Image processing device, mobile robot control system, and mobile robot control method

A mobile robot control system, comprising:

• a driver changing a traveling speed and a traveling direction of a mobile robot;
• a detector detecting a plurality of detection objects placed along a traveling path to a destination;
• and
• a controller obtaining a distance and a direction to the detection object detected by the detector, calculating the traveling direction allowing the distance and the direction to the detection object to satisfy a predetermined relationship, and performing drive control of the driver, based on the calculated traveling direction, wherein the detection object is configured as a marker including first cells capable of reflecting emitted light and second cells incapable of reflecting the emitted light, the cells being squares or rectangles, the first cells and the second cells being arranged in an a×a or a×b (where a, b=3, 4, 5, 6, . . .) matrix on a two-dimensional plane, and
• the detector includes:
• an illuminator emitting light;
• an imager imaging, by a camera, light reflected from the first cells after the first cells and the second cells constituting the marker are illuminated with the light emitted from the illuminator;
• and
• a calculator calculating a distance and a direction to the marker, based on an imaged data item taken by the imager, wherein
• in the detection object,
• a plurality of the cells constituting a first row or first column of the matrix arrangement serve as a detection start position,
• a plurality of the cells constituting a last row or last column of the matrix arrangement serve as a detection end position,
• a plurality of the cells constituting one or more rows or columns residing between the detection start position and the detection end position serve as one or more ID information assigning positions.

A mobile robot control method of controlling a mobile robot, the mobile robot including:

• a driver changing a traveling speed and a traveling direction of the mobile robot;
• a detector detecting a plurality of detection objects placed along a traveling path to a destination;
• and
• a controller obtaining a distance and a direction to the detection object detected by the detector, wherein
• the detection object is configured as a marker including first cells capable of reflecting emitted light and second cells incapable of reflecting the emitted light, the cells being squares or rectangles, the first cells and the second cells being arranged in an a×a or a×b (where a, b=3, 4, 5, 6, . . .) matrix on a two-dimensional plane, and
• the detector includes:
• an illuminator emitting light;
• an imager imaging, by a camera, light reflected from the first cells after the first cells and the second cells constituting the marker are illuminated with the light emitted from the illuminator;
• and
• a calculator calculating a distance and a direction to the marker, based on an imaged data item taken by the imager, wherein
• in the detection object
• a plurality of the cells constituting a first row or first column of the matrix arrangement serve as a detection start position,
• a plurality of the cells constituting a last row or last column of the matrix arrangement serve as a detection end position,
• a plurality of the cells constituting one or more rows or columns residing between the detection start position and the detection end position serve as one or more ID information assigning positions, the mobile robot control method comprising
• causing the controller to calculate the traveling direction allowing the distance and the direction to the detection object to satisfy a predetermined relationship, and to perform drive control of the driver, based on the calculated traveling direction.