ROBOT, WAREHOUSE SYSTEM, POSITIONING METHOD, COMPUTER PROGRAM, AND STORAGE MEDIUM

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a robot and a positioning method, the robot comprising a robot processor, a recognition assembly, and a positioning assembly, wherein the recognition assembly, when a positioning reference is detected, acquires distance information and sends it to the robot processor, the positioning assembly acquires first position information and sends it to the robot processor, the robot processor is configured to determine center position information of the positioning references on both sides based on the distance information and the first position information, and determine movement control parameters, and control the robot to move based on the center position information based on the movement control parameters.

Description

Priority information

[0001] This disclosure claims priority to a Chinese patent application filed with the China Patent Office on December 16, 2020, bearing application number "2020114879132" and titled "ROBOT AND POSITIONING METHOD," the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. [Technical field]

[0002] The present disclosure relates to the field of robotics, and more particularly to robots and positioning methods. [Background technology]

[0003] With the rapid development of intelligent warehousing systems, in order to improve the efficiency of cargo flow, robots have already begun to be widely applied in various intelligent warehousing systems. According to the needs of cargo transportation, the types of robots have also begun to diversify, and different types of robots are applied to different cargo transportation scenarios. In order to ensure the safety of the transportation process and the accuracy of the transportation results during the robot's cargo transportation, it is necessary to position the robot, and the positioning information ensures the integrity of the transportation process.

[0004] Currently, robots in intelligent warehouse systems are usually positioned based on two-dimensional codes placed on the ground in the warehouse space. The robots are equipped with recognition cameras, which scan the two-dimensional codes placed on the ground in the warehouse space at the positions where the robots move with the recognition cameras during their movements to obtain two-dimensional code information, and obtain positioning information based on the two-dimensional code information.

[0005] However, a robot that performs positioning based on visual information needs to place a 2D code on the ground at each container location, which increases the costs of placing and maintaining the 2D code. In addition, when containers are densely packed, the spacing between the 2D codes is small, making it difficult for the recognition camera to scan the 2D codes to obtain positioning information, which reduces the reliability of positioning. Summary of the Invention

[0006] Embodiments of the present disclosure provide at least a robot and a positioning method.

[0007] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a robot, the robot comprising a robot processor, a perception assembly, and a positioning assembly; When the recognition assembly detects positioning references on both sides during the movement of the robot, the recognition assembly acquires distance information between the recognition assembly and the positioning references on each side and transmits the distance information to the robot processor; When the recognition assembly recognizes the positioning reference object, the positioning assembly acquires and transmits first position information to the robot processor; The robot processor determines center position information of the positioning references on both sides based on the received distance information to the positioning references on each side and the first position information, determines movement control parameters based on the center position information and the first position information, and controls the robot to move based on the center position information based on the movement control parameters.

[0008] In a possible embodiment, the recognition assembly comprises a laser assembly for emitting a probing laser on both sides based on preset angle information; The robot processor is specifically configured to determine reference position information corresponding to the positioning references on each side based on the distance information, the predetermined angle information and the first position information, and to determine central position information of the positioning references on both sides based on the reference position information corresponding to the positioning references on each side.

[0009] In a possible embodiment, the distance information includes first distance information between the laser assembly and a first positioning reference and second distance information between the laser assembly and a second positioning reference, the preset angle information includes first angle information recognizing the first positioning reference and second angle information recognizing the second positioning reference, the reference position information includes second position information of the first positioning reference and third position information of the second positioning reference, The robot processor is specifically configured to determine second position information of the first positioning reference based on the first distance information, the first angle information, and distance information between the laser assembly and a center of the robot, determine third position information of the second positioning reference based on the second distance information, the second angle information, and distance information between the laser assembly and a center of the robot, and determine center position information of the first positioning reference and the second positioning reference based on the second position information and the third position information.

[0010] In a possible embodiment, the recognition assembly comprises a binocular imaging assembly comprising a first imaging assembly and a second imaging assembly, and the distance information comprises third distance information between the first imaging assembly and a first positioning reference, fourth distance information between the second imaging assembly and the first positioning reference, fifth distance information between the first imaging assembly and a second positioning reference, and sixth distance information between the second imaging assembly and a second positioning reference; The robot processor is specifically configured to determine tenth distance information and third angle information based on the third distance information, the fourth distance information, the seventh distance information between the first imaging assembly and the second imaging assembly, the eighth distance information between the first imaging assembly and a center of the robot, and the ninth distance information between the second imaging assembly and a center of the robot, determine fourth position information corresponding to the first positioning reference based on the tenth distance information and the third angle information, determine eleventh distance information and fourth angle information based on the fifth distance information, the sixth distance information, the seventh distance information, the eighth distance information, and the ninth distance information, determine fifth position information corresponding to the second positioning reference based on the eleventh distance information and the fourth angle information, and determine center position information of the positioning references on both sides based on the fourth position information and the fifth position information.

[0011] In a possible embodiment, said movement control parameters include a movement direction and a movement distance; Specifically, the robot processor is configured to determine a moving distance and a moving direction of the robot in the abscissa based on a difference between the abscissa of the first position information and the abscissa of the central position information, and to determine a moving distance and a moving direction of the robot in the ordinate based on a difference between the ordinate of the first position information and the ordinate of the central position information.

[0012] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a method of positioning, comprising: Recognizing positioning references on both sides by a recognition assembly during movement and acquiring distance information between the positioning references on each side; acquiring first position information when the positioning reference object is recognized; determining center position information of the positioning reference objects on both sides based on distance information between the positioning reference objects on each side and the first position information; determining a movement control parameter based on the central position information and the first position information; and controlling the robot to move based on the center position information based on the movement control parameters.

[0013] In a possible embodiment, the recognition assembly comprises a laser assembly for emitting a probing laser on both sides based on preset angle information; determining center position information of the positioning reference objects on both sides based on distance information between the positioning reference objects on each side and the first position information; determining reference position information of the positioning reference object on each side based on the distance information, the preset angle information and the first position information; and determining center position information of the positioning references on both sides based on reference position information corresponding to the positioning references on each side.

[0014] In a possible embodiment, the distance information includes first distance information between the laser assembly and a first positioning reference and second distance information between the laser assembly and a second positioning reference, the preset angle information includes first angle information recognizing the first positioning reference and second angle information recognizing the second positioning reference, and the reference position information includes second position information of the first positioning reference and third position information of the second positioning reference; determining center position information of the positioning reference objects on both sides based on distance information between the positioning reference objects on each side and the first position information; determining second position information of the first positioning reference based on the first distance information, the first angle information, and distance information between the laser assembly and a center of a robot; determining third position information of the second positioning reference based on the second distance information, the second angle information, and distance information between the laser assembly and a center of a robot; and determining center position information of the first positioning reference object and the second positioning reference object based on the second position information and the third position information.

[0015] In a possible embodiment, the recognition assembly comprises a binocular imaging assembly comprising a first imaging assembly and a second imaging assembly, and the distance information comprises third distance information between the first imaging assembly and a first positioning reference, fourth distance information between the second imaging assembly and the first positioning reference, fifth distance information between the first imaging assembly and a second positioning reference, and sixth distance information between the second imaging assembly and a second positioning reference; determining center position information of the positioning reference objects on both sides based on distance information between the positioning reference objects on each side and the first position information; determining tenth distance information and third angle information based on the third distance information, the fourth distance information, seventh distance information between the first imaging assembly and the second imaging assembly, eighth distance information between the first imaging assembly and a center of the robot, and ninth distance information between the second imaging assembly and a center of the robot; determining fourth position information corresponding to the first positioning reference object based on the tenth distance information and the third angle information; determining eleventh distance information and fourth angle information based on the fifth distance information, the sixth distance information, the seventh distance information, the eighth distance information, and the ninth distance information; determining fifth position information corresponding to the second positioning reference object based on the eleventh distance information and the fourth angle information; and determining center position information of the first positioning reference object and the second positioning reference object based on the fourth position information and the fifth position information.

[0016] In a possible embodiment, said movement control parameters include a movement direction and a movement distance; determining a movement control parameter based on the central position information and the first position information, determining a moving distance and a moving direction of the robot in the abscissa based on a difference between an abscissa of the first position information and an abscissa of the central position information; The method includes a step of determining a moving distance and a moving direction of the robot on the ordinate based on a difference between the ordinate of the first position information and the ordinate of the central position information.

[0017] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a warehouse system, the warehouse system comprising the robot described above, a control server, and a positioning reference object installed in a warehouse space; The control server, in response to the received cargo transport request, determines a target robot that will perform a container transport operation based on the shelf position and container position information included in the cargo transport request, and transmits a control command to the target robot; The target robot receives the control command and, in response to the control command, moves between shelves of a warehouse system based on center position information of the determined positioning reference object. In a fourth aspect, the embodiments of the present disclosure further provide a computer program, the instructions of which, when executed by a processor, result in the above positioning method. In a fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, the above positioning method being realized when instructions of the computer program are executed by a processor.

[0018] As for the effects of the above positioning method, please refer to the description of the robot, and a description thereof will be omitted here.

[0019] The robot and positioning method provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure recognizes the positioning reference objects on both sides during the movement of the robot by a recognition assembly, obtains the corresponding distance information, determines the center position information of the positioning reference objects on both sides based on the obtained first position information and the corresponding distance information, and further determines the movement control parameters based on the determined center position, and controls the robot to move based on the center position information. In the prior art, positioning information is obtained by identifying the two-dimensional code placed on the ground corresponding to each container, and the container is held or moved between shelves based on the obtained positioning information. However, when the containers are densely placed, a large number of two-dimensional codes need to be placed, which increases the placement and maintenance costs of the two-dimensional codes and the difficulty of the robot recognizing the two-dimensional code information, thereby reducing the reliability of positioning. In contrast to the above prior art, the present application realizes a method of obtaining the distance information corresponding to the positioning reference objects on both sides by a recognition assembly, further determines the center position information based on the positioned first position information, and further determines the movement control parameters based on the determined center position information, thereby controlling the robot to move at the center position, thereby saving the placement and maintenance costs of the two-dimensional codes.

[0020] Furthermore, the positioning method provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure can realize recognition of positioning reference objects on both sides and acquisition of distance information and angle information by a laser assembly or a binocular imaging assembly, and can determine the center position and movement control parameters based on the acquired distance information, angle information, and first position information of positioning, thereby improving the recognition accuracy and control flexibility.

[0021] In order to make the above objects, features and advantages of the present disclosure more clearly comprehensible, particular preferred embodiments are given below and will be described in detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0022] In order to more clearly describe the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the following briefly describes the drawings necessary for the embodiments that are incorporated into this specification and form a part of this specification to illustrate the embodiments that are compatible with this disclosure and to describe the technical configuration of the present disclosure. The following drawings only illustrate some embodiments of the present disclosure, so they should not be considered as limiting the scope, and it should be understood that those skilled in the art can also obtain other related drawings from these drawings without paying creative labor. [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a warehouse system provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2a] FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a robot provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2b] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a recognition assembly provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure, the recognition assembly being a laser assembly. [Figure 2c] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a recognition assembly provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure, in which the recognition assembly is a binocular imaging assembly. [Figure 3a] FIG. 1 illustrates a flowchart of a positioning method provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3b] FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating the process of determining center position information of two positioning references by a laser assembly provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3c] FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating the process of determining center position information of both side positioning references by a binocular imaging assembly provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0023] In order to make the objectives, technical aspects and advantages of the embodiments of the present disclosure clearer, the technical aspects of the embodiments of the present disclosure will be described clearly and completely below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present disclosure, but it is clear that the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present disclosure, and not all embodiments. Although the assemblies of the embodiments of the present disclosure are generally described and illustrated herein, they may be arranged and designed in various different configurations. Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of the present disclosure is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure for which protection is sought, but only represents selected embodiments of the present disclosure. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present disclosure without creative labor belong to the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

[0024] Additionally, the terms "first," "second," etc. in the specification and claims of the embodiments of the present disclosure, as well as in the drawings above, are intended to distinguish between similar objects and are not intended to describe a particular order or priority. It is to be understood that the data used in this manner may be interchanged as necessary to allow the embodiments described herein to be practiced in orders other than those illustrated or described herein.

[0025] In this context, "multiple or several" means two or more. "And / or" describes the associative relationship of related objects and indicates that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent three situations: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists alone. The character " / " usually indicates that the context object is in an "or" relationship.

[0026] Research has shown that in an intelligent warehousing system, to ensure the safety of the robot moving between each shelf and the accuracy of holding the container, a 2D code needs to be placed at the ground position corresponding to each container. The robot can recognize the 2D code information on the ground to obtain its location information, and then move freely between each shelf based on the obtained location information. However, when containers are densely placed, the number of 2D codes to be placed increases and the spacing between the 2D codes becomes smaller, making it difficult for the robot to recognize them, increasing the possibility of recognition errors and the costs of placing and maintaining the 2D codes. When multiple robots move between shelves, they may have to line up to recognize the 2D code information, which reduces the efficiency and timeliness of cargo transportation.

[0027] Based on the above research, the present disclosure provides a robot and a positioning method, which uses a recognition assembly to obtain distance information corresponding to the positioning reference objects on both sides, and further determines central position information based on the positioned first position information, and determines movement control parameters based on the determined central position information, thereby realizing a method for controlling the robot to move at the central position, saving the costs of 2D code placement and maintenance, and when multiple robots move between shelves, there is no interference between each robot in obtaining movement information, thereby improving the efficiency and timeliness of cargo transportation.

[0028] Any shortcomings in the above proposals are the result of the inventor's practice and careful study, and therefore the process of discovering the above problems and the technical means proposed to solve the above problems should all be considered as the inventor's contributions to the present invention.

[0029] It should be noted that like reference numbers and letters represent like items in the following drawings, so that once an item is defined in a drawing, it need not be further defined or explained in subsequent drawings.

[0030] In order to facilitate understanding of the embodiments of the present disclosure, first, application scenes of the robot provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure will be described. The robot provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure can be applied to a warehouse system shown in FIG. 1. The warehouse system includes a control server 120, a robot 100, and a warehouse space 130, where the robot may be one or more, the specific number of robots is determined by the number of cargoes to be delivered, and is used to transport the cargoes to be delivered in the warehouse space, the robot may be a shelf robot that transports the shelves in the warehouse area 130, or a magazine robot that transports a storage container (e.g., a magazine) that stores the cargoes taken out from the shelves, and in some embodiments, the warehouse area 130 is provided with a plurality of shelves 1301 (the shelves 1301 are used to store inventory items, and the shelves 1301 may be normal shelves or pallet shelves), and the inventory items are placed on the shelves 1301, and according to the order task, the items are sorted into order containers, and one order container can be associated with at least one order. Typically, a plurality of workstations are installed on one side of the warehouse area 130. In the cargo sorting scenario, the workstation is also called a sorting station. In the cargo replenishment scenario, the workstation is also called a replenishment station. One possible implementation is to multiplex the sorting station and the replenishment station.

[0031] The control server 120 is a software system that runs on a server and has the capabilities of data storage and information processing, and can be connected to each robot, hardware input system, and other software systems via wireless or wired connections. The control server 120 may include one or more servers and may have a centralized control architecture or a distributed computing architecture. The control server 120 has a control processor 121 and a memory 122, and the memory 122 may have an order pool 123.

[0032] In addition, the control server 120 communicates wirelessly with the robot 100, and an operator can operate the control server 120 via the worktable 160. The robot 100 can run along the vacant space of the shelf array formed by the shelf under the control of the control server 120, and further perform the corresponding task.

[0033] Based on the above warehouse system, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a robot applied to the above warehouse system, and FIG. 2a is a schematic configuration diagram of the robot provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure, which includes a robot processor 21, a recognition assembly 22, and a positioning assembly 23.

[0034] When positioning reference objects on both sides are detected during the movement of the robot, the recognition assembly 22 obtains distance information between the recognition assembly and the positioning reference objects on each side, and transmits the information to the robot processor 21.

[0035] In a specific implementation, when the control server receives a cargo transport request from an upstream system, the control server determines a robot to perform a container transport operation based on the shelf position and container position information included in the cargo transport request, and sends a control command to the robot. Furthermore, the robot processor 21 controls the robot to move between shelves in the warehouse system based on the received control command, and while the robot moves between the shelves, the recognition assembly 22 attached to the robot starts to detect positioning reference objects on both sides, and when the recognition assembly 22 detects the positioning reference objects on both sides, it obtains distance information to the recognized positioning reference objects on each side and sends it to the robot processor 21.

[0036] When the positioning reference object is recognized by the recognition assembly 22, the positioning assembly 23 obtains the first position information and transmits it to the robot processor 21.

[0037] In one embodiment, when the recognition assembly 22 attached to the robot detects the positioning references on both sides, the positioning assembly 23 attached to the robot determines a first position of the current position and transmits first position information including the determined first position to the robot processor 21. Note that the first position information may be robot-centered position information. In another embodiment, the positioning assembly 23 attached to the robot constantly determines its own position while the robot is moving and transmits the obtained position information to the robot processor 21, and when the recognition assembly 22 detects the positioning references on both sides, the robot processor 21 updates the most recently received position information to the first position information.

[0038] The robot processor 21 is configured to determine central position information of the positioning reference objects on both sides based on the received distance information to the positioning reference objects on each side and the first position information, determine movement control parameters based on the central position information and the first position information, and control the robot based on the movement control parameters to move according to the central position information.

[0039] In a specific implementation, the robot processor 21 can determine center position information of the positioning references on both sides based on the distance information to the positioning references on each side transmitted from the recognition assembly 22 and the first position information transmitted from the positioning assembly 23. Note that the process of determining the center position information differs depending on the installation type of the recognition assembly 22.

[0040] In one embodiment, the recognition assembly 22 includes a laser assembly, which emits a detection laser on both sides based on preset angle information, and the robot processor 21 is specifically configured to determine reference position information corresponding to the positioning references on each side based on the distance information, the preset angle information, and the first position information, and to determine center position information of the positioning references on both sides based on the reference position information corresponding to the positioning references on each side.

[0041] 2b shows a schematic diagram of the recognition assembly provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure is a laser assembly. For example, the laser assembly is fixedly mounted on the tip of the robot and has a certain distance from the center position of the robot. In the process of mounting, a certain angle is set so that the laser assembly can emit the detection laser on both sides according to the preset angle information, where the preset angle information can include first angle information and second angle information. In a specific implementation, point A is the position of the laser assembly, point B and point E are the positions of the positioning reference objects on both sides, and point D is the center position of the robot.

[0042] Here, the angle information of the probing laser emitted from the laser assembly and the distance information between the laser assembly and the center of the robot are stored in memory as robot mounting parameters, so that the robot processor 21 can read out the angle information of the probing laser and the distance information between the laser assembly and the center of the robot from the memory as needed.

[0043] During the movement of the robot, the laser assembly emits a probe laser on both sides based on the preset angle information to recognize the positioning references on both sides, and when the positioning references on both sides are recognized, the robot processor acquires the attachment parameters including the distance information between the laser assembly and the center of the robot stored in the memory and the angle information of the probe laser emitted from the laser assembly, where the angle information includes the first angle information and the second angle information, and acquires the first distance information AB from the probe laser emitted by the laser assembly to the first positioning reference (point B). The robot processor creates a plane coordinate system with the first position information received from the positioning assembly, i.e., the center position information of the robot, as the origin, and the direction in which the robot head travels as the positive direction of the y-axis. In the plane coordinate system, the coordinate position of the laser assembly, i.e., the position information of the laser assembly, can be determined based on the distance information between the laser assembly and the center position of the robot and the center position of the robot, and further, the second position information of the first positioning reference (point B) can be determined based on the first distance information AB and the first angle information ∠BAC. In addition, when the probe laser emitted based on the second angle information recognizes the second positioning reference object, the laser assembly records the second angle information and second distance information AE to the second positioning reference object (point E), and can determine third position information of the second positioning reference object (point E) based on the second distance information AE and the second angle information ∠EAF in the created plane coordinate system.

[0044] Further, the robot processor determines center position information of the first positioning reference and the second positioning reference in the X-axis coordinate based on the second position information and the third position information, and based on this, the robot processor determines a deviation distance and a deviation angle between the two positions based on the coordinates of the determined center position information and the coordinates of the received first position information, and determines movement control parameters of the robot based on the determined deviation distance and deviation angle, for example, the movement control parameters include a movement direction and a movement distance.

[0045] In a specific implementation, the robot processor determines the movement direction of the robot on the abscissa based on the difference between the abscissa of the first position information and the abscissa of the determined central position information, and determines the movement distance of the robot on the X-axis based on the absolute value of the difference between the abscissa of the first position information and the abscissa of the determined central position information.

[0046] In one embodiment, the robot's X-axis movement direction is determined as the direction obtained by rotating the robot's Y-axis positive direction 90 degrees clockwise, and if the difference determined by the robot processor by subtracting the abscissa of the determined center position information from the abscissa of the first position information is a negative value, the robot determines that the robot's X-axis movement direction moves to the right, and conversely, if the determined difference is a positive value, the robot determines that the robot's X-axis movement direction moves to the left. If the robot processor determines that the difference determined by subtracting the abscissa of the first position information from the abscissa of the determined center position information is a positive value, the robot determines that the robot's X-axis movement direction moves to the right, and conversely, if the determined difference is a negative value, the robot determines that the robot's X-axis movement direction moves to the left.

[0047] In another embodiment, the X-axis positive direction is the direction in which the Y-axis positive direction of the robot is rotated 90 degrees counterclockwise, and if the difference determined by the robot processor subtracting the abscissa of the determined center position information from the abscissa of the first position information is a negative value, the robot determines that the movement direction of the robot on the X-axis moves to the left, and conversely, if the determined difference is a positive value, the robot determines that the movement direction of the robot on the X-axis moves to the right. If the difference determined by the robot processor subtracting the abscissa of the first position information from the abscissa of the determined center position information is a positive value, the robot determines that the movement direction of the robot on the X-axis moves to the left, and conversely, if the determined difference is a negative value, the robot determines that the movement direction of the robot on the X-axis moves to the right. The above-mentioned method of setting the X-axis positive direction is not limited to the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0048] Furthermore, the robot processor determines the moving distance and moving direction of the robot on the ordinate based on the difference between the ordinate of the first position information and the ordinate of the central position information. Note that the robot determines the moving distance on the Y axis based on the absolute value of the difference between the ordinate of the first position information and the determined ordinate of the central position information, and regarding the determination of the moving direction of the robot on the Y axis, since the laser assembly is attached to the tip of the robot, the moving direction of the robot on the ordinate moves along the positive Y axis.

[0049] The robot processor controls the robot to move according to the central position information based on the determined moving distance and moving direction of the robot on the X-axis and Y-axis. In a specific implementation, the robot processor can rotate the robot on the X-axis based on the determined moving direction on the X-axis, move the robot on the X-axis based on the determined moving distance on the X-axis after the rotation on the X-axis is completed, rotate the robot in the positive direction on the Y-axis after the moving distance is reached, move the robot based on the determined moving distance on the Y-axis, and move to the determined central position. Also, the robot processor can control the robot to move in the positive direction on the Y-axis based on the determined moving distance on the Y-axis, rotate the robot on the X-axis based on the determined moving direction on the X-axis after the moving distance is reached, and move the robot on the X-axis based on the determined moving distance on the X-axis after the rotation on the X-axis is completed, and move to the determined central position. In another embodiment, the robot processor may determine the rotation angle and movement distance of the robot during movement based on the determined movement direction and movement distance in the X-axis and the determined movement distance and movement direction in the Y-axis, and may realize the movement to the determined center position by controlling the movement speed of the robot. Note that after the robot determines one center position, it can determine multiple center positions of the positioning references on both sides in a similar manner to form center lines of the positioning references on both sides, and further, the robot processor controls the robot to move along the center line so that the robot can move at the center of the positioning references on both sides.

[0050] In one embodiment, the recognition assembly further includes a binocular imaging assembly comprising a first imaging assembly and a second imaging assembly, and the acquired distance information includes third distance information between the first imaging assembly and the first positioning reference, fourth distance information between the second imaging assembly and the first positioning reference, fifth distance information between the first imaging assembly and the second positioning reference, and sixth distance information between the second imaging assembly and the second positioning reference.

[0051] 2c is a schematic diagram of the recognition assembly provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure for the recognition of a binocular imaging assembly. In a specific implementation, the binocular imaging assembly is fixedly mounted on the same horizontal line at the tip of the robot, and has a specific seventh distance information BC, the first imaging assembly in the binocular imaging assembly is located at a position point C, the second imaging assembly in the binocular imaging assembly is located at a position point B, and the first imaging assembly and the second imaging assembly in the binocular imaging assembly form a certain angle with the center position of the robot, namely, ∠CAD and ∠BAG, respectively. In addition, the first imaging assembly and the center position of the robot have a specific eighth distance information AC, and the second imaging assembly and the center position of the robot have a specific ninth distance information AB, where the seventh distance information, the eighth distance information and the ninth distance information may be determined based on the mounting parameters acquired in the memory. Point A is the center position of the robot, the position of point C is the position of the first imaging assembly, the position of point B is the position of the second imaging assembly, point E is the position of the recognized first positioning reference object, and point F is the position of the recognized second positioning reference object. During the movement of the robot, the binocular imaging assemblies respectively image both sides to recognize the positioning reference objects on both sides. When the positioning reference objects on both sides are recognized, the robot processor generates third distance information EC between the first imaging assembly and the first positioning reference object, fourth distance information EB between the second imaging assembly and the first positioning reference object, fifth distance information FC between the first imaging assembly and the second positioning reference object, fifth distance information FC between the second imaging assembly and the second positioning reference object, and fifth distance information FC between the second imaging assembly and the second positioning reference object. Record sixth distance information FB from the object, and further determine a value of ∠ECB using the cosine theorem based on the third distance information EC, the fourth distance information EB, and seventh distance information BC between the first imaging assembly and the second imaging assembly, and determine a value of ∠ECH from the value of ∠ECB, and further determine a value of ∠ACB based on the seventh distance information BC between the first imaging assembly and the second imaging assembly, an eighth distance information AC between the first imaging assembly and the robot center, and a ninth distance information AB between the second camera and the robot center, and determine a value of ∠ACH based on the value of ∠ACB, and determine a value of ∠ACE based on the value of ∠ACH and the value of ∠ECH, and determine the value of ∠ACE,Based on the value of the distance information AC and the third distance information EC, a value of tenth distance information AE is determined, a value of ∠CAE is determined, and a value of third angle information ∠EAD is determined based on the value of ∠CAD. The fourth position information of the first positioning reference object can be determined based on the created plane coordinate system. In a specific implementation, a plane coordinate system is created with the center point A of the robot as the origin and the direction in which the robot head travels as the Y-axis positive direction, and the fourth coordinate position of the first positioning reference object is determined based on the above steps. In addition, the robot processor uses the cosine theorem to calculate the fifth distance information FC, the sixth distance information FB, and the seventh distance information BC between the first imaging assembly and the second imaging assembly. The value of ∠FBC is determined, the value of ∠FBI is determined based on the value of ∠FBC, the value of ∠ABC is determined based on seventh distance information BC between the first imaging assembly and the second imaging assembly, eighth distance information AC between the first imaging assembly and the robot center, and ninth distance information AB between the second imaging assembly and the robot center, the value of ∠ABI is determined based on the value of ∠ABC, the value of ∠ABF is determined based on the value of ∠ABI and the value of ∠FBI, the value of eleventh distance information AF is determined based on the value of ∠ABF, the distance information AB and the sixth distance information FB, and the value of ∠BAI is determined, and the value of fourth angle information ∠FAG is determined based on the value of ∠BAG and the value of ∠BAI. Furthermore, based on the created plane coordinate system, fifth position information of the second positioning reference object and a corresponding fifth coordinate position are determined, and based on the determined fourth position information and fifth position information, center position information of the first positioning reference object and the second positioning reference object is determined.

[0052] After the center positions of the first positioning reference object and the second positioning reference object are determined by the above method, the execution steps of the robot are similar to the execution steps in the above-mentioned recognition assembly in which the recognition assembly is a laser assembly, so the description of the embodiment of the present disclosure will be omitted.

[0053] An embodiment of the present disclosure provides a method for recognizing the positions of positioning reference objects on both sides of a movement path by a preset recognition assembly, determining the coordinate positions of the recognized positioning reference objects on both sides based on the positions of the recognized positioning reference objects and first position information of the acquired current position, further determining the center positions of the positioning reference objects on both sides based on the acquired coordinate positions, determining deviation information between the current position and the center position, determining movement control parameters based on the deviation information, and controlling the movement of the robot based on the movement control parameters, which can realize the robot to move along the center positions of the positioning reference objects on both sides, saving the arrangement and maintenance costs of the 2D code, and improving the flexibility and adaptability of the robot.

[0054] Hereinafter, the positioning method provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure will be described using an example in which the execution subject is a robot.

[0055] FIG. 3a is a flowchart of a positioning method provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure, which includes the following steps 301 to 305.

[0056] S301: During movement, the recognition assembly recognizes positioning references on both sides, and obtains distance information to the positioning references on each side.

[0057] In this step, the control server receives a cargo transportation request from the upstream system, generates a control command based on the cargo transportation request and sends it to the robot, and the robot starts moving within the warehouse system in response to the received control command, and during the movement, the recognition assembly attached to the robot starts to recognize the positioning references on both sides, and when it recognizes the positioning references on both sides, records the distance information between the recognition assembly and the positioning references on each side.

[0058] S302: If the positioning reference object is recognized, first position information is obtained.

[0059] In this step, the robot obtains first position information of its current position when it detects that the recognition assembly recognizes the positioning reference object.

[0060] S303: Based on the distance information to the positioning reference objects on both sides and the first position information, center position information of the positioning reference objects on both sides is determined.

[0061] In this step, the robot determines reference position information corresponding to the positioning references on each side based on the acquired distance information to the positioning references on each side and the first position information, and further determines corresponding center position information based on the determined reference position information corresponding to the positioning references on both sides.

[0062] In one embodiment, the recognition assembly includes a laser assembly, and the laser assembly emits a probing laser on both sides based on preset angle information, and uses the emitted probing laser to recognize the positioning references on both sides. In a specific implementation, the distance information includes a first distance information between the laser assembly and the first positioning reference, and a second distance information between the laser assembly and the second positioning reference, the preset angle information includes a first angle information for recognizing the first positioning reference and a second angle information for recognizing the second positioning reference, and the reference position information includes a second position information of the first positioning reference and a third position information of the second positioning reference.

[0063] Here, the angle information of the probing laser emitted from the laser assembly and the distance information between the laser assembly and the center of the robot can be stored in memory as mounting parameters of the robot, and thus the robot processor 21 can read the angle information of the probing laser and the distance information between the laser assembly and the center of the robot from the memory as needed.

[0064] In a specific implementation, the laser assembly emits a probing laser toward the first positioning reference object based on the first angle information, and emits a probing laser toward the second positioning reference object based on the second angle information. After the laser assembly recognizes the positioning references on both sides, the robot processor obtains mounting parameters stored in the memory, including distance information between the laser assembly and the robot center and angle information of the probing laser emitted from the laser assembly, where the angle information includes first angle information and second angle information. Based on the first angle information, the first distance information when the first positioning reference object is recognized, the second angle information, and the second distance information when the second positioning reference object is recognized, the center position information of the positioning references on both sides can be determined according to the following steps: FIG. 3b is a flowchart of determining the center position information of the positioning references on both sides by the laser assembly provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure, and includes the following steps S311 to S313.

[0065] S311: Determine second position information of the first positioning reference based on the first distance information, the first angle information, and distance information between the laser assembly and the center of the robot.

[0066] In a specific implementation, second position information of the first positioning reference can be determined based on installation parameters including first distance information and first angle information between the first positioning reference recognized by the laser assembly, and distance information between the laser assembly and the robot center obtained from the memory.

[0067] S312: Determine third position information of the second positioning reference based on the second distance information, the second angle information, and the distance information between the laser assembly and the center of the robot.

[0068] When specifically implemented, third position information of the second positioning reference can be determined based on installation parameters including second distance information between the second positioning reference recognized by the laser assembly, predetermined second angle information, and distance information between the laser assembly and the robot center retrieved from the memory.

[0069] S313: Based on the second position information and the third position information, center position information of the first positioning reference object and the second positioning reference object is determined.

[0070] In another embodiment, the recognition assembly includes a binocular imaging assembly including a first imaging assembly and a second imaging assembly, and the distance information includes third distance information between the first imaging assembly and the first positioning reference, fourth distance information between the second imaging assembly and the first positioning reference, fifth distance information between the first imaging assembly and the second positioning reference, sixth distance information between the second imaging assembly and the second positioning reference, seventh distance information between the first imaging assembly and the second imaging assembly, eighth distance information between the first imaging assembly and the center of the robot, and ninth distance information between the second imaging assembly and the center of the robot, where the first position corresponding to the first position information is the center position of the robot, and further determines center position information of the positioning references on both sides based on the following steps, and FIG. 3c is a flowchart of determining center position information of the positioning references on both sides by a binocular imaging assembly provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure, and includes the following steps S321 to S325.

[0071] S321: Determine tenth distance information and third angle information based on the third distance information, the fourth distance information, the seventh distance information, the eighth distance information, and the ninth distance information.

[0072] Here, the seventh distance information, the eighth distance information, and the ninth distance information are determined based on the mounting parameters obtained in the memory, the tenth distance information is the value of AE in Figure 2c, and the third angle information is the value of ∠EAD in Figure 2c.

[0073] S322: Determine fourth position information corresponding to the first positioning reference object based on the tenth distance information and the third angle information.

[0074] S323: Determine eleventh distance information and fourth angle information based on the fifth distance information, the sixth distance information, the seventh distance information, the eighth distance information, and the ninth distance information.

[0075] In this step, the eleventh distance information is the value of AF in FIG. 2c, and the fourth angle information is the value of ∠FAG in FIG. 2c.

[0076] S324: Determine fifth position information corresponding to the second positioning reference object based on the eleventh distance information and the fourth angle information.

[0077] S325: Based on the fourth position information and the fifth position information, center position information of the first positioning reference object and the second positioning reference object is determined.

[0078] Based on the above steps, when the recognition assembly is a binocular imaging assembly, the center position information of the first positioning reference and the second fixed reference can be determined.

[0079] S304: Determine a movement control parameter based on the center position information and the first position information.

[0080] In this step, the robot determines deviation information between the two positions based on the determined center position information and the first position information, and determines a movement control parameter of the robot based on the deviation information.

[0081] In a specific implementation, the positioning parameters include a moving direction and a moving distance, and the robot determines the moving distance and the moving direction of the robot on the abscissa based on the difference between the abscissa of the first position information and the abscissa of the central position information, and determines the moving distance and the moving direction of the robot on the ordinate based on the difference between the ordinate of the first position information and the ordinate of the central position information.

[0082] S305: Based on the movement control parameters, the robot is controlled to move in accordance with the central position information.

[0083] In this step, the robot is controlled to move to the center position based on the determined movement control parameters, and finally moves along the center lines of the positioning references on both sides.

[0084] Those skilled in the art can understand that in the above-described method of a specific embodiment, the authoring order of each step does not imply a strict execution order, but rather limits the implementation process, and the specific execution order of each step should be determined by its function and possible underlying logic.

[0085] Finally, the above-mentioned examples are merely specific embodiments of the present disclosure, and are intended to illustrate the technical solutions of the present disclosure, and are not limited thereto, and the technical scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Although the present disclosure has been described in detail with reference to the above examples, those skilled in the art will understand that within the technical scope clarified in this disclosure, the technical ideas described in the above examples can be modified, easily modified, or part of the technical features can be replaced with equivalents, and these modifications, changes, or replacements do not deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure, and should all be included in the protection scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the protection scope of the present disclosure shall be pursuant to the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A robot comprising a robot processor, a recognition assembly and a positioning assembly, The recognition assembly is configured to obtain distance information between the recognition assembly and the positioning references on both sides, the distance information being transmitted to the robot processor when the positioning references are detected as fixed objects on both sides during the movement of the robot; the positioning assembly is configured to obtain and transmit to the robot processor first position information corresponding to a current position of the robot when the recognition assembly recognizes the positioning reference object; the robot processor is configured to determine position information of the positioning references on both sides based on the received distance information and angle information with respect to the positioning references on each side and the first position information, determine center position information between the positioning references on both sides based on the position information of the positioning references on both sides, determine movement control parameters based on the center position information and the first position information, and move the robot along the center position between the positioning references on both sides based on the movement control parameters; The recognition assembly includes a laser assembly for emitting a probing laser on both sides based on preset angle information; The robot processor is configured to determine reference position information corresponding to the positioning references on each side based on the distance information, the preset angle information and the first position information, and to determine center position information between the positioning references on both sides based on the reference position information corresponding to the positioning references on each side; the distance information includes first distance information between the laser assembly and a first positioning reference and second distance information between the laser assembly and a second positioning reference, the preset angle information includes first angle information recognizing the first positioning reference and second angle information recognizing the second positioning reference, the reference position information includes second position information of the first positioning reference and third position information of the second positioning reference, The robot configured such that the robot processor determines second position information of the first positioning reference based on the first distance information, the first angle information, and distance information between the laser assembly and a center of the robot, determines third position information of the second positioning reference based on the second distance information, the second angle information, and distance information between the laser assembly and a center of the robot, and determines center position information of the first positioning reference and the second positioning reference based on the second position information and the third position information.

2. A robot comprising a robot processor, a recognition assembly and a positioning assembly, The recognition assembly is configured to obtain distance information between the recognition assembly and the positioning references on both sides, the distance information being transmitted to the robot processor when the positioning references are detected as fixed objects on both sides during the movement of the robot; the positioning assembly is configured to obtain and transmit to the robot processor first position information corresponding to a current position of the robot when the recognition assembly recognizes the positioning reference object; the robot processor is configured to determine position information of the positioning references on both sides based on the received distance information and angle information with respect to the positioning references on each side and the first position information, determine center position information between the positioning references on both sides based on the position information of the positioning references on both sides, determine movement control parameters based on the center position information and the first position information, and move the robot along the center position between the positioning references on both sides based on the movement control parameters; the recognition assembly comprises a binocular imaging assembly comprising a first imaging assembly and a second imaging assembly, and the distance information comprises third distance information between the first imaging assembly and a first positioning reference, fourth distance information between the second imaging assembly and the first positioning reference, fifth distance information between the first imaging assembly and a second positioning reference, and sixth distance information between the second imaging assembly and a second positioning reference; the robot processor is configured to determine tenth distance information and third angle information based on third distance information, fourth distance information, seventh distance information between a first imaging assembly and a second imaging assembly, eighth distance information between a first imaging assembly and a center of the robot, and ninth distance information between a second imaging assembly and a center of the robot; determine fourth position information corresponding to the first positioning reference based on the tenth distance information and the third angle information; determine eleventh distance information and fourth angle information based on the fifth distance information, sixth distance information, seventh distance information, eighth distance information, and ninth distance information; determine fifth position information corresponding to the second positioning reference based on the eleventh distance information and fourth angle information; and determine center position information between both positioning references based on the fourth position information and the fifth position information.

3. The recognition assembly includes a laser assembly for emitting a probing laser on both sides based on preset angle information; 3. The robot of claim 2, wherein the robot processor is configured to determine reference position information corresponding to the positioning references on each side based on the distance information, the preset angle information and the first position information, and to determine center position information between the positioning references on both sides based on the reference position information corresponding to the positioning references on each side.

4. the movement control parameters include a movement direction and a movement distance; 3. The robot according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the robot processor is configured to determine a moving distance and a moving direction of the robot in an abscissa based on a difference between an abscissa of the first position information and an abscissa of the central position information, and to determine a moving distance and a moving direction of the robot in an ordinate based on a difference between an ordinate of the first position information and an ordinate of the central position information.

5. A system including at least one robot according to any one of claims 1 to 3, a control server, and a positioning reference object installed in a warehouse space, The control server is configured to, in response to the received cargo transport request, determine a target robot that will perform a container transport operation based on the shelf position information and the container position information included in the cargo transport request, and send a control command to the target robot; A warehouse system, wherein the target robot is configured to receive the control command and, in response to the control command, move along a central position between opposing positioning references.

6. Recognizing positioning references, which are fixed objects on both sides, by the recognition assembly during movement, and acquiring distance information between the positioning references on each side, respectively; acquiring first position information corresponding to a current position of the robot when the positioning reference object is recognized; determining position information of the positioning reference objects on both sides based on distance information, angle information, and the first position information with respect to the positioning reference objects on each side, and determining center position information between the positioning reference objects on both sides based on the position information of the positioning reference objects on both sides; determining a movement control parameter based on the central position information and the first position information; and controlling the robot to move along a center position between positioning references on both sides based on the movement control parameters; The recognition assembly includes a laser assembly for emitting a probing laser on both sides based on preset angle information; determining center position information of the positioning reference objects on both sides based on distance information between the positioning reference objects on each side and the first position information; determining reference position information of the positioning reference objects on each side based on the distance information, the preset angle information and the first position information; determining center position information between the positioning references on both sides based on reference position information corresponding to the positioning references on each side; the distance information includes first distance information between the laser assembly and a first positioning reference and second distance information between the laser assembly and a second positioning reference, the preset angle information includes first angle information recognizing the first positioning reference and second angle information recognizing the second positioning reference, the reference position information includes second position information of the first positioning reference and third position information of the second positioning reference, determining center position information of the positioning reference objects on both sides based on distance information, angle information, and the first position information; determining second position information of the first positioning reference based on the first distance information, the first angle information, and distance information between the laser assembly and a center of a robot; determining third position information of the second positioning reference based on the second distance information, the second angle information, and distance information between the laser assembly and a center of a robot; determining center position information of the first positioning reference object and the second positioning reference object based on the second position information and the third position information; The positioning method includes:

7. Recognizing positioning references, which are fixed objects on both sides, by the recognition assembly during movement, and acquiring distance information between the positioning references on each side, respectively; acquiring first position information corresponding to a current position of the robot when the positioning reference object is recognized; determining position information of the positioning reference objects on both sides based on distance information, angle information, and the first position information with respect to the positioning reference objects on each side, and determining center position information between the positioning reference objects on both sides based on the position information of the positioning reference objects on both sides; determining a movement control parameter based on the central position information and the first position information; and controlling the robot to move along a center position between positioning references on both sides based on the movement control parameters; the recognition assembly comprises a binocular imaging assembly comprising a first imaging assembly and a second imaging assembly, and the distance information comprises third distance information between the first imaging assembly and a first positioning reference, fourth distance information between the second imaging assembly and the first positioning reference, fifth distance information between the first imaging assembly and a second positioning reference, and sixth distance information between the second imaging assembly and a second positioning reference; determining center position information of the positioning reference objects on both sides based on distance information, angle information, and the first position information; determining tenth distance information and third angle information based on the third distance information, the fourth distance information, seventh distance information between the first imaging assembly and the second imaging assembly, eighth distance information between the first imaging assembly and a center of the robot, and ninth distance information between the second imaging assembly and a center of the robot; determining fourth position information corresponding to the first positioning reference object based on the tenth distance information and the third angle information; determining eleventh distance information and fourth angle information based on the fifth distance information, the sixth distance information, the seventh distance information, the eighth distance information, and the ninth distance information; determining fifth position information corresponding to the second positioning reference object based on the eleventh distance information and the fourth angle information; determining center position information between the first positioning reference object and the second positioning reference object based on the fourth position information and the fifth position information; The positioning method includes:

8. The recognition assembly includes a laser assembly for emitting a probing laser on both sides based on preset angle information; determining center position information of the positioning reference objects on both sides based on distance information between the positioning reference objects on each side and the first position information; determining reference position information of the positioning reference objects on each side based on the distance information, the preset angle information and the first position information; and determining center position information between the positioning references on both sides based on reference position information corresponding to the positioning references on each side.

9. the movement control parameters include a movement direction and a movement distance; determining a movement control parameter based on the central position information and the first position information, determining a moving distance and a moving direction of the robot in the abscissa based on a difference between an abscissa of the first position information and an abscissa of the central position information; determining a moving distance and a moving direction of the robot on the ordinate based on a difference between the ordinate of the first position information and the ordinate of the central position information; The positioning method according to claim 6 or 7, comprising:

10. A computer program comprising: A computer program product, the instructions of which, when executed by a processor, result in the positioning method according to any one of claims 6 to 8 being implemented.

11. A computer-readable storage medium on which a computer program is stored, A computer readable storage medium in which the instructions of the computer program, when executed by a processor, realise the positioning method according to any one of claims 6 to 8.

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