Mobile robot and control method for controlling the same
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional mobile robots lack the ability to accurately determine the attribute of objects, leading to unreliable object recognition and avoidance, which affects their driving and cleaning performance.
Innovation Solution
A mobile robot equipped with an image acquisition unit, sensor unit, and controller that uses machine learning to recognize object attributes by acquiring images of surroundings, storing position information, and determining the final attribute based on multiple recognition results, allowing for adjusted traveling patterns.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional sensors (infrared or ultrasonic) are used to detect objects, then the mobile robot can sense object presence and distance, but it cannot determine the attribute of the object
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces conventional mechanical sensors (infrared or ultrasonic sensors) with an image acquisition unit (camera) to detect objects. This substitution enables the mobile robot to capture visual information about objects, allowing for attribute determination such as identifying whether an object is a threshold, wire, or other items that require different traversal behaviors. The image processing unit then analyzes the captured images to determine object attributes, resolving the information loss problem.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the mobile robot moves over objects detected as climbable height, then it can pass low obstacles, but it may be caught by objects like electric wires or fan bases with similar heights
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by using image processing to analyze specific local features of detected objects. Instead of treating all objects at a certain height uniformly, the system examines local characteristics in the captured images (such as shape, texture, and context) to determine the specific attribute of each object. This allows the robot to distinguish between climbable thresholds and non-climbable objects like wires or fan bases, even when they have similar heights, thereby improving both adaptability and reliability.
3Measurement precision
If the mobile robot uses sequential recognition with multiple images, then it improves object attribute recognition accuracy, but it increases processing time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by acquiring multiple images of the same object area before final recognition. The image acquisition unit captures several images in sequence, and the image processing unit analyzes these pre-acquired images to determine object attributes. This preliminary capture of multiple images allows for more accurate recognition through comparison and analysis, while the processing can be optimized to reduce the time penalty of analyzing multiple images rather than capturing them in real-time during traversal.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The mobile robot achieves highly reliable object recognition and avoidance, enhancing user convenience, operational efficiency, and cleaning efficiency by accurately identifying object attributes and adjusting its movement accordingly.
Implementation Method 1
The infrared sensor determines presence of an object and a distance to the object based on an amount of light reflected by the object
Implementation Method 2
the ultrasonic sensor emits an ultrasound wave having a predetermined period and, in response to ultrasonic waves reflected by an object, determines a distance to the object based on a difference between the time to emit the ultrasonic waves and the time for the ultrasonic waves to return to the object
Data Source
AI summary
A mobile robot includes a travel drive unit configured to move a main body, an image acquisition unit configured to acquire an image of surroundings of the main body, a sensor unit having one or more sensors configured to sense an object during the movement of the main body, a storage configured to, when the sensor unit senses an object, store position information of the sensed object and position information of the mobile robot, register an area having a predetermined size around a position of the sensed object as an object area in a map, and store the image acquired by the image acquisition unit in the object area, and a controller having an object recognition module configured to recognize the object sequentially with respect to images acquired by the image acquisition unit in the object area, and determine a final attribute of the object based on a plurality of recognition results of the sequential recognition.