Fall prevention apparatus, carrying robot, fall prevention method, and device and storage medium

Abstract

A fall prevention apparatus (100), a carrying robot (40), a fall prevention method, and a device and a storage medium. The fall prevention apparatus is applied to the carrying robot, wherein the carrying robot can vertically ascend and descend along a rack rail (30), and the carrying robot comprises a braking mechanism (41). The fall prevention apparatus comprises: an acceleration measurement unit (101), which is used for measuring the acceleration of the carrying robot; and a control unit (102), which is used for acquiring the acceleration, detecting, on the basis of the acceleration, whether the carrying robot falls from the rack rail, and if it is detected that the carrying robot falls from the rack rail, controlling the braking mechanism to implement braking, so as to make the carrying robot stop falling. In this way, after a carrying robot falls during operation on a rack (10), the carrying robot can be made to stop falling.

Description

Anti-fall device, handling robot, anti-fall method, equipment and storage medium

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the China Patent Office on November 30, 2023, with application number 202311636083.9 and application name “Anti-fall device, handling robot, anti-fall method, equipment and storage medium”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0002] The embodiments of the present application relate to the field of intelligent warehousing technology, and specifically to an anti-falling device, a handling robot, an anti-falling method, equipment, and a storage medium. Background Art

[0003] In existing warehousing systems, racks comprise multiple layers and rows of storage locations for boxes. Handling robots are typically used to retrieve boxes from these locations or to transport and deposit them. The racks can be equipped with horizontal and vertical tracks, along which handling robots move horizontally or vertically across the racks to reach their target locations for box placement and retrieval. While operating on the racks, handling robots present a risk of falling, potentially damaging both the handling robot and the cargo they are carrying. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of the above problems, the embodiments of the present application provide an anti-fall device, a handling robot, an anti-fall method, equipment and a storage medium, which are used to solve the problem in the prior art of how to stop a handling robot from falling after it falls while operating on a shelf.

[0005] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present application, there is provided an anti-fall device, which is applied to a transport robot, wherein the transport robot can be vertically raised and lowered along a shelf track, and the transport robot includes a braking mechanism. The anti-fall device includes: an acceleration measuring unit, for measuring the acceleration of the transport robot; and a control unit, for acquiring the acceleration and detecting whether the transport robot falls on the shelf track based on the acceleration; if it is detected that the transport robot falls on the shelf track, the braking mechanism is controlled to apply braking to stop the transport robot from falling.

[0006] In an optional embodiment, the acceleration measurement unit is a three-axis acceleration sensor, and the acceleration includes X-axis acceleration, Y-axis acceleration and Z-axis acceleration; the control unit is used to calculate the combined acceleration amplitude based on the X-axis acceleration, the Y-axis acceleration and the Z-axis acceleration, and detect whether the transport robot falls on the shelf track based on the combined acceleration amplitude.

[0007] In an optional manner, the control unit is used to determine that the transport robot has fallen on the shelf track if the combined acceleration amplitude is less than a fall threshold, wherein the fall threshold is determined based on the difference between the gravitational acceleration value and the maximum descent acceleration value when the transport robot actively descends.

[0008] In an optional manner, the falling threshold is equal to the difference between the gravity acceleration value and the maximum descent acceleration value minus an allowable tolerance value, wherein the allowable tolerance value is a preset value.

[0009] In an optional embodiment, the transport robot also includes a switch unit electrically connected to the braking mechanism; the control unit is used to be electrically connected to the switch unit; the control unit is used to send a control signal to the switch unit to control the action of the switch unit so that the braking mechanism implements braking.

[0010] In an optional embodiment, the braking mechanism is a holding brake of the motor of the transport robot; the control unit is used to send a control signal to the switch unit to control the action of the switch unit, and the holding brake implements braking to stop the transport robot at the current position of the shelf track.

[0011] In an optional embodiment, holes are provided at intervals on the shelf rail; the control unit is used to send a control signal to the switch unit to control the operation of the switch unit, and the brake member of the brake mechanism extends to engage in the hole, so that the transport robot stops at the current position of the shelf rail.

[0012] In an optional embodiment, the braking mechanism is an electromagnetic lock of the transport robot, holes are provided at intervals on the shelf track, and the control unit is used to send a control signal to the switch unit to control the switch unit to operate so that the braking mechanism implements braking, including: the control unit is used to send a control signal to the switch unit to control the switch unit to disconnect, and the lock tongue of the electromagnetic lock is stuck in the hole to make the transport robot stop at the current position of the shelf track.

[0013] In an optional embodiment, the anti-fall device also includes a signal converter and a power amplifier, the signal converter is electrically connected to the control unit and the power amplifier respectively, and the power amplifier is used to be electrically connected to the switch unit, wherein the control unit is used to send a control signal to the switch unit to control the switch unit to disconnect, including: the control unit is used to output a digital control signal to the signal converter; the signal converter is used to convert the digital control signal into an analog control signal and transmit it to the power amplifier; the power amplifier is used to amplify the analog control signal and send the amplified analog control signal to the switch unit to control the switch unit to disconnect.

[0014] In an optional embodiment, the transport robot also includes a main control unit; the anti-fall device also includes a communication transceiver for communicating with the main control unit, and the communication transceiver is used to send a fall prompt message to the main control unit if the control unit detects that the transport robot falls on the shelf track.

[0015] According to another aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a transport robot is provided, comprising any anti-fall device as described above.

[0016] According to another aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a fall prevention method is provided, which is applied to a transport robot, wherein the transport robot can be vertically raised and lowered along a shelf track, and the transport robot includes a braking mechanism. The method includes: obtaining the acceleration of the transport robot; detecting whether the transport robot falls on the shelf track based on the acceleration; if it is detected that the transport robot falls on the shelf track, controlling the braking mechanism to apply braking to stop the transport robot from falling.

[0017] According to another aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a fall prevention device is provided, comprising: a processor, a memory, a communication interface and a communication bus, wherein the processor, the memory and the communication interface communicate with each other through the communication bus; the memory is used to store executable instructions, and the executable instructions enable the processor to perform the operations of the fall prevention method as described above.

[0018] According to another aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, wherein the storage medium stores at least one executable instruction. When the executable instruction is executed on an electronic device, the electronic device executes the operation of the anti-fall method as described above.

[0019] In an embodiment of the present application, an anti-fall device is provided including an acceleration measuring unit and a control unit. The control unit obtains the acceleration of the transport robot through the acceleration measuring unit, and then can detect whether the transport robot falls based on the obtained acceleration. If a fall occurs, the braking mechanism of the transport robot is promptly controlled to apply braking to stop the transport robot from falling and stay at the current position of the shelf track, thereby avoiding damage to the transport robot.

[0020] The above description is only an overview of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application. In order to more clearly understand the technical means of the embodiments of the present application, they can be implemented in accordance with the contents of the specification. In order to make the above and other purposes, features and advantages of the embodiments of the present application more obvious and easy to understand, the specific implementation methods of the present application are listed below. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] The accompanying drawings are only used to illustrate the embodiments and are not to be considered as limiting the present application. In addition, the same reference symbols are used to represent the same components throughout the drawings. In the drawings:

[0022] FIG1 shows a schematic diagram of an application scenario provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0023] FIG2 shows a schematic diagram of the components of a fall prevention device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0024] FIG3 shows a schematic diagram of the composition of another anti-falling device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0025] FIG4 shows a schematic diagram of the specific composition of the anti-fall device provided in FIG3 ;

[0026] FIG5 is a schematic diagram showing a partial structure of an electromagnetic lock and a shelf rail provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0027] FIG6 shows a schematic diagram of the composition of another anti-falling device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0028] FIG7 shows a schematic structural diagram of a transport robot provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0029] FIG8 shows a flow chart of a fall prevention method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0030] FIG9 shows a schematic structural diagram of a fall prevention device provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0031] The figure numbers in the specific implementation manner are as follows: 10, shelf; 20, cargo box; 30, shelf track; 40, handling robot; 41, braking mechanism; 42, switch unit; 43, power supply; 44, main control unit; 100, anti-fall device; 101, acceleration measurement unit; 102, control unit; 103, communication transceiver; 31, hole; 411, lock tongue; 402, processor; 404, communication interface; 406, memory; 408, communication bus; 410, program. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] The exemplary embodiments of the present application will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Although exemplary embodiments of the present application are shown in the drawings, it should be understood that the present application can be implemented in various forms and should not be limited to the embodiments set forth herein.

[0033] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which this application belongs; the terms used herein are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit this application; the terms "including" and "having" and any variations thereof in the specification and claims of this application and the above-mentioned figure descriptions are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions.

[0034] In the description of the embodiments of this application, the technical terms "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish different objects and should not be understood to indicate or imply relative importance or implicitly specify the quantity, specific order, or primary and secondary relationship of the indicated technical features. In the description of the embodiments of this application, the meaning of "plurality" is more than two, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0035] References herein to "embodiments" mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiments may be included in at least one embodiment of the present application. The appearance of this phrase in various places in the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor does it constitute an independent or alternative embodiment that is mutually exclusive of other embodiments. It is understood, both explicitly and implicitly, by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein may be combined with other embodiments.

[0036] In the description of the embodiments of this application, the term "and / or" is simply a description of the association relationship between associated objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent the following three situations: A exists, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists. In addition, the character " / " in this document generally indicates that the associated objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0037] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the term "multiple" refers to more than two (including two). Similarly, "multiple groups" refers to more than two groups (including two groups), and "multiple pieces" refers to more than two pieces (including two pieces).

[0038] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the technical terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", etc., indicating the orientation or position relationship, are based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the embodiments of the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the embodiments of the present application.

[0039] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, technical terms such as "installed," "connected," "connected," and "fixed" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, they can refer to fixed connections, detachable connections, or integration; mechanical connections or electrical connections; direct connections or indirect connections through an intermediate medium; internal connections between two components or interactions between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meanings of the above terms in the embodiments of the present application based on specific circumstances.

[0040] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of an application scenario provided by an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG1 , in a warehousing system, a shelf 10 includes 8 layers and 10 rows of storage locations for storing cargo boxes 20. Specifically, at least in the vertical direction, the shelf 10 is provided with shelf rails 30, so that a handling robot 40 can be vertically raised and lowered along the shelf rails 30, thereby reaching different shelf layers, removing cargo boxes 20 stored in the storage locations, or storing cargo boxes 20 in the storage locations. Of course, the shelf 10 can also be provided with transverse shelf rails in the horizontal direction, so that the handling robot can move laterally along the transverse shelf rails to reach different storage locations.

[0041] The inventors of the present application understand that when the transport robot 40 is operating on the shelf track 30, for example, during the vertical lifting process and when it stops in front of a certain storage location to take and place cargo boxes, if the components used for lifting in the transport robot 40 fail, the controller used to control the climbing of the transport robot 40 is abnormal or breaks down, etc., resulting in the transport robot 40 being unable to control its lifting normally, or unable to continue to stop at the current stop position, the transport robot 40 is affected by factors such as gravity and inertia, and is prone to falling, resulting in damage to the transport robot 40 and the cargo loaded thereon, thereby causing property loss and affecting the normal operation of the warehousing system.

[0042] The inventors of this application noticed that if a transport robot falls, the fluctuation range of its descent speed is usually large, that is, the acceleration is large. Therefore, in response to the above problem, this application proposes an anti-fall device, which detects the acceleration of the transport robot to determine whether the transport robot has fallen. When the fall of the transport robot is detected, the braking mechanism of the transport robot is promptly controlled to apply braking to stop the transport robot from falling, thereby avoiding damage to the transport robot.

[0043] FIG2 shows a schematic diagram of the components of a fall prevention device provided in an embodiment of the present application, which is applied to a transport robot 40 including a braking mechanism 41. As shown in FIG2 , the fall prevention device 100 includes an acceleration measurement unit 101 and a control unit 102. The acceleration measurement unit 101 is used to measure the acceleration of the transport robot 40. The control unit 102 is used to obtain the acceleration and, based on the acceleration, detect whether the transport robot 40 has fallen on the shelf rail 30. If the transport robot 40 is detected to have fallen on the shelf rail 30, the braking mechanism 41 is controlled to apply the brakes to stop the transport robot 40 from falling.

[0044] The braking mechanism 41 of the handling robot 40 is a device used to control the handling robot 40 to stop. When the braking mechanism 41 applies the brake during the movement of the handling robot 40, the handling robot 40 can be stopped. For example, the braking mechanism 41 can be a holding brake for the motor of the handling robot 40 or an electromagnetic lock for the handling robot 40.

[0045] The acceleration measurement unit 101 is a measurement unit that can be used to measure the acceleration of the transport robot 40. Taking into account the effects of gravity and inertia, to ensure that the transport robot 40 can stably perform vertical lifting along the shelf rail 30, the transport robot 40 is usually set to lift at a constant speed or slowly accelerate to avoid losing control or colliding due to excessive lifting speed or large speed changes. In other words, when the transport robot 40 is actively lifting, it is usually lifted at a constant speed or slowly accelerated. If an abnormality occurs, such as due to failure of a climbing component, controller abnormality or shutdown, the transport robot 40 cannot normally control its lifting or cannot continue to stop at the current stop position. Then, due to factors such as gravity and inertia, its movement speed will change significantly, that is, its acceleration will be large, which may cause it to fall. Therefore, by measuring the acceleration of the transport robot 40 through the acceleration measurement unit 101, it can be detected based on the acceleration whether the transport robot 40 has fallen. Since the velocity of the transport robot 40 in the vertical direction (i.e., the Z-axis direction) changes to a certain extent when the transport robot 40 falls, the acceleration measurement unit 101 can be a single-axis acceleration sensor for measuring the Z-axis acceleration of the transport robot 40 to detect whether the transport robot 40 has fallen. The acceleration measurement unit 101 can also be a sensor that can detect not only the Z-axis acceleration but also other axial accelerations or other motion parameters, as long as the parameters it detects include the Z-axis acceleration.

[0046] The control unit 102 can be a single-chip microcontroller unit (MCU), a system on chip (SOC), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or one or more integrated circuits configured to implement the embodiments of the present application, which are not limited here.

[0047] Specifically, an acceleration measurement unit 101 is provided on the transport robot 40 to measure the acceleration of the transport robot 40. A control unit 102 is electrically connected to the acceleration measurement unit 101 and the braking mechanism of the transport robot 40, respectively. When the transport robot 40 is located on the rack rail 30, the control unit 102 obtains the acceleration of the transport robot 40 in real time via the acceleration measurement unit 101 and then detects whether the transport robot 40 has fallen based on the obtained acceleration. For example, the control unit 102 may compare the obtained acceleration with a preset threshold. If the acceleration is greater than or equal to the preset threshold, i.e., if the velocity variation of the transport robot 40 reaches a certain level, the control unit 102 determines that the transport robot 40 has fallen. If the control unit 102 detects that the transport robot 40 has fallen, it controls the braking mechanism 41 to apply the brakes to stop the transport robot 40 from falling and to keep it at its current position on the rack rail 30. For example, when the control unit 102 detects that the transport robot 40 has fallen, it sends a control signal to the braking mechanism 41 to control the braking mechanism 41 to apply the brakes promptly.

[0048] In the embodiment of the present application, an acceleration measurement unit 101 and a control unit 102 are provided. The control unit 102 obtains the acceleration of the transport robot 40 through the acceleration measurement unit 101, and can then detect whether the transport robot 40 has fallen based on the obtained acceleration. If a fall occurs, the braking mechanism 41 of the transport robot 40 is promptly controlled to apply braking to stop the transport robot 40 from falling and to keep it at its current position on the shelf track 30, thereby avoiding damage to the transport robot 40. To improve the accuracy of determining whether the transport robot 40 has fallen, in the embodiment of the present application, the acceleration measurement unit 101 is a three-axis acceleration sensor, which measures accelerations including X-axis acceleration, Y-axis acceleration, and Z-axis acceleration; the control unit 102 is used to calculate the combined acceleration amplitude based on the X-axis acceleration, Y-axis acceleration, and Z-axis acceleration, and detect whether the transport robot 40 has fallen on the shelf track 30 based on the combined acceleration amplitude. The selection of a three-axis acceleration sensor does not limit the specific fixed posture of the sensor.

[0049] Specifically, the three-axis acceleration sensor can detect the X-axis acceleration, Y-axis acceleration, and Z-axis acceleration of the transport robot 40. Therefore, after the control unit 102 obtains the X-axis acceleration, Y-axis acceleration, and Z-axis acceleration of the transport robot 40 through the three-axis acceleration sensor, it calculates the amplitude of the total acceleration based on the obtained accelerations. Then, based on the amplitude of the total acceleration, it can detect whether the transport robot 40 has fallen. The amplitude of the total acceleration can be calculated based on the X-axis acceleration, Y-axis acceleration, and Z-axis acceleration according to the following formula 1:

[0050] Among them, Gi is the total acceleration amplitude, X i is the X-axis acceleration, Y i is the Y-axis acceleration, Z i is the Z-axis acceleration.

[0051] Since the acceleration of the transport robot 40 is not limited to a single direction during its fall, that is, its acceleration will change in three orthogonal directions (i.e., the X-axis direction, the Y-axis direction, and the Z-axis direction), therefore, in the embodiment of the present application, the control unit 102 simultaneously measures the acceleration of the transport robot 40 in the three orthogonal directions through a three-axis acceleration sensor, and calculates the total acceleration amplitude based on the acquired accelerations in the three orthogonal directions, thereby more comprehensively and accurately judging whether the transport robot 40 has fallen. When it is accurately judged that the transport robot 40 has fallen, the braking mechanism 41 can be controlled in time to implement braking to stop the transport robot 40 from falling, thereby effectively avoiding damage to the transport robot 40.

[0052] In some embodiments, in order to obtain acceleration with higher accuracy, the anti-fall device 100 also includes a sliding filter, which is used to process the acceleration of the transport robot 40 measured by the acceleration measurement unit 101, reduce the influence of measurement signal noise, and obtain acceleration with higher accuracy, thereby improving the accuracy of judging whether the transport robot 40 falls.

[0053] To improve the accuracy of the control unit 102 in determining whether the transport robot 40 has fallen based on its acceleration, in the embodiment of the present application, an acceleration threshold for determining whether a fall has occurred, namely, a fall threshold, is first set. This value is determined based on the difference between the acceleration due to gravity and the maximum descent acceleration value of the transport robot 40 during active descent. The control unit 102 is configured to determine that the transport robot 40 has fallen on the shelf rail 30 if the combined acceleration amplitude is less than the fall threshold.

[0054] The maximum descent acceleration of the transport robot 40 during active descent refers to the maximum acceleration it can achieve when descending along the rack rail 30 in normal operation. The fall threshold may be the difference between the acceleration due to gravity and the maximum descent acceleration of the transport robot 40 during active descent.

[0055] The magnitude of the acceleration due to gravity is 1.0g (normally g is 9.8m / s 2), with the direction being the vertically downward direction. To overcome the acceleration due to gravity, the transport robot 40 can only come to rest on the shelf rail 30 when subjected to a vertically upward acceleration of 1.0g. That is, when the transport robot 40 is at rest on the shelf rail 30, the acceleration of the transport robot 40 measured by the acceleration measurement unit 101 is 1.0g (unless otherwise specified, in the embodiment of the present application, the acceleration of the transport robot 40 measured by the acceleration measurement unit 101 is in the vertically upward direction).

[0056] The transport robot 40 can climb and accelerate along the shelf track 30 only when it is subjected to a vertical upward acceleration greater than 1.0g. That is, when the transport robot 40 climbs and accelerates along the shelf track 30, the acceleration value of the transport robot 40 measured by the acceleration measurement unit 101 is greater than 1.0g.

[0057] When the transport robot 40 descends vertically along the rack rail 30, to prevent the transport robot 40 from falling out of control due to excessive descent speed, a maximum descent acceleration value bg can be set for the transport robot 40 during active descent, taking into account the acceleration of gravity. This allows the transport robot 40 to maintain its active descent acceleration within a range not exceeding bg when subjected to a vertical upward acceleration of no less than (1.0-b)g. The aforementioned fall threshold can be set to the aforementioned minimum acceleration value ag. That is, when the transport robot 40 is in a normal operating state and actively descending along the rack rail 30, the acceleration value of the transport robot 40 measured by the acceleration measurement unit 101 should be greater than or equal to ag. If the acceleration value of the transport robot 40 measured by the acceleration measurement unit 101 is less than ag during the transport robot 40's descent, it indicates that its current descent acceleration value is greater than (1.0-a)g, i.e., greater than its maximum descent acceleration value bg during active descent. Therefore, it can be confirmed that the transport robot 40 is currently in an abnormal state, potentially causing a fall.

[0058] For example, if the transport robot 40 is set to have a maximum descent acceleration of 0.5g during active descent, then when the transport robot 40 actively descends along the shelf rail 30, the acceleration value of the transport robot 40 measured by the acceleration measurement unit 101 should be greater than or equal to (1-0.5)g, that is, 0.5g. If the acceleration value of the transport robot 40 measured by the acceleration measurement unit 101 is 0.2g (less than 0.5g), it means that the transport robot 40's descent acceleration value is 0.8g, which is greater than its maximum descent acceleration value of 0.5g during active descent. Based on this, it is determined that the transport robot 40 has fallen.

[0059] In an embodiment of the present application, the fall threshold is determined based on the difference between the gravitational acceleration value and the maximum descent acceleration value when the transport robot 40 actively descends, and then the control unit 102 can quickly and effectively determine whether the transport robot 40 falls based on the size relationship between the acceleration value of the transport robot 40 and the fall threshold.

[0060] In order to further improve the accuracy of the control unit 102 in judging whether the transport robot 40 falls based on the acceleration of the transport robot 40, in an embodiment of the present application, the fall threshold is equal to the difference between the gravity acceleration value and the maximum descent acceleration value minus the allowable tolerance value, wherein the allowable tolerance value is a preset value.

[0061] Assume that the maximum descent acceleration value of the transport robot 40 during active descent is bg, and set the fall threshold a = (1.0-b)g. However, due to certain errors in the operation of the transport robot 40, the maximum descent acceleration value during its active descent will fluctuate, that is, it will fluctuate around bg, but the fluctuation range is usually small. During the active descent of the transport robot 40, if its maximum descent acceleration value during its active descent is slightly greater than bg due to its operating errors, then the acceleration value of the transport robot 40 measured by the acceleration measurement unit 101 will be less than (1.0-b)g, that is, less than ag. At this time, directly confirming that the transport robot 40 has fallen will lead to misjudgment.

[0062] Therefore, in the embodiment of the present application, by setting the fall threshold as the difference between the gravitational acceleration value and the maximum descent acceleration value minus the allowable tolerance value, this can prevent false positives when the maximum descent acceleration value of the transport robot 40 is slightly greater than the set value during active descent due to operational errors, thereby improving the accuracy of determining whether the transport robot 40 has fallen. Furthermore, since the descent acceleration value of the transport robot 40 is large when it falls, i.e., significantly greater than bg, in the embodiment of the present application, by setting the fall threshold as the difference between the gravitational acceleration value and the maximum descent acceleration value minus the allowable tolerance value, the fall of the transport robot 40 can be detected without being misidentified. The allowable tolerance value can be preset based on actual conditions and is typically within the range of 0.05g to 0.25g. For example, if the allowable tolerance value is set to 0.2g and the maximum descent acceleration value of the transport robot 40 during active descent is 0.5g, the fall threshold can be set to 1.0g - 0.5g - 0.2g = 0.3g.

[0063] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG7 , the handling robot 40 includes a fall prevention device 100. The control unit 102 of the fall prevention device 100 and the main control unit of the handling robot 40 may be the same control unit or different control units. If they are not the same control unit, the two may communicate via wired or wireless means. Upon receiving a signal from the control unit 102 of the fall prevention device 100 indicating that the handling robot 40 has fallen, the main control unit of the handling robot 40 controls its braking mechanism 41 to apply the brakes.

[0064] In order to enable the control unit 102 to effectively control the braking mechanism to implement braking, based on the anti-fall device provided in Figure 2, Figure 3 shows a schematic diagram of the composition of another anti-fall device provided in an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 3, the anti-fall device 100 includes an acceleration measurement unit 101 and a control unit 102, and the handling robot 40 also includes a switch unit 42 and a power supply 43, wherein one end of the switch unit 42 is electrically connected to the braking mechanism 41, and the other end is electrically connected to the power supply 43, and the control unit 102 is used to be electrically connected to the switch unit 42. When the control unit 102 detects that the handling robot 40 has fallen, the control unit 102 is used to send a control signal to the switch unit 42 to control the switch unit 42 to operate so that the braking mechanism 41 implements braking.

[0065] When the switch unit 42 is on, the brake mechanism 41 is connected to the power supply 43 through the switch unit 42, so that the brake mechanism 41 is in a non-braking state, that is, the transport robot 40 can normally move vertically along the rack rail 30. If the switch unit 42 is off, the brake mechanism 41 cannot receive power through the switch unit 42, thereby applying braking. Of course, the above control logic can also be such that the brake mechanism 41 is in a non-braking state when the switch unit is off, and applies braking when the switch unit is on.

[0066] If the braking mechanism 41 applies braking when it is in the power-off state and does not apply braking when it is in the power-on state, then in the embodiment of the present application, when the control unit 102 detects that the transport robot 40 has fallen, it promptly sends a control signal to the switch unit 42 to control the switch unit 42 to operate, that is, to control the switch unit 42 to be disconnected, thereby effectively controlling the braking mechanism 41 to apply braking in a timely manner. Moreover, by controlling the switch unit 42 to be disconnected by the control signal, the braking mechanism 41 can be caused to apply braking. This control method is simple and efficient. Therefore, when the transport robot 40 is detected to have fallen, the braking mechanism 41 can be promptly controlled to apply braking, effectively preventing damage to the transport robot 40. When the control logic is that the switch unit is disconnected, the braking mechanism 41 is in a non-braking state, and when the switch unit is on, the braking mechanism 41 applies braking in a similar manner.

[0067] To further enable the control unit 102 to effectively control the braking mechanism to apply braking, FIG4 illustrates a schematic diagram of the specific components of the anti-fall device provided in FIG3 , based on the anti-fall device provided in FIG3 . As shown in FIG4 , the anti-fall device 100 includes an acceleration measurement unit 101 and a control unit 102 . The transport robot 40 includes a motor driver for providing power to the motor. The braking mechanism serves as a brake for the motor of the transport robot 40 , and the motor driver also provides power for the brake. When the control unit 102 detects that the transport robot 40 has fallen, the control unit 102 is configured to send a control signal to the switch unit 42 , causing the switch unit 42 to open, causing the brake to apply braking, thereby stopping the transport robot 40 at the current position of the shelf rail 30 .

[0068] Among them, one end of the switch unit 42 is electrically connected to the motor, and the other end is electrically connected to the motor driver. When the switch unit is turned on, the motor driver is used to provide power to the motor and the brake through the switch unit, so that the transport robot 40 can be vertically lifted and lowered along the shelf track 30, and the brake is in a non-braking state.

[0069] Specifically, the motor's holding brake can be an electromagnetic brake. If the motor is powered through a switch unit, the electromagnetic brake coil receives power, and the brake is in the non-braking state. If the switch unit is disconnected, the motor loses power through the switch unit, and the electromagnetic brake coil loses power. The electromagnetic brake applies braking, applying a torque opposite to the direction of rotation to quickly stop the motor. Alternatively, the brake can consist of a brake electromagnet and a shoe brake. The brake electromagnet consists of an iron core, an armature, and a coil. The shoe brake includes a brake wheel, brake shoes, and a spring. The brake wheel and the motor are mounted on the same rotating shaft. When the switch unit is on, the motor is powered, and the electromagnetic brake coil is energized. This attracts the armature, overcomes the spring tension, and separates the brake shoes from the brake wheel, allowing the motor to operate normally. If the switch unit is disconnected, the motor loses power, and the electromagnetic brake coil also loses power. The armature separates from the iron core under the action of the spring tension, and the brake shoes tightly grip the brake wheel, braking the motor and stopping it.

[0070] In an embodiment of the present application, by utilizing the brake of the motor of the transport robot 40, if the control unit 102 detects that the transport robot 40 has fallen, the control switch unit is disconnected, the brake loses power, and then braking is applied to stop the transport robot 40 at the current position of the shelf track 30.

[0071] In some embodiments, holes are spaced apart on the shelf rail 30, and the control unit 102 is used to send a control signal to the switch unit 42 to control the switch unit 42 to operate, and the brake part of the brake mechanism 41 extends to engage in the holes on the shelf rail 30, so that the transport robot 40 stops at the current position of the shelf.

[0072] The braking mechanism 41 includes a braking member that is retracted when in a non-braking state. The braking member of the braking mechanism 41 is controlled to extend and engage the hole, thereby applying braking. The braking mechanism 41 can be an energized braking mechanism. If the braking mechanism 41 is in a non-braking state when energized and applies braking when de-energized, in this embodiment of the present application, the braking mechanism 41 is connected to a power source via the switch unit 42, and a control signal is sent to the switch unit 42 via the control unit 102 to de-energize the switch unit 42, thereby applying braking.

[0073] On the basis of the aforementioned embodiments, in the embodiments of the present application, the braking mechanism can be an electromagnetic lock of the transport robot 40. In order to better illustrate the shelf track and the electromagnetic lock, FIG5 shows a schematic diagram of the partial structure of the electromagnetic lock and the shelf track provided in the embodiment of the present application (the figure does not show other structures of the transport robot, only the electromagnetic lock is shown). As shown in FIG5 , holes 31 are spaced apart on the shelf track 30. The braking mechanism 41 of the transport robot 40 is an electromagnetic lock, which includes a lock tongue 411. When the control unit 102 detects that the transport robot 40 has fallen, the control unit 102 is used to send a control signal to the switch unit 42 to control the switch unit 42 to disconnect, and the lock tongue 411 of the electromagnetic lock is engaged in the hole 31, so that the transport robot stops at the current position of the shelf track 30.

[0074] The hole 31 can be a blind hole or a through hole, and its size matches that of the lock tongue 411, so that the lock tongue 411 can be inserted into the hole 31. The electromagnetic lock also includes a spring, an electromagnetic coil, and a lock body. The lock tongue 411 and the lock body are connected by the spring. When the switch unit is turned on, the electromagnetic lock is energized, that is, the electromagnetic coil is energized. The current passing through the electromagnetic coil generates a magnetic field, which attracts the lock tongue 411 and locks it with the lock body, and the spring is in a contracted state. If the switch unit is turned off, the electromagnetic lock loses power, that is, the electromagnetic coil loses power, and the magnetic field disappears. The lock tongue 411 cannot be attracted to lock it with the lock body, and the spring stretches and ejects the lock tongue 411 away from the lock body.

[0075] Therefore, in the embodiment of the present application, since the braking mechanism 41 is an electromagnetic lock of the transport robot 40, when the control unit 102 detects that the transport robot 40 has fallen, the lock tongue 411 of the electromagnetic lock is controlled to pop out, and then during the falling process of the transport robot 40, the lock tongue 411 can be stuck in the hole 31, so that the transport robot 40 stops at the current position of the shelf track.

[0076] It is understandable that during the falling process of the transport robot 40, after the lock tongue 411 pops out, if the lock tongue 411 cannot be stuck in the hole 31 due to other reasons such as the fast falling speed of the transport robot 40, the lock tongue 411 will also rub against the hole 31 during its falling process, thereby reducing the falling speed of the transport robot 40, avoiding damage to the transport robot 40 or reducing the degree of damage.

[0077] In order to further enable the control unit 102 to effectively control the braking mechanism to implement braking, based on the embodiment provided in FIG3 , in the embodiment of the present application, the anti-fall device 100 further includes a signal converter and a power amplifier. The signal converter is electrically connected to the control unit 102 and the power amplifier, respectively. The power amplifier is electrically connected to the switch unit, wherein:

[0078] The control unit 102 is used to output a digital control signal to the signal converter;

[0079] The signal converter is used to convert the digital control signal into an analog control signal and transmit it to the power amplifier;

[0080] The power amplifier is used to amplify the analog control signal and send the amplified analog control signal to the switch unit to control the switch unit to be disconnected.

[0081] Since the digital control signal output by the control unit 102 cannot directly control the disconnection of the switch unit, in an embodiment of the present application, the digital control signal output by the control unit 102 is converted into an analog control signal by a signal converter, and the disconnection of the switch unit can be controlled by the analog control signal. At the same time, since the amplified analog control signal can drive a larger load, in an embodiment of the present application, the analog control signal is amplified by a power amplifier, so that the amplified analog control signal can be used to effectively control the disconnection of the switch unit, avoiding the situation where the analog control signal cannot drive the disconnection of the switch unit, and ensuring that when the handling robot 40 is detected to have fallen, the braking mechanism can be effectively controlled to apply braking to stop the handling robot 40 from falling. The signal converter can be a PDO (Powered Digital Output), and the power amplifier can be a transistor, a field effect transistor, or a Darlington transistor, etc.

[0082] When the handling robot falls, in order to enable it to prompt the user so that the user can handle the exception in time, in an embodiment of the present application, based on the anti-fall device provided in Figure 2, Figure 6 shows a schematic diagram of the composition of another anti-fall device provided in an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 6, the handling robot 40 also includes a main control unit 44; the anti-fall device 100 also includes a communication transceiver 103 for communicating with the main control unit 44. The communication transceiver 103 is used to send a fall prompt message to the main control unit 44 if the control unit 102 detects that the handling robot 40 has fallen on the shelf track 30. Among them, the communication transceiver 103 can be a CAN transceiver, which is connected to the CAN interface of the MCU to realize the CAN communication function.

[0083] In the embodiment of the present application, the fall prompt message is used to prompt the user that the current transport robot 40 has fallen, so that the user can handle the exception in time to avoid property loss.

[0084] Fig. 7 shows a schematic structural diagram of a transport robot according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Fig. 7 , the transport robot 40 includes a fall prevention device 100 .

[0085] The anti-falling device 100 included in the handling robot 40 provided in this embodiment has similar implementation principles and technical effects to the anti-falling device 100 in any of the aforementioned device embodiments, and will not be described in detail here.

[0086] In some embodiments, if the transport robot 40 suddenly loses power, its braking mechanism will autonomously brake to prevent the transport robot 40 from falling when it is out of control due to power failure.

[0087] In some embodiments, the handling robot 40 also includes various components that cooperate with the anti-fall device 100 in the above-mentioned embodiments, such as one or more of a braking mechanism, a switch unit, a power supply, a motor, a motor driver, an electromagnetic lock, etc., to work together to achieve anti-fall protection of the handling robot 40.

[0088] FIG8 shows a flow chart of a fall prevention method provided by an embodiment of the present application. The method is performed by a single-chip microcontroller unit (MCU), or an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or one or more integrated circuits configured to implement the embodiments of the present application, which are not limited here. The method is applied to a handling robot 40 including a braking mechanism. As shown in FIG8 , the method includes the following steps:

[0089] Step 310: Obtain the acceleration of the transport robot.

[0090] Step 320: Detect whether the transport robot has fallen on the shelf track based on the acceleration. If so, go to step 330; if not, end.

[0091] Step 330: Control the braking mechanism to apply braking to stop the transport robot from falling.

[0092] The anti-falling method provided in the embodiment of the present application is similar to the implementation principle and technical effect of the anti-falling device 100 in the embodiment provided in Figure 2, and will not be repeated here.

[0093] In order to improve the accuracy of determining whether the transport robot has fallen, in the embodiment of the present application, the acceleration includes X-axis acceleration, Y-axis acceleration, and Z-axis acceleration, and step 320 includes:

[0094] Step a: Calculate the total acceleration amplitude based on the X-axis acceleration, the Y-axis acceleration, and the Z-axis acceleration, and detect whether the transport robot falls on the shelf track based on the total acceleration amplitude.

[0095] In an embodiment of the present application, by measuring the acceleration of the transport robot in three orthogonal directions and calculating the total acceleration amplitude based on the acquired accelerations in the three orthogonal directions, it is possible to more comprehensively and accurately determine whether the transport robot has fallen.

[0096] In some embodiments, step a comprises:

[0097] Step a1: Determine whether the combined acceleration amplitude is less than a fall threshold, where the fall threshold is determined by the difference between the acceleration due to gravity and the maximum descent acceleration of the transport robot during active descent. If yes, proceed to step a2; if no, end.

[0098] Step a2: Determine whether the transport robot falls on the shelf track.

[0099] In an embodiment of the present application, the fall threshold is determined based on the difference between the gravitational acceleration value and the maximum descent acceleration value when the transport robot actively descends, and then based on the size relationship between the acceleration value of the transport robot and the fall threshold, it is possible to quickly and effectively determine whether the transport robot has fallen.

[0100] In some embodiments, the fall threshold is equal to the difference between the gravity acceleration value and the maximum descent acceleration value minus the allowable tolerance value.

[0101] In an embodiment of the present application, by determining the fall threshold as the difference between the gravity acceleration value and the maximum descent acceleration value minus the allowable tolerance value, when the maximum descent acceleration value is greater than the set value when the transport robot actively descends due to working errors, it can avoid misjudging that the transport robot has fallen, thereby improving the accuracy of judging whether the transport robot has fallen.

[0102] In some embodiments, the transport robot further comprises a switch unit electrically connected to the brake mechanism, and the control unit is configured to be electrically connected to the switch unit. Step 330 comprises: sending a control signal to the switch unit to control the switch unit to be disconnected so that the brake mechanism applies the brake.

[0103] In an embodiment of the present application, when the transport robot is detected to have fallen, a control signal is promptly sent to the switch unit to control the switch unit to be disconnected, thereby effectively controlling the braking mechanism to implement braking in a timely manner.

[0104] In some embodiments, the braking mechanism is a holding brake of a motor of a handling robot. Sending a control signal to a switch unit to control the switch unit to be disconnected so that the braking mechanism applies braking includes:

[0105] A control signal is sent to the switch unit to control the switch unit to be disconnected, and the brake is applied to stop the transport robot at the current position of the shelf track.

[0106] In an embodiment of the present application, if the transport robot is detected to have fallen, the switch unit is controlled to be disconnected, the brake loses power, and braking is then applied to stop the transport robot at the current position of the shelf track.

[0107] In some embodiments, the braking mechanism is an electromagnetic lock of the transport robot, and holes are provided at intervals on the rack rail. Sending a control signal to the switch unit to control the switch unit to be disconnected, thereby causing the braking mechanism to apply braking, includes: sending a control signal to the switch unit to control the switch unit to be disconnected, causing a lock tongue of the electromagnetic lock to engage with the hole, thereby stopping the transport robot at the current position of the rack rail.

[0108] In the embodiment of the present application, since the braking mechanism is an electromagnetic lock of the transport robot, when it is detected that the transport robot has fallen, the lock tongue of the electromagnetic lock is controlled to pop out, and then during the falling process of the transport robot, the lock tongue can be stuck in the hole to stop the transport robot at the current position of the shelf track.

[0109] In some embodiments, the fall prevention device further includes a signal converter and a power amplifier, wherein the signal converter is electrically connected to the control unit and the power amplifier, respectively, and the power amplifier is electrically connected to the switch unit. Sending a control signal to the switch unit to control the switch unit to disconnect includes: outputting a digital control signal to the signal converter, causing the signal converter to convert the digital control signal into an analog control signal and transmit the signal to the power amplifier, causing the power amplifier to amplify the analog control signal and transmit the amplified analog control signal to the switch unit to control the switch unit to disconnect.

[0110] In the embodiment of the present application, a digital control signal is output to the signal converter, causing the signal converter to convert the digital control signal into an analog control signal, thereby controlling the switch unit to disconnect via the analog control signal. Furthermore, because the amplified analog control signal can drive a larger load, in the embodiment of the present application, the power amplifier amplifies the analog control signal to ensure that the amplified analog control signal can effectively control the switch unit to disconnect, thereby avoiding the situation where the analog control signal cannot drive the switch unit to disconnect.

[0111] FIG9 shows a schematic structural diagram of the anti-falling device provided in an embodiment of the present application. The specific embodiment of the present application does not limit the specific implementation of the anti-falling device.

[0112] As shown in FIG. 9 , the fall prevention device may include a processor 402 , a communications interface 404 , a memory 406 , and a communication bus 408 .

[0113] Processor 402, communication interface 404, and memory 406 communicate with each other via communication bus 408. Communication interface 404 is used to communicate with other devices, such as clients or other server network elements. Processor 402 is used to execute program 410, which may specifically perform the steps described in the aforementioned embodiment of the fall prevention method.

[0114] Specifically, the program 410 may include program code including computer-executable instructions.

[0115] Processor 402 may be a central processing unit (CPU), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or one or more integrated circuits configured to implement the embodiments of the present application. The one or more processors included in the fall prevention device may be processors of the same type, such as one or more CPUs, or may be processors of different types, such as one or more CPUs and one or more ASICs.

[0116] The memory 406 is used to store the program 410. The memory 406 may include a high-speed RAM memory, and may also include a non-volatile memory (non-volatile memory), such as at least one disk memory.

[0117] An embodiment of the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium storing executable instructions. When the executable instructions are executed on a fall prevention device, the fall prevention device executes the fall prevention method in any of the above method embodiments.

[0118] An embodiment of the present application provides a computer program that can be called by a processor to enable a fall prevention device to execute the fall prevention method in any of the above method embodiments.

[0119] An embodiment of the present application provides a computer program product, which includes a computer program stored on a computer-readable storage medium. The computer program includes program instructions. When the program instructions are executed on a computer, the computer executes the fall prevention method in any of the above method embodiments.

[0120] The algorithm or demonstration provided here are not inherently relevant to any particular computer, virtual system or other equipment. Various general purpose systems can also be used together with the teachings based on this. According to the above description, it is obvious that the structure required for constructing this type of system. In addition, the present application embodiment is not directed to any specific programming language yet. It should be understood that various programming languages ​​can be utilized to realize the content of the present application described here, and the above description of specific languages ​​is for the purpose of disclosing the best mode of implementation of the present application.

[0121] In the description provided herein, a large number of specific details are described. However, it is understood that the embodiments of the present application can be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well-known methods, structures, and techniques are not shown in detail so as not to obscure the understanding of this description.

[0122] Similarly, it should be understood that in order to streamline the present application and facilitate understanding of one or more of the various inventive aspects, in the above description of exemplary embodiments of the present application, various features of the embodiments of the present application are sometimes grouped together into a single embodiment, figure, or description thereof. However, this method of disclosure should not be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed application requires more features than are expressly recited in each claim.

[0123] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the modules in the devices in the embodiments can be adaptively changed and set in one or more devices different from the embodiments. The modules or units or components in the embodiments can be combined into one module or unit or component, and can be divided into multiple sub-modules or sub-units or sub-components. Except that at least some of such features and / or processes or units are mutually exclusive, all features disclosed in this specification (including the accompanying claims, abstracts and drawings) and all processes or units of any method or device disclosed so far can be combined in any combination. Unless otherwise expressly stated, each feature disclosed in this specification (including the accompanying claims, abstracts and drawings) can be replaced by an alternative feature that provides the same, equivalent or similar purpose.

[0124] It should be noted that the above embodiments illustrate rather than limit the present application, and that a person skilled in the art may devise alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims. In the claims, any reference signs placed between brackets should not be construed as limiting the claims. The word "comprising" does not exclude the presence of elements or steps not listed in the claims. The word "a" or "an" preceding an element does not exclude the presence of a plurality of such elements. The present application may be implemented by means of hardware comprising several different elements and by means of appropriately programmed computers. In a unit claim enumerating several means, several of these means may be embodied by the same item of hardware. The use of the words first, second, and third etc. does not indicate any order. These words may be interpreted as names. The steps in the above embodiments should not be understood as limiting the order of execution unless otherwise specified.

Claims

1. A fall prevention device, applied to a handling robot, the handling robot can be lifted and lowered vertically along a shelf track, the handling robot includes a braking mechanism, characterized in that: The anti-fall device comprises: an acceleration measuring unit, used to measure the acceleration of the transport robot; and The control unit is used to obtain the acceleration and detect whether the transport robot falls on the shelf track according to the acceleration. If it is detected that the transport robot falls on the shelf track, the braking mechanism is controlled to apply braking to stop the transport robot from falling.

2. The anti-fall device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The acceleration measurement unit is a three-axis acceleration sensor, and the acceleration includes X-axis acceleration, Y-axis acceleration and Z-axis acceleration; The control unit is used to calculate a combined acceleration amplitude according to the X-axis acceleration, the Y-axis acceleration and the Z-axis acceleration, and detect whether the transport robot falls on the shelf track according to the combined acceleration amplitude.

3. The anti-fall device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The control unit is used to determine that the transport robot has fallen on the shelf track if the combined acceleration amplitude is less than a falling threshold, wherein the falling threshold is determined based on the difference between the gravity acceleration value and the maximum descent acceleration value when the transport robot actively descends.

4. The anti-fall device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The falling threshold is equal to the difference between the gravity acceleration value and the maximum descent acceleration value minus an allowable tolerance value, wherein the allowable tolerance value is a preset value.

5. The anti-fall device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The handling robot further comprises a switch unit electrically connected to the brake mechanism; The control unit is used to be electrically connected to the switch unit; the control unit is used to send a control signal to the switch unit to control the action of the switch unit so that the brake mechanism implements braking.

6. The anti-fall device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The braking mechanism is a holding brake of the motor of the handling robot; The control unit is used to send a control signal to the switch unit to control the switch unit to be disconnected, and the brake implements braking to stop the transport robot at the current position of the shelf track.

7. The anti-fall device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The shelf rail is provided with holes at intervals; The control unit is used to send a control signal to the switch unit to control the switch unit to operate, and the brake member of the brake mechanism extends to be inserted into the hole, so that the transport robot stops at the current position of the shelf track.

8. The anti-fall device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The handling robot also includes a main control unit; The anti-falling device also includes a communication transceiver for communicating with the main control unit, and the communication transceiver is used to send a fall prompt message to the main control unit if the control unit detects that the transport robot falls on the shelf track.

9. A transport robot, characterized in that: The handling robot comprises the anti-fall device according to any one of claims 1-8.

10. A fall prevention method, applied to a transport robot, the transport robot can be vertically lifted and lowered along a shelf track, the transport robot includes a braking mechanism, characterized in that: The method comprises: Obtaining the acceleration of the transport robot; Detecting whether the transport robot falls on the shelf track according to the acceleration; If it is detected that the transport robot falls on the shelf track, the braking mechanism is controlled to apply braking to stop the transport robot from falling.

11. A fall prevention device, characterized in that: include: A processor, a memory, a communication interface and a communication bus, wherein the processor, the memory and the communication interface communicate with each other via the communication bus; The memory is used to store executable instructions, and the executable instructions enable the processor to perform the operation of the fall prevention method according to claim 10.

12. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: The storage medium stores executable instructions, which, when run, execute the operations of the fall prevention method as claimed in claim 10.

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