Method and a system for conveying a robot in an elevator
The invention comprises a method and a system for conveying a mobile robot in an elevator involving the monitoring of elevator operating components and of persons surrounding the elevator and operating the elevator by selecting a floor to which the mobile robot is to move. In one aspect an inertial sensor is used to learn or determine the number of floors. The robot may also have methods implemented to assess the floor space inside the elevator or to position itself in front of the elevator in such a way that it can, for example, monitor the operation of elevator operating components without being perceived as an obstacle from the elevator users' perspective.
1. A computer-implemented method for monitoring an elevator comprising a robot,
wherein the robot comprises a sensor system and at least one output unit, and
wherein the computer-implemented method comprises:
the robot leveraging the sensor system to detect one or more persons in a vicinity of the robot;
the robot leveraging the sensor system to detect an elevator operating component for the elevator;
the robot leveraging the sensor system to monitor the elevator operating component;
the robot leveraging the sensor system to detect a selected floor based on said leveraging of the sensor system to monitor the elevator operating component; and
the robot leveraging the at least one output unit to prompt at least one of the one or more detected persons to select a predetermined floor using the elevator operating component.
2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the robot leveraging the sensor system to monitor the elevator operating component comprises the robot leveraging the sensor system to monitor body part positions of at least one of the one or more detected persons when selecting the selected floor using the elevator operating component.
3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein:
the robot leveraging the sensor system to monitor comprises the robot leveraging the sensor system to determine a distance between the elevator operating component and the body part positions of the at least one of the one or more detected persons.
4. The method according to claim 3 , further comprising:
triggering an event when the distance between the elevator operating component and the body part positions of the at least one of the one or more detected persons falls below a threshold value.
5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the event comprises at least one of the group of calling the elevator, selecting the predetermined floor, or requesting one of the one or more persons in the vicinity of the robot to select the predetermined floor using the elevator operating component.
6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the robot leveraging the sensor system to detect one or more persons in the vicinity of the robot comprises the robot leveraging a person-recognition module thereof to create a skeleton model of at least one person of the one or more persons in the vicinity of the robot.
7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the robot leveraging the sensor system to monitor the elevator operating component is carried out on the basis of recorded joint points from the skeleton model.
8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the robot leveraging the sensor system to monitor the elevator operating component includes the robot capturing an image and classifying the captured image.
9. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
the robot leveraging the sensor system to detect an elevator display element; and
the robot accessing memory associated with the robot and a classification database stored in the memory to identify a floor at which the elevator is located based upon the detected elevator display element.
10. The method according to claim 9 , further comprising:
the robot leveraging the memory to compare the identified floor at which the elevator is located with the predetermined floor based upon patterns stored in the memory.
11. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
the robot leaving the elevator based upon the comparing of the identified floor at which the elevator is located with the predetermined floor upon reaching the predetermined floor.
12. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
the robot leveraging a motion planner to place the robot in a robot position in front of the elevator, wherein the leveraging of the motion planner selects the robot position such that a distance between the robot position and an elevator door from the elevator depends on a predetermined speed of the robot and an opening time of the elevator door or on the probability of hitting a moving obstacle.
13. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
the robot leveraging the sensor system to determine whether the elevator has a free area sufficiently large to receive the robot in the elevator; and
the robot determining whether to enter the elevator based upon the determination of whether the elevator has the free area sufficiently large to receive the robot in the elevator.
14. The method according to claim 1 , wherein when the elevator is located on a first floor that is different than a second floor at which the robot is located, the method further comprises:
the robot sending a signal to a signaling system located in the elevator, the signal system comprising a receiving unit and an output unit; and
leveraging the output unit of the signaling system to, upon receiving the signal, signal at least one person on the elevator to actuate the elevator operating component to select the second floor on which the robot is located.
15. A robot comprising:
a sensor system configured to:
detect one or more persons in a vicinity of the robot;
detect an elevator operating component for the elevator;
monitor the elevator operating component; and
detect a selected floor based on the monitored elevator operating component; and
an output unit configured to prompt at least one of the one or more detected persons to select a predetermined floor using the elevator operating component.
16. The robot according to claim 15 , wherein the sensor system is configured to monitor body part positions of the at least one of the one or more detected persons when selecting the floors using the elevator operating component.
17. The robot according to claim 16 , wherein the sensor system is configured to determine a distance between the elevator operating component and the body part positions of the at least one of the one or more detected persons.
18. The robot according to claim 15 , wherein the sensor system comprises a person-recognition module configured to create a skeleton model of the at least one person of the one or more persons in the vicinity of the robot.
19. The robot according to claim 18 , wherein the sensor system is configured to monitor the elevator operating component based on recorded joint points from the skeleton model.
20. The robot according to claim 15 , further comprising:
a transmitter configured to send a signal to a signaling system located in the elevator when the elevator is located at a first floor that is different than a second floor on which the robot is located, wherein signaling system comprises a receiving unit and an output unit, and wherein the output unit is configured to signal at least one person on the elevator to actuate the elevator operating component to select the second floor on which the robot is located.