Robot climbing control method and apparatus, and device, storage medium and program product

Abstract

A robot climbing control method and apparatus, and a device, a storage medium and a program product. The robot climbing control method comprises: measuring the height of a robot above the ground, and acquiring a current climbing speed at which the robot is climbing a rack (S201); on the basis of the current climbing speed, determining a deceleration distance (S202); when the difference between the limiting height of the rack that the robot is climbing and the measured height of the robot above the ground is less than the deceleration distance, determining whether the robot is in a deceleration state (S203); and if it is determined that the robot is not in a deceleration state, controlling the robot to stop climbing (S204). By means of measuring a height above the ground and determining a deceleration distance in real time, the climbing of the robot is effectively limited, thereby preventing the robot from overshooting the top of a rack and colliding with a rack limiting mechanism, and thus improving the safety of climbing.

Description

Robot climbing control methods, devices, equipment, storage media, and program products

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese patent application No. 202411493379.4, filed on October 24, 2024, entitled "Robot Climbing Control Method, Apparatus, Device, Storage Medium and Program Product", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This disclosure relates to the field of warehouse robot control technology, and in particular to a robot climbing control method, device, equipment, storage medium and program product. Background Technology

[0003] Intelligent warehousing systems rely on a large number of robots to achieve efficient handling of goods. Some warehousing systems support robots climbing upwards along shelves, thereby making more efficient use of the warehouse's vertical space and improving the flexibility of robot control, allowing them to better adapt to different storage needs.

[0004] When a robot climbs along the guide rails of a shelf, a limit device is usually added to the end of the shelf to prevent it from overshooting the top due to abnormal height instructions or robot control malfunctions. When the robot hits the limit device and reaches the limit height, the robot's motor stalls, stopping the robot and limiting its climbing height to improve safety. However, collisions with the limit device can damage the robot's motor and may also deform the shelf guide rails, causing some wear and tear.

[0005] Therefore, there is an urgent need to provide a robot climbing control solution that is friendly to the hardware facilities of the warehousing system. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This disclosure provides a robot climbing control method, device, equipment, storage medium, and program product. By detecting the robot's height off the ground, the robot's climbing control is achieved, preventing the robot from rushing off the top of the shelf. This improves robot climbing safety without damaging the system hardware and reduces wear and tear on robot climbing control.

[0007] In a first aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a robot climbing control method, including:

[0008] Detect the robot's height off the ground and obtain the robot's current climbing speed as it climbs the shelf;

[0009] Determine the deceleration distance based on the current climb rate;

[0010] When the difference between the limit height of the shelf climbed by the robot and the detected height above the ground is less than the deceleration distance, it is determined whether the robot is in a deceleration state.

[0011] If it is determined that the robot is not decelerating, then the robot is controlled to stop climbing.

[0012] In one possible implementation, detecting the robot's height off the ground and obtaining the robot's current climbing speed as it ascends the shelf includes:

[0013] When the robot is climbing, the ranging sensors deployed on the bottom of the robot collect the robot's height off the ground and obtain the robot's current climbing speed as it climbs the shelf.

[0014] In one possible implementation, the method further includes:

[0015] After detecting the preset mark on the shelf through the identification device deployed on the robot, it is determined that the robot is in the climbing state.

[0016] In one possible implementation, the robot in the climbing state is located on the guide rail of an adjacent shelf and moves in the direction of increasing height; the method further includes: determining an upper limit of the field of view of the ranging sensor based on the distance between the adjacent shelves for the robot to climb and a height threshold, so as to use a ranging sensor with a field of view smaller than the upper limit to collect the height above the ground.

[0017] In one possible implementation, detecting the robot's height off the ground and obtaining the robot's current climbing speed as it ascends the shelf includes:

[0018] The robot's height above the ground is collected by a ranging sensor deployed on its underside.

[0019] When the robot's height above the ground exceeds the set height, it is determined that the robot is in a climbing state. The robot's height above the ground is then collected based on the ranging sensor, and the robot's current climbing speed is obtained.

[0020] In one possible implementation, the method further includes:

[0021] When the difference between the limit height of the shelf climbed by the robot and the detected height above the ground is greater than or equal to the deceleration distance, or when the robot is in a deceleration state, control the robot to continue climbing according to the set mode.

[0022] Secondly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a robot climbing control device, comprising:

[0023] The height detection module is used to detect the robot's height off the ground.

[0024] The speed acquisition module is used to acquire the robot's current climbing speed as it climbs the shelf;

[0025] The deceleration distance determination module is used to determine the deceleration distance based on the current climb rate;

[0026] The deceleration state determination module is used to determine whether the robot is in a deceleration state when the difference between the limit height of the shelf climbed by the robot and the detected height above the ground is less than the deceleration distance.

[0027] The climbing stop control module is used to control the robot to stop climbing if it is determined that the robot is not in a deceleration state.

[0028] Thirdly, embodiments of this disclosure provide an electronic device, including: a processor, and a memory communicatively connected to the processor;

[0029] The memory stores instructions that the computer executes;

[0030] The processor executes computer execution instructions stored in memory, causing the processor to perform the various possible implementations provided in the first aspect above.

[0031] Fourthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions, which, when executed by a processor, are used to implement the various possible implementations provided in the first aspect above.

[0032] Fifthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a computer program product, including a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the various possible implementations provided in the first aspect above.

[0033] This disclosure provides a robot climbing control method, apparatus, device, storage medium, and program product. Specifically, for a robot climbing on a shelf, the method detects its climbing speed and ground clearance. When the detected ground clearance is less than the deceleration distance determined by the climbing speed, it determines whether the robot is decelerating. If not, it indicates a risk of the robot running off the shelf or colliding with the shelf's limiting device. The method then stops the robot from climbing to avoid these situations, improving robot climbing safety, overcoming hardware wear caused by collisions with limiting devices, and extending hardware lifespan. Attached Figure Description

[0034] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with this disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of this disclosure.

[0035] Figure 1 is an application scenario diagram provided in this disclosure;

[0036] Figure 2 is a flowchart illustrating a robot climbing control method provided in this disclosure.

[0037] Figure 3 is a schematic flowchart of a robot climbing control method provided in this disclosure.

[0038] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the layout of the ranging sensor provided in this disclosure;

[0039] Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating the robot climbing control method provided in this disclosure.

[0040] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the robot climbing along the shelf provided in this disclosure;

[0041] Figure 7 is a structural schematic diagram of a robot climbing control device provided in this disclosure;

[0042] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the electronic device provided in this disclosure.

[0043] The accompanying drawings have illustrated specific embodiments of this disclosure, which will be described in more detail below. These drawings and descriptions are not intended to limit the scope of the concept in any way, but rather to illustrate the concepts of this disclosure to those skilled in the art through reference to particular embodiments. Detailed Implementation

[0044] Exemplary embodiments will now be described in detail, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. When the following description relates to the drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numerals in different drawings denote the same or similar elements. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all embodiments consistent with this disclosure. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatuses and methods consistent with some aspects of this disclosure.

[0045] In intelligent warehousing systems, robots often need to climb upwards along shelves to store and retrieve goods in order to utilize vertical space more efficiently. However, there is a risk that the robot may run off the top of the shelf guide rails during its climb. Currently, to ensure the safety of robot climbing, a limit device is usually added at the limit height of the guide rails. When the robot reaches the limit height, it impacts the limit device, causing the robot motor to stall and stopping the robot's operation, thus preventing the robot from running off the top of the shelf.

[0046] However, robot climbing control achieved by blocking the robot motor through a limit device may result in multiple collisions between the robot and the limit device, damaging the robot motor. It may also cause deformation of the robot and the guide rails of the shelf, resulting in hardware wear and tear.

[0047] To address the aforementioned issues, this disclosure provides a robot climbing control method. During the robot's climbing process, the method continuously monitors the robot's ground clearance and calculates the difference between the robot's climbing shelf limit height and its ground clearance. Based on this difference and a deceleration distance determined by the robot's climbing speed, a deceleration state is triggered, and the robot's climbing control is achieved based on the determination result. By detecting both ground clearance and climbing speed, the method avoids situations where the robot might overshoot the shelf or collide with the limit device due to erroneous system control commands or abnormal robot control commands, thus improving the safety of robot climbing and preventing damage caused by the robot overshooting the shelf or colliding with the limit device.

[0048] First, the application scenarios of the embodiments of this disclosure will be explained:

[0049] Figure 1 illustrates an application scenario provided by this disclosure. As shown in Figure 1, the robot climbing control method provided in this embodiment can be applied to robots performing warehousing tasks issued by a warehousing system. During task execution, the robot needs to climb on shelves. These warehousing tasks can include picking, receiving, inventory verification, and inspection. Each row of shelves in the warehousing system consists of multiple shelves 110, with multiple storage locations for storing bins 130 arranged on each shelf 110. Guide rails 111 are provided on each shelf 110 to allow the robot 120 to climb to higher storage locations, such as the target storage location 112 in Figure 1, to complete tasks such as receiving and removing bins 130 and inventory checks.

[0050] Taking inbound and outbound tasks as an example, the scheduling equipment 140 of the warehousing system controls the robot 120 to climb along the guide rail 111 of the shelf 110 where the target storage location 112 is located through corresponding control commands. After climbing to the target storage location 112, the robot 120 stores the material box 130 in the target storage location 112 or takes the material box 130 out of the target storage location 112. Figure 1 shows the example of placing the material box 130 in the target storage location 112.

[0051] During the climbing process of robot 120, the climbing state of robot 120 can be controlled by the robot climbing control method provided in this disclosure, so as to stop robot 120 from climbing in time when there is a risk of robot 120 rushing off the shelf guide rail, thereby improving the safety of robot 120 climbing.

[0052] It should be noted that Figure 1 is for illustrative purposes only. In actual applications, there are no specific restrictions on the location, shape, and quantity of the shelves, robots, and bins. The robot may include forks or robotic arms and may be equipped with multiple baskets to hold multiple bins.

[0053] The technical solutions of this disclosure and how they solve the aforementioned technical problems will be described in detail below with specific embodiments. These specific embodiments can be combined with each other, and the same or similar concepts or processes may not be repeated in some embodiments. The embodiments of this disclosure will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0054] Figure 2 is a flowchart illustrating a robot climbing control method provided in this disclosure. In this embodiment, the executing entity of the method can be a control device, which can be a server or a control module installed on the robot, such as a main control chip. As shown in Figure 2, the robot climbing control method in this embodiment may include:

[0055] S201, Detect the robot's height off the ground and obtain the robot's current climbing speed as it climbs the shelf.

[0056] In this step, the height above the ground refers to the vertical distance between the robot and the floor of the storage system. The robot climbs the shelf, specifically by moving along the guide rails of the shelf in a direction that increases in height.

[0057] A robot is a handling device used to transport toy boxes. A robot may include a pallet, a picking and placing component, a climbing component, and a mobile chassis. The pallet, picking and placing component, and climbing component are all mounted on the mobile chassis. The pallet is used to place the toy box and can be a horizontally positioned flat plate. The picking and placing component is used to push or pull the toy box onto the pallet. The climbing component is used for the robot to climb shelves. The mobile chassis is used for the robot to move on the ground and may include wheels or tracks.

[0058] The robot's height off the ground can be detected using its own built-in ranging sensors. These sensors can collect height data at a certain frequency, or be controlled to collect the robot's height off the ground when a position update is detected.

[0059] The ranging sensor can be mounted on the bottom of the robot, such as on the chassis, or on one side of the robot. The ranging sensor can be a laser ranging sensor, such as a TOF (Time of Flight) sensor, an infrared pulse sensor, etc.

[0060] Alternatively, the robot's ground clearance can be determined based on the identification of its storage location or the height markings on the shelves. Specifically, this can be achieved by deploying image recognition or barcode scanning devices on the robot to identify the identification of its current storage location or the height markings on the shelves, and then determining the robot's ground clearance based on the identification results.

[0061] The robot's height above the ground can also be determined based on the number of rotations of its motors while it is climbing. Specifically, when the robot is climbing, the total number of rotations of its motors during the climbing process can be recorded using deployed encoders. Based on this total number of rotations and the parameters of the robot's wheels or tracks, the distance traveled by the robot can be obtained, which is the robot's height above the ground.

[0062] The current climbing speed can be detected by sensors or obtained through data analysis. This disclosure does not limit the method of obtaining the current climbing speed. For example, the speed can be measured by an encoder or Hall sensor, or the robot's current climbing speed can be determined based on data collected by the robot's inertial sensors. Alternatively, the robot's current climbing speed can be determined through visual recognition technology using images collected by the robot, or by utilizing changes in ground clearance.

[0063] The robot's height off the ground and current climbing speed can be detected only after it is determined that the robot is in a climbing state. For example, if the robot receives a climbing command or aligns itself with the climbing mark on the shelf, it is considered that the robot is in a climbing state. Then, the robot's height off the ground and the current climbing speed of the robot on the shelf are detected by the ranging sensor.

[0064] Alternatively, the robot's ground clearance and current speed can be detected according to a certain triggering method. When the ground clearance exceeds a set value, such as a preset height, it is determined that the robot is currently climbing the shelf, i.e., in a climbing state, and the detected current speed is recorded as the current climbing speed. The triggering method can be periodic or active, such as triggering the ground clearance detection when the robot's position changes. In periodic triggering, the detection cycles for ground clearance and current speed can be the same or different.

[0065] Optionally, the robot's height off the ground and its current climbing speed on the shelf can be detected, including:

[0066] The robot's height above the ground is collected using a ranging sensor deployed on its bottom surface. When the robot's height above the ground is higher than a set height, it is determined that the robot is in a climbing state. The ranging sensor continues to collect the robot's height above the ground and obtains the robot's current climbing speed.

[0067] The set height is a height value higher than the height collected by the robot's ranging sensor when it is on the ground (denoted as the default height). It can be the sum of the default height and a preset value, which is a configurable parameter. The current climbing speed is the robot's climbing speed at the current moment.

[0068] For example, the ranging sensor can be deployed in the center of the robot's bottom surface to avoid incorrect height detection due to the sensor being too close to the guide rail.

[0069] Ranging sensors are used to continuously collect the robot's height above the ground, such as periodically or when the robot's position is updated.

[0070] In some embodiments, the ranging sensor can collect the robot's height above the ground at a default frequency. When the collected height above the ground is higher than a set height, that is, when it is determined that the robot is in a climbing state, the frequency is increased to collect the robot's height above the ground at a frequency higher than the default frequency.

[0071] In other embodiments, the ranging sensor can detect the robot's height off the ground when the robot's position changes. When the detected height off the ground is higher than a set height, it indicates that the robot is not running on the ground but climbing the shelf, i.e., it is in a climbing state. While continuing to collect the robot's height off the ground based on the ranging sensor, it is also necessary to obtain information such as the robot's current climbing speed.

[0072] By using a ranging sensor to collect the robot's height off the ground, the timeliness and accuracy of height collection are improved. At the same time, the climbing status is determined using the height off the ground, which is low in complexity and high in efficiency. The robot's speed is only acquired when the robot is climbing, which improves the accuracy of speed acquisition triggering and reduces resource waste.

[0073] S202. Determine the deceleration distance based on the current climb rate.

[0074] The deceleration distance is the distance required for the robot to stop climbing (i.e., its speed reaches zero) at the current climbing speed, following the set deceleration mode. The set deceleration mode can be any type, such as uniform deceleration or variable deceleration. The appropriate deceleration mode should be selected based on the actual application scenario and the lifespan of the robot's motors.

[0075] The correspondence between deceleration distance and current climbing speed can be stored in advance, so that the collected current climbing speed can be input into the correspondence to obtain the required deceleration distance.

[0076] S203. When the difference between the limit height of the shelf climbed by the robot and the detected height above the ground is less than the deceleration distance, determine whether the robot is in a deceleration state.

[0077] In this step, the limit height is the height at which the robot is restricted while climbing the shelf. This limit height can be the maximum height of the shelf, the height of the shelf's limit device, or other specified height. The deceleration state means that the robot's climbing speed is decreasing.

[0078] Based on the identification of the shelf that the robot is climbing, such as a code, the limit height of the shelf can be read, and the difference between the limit height and the ground height of the currently detected robot can be calculated.

[0079] Specifically, when the difference between the limit height of the shelf that the robot is climbing and the robot's current height off the ground is less than the calculated deceleration distance, the robot's deceleration state is triggered.

[0080] Whether a robot is decelerating can be determined by collecting data on changes in the robot's speed over a short period of time, or by analyzing changes in the rotational speed of the robot's motors over a short period of time.

[0081] When the difference between the limit height of the shelf that the robot is climbing and the robot's current height off the ground is greater than or equal to the calculated deceleration distance, there is no need to determine the deceleration state, and the robot continues to climb.

[0082] S204. If it is determined that the robot is not in a deceleration state, then control the robot to stop climbing.

[0083] If the distance between the robot's ground clearance and the limit height of the shelf it is climbing is less than the deceleration distance, and the robot is not yet in a deceleration state, it indicates that if the robot continues to climb at the current speed, there is a risk of it crashing off the shelf or colliding with the limit device at the end of the shelf. It is necessary to control the robot to stop climbing in time. For example, control the robot to decelerate to 0 with a large acceleration to stop the robot from climbing, or directly cut off the power to the robot's motor to control the robot to stop climbing.

[0084] After the robot stops climbing, it can also report faults, such as generating fault warning information and sending it to the scheduling equipment or central control equipment of the warehouse system, so as to facilitate fault attribution and equipment maintenance.

[0085] This disclosure provides a robot climbing control method. For a robot in a climbing state, specifically a robot climbing on a shelf, the method detects its climbing speed and height above the ground. When the detected distance between the height above the ground and the shelf's limit height is less than the deceleration distance determined by the climbing speed, it determines whether the robot is in a deceleration state. If not, it indicates that the robot is at risk of crashing off the shelf or colliding with the limit device at the shelf's limit height. The method then controls the robot to stop climbing to avoid the aforementioned situation, improving the safety of robot climbing, overcoming hardware wear caused by collision with the limit device, and extending the service life of the hardware.

[0086] Optionally, Figure 3 is a schematic flowchart of a robot climbing control method provided in this disclosure. The robot climbing control method provided in this embodiment is a further refinement of step S201 based on the embodiment in Figure 2, and adds judgment logic for controlling the robot to continue climbing. As shown in Figure 3, the robot climbing control method provided in this embodiment may specifically include the following steps:

[0087] S301. When the robot is in a climbing state, the distance sensor deployed on the bottom of the robot collects the robot's height off the ground and obtains the robot's current climbing speed on the shelf.

[0088] In this step, a Time-of-Flight (TOF) ranging sensor with a small field of view can be selected to avoid the aisles of the warehouse system affecting the TOF ranging sensor's detection of ground clearance when the aisles are narrow. The ranging sensor calculates the ground clearance by measuring the flight time of the emitted measurement signal, such as a laser signal, between the robot and the ground.

[0089] Specifically, the ranging sensor can be installed on the bottom surface of the robot, that is, the side of the robot chassis facing the ground. The ranging sensor emits a measurement signal with a certain field of view. After the measurement signal is reflected back to the ranging sensor by the ground of the storage system, the ranging sensor detects the robot's height off the ground by measuring the time of flight of the measurement signal.

[0090] In some embodiments, the ranging sensor can be placed in the center of the robot's bottom surface to support a wider field of view.

[0091] There are several ways to determine whether a robot is climbing, such as based on the robot's height off the ground or based on the instructions the robot has received.

[0092] Optionally, it can also be determined whether the robot is in a climbing state by detecting a preset mark on the shelf through the identification device deployed on the robot.

[0093] The preset markers are set on the shelf and can be used to determine the robot's position on the shelf or to determine whether the robot is aligned with the shelf. The robot can only climb up the shelf after it is aligned with it.

[0094] The preset marker can be any type of alignment marker, such as a cross mark, or it can be a barcode, QR code, or other marker.

[0095] A recognition device is a device that can automatically recognize preset marks. It can use various methods to recognize preset marks, such as image recognition and laser recognition.

[0096] The climbing status is determined by identifying preset markers using an identification device, eliminating the need for data comparison and processing, resulting in low complexity and high accuracy.

[0097] Optionally, the robot in the climbing state is located on the guide rail of an adjacent shelf and travels in the direction of increasing height; the method further includes:

[0098] Based on the distance between adjacent shelves for the robot to climb and the height threshold, the upper limit of the field of view of the ranging sensor is determined so that a ranging sensor with a field of view smaller than the upper limit can be used to collect the height above the ground.

[0099] The height threshold can be understood as the maximum safe height of the shelf that the robot is allowed to reach. It can be the minimum limit height of adjacent shelves, or it can be the minimum value minus a smaller height. The height threshold can be a default value or a configurable parameter, and can be the maximum height of the shelf, the height of the shelf's limit device, or other specified height.

[0100] The distance between adjacent shelves for robot climbing can be represented by the distance between the guide rails on the adjacent shelves, or by the width of the aisle between adjacent shelves.

[0101] The field of view (FOV) of a ranging sensor determines its field of view range, which can be determined by the angle between the two sides of the maximum range that the measurement signal emitted from the ranging sensor can reach, with the ranging sensor as the vertex.

[0102] Specifically, in detecting the robot's height off the ground, to avoid errors in height detection caused by obstacles outside the ground, such as shelves and guide rails, appearing in the field of view of the ranging sensor, it is necessary to determine the upper limit of the ranging sensor's field of view based on the distance between adjacent shelves in the warehouse system that the robot can climb. This allows the use of ranging sensors with a field of view smaller than the upper limit to collect the height data.

[0103] In a warehousing system, there can be multiple distances between adjacent shelves that robots can climb. The smallest distance is selected to determine the upper limit of the field of view of the ranging sensor.

[0104] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the layout of the ranging sensor provided in this disclosure. As shown in Figure 4, the formula for calculating the field of view is: FOV = 2arctan(0.5W / H).

[0105] Wherein, FOV represents the field of view, W represents the distance within the field of view from the distance sensor to the ground, and H represents the robot's height above the ground.

[0106] To avoid the shelves appearing within the field of view of the ranging sensor, W should be less than or equal to the distance between adjacent shelves that the robot can climb, and H should be less than or equal to the height threshold, depending on the highest position the robot can climb.

[0107] Based on the distance between adjacent shelves for the robot to climb and the height threshold, the upper limit of the field of view (FOV) should satisfy the following condition: when the robot climbs to its highest position, i.e., when the height above the ground is the height threshold, the distance of the field of view is less than the distance between adjacent shelves for the robot to climb, i.e., FOV. max =2arctan(0.5W) max / H max ).

[0108] Among them, FOV max W represents the upper limit of the field of view. max H represents the distance between adjacent shelves for the robot to climb. max This is the height threshold.

[0109] For example, if the distance between adjacent shelves is 800mm and the height threshold is 11600mm, the upper limit of the field of view can be calculated to be 4° using the aforementioned expression. Therefore, when selecting a distance measuring sensor, a distance measuring sensor with a field of view less than or equal to 4° should be selected.

[0110] By limiting the field of view of the ranging sensor, the sensor is prevented from being falsely triggered by the shelf, which would lead to incorrect ground clearance detection. This improves the accuracy of ground clearance detection and, consequently, the accuracy of robot climbing control.

[0111] S302. Determine the deceleration distance based on the current climb rate.

[0112] S303. Calculate the difference between the limit height of the shelf that the robot is climbing and the detected height above the ground.

[0113] S304. When the difference is greater than or equal to the deceleration distance, control the robot to continue climbing according to the set mode.

[0114] The setting mode is the robot's movement mode when climbing the shelf. It can start with a constant speed, then slow down when it is a certain distance away from the target storage location (the storage location where the robot operates), so that it slows down to 0 when it reaches the target storage location.

[0115] Specifically, when the difference between the limit height of the shelf that the robot is climbing and the robot's current height above the ground is greater than or equal to the calculated deceleration distance, the robot continues to climb. The ranging sensor samples at a preset frequency and calculates the difference between the limit height of the shelf that the robot is climbing and the detected height above the ground.

[0116] S305. When the difference is less than the deceleration distance, determine whether the robot is in a deceleration state.

[0117] S306. If it is determined that the robot is not in a deceleration state, then control the robot to stop climbing.

[0118] S307. If the robot is in a deceleration state, control the robot to continue climbing according to the set mode.

[0119] Specifically, when the difference between the limit height of the shelf that the robot is climbing and the detected height above the ground is less than the deceleration distance, and the robot is in a deceleration state, the robot is controlled to continue climbing to the target height according to the set mode, where the target height is the height corresponding to the target storage location.

[0120] In some embodiments, when it is determined that the robot is in a deceleration state, the acceleration of the robot during deceleration can be further detected; if the acceleration of the robot during deceleration is greater than or equal to the acceleration during deceleration in the set mode, the robot is controlled to continue climbing; if the acceleration of the robot during deceleration is less than the acceleration during deceleration in the set mode, the robot is controlled to stop climbing.

[0121] When the robot motor malfunctions, causing the robot to decelerate more slowly, the actual acceleration during deceleration is less than the set acceleration, i.e., the acceleration during deceleration in the set mode. In this case, the robot still faces the risk of crashing off the shelf. Controlling the robot to stop climbing can further improve the robot's climbing safety.

[0122] To further prevent the robot from crashing off the shelf while climbing, a limit device can be added to the top of the guide rail for double protection.

[0123] This disclosure provides a robot climbing control method that, by determining the robot's climbing state, enables the detection of ground clearance only during robot climbing. This avoids the need for the ranging sensor to operate while the robot is on the ground, reducing system power consumption and improving work efficiency. By deploying a ranging sensor on the robot's underside for ground clearance detection, the immediacy and accuracy of the detection are improved. Through continuous detection of ground clearance, and by comparing the distance between ground clearance and the limit height with the deceleration distance, as well as determining the robot's deceleration state, climbing control is achieved throughout the entire climbing process. This prevents the robot from running off the shelf without affecting its normal operation, improving the comprehensiveness and accuracy of climbing control.

[0124] Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating the robot climbing control method provided in this disclosure. As shown in Figure 5, to better understand the robot climbing control method provided in this embodiment, this embodiment further explains the robot climbing scenario.

[0125] S501, detects the robot's height off the ground and obtains the robot's current climbing speed as it climbs the shelf.

[0126] In this embodiment, a ranging sensor with a small field of view is deployed on the bottom surface of the robot. When the robot climbs the shelf, for example, when its height above the ground is greater than or equal to a set height, or when the identification device detects a preset marker, the ranging sensor starts working. The ranging sensor can collect the robot's height above the ground at a certain frequency, or when the robot's position is updated, the ranging sensor collects the robot's height above the ground at the new position. The current climbing speed is obtained by detecting the change in height above the ground or by other means.

[0127] The sampling frequency of the ranging sensor can be fixed or variable. For example, when the difference between the robot's limit height and the ground clearance is greater than or equal to the deceleration distance, a slower sampling frequency is used. When the difference between the robot's limit height and the ground clearance is less than the deceleration distance, a faster sampling frequency is used. Flexible sampling frequency can reduce system power consumption.

[0128] S502. Determine the deceleration distance based on the current climb rate.

[0129] Based on the current climb rate, the deceleration distance can be determined by using the pre-stored correspondence between the deceleration distance and the current climb rate.

[0130] S503, Calculate the difference between the limit height of the shelf climbed by the robot and the detected height above the ground.

[0131] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the robot climbing along the shelf provided in this disclosure. As shown in Figure 6, the maximum height the robot can reach above the ground is set as the limit height. Since the ranging sensor is deployed at the bottom of the robot in this embodiment, the limit height is the maximum height of the shelf or the height of the shelf limiting device minus the distance from the top surface of the robot to the ranging sensor. The difference between the limit height and the detected height above the ground is calculated.

[0132] S504. Determine whether the difference is less than the deceleration distance; if not, that is, the difference is greater than or equal to the deceleration distance, then proceed to step S505; if yes, that is, the difference is less than the deceleration distance, then proceed to step S506.

[0133] S505, the robot continues to climb according to the set mode.

[0134] As shown in Figure 6, when the difference between the limit height of the shelf climbed by the robot and the detected height above the ground is greater than or equal to the deceleration distance, it indicates that the target robot is temporarily not at risk of rushing off the top of the guide rail. Therefore, the robot continues to climb according to the set mode and returns to step S501 to continue detecting the robot's height above the ground.

[0135] S506. Determine whether the robot is in a deceleration state; if not, that is, the robot is not in a deceleration state, then proceed to step S507; if yes, that is, the robot is in a deceleration state, then proceed to step S505.

[0136] S507, Control the robot to stop climbing.

[0137] If the robot is not in a deceleration state, it indicates that the robot is at risk of running off the top of the guide rail. At this time, the robot motor is powered off to stop the robot from climbing, and the robot's status is announced via voice to remind the staff to pay attention.

[0138] As shown in Figure 6, if the target height in the control command (taking the height corresponding to the highest storage position of the shelf in Figure 6 as an example) is less than the limit height minus the deceleration distance, that is, when there is no abnormality in the target height, when the difference between the limit height of the robot climbing to the shelf and the detected height above the ground is less than the deceleration distance, the robot is already in a deceleration state. At this time, it is considered that the robot has no risk of rushing out of the top of the guide rail, and the robot is controlled to continue climbing to the target height according to the set mode.

[0139] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a robot climbing control device provided in this disclosure. As shown in Figure 7, the robot climbing control device provided in this embodiment includes: a height detection module 701, a speed acquisition module 702, a deceleration distance determination module 703, a deceleration state determination module 704, and a climbing stop control module 705.

[0140] The height detection module 701 is used to detect the robot's height above the ground; the speed acquisition module 702 is used to acquire the robot's current climbing speed on the shelf; the deceleration distance determination module 703 is used to determine the deceleration distance based on the current climbing speed; the deceleration state determination module 704 is used to determine whether the robot is in a deceleration state when the difference between the limit height of the shelf climbed by the robot and the detected height above the ground is less than the deceleration distance; and the climbing stop control module 705 is used to control the robot to stop climbing if it is determined that the robot is not in a deceleration state.

[0141] Optional, the height detection module 701 is specifically used for:

[0142] When the robot is climbing, the distance sensor deployed on the bottom of the robot collects the robot's height above the ground.

[0143] Optionally, the robot climbing control device also includes a climbing status determination module, used for:

[0144] After detecting the preset mark on the shelf through the identification device deployed on the robot, it is determined that the robot is in the climbing state.

[0145] Optionally, the robot climbing control device also includes a field-of-view upper limit determination module, used for:

[0146] Based on the distance between adjacent shelves for the robot to climb and the height threshold, the upper limit of the field of view of the ranging sensor is determined so that a ranging sensor with a field of view smaller than the upper limit can be used to collect the height above the ground.

[0147] Optional, the height detection module 701 is specifically used for:

[0148] The robot's height above the ground was collected before and after it was determined to be in a climbing state.

[0149] Optional, the speed acquisition module 702 is specifically used for:

[0150] When the robot's height above the ground is higher than the set height, it is determined that the robot is in a climbing state, and the robot's current climbing speed is obtained.

[0151] Optionally, the robot climbing control device also includes a climbing continuation control module 706, used for:

[0152] When the difference between the limit height of the shelf climbed by the robot and the detected height above the ground is greater than or equal to the deceleration distance, or when the robot is in a deceleration state, control the robot to continue climbing according to the set mode.

[0153] This embodiment provides a robot climbing control device that can execute the methods provided in the above-described method embodiments. Its implementation principle and technical effects are similar, and will not be described in detail here.

[0154] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the electronic device provided in this disclosure. As shown in Figure 8, the electronic device 80 provided in this embodiment includes: a processor 801, and a memory 802 communicatively connected to the processor 801. Optionally, the device 80 further includes a communication component. The processor 801, the memory 802, and the communication component are connected via a bus.

[0155] In the specific implementation process, the processor 801 executes the computer execution instructions stored in the memory 802, causing the processor 801 to perform the above-mentioned method.

[0156] The specific implementation process of processor 801 can be found in the above method embodiments, and its implementation principle and technical effect are similar. It will not be repeated here.

[0157] In the above embodiments, it should be understood that the processor can be a Central Processing Unit (CPU), or other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), etc. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or any conventional processor. The steps of the method disclosed in this invention can be directly implemented by a hardware processor, or implemented by a combination of hardware and software modules within the processor.

[0158] The memory may include random access memory (RAM) and may also include non-volatile memory (NVM), such as at least one disk storage device.

[0159] The bus can be an Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) bus, a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus, or an Extended Industry Standard Architecture (EISA) bus, etc. Buses can be categorized as address buses, data buses, control buses, etc. For ease of illustration, the buses shown in the accompanying drawings are not limited to a single bus or a single type of bus.

[0160] This disclosure also provides a computer program product, including a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the above-described method.

[0161] This disclosure also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions, which, when executed by a processor, implement the above-described method.

[0162] The aforementioned readable storage medium can be implemented by any type of volatile or non-volatile storage device or a combination thereof, such as static random access memory (SRAM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), read-only memory (ROM), magnetic storage, flash memory, magnetic disk, or optical disk. The readable storage medium can be any available medium accessible to a general-purpose or special-purpose computer.

[0163] An exemplary readable storage medium is coupled to a processor, enabling the processor to read information from and write information to the readable storage medium. Of course, the readable storage medium can also be a component of the processor. The processor and the readable storage medium can reside in an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC). Alternatively, the processor and the readable storage medium can exist as discrete components in the device.

[0164] The division of units is merely a logical functional division; in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be indirect coupling or communication connection through some interfaces, devices, or units, and may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0165] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment, depending on actual needs.

[0166] In addition, the functional units in the various embodiments of this disclosure can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit.

[0167] If a function is implemented as a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this disclosure, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or a part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods of the various embodiments of this disclosure. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as a USB flash drive, a portable hard drive, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a magnetic disk, or an optical disk.

[0168] Those skilled in the art will understand that all or part of the steps of the above-described method embodiments can be implemented by hardware related to program instructions. The aforementioned program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. When executed, the program performs the steps of the above-described method embodiments; and the aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as ROM, RAM, magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0169] Finally, it should be noted that other embodiments of this disclosure will readily occur to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. This disclosure is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of this disclosure that follow the general principles of this disclosure and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not disclosed herein, and is not limited to the precise structures described above and shown in the accompanying drawings, and various modifications and alterations may be made without departing from its scope. The scope of this disclosure is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A robot climbing control method, characterized in that, include: Detect the robot's height off the ground and obtain the robot's current climbing speed as it climbs the shelf; Determine the deceleration distance based on the current climb rate; When the difference between the limit height of the shelf climbed by the robot and the detected height above the ground is less than the deceleration distance, it is determined whether the robot is in a deceleration state. If it is determined that the robot is not in a deceleration state, then the robot is controlled to stop climbing.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Detecting the robot's height off the ground and obtaining the robot's current climbing speed as it ascends the shelf includes: When the robot is climbing, the distance sensor deployed on the bottom of the robot collects the robot's height off the ground and obtains the robot's current climbing speed on the shelf.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The method further includes: After detecting a preset mark on the shelf through the identification device deployed on the robot, it is determined that the robot is in a climbing state.

4. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The robot, in a climbing state, is positioned on a guide rail of an adjacent shelf and moves in a direction of increasing height; the method further includes: Based on the distance between adjacent shelves for the robot to climb and a height threshold, the upper limit of the field of view of the ranging sensor is determined so that a ranging sensor with a field of view smaller than the upper limit can be used to collect the height above the ground.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Detecting the robot's height off the ground and obtaining the robot's current climbing speed as it ascends the shelf includes: The robot's height above the ground is collected by a ranging sensor deployed on its underside. When the robot's height above the ground is higher than the set height, it is determined that the robot is in a climbing state. The robot's height above the ground is then collected based on the ranging sensor, and the robot's current climbing speed is obtained.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The method further includes: When the difference between the limit height of the shelf climbed by the robot and the detected height above the ground is greater than or equal to the deceleration distance, or when the robot is in a deceleration state, the robot is controlled to continue climbing according to the set mode.

7. A robot climbing control device, characterized in that, include: The height detection module is used to detect the robot's height off the ground. The speed acquisition module is used to acquire the current climbing speed of the robot as it climbs the shelf; The deceleration distance determination module is used to determine the deceleration distance based on the current climbing speed; The deceleration state determination module is used to determine whether the robot is in a deceleration state when the difference between the limit height of the shelf climbed by the robot and the detected height above the ground is less than the deceleration distance. The climbing stop control module is used to control the robot to stop climbing if it is determined that the robot is not in a deceleration state.

8. An electronic device, comprising: A processor, and a memory communicatively connected to the processor; The memory stores computer-executed instructions; The processor executes computer execution instructions stored in the memory to implement the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 6.

9. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores computer-executable instructions, which, when executed by a processor, are used to implement the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 6.

10. A computer program product, characterized in that, Includes a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 6.

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