IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,594,804
Granted Patent B2
US 12,594,804 · App. 18/603,062 · Granted Apr 7, 2026

Mobile robot motion control method and mobile robot

Inventors: Shuai Wang (Shenzhen, CN); Jingfan Zhang (Shenzhen, CN); Zhaoxiang Li (Shenzhen, CN); Jiahao Wang (Shenzhen, CN); Yu Zheng (Shenzhen, CN)
Assignee: TENCENT TECHNOLOGY (SHENZHEN) COMPANY LIMITED
B60G17/016B60G3/207B60K1/02B60L15/20B60G2400/0511B60G2400/0512B60G2400/0513B60G2500/32B60L2240/423
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,594,804
App. No.
18/603,062
Granted
Apr 7, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

This application discloses a mobile robot and a method for controlling motion of the mobile robot. The mobile robot includes a first wheel part having a telescopic leg portion, a second wheel part having a telescopic leg portion, and a base part connected to the first wheel part and the second wheel part. The method includes: controlling the first wheel part and the second wheel part to be in a standing balance state, wherein the base part is parallel to a horizontal reference plane in the standing balance state; and controlling the mobile robot to perform bipedal-like motion based on the standing balance state, wherein, during the bipedal-like motion, the first wheel part and the second wheel part alternately touch the ground while the base part obliquely swinging.

Claims (59)

1 . A method for controlling motion of a mobile robot performed by a computer device, the mobile robot comprising a first wheel part, a second wheel part, and a base part connected to the first wheel part and the second wheel part, the first wheel part is located in a first direction of the base part, and the second wheel part is located in a second direction of the base part, and the method comprising:

controlling the first wheel part and the second wheel part to be in a standing balance state, wherein the base part is parallel to a horizontal reference plane in the standing balance state; and

controlling the mobile robot to perform bipedal-like motion based on the standing balance state, wherein, during the bipedal-like motion, the first wheel part and the second wheel part alternately touch the ground while the base part obliquely swinging, further comprising:

controlling the mobile robot to change from the standing balance state to a first inclined state in which the base part is inclined toward the first direction;

controlling the mobile robot to restore from the first inclined state to the standing balance state while the first wheel part is in contact with the ground and the second wheel part is in suspension;

controlling the mobile robot to change from the standing balance state to a second inclined state in which the base part is inclined toward the second direction; and

controlling the mobile robot to restore from the second inclined state to the standing balance state while the second wheel part is in contact with the ground and the first wheel is in suspension.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the controlling the mobile robot to change from the standing balance state to a first inclined state comprises:

controlling a first leg portion of the first wheel part to retract and a second leg portion of the second wheel part to extend, to enable an under-actuated system machine to be in the first inclined state, wherein

during extension and retraction of the first leg portion and the second leg portion, the base part is gradually inclined toward the first direction from a horizontal state parallel to the horizontal reference plane, and both the first wheel and the second wheel are in contact with the ground.

3 . The method according to claim 2 , wherein during the bipedal-like motion, motion of the first wheel part, the second wheel part, and the base part is controlled according to at least one of the following information:

a length change of the first leg portion of the first wheel part;

an angle and a variation of at least one joint motor of the first leg portion;

a length change of the second leg portion of the second wheel part;

an angle and a variation of at least one joint motor of the second leg portion;

a contact force between a first wheel of the first wheel part and the ground;

a contact force between a second wheel of the second wheel part and the ground;

pitch angle information and a pitch angular velocity of the mobile robot;

roll angle information and a roll angular velocity of the mobile robot; and

yaw angle information and a yaw angular velocity of the mobile robot.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the controlling the mobile robot to restore from the first inclined state to the standing balance state comprises:

controlling the first leg portion of the first wheel part to extend and the second leg portion of the second wheel part to retract, to enable the mobile robot to be in a first single-wheel ground-contacting state, the first single-wheel ground-contacting state being a state in which the first wheel is in contact with the ground and the second wheel is in suspension; and

controlling the first leg portion to keep extending and the second leg portion to keep retracting, to enable the under-actuated system machine to restore from the first single-wheel ground-contacting state to the standing balance state, wherein

during extension and retraction of the first leg portion and the second leg portion, the base part is gradually inclined toward the second direction until restoring to the horizontal state parallel to the horizontal reference plane, and the second wheel changes from being in contact with the ground to being in suspension and then restores to being in contact with the ground again.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the length of the first leg portion is the same as the length of the second leg portion in the standing balance state, and the mobile robot is in the second single-wheel ground-contacting state within second duration, wherein

the length of the first leg portion is greater than the length of the second leg portion within the second duration; and

the length of the first leg portion is the same as the length of the second leg portion at a termination node of the second duration.

6 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the controlling the mobile robot to change from the standing balance state to a first inclined state comprises:

controlling, when an inclination angle of the mobile robot reaches a first limit value, the mobile robot to change from the standing balance state to the first inclined state, wherein

the inclination angle of the mobile robot is configured for indicating an angle between a plane of the base part and a plane parallel to the horizontal reference plane.

7 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the controlling the mobile robot to restore from the first inclined state to the standing balance state comprises:

controlling, when the inclination angle of the mobile robot reaches a second limit value, the mobile robot to restore from the first inclined state to the standing balance state, wherein

the inclination angle of the mobile robot is configured for indicating the angle between the plane of the base part and the plane parallel to the horizontal reference plane.

8 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the bipedal-like motion comprises at least one of the following:

in-situ stepping motion;

linear motion;

curved motion;

in-situ circle turning and stepping motion; and

obstacle-crossing motion.

9 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the bipedal-like motion comprises the in-situ stepping motion; and

during the in-situ stepping motion, ground-touching positions of the first wheel part and the second wheel part after suspension are the same as an initial ground-touching position, or a distance difference between ground-touching positions of the first wheel part and the second wheel part after suspension and an initial ground-touching position is less than a first tolerance value.

10 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein during the linear motion or the curved motion or the in-situ circle turning and stepping motion or the obstacle-crossing motion, the ground-touching position of the first wheel part or the second wheel part after suspension is different from a ground-touching position before suspension, and a distance difference between the ground-touching position of the first wheel part or the second wheel part after suspension and the ground-touching position before suspension is not less than a second tolerance value; and

the base part obliquely swings toward a third direction and a fourth direction alternately, an angle between the third direction or the fourth direction and a forward direction of the mobile robot being an acute angle.

11 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein

during the bipedal-like motion, the first wheel of the first wheel part and the second wheel of the second wheel part are in a locked state.

12 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein

during the bipedal-like motion, the first wheel of the first wheel part and/or the second wheel of the second wheel part are in an unlocked state.

13 . The method according to claim 12 , further comprising:

during the bipedal-like motion, controlling the first wheel part and/or the second wheel part in the unlocked state to perform motion.

14 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein

when both the first wheel part and the second wheel part are in contact with the ground, a sum of a motor torque of a first drive motor corresponding to the first wheel part and a motor torque of a second drive motor corresponding to the second wheel part is a first torque;

when the first wheel part is in contact with the ground and the second wheel part is in suspension, the motor torque of the first drive motor is the first torque; and

when the second wheel part is in contact with the ground and the first wheel part is in suspension, the motor torque of the second drive motor is the first torque.

15 . A computer device, comprising a memory and a processor,

the memory storing a computer program, the computer program being loaded and executed by the processor to implement the mobile robot motion control method according to claim 1 .

16 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, storing a computer program, the computer program being executed by a processor to implement the mobile robot motion control method according to claim 1 .

17 . A chip, comprising a programmable logic circuit and/or a computer program, an electronic device on which the chip is installed, when running, configured to implement the mobile robot motion control method according to claim 1 .

18 . A mobile robot, comprising a first wheel part, a second wheel part, and a base part connected to the first wheel part and the second wheel part; and

a controller being disposed in the mobile robot, and the controller being configured to control the mobile robot to implement the mobile robot motion control method according to claim 1 .

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 18, 2024
From: WANG, SHUAI; ZHANG, JINGFAN; LI, ZHAOXIANG; WANG, JIAHAO; ZHENG, YU
To: TENCENT TECHNOLOGY (SHENZHEN) COMPANY LIMITED
Reel/Frame 067157/0062 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 15, 2024
From: WANG, SHUAI; ZHANG, JINGFAN; LI, ZHAOXIANG; WANG, JIAHAO; ZHENG, YU
To: TENCENT TECHNOLOGY (SHENZHEN) COMPANY LIMITED
Reel/Frame 066792/0235 →
Priority Claims (1)
CN 202211002012.9 · Aug 20, 2022 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTCN2023101084 · Jun 19, 2023
Related Publication 20240217296A1 · Jul 4, 2024
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