Serving robot

Abstract

Provided is a serving robot comprising: a main body; a driving unit located below the main body; a side bar extending in a first direction from the upper part of the main body; a supporter bracket that includes a coupler in contact with the side surface of the side bar and a support bent from the coupler; a tray plate which is coupled to the upper surface of the support and on which an article is placed; a plurality of fixing slots which are formed in the coupler, extend in a second direction, and are spaced apart from each other in the first direction; and fixing bosses which protrude from the side surface of the side bar and are inserted into the fixing slots.

Description

Serving robot

[0001] The present invention relates to a serving robot in which the height of the tray plate is easily adjusted.

[0002] Robots have been developed for industrial use to play a part in factory automation. Recently, however, the fields of robot application have been expanding further, with the development of not only medical and aerospace robots but also robots for use in daily life.

[0003] These everyday robots are being developed to provide specific services (e.g., shopping, serving, conversation, cleaning, etc.) in response to user commands. Unlike industrial robots that perform fixed, repetitive tasks in specific locations, or specialized robots in fields such as medicine or aerospace that require high costs to perform specific functions, everyday robots prioritize navigation and communication capabilities; however, there is a problem where widespread adoption is difficult if manufacturing costs become excessive.

[0004] In particular, since it moves using wheels rather than bipedal locomotion like humans, it must be able to move over uneven surfaces or avoid obstacles; therefore, it must be able to minimize impact without falling even when crossing uneven surfaces, and it must be able to make quick decisions using various sensors to avoid obstacles.

[0005] An example of such a robot, which is currently undergoing active development, is a serving robot capable of transporting bowls containing liquid foods such as noodles or soup. The serving robot may include multiple tray plates forming a layered structure. Bowls containing food can be placed on the tray plates equipped on the robot, and the robot can transport the food to a customer or service provider.

[0006] In this case, if the gap between the tray plates is fixed, it cannot be used when transporting high-rise food, and there is a problem that usability is limited because height adjustment is not easy.

[0007] The present invention aims to provide a serving robot that allows for easy height adjustment of the tray plate.

[0008] A serving robot is provided comprising: a main body; a driving part located at the lower part of the main body; a side bar extending in a first direction from the upper part of the main body; a support bracket including a connecting part in contact with the side of the side bar and a supporting part bent from the connecting part; a tray plate coupled to the upper surface of the supporting part on which an item is placed; a plurality of fixed slots formed in the connecting part, extending in a second direction and spaced apart along the first direction; and a fixed boss protruding from the side of the side bar and inserted into the fixed slot.

[0009] It may further include a screw inserted into the fixed boss and pressing the support bracket.

[0010] The above first direction is a direction inclined obliquely backward from the vertical direction, and

[0011] The above fixed slot may be extended in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

[0012] The height of the open end of the above fixed slot may be lower than the height of the closed end.

[0013] The above fixed slot may further include a locking groove inserted in the upward direction.

[0014] The above plurality of fixed slots may further include a connecting slot extending in the first direction, connecting an open end.

[0015] The width of the above connecting slot may be wider than the width of the above fixed slot.

[0016] The plurality of fixed slots includes a plurality of first fixed slots and a plurality of second fixed slots spaced apart in the second direction, and the fixed boss includes a first fixed boss and a second fixed boss spaced adjacently in the second direction, and the plurality of first fixed slots are formed by extending from the end of the coupling part in the second direction, and the plurality of second fixed slots can be connected to the connecting slot.

[0017] It may further include a fixed bracket located inside the tray tray; and a load cell that detects the weight of an item placed on the tray plate, with the lower end fixed to the side bar and the upper end coupled to the fixed bracket.

[0018] The serving robot of the present invention allows the user to easily change the position of the tray plate at desired intervals, thereby improving the usability of the serving robot.

[0019] The effects obtainable from the present invention are not limited to those mentioned above, and other unmentioned effects will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below.

[0020] FIG. 1 is a drawing showing a 5G network-based cloud system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] FIG. 2 is a drawing for explaining the configuration of a serving robot according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of a serving robot according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] FIG. 4 is a rear perspective view of a serving robot according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 5 is a drawing showing the side bar and tray plate of a conventional serving robot.

[0025] FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating a support bracket and a fixed boss of a serving robot according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] FIG. 7 is a side view illustrating a support bracket and a fixed boss of a serving robot according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of AA of Figure 7.

[0028] FIG. 9 is a drawing illustrating a method for changing the position of a support bracket of a serving robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] FIG. 10 is a side view illustrating a support bracket of a serving robot according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] Hereinafter, embodiments disclosed in this specification will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Identical or similar components regardless of drawing symbols will be assigned the same reference number, and redundant descriptions thereof will be omitted. The suffixes "module" and "part" used for components in the following description are assigned or used interchangeably solely for the ease of drafting the specification and do not inherently possess distinct meanings or roles. Furthermore, in describing embodiments disclosed in this specification, if it is determined that a detailed description of related prior art could obscure the essence of the embodiments disclosed in this specification, such detailed description will be omitted. Additionally, the attached drawings are intended only to facilitate understanding of the embodiments disclosed in this specification; the technical concept disclosed in this specification is not limited by the attached drawings, and it should be understood that they include all modifications, equivalents, and substitutions that fall within the spirit and technical scope of the present invention.

[0031] Terms including ordinal numbers, such as first, second, etc., may be used to describe various components, but said components are not limited by said terms. These terms are used solely for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another.

[0032] When it is stated that one component is "connected" or "connected" to another component, it should be understood that while it may be directly connected or connected to that other component, there may also be other components in between. On the other hand, when it is stated that one component is "directly connected" or "directly connected" to another component, it should be understood that there are no other components in between.

[0033] A singular expression includes a plural expression unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0034] In this application, terms such as “comprising” or “having” are intended to specify the existence of the features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification, and should be understood as not precluding the existence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0035] A robot is a mechanical device capable of automatically performing tasks or operations; it may be controlled by an external control device or have a control device built in. It can perform tasks that are difficult for humans to execute, such as repeatedly processing pre-set movements, lifting heavy objects, performing precision work, or working in extreme environments.

[0036] To perform tasks, a drive unit including an actuator or a motor can be provided to perform various physical movements, such as moving robot joints.

[0037] Due to issues such as high manufacturing costs and operational expertise, industrial and medical robots, which feature designs specialized for specific tasks, were developed first. While industrial and medical robots repeatedly perform identical actions in designated locations,

[0038] Recently, mobile robots have been emerging. In particular, they can perform exploration tasks on distant planets that are difficult for humans to reach directly, such as in the aerospace industry, and these robots are equipped with driving capabilities.

[0039] Robots equipped with artificial intelligence are emerging to perform driving functions, which are equipped with a drive unit that may include wheels, brakes, casters, motors, etc., and to detect surrounding obstacles and drive while avoiding them.

[0040] Artificial intelligence refers to the field of researching artificial intelligence or the methodologies to create it, while machine learning refers to the field of researching methodologies to define and solve various problems addressed within the field of artificial intelligence. Machine learning is also defined as an algorithm that improves performance on a task through continuous experience.

[0041] An Artificial Neural Network (ANN) is a model used in machine learning that can refer to any model capable of problem-solving, composed of artificial neurons (nodes) that form a network through the connection of synapses. An artificial neural network can be defined by connection patterns between neurons in different layers, a learning process that updates model parameters, and an activation function that generates output values.

[0042] An artificial neural network may include an input layer, an output layer, and optionally one or more hidden layers. Each layer may include one or more neurons, and the artificial neural network may include synapses connecting the neurons.

[0043] In an artificial neural network, each neuron can output a function value of an activation function for input signals, weights, and biases input through synapses.

[0044] Model parameters refer to parameters determined through learning, including synaptic connection weights and neuron biases. Hyperparameters, on the other hand, refer to parameters that must be set prior to training in a machine learning algorithm, including the learning rate, number of iterations, mini-batch size, and initialization function.

[0045] The objective of training an artificial neural network can be viewed as determining model parameters that minimize the loss function according to the robot's purpose or field of application. The loss function can be used as an indicator to determine optimal model parameters during the training process of the artificial neural network.

[0046] Machine learning can be classified into supervised learning, unsupervised learning, and reinforcement learning depending on the learning method.

[0047] Supervised learning refers to a method of training an artificial neural network with labels provided for the training data; a label can refer to the correct answer (or result) that the neural network must infer when the training data is input. Unsupervised learning refers to a method of training an artificial neural network without labels provided for the training data. Reinforcement learning refers to a learning method in which an agent defined within an environment is trained to select an action or sequence of actions that maximizes the cumulative reward in each state.

[0048] Machine learning implemented using a Deep Neural Network (DNN) that includes multiple hidden layers among artificial neural networks is also called Deep Learning, and Deep Learning is a part of Machine Learning. Hereinafter, Machine Learning is used in a sense that includes Deep Learning.

[0049] Robots can be implemented as guide robots, transport robots, cleaning robots, wearable robots, entertainment robots, pet robots, unmanned flying robots, etc. by applying AI technology.

[0050] A robot may include a robot control module for controlling motion, and the robot control module may refer to a software module or a chip that implements it in hardware.

[0051] The robot can use sensor information obtained from various types of sensors to acquire state information of the robot, detect (recognize) the surrounding environment and objects, generate map data, determine movement paths and driving plans, determine responses to user interactions, or determine actions.

[0052] A robot can perform the aforementioned actions using a learning model composed of at least one artificial neural network. For example, the robot can recognize the surrounding environment and objects using the learning model, and can determine actions using the recognized surrounding environment information or object information. Here, the learning model may be learned directly by the robot or learned from an external device such as an AI server.

[0053] In this case, the robot may perform an action by generating results using a direct learning model, but it may also perform an action by transmitting sensor information to an external device such as an AI server and receiving the results generated accordingly.

[0054] Robots can perform autonomous driving through artificial intelligence. This refers to technology capable of independently determining the optimal path and moving while avoiding obstacles. Currently applied autonomous driving technologies can include lane-keeping technology, speed-regulating technology such as adaptive cruise control, automatic driving along a predetermined route, and driving technology that automatically sets a route once a destination is set.

[0055] To perform autonomous driving, numerous sensors may be included to perceive data regarding the surrounding environment. Examples of sensors include proximity sensors, light sensors, accelerometers, magnetic sensors, gyroscopes, inertial sensors, RGB sensors, IR sensors, fingerprint recognition sensors, ultrasonic sensors, optical sensors, microphones, LiDAR, and radar.

[0056] In addition to information collected from sensors, autonomous driving can be performed using image information collected through RGBC cameras, infrared cameras, etc., and acoustic information collected through microphones. Furthermore, driving can be performed based on information entered through the user input unit. Map data, location information, and information on surrounding conditions collected through the wireless communication unit are also necessary for performing autonomous driving.

[0057] Map data may include object identification information for various objects placed in the space where the robot moves. For example, the map data may include object identification information for fixed objects such as walls and doors, and movable objects such as flowerpots and desks. Additionally, the object identification information may include names, types, distances, and locations.

[0058] Therefore, robots are essentially equipped with sensors, various input units, and wireless communication units to collect data for artificial intelligence learning, and can perform optimal operations by synthesizing various types of information. The learning processor executing artificial intelligence can be installed in the control unit within the robot to perform learning, or it can transmit collected information to servos, learn through a server, and then transmit the learning results back to the robot to perform autonomous driving based on this.

[0059] Robots equipped with artificial intelligence can create a full map by collecting surrounding information even in new places, and can perform more accurate autonomous driving because the amount of accumulated information in the main activity radius is large.

[0060] A touchscreen or buttons may be provided to receive user input, and commands may be received by recognizing the user's voice. The processor may obtain intent information corresponding to the user input by utilizing at least one of a Speech-to-Text (STT) engine to convert voice input into a string or a Natural Language Processing (NLP) engine to obtain intent information of natural language.

[0061] At this time, at least one of the STT engine or NLP engine may be composed of an artificial neural network in which at least a portion is trained according to a machine learning algorithm. Additionally, at least one of the STT engine or NLP engine may be trained by a learning processor, trained by a learning processor of an AI server, or trained by distributed processing thereof.

[0062] FIG. 1 shows a 5G network-based cloud system (1000) according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0063] Referring to FIG. 1, the cloud system (1000) may include a serving robot (100), a mobile terminal (300), a robot control system (200), various devices (400), and a 5G network (500). The serving robot (100) is a robot that transports goods from a source to a destination.

[0064] If the serving robot (100) is a transport robot that delivers goods, it can move directly from the logistics center to the destination, and after moving from the logistics center to the vicinity of the goods destination by loading them onto a vehicle, it can move to the destination by unloading them near the destination.

[0065] Additionally, the serving robot (100) can move items to a destination not only outdoors but also indoors. The serving robot (100) can be implemented as an AGV (Automated Guided Vehicle), and the AGV can be a transport device that moves by means of sensors on the floor surface, magnetic fields, vision devices, etc.

[0066] If the serving robot (100) is a serving robot that transports food, it must safely transport dishes while avoiding fixed obstacles such as indoor tables and people. There is a tray for placing dishes, and unlike a transport robot, the cover is omitted so that they can be easily put in and taken out.

[0067] In addition, since the top of the bowl is open, it must be able to perform smooth driving to ensure more stable operation than a transport robot in the event of tilting or tipping over.

[0068] The mobile terminal (300) can communicate with the serving robot (100) via a 5G network (500). The mobile terminal (300) may be a device held by a user who installs a partition in a storage area to load goods, or a device held by a recipient of the loaded goods. The mobile terminal (300) may provide information based on video, and the mobile terminal (300) may include mobile devices such as a mobile phone, a smartphone, a wearable device (e.g., a smartwatch, a smart glass, a head-mounted display (HMD)).

[0069] The robot control system (200) can remotely control the serving robot (100) and respond to various requests from the serving robot (100). For example, the robot control system (200) can perform calculations using artificial intelligence based on requests from the serving robot (100).

[0070] Additionally, the robot control system (200) can set the movement path of the serving robot (100), and if there are multiple destinations, the robot control system (200) can set the order of movement of the destinations.

[0071] Various devices (400) may include a personal computer (PC, 400a), an autonomous vehicle (400b), a home robot (400c), etc. When the serving robot (100) arrives at the destination of the goods, it can deliver the goods directly to the home robot (400c) through communication with the home robot (400c).

[0072] Various devices (400) can be connected wirelessly or via wired connection to a 5G network (500) with a serving robot (100), a mobile terminal (300), a robot control system (200), etc.

[0073] The above serving robot (100), mobile terminal (300), robot control system (200), and various devices (400) are all equipped with a 5G module to transmit and receive data at a speed of 100 Mbps to 20 Gbps (or higher), thereby enabling the transmission of large video files to various devices and allowing for operation at low power to minimize power consumption. However, the transmission speed may be implemented differently depending on the embodiment.

[0074] The 5G network (500) may include a 5G mobile communication network, a short-range network, the internet, etc., and may provide a communication environment for devices via wired and wireless connections.

[0075] FIG. 2 is a drawing for explaining the configuration of a serving robot (100) according to an embodiment of the present invention. The serving robot (100) according to an embodiment of the present invention will be explained with reference to FIG. 3 to 5.

[0076] Referring to FIG. 2, the serving robot (100) may include a body including a storage area (50), and the components described below may be included in the body. The serving robot (100) may include a communication unit (110), an input unit (120), a sensor unit (140), an output unit (150), a memory (185), a wheel drive unit (170), a control unit (180), and a power supply unit (190). Since the components illustrated in FIG. 2 are not essential for implementing the serving robot (100), the serving robot (100) described herein may have more or fewer components than those listed above.

[0077] The communication unit (110, Transceiver) may include a wired or wireless communication module capable of communicating with the robot control system (200).

[0078] As an optional embodiment, the communication unit (110) may be equipped with modules for GSM (Global System for Mobile communication), CDMA (Code Division Multi Access), LTE (Long Term Evolution), 5G, WLAN (Wireless LAN), Wi-Fi (Wireless-Fidelity), Bluetooth, RFID (Radio Frequency Identification), Infrared Data Association (IrDA), ZigBee, and NFC (Near Field Communication) communication.

[0079] The input unit (120) may include a user input unit (122) for receiving information from a user. As an optional embodiment, the input unit (120) may include a camera (121) for inputting a video signal and a microphone (123, hereinafter referred to as "micro") for receiving an audio signal. Here, the camera (121) or the microphone (123) may be treated as a sensor, and the signal obtained from the camera (121) or the microphone (123) may be referred to as sensing data or sensor information.

[0080] The input unit (120) can obtain input data, etc., to be used when obtaining an output using training data and a training model for model training. The input unit (120) may also obtain unprocessed input data, in which case the control unit (180) can extract input feature points as a preprocessing step for the input data.

[0081] The camera (121) is positioned in front to detect obstacles in front, and as shown in FIG. 3, multiple cameras (121) with different shooting directions may be provided, such as a camera that recognizes a wide area in front and a camera that photographs the floor.

[0082] Alternatively, a camera having different functions may be provided. For example, a wide-angle camera, an infrared camera, etc. may be provided. The camera may serve as a sensor unit (140) to detect surrounding objects.

[0083] The user input unit (122) may be equipped with a touch panel overlapping with a button or a display (151). Alternatively, user commands may be input remotely through the communication unit (110), in which case the user input unit (122) may include a personal computer (400) or a remote control device provided separately from the serving robot (100).

[0084] The user input unit (122) includes all methods for receiving user commands, so user commands can be recognized through voice recognition. That is, a voice recognition device that extracts user commands by analyzing voice collected from a microphone (123) can also serve as the user input unit (122).

[0085] The input unit (120) may include an item information input unit, which can receive information such as the size, weight, destination, and shipping requester of the item. At this time, the item information input unit may include a code reader.

[0086] The sensor unit (140) can acquire at least one of internal information of the serving robot (100), surrounding environment information of the serving robot (100), and user information by using various sensors.

[0087] At this time, the sensor unit (140) may include various types of sensors for recognizing the surroundings for autonomous driving. Representative examples include a distance sensing sensor or proximity sensor (141) and a LiDAR (142).

[0088] The proximity sensor (141) may include an ultrasonic sensor that recognizes nearby objects and determines the distance to the objects based on the time it takes for the emitted ultrasonic waves to return. Multiple proximity sensors may be provided along the perimeter, and may also be provided on the upper side to detect obstacles on the upper side.

[0089] Lidar (142) is a device that emits laser pulses and receives the light reflected back from surrounding objects to create a precise image of the surroundings. Although its principle is similar to that of radar, the electromagnetic waves used are different, so the technology and scope of application differ.

[0090] Lasers use light with a wavelength of 600 to 1000 nm, which can damage human eyesight. Lidar (342) uses longer wavelengths than this and is used to measure not only the distance to a target object but also the speed and direction of movement, temperature, and the analysis and concentration of surrounding atmospheric substances.

[0091] In addition, the sensor unit (140) may include an illuminance sensor, an accelerometer, a magnetic sensor, a gyroscope, an inertial sensor, an RGB sensor, an infrared sensor, a fingerprint recognition sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, a light sensor, a Hall sensor, etc.

[0092] The output unit (150) may generate outputs related to sight, hearing, or touch, and the output unit (150) may include a light output unit that outputs visual information, a display (151), etc., a speaker (152) that outputs auditory information, an ultrasonic output unit that outputs ultrasonic signals belonging to inaudible frequencies, etc., and may include a haptic module that outputs tactile information.

[0093] The memory (185) stores data that supports various functions of the serving robot (100). The memory (185) can store multiple applications (application programs or applications) running on the serving robot (100), data for the operation of the serving robot (100), and commands.

[0094] In addition, the memory (185) can store information necessary to perform calculations using artificial intelligence, machine learning, and artificial neural networks. The memory (185) can store a deep neural network model. The deep neural network model can be used to infer a result value for new input data that is not training data, and the inferred value can be used as a basis for judgment to perform an action.

[0095] The power supply unit (190), under the control of the processor (190), receives external power and internal power and supplies power to each component of the serving robot (100). This power supply unit (190) includes a battery (191), and the battery (191) may be an internal battery or a replaceable battery. The battery may be charged via wired or wireless charging, and the wireless charging method may include magnetic induction or magnetic resonance.

[0096] The driving unit (170) is a means for moving the serving robot (100) and may include wheels or legs, and may include a wheel drive unit and a leg drive unit for controlling them. The serving robot (100) including the body can be moved by controlling a plurality of wheels provided on the bottom surface of the wheel drive unit. The wheels may include a main wheel (171) for fast driving, a caster (173) for turning, and an auxiliary caster for stable driving so that loaded items (L) do not fall off during driving.

[0097] A leg drive unit (not shown) can move the body by controlling a plurality of legs according to the control of the control unit (180). The plurality of legs may correspond to a configuration formed so that the serving robot (100) can walk or run. The plurality of legs may be implemented as four, but the embodiment is not limited thereto. The plurality of legs may be combined with the body to form an integral unit, or may be implemented in a detachable form to the body.

[0098] The serving robot (100) can move its body through a driving unit (170) having at least one of a wheel drive unit and / or a leg drive unit. However, the present specification mainly describes an example in which a wheel drive unit is mounted on the moving robot (100).

[0099] The control unit (180) is a module that controls the components of the serving robot (100). The control unit (180) may refer to a data processing device embedded in hardware having a physically structured circuit to perform a function expressed by code or commands included in a program. Examples of such data processing devices embedded in hardware may include a microprocessor, a central processing unit (CPU), a processor core, a multiprocessor, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), etc., but the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0100] The serving robot (100) includes a loading area (50) in its main body, and the loading area (50) may include a side wall or cover (10) that protects it so that it does not fall. Referring to FIG. 3, it is illustrated as having a cover (10), but it is also possible to have a form in which only a side wall is provided and the top surface is omitted.

[0101] The loading area (50) does not have separate floor divisions in the drawing, but is composed of multiple layers, allowing multiple items to be loaded by dividing them into layers, and after unloading the lower items (L), the upper items can be moved to the lower layer to unload additional items.

[0102] The control unit (180) can collect at least one of the number information, weight information, size information, delivery order information, and security class information of the items (L) to be placed in the loading area (50). For example, the control unit (180) can collect the above information through the input unit (120). The input of the input unit (120) may also include touch input on the display.

[0103] Based on the collected information, the control unit (180) can transmit information about the item (L) loaded in the loading area (50) to the mobile terminal (200 of FIG. 1) through the communication unit (110).

[0104] FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of a serving robot (100) according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a rear perspective view of a serving robot (100) according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0105] The main body (101) equipped with a driving unit (170), a substrate module (181), a battery (191), etc. of the serving robot (100) of the present invention can be applied to all robots equipped with a driving function, such as a serving robot, a transport robot, or a sterilization robot.

[0106] However, for the sake of convenience of explanation, the description is based on a serving robot equipped with a tray plate (131) on the upper side as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, but it can also be applied to other types of serving robots (100).

[0107] Referring to FIG. 3, it can be divided into a main body (101) and an upper part (102). The main body (101) may include a frame assembly (104) for mounting electronic components and a driving part (170) located at the bottom of the frame assembly (104) and responsible for the movement of the serving robot (100).

[0108] The electrical components mounted on the frame assembly (104) include a board module (181) composed of a collection of multiple ICs and boards, which serves as a control unit responsible for controlling the serving robot (100). Additionally, a battery (191) for supplying power, various sensor units and a camera (121) for assisting driving may be mounted. A speaker (152) or an LED lamp for output may also be mounted.

[0109] The display (151) can handle touch input and visual output, and since touch input is performed by hand and visual output is perceived by the eyes, it can be placed on the upper part (102) considering the height of the user.

[0110] Most electronic components, excluding the display (151), may be located in the main body (101). The main body (101) includes a lower housing (1011, 1012, 1013, 1014, 1015) that forms the exterior, and the lower structure (101) may have a cylindrical or rectangular box shape.

[0111] As shown in FIG. 3, the lower structure (101) is configured in a shape where the height is lower than the width, thereby ensuring stability when the serving robot (100) is driven. Since the center of gravity may shift upward when a bowl or item is placed on the tray plate (131), most electronic components can be placed on the main body (101) to lower the center of gravity.

[0112] The frame assembly (104) of the main body (101) can be made of a metal material so that the weight of the main body (101) can be made significantly greater than that of the upper body. To further increase the weight of the main body (101), additional weights can be provided on the main body (101).

[0113] The front of the main body (101) may be equipped with a lidar (142), a camera (121), a proximity sensor, etc. Since the lidar (142) has a wide detection angle, it may be placed in a groove (1016) that extends from the front to the rear, as shown in FIG. 3. The groove (1016) may have a shape that extends horizontally and may extend inward toward the rear to about one-third of the way.

[0114] The lidar (142) located on the inner side of the groove (1016) can prevent water from directly entering even if water is poured from the upper side, thereby preventing failure caused by flooding. In addition to the lidar (142), electronic components that need to be exposed to the outside, such as the speaker (152) and the cooling fan (187), can be placed in the groove (1016) to further ensure durability.

[0115] The camera (121) may be located at the front of the upper surface of the main body (101). The serving robot (101) may be equipped with a plurality of cameras positioned at different angles to recognize objects over a wide range. That is, the camera (121) may be equipped with at least one of a first camera (121) facing forward, a second camera (121) tilted obliquely upward, and a third camera (121) tilted obliquely downward.

[0116] The driving unit (170) located below the main body (101) may include a plurality of wheels, and more specifically, may include a main wheel (171) that includes a motor (1715) that provides driving force, and a caster (173) that controls the direction and enhances driving safety.

[0117] The main wheel (171) receives rotational force around the axis of the motor extended laterally and drives, and the caster body (1732) connected to the caster wheel (1731) can be connected to the main body (101) so as to be rotatable around the shaft (1736) extended vertically.

[0118] It may include a side bar (1053) extending upward from the main body (101) and a tray plate (131) coupled to the side bar (1053). To stably support the tray plate (131), a pair of side bars (1053) may extend upward from both the left and right sides, and the tray plate (131) may be supported by tray support members (133) coupled to the side bars (1053) on both sides.

[0119] As shown in FIG. 3, the tray plate (131) may include multiple items. The side bar (1053) is formed in a shape that is inclined diagonally toward the rear, and the front space of the side bar (1053) is relatively wide, making it easier to put in and take out bowls.

[0120] The tops of a pair of side bars (1053) may include a head frame (1021) connected to each other. The aforementioned display (151) may be located in front of the head frame (1021). Electronic components other than the display (151) may not be located on the head frame (1021) and may be provided with an upper basket (1025) as shown in FIG. 5.

[0121] Items such as wet wipes or tissues can be placed in the upper basket (1025) so that customers can easily take them, and since it is a part that is not contaminated by food liquids, it can be managed hygienically.

[0122] A slide basket (106) that is seated on the upper surface of the lower housing may be further provided. Since the slide basket (106) is supported by the upper surface of the lower housing, it can store relatively heavy items such as empty bowls. Because it has depth, liquids such as soup do not spill, and it can be separated from the serving robot (100) in a sliding manner, it is easy to move and clean items.

[0123] The slide basket (106) may be positioned between the tray plate (131) and the upper surface of the lower housing, and although the tray plate (131) is shown in the drawing as being positioned directly above the slide basket (106), the slide basket (106) may be positioned at a predetermined distance from the tray plate (131).

[0124] Since side bars (1053) are positioned in the left and right directions of the slide basket (106) and a camera case (121) in which a camera (121) is mounted is positioned in the front, the slide basket (106) can only be pulled out in the rear direction and cannot be easily pulled out in other directions, allowing for stable driving.

[0125] A handle may be provided on the back side to make it easier to pull the slide basket (106) in the back direction.

[0126] FIG. 5 is a drawing illustrating a side bar (1053) and a tray plate (131) of a conventional serving robot (100). The tray plate (131) may include a tray support portion (133) protruding inwardly from a pair of side bars (1053).

[0127] As shown in FIG. 5, the conventional tray support (133) is fixed to the side bar (1053), so height adjustment is not possible. If the side bar (1053) additionally includes a tray support coupling part (1057), the fastening position of the tray support (133) can be changed, but since equipment such as a screwdriver must be used, changing the fastening position of the tray support (133) is not easy.

[0128] According to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 5, an embodiment is illustrated in which tray support connecting portions (1057) are formed in five places, and an embodiment is illustrated in which the spacing of the tray support connecting portions (1057) is formed at 70 mm. The height of the tray plate (131) can be adjusted at intervals of 70 mm.

[0129] Electronic components such as a load cell (135) may be added to the tray support (133) to measure the weight of an item located on the tray plate (131). In this case, since changing the fastening position of the tray support (133) requires changing the position of the component inside the side bar (1053), it is practically difficult to change the position of the tray support (133).

[0130] As such, there were cases where the conventional serving robot (100) was difficult to use because it was impossible or cumbersome to adjust the height of the tray plate (131), leading to consumer dissatisfaction.

[0131] FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating a support bracket (135) and a fixed boss (136) of a serving robot (100) according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a side view illustrating a support bracket (135) and a fixed boss (136) of a serving robot (100) according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0132] The support bracket and the fixed boss of the present invention may include a support bracket (135) having a support portion (1352) for supporting a tray plate (131) and a fixed boss (136) protruding from a side bar (1053).

[0133] The support bracket (135) may include a connecting portion (1351) that contacts the inner surface of the side bar (1053) and a supporting portion (1352) that is bent from the connecting portion (1351) and protrudes vertically from the inner surface of the side bar (1053). The supporting portion (1352) includes an upper surface perpendicular to the direction of gravity to support the tray plate (131) horizontally, and the supporting portion (1352) may be fixed to the lower part of the tray plate (131).

[0134] The connecting portion (1351) of the support bracket (135) is a rectangular plate-shaped member that is long in the longitudinal direction of the side bar (1053). Since the side bar (1053) extends in a first direction (D1) that is inclined obliquely rather than in a vertical direction as shown in FIG. 3, the support bracket (135) can also be configured with the first direction (D1) in the longitudinal direction.

[0135] As illustrated in FIG. 7, the support bracket (135) may include a fixing slot (1353) formed in the support bracket (135) and extended in a second direction (D2). A fixing boss (136) is inserted into the fixing slot (1353), and the support bracket (135) can be separated by pulling the tray plate (131) along the extension direction of the fixing slot (1353).

[0136] The extension direction (second direction) of the fixed slot (1353) may be perpendicular to the first direction (D1). Since the first direction (D1) is inclined obliquely to the vertical direction, the second direction (D2) of this embodiment may be inclined obliquely backward from the horizontal direction. In this case, for the fixed boss (136) to be detached from the fixed slot (1353), the support bracket (135) must move in the opposite direction of gravity, so there is an advantage that it is not easily separated.

[0137] Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of AA of Figure 7.

[0138] The fixed boss (136) is inserted into a fixed slot (1353) formed in the supporter bracket (135), and the supporter bracket (135) can be coupled to the side bar (1053) by the fixed boss (136). The fixed boss (136) is fixed to a fixed bracket (137) located on the inner side of the side bar (1053) and can protrude outward.

[0139] A pair of fixed bosses (136) may be provided in the left and right directions to stably support the support bracket (135).

[0140] A load cell located at the bottom of the fixed bracket (137) may be further included, and the load cell (138) can detect the weight of an item on the tray plate (131) transmitted through the fixed boss (136).

[0141] Since the load cell (138) detects the amount of deformation due to the increasing weight when an item is placed on the tray plate (131), the fixed boss (136) can move up and down within a predetermined range (a few mm level).

[0142] A screw (1365) can be inserted into the fixed boss (136) to secure the support bracket (135) so that it does not detach from the fixed boss (136). A protrusion is formed on the outer surface of the screw (1365) so that the user can rotate it by hand to insert or remove it from the fixed boss (136).

[0143] A pair of fixed bosses (136) may be provided in a horizontal direction to stably support the support bracket (135). The pair of fixed bosses (136) may be spaced apart in a second direction (D2), which is the extension direction of the fixed slot (1353).

[0144] A number of fixed slots (1353) may be provided spaced apart in the vertical direction, and the height of the tray plate (131) can be adjusted by positioning a fixed boss (136) in one of the multiple support slots.

[0145] A plurality of fixed slots (1353) can be configured to be inserted in a second direction (D2) from the end of the supporter bracket (135), such as the first fixed slot (1353a) located on the left side of FIG. 7. Alternatively, they can be configured to be extended in a second direction (D2) from a connecting slot (1354) extended in a first direction (D1), such as the second fixed slot (1353b) located on the right side of FIG. 7.

[0146] The connecting slot (1354) can be formed wider than the fixing slot (1353) to allow the fixing boss (136) to move freely. The width of the connecting slot (1354) may be smaller than the head of the screw (1365) so that it does not easily detach when the screw (1365) is inserted.

[0147] The connection slot (1354) can prevent the support bracket (135) from detaching from the side bar (1053). However, since the horizontal width of the support bracket (135) may increase when the first fixing slot (1353a) and the second fixing slot (1353b) are included in the connection slot (1354), only the second fixing slot (1353b) can be connected to the connection slot (1354).

[0148] FIG. 9 is a drawing illustrating a method for changing the position of a support bracket (135) of a serving robot (100) according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 9 (a), with a fixed boss (136) inserted into a fixed slot (1353) located in the middle, the screw (1365) can be loosened to switch the support bracket (135) to a state where it can move.

[0149] After pulling the support bracket (135) in the second direction (D2) as in (b), the support bracket (135) can be moved in the first direction (D1) as in (c) to change the position so that the fixed slot (1353) located at a different height is positioned on the fixed boss (136).

[0150] As shown in (d), the height of the tray plate (131) can be easily adjusted by inserting a fixed slot (1353) located at a different height into the fixed boss (136). The position of the support bracket (135) can be fixed by turning the screw (1365) to insert it into the fixed boss (136).

[0151] FIG. 10 is a side view illustrating a support bracket (135) of a serving robot (100) according to another embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 10 (a), a locking groove (1355) extending upwardly at the end of a fixed slot (1353) can be further provided to prevent the position of the fixed boss (136) from slipping on the fixed slot (1353). Although the drawing only shows a form in which the locking groove (1355) is formed in some of the fixed slots (1353), the locking groove (1355) can be formed in all of the multiple fixed slots (1353). As in the embodiment shown in FIG. 10 (a), there may be three fixed slots (1353), and as shown in FIG. 10 (b), there may be four or more fixed slots (1353). The length of the connecting portion (1351) of the support bracket (135) may be made longer, and the spacing between the multiple fixed slots (1353) spaced apart in the first direction (D1) may be reduced to make the height adjustment of the tray plate (131) more fine.

[0152] As shown in FIG. 10(b), the extension direction (second direction (D2)) of the fixed slot (1353) may extend horizontally parallel to the tray plate (131). When the second direction (D2) is horizontal, there is an advantage that the vertical load applied to a pair of fixed bosses (136) is balanced.

[0153] As seen above, the serving robot (100) of the present invention can easily change the position of the tray plate (131) at intervals desired by the user, thereby improving the utility of the serving robot (100).

[0154] The foregoing detailed description should not be interpreted restrictively in all respects and should be considered exemplary. The scope of the invention shall be determined by a reasonable interpretation of the appended claims, and all modifications within the equivalent scope of the invention are included within the scope of the invention.

[0155] Regarding various embodiments for implementing the present invention, descriptions that are redundant with those described above in the previous section on the best mode for carrying out the invention are omitted.

[0156] Since the present invention is applicable to serving robots in various fields, its industrial applicability is recognized.

Claims

1. Main body; A driving part located at the lower part of the above main body; A side bar extending in a first direction from the upper part of the main body; A support bracket comprising a connecting portion in contact with the side of the above-mentioned side bar and a supporting portion bent at the connecting portion; A tray plate coupled to the upper surface of the above-mentioned support member and on which an item is placed; A plurality of fixed slots formed in the above-mentioned coupling portion, extending in a second direction and spaced apart along the first direction; and A serving robot comprising a fixed boss protruding from the side of the above side bar and inserted into the above fixed slot.

2. In Paragraph 1, A serving robot characterized by further including a screw inserted into the fixed boss and pressing the support bracket.

3. In Paragraph 1, The above first direction is a direction inclined obliquely backward from the vertical direction, and A serving robot characterized in that the above fixed slot extends in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

4. In Paragraph 3, The above fixed slot is A serving robot characterized by the fact that the height of the open end is lower than the height of the closed end.

5. In Paragraph 1, A serving robot characterized in that the above fixed slot further includes a locking groove inserted in the upward direction.

6. In Paragraph 1, A serving robot characterized by the above plurality of fixed slots connecting an open end and further including a connecting slot extended in the first direction.

7. In Paragraph 6, A serving robot characterized in that the width of the above-mentioned connecting slot is wider than the width of the above-mentioned fixed slot.

8. In Paragraph 6, The plurality of fixed slots above include a plurality of first fixed slots and a plurality of second fixed slots arranged spaced apart in the second direction, and The above fixed boss includes a first fixed boss and a second fixed boss arranged adjacently in the second direction, and The plurality of first fixing slots are formed by extending in the second direction from the end of the coupling portion, and A serving robot characterized in that the plurality of second fixed slots are connected to the connecting slots.

9. In Paragraph 1, A fixed bracket located inside the above tray frame; and A serving robot characterized by further including a load cell that detects the weight of an item placed on the tray plate, with the bottom fixed to the side bar and the top fixed bracket connected thereto.

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