Murata Machinery, Ltd.

Murata Kikai Kabushiki Kaisha

Tsuyoshi Nakano

Shoji Tanaka

Hideo Shitamoto

Toshiki Moriguchi

Toshiki Harada

Yoshinori Itou

An autonomously traveling floor washer autonomously performs an appropriate cleaning operation so that a washing liquid does not remain on a floor surface. In accordance with a cleaning schedule, the autonomously traveling floor washer autonomously travels and performs cleaning of the floor surface using a squeegee and the washing liquid. If a washing liquid discharge position at a taught data obtaining time is not included in a squeegee movement track calculated based on a position and a width of the squeegee at the taught data obtaining time, the cleaning schedule is modified so that the washing liquid discharge position is included in the squeegee movement track.

Autonomously traveling floor washer

A self-position estimating apparatus includes a storage, a local map generator, a self-position estimator, and an adjuster. The storage stores an environmental map representing a position of an obstacle present in a mobile environment. The local map generator generates a local map representing a relative position of an obstacle present around the mobile body, with respect to the mobile body. The self-position estimator estimates, among a plurality of disposing positions on a local map disposing region set in the environmental map, one of the disposing positions where most exact matching is obtained between the local map and the environmental map, as a first self-position. The self-position estimator estimates a rotation angle of the local map at the disposing position as a first posture. The adjuster adjusts a size of the local map disposing region according to a predetermined condition.

Self-position estimating apparatus and self-position estimating method

In an autonomously traveling floor washer, a position estimating unit estimates position data. When a manual operation teaching mode is being executed, a taught data obtaining unit obtains taught position data and a taught cleaning condition at a taught data obtaining time. A cleaning schedule generation unit generates a cleaning schedule. When an autonomous cleaning mode is executed, a cleaning reproduction unit calculates and outputs a reproduced travel control command and a reproduced cleaning condition in an elapsed time based on the cleaning schedule. An elapsed time determining unit determines the taught data obtaining time and the elapsed time.

Autonomously traveling floor washer, cleaning schedule data structure, storage medium, method for creating cleaning schedule, and program

An autonomous moving body executes a mode in which an autonomous moving body: outputs a motor control amount from travel commands input by an operator; estimates the position of the autonomous moving body on an environment map, obtains position information of obstacles near the autonomous moving body, associates position information of the obstacles with times that the position information of the obstacles were obtained, stores the same in the storage unit as environment map restoration data, generates a travel schedule, and stores the same in the storage unit. In a replication mode, the autonomous moving body estimates the position of the autonomous moving body on the environment map, obtains position information of the obstacles near the autonomous moving body, reads the environment map restoration data that corresponds to the estimated position of the autonomous moving body, updates the environment map, creates a control amount for the motor, so as to travel on the updated environment map in accordance with the schedule, and inputs the same to the travel unit.

Autonomous moving body

An electronic controller defining an autonomous mobile device includes a self-location estimation unit to estimate a self-location based on a local map that is created according to distance/angle information relative to an object in the vicinity and the travel distance of an omni wheel, an environmental map creation unit to create an environmental map of a mobile area based on the self-location and the local map during the guided travel with using a joystick, a registration switch to register the self-location of the autonomous mobile device as the position coordinate of the setting point when the autonomous mobile device reaches a predetermined setting point during the guided travel, a storage unit to store the environmental map and the setting point, a route planning unit to plan the travel route by using the setting point on the environmental map stored in the storage unit, and a travel control unit to control the autonomous mobile device to autonomously travel along the travel route.

Autonomous mobile device

An autonomous mobile body includes a laser range sensor and an electronic control device. The electronic control device includes a storage unit that stores a size Dof the autonomous mobile body, a width identification unit that identifies a spatial size Din a width direction of a passage which is a region where the autonomous mobile body can move, a calculation unit that calculates a size Dof an interfering obstacle in a direction which is substantially perpendicular to a moving target direction on a road surface based on obstacle information, an action selection unit that selects a stopping action or a retreat action based on the spatial size D, the size Dof the autonomous mobile body, and the size Dof the interfering obstacle, and a mobile control unit that controls the autonomous mobile body to stop when the stopping action is selected and control the autonomous mobile body to retreat when the retreat action is selected.

Autonomous mobile body

An autonomous mobile body includes a storage unit arranged to store a size Dof the autonomous mobile body, a laser range sensor arranged to acquire obstacle information, an obstacle identification unit arranged to identify, based on the acquired obstacle information, edge points indicating positions of both ends of a region in which an interfering obstacle exists, the both ends being both ends on a plane parallel or substantially parallel to a passage plane in a direction which is perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to a moving target direction of the autonomous mobile body, a direction setting unit arranged to set a pull-off direction based on the size Dof the autonomous mobile body and the edge points, and a mobile controller arranged and programmed to control the autonomous mobile body to move toward the pull-off direction.

An autonomous mobile device that moves while autonomously avoiding zones into which entry should be avoided even if no obstacle exists therein includes a laser range finder that acquires peripheral obstacle information, a storage unit that stores an environment map that shows an obstacle zone where an obstacle exists, and a no-entry zone map which shows a no-entry zone into which entry is prohibited, a self-location estimation unit that estimates the self-location of a host device by using the obstacle information acquired by the laser range finder and the environment map, and a travel control unit that controls the host device to autonomously travel to the destination by avoiding the obstacle zone and the no-entry zone based on the estimated self-location, the environment map, and the no-entry zone map.

An autonomous mobile device is capable of taking action that is suitable to execute a task in accordance with a given situation includes and executes a predetermined task upon autonomously moving to a destination. The autonomous mobile device includes a storage unit that stores an environment map, a laser range finder that acquires peripheral obstacle information, an unknown information identification unit that identifies unknown obstacle information from the peripheral obstacle information, an assessment information acquisition unit that acquires a plurality of types of assessment information including movement information, relative position information, and attribute information that are related to the unknown obstacle, when the unknown obstacle information is identified, and a scenario selection unit that selects, based on the assessment information, one action scenario among a plurality of action scenarios including an action scenario which is defined to execute the task and is other than an action scenario to cancel or continue the execution of the task.

An environmental map correction device that acquires an environmental map that matches an actual ambient environment includes a conversion unit arranged to convert object existence probability information of respective grids configuring a global map into image information (shading information of a black and white image), a display unit arranged to display a global map image based on the converted image information, an operation input unit arranged to receive a correcting operation from a user, a correction unit arranged to correct the global map image displayed by the display unit according to the correcting operation by the user, and an inversion unit arranged to acquire a corrected global map by inverting the corrected global map image (shading information) into the object existence probability information.

Environmental map correction device and autonomous mobile device

An autonomous moving apparatus arranged to travel autonomously in a surrounding environment preferably includes: a distance measuring sensor arranged to output detection waves, detect a distance between the apparatus and an object which has reflected the detection wave based on a reflection state of the detection wave, and acquire information about the distance between the apparatus and the object which exists in the surroundings of the apparatus; an inclination sensor arranged to detect an inclination of the distance measuring sensor; and a control unit arranged to estimate the self-position in the surrounding environment and generate the global map of the surrounding environment based on the distance information. When the distance measuring sensor is determined to be inclined based on a detection result of the inclination sensor, the control unit stops estimating the self-position based on the distance information and stops generating the global map based on the distance information.

Autonomous moving apparatus

A robot capable of traveling while constantly directing a predetermined part of a main body to a detection target. In the robot, a main body is jointed to a traveling unit so that relative rotation is possible between the main body and the traveling unit. Based on position information of a detection target detected by a position detection sensor, a control device controls, while the traveling unit is traveling, a body drive motor so that a front surface of the main body constantly faces the detection target and rotates the main body relative to the traveling unit. Accordingly, a CCD camera, a microphone, a speaker, display or the like provided on the front surface of the main body constantly face the detection target. Thus, the robot can reliably communicate with the detection target even during traveling, through mutual transmission of information between the robot and the detection target.

Robot

Enabled is to estimate a self-position even when no landmark is seen or when an article confusing the landmark is brought in. An omnidirectional camera recognizes a vertical land-mark near a wall to determine a candidate for the self-position. On the basis of the candidate determined, a break in a map between a floor and a wall is projected on the camera image thereby to perform the matching.

Growing community of inventors

Kyoto, Japan

Tsuyoshi Nakano