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CN-113841101-B - Method for creating an environment map for use in the autonomous navigation of a mobile robot

CN113841101BCN 113841101 BCN113841101 BCN 113841101BCN-113841101-B

Abstract

In a method of creating an environment map for use in autonomous navigation of a mobile robot (10) in a map-based positioning system in a logistics environment, mobile objects (20, 200) of a commodity management system having known locations are included into the environment map creation process.

Inventors

  • S. Sherrell
  • G. Stelman

Assignees

  • 罗伯特·博世有限公司

Dates

Publication Date
20260505
Application Date
20200518
Priority Date
20190529

Claims (10)

  1. 1. Method for creating an environment map for use in autonomous navigation situations of a mobile robot (10) in a map-based positioning system in a logistics environment, characterized in that existing information from a commodity management system regarding the position of the mobile object (20, 200) with a known position of the commodity management system is used and included into an environment map creation process within the scope of the positioning system, wherein the environment map is continuously compared with the information from the commodity management system such that the changing position of mobile objects in the environment map is taken in time or in real time, wherein the mobile objects are containers or other units in the logistics environment that can be relocated or transported, wherein a dynamic semantic map is generated based on the known position of the mobile objects (20, 200) of the commodity management system when creating the environment map, wherein the resulting environment map has to a certain extent two levels, wherein the first level represents a static environment map and the other levels represent mobile objects of the commodity management system, wherein the other levels are adapted to filter out the dynamic environment map of the mobile objects (20, 200) in the situation of the commodity management system.
  2. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the logistics environment is a port facility.
  3. 3. The method according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the creation of the environment map is performed based on sensor data of the mobile robot (10).
  4. 4. Method according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the creation of the environment map is performed within the scope of synchronized localization and mapping of the mobile robot (10).
  5. 5. The method according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the drawing of static objects (30) is supplemented by the drawing of the mobile objects (20, 200) of the commodity management system when creating the environment map.
  6. 6. The method according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the position of the mobile object (20, 200) is projected into a reference coordinate system.
  7. 7. Computer program product comprising a computer program which, when executed on a processor, performs the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 6.
  8. 8. A machine readable storage medium on which is stored a computer program according to claim 7.
  9. 9. Electronic control device set up for performing the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 6.
  10. 10. Mobile robot (10) having an electronic control device according to claim 9.

Description

Method for creating an environment map for use in the autonomous navigation of a mobile robot Technical Field The present invention relates to a method of creating an environment map for use in autonomous navigation situations of a mobile robot in a map-based positioning system in a logistics environment. The invention also relates to a computer program for performing such a method, a machine-readable storage medium, on which such a computer program is stored, and an electronic control device for performing such a method. Background It has become standard in logistics centers today that automatically guided vehicles perform cargo transportation in an automated manner. Navigation of the vehicle robot is performed in such a structured environment, for example, according to markers on the ground. Thus, german publication 10 2014 100 658 A1 describes, for example, a tower crane which can be used in port facilities. With this tower crane, containers can be handled, wherein a horizontal transverse beam is provided which is movable in the direction of travel and has a crane trolley which is movable in the direction of travel of the crane and transversely thereto and has a liftable load receiving device for the containers. As a basis for the navigation of robots, a variant of the so-called SLAM (Simultaneous Localization AND MAPPING (synchronous localization and mapping)) algorithm is generally used. In this case, the robot creates a map of its own environment and simultaneously locates itself in the environment map. Algorithms are used for this process that determine the position of the robot relative to its own environment. For this purpose, an environment representation, i.e. a map, can be created by means of an onboard sensing mechanism of the mobile robot. The map includes physical characteristics of the environment that can be detected using the sensing mechanism, such as a laser scanner (LIDAR) or a camera. The localization map can here contain, depending on the sensor and method used, a combination of originally measured points, salient points (features) or semantic objects (HIGH LEVEL features). In addition to synchronous positioning and map creation, it is also possible to map and position in separate steps, if necessary also with the aid of different vehicles or mobile robots. Disclosure of Invention THE ADVANTAGES OF THE PRESENT INVENTION The present invention provides a method of creating an environment map for use in autonomous navigation situations of a mobile robot in a map-based positioning system in a logistics environment, wherein mobile objects of a commodity management system having known locations are included into the environment map creation process. With this method, the robustness and positioning accuracy of the map-based positioning system can be improved, for example, in port contexts, whereby the navigation quality of the corresponding robot, in particular of a transport robot, such as a drivable crane or other vehicle, is also indirectly improved. Mobile robots are also understood to mean flying and/or autonomous robots, such as unmanned aerial vehicles, in particular multiaxial helicopters. The flying robot can also be configured as an air taxi for transporting people or passengers. The proposed method thus provides a clear improvement in the case of positioning and navigation in a variable environment. In general, navigation of autonomous transport robots in a logistical environment, for example in a port facility, is difficult because containers are often moved in port facilities and thus making it difficult to create a persistent map based on an environmental representation. The proposed method solves this problem by storing its own location in the commodity management system and thus including known mobile objects into the environment map creation. Here, existing information from the commodity management system in view of the location of the mobile objects of the commodity management system, i.e. for example containers, pallets or other salient objects, is used and included into the environment map creation process within the scope of the positioning system. By means of said information from the goods management system it can thus be identified, for example, whether a particular object is a mobile object. Further, the changing position of the mobile object can be directly considered in the environment map. The product management system is in this connection a system that reflects the product flow in the business process of the enterprise. What is important here for the invention is the commodity circulation of the commodity management system with which the warehouse management is organized. Information about the location of objects of the commodity management system to be extracted from the warehouse or to be stored in the warehouse is contained in the warehouse management. Thus, information about the location of the merchandise management system, such as a container or tray or ot