Robot driving by controlling TOF LiDAR sensor and controlling method of the robot
Provided are a robot driven by controlling a time of flight (TOF) light detection and ranging (LiDAR) sensor, and a driving method thereof. The robot outputs laser pulse signals of the TOF LiDAR sensor by switching a laser pulse signal of a short-range pulse energy and a laser pulse signal of a remote pulse energy, while the TOF LiDAR sensor rotates, corrects information about a distance between the robot and peripheral objects of the robot, based on reflection signals of the laser pulse signals, the reflection signals being received from the peripheral objects of the robot, and controls the driving module to move the robot based on the corrected information about the distance.
1 . A robot comprising:
a driving module;
a time of flight (TOF) light detection and ranging (LiDAR) sensor;
at least one memory storing one or more instructions; and
at least one processor configured to execute the one or more instructions stored in the at least one memory to:
obtain information about a distance between the robot and peripheral objects of the robot by outputting a laser pulse signal of the TOF LiDAR sensor of a default pulse energy,
determine, based on the obtained information about the distance, whether to change the default pulse energy of the laser pulse signal of the TOF LiDAR sensor to a short-range pulse energy for short-range objects and a remote pulse energy for remote objects, wherein the short-range pulse energy and the remote pulse energy are different than the default pulse energy,
based on determining not to change the default pulse energy of the laser pulse signal of the TOF LiDAR sensor to the short-range pulse energy for short-range objects and the remote pulse energy for remote objects, continue outputting the laser pulse signal of the TOF LIDAR sensor of the default pulse energy,
based on determining to change the default pulse energy of the laser pulse signal of the TOF LIDAR sensor to the short-range pulse energy for short-range objects and the remote pulse energy for remote objects,
output laser pulse signals of the TOF LiDAR sensor by continuously switching between a laser pulse signal of the short-range pulse energy and a laser pulse signal of the remote pulse energy, while the TOF LiDAR sensor rotates,
correct the information about the distance between the robot and the peripheral objects of the robot, based on reflection signals of the laser pulse signal of the short-range pulse energy and the laser pulse signal of the remote pulse energy, the reflection signals being received from the peripheral objects of the robot, and
control the driving module to move the robot based on the corrected information about the distance.
2 . The robot of claim 1 , wherein, to output laser pulse signals of the TOF LiDAR sensor by continuously switching between a laser pulse signal of the short-range pulse energy and a laser pulse signal of the remote pulse energy, while the TOF LiDAR sensor rotates, the at least one processor is further configured to execute the one or more instructions stored in the at least one memory to:
output the laser pulse signal of the short-range pulse energy during a rotation cycle of the TOF LIDAR sensor and output the laser pulse signal of the remote pulse energy during a next rotation cycle of the rotation cycle.
3 . The robot of claim 2 , wherein, to output laser pulse signals of the TOF LiDAR sensor by continuously switching between a laser pulse signal of the short-range pulse energy and a laser pulse signal of the remote pulse energy, while the TOF LiDAR sensor rotates, the at least one processor is further configured to execute the one or more instructions stored in the at least one memory to:
identify a type of at least one object from among the peripheral objects of the robot as a chair or a table,
when the chair or the table is identified, start an intensive cleaning mode for intensively cleaning a space between legs of the chair or the table, and
based on the start of the intensive cleaning mode, output the laser pulse signal of the short-range pulse energy during the rotation cycle of the TOF LiDAR sensor and output the laser pulse signal of the remote pulse energy during the next rotation cycle.
4 . The robot of claim 2 , wherein, to output laser pulse signals of the TOF LiDAR sensor by continuously switching between a laser pulse signal of the short-range pulse energy and a laser pulse signal of the remote pulse energy, while the TOF LiDAR sensor rotates, the at least one processor is further configured to execute the one or more instructions stored in the at least one memory to:
identify an obstacle from among the peripheral objects of the robot,
start an obstacle-outline-following mode for deviating from a predetermined driving route and following an outline of the identified obstacle, and
based on the start of the obstacle-outline-following mode, output the laser pulse signal of the short-range pulse energy during the rotation cycle of the TOF LiDAR sensor and output the laser pulse signal of the remote pulse energy during the next rotation cycle.
5 . The robot of claim 1 , wherein, to output laser pulse signals of the TOF LiDAR sensor by continuously switching between a laser pulse signal of the short-range pulse energy and a laser pulse signal of the remote pulse energy, while the TOF LiDAR sensor rotates, the at least one processor is further configured to execute the one or more instructions stored in the at least one memory to:
output the laser pulse signal of the short-range pulse energy according to an angular range of the short-range objects and output the laser pulse signal of the remote pulse energy according to an angular range of the remote objects.
6 . The robot of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the one or more instructions stored in the at least one memory to:
generate a short-range map based on a reflection signal of the laser pulse signal of the short-range pulse energy,
generate a remote map based on a reflection signal of the laser pulse signal of the remote pulse energy, and
combine the short-range map and the remote map so as to generate a map about the peripheral objects of the robot.
7 . The robot of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the one or more instructions stored in the at least one memory to:
when the robot detects a docking guide signal that is output from a charge station while the robot returns to the charge station to dock to the charge station, output the laser pulse signals of the TOF LIDAR sensor, based on a docking pulse energy for reducing interference with respect to the docking guide signal.
8 . The robot of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the one or more instructions stored in the at least one memory to:
determine a cleaning area along which the robot is to move, and determine, based on a size of the cleaning area, a size of the short-range pulse energy.
9 . A driving method of a robot, the driving method comprising:
obtaining information about a distance between the robot and peripheral objects of the robot by outputting a laser pulse signal of a time of flight (TOF) light detection and ranging (LiDAR) sensor of a default pulse energy;
determining, based on the obtained information about the distance, whether to change the default pulse energy of the laser pulse signal of the TOF LiDAR sensor to a short-range pulse energy for short-range objects and a remote pulse energy for remote objects, wherein the short-range pulse energy and the remote pulse energy are different than the default pulse energy;
based on determining not to change the default pulse energy of the laser pulse signal of the TOF LIDAR sensor to the short-range pulse energy for short-range objects and the remote pulse energy for remote objects, continue outputting the laser pulse signal of the TOF LiDAR sensor of the default pulse energy,
based on determining to change the default pulse energy of the laser pulse signal of the TOF LIDAR sensor to the short-range pulse energy for short-range objects and the remote pulse energy for remote objects,
outputting laser pulse signals of the TOF LiDAR sensor by continuously switching between a laser pulse signal of the short-range pulse energy and a laser pulse signal of the remote pulse energy, while the TOF LiDAR sensor rotates;
correcting the information about the distance between the robot and the peripheral objects of the robot, based on reflection signals of the laser pulse signal of the short-range pulse energy and the laser pulse signal of the remote pulse energy, the reflection signals being received from the peripheral objects of the robot; and
moving the robot based on the corrected information about the distance.
10 . The driving method of claim 9 , wherein the outputting of the laser pulse signals of the TOF LiDAR sensor includes:
outputting the laser pulse signal of the short-range pulse energy during a rotation cycle of the TOF LIDAR sensor and outputting the laser pulse signal of the remote pulse energy during a next rotation cycle of the rotation cycle.
11 . The driving method of claim 10 , wherein the determining whether to change the default pulse energy of the laser pulse signal of the TOF LiDAR sensor to the short-range pulse energy for short-range objects and the remote pulse energy for remote objects includes:
identifying a type of at least one object from among the peripheral objects of the robot as a chair or a table;
when the chair or the table is identified, starting an intensive cleaning mode for intensively cleaning a space among legs of the chair or the table; and
based on the start of the intensive cleaning mode, determining to change the default pulse energy of the laser pulse signal of the TOF LiDAR sensor to the short-range pulse energy for short-range objects and the remote pulse energy for remote objects.
12 . The driving method of claim 10 , wherein the determining whether to change the default pulse energy of the laser pulse signal of the TOF LIDAR sensor to the short-range pulse energy for short-range objects and the remote pulse energy for remote objects further includes:
identifying an obstacle from among the peripheral objects of the robot;
starting an obstacle-outline-following mode for deviating from a predetermined driving route and following an outline of the identified obstacle; and
based on the start of the obstacle-outline-following mode, determining to change the default pulse energy of the laser pulse signal of the TOF LiDAR sensor to the short-range pulse energy for short-range objects and the remote pulse energy for remote objects.
13 . The driving method of claim 9 , wherein the outputting of the laser pulse signals of the TOF LiDAR sensor includes:
outputting the laser pulse signal of the short-range pulse energy according to an angular range of the short-range objects and outputting the laser pulse signal of the remote pulse energy according to an angular range of the remote objects.
14 . The driving method of claim 9 , wherein the correcting of the information about the distance between the robot and the peripheral objects of the robot includes:
generating a short-range map based on a reflection signal of the laser pulse signal of the short-range pulse energy, generating a remote map based on a reflection signal of the laser pulse signal of the remote pulse energy, and combining the short-range map and the remote map so as to generate a map about the peripheral objects of the robot.
15 . The driving method of claim 9 , further comprising:
when the robot returns to a charge station to dock to the charge station, detecting a docking guide signal that is output from the charge station; and
when the docking guide signal is detected, outputting the laser pulse signals of the TOF LiDAR sensor, based on a docking pulse energy for reducing interference with respect to the docking guide signal.
16 . A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program for executing the driving method of claim 9 , on a computer.