Object-capturing mobile robot toy

Abstract

By implementing measures to restrict the robot's range of movement on the game board (2) at the competition venue, it will be possible to participate in the competition from the internet, just as it is to participate in the competition at the venue. [Solution] To achieve this, the robot will be equipped with a movement range recognition system that ensures it can only move within its designated range, preventing interference with robot operation, and allowing it to be controlled similarly both at the competition venue and over the internet. Furthermore, the number of goldfish scooped will be counted fairly.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a robot toy in which a robot operates an object outside its moving range while recognizing its own moving range.

Background Art

[0002] As a prior art, there is Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 11-197368, which is a goldfish scooping toy robot. This is a robot equipped with an arm for catching goldfish on a self-propelled goldfish scooping robot remotely operated by a transmitter. Also, as a product, there is a line tracer [TK-472] such as TK-472. This is a robot car that automatically moves along a black line. However, since the goldfish scooping robot can be freely remotely operated from a transmitter, a certain amount of skill is required to move the robot in water to the goldfish scooping position it aims at, and it cannot be properly operated to approach the goldfish avoiding the movement of the robot. Also, the line tracer has no problem moving on a line, but it cannot move the robot within the area drawn by the line. In the present invention, the vehicle for remote operation is described as a vehicle with mecanum wheels. Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2014-237360 is introduced as the prior art of this vehicle with mecanum wheels. The present invention is an object capturing and moving robot that sets an area with a black line on a game table, moves the robot within that area, and captures a prey outside the area with an operating arm. Since it operates a robot that moves only within a designated area on the game table rather than in an aquarium, it can startle the goldfish with the movement of the robot and prevent the robot from accidentally moving outside the area during operation. Thus, it can provide a new goldfish scooping toy that can be easily operated even by a small child.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

[0004] [Non-Patent Document 1] [Searched on February 10, 2025], Internet<https: / / www.elekit.co.jp / product / TK-742> [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0005] The conventional goldfish scooping robot described in Patent Document 1 is a self-propelled goldfish scooping robot that is installed at a desired position in a fish tank and moved wirelessly, requiring the robot to be placed inside the fish tank. Therefore, the lower part of the robot will move in the water, posing a threat to the goldfish, and at the same time, it is necessary to take measures to protect the robot itself from water. In contrast, the present invention places the robot body (1) on a game table (2) set up outside the aquarium (3), and scoops up the goldfish inside the aquarium (3) from a position outside the aquarium (3), thereby allowing users to enjoy scooping goldfish without disturbing the goldfish or requiring any water protection measures for the robot. Furthermore, in this invention, the robot body (1) is designed to operate within a range of movement for this purpose. In other words, the movement area is enclosed by a black line (7) around the game table (2), and the robot can only move within that area, thereby preventing the robot from falling into the adjacent water tank (3). In particular, when participating in the goldfish scooping robot competition remotely via the internet, it is difficult to have a detailed understanding of the surrounding environment. Therefore, it is necessary to take precautions to ensure that the goldfish scooping competition can be held safely even in such competitive environments. As a technique for enabling robots to recognize black lines (7), there is a prior art example: the line tracer described in uncited reference 1. This is a toy in which a robot moves by following a black line (7) drawn on the floor. This invention has been made in view of the above, and its main purpose is to apply this line-tracing technology to allow the robot body (1) to recognize the range in which it can move and the range in which it cannot move, so that goldfish can be scooped from outside the aquarium (3). [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In this invention, a game board (2) serving as a platform for the robot body (1), which is set up adjacent to a tank (3) in which goldfish are swimming, has a black line (7) defining the robot's range of movement. The robot itself recognizes the black line (7) and recognizes its range of movement, and is able to move only within that range. Therefore, for example, even when controlling the robot from the internet, it is possible to play a goldfish scooping game without accidentally dropping the robot body (1) into the adjacent tank (3). In this case, the goldfish scooping robot can extend its arm from its movable range toward an adjacent tank (3) outside that range to scoop up goldfish. Unlike the operation of moving the robot within the tank (3) as in Reference 1, it is possible to approach the goldfish with the scoop without them noticing. Furthermore, this idea is not limited to goldfish; it can also be applied to games where a robot retrieves an object placed outside its range of movement.

[0007] Furthermore, when the robot body (1) moves, its movement range can only be controlled within the area enclosed by the black line (1) drawn on the game table (2). This allows the robot to approach the adjacent tank (3) as close as possible, move left and right, insert the net (1-P) at the end of its arm into the water, and sneak under the goldfish to lift the net (1-P). This increases the probability of approaching the goldfish without being noticed and scooping them up.

[0008] This movement allows for precise control of the robot's movement techniques, pushing the limits of its capabilities and adding further excitement to the goldfish scooping competition.

[0009] To achieve this, the robot is equipped with an arm that moves up and down, which can perform various actions outside the robot's range of motion. By attaching a goldfish scooping net (1-P) to the end of the arm, the robot can enjoy scooping up goldfish.

[0010] Furthermore, in order to guide the goldfish swimming in the tank (3) into the range of motion of the net (1-P) at the end of the robot's arm, an additional arm is provided to feed the goldfish, allowing the robot to feed the goldfish when necessary and then move the net (1-P) to scoop up the goldfish that gather there.

[0011] To make the goldfish scooping competition even more enjoyable, a designated area (6-A) for returning goldfish scooped with a net (1-P) back to the tank (3) could be established. By using a proximity sensor (6-S) to detect when a goldfish is returned to the tank (3), the number of returned goldfish could be counted, thus determining the total number of goldfish scooped. This would make the results of the competition clearer, increasing the credibility of the results of remote goldfish scooping competitions conducted over the internet. Furthermore, since the goldfish are always returned to the tank (3), there would be no abuse, ensuring a healthy competition. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] Since the goldfish scooping robot can be operated within a designated area outside the aquarium (3), participants can enjoy the competition even from the internet, where they cannot see the entire venue. In particular, since the goldfish can be fed remotely via the internet and the number of goldfish scooped can be counted fairly, it has the effect of allowing people to enjoy the competition just as much from the internet, even if they are not at the venue. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] External view of the goldfish scooping robot [Figure 2] Structural diagram of a goldfish scooping robot [Figure 3] Mecanum Wheel Operation Manual [Figure 4] Diagram illustrating the movement range of the goldfish scooping robot. [Figure 5] The operation of the net, the operation of the bait basket [Figure 6] Explanatory drawing of the remote control unit (4) [Figure 7] Robot body travel flowchart [Figure 8] Poi operation flowchart [Figure 9] Food cage operation flowchart [Figure 10] Goldfish return number management flowchart

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0014] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail based on the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments.

[0015] FIG. 1 is an external view of the goldfish scooping robot body of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a structural explanatory drawing of the goldfish scooping robot. As shown in FIG. 1, the goldfish scooping robot body (1) of the present invention has mecanum wheels (front right wheel (1-1), front left wheel (1-2), rear right wheel (1-3), rear left wheel (1-4)) on the left, right, front, and rear of the base plate (1-B), and a line sensor (1-S) is provided at the tip of the base plate (1-B). Furthermore, an L-angle (1-L) is vertically provided at the center of the base plate (1-B), and the upper and lower arms (1-A) protrude in front of the base plate (1-B) from the center of the L-angle (1-L). The upper and lower arms (1-A) are configured to be movable up and down by the forward and reverse rotation of the arm up and down motor (1-5m) provided on the L-angle (1-L). A poi rotation motor (1-6m) is also provided at the tip of the upper and lower arms (1-A), and a poi (1-P) for scooping goldfish is attached to the tip thereof. And a food cage rotation motor (1-7m) is attached even further ahead of the L-angle (1-L), and a food cage (1-F) for goldfish is provided, and the overall image of the goldfish scooping robot body (1) of the present invention is formed. To enjoy scooping goldfish with the goldfish scooping robot of the present invention, it is necessary to set up a game table (2) on which the robot body (1) is placed and the robot moves, and a fish tank (3) containing goldfish in front of the table, and to draw a frame of black lines (7) on the table that defines the range in which the goldfish scooping robot of the present invention can move. Furthermore, a goldfish return area (6-A) is provided at the edge of the tank (3) in which the goldfish are kept swimming, incorporating a proximity sensor (6-S) for confirming the return of the goldfish. One or more cameras (5) are installed around this stand and the tank (3) so that the goldfish scooping situation can be confirmed through the images from the cameras (5). Note that the aquarium (3), goldfish return area (6-A), proximity sensor (6-S), and camera (5) are located outside the goldfish scooping robot and are therefore not shown in Figure 1. These will be explained later in Figure 4. The goldfish scooping action performed within this equipment can be played at the site where the equipment is located, but it is also designed to be enjoyable via remote control. In other words, the goldfish scooping robot of the present invention can be operated using a dedicated remote control unit (4) while viewing images captured by a camera (5), so goldfish scooping can be enjoyed from a distance via the internet.

[0016] Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating the structure of this goldfish scooping robot. The goldfish scooping robot body (1) of the present invention is connected to seven motors (front right motor (1-1m), front left motor (1-2m), rear right motor (1-3m), rear left motor (1-4m), arm up / down motor (1-5m), net rotation motor (1-6m), bait basket rotation motor (1-7m)) and a line sensor (1-S). The control unit of the robot body is also connected to a communication unit that communicates with a remote control unit (4) for remotely controlling the robot. Furthermore, multiple cameras (5) and proximity sensors (6-S) for confirming the return of goldfish are also placed near the goldfish scooping robot. Therefore, the information captured by these cameras (5) and the information from the proximity sensors (6-S) are input to the control unit via short-range wireless (Bluetooth) or wired connection, and the information can also be transmitted to the remote control unit (4) via the communication unit. The control unit then controls the front, back, left, and right motors of the robot body (1) (front right motor (1-1m), front left motor (1-2m), rear right motor (1-3m), rear left motor (1-4m)) based on information from the line sensor (1-S) consisting of a light-emitting unit and a light-receiving unit. The range recognition unit recognizes whether the robot body (1) is inside or outside the range recognition area of ​​the black line (7) drawn on the game table (2), and operates the other motors (arm up / down motor (1-5m), net rotation motor (1-6m), bait basket rotation motor (1-7m)) with the remote control unit (4) to scoop up goldfish. The scooped goldfish are returned within the goldfish return area (6-A), and the proximity sensor (6-S) determines whether the goldfish have fallen and passed through. The number of goldfish that have been scooped and returned to the tank (3) is counted, allowing the player to enjoy scooping goldfish. Here, the line sensor (1-S) illuminates the game machine (2) with light from its light-emitting part, and receives the reflected light with its light-receiving part. The system recognizes the status of the black lines (7) drawn on the game machine (2) by observing the change in the amount of reflected light from the black lines (7). As an example of the application of the line sensor (1-S), please refer to the non-patent literature cited as prior art, which introduces the line tracer [TK-472]. The feeder basket rotation motor (1-7m) drops goldfish food onto the water surface to attract goldfish from the water, and this can also be operated from the remote control unit (4). The communication unit and the remote control unit (4) can also be connected via the internet.

[0017] Figure 3 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the Mecanum wheels used in this goldfish scooping robot. The goldfish scooping robot used in this proposal utilizes Mecanum wheels, which are controlled by individual motors. Figure 3 shows how the robot body (1) moves when these Mecanum wheels are driven, illustrating the correlation between the movement of the Mecanum wheels connected to the two motors located in the front, back, left, and right directions, and the movement of the Mecanum wheels connected to each motor. Regarding Mecanum wheels, they are also disclosed in Patent Document 1, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2014-237360, which I have cited, so please refer to it. Figure 3 of Japanese Patent Publication No. 2014-237360 discloses the movement of the wheels when a vehicle moves forward, backward, to the right, to the left, to the right, and to the left. Figure 3 of this application is a table showing the rotation direction of each wheel of the Mecanum wheels used in the goldfish scooping robot of this application. As this table shows, to move the robot forward, the front left wheel rotates counterclockwise (when viewed from the left), the front right wheel rotates clockwise (when viewed from the right), the rear left wheel rotates counterclockwise (when viewed from the left), and the rear right wheel rotates clockwise (when viewed from the right). This is the same movement as a normal four-wheeled vehicle. As can be seen in this table, to move the robot backward, the front left wheel rotates clockwise when viewed from the left, the front right wheel rotates counterclockwise when viewed from the right, the rear left wheel rotates clockwise when viewed from the left, and the rear right wheel rotates counterclockwise when viewed from the right. This is the same movement as a normal four-wheeled vehicle. However, as can be seen in this table, if you want to move the robot to the left, you can control the vehicle's movement so that the front left wheel rotates clockwise when viewed from the left, the front right wheel rotates clockwise when viewed from the right, the rear left wheel rotates counterclockwise when viewed from the left, and the rear right wheel rotates counterclockwise when viewed from the right. To move the robot to the right, you can control the vehicle's movement so that the front left wheel rotates counterclockwise when viewed from the left, the front right wheel rotates counterclockwise when viewed from the right, the rear left wheel rotates clockwise when viewed from the left, and the rear right wheel rotates clockwise when viewed from the right. While this remote control unit (4) is explained using these four movements, the table also shows that movement to the left front, right front, left rear, right rear, CCW (counterclockwise) movement, and CW (clockwise) movement are also possible through rotational control of each motor. These are basic movements of the Mecanum wheel, so a detailed explanation is omitted.

[0018] Figure 4 shows the relationship between the game table (2) on which the goldfish scooping robot is placed and the aquarium (3) placed in front of it, and also explains the relationship with the black line (7) drawn on the game table (2). The relationship between the line sensor and the vehicle is also used in the line tracer TK-472, which is introduced in non-referenced document 1, so the technical principle will be omitted here. The line tracer TK-472 recognizes the black line (7) drawn on the game table (2) and makes the robot move along that black line (7). However, the robot of the present invention, upon recognizing the black line (7) drawn on the game table (2), operates in a way that restricts the movement of the robot body (1) so as not to cross the black line (7). This will be explained in detail in the flowchart in Figure 7 below. Figure 4 shows the positional relationship between the game table (2), the aquarium (3), and the cameras (5) placed around it, the positional relationship of the goldfish return area (6-A) located at the edge of the aquarium (3), and the black lines (7) drawn on the game table (2) that indicate the area where the robot is permitted to move. This also shows the positional relationship between the net (1-P) and the food basket (1-F) extending from the robot body (1). In Figure 4, the proximity sensor (6-S) located in the goldfish return area (6-A) inside the tank (3) is a sensor that detects when a goldfish has passed through the goldfish return area (6-A) after being scooped up with a net (1-P) and returned to the tank (3). This detection information is transmitted wirelessly or via wire to the goldfish scooping robot body (1), and the number of goldfish scooped up can be counted and confirmed by the remote control unit (4) via the communication unit of the goldfish scooping robot. Furthermore, images captured by multiple cameras (5) positioned around the aquarium (3) and game table (2) are transmitted wirelessly or via wired connection to the goldfish scooping robot body (1), and the captured images are displayed on the remote control unit (4) via the communication unit of the goldfish scooping robot. In Figure 4, the goldfish scooping robot can only move within the black line (7). As explained in Figure 1, the robot is equipped with upper and lower arms (1-A) that move up and down, and at the end of these arms is a net (1-P) for scooping goldfish, and the net (1-P) is structured to be tilted from side to side. Similarly, a bait basket (1-F) is attached to the end of the L-angle (1-L) of the goldfish scooping robot, and this bait basket (1-F) can also be tilted left and right. This arrangement allows the goldfish bait to be dropped above the position of the net (1-P) extending over the aquarium (3), even if the goldfish scooping robot body (1) is located inside the black line (7).

[0019] Figure 5 schematically illustrates the operation of the net (1-P) and the bait basket (1-F) of this goldfish scooping robot. Figure 5 illustrates the movement of the net (1-P) as follows: with action m1, it is inserted diagonally from the water surface and moves beneath the goldfish; when the goldfish swims over the net (1-P), action m2 scoops the goldfish up to the water surface; with action m3, the net (1-P) is moved to the edge of the goldfish return area; and with action m4, the goldfish is dropped back into the water surface for return. Here, a proximity sensor (6-A) located near the goldfish return area (6-A) makes it possible to count the number of goldfish that have been scooped up. The bait basket (1-F) moves along with the goldfish scooping robot, along with the net (1-P). When it is time to feed the goldfish, the bait basket (1-F) can be tilted to drop the bait into the basket onto the goldfish. This allows the bait to fall onto the net (1-P), which is submerged and waiting, thus attracting the goldfish. The details of each operation will be described later in Figures 8, 9, and 10.

[0020] Figure 6 is an explanatory diagram of the remote control unit (4) that operates the goldfish scooping robot body (1). The movements of the robot controlled by this remote control are explained later in the flowcharts shown in Figures 7, 8, 9, and 10. Figure 6 describes a structure in which the remote control unit (4) has a display unit that shows images from the four cameras (5) shown in Figure 4, a display unit that counts and displays the number of goldfish that have been scooped up from the proximity sensor (6-S) located in the goldfish return area (6-A) in Figure 4 and returned to the tank (3), and is equipped with three joystick control rods: a net operation rod (4-1), a main unit movement operation rod (4-2), and a bait basket operation rod (4-3). This remote control unit (4) can be operated from beside the game console (2), but it can also be operated from the internet while viewing the image from the camera (5) displayed on the screen.

[0021] Figure 7 shows the movement flowchart for the goldfish scooping robot. Figure 7, a flowchart illustrating the robot's movement, explains how to operate the robot's movement control rod (4-2) (joystick) shown in Figure 6. Furthermore, this operation will be explained using the forward, backward, left lateral movement, and right lateral movement described in the Mecanum wheel operation manual in Figure 3 as representative movement directions. In Figure 6, if the main body movement control rod (4-2) is moved forward, the robot body (1) will move forward; if it is moved backward, the robot body (1) will move backward; if it is moved to the left, the robot body (1) will move left; and if it is moved to the right, the robot body (1) will move right. In other words, in Figure 7, S7-1 determines whether the main body movement control rod (4-2) in Figure 6 is tilted in the forward, backward, left, or right direction. If it is tilted forward, S7-2 performs an action to move the robot body (1) forward. In this case, the rotation direction of each wheel of the robot body (1) can be achieved by rotating them in the direction shown for forward movement in Figure 3. However, if the line sensor (1-S) in Figures 1 and 2 recognizes the black line (7) in S7-3, S7-4 performs a slight backward movement and returns to S7-1, following the next joystick instruction. As a result, even if a forward movement is performed in S7-2, if the black line (7) is recognized in S7-3, a slight backward movement will be performed in S7-4, so the robot will not cross the black line (7). Similarly, in Figure 7, S7-1 determines whether the main body movement control rod (4-2) in Figure 6 is tilted in the forward, backward, left, or right direction. If it is tilted backward, S7-5 performs an action to move the robot body (1) backward. In this case, the rotation direction of each wheel of the robot body (1) can be achieved by rotating them in the direction shown for backward movement in Figure 3. However, if the line sensor (1-S) in Figures 1 and 2 recognizes the black line (7) in S7-6, S7-7 performs a slight forward movement and returns to S7-1, following the next joystick instruction. As a result, even if a backward movement is performed in S7-5, if the black line (7) is recognized in S7-6, a slight forward movement will be performed in S7-7, so the robot will not cross the black line (7). Similarly, for leftward movement, in Figure 7, S7-1 determines which direction the main body movement control rod (4-2) in Figure 6 is tilted in (forward, backward, left, or right). If it is tilted to the left, S7-8 performs an action to move the robot body (1) to the left. In this case, the rotation direction of each wheel of the robot body (1) can be achieved by rotating them in the direction shown on the left side of Figure 3. However, if the line sensor (1-S) in Figures 1 and 2 recognizes the black line (7) in S7-9, S7-10 performs a slight rightward movement and returns to S7-1, following the next joystick instruction. As a result, even if a leftward movement is performed in S7-8, if the black line (7) is recognized in S7-9, S7-10 will perform a slight rightward movement, so the robot will not cross the black line (7). Similarly, in Figure 7, S7-1 determines which direction the main body movement control rod (4-2) in Figure 6 is tilted in (forward, backward, left, or right). If it is tilted to the right, S7-11 performs an action to move the robot body (1) to the right. In this case, the rotation direction of each wheel of the robot body (1) can be achieved by rotating them in the direction shown on the right side of Figure 3. However, if the line sensor (1-S) in Figures 1 and 2 recognizes the black line (7) in S7-12, S7-13 performs a slight leftward movement and returns to S7-1, following the next joystick instruction. As a result, even if a rightward movement is performed in S7-11, if the black line (7) is recognized in S7-12, a slight leftward movement will occur in S7-13, so the robot will not cross the black line (7). In this way, the robot body (1) can move forward, backward, left, and right by operating the main body movement control rod (4-2) (joystick), but the robot body (1) can only move within the black lines (7) drawn on the game board (2) shown in Figure 4.

[0022] Figure 8 is a flowchart showing the operation of the net (1-P) of this goldfish scooping robot. The operation shown in Figure 8 is performed using the poi operating rod (4-1) (joystick) of the remote control unit (4) shown in Figure 6. The poi control rod (4-1) in Figure 6 allows you to raise, lower, and tilt the poi (1-P). In other words, when moving the net (1-P) in the direction of m1 in Figure 5, the net (1-P) is first tilted and then lowered to the water surface while its tilt is returned to horizontal. When a goldfish swims above the net (1-P), the net (1-P) is raised at m2. When the robot body (1) moves to the goldfish return position, the net (1-P) is tilted again to return the goldfish to the tank (3). At this time, the net (1-P) can be moved up and down by moving the arm up and down motor in Figure 2, and the net (1-P) can be tilted and returned to horizontal by operating the net rotation motor (1-6m) in the figure. Let's explain this operation again using the flowchart in Figure 8. At S8-1 in Figure 8, the direction of operation of the poi control rod (4-1) (joystick) is checked. If the direction of operation is upward, the arm up / down motor is moved at S8-2 to raise the poi (1-P). If the direction of operation is downward, the arm up / down motor is moved at S8-5 to lower the poi (1-P). If the direction of operation is tilting to the right, the poi rotation motor (1-6m) is moved at S8-6 to return the poi (1-P) to a parallel position. If the direction of operation is tilting to the left, the poi rotation motor (1-6m) is moved at S8-7 to tilt the poi (1-P). There are mechanical limits to these directions of movement, so when the physical limit position is reached at S8-3, these movements are stopped at S8-4. At this point, the poi (1-P) can be controlled by the remote control unit (4) according to the purpose.

[0023] Next, Figure 9 is a flowchart showing the operation of the goldfish scooping robot's feeding basket (1-F). As shown in Figure 1, the goldfish scooping robot has a food basket (1-F) attached to the end of an L-angle (1-L) with a food basket rotation motor (1-7m) mounted on it. The operation flowchart of the food basket (1-F) in Figure 9 explains the movement of the food basket (1-F) when it is operated with the food basket operating rod (4-3) (joystick) of the remote control unit (4) in Figure 6. Specifically, the movement of the food basket (1-F) during the m5 movement in Figure 8 is shown. Now, in the operation flowchart of the bait basket (1-F) in Figure 9, at S9-1, the direction of operation of the bait basket (1-F) control rod (joystick) is checked, and if the bait basket (1-F) control rod rotates to the right, the bait basket (1-F) is lowered. In actual operation, the motor E in Figure 1 is rotated to the right to tilt the bait basket (1-F) and cause the bait placed in the bait basket (1-F) to fall into the aquarium (3) as shown by m5 in Figure 5. Then, if the direction of operation of the joystick is to raise it at S9-5, the bait basket (1-F) is rotated to the left to return to the parallel position. These operations at S9-2 and S9-5 do not move indefinitely; the range of motion of the motor E is mechanically limited, and when the limit is reached at S9-3, the operation stops at S9-4. This makes it possible to drop the bait in the bait basket (1-F) onto the water surface.

[0024] Next, Figure 10 is a flowchart for managing the number of goldfish returned by this goldfish scooping robot. As shown in Figure 4, a goldfish return area (6-A) is defined at the edge of the tank (3) where the goldfish are swimming, and a proximity sensor (6-S) is installed there. The signal detected by this proximity sensor (6-S) is transmitted to the remote control unit (4) in Figure 6, and is displayed numerically as the number of goldfish scooped (4-4). The goldfish return management flowchart in Figure 10 shows the operation flow for displaying the number of goldfish scooped (4-4) displayed on this remote control unit (4), and is controlled by the proximity sensor described in Figure 4 and a push button located at the end of the bait basket operating rod (4-3) in Figure 6. In the goldfish return management flowchart in Figure 10, the gate passage in S9-1 is confirmed when a signal is emitted from the proximity sensor in Figure 4, indicating that a goldfish has entered the gate. In S9-2, the number of goldfish scooped (4-4) is increased by +1, so that the number of goldfish scooped and returned is shown in the number of goldfish scooped (4-4) in Figure 6.

[0025] Furthermore, in the remote control unit (4) shown in Figure 6, the robot body movement control rod (4-2), the net control rod (4-1), and the bait basket control rod (4-3) are all independent of each other. Therefore, it is possible to move the robot body (1) forward, backward, left, and right while operating the net (1-P) and simultaneously operating the bait basket (1-F), making the goldfish scooping robot competition even more fun and enjoyable.

[0026] As described above, the movements of the goldfish scooping robot of the present invention are realized in a configuration that allows for safe operation from the internet by moving the robot body (1) within the black lines (7) drawn on the game table (2). However, the object of play is not limited to scooping goldfish in a fish tank (3). For example, a game where you can freely move ornaments placed on a shelf could also be made possible by applying the same technology, although the robot's structure would be slightly different. Furthermore, while this invention recognizes the robot's range of motion by recognizing the black lines (7) drawn on the game board (2), this can also be done by other methods as long as the range of motion can be recognized. For example, instead of limiting the lines to black, other colors such as red could be used, or the robot's movement range and areas outside that range could be differentiated and recognized using different colors. Alternatively, methods other than lines that allow for recognition of physically recognizable areas (such as image recognition) could be used to distinguish between areas within and outside the movement range. [Industrial applicability]

[0027] This invention is useful as a robot toy because it is a technology that allows a robot to recognize its own range of movement and capture objects outside that range by extending its arms from within that range to outside of it. [Explanation of symbols]

[0028] 1. Robot body 1-B Base plate 1-1 Front right wheel 1-1m Front Right Motor 1-2 Front left wheel 1-2m Front left motor 1-3 Rear right wheel 1-3m rear right motor 1-4 Rear left wheel 1-4m rear left motor 1-S Line Sensor 1-LL Angle 1-A Upper and lower arms 1-5m Arm Up / Down Motor 1-P Poi 1-6m Poi Rotating Motor 1-F Bait basket 1-7m feed cage rotating motor 2 game machines 3 Aquariums 4 Remote control unit 4-1 Poi operating rod 4-2 Main Unit Movement Control Rod 4-3 Bait cage operating rod 4-4 Number of goldfish scooped 4-5 Display section 5 Cameras 6-S Proximity Sensor 6-A Goldfish Return Area 7 Black line 8 Goldfish

Claims

1. The robot recognizes its own range of movement, extends its arm from within that range to outside of it, and captures an object outside the range. The robot's movement and arm operation are processed in parallel. Goldfish released into a tank are scooped up by operating a scooping net attached to the end of the arm, and when the scooped goldfish are returned to the tank at a predetermined location, the number of goldfish scooped is counted by a detection signal from a proximity sensor located at that location.

2. The object-capturing mobile robot toy according to claim 1, wherein the recognition of the robot's movable range is determined by recognizing the surrounding lines.

3. The object-capturing and mobile robot toy according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the goldfish are released into a tank, food for the goldfish is provided on the arm, and the goldfish can be fed by operating the arm.

Images