electrically connected. The first circuit board 40 can control the power, pulse, etc. of the laser emitted by the lasers 11, and analyze the time, power, etc. of the laser signal received by the receiver 21.

[0056] The laser 11 and receiver 21 are electrically connected to the first circuit board 40. This mechanical and electrical connection can be achieved by directly soldering the laser 11 and receiver 21 to the pads of the first circuit board 40. In this case, the first circuit board 40 also serves as the mounting base for the laser 11 and receiver 21. In other embodiments, the laser 11 and receiver 21 can also be electrically connected to the first circuit board 40 via wires, allowing the laser 11, receiver 21, and first circuit board 40 to be spatially separated.

[0057] In some embodiments, the laser emitted by laser 11 can be directly used as emitted light A. Please refer to [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 2A , Figure 2B , Figure 2C , Figure 2D , Figure 2E and Figure 2F In some embodiments, the transmitting module 10 further includes a first optical element 12 through which lasers emitted by at least two lasers 11 pass to form at least two emitted beams A with different pitch angles. The first optical element 12 is a collimating lens that converts the divergent light emitted by the lasers 11 into parallel light, enabling the emitted beams A to be measured at a distance, accurately, and safely.

[0058] In some embodiments, at least two lasers 11 are spaced apart due to the different elevation angles of the emitted light A output by the emitting module 10. Accordingly, each laser 11 has a height-direction spacing. In some embodiments, at least two lasers 11 can be directly mounted on the first circuit board 40, specifically by soldering the lasers 11 onto the pads of the first circuit board 40.

[0059] exist Figure 2A , Figure 2B , Figure 2C , Figure 2D , Figure 2E and Figure 2F In this document, to facilitate the differentiation of the optical paths of different lasers 11, the emitted light A, emitted scanning light B, received scanning light C, and received light D of a certain laser 11 are respectively denoted as emitted light An, emitted scanning light Bn, received scanning light Cn, and received light Dn, where n represents the number of the laser 11. For example, if the transmitting module 10 includes 3 lasers 11, then n can be 1, 2, or 3; or if the transmitting module 10 includes 2 lasers 11, then n can be 1 or 2.

[0060] Please see Figure 2A and Figure 2B In some embodiments, the emitting module 10 includes two lasers 11, which are vertically spaced apart, and the beam emission directions of both lasers 11 are perpendicular to the first circuit board 40. The first optical element 12 includes a first collimating lens 12a, through which the lasers emitted by both lasers 11 pass. Because the two lasers 11 are vertically spaced apart, the lasers emitted by the two lasers 11 pass through different positions of the first collimating lens 12a, thereby forming emitted light A1 and emitted light A2 with different elevation angles.

[0061] Please see Figure 2C and Figure 2D In other embodiments, the emitting module 10 also includes two lasers 11. Unlike the embodiments described above, the first optical element 12 includes two second collimating lenses 12b, which are the same number as the lasers 11 and correspond one-to-one. The beams emitted by the two lasers 11 are not parallel. After being collimated by the corresponding second collimating lenses 12b, the lasers emitted by the two lasers 11 form emitted light A1 and emitted light A2 with different elevation angles, respectively.

[0062] The two lasers 11 may have a vertical and / or horizontal spacing. The beam emission direction of each laser 11 is parallel to the optical axis of the corresponding second collimating lens 12b. In some embodiments, the laser 11 may be positioned at the focal point of the corresponding second collimating lens 12b, and the beam emission direction of the laser 11 may coincide with the optical axis of the corresponding second collimating lens 12b.

[0063] When the lasers 11 are mounted on the first circuit board 40, the beam emission directions of each laser 11 are the same and perpendicular to the first circuit board. To achieve non-parallel beam emission directions for each laser 11, conductive pads can be placed between the laser 11 and the pads of the first circuit board 40. The conductive pads change the beam emission direction of the laser 11, making it form a certain angle with the normal of the first circuit board 40. At the same time, the conductive pads are conductive and will not affect the transmission of electrical signals.

[0064] Each of the second collimating lenses 12b can be independently fixed to the external housing structure where the transmitting module 10 is located. In some embodiments, each of the second collimating lenses 12b can also be integrally formed. For example, if the second collimating lenses 12b are both made of glass, then two second collimating lenses 12b can be directly integrally formed by glass firing to form an optical element.

[0065] Please see Figure 2A , Figure 2B , Figure 2C , Figure 2D , Figure 2E and Figure 2F In some embodiments, the receiving module 20 includes a receiver 21 and a second optical element 22. The second optical element 22 is a converging lens (also called a focusing lens) that concentrates the weak echo energy in the received light D. Each received light D passes through the second optical element 22 and is directed towards the receiver 21. The receiver 21 can also be mounted on the first circuit board 40. Please see Figure 2A and Figure 2C In some embodiments, the second optics 22 includes a first converging lens 22a, and the number of receivers 21 is the same as the number of lasers 11. When there are two lasers 11, there are also two receivers 21, one receiving light D1 for map building and navigation, and the other receiving light D2 for obstacle avoidance. After passing through the first converging lens 22a, light D1 and light D2 are directed to their respective receivers 21. Since the size of a single receiver 21 is also small (millimeter-scale), increasing the number of receivers 21 does not significantly increase the volume of the laser module 120; in fact, the laser module 120 can maintain the envelope size of a single laser and a single receiver.

[0066] Please see Figure 2B and Figure 2DIn other embodiments, when there are two lasers 11, the second optical element 22 includes two second converging lenses 22b, the same number as the lasers 11, corresponding one-to-one with each received light D. The optical axes of the two second converging lenses 22b are not parallel, thus enabling them to converge received light D from different directions. Received light D1 and received light D2, whose light directions are not parallel, pass through their respective second converging lenses 22b, and the resulting transmitted light is positioned close to or even converges at one point, thereby allowing the use of only one receiver 21 and saving costs.

[0067] In some embodiments, the optical axis of each second converging lens 22b is parallel to the direction of the corresponding received light D. The positions of each second converging lens 22b can be set such that the focal points of each second converging lens 22b coincide. When the receiver 21 is placed at the coincident focal point, the receiver 21 of this application can be a small-sized receiver 21 that can only receive a single received light in a related technology.

[0068] Each of the second converging lenses 22b can be independently fixed to the outer housing structure where the receiving module 20 is located. In some embodiments, each of the second converging lenses 22b can also be integrally formed. For example, if the second converging lenses 22b are both made of glass, then two second converging lenses 22b can be directly integrally formed by glass firing to form an optical element.

[0069] Please see Figure 2E In some embodiments, the receiving module 20 has only one receiver 21, and the second optical element 22 includes only one first converging lens 22a. Received light beams D1 and D2, with different directions, pass through different positions of the first converging lens 22a and are directed towards the receiver 21. The receiver 21 must be able to receive both received light beams D1 and D2; therefore, the size of the receiver 21 should be set to cover the illumination position of the transmitted light formed after each received light beam D passes through the converging lens 22a. Compared to a receiver 21 that only receives a single received light beam, the size of the receiver 21 in this embodiment is relatively increased.

[0070] Figure 2A , Figure 2B , Figure 2C , Figure 2D and Figure 2EIn the embodiments shown, the description is based on the case where there are two lasers 11. It is understood that the above embodiments do not constitute a limitation on the number of lasers 11 in the laser module 120 of this application. The number of lasers 11 in the laser module 120 of this application can also be three, four, five, etc. Correspondingly, the number of the second collimating lens 12b and the second converging lens 22b is consistent with the number of lasers 11. In embodiments where the laser module 120 is provided with multiple receivers 21, when the number of lasers 11 is three, four, or five, the corresponding number of receivers 21 is also three, four, or five.

[0071] Please see Figure 2F This diagram illustrates a laser module 120 with three lasers 11 and one receiver 21 in some embodiments. In this embodiment, the lasers emitted by the three lasers 11 are parallel to each other and perpendicular to the first circuit board 40. The three lasers 11 are located at different positions of the first collimating lens 12a. After passing through the first collimating lens 12a, the lasers emitted by the three lasers 11 form non-parallel emitted light A1, emitted light A2, and emitted light A3, respectively. After being reflected by the scanning component 30 and the detection object T, emitted light A1, emitted light A2, and emitted light A3 form received light D1, received light D2, and received light D3, respectively. The second optical component 22 includes three second converging lenses 22b. Received light D1, received light D2, and received light D3 are parallel to the optical axes of the three second converging lenses 22b, and the focal points of the three second converging lenses 22b overlap. The receiver 21 is located at the focal point of the three second converging lenses 22b.

[0072] In some embodiments, the emitted light A1 can be positioned horizontally or at a certain elevation angle, allowing the scanning area of ​​the emitted scanning light B1 to have a greater depth for map building. Emitted lights A2 and A3 can have different depression angles, enabling them to scan the ground separately for obstacle avoidance. In other embodiments, emitted lights A1 and A2 can be used for map building, while emitted light A3 can be used for obstacle avoidance.

[0073] More configuration options for the transmitting module 10 and the receiving module 20 will not be listed here.

[0074] In some embodiments, at least two lasers 11 are periodically excited at different time intervals to emit at least two beams A with different elevation angles. That is, the excitation time periods of each laser 11 in the laser module 120 are different, so that only one laser 11 emits laser light at a specific moment, thus completely avoiding the interference problem of laser light emitted by different lasers 11.

[0075] Figure 3The following is a timing diagram showing the periodic excitation of two lasers in 11 time intervals in some embodiments. Please refer to it. Figure 3 Each laser 11 is periodically excited. When the voltage input to the laser 11 reaches the excitation voltage V1, the laser 11 is excited and emits laser light. However, the excitation time of different lasers 11 is different. Figure 3 In the illustrated embodiment, the first laser 11 is excited at times t0, t2, and t4, respectively, while the second laser 11 is excited at times t1, t2, and t5, respectively.

[0076] The scanning range of the laser module 120 is related to its installation position on the robot device 100 and the height of the robot device 100 itself. For example, if the robot device 100 on which the laser module 120 is mounted is a common household robot vacuum cleaner, the height of such robot vacuum cleaners is relatively low (mostly 7-10 cm). Even if the laser module 120 is installed on top of the robot vacuum cleaner, the height of the laser module 120 above the ground is still relatively low. If the beam direction of the emitted light A is absolutely horizontal or slightly downward (e.g., between 0° and -5°), the far point of the laser is likely to hit polished floor tiles, dark floors, or carpet fibers, generating a "ground echo" that is mistakenly identified as an obstacle by the algorithm. Therefore, in the laser module 120 of such low-height robot devices 100, the pitch angle of one of the emitted light beams A can be set to a positive angle (i.e., the emitted light A has an elevation angle). If the laser module 120 is mounted on a robot device 100 that is relatively tall (generally more than 1 meter tall), such as a hotel service robot or an automatic food delivery robot, the laser module 120 will also be relatively tall above the ground. In this case, the emitted light A used for SLAM mapping and positioning can be emitted horizontally, that is, the pitch angle of the emitted light A is basically 0°.

[0077] Therefore, in some embodiments, of the at least two emitted beams A of the laser module 120, at least one emitted beam A has an elevation angle of α, where α ≥ 0°, and this emitted beam A can be emitted horizontally or has a certain elevation angle. At least one emitted beam A has an elevation angle of β, where β < 0°, and this emitted beam A has a depression angle. The emitted beam A with an elevation angle of α can illuminate a relatively distant area, with the far point potentially landing on walls, windowsills, or steps, which can be used for SLAM mapping and positioning. The emitted beam A with an elevation angle of β has its far point landing on the ground, enabling accurate obstacle identification and thus obstacle avoidance.

[0078] In some embodiments, α satisfies 0°≤α≤5°, meaning the elevation angle of the emitted light A used for SLAM mapping and positioning can be 0°, 0.5°, 1°, 1.5°, 2°, 2.5°, 3°, 3.5°, 4°, 4.5°, 5°, etc. In some embodiments, β satisfies -15°≤β≤-8°, meaning the elevation angle of the emitted light A used for obstacle avoidance can be -8°, -8.5°, -9.5°, -10°, -11°, -12.5°, -13°, -13.5°, -14°, -14.5°, -15°, etc.

[0079] Figure 4 An exemplary optical path diagram of two lasers 11 in some embodiments is shown. For ease of distinction, one laser 11 is designated "Laser M" and the other "Laser N". Please refer to... Figure 4 The emitted light A produced by laser M is denoted as "emitted light A1". Emitted light A1 has a pitch angle α and a slightly upward-tilted scanning range, which can be used for SLAM mapping and positioning. The emitted light A produced by laser N is denoted as "emitted light A2". Emitted light A2 has a pitch angle β and a downward-tilted scanning range, which can be used for obstacle avoidance.

[0080] The emitted light A from the emitting module 10 is deflected by the scanning component 30 to form the emitted scanning light B, which illuminates the detection object T. Since the scanning component 30 can continuously and controllably deflect the laser according to a set angle sequence, the emitted scanning light B can continuously scan across the detection object T. The size of the reflective surface 30a of the scanning component 30 used to deflect the laser is positively correlated with the horizontal scanning angle of the emitted scanning light B. In some embodiments, the horizontal scanning angle α of the emitted scanning light B of the laser module 120 satisfies 90° < α ≤ 140°, meaning the horizontal scanning angle of the emitted scanning light B can be 91°, 95°, 100°, 103°, 108°, 112°, 120°, 125°, 128°, 132°, 135°, 140°, etc.

[0081] Figure 2A , Figure 2B , Figure 2C , Figure 2D and Figure 2EIn the illustrated embodiments, the description focuses on the scenario where the scanning component 30 simultaneously deflects the emitted light A to form the emitted scanning light B and deflects the received scanning light C to form the received light D. It is understood that the above embodiments do not constitute a limitation on the type of scanning component 30 in the laser module 120 of this application. In some embodiments, the scanning component 30 may be provided only at the emitting end (i.e., the light-emitting side of the emitting module 10), while the receiving end (i.e., the light-incident side of the receiving module 20) uses a large-area non-scanning detector; in this case, the receiving end does not need to have a scanning component 30. In this case, the scanning component 30 only deflects the emitted light A to form the emitted scanning light B, and the receiving module 20 directly receives the echo beam formed by the reflection from the probe object T.

[0082] The scanning component 30 can be a MEMS micromirror, a rotating mirror assembly, an OPA optical phased array, etc. The specific structural type of the scanning component 30 is not limited in this application.

[0083] Figure 5 A three-dimensional structural diagram of the laser module 120 in some embodiments is shown. Please refer to... Figure 5 In some embodiments, the scanning component 30 includes a rotating mirror 31 and a rotating power component 32. The rotating power component 32 can be a motor, electric motor, etc. The rotating mirror 31 has a reflective surface 30a, and the rotating mirror 31 is driven to rotate by the rotating power component 32. When the rotating mirror 31 rotates, the reflective surface 30a rotates accordingly. The reflective surface 30a of the rotating mirror 31 can reflect the emitted light A to form the emitted scanning light B; it can also reflect the received scanning light C to form the received light D.

[0084] In some embodiments, the reflective surface 30a may be reflective glass attached to the body of the rotating mirror 31. In other embodiments, the reflective surface 30a may also be formed by coating the body of the rotating mirror 31. When the rotating mirror 31 has at least two reflective surfaces 30a, the multiple reflective surfaces 30a may have both reflective glass and coated structures. The body of the rotating mirror 31 may be made of an opaque material, such as dark-colored plastic.

[0085] Please see Figure 5In some embodiments, the rotating mirror 31 includes a first reflective portion 311, a light-blocking portion 313, and a second reflective portion 312 arranged sequentially along the rotation axis. Both the first reflective portion 311 and the second reflective portion 312 have one or more reflective surfaces 30a. The first reflective portion 311 reflects emitted light A to form emitted scanning light B; the second reflective portion 312 reflects received scanning light C to form received light D. The light-blocking portion 313 is located between the first reflective portion 311 and the second reflective portion 312. The light-blocking portion 313 can isolate stray light and diffused light, preventing emitted light A from directly returning to the receiving module 20. In some embodiments, along the axial direction of the rotation axis of the rotating mirror 31, the projection of the light-blocking portion 313 can completely cover the projections of the first reflective portion 311 and the second reflective portion 312, improving the light-blocking effect.

[0086] In some embodiments, the structures of the first reflector 311 and the second reflector 312 can be identical, both including the same number of reflective surfaces 30a. Furthermore, the angles of the two reflective surfaces 30a located along the same axial direction in the first reflector 311 and the second reflector 312 are the same, thereby ensuring that the emitted light A and received light D of the laser module 120 are parallel. The first reflector 311 deflects the emitted light A according to a predetermined angle sequence, and the second reflector 312 synchronously reflects the echo beam in the same direction.

[0087] In some embodiments, both the first reflective portion 311 and the second reflective portion 312 can be of a polygonal prism structure. For example, if both the first reflective portion 311 and the second reflective portion 312 are triangular prisms, then both the first reflective portion 311 and the second reflective portion 312 can have three reflective surfaces 30a. Alternatively, if both the first reflective portion 311 and the second reflective portion 312 are cuboids, then both the first reflective portion 311 and the second reflective portion 312 can have two reflective surfaces 30a, and the two opposite sides of the cuboid with the largest area can be used as reflective surfaces 30a.

[0088] Please see Figure 5 In some embodiments, to facilitate the installation of the transmitting module 10 and the receiving module 20, the laser module 120 may further include a base 60, to which both the transmitting module 10 and the receiving module 20 may be connected. In some embodiments, the first optical element 12 of the transmitting module 10 and the second optical element 22 of the receiving module 20 may be disposed in the base 60 and fixed by the base 60. In other embodiments, at least one of the first optical element 12 and the second optical element 22 may be integrally formed with the base 60.

[0089] In some embodiments, the laser 11 of the transmitting module 10 and the receiver 21 of the receiving module 20 are both soldered and fixed to the first circuit board 40, which can also be fixed to the base 60. The rotating power component 32 of the scanning component 30 can also be electrically connected to the first circuit board 40, and the first circuit board 40 controls the rotational speed of the rotating power component 32. See also... Figure 5 In some embodiments, the laser module 120 may further include a second circuit board 50, with the first circuit board 40 and the rotating power component 32 electrically connected to the second circuit board 50. The second circuit board 50 serves as the control board for the rotating power component 32, controlling its rotational speed. The first circuit board 40 may be provided with external terminals for connecting wiring harnesses, and the first circuit board 40 communicates with an external controller (e.g., the main control board of the robot device 100) via the wiring harnesses.

[0090] Please see Figure 5 In some embodiments, the second circuit board 50 and the first circuit board 40 are mechanically and electrically connected by soldering. That is, no wire connection is required between the first circuit board 40 and the second circuit board 50; the pins of the first circuit board 40 are directly soldered to the pads of the second circuit board 50. The first circuit board 40 and the second circuit board 50 can communicate data, and they are connected as a single unit with a substantially fixed relative position. Furthermore, the second circuit board 50 can also be fixed to the base 60.

[0091] Please see Figure 6 According to a second aspect of this application, a robot device 100 is provided. The robot device 100 includes a device body 110 and a laser module 120 as described in the first aspect embodiment. The laser module 120 is connected to the device body 110. The robot device 100 can be a cleaning robot such as a sweeping robot, a mopping robot, a sweeping and mopping robot, a floor scrubber, or a vacuum cleaner, or it can be a food delivery robot, a nursing robot, etc. The specific type of the robot device 100 is not limited in this application.

[0092] The laser module 120 can be mounted on the top or front of the main body 110 of the device. Please refer to [link / reference]. Figure 6 In some embodiments, the laser module 120 is located on the side of the front end of the device body 110 along the travel direction. In other embodiments, the laser module 120 may be installed inside the device body 110, and a drive mechanism is provided on the device body 110. When the robot device 100 is working, the drive mechanism drives the laser module 120 to extend outside the device body 110, and when the robot device 100 is not working, the drive mechanism drives the laser module 120 to retract into the device body 110, thereby protecting the laser module 120 and reducing the space occupied by the robot device 100.

[0093] The robot device 100 can be configured with one or more laser modules 120. When the robot device 100 is configured with two or more laser modules 120, one of the laser modules 120 is located on the side of the front end of the main body 110 along the driving direction, it can effectively identify whether there are obstacles in the area that the robot device 100 is about to enter.

[0094] In some embodiments, the robot device 100 is equipped with two laser modules 120, one laser module 120 located on the side of the front end of the device body 110 along the travel direction, and the other laser module 120 located on the side of the rear end of the device body 110 along the travel direction. It is understood that the front end and rear end along the travel direction are not limited to being directly in front and directly behind in the travel direction. If the robot device 100 is divided into two parts along the travel direction, the front part can be considered as the front end along the travel direction, and the rear part can be considered as the rear end along the travel direction.

[0095] Of course, from the perspective of maximizing the scanning range, the front laser module 120 should be as close as possible to the front of the main body 110 along the travel direction, and the rear laser module 120 should be as close as possible to the rear of the main body 110 along the travel direction. If components are already arranged at the front and rear of the main body 110 along the travel direction, the position of the laser module 120 needs to be adjusted accordingly.

[0096] The robot device 100 constructs a map based on the detection signals from the laser module 120 and plans a path based on its current location. During operation, the controller of the robot device 100 controls the rotation of the walking wheels 130, and the main body 110 moves forward along the planned path under the guidance of the walking wheels 130. The laser module 120 acquires point cloud data within its shooting range, detects the distance and position of obstacles, and the controller controls the entire machine to move forward, backward, or turn to avoid obstacles.

[0097] Please see Figure 7 According to a third aspect of this application, a robot system 1000 is provided, which includes a base station 200 and a robot device 100 as described in the second aspect embodiment above. The robot device 100 can dock with or leave the base station 200.

[0098] In some embodiments, the robot device 100 is a cleaning robot. The robot device 100 drives into the base station 200, and the base station 200 can perform at least one of the following operations on the robot device 100: charging the robot device 100, cleaning the cleaning parts of the robot device 100, drying the cleaning parts of the robot device 100, adding cleaning liquid to the robot device 100, and collecting garbage from the dust storage chamber of the robot device 100.

[0099] For other undetailed structures of the base station 200 of the robot system 1000 and the robot device 100, please refer to the relevant disclosures in the prior art; this application does not impose any restrictions.

[0100] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can include direct contact between the first and second features, or contact between the first and second features through another feature between them. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" of the second feature includes the first feature being directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature includes the first feature being directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0101] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", and "counterclockwise" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this application.

[0102] It should be noted that all directional indications in the embodiments of this application are only used to explain the relative positional relationship and movement of each component in a specific posture. If the specific posture changes, the directional indications will also change accordingly.

[0103] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "connection," "fixed," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, "fixed" can mean a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; it can mean a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can mean a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; it can mean the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise expressly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances.

[0104] Furthermore, the use of terms such as "first" and "second" in this application is for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, features defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more features. In the description of this application, "multiple" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0105] In the description of this specification, the references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of this application. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples. In addition, those skilled in the art can combine and integrate the different embodiments or examples described in this specification.

[0106] Furthermore, the technical solutions of the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but only if they are based on the ability of those skilled in the art to implement them. When the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or cannot be implemented, it should be considered that such combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection claimed in this application.

[0107] Although embodiments of this application have been shown and described, those skilled in the art will understand that various changes, modifications, substitutions and variations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of this application, the scope of which is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A laser module, characterized in that, include: Base; A transmitting module is connected to the base. The transmitting module includes at least two lasers, which emit lasers respectively, so that the transmitting module outputs at least two beams of light with different pitch angles. A receiving module is connected to the base, and the receiving module receives light. as well as A scanning component that deflects the emitted light to form emitted scanning light, and / or the scanning component deflects laser light reflected by the probe object to form the received light.

2. The laser module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The at least two lasers are periodically excited in time intervals.

3. The laser module according to claim 1, characterized in that, Of the at least two emitted beams, at least one emitted beam has an elevation angle of α, where α ≥ 0°; and at least one emitted beam has an elevation angle of β, where β < 0°.

4. The laser module according to claim 3, characterized in that, The α satisfies 0°≤α≤5°; the β satisfies -15°≤β≤-8°.

5. The laser module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The horizontal scanning angle α of the emitted scanning light satisfies 90°<a≤140°.

6. The laser module according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, It also includes a first circuit board, wherein the at least two lasers and the receiver of the receiving module are electrically connected to the first circuit board.

7. The laser module according to claim 6, characterized in that, The emission module further includes a first optical element; the lasers emitted by the at least two lasers pass through the first optical element to form at least two emitted beams with different pitch angles.

8. The laser module according to claim 7, characterized in that, The at least two lasers are mounted on the first circuit board; the at least two lasers are spaced apart in the vertical direction, and the beam emission direction of the at least two lasers is perpendicular to the first circuit board; the first optical component includes a first collimating lens, and the lasers emitted by the at least two lasers pass through the first collimating lens to form at least two emitted beams with different pitch angles.

9. The laser module according to claim 7, characterized in that, The first optical element includes two or more second collimating lenses that are the same number as the lasers and correspond one-to-one; the beam emission directions of at least two of the at least two lasers are not parallel, and the lasers emitted by the at least two lasers pass through the corresponding second collimating lenses.

10. The laser module according to claim 9, characterized in that, The beam emission direction of each laser is parallel to the optical axis of the corresponding second collimating lens.

11. The laser module according to claim 9, characterized in that, Each of the second collimating lenses is integrally formed.

12. The laser module according to claim 6, characterized in that, The receiving module includes the receiver and the second optical element; each of the received light beams passes through the second optical element and is directed toward the receiver.

13. The laser module according to claim 12, characterized in that, The second optical element includes a first converging lens; the number of receivers is the same as the number of lasers; each received light passes through the first converging lens and is directed toward its corresponding receiver.

14. The laser module according to claim 12, characterized in that, The second optical element includes the same number of second converging lenses as the laser; the optical axes of at least two of the second converging lenses are not parallel; each of the received beams passes through the corresponding second converging lens and is directed toward the receiver.

15. The laser module according to claim 14, characterized in that, The optical axis of each of the second converging lenses is parallel to the direction of the corresponding received light.

16. The laser module according to claim 14, characterized in that, Each of the second converging lenses is integrally formed.

17. The laser module according to claim 14, characterized in that, The focal points of each of the second converging lenses coincide, and the receiver is located at the focal point.

18. The laser module according to claim 12, characterized in that, The second optical element includes a first converging lens, and the receiver is sized to cover the illumination position of each of the received lights after passing through the first converging lens.

19. The laser module according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The scanning component includes a rotating mirror and a rotating power component; the rotating mirror is driven to rotate by the rotating power component, thereby deflecting the laser in a predetermined angular sequence.

20. The laser module according to claim 19, characterized in that, The rotating mirror includes a first reflective part, a light-blocking part, and a second reflective part arranged sequentially along the rotation axis; the first reflective part deflects the emitted light when rotating, and the second reflective part deflects the laser light reflected by the detection object when rotating.

21. A robotic device, characterized in that, It includes a main body of equipment and a laser module as described in any one of claims 1-20; the laser module is connected to the main body of equipment.

22. A robot system, characterized in that, It includes a base station and the robotic device as described in claim 21; the robotic device can dock with the base station or leave the base station.

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