Mobile robot and control method

A method for controlling a mobile robot which moves in an environment and includes a range finding sensor having a predetermined range-finding range, the method comprising:

• acquiring a map of the environment including position information of an object, and a first path along which the mobile robot is to move in the environment;
• identifying a feature point which is, among points each indicating a position of the object on the map, a point where, as viewed from a direction toward the point from the mobile robot, a distance between the object and the range finding sensor varies with movement of the mobile robot along the first path;
• identifying a virtual point which is, among points on a virtual line segment, a point closest to the first path when the virtual line segment does not intersect with the first path, the virtual line segment extending toward the first path from the feature point, and having a maximum length within the predetermined range-finding range;
• converting the first path into a second path which passes through the virtual point;
• and
• causing the mobile robot to move along the second path.

A mobile robot which moves in an environment, the mobile robot comprising:

• a range finding sensor having a predetermined range-finding range;
• and
• an acquisition unit which acquires a map of the environment including position information of an object, and a first path along which the mobile robot is to move in the environment, wherein
• the environment includes at least a first region and a second region,
• the environment is defined by a plurality of corners and a plurality of wall surfaces which surround the environment,
• a first corner of the plurality of corners is in contact with the first region and the second region,
• the mobile robot moves to satisfy at least one of first movement and second movement,
• the first movement is movement where, after the mobile robot enters the second region from the first region, the mobile robot moves such that one of the plurality of wall surfaces defining the second region is positioned within the range-finding range, and the mobile robot moves to the first region from the second region, and
• the second movement is movement where, after the mobile robot enters the first region from the second region, the mobile robot moves such that one of the plurality of wall surfaces defining the first region is positioned within the range-finding range, and the mobile robot moves to the second region from the first region.