Method and device of avoiding robot from obstacle, and controller

A method of operating a device to avoid a collision with an obstacle, comprising:

• detecting, by an electronic skin of the device, whether an external conductor is approaching the device, wherein the electronic skin comprises a sensing circuit formed on a housing of the device and the sensing circuit is configured to detect whether the external conductor is approaching the device, and wherein the electronic skin comprises a plurality of sensing electrodes formed on the housing, and the plurality of sensing electrodes are respectively connected to the sensing circuit;
• generating at least two electrical signals that represent distances between the external conductor and the plurality of sensing electrodes or changes of the distances between the external conductor and the plurality of sensing electrodes;
• selecting, from each of the at least two electrical signals, an electrical signal that represents a smallest distance among the distances or a largest distance change among the changes of the distances as an electrical signal that represents a distance between the external conductor and the housing of the device or a change of the distance between the external conductor and the housing of the device;
• determining, executed only once, whether the distance between the external conductor and the housing of the device is less than a first threshold value or whether an approaching speed between the external conductor and the housing of the device calculated from the change of the distance between the external conductor and the housing of the device is greater than a second threshold value;
• and
• controlling the device so as to avoid the collision with the external conductor or to reduce a strength of the collision between the device and the external conductor, when the distance is determined to be less than the first threshold value or the approaching speed between the external conductor and the housing of the device is determined to be greater than the second threshold value,
• wherein the at least two electrical signals correspond to different sensing electrodes respectively, and the different sensing electrodes are located at different positions of the device.