Device and method for obtaining conversion matrix between maps
Patent Information
- Application Number
- TW114105630
- Authority / Receiving Office
- TW · TW
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-02-14
- Publication Date
- 2026-08-16
- Estimated Expiration
- 2045-02-13
AI Technical Summary
Autonomous mobile robots face challenges in effectively switching between old and new maps due to the lack of efficient methods for creating or expanding maps, particularly in handling task changes.
A processor-based apparatus and method that obtains a transformation matrix between maps by using first and second positioning information from a single overlapping point, allowing for map alignment or merging without relying on point cloud registration or markers.
Enables seamless transformation between maps, reducing computational complexity and avoiding local optima issues, thus enhancing the capability of autonomous mobile robots to adapt to map changes.
Smart Images
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Abstract
Description
[Technical Field]
[0001] This invention relates to an apparatus and method for obtaining a transformation matrix between maps. [Previous Technology]
[0002] In the application field of autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), it is often necessary to create new maps or expand existing maps due to changes in the handling tasks. However, there is still a lack of ways to enable autonomous mobile robots to effectively switch between old and new maps. [Summary of the Invention]
[0003] The apparatus of the present invention for obtaining a transformation matrix between maps includes a processor, wherein the processor obtains first positioning information of a point on a first map and the processor obtains second positioning information of a point on a second map, wherein the point is in an overlapping area between the first map and the second map, wherein the first map and the second map are different; the processor uses the first positioning information and the second positioning information to obtain a transformation matrix between the first map and the second map.
[0004] The method of the present invention for obtaining a transformation matrix between maps is adapted to be executed by an apparatus including a processor, wherein the method includes the following steps: obtaining first positioning information of a point on a first map and obtaining second positioning information of a point on a second map, wherein the point is in an overlapping area between the first map and the second map, wherein the first map and the second map are different; and using the first positioning information and the second positioning information to obtain a transformation matrix between the first map and the second map.
Implementation Method
[0005] FIG1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an apparatus 100 for obtaining a transformation matrix between maps according to an embodiment of the present invention. The apparatus 100 may include a processor 110. In one embodiment, the apparatus 100 may include an input / output device 130 coupled to the processor 110. In one embodiment, the apparatus 100 may include a storage medium 150 coupled to the processor 110.
[0006] The processor 110 is, for example, a central processing unit (CPU), or other programmable general-purpose or special-purpose microcontroller (MCU), microprocessor, digital signal processor (DSP), programmable controller, application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), graphics processing unit (GPU), image signal processor (ISP), image processing unit (IPU), arithmetic logic unit (ALU), complex programmable logic device (CPLD), field programmable gate array (FPGA), or other similar elements or combinations thereof.
[0007] Input / output device 130 may include various input / output devices such as mouse, keyboard, screen, touch panel, and / or speaker.
[0008] The storage medium 150 is, for example, any type of fixed or removable random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, hard disk drive (HDD), solid state drive (SSD) or similar element or combination of the above elements, for storing multiple modules or various applications that can be executed by the processor 110.
[0009] FIG2 is a flowchart illustrating a method for obtaining a transformation matrix between maps according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the method may be implemented by the apparatus 100 shown in FIG1. Please refer to FIG1 and FIG2 simultaneously.
[0010] In step S21, the processor 110 can obtain the first positioning information of the point on the first map, and the processor 110 can obtain the second positioning information of the point on the second map, wherein the point is in the overlapping area between the first map and the second map, and the first map and the second map are different.
[0011] In step S23, the processor 110 can use the first positioning information and the second positioning information to obtain the transformation matrix between the first map and the second map. Specifically, the processor 110 can use the following formulas 1 and 2 to derive the transformation matrix.
[0012] … (Formula 1)
[0013] …(Formula 2)
[0014] where is the first positioning information, is the second positioning information, and is the transformation matrix.
[0015] In other words, the present invention can solve for the transformation matrix between the first map and the second map by using only a single specific point in the overlapping area between the first map and the second map.
[0016] Figure 3 is an example of the operation of the device 100 shown in Figure 1. Please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 3 at the same time.
[0017] First, the user can operate the input / output device 130 to activate the positioning function of the device 100, load the first map, and initialize the positioning point p. The processor 110 can display the first map through the input / output device 130. Then, the processor 110 can record the first positioning information of the point p on the first map into the storage medium 150. Then, the processor 110 can display the first positioning information through the input / output device 130.
[0018] Next, the user can operate the input / output device 130 to switch from the first map to the second map.
[0019] Then, the user can operate the input / output device 130 to activate the positioning function of the device 100, load the second map, and initialize the positioning point p. The processor 110 can display the second map through the input / output device 130. Then, the processor 110 can record the second positioning information of the point p on the second map in the storage medium 150. Then, the processor 110 can display the second positioning information through the input / output device 130.
[0020] Finally, the processor 110 can use the first positioning information and the second positioning information to obtain the transformation matrix between the first map and the second map.
[0021] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the map alignment operation of the device 100 shown in Figure 1. Please refer to Figures 1 and 4 simultaneously. In this embodiment, the processor 110 can use a first map and Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) technology to obtain a second map. Specifically, the second map can be a newly constructed map of the first map through SLAM technology. As shown in Figure 4, the original task point p1 is a task point in the first map. On the other hand, the newly added task point p2 is a task point in the second map. Since the mapping origin (origin o1) of the first map is different from the mapping origin (origin o2) of the second map, the coordinates of the original task point p1 in the second map will be different from the coordinates of the original task point p1 in the first map. In this embodiment, the processor 110 can use the first map, the second map, and a transformation matrix to perform a map alignment operation to obtain a second map aligned with the first map. Therefore, after the map alignment operation is completed, the coordinates of any point in the second map will be completely consistent with those in the first map.
[0022] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the map merging operation of the device 100 shown in Figure 1. Please refer to Figures 1 and 5 simultaneously. In this embodiment, the processor 110 can use a first map and simultaneous localization and mapping (SMR) technology to obtain a second map. Specifically, the second map can be an expanded map newly created from the first map using SMR technology. For example, due to changes in the handling tasks of an autonomous mobile robot (AMR), the processor 110 can create a new second map (and the second map is larger than the first map). It is worth noting that the processor 110 can create only a portion of the second map to save computational power. In this embodiment, the processor 110 can use the first map, the second map, and a transformation matrix to perform a map merging operation to obtain a third map after merging the first and second maps. Specifically, the processor 110 can compare the features of the overlapping areas between the first and second maps to merge the first and second maps into a third map. Therefore, after the map merging operation is completed, the coordinates of all points in the third map that originally belonged to the first map will be completely consistent with their original coordinates in the first map.
[0023] In summary, the apparatus and method of the present invention for obtaining the transformation matrix between maps can solve for the transformation matrix between the first map and the second map using a single specific point in the overlapping area between the first map and the second map. Since it does not rely on point cloud registration or markers, the present invention reduces the processing of point clouds, thereby enabling autonomous mobile robots to effectively transform between old and new maps. Furthermore, by skipping multiple iterations and registration processes, the present invention can also solve the problem of local optima. [Simplified Explanation of the Diagram]
[0024] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of an apparatus for obtaining a transformation matrix between maps according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG2 is a flowchart of a method for obtaining a transformation matrix between maps according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG3 is an example of operation of the apparatus shown in FIG1. FIG4 is a schematic diagram of the map alignment operation of the apparatus shown in FIG1. FIG5 is a schematic diagram of the map merging operation of the apparatus shown in FIG1.
Claims
1. An apparatus for obtaining a transformation matrix between maps, comprising: A processor, wherein the processor obtains first positioning information of a point on a first map, and the processor obtains second positioning information of the point on a second map, wherein the point is in an overlapping area between the first map and the second map, wherein the first map is different from the second map, and wherein the number of points is 1; the processor uses the first positioning information and the second positioning information to obtain the transformation matrix between the first map and the second map.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor further utilizes the first map and Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) technology to obtain the second map.
3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor further utilizes the first map, the second map, and the transformation matrix to perform a map alignment operation to obtain a second map aligned with the first map.
4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor further utilizes the first map, the second map, and the transformation matrix to perform a map merging operation to obtain a third map after merging the first map and the second map.
5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an input / output device coupled to the processor, wherein the processor displays the first map and the processor displays the first location information via the input / output device; the processor displays the second map and the processor displays the second location information via the input / output device.
6. A method for obtaining a transformation matrix between maps, adapted to be performed by an apparatus including a processor, wherein the method includes the steps of: obtaining first location information of a point on a first map, and obtaining second location information of the point on a second map, wherein the point is in an overlapping area between the first map and the second map, wherein the first map is different from the second map, wherein the number of points is 1; and using the first location information and the second location information to obtain the transformation matrix between the first map and the second map.
7. The method as described in claim 6, wherein the method further comprises the step of: obtaining a second map using the first map and Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) technology.
8. The method of claim 6, wherein the method further comprises the steps of: performing a map alignment operation using the first map, the second map, and the transformation matrix to obtain a second map aligned with the first map.
9. The method of claim 6, wherein the method further comprises the steps of: performing a map merging operation using the first map, the second map, and the transformation matrix to obtain a third map after merging the first map and the second map.
10. The method of claim 6, wherein the apparatus further includes an input / output device, and wherein the method further includes the steps of: displaying the first map and the first location information via the input / output device; and displaying the second map and the second location information via the input / output device.