Obstacle following sensor scheme for a mobile robot
AssigneeiRobot Corporation
InventorsChristopher Casey, Matthew Cross, Daniel Ozick, Joseph L. Jones
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A robot obstacle detection system including a robot housing which navigates with respect to a surface and a sensor subsystem aimed at the surface for detecting the surface. The sensor subsystem includes an emitter which emits a signal having a field of emission and a photon detector having a field of view which intersects the field of emission at a region. The subsystem detects the presence of an object proximate the mobile robot and determines a value of a signal corresponding to the object. It compares the value to a predetermined value, moves the mobile robot in response to the comparison, and updates the predetermined value upon the occurrence of an event.
Claims22
A method for operating a mobile robot, the method comprising:
- detecting the presence of an object proximate the mobile robot by emitting an infrared signal and detecting a reflected infrared signal;
- sensing a value of the reflected infrared signal corresponding to the object;
- comparing the sensed value to a threshold value corresponding to a detected surface having a threshold level of reflectivity;
- moving the mobile robot with respect to the detected object in response to the comparison of the sensed value and the threshold value;
- and
- updating the threshold value upon the occurrence of an event, the event comprising at least one of a physical contact between the mobile robot and the object and when the updated threshold value is less than the non-updated threshold value.
A method for operating a mobile robot, the method comprising the mobile robot:
- detecting a transition between a reflection state and a non-reflection state of an emitted infrared signal for determining the presence and absence of an object proximate the mobile robot, respectively;
- sensing a value of the reflected infrared signal corresponding to the object;
- comparing the sensed value to a threshold value corresponding to a detected surface having a threshold level of reflectivity;
- in response to the comparison of the sensed value and the threshold value, causing the robot to move a travel distance in a first direction with respect to the detected object and to rotate in a second direction about a fixed point;
- and
- updating the threshold value upon the occurrence of an event, the event comprising at least one of a physical contact between the mobile robot and the object and when the updated threshold value is less than the non-updated threshold value.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.