Granted Patent B2

US 12,287,646 · App. 18/053,281 · Granted Apr 29, 2025

Inventors: Sun Myoung Jo (Ansan, KR); Jin Choi (Seoul, KR); Hoon Chung (Hwaseong, KR)

Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company; Kia Corporation

G05D1/0891

Abstract

Claims (64)

1. A robot control apparatus comprising:

at least one first sensor provided on a front of a head part of a robot including a wheel part and the head part connected to an upper portion of the wheel part, the first sensor being configured to sense a first distance from a ground;

at least one second sensor provided on a rear of the head part and configured to sense a second distance from the ground; and

a controller configured to:

determine a driving environment of the robot based on at least one of the first distance or the second distance;

adjust a control gain related to a balance control of the robot based on the determined driving environment;

determine that the robot has finished driving in the driving environment; and

in response to determining that the robot has finished driving in the driving environment, maintain the control gain related to the balance control of the robot until a preset time has elapsed.

2. The robot control apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to determine whether the driving environment of the robot corresponds to at least one of a situation in which the robot travels on a flat ground, a situation in which the robot climbs up stairs or steps, or a situation in which the robot climbs down the stairs or the steps.

3. The robot control apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first sensor is disposed on a front bottom of the head part, and wherein the second sensor is disposed on a rear bottom of the head part.

4. The robot control apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to:

determine whether the driving environment of the robot corresponds to a situation in which the robot travels on a flat ground based on whether the first distance and the second distance are within a threshold value from a first reference value; and

adjust the control gain related to the balance control of the robot to a first control gain corresponding to the situation in which the robot travels on the flat ground when it is determined that the driving environment of the robot corresponds to the situation in which the robot travels on the flat ground.

5. The robot control apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to:

determine whether the driving environment of the robot corresponds to a situation in which the robot climbs up stairs or steps based on whether the first distance or the second distance is smaller than or equal to a second reference value; and

adjust the control gain related to the balance control of the robot to a second control gain corresponding to the situation in which the robot climbs up the stairs or the steps when it is determined that the driving environment of the robot corresponds to the situation in which the robot climbs up the stairs or the steps.

6. The robot control apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the controller is configured to:

determine whether the situation in which the robot climbs up the stairs or the steps is completed based on whether the first distance or the second distance in the situation in which the robot climbs up the stairs or the steps is smaller than or equal to a fourth reference value; and

adjust the control gain related to the balance control of the robot to a fourth control gain corresponding to a completion of the situation in which the robot climbs up the stairs or the steps when it is determined that the situation in which the robot climbs up the stairs or steps is completed.

7. The robot control apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to:

determine whether the driving environment of the robot corresponds to a situation in which the robot climbs down stairs or steps based on whether the first distance or the second distance from the ground is greater than or equal to a third reference value; and

adjust the control gain related to the balance control of the robot to a third control gain corresponding to the situation in which the robot climbs down the stairs or the steps when it is determined that the driving environment of the robot corresponds to the situation in which the robot climbs down the stairs or the steps.

8. The robot control apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to determine the driving environment of the robot in consideration of an amount of current to drive a wheel included in the wheel part.

9. The robot control apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to determine the driving environment of the robot in consideration of an amount of torque of a wheel included in the wheel part.

10. The robot control apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to determine the driving environment of the robot in consideration of a degree to which the head part is inclined.

11. The robot control apparatus of claim 1 ,

wherein the at least one first sensor includes a sensor provided on a front left side of the head part and a sensor provided on a front right side of the head part,

wherein the at least one second sensor includes a sensor provided on a rear left side of the head part and a sensor provided on a rear right side of the head part, and

wherein the controller is configured to control vertical heights of left and right wheels included in the wheel part based on at least one of the first distance or the second distance.

12. A method for controlling a robot, the method comprising:

sensing, by at least one first sensor, a first distance from a ground, the first sensor being provided on a front of a head part of the robot including a wheel part, wherein the head part is connected to an upper portion of the wheel part;

sensing, by at least one second sensor, a second distance from the ground, the second sensor being provided on a rear of the head part;

determining, by a controller, a driving environment of the robot based on at least one of the first distance or the second distance;

adjusting, by the controller, a control gain related to a balance control of the robot based on the determined driving environment;

determine, by the controller, that the robot has finished driving in the driving environment; and

in response to determining that the robot has finished driving in the driving environment, maintain the control gain related to the balance control of the robot until a preset time has elapsed.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein determining, by the controller, the driving environment of the robot includes determining, by the controller, whether the driving environment of the robot corresponds to at least one of a situation in which the robot travels on a flat ground, a situation in which the robot climbs up stairs or steps, or a situation in which the robot climbs down the stairs or the steps.

14. The method of claim 12 ,

wherein determining, by the controller, the driving environment of the robot includes determining, by the controller, whether the driving environment of the robot corresponds to a situation in which the robot travels on a flat ground based on whether the first distance and the second distance are within a threshold value from a first reference value, and

wherein adjusting, by the controller, the control gain related to the balance control of the robot includes adjusting, by the controller, the control gain related to the balance control of the robot to a first control gain corresponding to the situation in which the robot travels on the flat ground when it is determined that the driving environment of the robot corresponds to the situation in which the robot travels on the flat ground.

15. The method of claim 12 ,

wherein determining, by the controller, the driving environment of the robot includes determining, by the controller, whether the driving environment of the robot corresponds to a situation in which the robot climbs up stairs or steps based on whether the first distance or the second distance is smaller than or equal to a second reference value, and

wherein adjusting, by the controller, the control gain related to the balance control of the robot includes adjusting, by the controller, the control gain related to the balance control of the robot to a second control gain corresponding to the situation in which the robot climbs up the stairs or the steps when it is determined that the driving environment of the robot corresponds to the situation in which the robot climbs up the stairs or steps.

16. The method of claim 15 ,

wherein determining, by the controller, the driving environment of the robot further includes determining, by the controller, whether the situation in which the robot climbs up the stairs or the steps is completed based on whether the first distance or the second distance in the situation in which the robot climbs up the stairs or the steps is smaller than or equal to a fourth reference value, and

wherein adjusting, by the controller, the control gain related to the balance control of the robot further includes adjusting, by the controller, the control gain related to the balance control of the robot to a fourth control gain corresponding to the completion of the situation in which the robot climbs up the stairs or the steps and maintaining, by the controller, the fourth control gain until a preset period of time elapses when it is determined that the situation in which the robot climbs up the stairs or the steps is completed.

17. The method of claim 12 ,

wherein determining, by the controller, the driving environment of the robot includes determining, by the controller, whether the driving environment of the robot corresponds to a situation in which the robot climbs down stairs or steps based on whether the first distance or the second distance is greater than or equal to a third reference value, and

wherein adjusting, by the controller, the control gain related to the balance control of the robot includes adjusting, by the controller, the control gain related to the balance control of the robot to a third control gain corresponding to the situation in which the robot climbs down the stairs or the steps when it is determined that the driving environment of the robot corresponds to the situation in which the robot climbs down the stairs or steps.

18. The method of claim 12 , wherein determining, by the controller, the driving environment of the robot includes determining, by the controller, the driving environment of the robot in consideration of at least one of an amount of current to drive a wheel included in the wheel part, an amount of torque of the wheel included in the wheel part, or a degree to which the head part is inclined.

19. The method of claim 12 ,

wherein the at least one first sensor includes a sensor provided on a front left side of the head part and a sensor provided on a front right side of the head part,

wherein the at least one second sensor includes a sensor provided on a rear left side of the head part and a sensor provided on a rear right side of the head part, and

wherein the method further comprises controlling, by the controller, vertical heights of left and right wheels included in the wheel part, based on at least one of the distance from the ground being sensed through the at least one first sensor or the distance from the ground being sensed through the at least one second sensor.

20. A robot control apparatus comprising:

at least one first sensor provided on a front of a head part of a robot including a wheel part and the head part connected to an upper portion of the wheel part, the first sensor being configured to sense a first distance from a ground;

at least one second sensor provided on a rear of the head part and configured to sense a second distance from the ground; and

a controller configured to:

determine a driving environment of the robot based on at least one of the first distance or the second distance; and

adjust a control gain related to a balance control of the robot based on the determined driving environment,

wherein the controller is further configured to:

determine whether a situation in which the robot climbs up stairs or steps is completed based on whether the first distance or the second distance in the situation in which the robot climbs up the stairs or the steps is smaller than or equal to a fourth reference value;

adjust the control gain related to the balance control of the robot to a fourth control gain corresponding to a completion of the situation in which the robot climbs up the stairs or the steps when it is determined that the situation in which the robot climbs up the stairs or the steps is completed; and

maintain the control gain related to the balance control of the robot at the fourth control gain until a preset period of time elapses when the situation in which the robot climbs up the stairs or the steps is completed.

Assignments (3)

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (20)