Robot

Abstract

To provide a robot that can chase a suspicious object.SOLUTION: A robot according to an embodiment comprises a robot main body that can autonomously run, a detecting part that detects a situation around the robot main body, and a control part that makes the robot main body autonomously run in accordance with the situation detected by the detecting part. The robot main body comprises a trunk part, one leg part, and a moving part that moves the robot main body. The robot main body has at least a joint of a waist part positioned at an upper end of the leg part, an ankle part positioned at a lower end of the leg part and a joint of a knee part positioned between the waist part and the ankle part. The leg part is movably mounted on the trunk part, at the waist part, and is movably mounted on the moving part, at the ankle part. The moving part is provided with a roller.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The disclosed embodiments relate to robots.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there is known a system that, when a vehicle is damaged, takes off a drone from the vehicle and photographs the vehicle and its surroundings with a camera provided on the drone (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the conventional technology, for example, there is a problem that when a suspicious person is detected and the suspicious person escapes, the suspicious person cannot be tracked.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above, and an object thereof is to track a suspicious person.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] A robot according to an aspect of the embodiment includes a robot body capable of autonomous driving, a detection unit that detects the situation around the robot body, and a control unit that causes the robot body to autonomously drive according to the situation detected by the detection unit. The robot body includes a torso, one leg, and a moving unit. The robot body has at least a waist joint located at the upper end of the leg, an ankle joint located at the lower end of the leg, and a knee joint located between the waist and the ankle. The leg is movably attached to the torso at the waist and movably attached to the moving unit at the ankle. The moving unit is provided with rollers.

Advantages of the Invention

[0007] According to one aspect of the embodiment, a suspicious object can be tracked.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described through embodiments. However, the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims. Also, not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are essential for the solution means of the invention.

[0010] A tracking system 1 including a tracking robot 2 according to an embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an outline of the tracking system 1 according to the embodiment.

[0011] The tracking system 1 includes a tracking robot 2, a long-range drone 3, and a management device 4. The tracking robot 2, the long-range drone 3, and the management device 4 are connected via a network N. A plurality of the tracking robots 2 and the long-range drones 3 are provided, for example.

[0012] The network N is, for example, a mobile communication network such as LTE (Long Term Evolution) or 5G. The tracking robot 2 and the long-range drone 3 may be connected via the network N.

[0013] Next, the tracking robot 2 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 4. FIGS. 2 to 4 are diagrams showing the outline of the tracking robot 2 according to the embodiment.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 2, the tracking robot 2 includes a robot body 10, a short-range drone 11, a detection unit 12, and a control device 13. The tracking robot 2 can travel autonomously and, when a suspicious target is detected, tracks the suspicious target. The suspicious target includes, for example, a person taking suspicious actions or a criminal of an incident, etc. Also, the suspicious target is not limited to a person and may be a vehicle on which a person taking suspicious actions is riding, etc.

[0015] The robot body 10 is a structure in which a single-legged columnar humanoid robot is attached to an unmanned transport vehicle such as an AGV (Automated Guided Vehicle) serving as a base. The robot body 10 includes a torso portion 10a, one leg portion 10b, and a moving unit 14 that moves the robot body 10.

[0016] The robot body 10 has at least a waist joint located at the upper end of the leg, an ankle joint located at the lower end of the leg, and a knee joint located between the waist and the ankle. That is, the robot body 10 has at least three joints: a joint corresponding to the part of a human's waist, a joint corresponding to the part of a human's ankle, and a joint corresponding to the part of a human's knee.

[0017] For example, when the robot body 10 has a torso 10a that mimics the upper body of a human, it can further include an arm 10c and a head 10d. Also, the robot body 10 can further have joints above the waist joint, which is the third joint from the bottom. For example, the robot body 10 can further have at least one of the shoulder joint located at the upper end of the arm 10c, the wrist joint located at the lower part of the arm 10c, the joint of the finger 10e located at approximately the lower end of the arm 10c, and the neck joint located at the lower end of the head 10d.

[0018] Here, the leg 10b is movably attached to the torso 10a at the waist and movably attached to the moving part 14 at the ankle. The arm 10c is movably attached to the torso 10a at the shoulder. The head 10d is movably attached to the torso 10a at the neck.

[0019] Also, the robot body 10 can freely change the positions and orientations of the torso 10a, legs 10b, arms 10c, and head 10d by moving the above-described joints back and forth, left and right, or rotating them with respect to the horizontal plane. Thereby, the robot body 10 can move like a human as shown in FIG. 3.

[0020] The robot body 10 is provided with a drive mechanism such as a motor for moving each part such as the legs 10b, arms 10c, and head 10d.

[0021] Also, the moving part 14 is, for example, an automated guided vehicle. The moving part 14 is attached to, for example, one leg 10b. One or more rollers 14a such as wheels are provided on one moving part 14. For example, four rollers 14a are provided on one moving part 14. Note that the number of rollers 14a for one moving part 14 is not limited to this.

[0022] The roller 14a can rotate with respect to the moving part 14. For example, the roller 14a rotates when the rotation generated by the motor is transmitted. The robot body 10 can travel when the roller 14a rotates.

[0023] Also, a configuration in which a removable box part is attached to the robot body 10 can be adopted. In this case, for example, as shown in FIG. 4, a detachable box part 16 may be connected to the moving part 14, or the box part 16 may be gripped by the arm part 10c and the finger 10e.

[0024] Fingers 10e are provided at the tip of the arm part 10c. For example, five fingers 10e are provided at the tip of the arm part 10c. Each finger 10e can be bent by a drive mechanism such as a motor.

[0025] A base part 15 to which the short-range drone 11 can land and take off is provided on the back of the body part 10a. The base part 15 includes a charging device for charging the battery of the short-range drone 11. Further, the base part 15 may include a replacement battery for the short-range drone 11.

[0026] The short-range drone 11 is an example of a moving body. The short-range drone 11 is a multicopter equipped with a plurality (for example, four) of rotary wing propellers and performs autonomous flight without a pilot. Also, the short-range drone 11 is driven by a battery.

[0027] The short-range drone 11 includes a camera 20 and a tracking mark 21. The tracking mark 21 is launched from the short-range drone 11. The short-range drone 11 includes a launching device for launching the tracking mark 21.

[0028] The tracking mark 21 adheres to the object of suspicion when, for example, it is launched at the object of suspicion. For example, a magnet is provided on the tracking mark 21. When the object of suspicion is a vehicle, the tracking mark 21 adheres to the object of suspicion by magnetic force. The tracking mark 21 may have adhesiveness.

[0029] The tracking mark 21 has, for example, a positioning device. The positioning device is, for example, a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System), which can receive radio waves from navigation satellites orbiting in the sky to perform positioning and timing. Further, the positioning device includes a communication module that transmits the detected self-position information. The position information of the tracking mark 21 detected by the positioning device is transmitted to the management device 4 via the network N. The position information of the tracking mark 21 detected by the positioning device is transmitted to the control device 13 via the network N. When the tracking mark 21 adheres to the object of suspicion, the position of the object of suspicion is detected based on the position information transmitted from the positioning device.

[0030] Further, the tracking mark 21 may be a ball containing fluorescent paint or the like. The ball containing fluorescent paint ruptures when it hits the object of suspicion, and the fluorescent paint adheres to the object of suspicion. The short-range drone 11 may be provided with a plurality of types of tracking marks 21.

[0031] The short-range drone 11 includes a communication module for performing wireless communication via the network N. Further, the short-range drone 11 includes various sensors such as an acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor, and an optical sensor.

[0032] The short-range drone 11 also has a positioning device 22 for measuring its own position. The positioning device 22 is, for example, GNSS. The position information of the short-range drone 11 detected by the positioning device 22 may be transmitted to the management device 4 via the network N. The position information of the short-range drone 11 detected by the positioning device 22 may be transmitted to the control device 13 via the network N. Further, the short-range drone 11 has a computer (e.g., a microcomputer) that executes a flight control function, an attitude control function for controlling the attitude, and the like.

[0033] The short-range drone 11 acquires information regarding the first flight path from the control device 13 via the communication module. The information regarding the first flight path includes position information (e.g., latitude, longitude, and altitude) of the first flight path. The first flight path is a flight path for tracking a suspicious target.

[0034] The short-range drone 11 transmits the image captured by the camera 20 to the management device 4 via the communication module. The short-range drone 11 transmits the image captured by the camera 20 to the control device 13 via the communication module. The short-range drone 11 acquires information regarding the emission signal of the tracking mark 21 from the control device 13 via the communication module.

[0035] When a suspicious target is detected, the short-range drone 11 departs from the base unit 15 of the robot body 10. The short-range drone 11 acquires information regarding the first flight path and flies along the first flight path to track the suspicious target. The short-range drone 11 executes image processing based on the image captured by the camera 20 and flies along the first flight path while avoiding obstacles. When the emission signal of the tracking mark 21 is acquired, the short-range drone 11 emits the tracking mark 21. The short-range drone 11 emits the tracking mark 21 toward the suspicious target.

[0036] The detection unit 12 is provided, for example, on at least one of the moving unit 14 and the head 10d of the robot body 10. The detection unit 12 may be provided on the body part 10a or the like of the robot body 10. The detection unit 12 detects the situation around the robot body 10. The detection unit 12 includes, for example, a high-sensitivity camera capable of 360-degree sensing, LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), a thermal camera, and a radar, etc. The detection unit 12 may include sensors such as vision recognition, fine sound, ultrasonic, vibration, infrared, ultraviolet, and electromagnetic waves. A plurality of detection units 12 may be provided. The detection unit 12 may be a plurality of types of sensors or the like.

[0037] Also, the detection unit 12 includes a positioning device. The positioning device is, for example, GNSS. The positioning device detects the position of the robot body 10. The detected position information of the robot body 10 is transmitted to the management device 4 via the network N.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 5, the control device 13 includes a communication unit 30, a storage unit 31, and a control unit 32. FIG. 5 is a functional block diagram showing the outline of the control device 13 of the tracking robot 2 according to the embodiment.

[0039] The communication unit 30 is wirelessly connected to the network N. The communication unit 30 transmits and receives information to and from the management device 4 via the network N. The communication unit 30 transmits various information detected by the detection unit 12 to the management device 4. The communication unit 30 receives an image captured by the camera 20 of the short-range drone 11. The communication unit 30 receives the position information of the tracking mark 21 from the positioning device of the tracking mark 21.

[0040] The storage unit 31 is realized by, for example, a semiconductor memory element such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) or a flash memory, or a storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive), or an optical disk. Various programs and various data are stored in the storage unit 31.

[0041] The control unit 32 is a controller and includes, for example, a microcomputer having a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM, input / output ports, etc., and various circuits. Further, the control unit 32 may be configured by hardware such as an integrated circuit such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array). The control unit 32 includes a suspicious object detection unit 35, a drone control unit 36, and a robot control unit 37.

[0042] The suspicious object detection unit 35 detects a suspicious object. The suspicious object detection unit 35 detects a suspicious object based on various information detected by the detection unit 12. For example, the suspicious object detection unit 35 executes predetermined image processing on an image captured by a high-sensitivity camera provided in the tracking robot 2 to detect a suspicious object. For example, the suspicious object detection unit 35 may detect a suspicious object according to the detection result by an infrared sensor. The suspicious object detection unit 35 may detect a suspicious object using a suspicious object detection model in AI (Artificial Intelligence).

[0043] The drone control unit 36 controls the short-range drone 11 and the long-range drone 3. The drone control unit 36 sets a first flight path of the short-range drone 11. The drone control unit 36 sets a first flight path for tracking the detected suspicious object. The drone control unit 36 sets a first flight path based on the current position information of the tracking robot 2 and the position information where the suspicious object is detected. For example, the drone control unit 36 sets a first flight path based on the current position information of the tracking robot 2, the direction in which a suspicious object is detected with respect to the tracking robot 2, and the distance from the tracking robot 2 to the suspicious object.

[0044] The drone control unit 36 sets the second flight path of the long-range drone 3. The drone control unit 36 sets the second flight path for tracking the detected suspicious object. The drone control unit 36 sets the second flight path based on the position information of the station where the long-range drone 3 is waiting and the position information of the tracking mark 21. The drone control unit 36 may set the second flight path based on the position information of the long-range drone 3 and the position information of the tracking mark 21.

[0045] The drone control unit 36 may set the first flight path and the second flight path based on the predicted escape route of the suspicious object. The predicted escape route is generated, for example, by an escape route prediction model. The escape route prediction model predicts the escape route of the suspicious object from the position information of the tracking robot 2 when the suspicious object is detected, the position information of the tracking mark 21, map information, traffic information, etc. The position information of the tracking mark 21 includes, for example, the history information of the position of the tracking mark 21.

[0046] For example, the escape route prediction model can use MapGPT. For example, the escape route prediction model can be interpreted as an algorithm and calculation for automatic dialogue processing by text, i.e., a text generation model (so-called AI chat engine). Since the text generation model is publicly known as disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-081444 and chatGPT (Internet search <URL: https: / / openai.com / blog / chatgpt>), a detailed description thereof is omitted. Such a text generation model is composed of a large language model (LLM).

[0047] The drone control unit 36 generates a sentence such as "The suspicious target is fleeing from east to west at the intersection of DD in ABC Town. What possible escape routes are there?" by means of a language generation model based on, for example, the position information of the tracking mark 21. Then, when the generated sentence is input into the escape route prediction model, a sentence such as "The suspicious person is likely to head towards EF in ABC Town." is generated. In this case, the drone control unit 36 sets a first flight route and a second flight route towards "EF in ABC Town".

[0048] Based on the predicted escape route of the suspicious target, by setting the first flight route and the second flight route, the short-range drone 11 and the long-range drone 3 can get ahead of the moving destination of the suspicious target. Note that the predicted escape route may be set by the management device 4.

[0049] The set first flight route is transmitted to the short-range drone 11. The short-range drone 11 that has received the first flight route departs from the base unit 15, flies along the first flight route, and tracks the suspicious target.

[0050] The set second flight route is transmitted to the long-range drone 3. The long-range drone 3 that has received the second flight route departs from the waiting station, flies along the second flight route, and tracks the suspicious target.

[0051] The drone control unit 36 generates a launch signal for the tracking mark 21 of the short-range drone 11. The drone control unit 36 calculates, for example, the distance to the suspicious target from the image captured by the camera 20 of the short-range drone 11. Then, when the distance to the suspicious target is equal to or less than a preset predetermined distance, a launch signal for launching the tracking mark 21 towards the suspicious target is generated. The generated launch signal is transmitted to the short-range drone 11. Thereby, the tracking mark 21 is launched towards the suspicious target.

[0052] The robot control unit 37 sets the travel route of the robot body 10. The travel route includes a preset warning route. The robot control unit 37 autonomously drives the robot body 10 along the travel route. The robot control unit 37 autonomously drives the robot body 10 according to the situation detected by the detection unit 12. The robot control unit 37 autonomously drives the robot body 10 by controlling the driving of the leg portions 10b, the moving unit 14, and the arm portions 10c of the robot body 10. The robot control unit 37 controls the driving of the leg portions 10b, the moving unit 14, and the arm portions 10c of the robot body 10 based on various information detected by the detection unit 12 so that the robot body 10 travels while avoiding obstacles, for example.

[0053] Also, for example, when a suspicious object is detected, the robot control unit 37 sets a travel route so as to track the suspicious object. The robot control unit 37 sets a travel route so as to track the suspicious object based on, for example, the position information of the robot body 10 and the position information where the suspicious object is detected. For example, the robot control unit 37 sets a travel route for tracking the suspicious object based on the current position information of the robot body 10, the direction in which the suspicious object is detected with respect to the robot body 10, and the distance from the robot body 10 to the suspicious object.

[0054] Also, after the short-range drone 11 takes off, the robot control unit 37 sets a travel route so as to track the suspicious object based on the position information of the robot body 10 and the position information of the tracking mark 21.

[0055] When a suspicious object is detected, the robot control unit 37 may set a travel route so as to track the suspicious object based on the escape prediction route of the suspicious object described above. By setting the travel route of the robot body 10 based on the escape prediction route of the suspicious object, the robot body 10 can get ahead of the moving destination of the suspicious object.

[0056] Returning to FIG. 1, the long-range drone 3 is an example of a moving body. The long-range drone 3 is, for example, a multicopter equipped with a plurality of rotary wing propellers like the short-range drone 11, and performs autonomous flight without a pilot. Also, the short-range drone 11 is driven by a battery.

[0057] The long-range drone 3 has a longer flight distance than the short-range drone 11. The flight distance is the distance that can be flown on a single charge. The long-range drone 3 waits at a preset station. For example, the long-range drone 3 is equipped with a large battery in order to have a longer flight distance than the short-range drone 11. For example, the long-range drone 3 is larger than the short-range drone 11. The long-range drone 3 may be, for example, of an airplane type.

[0058] The long-range drone 3 is equipped with a camera like the short-range drone 11. The long-range drone 3 does not have a tracking mark, for example, unlike the short-range drone 11. Note that the long-range drone 3 may have a tracking mark like the short-range drone 11.

[0059] The long-range drone 3 is equipped with a communication module for performing wireless communication via the network N. The long-range drone 3 is also equipped with various sensors such as an acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor, and an optical sensor.

[0060] The long-range drone 3 also has a positioning device 39 (see FIG. 1) for measuring its own position. The positioning device 39 is, for example, GNSS. The position information of the long-range drone 3 detected by the positioning device 39 may be transmitted to the management device 4 via the network N. The position information of the long-range drone 3 detected by the positioning device 39 may be transmitted to the control device 13 via the network N. The long-range drone 3 also has a computer (for example, a microcomputer) that executes a flight control function and an attitude control function for controlling the attitude.

[0061] The long-range drone 3 acquires information on the second flight path from the control device 13 via the communication module. The information on the second flight path includes position information (e.g., latitude, longitude, and altitude) of the second flight path.

[0062] The long-range drone 3 may fly so as to take over the tracking of the suspicious object by the short-range drone 11. The long-range drone 3 may track the suspicious object simultaneously with the short-range drone 11.

[0063] The long-range drone 3 transmits the image captured by the camera to the management device 4 via the communication module. The long-range drone 3 transmits the image captured by the camera to the control device 13 via the communication module.

[0064] When a suspicious object is detected, the long-range drone 3 takes off from the standby station. The long-range drone 3 acquires information on the second flight path and flies along the second flight path to track the suspicious object. The long-range drone 3 executes image processing based on the image captured by the camera and flies along the second flight path while avoiding obstacles.

[0065] By using the short-range drone 11 and the long-range drone 3 to track the suspicious object, the tracking performance for the suspicious object can be improved. For example, indoors, the short-range drone 11 smaller than the long-range drone 3 can be used for tracking, and when the suspicious object escapes outdoors, the long-range drone 3 can also be used for tracking.

[0066] The management device 4 is, for example, a server device. The management device 4 may be a cloud server. As shown in FIG. 6, the management device 4 includes a communication unit 40, a storage unit 41, and a control unit 42. FIG. 6 is a functional block diagram showing an outline of the management device 4 according to the embodiment.

[0067] The management device 4 collects various information detected by the detection unit 12 of the tracking robot 2 from the tracking robot 2 that has detected a suspicious object. In addition, the management device 4 collects various information detected by the detection unit 12 from a tracking robot 2 different from the tracking robot 2 that has detected a suspicious object. Further, the management device 4 collects position information and the like of each long-range drone 3 from a plurality of long-range drones 3.

[0068] The management device 4 may generate information regarding the travel route of the tracking robot 2. In addition, the management device 4 may generate information regarding the first flight route of the short-range drone 11. Further, the management device 4 may generate information regarding the second flight route of the long-range drone 3.

[0069] The communication unit 40 is connected to the network N by wire or wirelessly. The communication unit 40 transmits and receives information to and from the control device 13 of the tracking robot 2, the short-range drone 11, and the long-range drone 3 via the network N.

[0070] The communication unit 40 receives various information detected by the detection unit 12 from the control device 13 of the tracking robot 2. The communication unit 40 receives an image captured by the camera 20 from the short-range drone 11. The communication unit 40 receives position information from the short-range drone 11, the tracking mark 21, and the long-range drone 3. The communication unit 40 receives an image captured by the camera from the long-range drone 3.

[0071] The storage unit 41 is realized by a semiconductor memory element such as a RAM or a flash memory, or a storage device such as an HDD, an SSD, or an optical disk. Various programs and various data are stored in the storage unit 41. For example, various information detected by the detection unit 12 of each tracking robot 2 is stored in the storage unit 41.

[0072] The control unit 42 is a controller and includes, for example, a microcomputer having a CPU, ROM, RAM, input / output ports, etc., and various circuits. Further, the control unit 42 may be configured by hardware such as an integrated circuit such as an ASIC or an FPGA.

[0073] The control unit 42 may generate information regarding the traveling route of the robot body 10. For example, the control unit 42 generates information regarding the traveling route of the robot body 10 by means of a text generation model (so-called AI chat engine). The text generation model may be interpreted as an algorithm and calculation for automatic dialogue processing by characters, as described above.

[0074] The control unit 42 generates questions about the suspicious target from various information detected by the detection unit 12 of the tracking robot 2. First, the control unit 42 generates questions, for example, by means of a language generation model.

[0075] For example, when movement is detected by the infrared sensor of the tracking robot 2, questions such as "The infrared sensor has detected such movement. Could the person making such movement be a suspicious person? From the perspective of a criminal's psychology, what actions will be taken next?" are generated.

[0076] When such questions are input into the text generation model, for example, the control unit 42 generates sentences such as "There is a high possibility of a suspicious person. When sensing the presence of a person, they will take evasive actions." The generated sentence is transmitted to the tracking robot 2 as information regarding the traveling route, and the tracking robot 2 sets a traveling route to approach the person presumed to be a suspicious person at a low speed.

[0077] Further, for example, when sound is detected by a sensor that detects faint sounds of the tracking robot 2, questions such as "A sound of 'pip' can be heard from 2 m ahead. What kind of sound is this?" are generated.

[0078] When such a question is input into the document generation model, for example, the control unit 42 generates a sentence such as "An alarm sound is ringing." The generated sentence is transmitted to the tracking robot 2 as information regarding the travel route. As a result, the tracking robot 2 determines that it is a suspicious target and sets a travel route to approach the suspicious target, for example, along the shortest route.

[0079] Note that the control unit 42 may similarly generate information regarding the travel route of the tracking robot 2 based on other information detected by the detection unit 12 of the tracking robot 2. The control unit 42 may generate information regarding the travel route of the tracking robot 2 based on information obtained by a highly sensitive camera capable of 360-degree sensing, LiDAR, a thermal camera, a radar, or the like. The control unit 42 may generate information regarding the travel route of the tracking robot 2 based on information obtained by sensors such as vision recognition, ultrasonic waves, vibration, ultraviolet rays, and electromagnetic waves.

[0080] Also, information regarding the travel route of the tracking robot 2 may be similarly generated based on a plurality of information detected by the detection unit 12 of the tracking robot 2. Note that the control unit 42 may set the travel route of the tracking robot 2.

[0081] When information regarding the travel route of the tracking robot 2 is generated by the document generation model, the tracking robot 2 can, for example, accurately determine a suspicious target and can approach the suspicious target without being noticed by the suspicious target. Therefore, for example, the tracking robot 2 can improve the hit rate of the tracking mark 21 launched from the short-range drone 11. In this way, by generating information regarding the travel route of the tracking robot 2 by the document generation model, the tracking performance of the suspicious target by the tracking robot 2 or the like can be improved.

[0082] Further, the control unit 42 may generate information regarding at least one of the first flight path of the short-range drone 11 and the second flight path of the long-range drone 3. For example, the control unit 42 generates information regarding the first flight path by means of a text generation model.

[0083] For example, when a suspicious object is detected by the tracking robot 2, the suspicious object is a vehicle, and "AA-BB" is detected as the number of the suspicious vehicle, the control unit 42 creates a sentence "Take a picture of the vehicle with the number AA-BB." by means of a language generation model. Then, the control unit 42 inputs the generated sentence into the text generation model to generate information regarding the first flight path. For example, the control unit 42 uses the camera of the short-range drone 11 to take a picture of the vehicle with the number "AA-BB" and generates a flight program for the short-range drone 11 to track the vehicle with the number "AA-BB". Then, the generated flight program is generated as information regarding the first flight path. When the generated information regarding the first flight path is transmitted to the short-range drone 11, the short-range drone 11 flies to track the vehicle with the number "AA-BB". The image taken by the camera of the short-range drone 11 is transmitted to the management device 4.

[0084] For example, by generating information regarding the first flight path of the short-range drone 11 by means of a document generation model, the tracking performance of the suspicious object by the short-range drone 11 can be improved.

[0085] The generation of information regarding the travel path of the tracking robot 2 using the text generation model, etc. may be executed by the tracking robot 2.

[0086] Next, the travel control process according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 7. FIG. 7 is a flowchart for explaining the travel control process according to the embodiment. The travel control process is executed by the control device 13 of the tracking robot 2.

[0087] The detection unit 12 detects the situation around the robot body 10 (S100). For example, the detection unit 12 detects various information from cameras and sensors provided on the moving unit 14, the head 10d of the robot body 10, etc.

[0088] The control unit 32 autonomously drives the robot body 10 according to the situation detected by the detection unit 12 (S101). For example, the control unit 32 determines the rotation speed of the roller 14a that can avoid obstacles around the robot body 10 and the posture of the robot body 10, rotates the roller 14a by the rotation speed, and moves the joints so as to achieve the posture, thereby changing the positions and orientations of the body part 10a and the leg part 10b. Thereby, the control unit 32 autonomously drives the robot body 10 while making it move like a human.

[0089] The tracking robot 2 includes a robot body 10, a detection unit 12, and a control unit 32. The robot body 10 can autonomously travel. The detection unit 12 detects the situation around the robot body 10. The control unit 32 autonomously drives the robot body 10 according to the situation detected by the detection unit 12. The robot body 10 includes a body part 10a, one leg part 10b, and a moving unit 14. The robot body 10 has at least a waist joint located at the upper end of the leg, an ankle joint located at the lower end of the leg, and a knee joint located between the waist and the ankle. The leg part 10b is movably attached to the body part 10a at the waist and movably attached to the moving unit 14 at the ankle. The moving unit 14 is provided with a roller 14a.

[0090] Thereby, since the tracking robot 2 can rotate the roller 14a of the moving unit 14 by the rotation speed corresponding to the situation around the robot body 10 detected by the detection unit 12 and autonomously drive the robot body 10, it can track a suspicious target. Therefore, the tracking robot 2 can improve the tracking performance of the suspicious target.

[0091] In addition, the tracked robot 2 can move its joints to change the position and orientation of the body 10a and legs 10b, allowing the robot body 10 to move autonomously while performing human-like movements. Therefore, the tracked robot 2 can also function as a baggage carrying robot in a warehouse, a worker replacement robot in a factory, etc.

[0092] In addition, the moving unit 14 is an unmanned guided vehicle. As a result, the tracked robot 2 can function not only as a simple unmanned guided vehicle, but also as a baggage transport robot in a warehouse, where the robot body 10 moves like a human to transport goods.

[0093] A removable box part 16 is attached to the robot body 10. As a result, for example, when there are articles or the like in the box part 16, the tracked robot 2 can transport the articles or the like in the box part 16 by causing the moving part 14 to move the robot body 10.

[0094] 8 is a diagram schematically illustrating an example of a computer hardware configuration that functions as the tracked robot 2 or the management device 4. A program installed on the computer 1200 can cause the computer 1200 to function as one or more "parts" of the device according to the present embodiment, or to perform operations or one or more "parts" associated with the device according to the present embodiment, and / or to perform a process or steps of the process according to the present embodiment. Such a program can be executed by the CPU 1212 to cause the computer 1200 to perform specific operations associated with some or all of the blocks in the flowcharts and block diagrams described herein.

[0095] The computer 1200 according to this embodiment includes a CPU 1212, a RAM 1214, and a graphic controller 1216, which are interconnected by a host controller 1210. The computer 1200 also includes input / output units such as a communication interface 1222, a storage device 1224, a DVD drive, and an IC card drive, which are connected to the host controller 1210 via an input / output controller 1220. The DVD drive may be a DVD-ROM drive, a DVD-RAM drive, or the like. The storage device 1224 may be a hard disk drive, a solid state drive, or the like. The computer 1200 also includes input / output units such as a ROM 1230 and a keyboard, which are connected to the input / output controller 1220 via an input / output chip 1240.

[0096] The CPU 1212 operates according to programs stored in the ROM 1230 and the RAM 1214, thereby controlling each unit. The graphic controller 1216 acquires image data generated by the CPU 1212 in a frame buffer or the like provided in the RAM 1214 or within itself, and causes the image data to be displayed on the display device 1218.

[0097] The communication interface 1222 communicates with other electronic devices via a network. The storage device 1224 stores programs and data used by the CPU 1212 within the computer 1200. The DVD drive reads a program or data from a DVD-ROM or the like and provides it to the storage device 1224. The IC card drive reads programs and data from an IC card and / or writes programs and data to an IC card.

[0098] ROM 1230 stores therein a boot program or the like executed by the computer 1200 at activation, and / or a program dependent on the hardware of the computer 1200. The input / output chip 1240 may also be connected to the input / output controller 1220 via various input / output units such as a USB port, a parallel port, a serial port, a keyboard port, a mouse port, etc.

[0099] The program is provided by a computer-readable storage medium such as a DVD-ROM or an IC card. The program is read from the computer-readable storage medium, installed in the storage device 1224, the RAM 1214, or the ROM 1230, which is also an example of a computer-readable storage medium, and executed by the CPU 1212. The information processing described in these programs is read by the computer 1200, resulting in the cooperation between the programs and the various types of hardware resources described above. The apparatus or method may be configured by realizing the operation or processing of information according to the use of the computer 1200.

[0100] For example, when communication is executed between the computer 1200 and an external device, the CPU 1212 may execute a communication program loaded in the RAM 1214 and instruct the communication interface 1222 to perform communication processing based on the processing described in the communication program. The communication interface 1222 reads the transmission data stored in the transmission buffer area provided in a recording medium such as the RAM 1214, the storage device 1224, the DVD-ROM, or the IC card under the control of the CPU 1212, transmits the read transmission data to the network, or writes the received data received from the network to the reception buffer area provided on the recording medium, etc.

[0101] Further, the CPU 1212 may cause all or a necessary part of a file or database stored in an external recording medium such as the storage device 1224, a DVD drive (DVD-ROM), an IC card, etc. to be read into the RAM 1214, and may execute various types of processing on the data on the RAM 1214. Next, the CPU 1212 may write back the processed data to the external recording medium.

[0102] Various types of information such as various types of programs, data, tables, and databases may be stored in the recording medium and may undergo information processing. The CPU 1212 may perform various types of processing on the data read from the RAM 1214, including various types of operations, information processing, conditional judgments, conditional branches, unconditional branches, information search / replacement, etc. described throughout this disclosure and specified by the instruction sequence of the program, and write back the results to the RAM 1214. Also, the CPU 1212 may search for information in files, databases, etc. within the recording medium. For example, when a plurality of entries each having an attribute value of a first attribute associated with an attribute value of a second attribute are stored in the recording medium, the CPU 1212 searches for an entry that matches the condition where the attribute value of the first attribute is specified among the plurality of entries, reads the attribute value of the second attribute stored in the entry, and thereby may obtain the attribute value of the second attribute associated with the first attribute that satisfies a predetermined condition.

[0103] The above-described program or software module may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium on or near the computer 1200. Also, a recording medium such as a hard disk or RAM provided in a server system connected to a dedicated communication network or the Internet can be used as a computer-readable storage medium, thereby providing the program to the computer 1200 via the network.

[0104] In the flowchart and block diagram in this embodiment, the blocks may represent the stages of the process in which the operation is executed or the "parts" of the device that play the role of executing the operation. Specific stages and "parts" may be implemented by a dedicated circuit, a programmable circuit supplied with computer-readable instructions stored on a computer-readable storage medium, and / or a processor supplied with computer-readable instructions stored on a computer-readable storage medium. The dedicated circuit may include digital and / or analog hardware circuits, and may include an integrated circuit (IC) and / or discrete circuits. The programmable circuit may include, for example, a reconfigurable hardware circuit including logical products, logical sums, exclusive logical sums, negative logical products, negative logical sums, and other logical operations, flip-flops, registers, and memory elements, such as a field programmable gate array (FPGA) and a programmable logic array (PLA).

[0105] The computer-readable storage medium may include any tangible device capable of storing instructions executable by an appropriate device. As a result, a computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored therein will comprise a product including instructions that can be executed to create means for performing the operations specified in the flowchart or block diagram. Examples of computer-readable storage media may include electronic storage media, magnetic storage media, optical storage media, electromagnetic storage media, semiconductor storage media, etc. More specific examples of computer-readable storage media may include floppy (registered trademark) disks, diskettes, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), static random access memory (SRAM), compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), digital versatile disc (DVD), Blu-ray (registered trademark) disc, memory stick, integrated circuit card, etc.

[0106] Computer-readable instructions may include any combination of one or more programming languages, including assembly instructions, instruction set architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions, machine-dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions, state-setting data, or object-oriented programming languages such as Smalltalk®, JAVA®, C++, and conventional procedural programming languages such as the "C" programming language or similar programming languages, either source code or object code written in any such combination.

[0107] Computer-readable instructions may be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus, or to a programmable circuit, locally or via a wide area network (WAN) such as a local area network (LAN), the Internet, etc., to cause the processor or programmable circuit to execute the operations specified in a flowchart or block diagram by generating means for executing the computer-readable instructions. Examples of processors include computer processors, processing units, microprocessors, digital signal processors, controllers, microcontrollers, etc.

[0108] As described above, the present invention has been described using embodiments, but the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes or improvements can be made to the above embodiments. It is clear from the description of the claims that forms with such changes or improvements can also be included in the technical scope of the present invention.

[0109] For example, in the above embodiments, a tracking robot is used as an example, but the use of the robot of the present invention is not limited to this, and other uses such as a luggage handling robot in a warehouse and a worker replacement robot in a factory are also assumed.

[0110] In the claims, the specification, and the drawings, the execution order of each process such as operations, procedures, steps, and stages in the apparatuses, systems, programs, and methods shown is not explicitly indicated as "earlier" or "preceding" etc. in particular, and it should be noted that it can be realized in any order unless the output of the previous process is used in the subsequent process. Regarding the operation flows in the claims, the specification, and the drawings, even if explanations are given using "first," "next," etc. for convenience, it does not mean that it is essential to implement in this order.

Explanation of Reference Signs

[0111] 1 Tracking system 2 Tracking robot 3 Long-range drone 4 Management device 10 Robot body 10a Body part 10b Legs 11 Short-range drone 12 Detection unit 13 Control device 14 Moving part 14a Roller 20 Camera 21 Tracking mark 32 Control unit 35 Suspicious object detection unit 36 Drone control unit 37 Robot control unit

Claims

1. A robot body capable of autonomous driving, a detection unit that detects the situation around the robot body, and a control unit that causes the robot body to autonomously drive according to the situation detected by the detection unit are provided, wherein the robot body comprises a torso, one leg, and a moving unit that moves the robot body is provided, and has at least a waist joint located at the upper end of the leg, an ankle joint located at the lower end of the leg, and a knee joint located between the waist and the ankle, the leg is movably attached to the torso at the waist and movably attached to the moving unit at the ankle, and the moving unit is provided with rollers. A robot.

2. The robot according to claim 1, wherein the moving unit is an automated guided vehicle.

3. The robot according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a removable box portion is attached to the robot body.

Images