Method of controlling movement of mobile robot

1. A method of controlling movement of a mobile robot, said method comprising:

detecting at least a position and a moving direction of an accompanied target; and

controlling movement of the mobile robot, based on the detected position and the moving direction of the accompanied target, so that the mobile robot keeps following a path that is directed toward the same direction as the moving direction of the accompanied target and is parallel to the moving direction, wherein said controlling further includes:

controlling movement of the mobile robot so that a distance between the accompanied target and the mobile robot becomes a predetermined distance,

calculating the path along which the mobile robot moves, based on detected information of the accompanied target that is detected in said detecting;

calculating a velocity of the mobile robot, based on the detected information of the accompanied target and a difference between a position of the mobile robot on the calculated path and a current position of the mobile robot; and

controlling the mobile robot so that the mobile robot moves at the calculated velocity.

2. The method of controlling movement of the mobile robot according to claim 1 ,

wherein in said calculating of the path, a target coordinate Pl on the path along which the mobile robot moves is calculated in accordance with the following equations (1) and (4),

Pa=Pk+A*Vg   (1),

( Pl−Pg )· Vg=L   (4)

where Pk is an arbitrary position vector in an arbitrary distance from a point on the moving path of the accompanied target, Vg is a unit vector of the velocity of the accompanied target, A is an arbitrary constant, Pg is a position vector of the accompanied target, and L is a predetermined distance between the accompanied target and the mobile robot along the moving direction of the accompanied target.

3. The method of controlling movement of the mobile robot according to claim 1 .

wherein in said calculating of the velocity, the velocity of the mobile robot is calculated in accordance with the following equations (5) and (3b),

Vr=G 1×| Vg|+G 4×| Vg|×dL   (5),

ω r=−G 2× dθ−G 3× dh   (3b)

where Vr is a velocity for moving toward a direction parallel to the path along which the mobile robot moves, Vg is a unit vector of the velocity of the accompanied target, ωr is an angular velocity of the mobile robot, dθ is an angular difference between a direction toward which the mobile robot faces and the direction of the path along which the mobile robot moves, dh is a distance between the mobile robot and the path along which the mobile robot moves, G 1 , G 2 , G 3 and G 4 are predetermined gains, and dL is a difference of a predetermined distance between the accompanied target and the mobile robot.

4. The method of controlling movement of the mobile robot according to claim 1 ,

wherein said detecting further includes smoothing at least the detected position of the accompanied target.

5. The method of controlling movement of the mobile robot according to claim 1 ,

wherein said controlling further includes estimating a continuous region having a constant width in a direction vertical to the path of the accompanied target, based on at least the position of the accompanied target, and keeping the moving path of the mobile robot while the accompanied target moves within the continuous region.

6. The method of controlling movement of the mobile robot according to claim 5 ,

wherein said controlling further includes keeping the moving path of the mobile robot while the accompanied target moves within the continuous region and an angle between the moving direction of the accompanied target and the path of the accompanied target is within a predetermined range.

7. The method of controlling Movement of the mobile robot according to claim 5 ,

wherein said controlling further includes stopping the mobile robot in the case where the velocity of the accompanied target is 0 and the distance between the accompanied target and the mobile robot is within a predetermined distance.

8. The method of controlling movement of the mobile robot according to claim 1 ,

wherein said controlling further includes stopping the mobile robot in the case where it is detected that the moving direction of the accompanied target changes to a direction approaching the mobile robot.

9. The method of controlling movement of the mobile robot according to claim 8 ,

wherein said controlling further includes re-starting the movement of the mobile robot in the case where it is judged that the accompanied target moves away from the stopped mobile robot.

10. The method of controlling movement of the mobile robot according to claim 1 ,

wherein said controlling further includes causing the mobile robot to follow after the accompanied target in the case where an obstacle is detected in the moving direction of the mobile robot.

11. The method of controlling movement of the mobile robot according to claim 1 ,

wherein said controlling further includes controlling movement of the mobile robot by making a distance between the accompanied target and the mobile robot shorter as a surrounding environment is more crowded.

12. The method of controlling movement of the mobile robot according to claim 1 ,

wherein said controlling further includes determining a distance between the accompanied target and the mobile robot in proportion to the moving velocity of the accompanied target, and controlling movement of the mobile robot in accordance with the distance.

13. A method of controlling movement of a mobile robot, said method comprising:

detecting a position and a moving direction of an accompanied target;

calculating a path along which the mobile robot moves, based on the detected position and the moving direction of the accompanied target, the path being directed toward the same direction as the moving direction of the accompanied target and being parallel to the moving direction;

calculating a velocity of the mobile robot, based on the detected velocity of the accompanied target and a difference between a position of the mobile robot on the calculated path and a current position of the mobile robot; and

controlling the mobile robot so that the mobile robot moves at the calculated velocity while continuing to follow the calculated path along which the mobile robot moves, the path being directed toward the same direction as the moving direction of the accompanied target and being parallel to the moving direction.

14. The method of controlling movement of the mobile robot according to claim 13 ,

wherein in said calculating of the path, an arbitrary position vector Pa on the path along which the mobile robot moves is calculated in accordance with the following equations (1) and (2),

Pa=Pk+A*Vg   (1),

| Pk −( Pg +(( Pk−Pg )· Vg ) Vg )|= K   (2)

where Pk is an arbitrary position vector positioned in an arbitrary distance K from a point on a moving path of the accompanied target, Vg is a unit vector of the velocity of the accompanied target, A is an arbitrary constant, and Pg is a position vector of the accompanied target.

15. The method of controlling movement of the mobile robot according to claim 13 ,

wherein in said calculating of the velocity, the velocity of the mobile robot is calculated in accordance with the following equations (3a) and (3b),

Vr=G 1×| Vg|   (3a),

ω r=−G 2× dθ−G 3 ×dh   (3b)

where Vr is a velocity for moving toward a direction parallel to the path along which the mobile robot moves, Vg is a unit vector of the velocity of the accompanied target, ωr is an angular velocity of the mobile robot, dθ is an angular difference between a direction toward which the mobile robot faces and the direction of the path along which the mobile robot moves, dh is a distance between the mobile robot and the path along which the mobile robot moves, and G 1 , G 2 and G 3 are predetermined gains.

16. A mobile robot that is an autonomous mobile robot, comprising:

a mobile unit operable to move a mobile robot body;

a measurement unit operable to measure a position and a moving direction of an accompanied target; and

a control unit operable to control the mobile unit, based on the measured position and the moving direction of the accompanied target, so that the mobile unit keeps following a path that is directed toward the moving direction of the accompanied target and is parallel to the moving direction,

wherein the control unit is further operable to:

control movement of the mobile unit so that a distance between the accompanied target and the mobile robot becomes a predetermined distance,

calculate the path along which the mobile unit moves, based on information from the measurement unit regarding the position and moving direction of the accompanied target;

calculate a velocity of the mobile unit, based on a difference between the measured position of the mobile unit on the calculated path and a current position of the mobile unit; and

control the mobile unit so that the mobile unit moves at the calculated velocity.