Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.

Panasonic Corporation

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.

Yuko Tsusaka

Yudai Fudaba

Yasunao Okazaki

Taichi Sato

Jun Ozawa

Soichiro Fujioka

Toshihisa Nakano

Kentaro Tanikawa

Fabio Dalla Libera

Motoji Ohmori

Natsume Matsuzaki

Masaki Yamamoto

Shunji Harada

Mikiya Nakata

Yoshikatsu Ito

Yuki Takaoka

Takahiro Shiwa

Tomohito Oohashi

Kazuyoshi Moritani

Hirokazu Tokuda

Yuichi Futa

Masaya Miyazaki

Atsushi Ono

Hiroki Takeuchi

Shinichiro Nishioka

Kazuo Kajimoto

Keiji Icho

Yoshiaki Iwata

Hiroki Yamauchi

Toshihisa Abe

Kazuhiro Nomura

Tadahiro Taniguchi

Yoshinobu Hagiwara

Toru Hirose

A cleaning device includes: a range finding sensor; an acquisition unit which acquires a map and a first path along which the cleaning device is to move; a first identification unit which identifies a feature point which is a point where a distance between the object and the range finding sensor varies; a second identification unit which identifies a virtual point which is, among points on a virtual line segment, a point closest to the first path when the virtual line segment does not intersect with the first path, the virtual line segment extending toward the first path from the feature point, and having a maximum length within the predetermined range-finding range; a converter which converts the first path into a second path which passes through the virtual point; and a motor controller which causes the cleaning device to move along the second path.

Mobile robot and control method

An autonomous travel-type cleaner includes a housing, a drive unit for moving the housing, an incoming call detector that detects whether or not there is an incoming call to a communication terminal, a person detector that detects whether or not a person is present within a first range, an incoming call notification unit (for example, a light source and a speaker) for notifying of presence of an incoming call, and a controller. The controller controls a notification operation of the incoming call notification unit based on a detection result of the person detector and a detection result of the incoming call detector.

Autonomous travel-type cleaner and control method

A terminal apparatus includes a camera, a display that displays a display screen including a mobile robot that autonomously travels, and a control circuit. The control circuit acquires a first planned route of the mobile robot, displays, on the display, a screen having the first planned route superimposed on a camera image taken by the camera, detects a contact point on the display on which the screen is displayed, generates a second planned route of the mobile robot that travels through the contact point, and transmits the second planned route to the mobile robot.

Mobile robot and control method of mobile robot

Provided is a mobile body system capable of moving in a more appropriate travel path. In the mobile body system, upon movement of the first to third mobile bodies from the first area into the second area, (a) the third mobile body moves into a boundary area and temporarily stops using the distance to the first mobile body and the distance to the second mobile body, (b) after the third mobile body moves into the boundary area, the first mobile body moves into the boundary area and temporarily stops using the distance to the second mobile body and the distance to the third mobile body, and (c) after the third mobile body moves into the boundary area, the second mobile body moves into the boundary area and temporarily stops using the distance to the first mobile body and the distance to the third mobile body.

Mobile body system and control method

A self-driving cleaner includes a drive unit that drives movement of a cleaner body, a control circuit disposed in the cleaner body, a camera that captures an image in front thereof, an obstacle detection sensor that detects an object, and a rotational frequency sensor that detects a stuck state. The control circuit (a) identifies information about a target object that caused the stuck state, (b) receives information indicating whether the target object is to be cleaned, and (c) controls the drive unit and a suction unit, when receiving information indicating the target object to be cleaned, to perform a first mode where the space excluding the target object is cleaned first and, thereafter, the target object is climbed if receiving cleaning reservation and perform a second mode where the target object is climbed first and, thereafter, the space excluding the target object is cleaned if receiving a cleaning start instruction.

Self-driving cleaner, method for cleaning by self-driving cleaner, and recording medium

A self-driving cleaner includes a drive unit, a control circuit, a camera, a first sensor for detecting an object, and a second sensor for detecting a stuck state, and a third sensor for detecting a person. The control circuit is configured to (a) identify information about a target object which caused the stuck state, (b) receive information indicating whether the target object is to be cleaned, and (c) control the drive unit and a suction unit, when receiving information indicating that the target object is to be cleaned, to perform a first mode where a space excluding the target object is cleaned first and, thereafter, the target object is climbed if the person is not detected and perform a second mode where the target object is climbed first and, thereafter, the space excluding the target object is cleaned if the person is detected.

A cleaning device includes: a range finding sensor; an acquisition unit which acquires a map of an environment including object position information, and a first path where the cleaning device is to move in the environment; an identification unit which identifies a first path partial path; a converter which converts the partial path into a differently-shaped path to generate a second path; and a motor controller which causes the cleaning device to move along the second path. The identification unit sets a region, on the map, where the range finding sensor can perform range finding from start and end points of a portion of the first path, and identifies the portion as the partial path when only one or more straight lines which traverse the region and are parallel to a line segment toward the end point from the start point are represented as the object in the region set.

In a standing-up motion assist system for assisting a care receiving person, a care belt includes a first holder that holds a neck part or a back part of the care receiving person, a second holder that holds a lumbar part of the care receiving person, a third holder that connects the first holder and the second holder and holds armpits of the care receiving person, a second connector located at a chest of the care receiving person, and a first connector that connects the first holder and the second holder. A pulling mechanism is connected to the second connector and pulls the second connector. A controller controls the pulling mechanism so as to pull the second connector in a forward and upward direction with reference to the care receiving person, and, thereafter, pull the second connector in a backward and upward direction with reference to the care receiving person.

Standing-up motion assist system, control method for controller of standing-up motion assist system, storage medium, care belt, and robot

A sitting motion assist system for assisting a sitting motion of a patient changing their posture from a standing posture to a sitting posture includes a care belt, a knee-bending adviser, and a pulling mechanism. The care belt can be put on the patient and includes a hold mechanism including a first holder capable of holding the neck or shoulder of the patient and a second holder capable of holding their lower back, and a coupler capable of being positioned on their chest and coupled to the hold mechanism. The knee-bending adviser advises the patient to perform a knee-bending motion. The pulling mechanism is coupled to the hold mechanism via the coupler and pulls the care belt downward and slightly forward relative to the patient after the advice by the knee-bending adviser, and thereafter pushes the care belt downward and slightly backward to assist the sitting motion.

Sitting motion assist system, control method for controller of sitting motion assist system, recording medium, care belt, and robot

A standing motion assist system includes a care belt including a holding mechanism including a holder that holds a back and both armpits of a care-receiver, and a connector that is connected to the holding mechanism; a rotational force applying mechanism that is connected to the holding mechanism and that rotates a front lower part of the holder upward and a rear upper part of the holder downward about a rotation axis extending through both armpits; a traction mechanism that is connected to the connector and pulls the connector; and a controller that controls the rotational force applying mechanism and the traction mechanism so that, after the traction mechanism has started the pulling motion, the rotational force applying mechanism rotates the holder at the same time as the traction mechanism pulls the connector forward and upward, and subsequently the traction mechanism pulls the connector upward.

Standing motion assist system, method for controlling standing motion assist system, recording medium, and robot

A robot includes a motion mechanism capable of operating in accordance with each of a first motion pattern for supporting a user with a first motion representing a standing-up motion and a second motion pattern for supporting a user with a second motion representing a sitting-down motion, a battery that supplies electric energy to the motion mechanism, a control unit that determines a multiple-motion availability index indicating the availability of an operation in accordance with a multiple-motion pattern including the first and second motion patterns on the basis of the battery level and the amounts of energy charge in the battery required for the operations performed by the motion mechanism in accordance with the first and second motion patterns if the control unit detects that the battery level is a first threshold value or lower, and a presentation unit that presents the multiple-motion availability index determined by the control unit.

Robot, method for controlling robot, recording medium, and method

A robot includes an arm mechanism that operates in accordance with a first motion pattern for supporting a user with a standing-up motion which starts in a sitting posture and finishes in a standing posture, a control unit that (i) acquires first information used to identify a predetermined position of the arm mechanism corresponding to a half-crouching posture of the user during a motion in accordance with the first motion pattern and (ii) detects whether the current position of the arm mechanism operating in accordance with the first motion pattern is included in a first range including the predetermined position identified by the first information, and a presentation unit that presents a first signal if the control unit detects that the position of the arm mechanism is included in the first range.

Robot, robot control method, method, and recording medium

A robot includes a tractor, a walker, an input device, and a controller. The tractor includes a connector and pulls a user through the connector. The walker includes wheels for moving the tractor and one or more brakes for the wheels and is coupled to the tractor. The input device receives an instruction to operate at least one of the tractor and the walker. In response to reception of the instruction by the input device, the controller determines whether or not to permit the tractor and/or the walker to perform a process based on the instruction, in accordance with a current state of the robot, the current state being one of a plurality of states of the robot. Each state is represented by using values of items, one of the items being an item indicating whether or not the one or more brakes are applied to the wheels.

Robot, method for controlling robot, and recording medium

A force measurement apparatus includes a force detection unit that measures a force generated when a forceps is brought into contact with an inside of a body when an operator inserts a forceps or an endoscope into the body and measures a force generated when the forceps acts on a living body from outside the body, a reference information generating unit that generates reference information serving as information of a force acquired by the force detection unit when the forceps is located at a predetermined position, and an individual force calculation unit that individually calculates a force generated when the forceps acts on the living body in the body based on the reference information.

Force measurement apparatus, force measurement method, force measurement program, force measurement integrated electronic circuit, and master-slave device

A robot system for assisting a patient in standing up and/or sitting down is provided. The robot system includes the following elements. A drive mechanism executes a drive pattern for assisting the patient in standing up and/or sitting down. An instruction input device receives an instruction to cause the drive mechanism to execute the drive pattern. A state acquirer acquires an execution state of the drive mechanism which is executing the drive pattern. A controller decides whether or not to cause the drive mechanism to execute the instruction received by the instruction input device, on the basis of the execution state acquired by the state acquirer, and controls the driving of the drive mechanism.

Growing community of inventors

Osaka, Japan

Yuko Tsusaka