Fluctuation oscillator and robot

Abstract

A fluctuating oscillator (1) is provided with a processor (10) formed from a digital circuit, and the processor comprises: a random variable generator (102) that generates a random variable; a lookup table (101) that stores in advance a waveform signal; a computation unit (103) that imparts fluctuation to the waveform signal read from the lookup table (10), such imparting being on the basis of the waveform signal, the random variable produced by the random variable generation unit (102), and a fed-back pulse signal; a threshold value discrimination unit (104) that produces the pulse signal by comparing a fluctuating signal output from the computation unit (103) with a prescribed threshold value; and a feedback loop (107) that causes the pulse signal to be fed back to the computation unit (103).

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a fluctuation oscillator and a robot equipped with the fluctuation oscillator. [Background technology]

[0002] A fluctuation oscillator is known as an oscillator that utilizes the phenomenon of stochastic resonance, in which adding noise to a signal strengthens the signal under a certain probability, improving the response. Since the fluctuation oscillator oscillates with fluctuations such as 1 / f fluctuations, it is possible to realize control that is comfortable for humans, such as blinking lighting devices like fireflies or moving robots biologically. Furthermore, the fluctuation oscillator can also be used as a sensor to detect weak signals buried in noise. Conventional fluctuation oscillators were composed of analog circuits, so in order to oscillate the fluctuation oscillator at the desired frequency, it was required to flexibly adjust circuit parameters such as resistors and capacitors.

[0003] Therefore, Patent Document 1 discloses a fluctuation oscillator in which circuit parameters can be flexibly adjusted. Specifically, Patent Document 1 discloses a fluctuation oscillator including a noise generator, an adder that adds a noise signal generated by the noise generator and a fed-back transient response signal to an input signal, a threshold discrimination unit that generates a pulse signal by comparing the added signal output from the adder with a threshold, a transient response unit that causes the pulse signal to undergo a transient response, a feedback loop that feeds back the transient response signal from the transient response unit, and an intensity adjustment unit that adjusts the intensity of the transient response signal flowing through the feedback loop.

[0004] However, in the fluctuation oscillator described in Patent Document 1, a transient response signal is generated by a transient response unit consisting of an analog circuit such as a differential circuit or an integral circuit including a resistor and a capacitor. In order to tune this transient response signal to an ideal waveform, it is necessary to change the circuit parameters of the transient response unit to various values, which is time-consuming.

[0005] Furthermore, since the transient response unit described in Patent Document 1 is composed of a differential circuit or an integral circuit including a resistor and a capacitor, there is a problem that the circuit size increases. In particular, in order to oscillate the fluctuation oscillator at a low frequency, it is necessary to increase the time constant of the transient response unit, which leads to an increase in the circuit size.

[0006] Furthermore, since the fluctuation oscillator described in Patent Document 1 is configured with an analog circuit, it requires a noise generator configured with a function generator or the like, and there is room for further improvement in terms of reducing the scale of the circuit configuration. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2017 / 033962 Summary of the Invention

[0008] An object of the present invention is to provide a fluctuation oscillator etc. which allows easy shaping of a transient response signal, does not require a noise generator, and enables a reduction in the scale of the circuit configuration.

[0009] A fluctuation oscillator according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a processor composed of a digital circuit, the processor having a random variable generating unit that generates a random variable, a lookup table that pre-stores a waveform signal, a calculation unit that imparts fluctuation to the waveform signal based on the waveform signal read from the lookup table, the random variable generated by the random variable generating unit, and a pulse signal that is fed back, a threshold discrimination unit that generates a pulse signal by comparing the fluctuation signal output from the calculation unit with a predetermined threshold, and a feedback loop that feeds back the pulse signal to the calculation unit. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a fluctuation oscillator according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] 4 is a waveform diagram illustrating the operation of a fluctuation oscillator. FIG. [Diagram 3] 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating an example of a differential waveform, an integral waveform, and a logarithmic waveform with respect to the state of a threshold discriminator. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is an external view of an integrated circuit in which a fluctuation oscillator is implemented. [Diagram 5] 5 is a waveform diagram of a first output signal and a second output signal outputted from a port P0[4] and a port P1[0] shown in FIG. 4. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 illustrates an example implementation of a single fluctuation oscillator. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example implementation of two fluctuation oscillators. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the transition over time of the state of a fluctuation oscillator when no sensor is connected. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the transition over time of the state of a fluctuation oscillator when a sensor is connected. [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is an external view of a robot according to a second embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a block diagram of the robot shown in FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a logic value table used when a motor driver determines a motion pattern of a robot. [Figure 13] FIG. 11 is a block diagram of a fluctuation oscillator according to a third embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a conventional fluctuation oscillator. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiment is an example of the present invention, and is not intended to limit the technical scope of the present invention.

[0012] First, before describing the fluctuation oscillator according to the present embodiment, a conventional fluctuation oscillator will be described. FIG. 14 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a conventional fluctuation oscillator 1000. The upper side of FIG. 14 shows a waveform diagram of a pulse signal output from a threshold discrimination unit 1003. The fluctuation oscillator 1000 includes a noise generator 1001, an adder 1002, a threshold discrimination unit 1003, a transient response unit 1004, a feedback loop 1005, and an intensity adjustment unit 1006. The noise generator 1001 is composed of a function generator and generates a noise signal. The adder 1002 adds the noise signal generated by the noise generator 1001, the input signal, and the pulse signal flowing through the feedback loop 1005. By adding the noise signal to the input signal, fluctuation is imparted to the input signal.

[0013] The threshold discriminator 1003 compares the sum signal output from the adder 1002 with a predetermined threshold. If the sum signal exceeds the threshold, a high-level pulse signal is output from the threshold discriminator 1003 as shown in the waveform diagram, and the fluctuation oscillator 1000 goes into a high state. If the sum signal falls below the threshold, a low-level pulse signal is output from the threshold discriminator 1003 as shown in the waveform diagram, and the fluctuation oscillator 1000 goes into a low state.

[0014] The transient response unit 1004 is composed of a differentiation circuit or an integration circuit, differentiates or integrates the pulse signal, and outputs a transient response signal. The transient response signal is fed back by a feedback loop 1005 and input to the adder 1002. The intensity adjustment unit 1006 adjusts the intensity of the fed back transient response signal and inputs it to the adder 1002.

[0015] The fluctuation oscillator 1000 oscillates at a natural frequency determined from the strength of the input signal, the time constant of the transient response unit 1004, the strength of the feedback transient response signal, etc. However, since the sum signal output from the adder 1002 is given fluctuations due to a noise signal, the oscillation period fluctuates, for example, with 1 / f fluctuations. As a result, when a robot or lighting device is controlled using the fluctuation oscillator 1000, it becomes possible to provide control that is comfortable for humans.

[0016] In this way, the fluctuation oscillator 1000 is composed of an analog circuit. Therefore, as described above, there is a problem that tuning the circuit parameters of the transient response unit 1004 is time-consuming and increases the circuit scale of the transient response unit 1004. Furthermore, since the fluctuation oscillator 1000 requires the noise generator 1001, there is also a problem that the circuit scale increases accordingly.

[0017] Therefore, the present inventor has found that if a fluctuation oscillator is configured with a processor consisting of a digital circuit and a waveform signal having an ideal waveform of a transient response signal required in a conventional fluctuation oscillator is stored in a lookup table in advance, the transient response section becomes unnecessary and the circuit scale can be reduced. Furthermore, the inventor has found that if a waveform signal having an ideal waveform of a transient response signal is stored in a lookup table, the troublesome adjustment work of the circuit parameters of the transient response section 1004 becomes unnecessary. Furthermore, the inventor has found that since the processor can easily generate random variables by a program, a large-scale noise generator such as a function generator becomes unnecessary. Based on these findings, the present inventor has come up with the following fluctuation oscillator. The fluctuation oscillator according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0018] (Embodiment 1) 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a fluctuation oscillator 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The fluctuation oscillator 1 includes a processor 10, a sensor 20, a light emitter 30, and an infrared light emitter 40.

[0019] The processor 10 is a digital circuit composed of a microcontroller including a CPU and memories such as RAM and ROM. The processor 10 includes a lookup table 101, a random variable generating unit 102, a calculation unit 103, a threshold discrimination unit 104, an intensity adjusting unit 105, an acquisition unit 106, a feedback loop 107, a clock signal generator 108, and a clock setter 109. The lookup table 101, the random variable generating unit 102, the calculation unit 103, the threshold discrimination unit 104, the intensity adjusting unit 105, the acquisition unit 106, and the feedback loop 107 are realized by the processor 10 executing a program that causes the computer to function as the fluctuation oscillator 1. However, this is only an example, and the lookup table 101, the random variable generating unit 102, the calculation unit 103, the threshold discrimination unit 104, the intensity adjusting unit 105, the acquisition unit 106, and the feedback loop 107 may be composed of a dedicated circuit such as an ASIC or FPGA.

[0020] The lookup table 101 prestores a waveform signal. As the waveform signal, a transient response signal having an ideal shape required for the conventional fluctuation oscillator 1000 can be adopted. For example, the waveform signal has a differentiated waveform which is an output waveform of a differentiation circuit, an integrated waveform which is an output waveform of an integration circuit, or a logarithmic waveform.

[0021] In the fluctuation oscillator 1, when the signal is in a low state, for example, an inverted waveform signal obtained by inverting a waveform signal used when the signal is in a high state is used. Therefore, the lookup table 101 stores only the waveform signal used when the signal is in a high state as a basic waveform pattern. This reduces the consumption of memory resources in the lookup table 101.

[0022] The waveform signal stored in lookup table 101 is a discrete waveform signal in which digital sample values ​​at each sample point when a certain waveform is sampled at a predetermined sampling interval are arranged in time series. The sample values ​​of the waveform signal stored in lookup table 101 are sequentially read out by calculation unit 103 in synchronization with a clock signal output from clock signal generator 108.

[0023] As shown by the waveform signal 201 in the upper left of Fig. 2, the logarithmic waveform has a rising part that rises from the ground GND to a peak in an upward convex curve, and a decay part that gradually decays from the peak to the ground GND in a downward convex curve that is gentler than the rising part. The logarithmic waveform is a transient response waveform that is the waveform of the output signal during the transient response of the LCR circuit, and has a shape that is a combination of a differential waveform and an integral waveform. The LCR circuit is a circuit in which a coil (L), a capacitor (C), and a resistor (R) are connected in series or in parallel.

[0024] 3 is a diagram showing an example of a differential waveform, an integral waveform, and a logarithmic waveform with respect to the state of the threshold discriminator 104. In FIG. 3, (a) shows the state of the threshold discriminator 104, i.e., a pulse signal, (b) shows a differential waveform, (c) shows an integral waveform, and (d) shows a logarithmic waveform. When the threshold discriminator 104 is in a high state, the differential waveform rises steeply from the ground GND in a nearly linear manner toward a peak, and then gradually attenuates from the peak toward the ground GND in a downward convex curve. When the threshold discriminator 104 is in a low state, the differential waveform has a shape obtained by inverting the differential waveform in the high state.

[0025] When the threshold discriminator 104 is in a high state, the integral waveform has a shape that rises gently from the ground GND in a convex curve. When the threshold discriminator 104 is in a low state, the integral waveform has a shape obtained by inverting the integral waveform in the high state and connecting the beginning of the inverted integral waveform to the end of the integral waveform in the high state.

[0026] The logarithmic waveform has a shape with the rising and falling portions described above when the threshold discriminator 104 is in a high state. When the threshold discriminator 104 is in a low state, the logarithmic waveform has an inverted shape of the logarithmic waveform in the high state.

[0027] The waveform signals stored in the lookup table 101 are not limited to the logarithmic waveform, differential waveform, and integral waveform described above, and may have any waveform as long as the waveform changes in shape over time.

[0028] Returning to Fig. 1, the random variable generating unit 102 generates random variables. A random variable is, for example, a numerical value that is randomly selected within a predetermined numerical range. The random variable generating unit 102 determines a random variable in synchronization with a clock signal, and inputs it to the calculation unit 103.

[0029] The calculation unit 103 imparts fluctuation to the waveform signal based on the waveform signal read from the lookup table 101, the random variable generated by the random variable generating unit 102, and the feedback signal. Hereinafter, the signal generated by the calculation unit 103 is referred to as a "fluctuation signal." Hereinafter, the calculation unit 103 generates a fluctuation signal in which fluctuation is imparted to the waveform signal by adding the waveform signal, the random variable, and the feedback signal. In detail, the calculation unit 103 sequentially reads sample values ​​of the waveform signal from the lookup table 101 in synchronization with a clock signal, and adds the random variable and the feedback signal to the read sample values. As a result, fluctuation is imparted to the signal obtained by adding the waveform signal and the feedback signal. The fluctuation signal is input to the threshold discrimination unit 104 and is also input to the light emitter 30 as a first output signal.

[0030] Furthermore, when the calculation unit 103 is notified of a control signal by the threshold discrimination unit 104 indicating that the fluctuation signal has fallen below the first threshold, the calculation unit 103 may sequentially read out the waveform signals stored in the lookup table 101 from the top, and add an inverted waveform signal obtained by inverting the read waveform signal to a random variable and a feedback signal to impart fluctuation to the inverted waveform signal. On the other hand, when the calculation unit 103 is notified of a control signal by the threshold discrimination unit 104 indicating that the fluctuation signal has exceeded the second threshold, the calculation unit 103 may sequentially read out the waveform signals stored in the lookup table 101 from the top, and impart fluctuation to the waveform signal based on the read waveform signal, the random variable, and the feedback signal. In this way, the inverted waveform signal can be generated without storing the inverted waveform signal in the lookup table 101.

[0031] It should be noted that the calculation section 103 may generate the fluctuation signal by subtraction, multiplication, or division instead of addition.

[0032] An example of a subtraction process is a process of subtracting a feedback signal and a random variable from the waveform signal, or a process of subtracting a random variable from a signal obtained by adding a feedback signal to a waveform signal. An example of a multiplication process is a process of multiplying a waveform signal by a feedback signal and a random variable. An example of a division process is a process of dividing the waveform signal by a feedback signal and a random variable.

[0033] The fluctuation signal is input to the threshold discriminator 104, and is also input as a first output signal to the light emitter 30. The light emitter 30 is an example of an output device.

[0034] The threshold discrimination unit 104 generates a pulse signal by comparing the fluctuation signal output from the calculation unit 103 with a predetermined threshold. The threshold includes a first threshold and a second threshold greater than the first threshold. The first threshold is a threshold used when the fluctuation oscillator 1 is in a high state, and the second threshold is a threshold used when the fluctuation oscillator 1 is in a low state. When the threshold discrimination unit 104 determines that the fluctuation signal falls below the first threshold while the fluctuation oscillator 1 is in a high state, the threshold discrimination unit 104 sets the pulse signal to a low state. This causes the fluctuation oscillator 1 to be in a low state. On the other hand, when the threshold discrimination unit 104 determines that the fluctuation signal exceeds the second threshold while the fluctuation oscillator 1 is in a low state, the threshold discrimination unit 104 sets the pulse signal to a high state. This causes the fluctuation oscillator 1 to be in a high state. By using the first threshold and the second threshold, it is possible to provide hysteresis to the fluctuation oscillator 1.

[0035] When the fluctuation oscillator 1 switches from a high state to a low state, the threshold discrimination unit 104 notifies the calculation unit 103 of a control signal indicating the switching, and when the fluctuation oscillator 1 switches from a low state to a high state, the threshold discrimination unit 104 notifies the calculation unit 103 of a control signal indicating the switching. This allows the calculation unit 103 to recognize that the fluctuation oscillator 1 has switched to a low state or a high state. The pulse signal output from the threshold discrimination unit 104 is input to the intensity adjustment unit 105.

[0036] In the case where there is one threshold, the threshold discriminator 104 may set the pulse signal to a high state when the fluctuation signal exceeds the threshold, and set the pulse signal to a low state when the fluctuation signal falls below the threshold.

[0037] The intensity adjustment unit 105 adjusts the intensity of the pulse signal, and inputs the adjusted pulse signal as a feedback signal to the calculation unit 103 via the feedback loop 107, and also inputs the adjusted pulse signal as a second output signal to the infrared emitter 40. For example, the intensity adjustment unit 105 may adjust the intensity of the feedback signal by multiplying the feedback signal by a predetermined gain. As the predetermined gain, a predetermined value may be adopted for giving the feedback signal an intensity required for oscillating the fluctuation oscillator 1 at a target frequency. Note that the intensity adjustment unit 105 may be configured to be capable of adjusting this predetermined gain from the outside.

[0038] The acquisition unit 106 performs a predetermined calculation on the sensing signal detected by the sensor 20, and inputs the calculated sensing signal to the calculation unit 103. The acquisition unit 106 may adjust the level of the sensing signal, for example, by multiplying the sensing signal by a predetermined gain. For example, when the fluctuation oscillator 1 is operated so as to be synchronized with another fluctuation oscillator 1, a predetermined appropriate value is adopted as the gain to realize this synchronization.

[0039] Clock signal generator 108 is formed of, for example, an oscillator circuit, and generates a clock signal that determines the operating clock of processor 10. Clock setter 109 sets the frequency of the clock signal generated by clock signal generator 108. Clock setter 109 includes, for example, a frequency divider circuit and a setting unit for setting the frequency division number of the frequency divider circuit, and adjusts the frequency of the clock signal by dividing the clock signal generated by clock signal generator 108 by the frequency division number set by the setting unit. This setting unit is configured to be able to set the frequency division number in response to an external instruction.

[0040] The sensor 20 is composed of, for example, a photodiode sensitive to infrared light, detects the light emitted by the infrared emitter 40 of the other fluctuation oscillator 1, and generates a digital sensing signal indicating the detection result.

[0041] The light emitter 30 is composed of, for example, a light emitting diode, and emits light in accordance with the first output signal. The first output signal is a signal to which fluctuations are added based on the waveform signal stored in the lookup table 101. Therefore, the light emitter 30 emits light with an intensity according to the waveform indicated by the waveform signal. Furthermore, the first output signal is an oscillation signal of the fluctuation oscillator 1, and this oscillation signal fluctuates with 1 / f fluctuation. Therefore, the light emitter 30 can blink with 1 / f fluctuation.

[0042] The infrared emitter 40 is composed of, for example, a light emitting diode that emits infrared light, and emits infrared light according to the second output signal. This infrared light is received by the sensor 20 of the fluctuation oscillator 1 arranged in the subsequent stage. This enables the subsequent stage fluctuation oscillator 1 to cause the emitter 30 to emit light in synchronization with the previous stage fluctuation oscillator 1. Since the second output signal is transmitted to the subsequent stage fluctuation oscillator 1 as infrared light, the subsequent stage fluctuation oscillator 1 can be operated without being affected by the surrounding environmental light. The infrared emitter 40 is an example of an output device.

[0043] FIG. 2 is a waveform diagram for explaining the operation of the fluctuation oscillator 1. Below, an overview of the processing of the fluctuation oscillator 1 will be described with reference to FIG. 2. In the various waveform diagrams shown in FIG. 2, the vertical axis indicates voltage and the horizontal axis indicates time. In the example of FIG. 2, the sensing signal input from the sensor 20 is omitted. In FIG. 2, the waveform diagram in the upper left shows the waveform signal 201 stored in the lookup table 101. In this example, the above-mentioned logarithmic waveform is shown as the waveform signal 201. The waveform diagram in the middle left shows the random variable 202 generated by the random variable generating unit 102. The waveform diagram in the lower left shows the feedback signal 203. In this example, a high-state pulse signal is output from the threshold discriminator 104, so the feedback signal 203 in the high state is shown.

[0044] Waveform signal 201, random variable 202, and feedback signal 203 are input to calculation unit 103 in synchronization with a clock signal. Calculation unit 103 adds waveform signal 201, random variable 202, and feedback signal 203 in synchronization with the clock signal to generate a fluctuation signal, and inputs it to threshold determination unit 104.

[0045] The waveform diagram in the center shows the fluctuation signal 204. The fluctuation signal 204 is a signal obtained by adding fluctuation due to a random variable 202 to a waveform signal 201 offset by the strength of the feedback signal. At timing t1, the fluctuation signal 204 is below the first threshold Vth1. Therefore, the threshold discriminator 104 changes the pulse signal from a high state to a low state. The waveform diagram in the lower right shows the pulse signal 206 output from the threshold discriminator 104. As shown in this waveform diagram, it can be seen that the pulse signal 206 is switched from a high state to a low state at timing t1. As a result, the fluctuation oscillator 1 changes from a high state to a low state.

[0046] At this time, the threshold discrimination unit 104 notifies the calculation unit 103 of a control signal indicating that the fluctuation oscillator 1 has switched to a low state. The calculation unit 103, which has received this control signal, reads out the waveform signal 201 from the first sample value. The waveform diagram in the upper right shows the waveform signal 201 processed by the calculation unit 103 in response to the switching of the state of the fluctuation oscillator 1. At timing t1, the fluctuation signal is below the first threshold Vth1. Therefore, the calculation unit 103 stops reading out the waveform signal 201 in the middle of the first cycle and starts reading out the waveform signal 201 from the first sample value. This starts reading out the waveform signal 201 in the second cycle. Since the fluctuation oscillator 1 is in a low state in the second cycle, the calculation unit 103 multiplies the waveform signal 201 by minus 1 to generate an inverted waveform signal 205. Then, the calculation unit 103 adds the random variable 202 and the feedback signal to the inverted waveform signal 205 to generate a fluctuation signal.

[0047] At timing t2, the fluctuation signal generated based on the inverted waveform signal 205 exceeds the second threshold Vth2. Therefore, the threshold discriminator 104 switches the pulse signal from a low state to a high state. At this time, the threshold discriminator 104 notifies the calculation unit 103 of a control signal indicating that the state has been switched from a low state to a high state. The calculation unit 103, having received this control signal, stops reading the waveform signal 201 in the second cycle and starts reading the waveform signal 201 from the first sample value. This starts reading the waveform signal 201 in the third cycle. Since the fluctuation oscillator 1 is in a high state in the third cycle, the calculation unit 103 generates a fluctuation signal based on the waveform signal 201. After this, these operations are repeated, and the fluctuation oscillator 1 oscillates. Note that the waveforms after timing t1 are omitted in the waveform signal 201, feedback signal 203, and fluctuation signal 204 in FIG. 2.

[0048] Fig. 4 is an external view of an integrated circuit 400 in which the fluctuation oscillator 1 is implemented. In the integrated circuit 400, each block of the processor 10 shown in Fig. 1 is integrated, but the sensor 20, the light emitter 30, and the infrared light emitter 40 are not integrated. The integrated circuit 400 includes eight pins indicated by pin numbers "1" to "8". At the bottom of Fig. 4, a table is shown that associates pins "1" to "8", the ports corresponding to each pin, and the signals flowing through each port.

[0049] For each port, a "0" following a P indicates that the signal flowing through that port is an analog signal, and a "1" following a P indicates that the signal flowing through that port is a digital signal.

[0050] Below, only the main pins will be briefly described. Pin "4" is a VSS port, to which a ground voltage is input. Here, the ground voltage is 0V. Pin "5" is a P1[0] port, to which the comparator state is output. The comparator state output here is the second output signal output from the intensity adjustment unit 105. Pin "7" is a P0[4] port, to which an analog signal is output. The analog signal output here is the first output signal output from the calculation unit 103. Pin "8" is a VDD port, to which a supply voltage is input. The supply voltage is the driving voltage of the integrated circuit 400.

[0051] Fig. 5 is a waveform diagram of the first output signal and the second output signal output from the port P0[4] and the port P1[0] shown in Fig. 4. In the example of Fig. 5, the waveform signal stored in the lookup table 101 is a logarithmic waveform.

[0052] At timing t1, the first output signal (fluctuation signal) flowing through port P0[4] falls below the first threshold Vth1, so the second output signal flowing through port P1[0] switches from high to low. As a result, the fluctuation oscillator 1 switches from high to low. As the fluctuation oscillator 1 has entered the low state, the calculation unit 103 starts reading the waveform signal from the beginning of the lookup table 101 and inverts the read sampled value. As a result, the first output signal flowing through port P0[4] has a shape obtained by inverting the first output signal in the high state.

[0053] At timing t2, shortly after the first output signal is switched to the low state, the first output signal generated based on the waveform signal exceeds the second threshold Vth2, so the second output signal flowing through port P1[0] is switched from the low state to the high state. This process is repeated thereafter, and the first output signal and the second output signal as shown in FIG.

[0054] Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example implementation of a single fluctuation oscillator 1. In this implementation example, the fluctuation oscillator 1 includes the integrated circuit 400 shown in Fig. 4 and a light-emitting diode 601. The light-emitting diode 601 is an example of the light emitter 30 shown in Fig. 1. The light-emitting diode 601 is connected to the P0[4] port, receives the first output signal, and emits visible light.

[0055] A supply voltage is input to the VDD port. The VSS port is connected to the ground GND. A resistor 602 is provided between the light-emitting diode 601 and the ground GND. The resistor 602 is a current limiting resistor for the light-emitting diode 601. In the fluctuation oscillator 1 shown in FIG. 6, the light-emitting diode 601 blinks according to the first output signal shown at the port P0[4] in FIG. 5. As shown in FIG. 5, the period during which the fluctuation oscillator 1 is in the on state fluctuates. This fluctuation can have the characteristics of 1 / f fluctuation. Therefore, the light-emitting diode 601 can achieve a natural blinking that is comfortable for humans, like a firefly.

[0056] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the implementation of two fluctuation oscillators 1. In this implementation example, two fluctuation oscillators 1 are connected. Here, the fluctuation oscillator 1 on the left side is labeled 1_1, and the fluctuation oscillator 1 on the right side is labeled 1_2 to distinguish between them. The basic configuration of the fluctuation oscillator 1_1 and the fluctuation oscillator 1_2 is the same as that of the fluctuation oscillator 1 shown in FIG. 6. However, in the example of FIG. 7, the P0[4] port of the fluctuation oscillator 1_1 is connected to the P0[3] port of the fluctuation oscillator 1_2. This connection can be considered as the fluctuation oscillator 1_1 being adopted as the sensor 20 and the first output signal of the fluctuation oscillator 1_1 being adopted as the sensing signal input from the sensor 20 to the acquisition unit 106, assuming that the fluctuation oscillator 1 shown in FIG. 1 is the fluctuation oscillator 1_2. As a result, the fluctuation oscillator 1_1 and the fluctuation oscillator 1_2 oscillate in synchronization with each other, and the light emitting diode 601 of the fluctuation oscillator 1_1 flashes in synchronization with the light emitting diode 601 of the fluctuation oscillator 1_2. In Fig. 7, the P0[4] port of the fluctuation oscillator 1_1 may be connected to the P0[2] port of the fluctuation oscillator 1_2.

[0057] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the time transition of the state of the fluctuation oscillator 1 when the sensor 20 is not connected. In FIG. 8, the upper diagram is a circuit diagram 800 showing an example of the fluctuation oscillator 1 when the sensor is not connected. The middle diagram is a waveform diagram 803 showing the time transition of the state of the fluctuation oscillator 1 shown in the circuit diagram 800. The lower diagram is a waveform diagram 804 showing the time transition of the integral value of the state of the fluctuation oscillator 1 shown in the circuit diagram 800. In the example of the circuit diagram 800 in FIG. 8, the fluctuation oscillator 1 has a resistor 801 connected between an output terminal 802 and the ground GND. The output signal from the fluctuation oscillator 1 is fed back to the input terminal 807 via a feedback loop 806. In this diagram, the feedback loop 806 is shown outside the fluctuation oscillator 1, but in reality, this feedback loop 806 shows the feedback loop 107 shown in FIG. 1 that the fluctuation oscillator 1 has.

[0058] The integral value of the state shown in the waveform diagram 804 indicates the value obtained by integrating the high state of the fluctuation oscillator 1 as "1" and the low state as "-1" along the time axis.

[0059] When there is no input from the sensor, as shown in waveform diagram 803, the fluctuation oscillator 1 changes state so that the duty ratio between the high state and the low state is approximately 50%. Therefore, as shown in waveform diagram 804, the integrated value of the state becomes a triangular waveform that oscillates up and down around the initial value 805. Therefore, when the integrated value of the state is used for position control of the robot, it is possible to realize a random walk in which the robot is moved repeatedly, for example, in the left-right direction or the front-back direction around the initial position corresponding to the initial value 805 locally while remaining at the initial position globally.

[0060] Fig. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the time transition of the state of the fluctuation oscillator 1 when a sensor 901 is connected. In Fig. 9, the upper diagram is a circuit diagram 900 showing an example of the fluctuation oscillator 1 when a sensor 901 is connected. The diagram in the middle is a waveform diagram 903 showing the time transition of the state of the fluctuation oscillator 1 shown in the circuit diagram 900. The diagram is a waveform diagram 904 showing the time transition of the integrated value of the state of the fluctuation oscillator 1 shown in the circuit diagram 900.

[0061] In the example of the circuit diagram 900, the fluctuation oscillator 1 has a resistor 905 between an output terminal 902 and the ground GND. The sensor 901 is a photosensor, and is connected between the fluctuation oscillator 1 and the output terminal 902. Here, the sensing signal of the sensor 901 is fed back to the input terminal 907 via a feedback loop 906. This feedback loop 906, like the feedback loop 806 in FIG. 8, also shows the feedback loop 107 shown in FIG. 1 that the fluctuation oscillator 1 has.

[0062] When the sensor 901 is present, as shown in waveform diagram 903, the fluctuation oscillator 1 has a bias in the time average between the high state and the low state. In this waveform diagram 903, the time average between the high state and the low state is biased toward the high state side. Therefore, as shown in waveform diagram 904, although the integral value of the state shows a slight decrease toward the initial value 908, it generally increases from the initial value 908 as time passes. Therefore, for example, if the integral value of the state is used to control the position of a robot, it becomes possible to move the robot according to the light being irradiated.

[0063] As described above, according to the fluctuation oscillator 1 of this embodiment, since the lookup table 101 for storing waveform signals in advance is provided, it is possible to store in advance the waveform signal of an ideal transient response signal required in a conventional fluctuation oscillator in the lookup table 101. This makes it possible to obtain an ideal transient response signal without performing a time-consuming task such as adjusting the circuit parameters of a transient response unit composed of an integrating circuit or a differentiating circuit in order to obtain an ideal transient response signal.

[0064] Furthermore, according to this configuration, the random variable generator, the lookup table, the calculation unit, the threshold discrimination unit, and the feedback loop are configured by a processor consisting of digital circuits. This makes the transient response unit consisting of a differentiation circuit or an integration circuit used in conventional fluctuation oscillators unnecessary, making it possible to reduce the scale of the circuit configuration. Furthermore, since the fluctuation oscillator is configured by such a processor, it becomes possible to configure the fluctuation oscillator 1 as a one-chip integrated circuit. Furthermore, it becomes unnecessary to provide a separate noise generator such as a function generator, making it possible to further reduce the scale of the circuit configuration.

[0065] (Embodiment 2) Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. The second embodiment relates to a robot controlled by using the fluctuation oscillator 1 described in the first embodiment.

[0066] 10 is an external view of a robot 200 according to embodiment 2. The robot 200 is a mouse-shaped running robot that imitates a mouse. The robot 200 includes a housing 210, a photosensor 201a, a photosensor 201b, and a pair of wheels 211.

[0067] The housing 210 is made of a translucent material. The housing 210 has a form simulating the ears, eyes, nose, and body of a mouse. The photosensor 201a is provided in a position on the housing 210 that corresponds to the left eye of the mouse. The photosensor 201b is provided in a position on the housing 210 that corresponds to the right eye of the mouse. The photosensors 201a and 201b are sensors sensitive to visible light. The pair of wheels 211 are provided in the housing 210 at positions that correspond to the feet of the mouse.

[0068] Fig. 11 is a block diagram of the robot 200 shown in Fig. 10. In addition to the above-mentioned photosensors 201a and 201b and the pair of wheels 211, the robot 200 includes fluctuation oscillators 213 and 214, a motor driver 215, and motors 216 and 217. In Fig. 11, the pair of wheels 211 are represented as wheels 211L and 211R. The wheels 211L and 211R are an example of a first wheel and a second wheel. The motors 216 and 217 are an example of a first motor and a second motor.

[0069] The fluctuation oscillators 213 and 214 are each composed of the processor 10 of the fluctuation oscillator 1 shown in Fig. 1. The fluctuation oscillator 213 receives a sensing signal detected by the photosensor 201a and oscillates while being influenced by the sensing signal. The fluctuation oscillator 213 inputs an output signal a to a motor driver 215. The output signal a is a second output signal whose gain is adjusted by the intensity adjustment unit 105 based on the pulse signal output from the threshold discrimination unit 104 shown in Fig. 1. Therefore, the output signal a includes a high state and a low state.

[0070] The fluctuation oscillator 214 receives the sensing signal detected by the photosensor 201b and oscillates under the influence of the sensing signal. The fluctuation oscillator 214 inputs an output signal b to the motor driver 215. The output signal b is the second output signal, similar to the output signal.

[0071] The motor driver 215 is formed of, for example, an electric circuit, and determines a predetermined motion pattern of the robot 200 according to a combination of the state of the output signal a and the state of the output signal b. The motor driver 215 inputs control signals to the motors 216 and 217 for operating the robot 200 in the determined motion pattern. Hereinafter, the control signal of the motor 216 is referred to as a first control signal, and the control signal input to the motor 217 is referred to as a second control signal.

[0072] The motor 216 drives the wheel 211L according to a first control signal from the motor driver 215. The motor 217 drives the wheel 211R according to a second control signal from the motor driver 215. The wheel 211L is the left wheel of the robot 200, and the wheel 211R is the right wheel of the robot 200.

[0073] 12 is a diagram showing a logic value table T1 used by the motor driver 215 when determining a motion pattern of the robot 200. The logic value table T1 includes a plurality of combinations of the states of the output signal a and the output signal b, and motion patterns of the robot 200 corresponding to each combination.

[0074] In this example, when the states of output signals a and b are both "L (low state)", the "stop" operation pattern is associated. When the state of output signal a is "H (high state)" and the state of output signal b is "L", the "right turn" operation pattern is associated. When the state of output signal a is "L" and the state of output signal b is "H", the "left turn" operation pattern is associated. When the state of output signals a and b are both "H", the "break" operation pattern is associated.

[0075] "Stop" refers to stopping the rotation of the wheels 211L, 211R and locking the wheels 211L, 211R. "Right turn" refers to an operation of turning the robot 200 to the right as viewed from above. "Left turn" refers to an operation of turning the robot 200 to the left as viewed from above. "Break" refers to an operation pattern of causing the wheels 211L, 211R of the robot 200 to spin freely.

[0076] When the motor driver 215 determines the motion pattern to be "stop", it stops outputting the first control signal and the second control signal to the motor 216 and the motor 217. As a result, the wheels 202L and 202R of the robot 200 are locked. When the motor driver 215 determines the motion pattern to be "right turn", it generates a first control signal and a second control signal that make the rotation speed of the wheel 211L faster than the rotation speed of the wheel 211R, and inputs them to the motor 216 and the motor 217. When the motor driver 215 determines the motion pattern to be "left turn", it generates a first control signal and a second control signal that make the rotation speed of the wheel 211R faster than the rotation speed of the wheel 211L, and inputs them to the motor 216 and the motor 217.

[0077] When the motor driver 215 determines the operation pattern to be "break", it generates a control signal for causing the wheels 211L and 212R to spin freely and inputs the control signal to the motors 216 and 217.

[0078] In this way, according to this embodiment, it is possible to change the motion pattern of the robot 200 according to the light. Furthermore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to provide a mobile robot that operates in a predetermined motion pattern according to a combination of the states of the second output signals of the fluctuation oscillators 1.

[0079] It should be noted that the motion patterns described in the above-mentioned logic value table T1 are merely examples, and other motion patterns may be adopted, for example. Examples of other motion patterns include forward and backward motion. Furthermore, the correspondence between the combination of the states of the output signals a and b and the motion patterns is not limited to that described in the above-mentioned logic value table T1, and other correspondences may be adopted. For example, while "stop" is associated with the combination of "L" and "L", "stop" may also be associated with the combination of "H" and "H".

[0080] In the example of FIG. 11, the robot 200 is provided with two fluctuation oscillators 1, but this is just one example, and the number of fluctuation oscillators 1 may be one, or three or more.

[0081] (Embodiment 3) The third embodiment is characterized in that a delay unit 110 is further provided to the fluctuation oscillator 1 of the first embodiment. FIG. 13 is a block diagram of a fluctuation oscillator 1A according to the third embodiment. The processor 10A is further provided with a delay unit 110. The delay unit 110 delays the phase of the second output signal output from the intensity adjustment unit 105 by a predetermined time and outputs the delayed signal to the infrared emitter 40.

[0082] The purpose of providing the delay unit 110 is as follows. For example, assume a lighting unit in which N (an integer of 2 or more) fluctuation oscillators 1 shown in the first embodiment are connected in a ring shape. Connecting N fluctuation oscillators 1 in a ring shape means arranging each fluctuation oscillator 1 so that the infrared light emitted by the infrared emitter 40 of the first fluctuation oscillator 1 is received by the sensor 20 of the second fluctuation oscillator 1 in the second to Nth fluctuation oscillators 1 in sequence, and further the Nth fluctuation oscillator 1 in sequence. As a result, the second output signal of the first fluctuation oscillator 1 is propagated in sequence to the second, third, ..., Nth fluctuation oscillators 1, and then returned to the first fluctuation oscillator 1.

[0083] In a lighting unit configured in this way, initially each fluctuation oscillator 1 blinks asynchronously, but as the propagation of the second output signal is repeated, they eventually blink synchronously. If the phase of the second output signal output by each fluctuation oscillator 1 is not delayed, the timing of turning on and off each fluctuation oscillator 1 will be almost the same. This means that the lighting unit will not be able to realize a display effect in which the light emitted by each fluctuation oscillator 1 propagates in a ring shape in sequence.

[0084] On the other hand, a lighting unit is composed of a fluctuation oscillator 1A equipped with a delay unit 110. In this case, the second output signal of each fluctuation oscillator 1A is propagated to the subsequent fluctuation oscillator 1A with a delayed phase, and the on and off timings of each fluctuation oscillator 1 are shifted by a predetermined time from the on and off timings of the previous fluctuation oscillator 1. This allows the lighting unit to realize a display effect in which the light emitted by each fluctuation oscillator 1A is propagated in a ring shape in sequence.

[0085] The lighting unit may be composed of fluctuation oscillators 1A connected in one direction instead of in a ring shape. One-way connection refers to arranging each fluctuation oscillator 1A so that the infrared light emitted by the infrared emitter 40 of the first fluctuation oscillator 1A is received by the sensor 20 of the second fluctuation oscillator 1A in the second to Nth fluctuation oscillators 1A. As a result, the second output signal of the first fluctuation oscillator 1 is propagated sequentially to the second, third, ..., Nth fluctuation oscillators 1. In this case, the fluctuation oscillators 1A blink asynchronously at first, but eventually they are synchronously turned on with a phase shift of a predetermined time. In this case, the lighting unit is subjected to suppression type control, which is a control method simulating a living thing, and a display performance in which the light blinks in the order of the Nth to first fluctuation oscillators 1A is possible. (Summary of the embodiment)

[0086] A fluctuation oscillator according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a processor composed of a digital circuit, the processor having a random variable generating unit that generates a random variable, a lookup table that pre-stores a waveform signal, a calculation unit that imparts fluctuation to the waveform signal based on the waveform signal read from the lookup table, the random variable generated by the random variable generating unit, and a pulse signal that is fed back, a threshold discrimination unit that generates a pulse signal by comparing the fluctuation signal output from the calculation unit with a predetermined threshold, and a feedback loop that feeds back the pulse signal to the calculation unit.

[0087] According to this configuration, since a lookup table for storing waveform signals in advance is provided, it is possible to store in advance the waveform signal of an ideal transient response signal required in a conventional fluctuation oscillator in the lookup table. This makes it possible to obtain an ideal transient response signal without performing a time-consuming task such as adjusting the circuit parameters of a transient response unit composed of an integrating circuit or a differentiating circuit in order to obtain an ideal transient response signal.

[0088] Furthermore, according to this configuration, the random variable generator, the lookup table, the calculation unit, the threshold discrimination unit, and the feedback loop are configured by a processor consisting of digital circuits. This makes it possible to eliminate the need for a transient response unit consisting of a differentiation circuit or an integration circuit that was used in conventional fluctuation oscillators, and to reduce the scale of the circuit configuration. Furthermore, since the fluctuation oscillator is configured by such a processor, it is possible to configure the fluctuation oscillator as a one-chip integrated circuit. Furthermore, it is no longer necessary to provide a separate noise generator such as a function generator, and the scale of the circuit configuration can be further reduced.

[0089] In the above fluctuation oscillator, the waveform signal preferably has a differentiated waveform indicating an output signal of a differentiation circuit, an integrated waveform indicating an output signal of an integration circuit, or a transient response waveform of an LCR circuit.

[0090] According to this configuration, the waveform signal stored in the lookup table has a differential waveform, an integral waveform, or a transient response waveform of an LCR circuit, so that it is possible to operate the fluctuation oscillator using a signal based on a differential waveform, an integral waveform, or a transient response waveform of an LCR circuit.

[0091] In the above fluctuation oscillator, it is preferable that the processor further has a clock signal generator that generates a clock signal that determines the operating clock of the processor, and a clock setter that sets the frequency of the clock signal, and the calculation unit sequentially reads out sample values ​​of the waveform signal stored in the lookup table in synchronization with the clock signal.

[0092] According to this configuration, a clock setter is provided for setting the frequency of a clock signal that determines the operating clock of the processor, and the sample values ​​of the waveform signal stored in the look-up table are read out sequentially in synchronization with the clock signal. This makes it possible to arbitrarily set the frequency of the clock signal and arbitrarily set the period of the waveform signal by using the clock setter, without the need for the time-consuming task of tuning the time constant of the transient response unit as in the conventional fluctuation oscillator.

[0093] In the above fluctuation oscillator, it is preferable that the fluctuation oscillator further includes a sensor, the processor further has an acquisition unit that acquires a sensing signal detected by the sensor and inputs it to the calculation unit, and the calculation unit further generates the fluctuation signal based on the sensing signal.

[0094] According to this configuration, the sensing signal detected by the sensor is input to the calculation unit, and the sensing signal is further used to generate a fluctuation signal, making it possible to oscillate the fluctuation oscillator in synchronization with the sensing signal and to detect weak signals contained in the sensing signal.

[0095] In the above-mentioned fluctuation oscillator, it is preferable that the fluctuation oscillator further includes an output device that outputs the fluctuation signal or the pulse signal as an output signal, and the sensor detects the output signal from another fluctuation oscillator and inputs it to the calculation unit as the sensing signal.

[0096] According to this configuration, the output signal from the other fluctuation oscillator is detected by the sensor and input to the calculation unit as a sensing signal, so that the fluctuation oscillator can be synchronized with the other fluctuation oscillator. Furthermore, it is also possible to connect multiple fluctuation oscillators in one direction or in a ring shape.

[0097] In the above fluctuation oscillator, it is preferable that the thresholds include a first threshold and a second threshold greater than the first threshold, and when the threshold discrimination unit determines that the fluctuation signal has fallen below the first threshold, the calculation unit reads the waveform signal stored in the lookup table from the beginning, and imparts fluctuation to the inverted waveform signal based on an inverted waveform signal obtained by inverting the read waveform signal, the random variable, and the pulse signal that is fed back, and when the threshold discrimination unit determines that the fluctuation signal has exceeded the second threshold, the calculation unit reads the waveform signal stored in the lookup table from the beginning, and imparts fluctuation to the waveform signal based on the read waveform signal, the random variable, and the pulse signal that is fed back.

[0098] According to this configuration, when it is determined that the fluctuation signal falls below the first threshold, the waveform signals are read out in order from the beginning, the read out waveform signals are inverted to generate inverted waveform signals, and fluctuations are added to the inverted waveform signals. Therefore, it is not necessary to store the inverted waveform signals in a lookup table, and the consumption of memory resources by the lookup table can be suppressed. Furthermore, when the fluctuation signal falls below the first threshold and the state of the fluctuation oscillator changes from a high state to a low state, it is possible to read out the inverted waveform signal from the beginning, and it is possible to realize an operation similar to that of an analog fluctuation oscillator.

[0099] On the other hand, when it is determined that the fluctuation signal exceeds the second threshold, the waveform signal is read from the beginning and the fluctuation is added to the waveform signal. Therefore, when the state of the fluctuation oscillator changes from a low state to a high state, it is possible to read the waveform signal from the beginning, and it is possible to operate in the same way as an analog fluctuation oscillator.

[0100] Furthermore, a first threshold is adopted when the fluctuation oscillator is in a high state, and a second threshold is adopted when the fluctuation oscillator is in a low state, and the second threshold is greater than the first threshold, so that it is possible to provide hysteresis to the fluctuation oscillator.

[0101] In the above fluctuation oscillator, it is preferable that the processor further includes an intensity adjustment unit that adjusts the intensity of the pulse signal that is fed back.

[0102] According to this configuration, since the strength of the pulse signal that is fed back is adjustable, the parameters of the fluctuation oscillator can be flexibly adjusted.

[0103] A robot according to another embodiment of the present invention is a mobile robot comprising a first wheel, a second wheel, a first motor that drives the first wheel, a second motor that drives the second wheel, a plurality of fluctuation oscillators, and a motor driver that determines a predetermined motion pattern of the robot according to a combination of states of pulse signals output from each fluctuation oscillator, and generates a first control signal for the first motor and a second control signal for the second motor to move the robot in the determined motion pattern, wherein each fluctuation oscillator is composed of the above-mentioned fluctuation oscillator.

[0104] According to this configuration, it is possible to provide a mobile robot that operates in a predetermined movement pattern according to a combination of the states of the pulse signals of each fluctuation oscillator.

Claims

1. A processor configured with digital circuits is provided, The processor, A random variable generating unit that generates random variables; a look-up table that stores in advance a waveform signal indicating a transient response waveform of a differentiation circuit, an integration circuit, or an LCR circuit; a calculation unit that adds the waveform signal read from the lookup table, the random variable generated by the random variable generation unit, and a feedback pulse signal to impart fluctuation to the waveform signal; a threshold determination unit that generates the pulse signal by comparing the fluctuation signal output from the calculation unit with a predetermined threshold; a feedback loop that feeds back the pulse signal to the calculation unit; A light emitter that emits light based on the fluctuation signal or the pulse signal. Fluctuating oscillator.

2. The waveform signal has a differentiated waveform indicating an output signal of a differentiation circuit, an integrated waveform indicating an output signal of an integration circuit, or a transient response waveform of an LCR circuit.

2. The fluctuation oscillator of claim 1.

3. The processor, a clock signal generator for generating a clock signal that determines an operation clock of the processor; a clock setter for setting a frequency of the clock signal; the calculation unit sequentially reads out sample values ​​of the waveform signal stored in the lookup table in synchronization with the clock signal; 3. The fluctuation oscillator according to claim 1 or 2.

4. the fluctuation oscillator further comprises a sensor; The processor further includes an acquisition unit that acquires a sensing signal detected by the sensor and inputs the sensing signal to the calculation unit; The calculation unit further generates the fluctuation signal based on the sensing signal. The fluctuation oscillator according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The sensor detects light emitted by the light emitter of the other fluctuation oscillator and inputs the light as the sensing signal to the calculation unit.

5. The fluctuation oscillator of claim 4.

6. the threshold value includes a first threshold value and a second threshold value that is greater than the first threshold value; The calculation unit is when the threshold determination unit determines that the fluctuation signal is below the first threshold, the waveform signal stored in the lookup table is read from the beginning, and an inverted waveform signal obtained by inverting the read waveform signal is added to the random variable and the pulse signal that is fed back to impart fluctuation to the inverted waveform signal; when the threshold determination unit determines that the fluctuation signal exceeds the second threshold, the waveform signal stored in the lookup table is read from the beginning, and the read waveform signal is added to the random variable and the fed-back pulse signal to impart fluctuation to the waveform signal. The fluctuation oscillator according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. The processor further includes an intensity adjusting unit that adjusts the intensity of the pulse signal fed back. The fluctuation oscillator according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. A mobile robot, A first wheel; A second wheel; A first motor that drives the first wheel; A second motor that drives the second wheel; A plurality of fluctuation oscillators; a motor driver that determines a predetermined motion pattern of the robot according to a combination of states of the pulse signals output from each fluctuation oscillator, and generates a first control signal for the first motor and a second control signal for the second motor for moving the robot according to the determined motion pattern, Each fluctuation oscillator is configured as a fluctuation oscillator according to any one of claims 1 to 7. robot.

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