JP3674619B2 - Micro robot - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a micro robot capable of wireless control in a very small size, for example, about 1 cubic centimeter.

  Conventionally, when a robot is wirelessly controlled, control called radio control is performed, and a control method using radio waves has been used. Further, in order to control the direction, steering is performed by superimposing a control signal on the radio wave. Further, in order to autonomously move in a desired direction, a directional antenna is used, or a visual sensor or the like is used in combination. Running resistance was reduced by using wheels in the running section. In addition, the terminal for charging consists of a rigid contact point and is formed in the recess of the housing.

  However, since the above-described robot control method uses radio waves, both the transmission side and the reception side require many electric elements, and a mechanism for steering is required, which is not suitable for downsizing. Further, for example, in order to make a system that moves autonomously in the direction in which radio waves are transmitted, it is necessary to add the above-described antenna and sensor, and this point is not suitable for downsizing. Further, when the parts other than the drive unit are supported by the wheels, if the wheels are small, it is impossible to get over the large unevenness. Conversely, if the wheels are large, it is difficult to reduce the size. The charging terminal could not be made small for handling, which hindered miniaturization.

In addition, even if such a robot tries to perform some work, such a mechanism has not yet been developed.
In addition, a large-capacity battery cannot be attached due to the demand for miniaturization, and it is desirable to charge it without contact from the viewpoint of wireless control, but such a charging mechanism has not yet been developed. .

  An object of the present invention is to provide a microrobot having a size of about 1 cubic centimeter.

A microrobot according to an aspect of the present invention includes at least a pair of drives having at least two sensors whose detection areas partially overlap, and driving points that are driven independently of each other and separated in a direction perpendicular to the moving direction. and parts, and a controller for controlling the driving unit based on the oN output of the sensor, it can be charged, the sensor, and a power supply unit for supplying a power supply voltage to the drive unit and the control unit, the The drive unit, the control unit, and the power supply unit are each formed in a plate shape, and are arranged so that the control unit and the power supply unit overlap between the pair of drive units, and run by the pair of drive units. It is supported by two driving points that are driven with respect to the ground and sliding portions that are in sliding frictional contact with the traveling ground , each having the sliding portions before and after the two driving points, and from the center of gravity. Extending lead When the line segment connecting the two drive points intersects with the line segment connecting the two drive points, and the line segment connecting the two drive points is ahead of the line segment connecting the two drive points. The front sliding portion is in contact with the traveling ground, and when the vertical line segment is behind, the rear sliding portion is in contact with the traveling ground. With this configuration, the size can be reduced. In particular, by overlapping the detection areas of the sensors, a function of autonomously moving with respect to the target can be obtained with a simple circuit. In addition, since the driving units are controlled independently, complicated operations can be controlled with a simple mechanism. In addition, since the control unit and the power supply unit are disposed between the pair of drive units, the robot body can be miniaturized. Furthermore, since it is supported by two drive points that are driven by a pair of drive parts with respect to the travel ground and a sliding part that is in frictional contact with the travel ground, a balanced and stable travel is possible. It has become.

  Moreover, in the micro robot according to another aspect of the present invention, the power supply unit includes a projection that protrudes from the housing and has flexibility and is electrically connected to the power supply unit. To charge. The projecting part functions as a sliding part, and not only the running resistance is reduced and the running performance and running performance are improved, but also the charging work is facilitated by making it electrically connected to the power supply part and the charging work is facilitated. , The stress is concentrated on the power supply and it is no longer destroyed.

  FIG. 1 is a side view of a micro robot according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a top view thereof. A pair of sensors 12 and 14 are provided on the front surface of the robot body 10 as shown in the figure. For the sensors 12 and 14, for example, an optical sensor made of a photodiode, a phototransistor, or the like, an ultrasonic sensor that converts a sound wave into a voltage by a piezoelectric element, or the like is used. . The sensor 12 has a visual field A1 as a detection region, the sensor 14 also has a visual field A2 as a detection region, and both the visual fields A1 and A2 overlap at the center thereof. Have overlapping fields of view A3. Therefore, when the light from the light source is in the front, that is, in the visual field A3, both sensors 12 and 14 detect the light. Since the sensor 12 is arranged on the left side of the robot body 10, it will be described as an L sensor in the flowchart of the drawings described later. Also, since the sensor 14 is arranged on the right side of the robot body 10, the R sensor is similarly used. Is described.

  FIG. 3 is a bottom view of FIG. The power supply unit 16 is disposed in the central portion, and is composed of, for example, an electric double layer capacitor, a nickel cadmium battery, or the like. A circuit section 22 is provided in the vicinity of the power supply section 16. The circuit unit 22 includes a CMOS-IC 24 mounted on a circuit board 23, a pull-down chip resistor 26, and the like, details of which will be described later. The drive units 28 and 30 each have a built-in step motor and speed reduction mechanism, and are controlled by the circuit unit 22 to rotate and drive the wheels 36 and 38 fitted to the output shafts 32 and 34 via the step motor and speed reduction mechanism. To do. The wheels 36 and 38 have rubber attached to the outer periphery. The shapes of the wheels 36 and 38 are not limited to a circle, and may take various shapes such as a triangle and a quadrangle depending on the application.

  The spacer 39 supports the power supply unit 16, the circuit unit 22, and the drive units 28 and 30 with respect to the housing 39a. The power supply unit 16 and the circuit unit 22 are disposed between the pair of driving units 28 and 30 so as to overlap each other. Therefore, the power supply unit 16 and the circuit unit 22 can have a large area for the entire volume. For this reason, since the internal resistance of the capacitor and the secondary battery can be reduced in the power supply unit 16, a large current can be taken out efficiently, and the circuit unit 22 is advantageous for mounting a large IC chip having a complicated function. Furthermore, since the drive units 28 and 30 are arranged at positions separated from each other, magnetic interference or the like is eliminated.

  Sliding parts 1 and 2 are provided at the bottom of the microrobot body 10, one of which is in contact with the traveling ground 3. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the center of gravity G of the microrobot body 10 is slightly to the left of the drawing (hereinafter referred to as the front) with respect to the vertical direction 4 of the drive point 36a where the wheel 36 contacts the traveling ground 3. The sliding part 1 is in contact with the traveling ground.

  FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a case where the traveling ground 3 is inclined and the robot body 10 climbs the inclined surface. Here, it is assumed that the climbing ability of the drive unit is close to the limit. In such a situation, the center of gravity G is located on the right side of the figure (hereinafter referred to as the rear) with respect to the vertical direction 4, and the sliding portion 2 is in contact with the traveling ground 3. Here, in order to improve the climbing ability, it is necessary not only to increase the torque of the driving unit, but also to reduce the frictional resistance of the sliding unit and increase the frictional force of the driving point 36a. That is, in the uphill that requires the most driving force, the force that the front of the micro robot body 10 tries to lift by the reaction of the driving force of the driving unit and the force according to the relationship between the center of gravity and the vertical direction are combined. The position of the center of gravity where all the weight is applied to the drive point 36a is good. In other words, when the traveling ground is flat or downhill, the center of gravity G is in front of the vertical direction, and the center of gravity G is behind the vertical direction near the limit of the climbing ability, that is, depending on the traveling ground 3 It is preferable that the center of gravity G is in a positional relationship with the vertical direction 4 of the drive point.

  5 and 6 are a side view and a bottom view of a robot body according to another embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, a tactile part 18 and a tail 20 are provided for charging and a balancer. The tactile part 18 and the tail 20 are provided with sliding parts 18a and 20a, respectively, and have the same functions as the sliding parts 1 and 2, but the position in contact with the traveling ground 3 is outside the robot body 10. It is in. For this reason, since the force applied to the sliding portions 18a and 20a is small and the frictional resistance is small, the travel loss is small. Bending portions 18b and 20b are provided on the end side of the tactile sense portion 18 and the tail 20, and are smoothly curved with respect to the traveling ground. In such a configuration, even if the traveling ground 3 has large irregularities, it can easily run while sliding.

  The tactile part 18 and the tail 20 have not only flexibility but also conductivity, and at least one of them is electrically connected to the power supply part 16 composed of an electric double layer capacitor, a secondary battery or the like. In such a configuration, since the power supply unit 16 can be charged via the protrusions of the tactile part 18 or the tail 20, not only is it easy to handle, but it is flexible, so stress does not concentrate. Hard to be destroyed.

  FIG. 7 is a partially enlarged view of the side surfaces of the wheels 34 and 36 of the micro robot of the present invention. A concave portion 35 and a convex portion 36 are provided on the outer peripheral portion, and high friction agents 35a and 36a such as rubber and plastic are attached. In such a configuration, if the high friction agents 35a and 36a are curable liquids, the high friction agents 35a and 36a are cured in the shape shown in the figure by surface tension, so that only the portion of the high friction agents 36a is in contact with the traveling ground. Therefore, the load of the micro robot is concentrated, and the high friction agent 36a is easily elastically changed, so that a large frictional resistance is obtained and the climbing ability is improved. The shape of the unevenness is not limited to the present embodiment, and a high friction agent may be similarly attached to the contact portion even when an arm or the like is used instead of the wheel.

  FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing details of the circuit unit 22. A CPU core 40 composed of an ALU, various registers, etc. is connected to a ROM 42 storing a program, an address decoder 44 of the ROM 42, a RAM 46 storing various data, and an address decoder 48 of the RAM 46. Yes. The crystal unit 50 is connected to an oscillator 52, and an oscillation signal from the oscillator 52 is supplied to the CPU core 40 as a clock signal. The outputs of the sensors 12 and 14 are input to the input / output control circuit 54 and output to the CPU core 40. The voltage regulator 56 is for stably supplying the voltage of the power supply unit 16 to the circuit unit 22. The motor drive control circuit 58 exchanges control signals with the CPU core 40 and controls the step motors 64 and 66 via the motor drive circuits 60 and 62. The power supply voltages of the above circuits and the like are supplied from the power supply unit 16.

  Since the step motor 64 is built in the drive unit 30 and is disposed on the right side of the robot body 10, it is described as an R motor in the flowchart of the drawings described later, and the step motor 66 is included in the drive unit 28. Since it is built-in and arranged on the left side of the robot body 10, it is similarly described as an L motor.

  FIG. 9 is a circuit diagram of the sensor 12. The sensor 12 comprises a phototransistor 12a, and a pull-down resistor 26 is connected in series with the emitter of the phototransistor 12a. The light reception output is taken out from the emitter of the phototransistor 12 b, and the light reception output is waveform-shaped by the input / output control circuit 54 and output to the CPU core 40. This circuit diagram is an example of the sensor 12, but the sensor 14 also has the same configuration.

  FIG. 10 is a plan view of the drive unit 30, and FIG. 11 is a development view thereof. The step motor 64 has an exciting coil 68 and a rotor 70 made of a magnet, and an electromagnetic two-pole step motor used in an electronic timepiece is used in this embodiment. The rotor 70 drives a pinion 72, the pinion 72 drives a pinion 74 via a gear, the pinion 74 drives a pinion 76 via a gear, and the pinion 76 thus decelerated drives the wheel 38 to rotate. To do. The mechanism shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 is an electronic timepiece mechanism. The mechanism of the drive unit 28 is also the same as that shown in FIGS. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the step motors 64 and 66 are designed to reduce the size of the drive units 30 and 28 because the wheels rotated by driving the wheels rotated at a high speed are decelerated. Furthermore, since the exciting coil 68 is provided at a position away from the rotor 70, the drive units 30 and 28 are also made thinner and smaller in this respect.

  FIG. 12 is a timing chart showing an example of the basic operation of the robot of the above-described embodiment. If no light is incident on the sensors 12 and 14, the output is 0V. However, if the light is incident, a voltage corresponding to the amount of light is output. The voltage is waveform-shaped at a desired threshold voltage in the input / output control circuit 54 and input to the CPU core 40, and the motor drive control circuit 58 is alternately forward and reverse to the step motors 64 and 66 via the drive circuits 60 and 62. A driving pulse is supplied. Accordingly, in the section S1 where the sensor 12 receives light, the step motor 64 is driven and the wheels 38 are driven to rotate. In the section S2 where the sensor 14 receives light, the step motor 66 is driven, and the wheels 36 are driven to rotate. In the section W in which both sensors 12 and 14 receive light, the step motors 64 and 66 are driven, and the wheels 38 and 36 are rotationally driven.

  Therefore, as the simplest driving example, when the light from the light source is in the field of view A1 (except for the field of view A3), the light sensor 12 receives it, and the step motor 64 turns the wheel 38 according to the light reception output. Rotate. At this time, since the wheel 36 is in a stopped state, the entire robot body 10 turns in the left direction. When the light from the light source is in the visual field A2 (except for the visual field A3), the optical sensor 14 receives the light, and the step motor 66 rotates the wheel 36 in accordance with the received light output. At this time, since the wheel 38 is in a stopped state, the entire robot body 10 turns in the right direction. Further, when the light from the light source is in the visual field A3, the optical sensors 12 and 14 receive the light, and the step motors 64 and 66 rotate and drive the wheels 38 and 36 according to the received light output, so that the robot body 10 moves straight. Will do. The robot main body 10 moves toward the light source by being controlled in this way. In the present embodiment, the arrangement of the drive units that move with respect to the position of the sensor and the direction of the visual field is not limited to the present embodiment showing one combination.

  By the way, in the above description of the operation, an example in which driving is performed at a constant speed when the light receiving sensors 12 and 14 receive light has been described. However, driving force increases when driving with acceleration at the start of driving.

  FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing the basic operation when acceleration control is performed at the start of driving. First, the CPU core 40 sets the clock frequency Rc of the drive pulse of the step motor 64 to 16 Hz (S1), and then resets the value Rc of the counter that counts the drive pulse (S2). Next, it is determined whether or not there is a light reception output from the sensor 12 (S3). If there is a light reception output, one pulse of the above-mentioned clock frequency Rc is supplied to drive the step motor 64, The pulses at that time are counted (S4). It is determined whether or not the count value Rn is a predetermined value, for example, 15 (S5). If it is not 15, the above processes (S3) and (S4) are repeated.

  After driving for 15 pulses with a drive pulse having a clock frequency Rc (= 16 Hz), it is next determined whether or not the clock frequency Rc of the drive pulse has reached 128 Hz (maximum value). Then, the clock frequency Rc of the drive pulse is set to 32 Hz, for example (S7), and the above processing is repeated in the same manner. When the clock frequency Rc of the drive pulse reaches 128 Hz (maximum value) (S6), the drive pulse is then driven with the drive pulse of that frequency. When the light receiving output of the sensor 12 is lost (S3), the step motor 64 is stopped (S8). This flowchart shows the relationship between the sensor 12 (L sensor) and the step motor 64 (R motor), but the relationship between the sensor 14 (R sensor) and the step motor 66 (L motor) is exactly the same. .

  Incidentally, the flow chart of FIG. 13 does not describe the relationship between the sensor 12 and the sensor 14 in order to facilitate understanding. However, for example, the sensor 14 is in a light receiving state, the step motor 66 is driven, and the robot body 10 is a light source. The sensor 12 is also in a light receiving state when moving in the direction. In this case, it is necessary to match the driving state of the step motor 64 driven by the sensor 12 with the driving state of the step motor 66. If the driving state is not positioned in this way, linear movement cannot be performed when the robot body 10 faces the light source. That is, the transition from the turning movement to the linear movement cannot be performed smoothly.

  FIG. 14 is a flowchart of control in consideration of the above points. As in the case described above, the CPU core 40 sets the clock frequency Rc of the drive pulse of the step motor 64 to 16 Hz (S1), and then resets the value Rc of the counter that counts the number of drive pulses (S2). . Next, it is determined whether there is a light reception output of the sensor 14 on the other side (S2a). When there is a light reception output of the sensor 14, the clock frequency Lc and the counter value Ln of the drive pulse of the control system on the sensor 14 side are initially set as the clock frequency Rc and the counter value Rn of the drive pulse on the sensor 12 side. (S2b). After setting in this way, the same processing as in the flowchart of FIG. 9 is performed. This flowchart also shows the operation of the control system of the sensor 12, but the same applies to the control system of the sensor 14. In other words, when the control system of another sensor is in a driving state at the start of driving, the state is taken as an initial value and started, so when only one sensor receives light, the direction is changed while accelerating, When both sensors receive light, at the moment, both control systems are put in the same drive state and go straight. Therefore, the transition from the turning movement to the linear movement is smoothly performed, and the response to light is improved.

  FIG. 15 is a waveform diagram of drive pulses. In order to increase the driving force when accelerating at the start of driving as shown in the flowcharts of FIGS. 13 and 14, for example, in the case of a clock frequency of 16 Hz, the pulse width is set to 7.8 msec and the pulse width is increased. As the frequency increases, the pulse width can be reduced. Therefore, in the case of a clock frequency of 32 Hz, the pulse width is 6.3 msec, and in the case of a clock frequency of 64 Hz, the pulse width is 5.9 msec and a clock of 128 Hz. In the case of frequency, the pulse width is set to 3.9 msec. By doing so, it is possible to supply a driving pulse corresponding to the required driving force, and rational driving becomes possible.

  FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing a process for avoiding an obstacle, and FIG. 17 is an explanatory diagram of the avoidance operation. Although illustration is omitted here, an obstacle sensor composed of an ultrasonic sensor, an eddy current sensor, a contact sensor, or a combination thereof is provided at the front of the robot body 10.

  First, it is determined by the obstacle sensor whether there is an obstacle (S11). If there is no obstacle, the operation is continued (or proceeds as it is) (S12). If there is an obstacle, the step motor 64 or 66 is reversed (S13). This state is continued for a predetermined time, for example, 5 seconds (S14). This time is not limited to this time as long as it is necessary for the direction change, and the moving distance may be set. Thereafter, it is determined again by the obstacle sensor whether there is an obstacle (S11). By repeating such processing, if there is an obstacle, the direction is changed to avoid it.

  FIG. 18 is a flowchart showing a process when a collision is detected by an induced voltage of a step motor and an obstacle is avoided, and FIG. 19 is an explanatory diagram of the avoidance operation. The step motors 64 and 66 are driven (S21), and it is detected whether or not the step motor 64 is rotating in that state (S22). If it is rotating, it is next detected whether or not the step motor 66 is rotating. (S23). If the step motor 66 is also rotating, it is assumed that there is no obstacle (S24). The method for detecting whether or not the step motors 64 and 66 are rotating utilizes the fact that the voltage induced in the exciting coil 68 is large when the motor rotates, but is small when the motor is not rotating.

  FIG. 20 is a timing chart showing a method for detecting the presence or absence of rotation of the step motor. As shown in the figure, when the step motor is in a rotating state, when the rotor 70 rotates after the drive pulse is applied, an induced voltage is induced in the exciting coil 68 as the rotor 70 rotates, and an induced current flows. The rotational state can be grasped by detecting the magnitude of the induced current, for example, with a comparator. When the step motor is not in the rotating state, the rotor 70 does not rotate after the drive pulse is applied, so that no induced voltage is induced in the exciting coil 68 and no induced current flows. Thereby, it can be grasped that it is not in a rotating state.

  When it is determined that the motor does not rotate when the rotation of the step motor 64 is detected (S22), the driving of the step motors 64 and 66 is stopped (S25), and the step motors 64 and 66 are reversed (S26). ) The reverse drive state is continued for 5 seconds, for example (S27), the step motor 64 determined not to be rotated next is driven again (S28), and the state is continued for 5 seconds, for example (S29). Thereafter, the process returns to the first process (S21). If it is determined that the rotation of the step motor 66 is not detected (S23), the drive of the step motors 64 and 66 is stopped (S30), and the step motors 64 and 66 are reversed. (S31). The reverse drive state is continued for, for example, 5 seconds (S32), the step motor 66 is driven again (S33), and the state is continued for 5 seconds (S29). Thereafter, the process returns to the first process (S21).

  As described above, the presence or absence of rotation of the step motors 64 and 66 is detected, and if the rotation is not performed, the driving is temporarily stopped and then reverse rotation is performed. Next, the step motor that is determined not to rotate is rotated again. I am doing so. For example, when the robot main body 10 collides with a wall and the state where the step motor 66 does not rotate occurs, the driving of the step motors 64 and 66 is temporarily stopped and then reversely moved backward, and then the step motor 66 is driven to move in the direction. Convert. Thereafter, the step motors 64 and 66 are driven to advance straight, so that the vehicle can proceed while avoiding obstacles.

  In the flowchart of FIG. 18, the avoidance of the obstacle in the state where both the step motors 64 and 66 are driven has been described, but the same processing is performed when only one of them is driven. For example, when the step motor 64 is driven, it can be dealt with by driving the step motor 64 in the process (S21) in FIG. 18, and thereafter performing the processes (S22) and processes (S25) to (S29). The same applies to the case where the step motor 66 is driven. In FIG. 18, the step motor 66 is driven in the process (S21), and thereafter, the processes (S23), (S30) to (S33), (S29) are performed. Can be dealt with.

  22 to 23 are views showing a front surface, a side surface, and a back surface of a micro robot according to another embodiment of the present invention. Sensors 82a to 82d are provided at the front part of the robot main body, and screws 84a to 84d are provided at the rear part, which are configured to be driven in the liquid. Since the four screws 84a to 84d are provided on the left and right and up and down and are driven by the step motors, respectively, the robot body 80 can be controlled in the left and right directions, as well as in the up and down directions.

  Since the robot of FIG. 1 or FIG. 5 has only two motors, the drive pulse is supplied to each motor at the same timing. In this embodiment, four screws 84a to 84d are provided, so that they are driven. Four stepping motors are required, and if these are driven with drive pulses having the same timing, the power supply unit 16 is consumed so much that the timing is shifted by the circuit shown in FIG.

  FIG. 24 is a block diagram showing peripheral circuits of the motor drive circuit. In this circuit diagram, motor drive circuits 86 and 88 are provided in addition to the motor drive circuits 60 and 62 of FIG. 8, and these drive circuits drive step motors 64, 66, 90 and 92. The step motors 64, 66, 90, and 92 rotate the screws 84a to 84d. In this embodiment, phase difference circuits 94 to 100 for controlling the phases of the motor drive circuits 60, 62, 86, and 88 are further provided. The phase adjustment angles of the phase difference circuits 94 to 100 are made different to drive the motors. The drive pulses are not output from the circuits 60, 62, 86, 88 at the same timing.

  In the above-described embodiment, the example in which light is detected by the sensor and proceeds in the direction has been described. However, the detection target may be not only light but also magnetism, heat (infrared rays), sound, electromagnetic waves, and the like. . Further, it is possible to control to escape from the detection object instead of proceeding. In that case, in the embodiment of FIG. 1 or FIG. 5, the step motor 64 is driven by turning off the sensor 12, and the wheel 38 is driven. When the sensor 14 is turned off, the step motor 66 is driven and the wheel 36 is driven. When both the sensors 12 and 14 are on, the step motors 64 and 66 are driven in reverse and the wheels 38 and 36 are driven in reverse to retract or retract the robot body 10. Furthermore, if two or more types of detection objects are prepared, one detection object is controlled toward it, and the other detection object is controlled so as to escape from it, fine control is possible. become. This control can be applied to the robot main body 100 shown in FIGS.

The moving direction of the robot body may be based not only on the detection target such as light but also, for example, by previously programming the movement trajectory and controlling it accordingly. Further, the movement trajectory may be controlled by giving a command from outside. Furthermore, the above-described controls may be combined as appropriate and controlled with a learning function.
FIG. 25 is a top view of a micro robot according to another embodiment of the present invention. A pair of direction control sensors 12 and 14 are provided on the front portion of the robot body 10 as shown in the figure. In addition to this, a work control sensor 15 (not shown in FIG. 26), and receives a work command from the outside via the work control sensor 15, as will be described later. The bottom view of the robot body 10 is the same as that of the embodiment of FIG.

  FIG. 26 is a block diagram showing details of the circuit unit 22 of the embodiment of FIG. A CPU core 40 composed of an ALU, various registers, etc. is connected to a ROM 42 storing a program, an address decoder 44 of the ROM 42, a RAM 46 storing various data, and an address decoder 48 of the RAM 46. Yes. The crystal unit 50 is connected to an oscillator 52, and an oscillation signal from the oscillator 52 is supplied to the CPU core 40 as a clock signal. Outputs from the direction control sensors 12 and 14 and the work control sensor 15 are input to the input / output control circuit 54 and output to the CPU core 40. The motor drive control circuit 58 exchanges control signals with the CPU core 40, controls the step motors 64, 66 through the motor drive circuits 60, 62, and works with the work actuator 67 through the actuator drive circuit 63. To control.

  Since the step motor 64 is built in the drive unit 30 and is disposed on the right side of the robot body 10, it is described as an R motor in the flowchart of the drawings described later, and the step motor 66 is included in the drive unit 28. Since it is built-in and arranged on the left side of the robot body 10, it is similarly described as an L motor.

  FIG. 27 is a flowchart showing the control operation of the circuit unit of FIG. The direction control sensors 12 and 14 move toward the target that emits light, and the work sensor 15 receives the instruction according to an instruction from the operator and performs a predetermined work.

  First, the CPU core 40 determines whether or not the direction control sensor 12 receives light and is turned on (S41), and if it is turned on, the step motor 64 is driven to drive the wheel 38 on the assumption that the light source is on the left side. Is rotated and turned to the left (S42). If the direction control sensor 12 is off (S41), the driving of the step motor 64 is stopped (S43). Next, it is determined whether the direction control sensor 14 receives light and is turned on (S44). If it is not turned on, the driving of the step motor 66 is stopped (S45). When the above processing is repeated and the direction control sensor 14 is turned on (S44), the step motor 66 is driven (S47). By operating in this way, the robot body 10 moves toward the light source, and then determines whether or not the work control sensor 15 is receiving light (S47), and the work control sensor 15 is not receiving light. Then, the above operation is repeated to advance. When the work control sensor 15 receives light and is turned on, the actuator drive moving circuit 63 controls the work actuator 67 to perform a desired work (S48).

  FIG. 28 is a flowchart showing the operation when the work control sensor 15 is not equipped in FIGS. Also in this embodiment, the CPU core 40 first determines whether or not the direction control sensor 12 receives light and is turned on (S51). If it is turned on, the step motor 64 assumes that the light source is on the left side. Is driven to rotate the wheel 38 and turn leftward (S52). If the direction control sensor 12 is off (S51), the driving of the step motor 64 is stopped (S53). Next, it is determined whether the direction control sensor 14 receives light and is turned on (S54). If it is not turned on, the driving of the step motor 66 is stopped (S55). When the above processing is repeated and the direction control sensor 14 is turned on (S54), the step motor 66 is driven (S57). By operating in this way, the robot body 10 moves toward the light source, and then it is determined whether or not the step motors 64 and 66 are rotating (S57), and the step motors 64 and 66 are rotating. Then, the above operation is repeated to advance. When the robot body 10 reaches a predetermined location and collides, the step motors 64 and 66 do not rotate at that moment. Therefore, it is considered that the robot has reached a predetermined position by not rotating, and then the actuator driving circuit 63 is operated. Thus, the work actuator 67 is controlled to perform a desired work (S58).

  Whether the step motors 64 and 66 are rotating is determined as follows. When the step motor is in a rotating state, the rotor 70 rotates after a drive pulse is supplied to the exciting coil 68, and an induced voltage is induced in the exciting coil 68 as the rotor 70 rotates, and an induced current flows. By detecting the magnitude of the induced current using a comparator or the like, it is detected that the motor is in a rotating state. When the step motor is not in the rotating state, the rotor 70 does not rotate after the drive pulse is supplied, and therefore the induced voltage is not induced in the exciting coil 68. Thereby, it is detected that it is not in a rotating state.

  FIG. 29 is a block diagram showing details of another embodiment of the circuit unit 22. In this embodiment, the receiving sensor 102, the transmitting element 104, and the detecting element 106 are connected to the input / output control circuit 54 as sensors. FIG. 30 is a top view of the robot body 10 in which the receiving sensor 102 and the transmitting element 104 are arranged at the illustrated positions. In this embodiment, a movement command and a work command are received by the receiving sensor 102, and for example, using infrared rays, the command (straight forward command, right turn command, left turn command, reverse command, work command, etc.) is used. A pulse signal having a corresponding pattern is output to the light receiving sensor 102. The detection element 106 includes, for example, an image sensor, a tactile sensor, and the like, and information detected by the detection element 106 is transmitted to the operation side using the transmission element 104.

  FIG. 31 is a flowchart showing the control operation of the circuit unit of FIG. First, when the receiving sensor 102 receives a straight-ahead command from the operation side, the CPU core 40 determines that (S61), and drives the step motors 64 and 66 to go straight (S62). When the reception sensor 102 receives a right turn command from the operation side, the CPU core 40 determines that (S63), and drives the step motor 66 to turn right (S64). When the reception sensor 102 receives a left turn command from the operation side, the CPU core 40 determines that (S65), and drives the step motor 64 to turn left (S66). When the reception sensor 102 receives a reverse command from the operation side, the CPU core 40 determines that (S67), and reversely drives the step motors 64 and 66 to retract the robot body 10 (S68). If there is no movement control command, the driving of the step motors 64 and 66 is stopped (S69). Next, the CPU core 40 determines whether or not a work command has been input (S70). If the work command is not input, the process is terminated as it is, but if the work command is input, the actuator drive circuit 63 controls the work actuator 67 to perform a desired work (S71). Thereafter, the CPU core 40 determines whether or not a transmission command is input via the reception sensor 102 (S72). If a transmission command is input, the CPU core 40 encodes information detected by the detection element 106, for example. The data is transmitted to the operating side via the transmitting element 104 (S73). The above process is cyclically repeated.

By the way, various works are mentioned as the above-mentioned work, and examples thereof are as follows.
(1) Discharge of chemicals with a micro pump.
(2) Sensing temperature, pressure, components, images, etc.
(3) Work by hand (for example, carrying parts).
(4) Data storage / transmission.
(5) The action of the micro robot itself (for example, filling holes, processing by self-destruction, and robots with various functions work together).
(6) Sample intake and disposal.

  FIG. 32 is a cross-sectional view showing an example in which the micro robot of the present invention is applied to an endoscope. This device has a plunger 110 that is controlled by the circuit portion 22, and this plunger 110 drives a piston 112 provided at the tip thereof. The micropump 114 includes a plunger 110 and a piston 112, and the chemical liquid 116 is discharged into the pipe through the nozzle 118 by the movement of the piston 112. A photovoltaic element 120 is attached to the outer peripheral side of the robot. The light from the light emitting part is guided by the optical fiber 122 and reflected by the mirror 124. The light is further reflected by the inner wall 126 of the tube and guided to the light receiving part through the reverse path so far, and functions as an endoscope. A part of the light reflected by the tube inner wall 126 is also input to the photovoltaic element 120 to charge a power supply unit (not shown) of the circuit unit 22. The basic configuration of this embodiment is the same as that of the embodiment described in FIGS. 25 and 26, but members such as sensors 12, 14, wheels 36, 38, step motors 64, 66, etc. It is no longer needed.

  In this embodiment, the circuit unit 22 has a built-in decoder, which is connected in parallel to the power supply unit to which the output of the photovoltaic device 120 is connected, and extracts and analyzes the control signal included in the charging current. To do. Therefore, in this embodiment, a work command is supplied from the operation side through the optical fiber 122 at a desired position while observing the inside of the tube as an endoscope, and the circuit unit 22 transmits it through the photovoltaic element 120. Then, the plunger 110 is driven to discharge the chemical 116 from the nozzle 118.

  FIG. 33 is a bottom view of a microrobot according to another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 34 is a side view thereof. In the micro robot of this embodiment, a micro pump 130 is built in the robot body shown in FIG. 25, and a nozzle 132 is provided on the front surface. In this embodiment, for example, in the operation of the flowchart of FIG. 27 (S48), the operation of the flowchart of FIG. 28 (S58), and the operation of the flowchart of FIG. 31 (S71), the micropump 130 is driven to supply the chemical solution from the nozzle 132. Discharge.

  FIG. 35 is a side view of a micro robot according to another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 36 is a bottom view thereof. The micro robot of this embodiment is a robot main body 10 shown in FIG. 25 provided with a hand mechanism. An upper motor unit 140 is provided at the top of the robot body 10, which rotates the upper pinion 142, and the upper pinion 142 engages with the upper gear 144 to drive the upper arm 146 that is rotatably supported by the shaft 152. To do. A lower motor unit 148 is provided at the lower part of the robot body 10, which rotates the lower pinion 149. The lower pinion 149 engages with the lower gear 150 and drives the lower arm 154 that is rotatably supported by the shaft 152. . The upper arm 146 and the lower arm 154 constitute a hand 156.

  FIG. 37 is a block diagram showing details of the circuit unit 22 of the microrobot of the embodiment of FIGS. This embodiment is basically the same as the circuit diagram of FIG. 26, except that an upper motor drive circuit 160 and a lower motor drive circuit 162 are provided. The upper motor drive circuit 160 drives and controls the upper motor 164 built in the upper motor unit 140, and the lower motor drive circuit 162 drives and controls the lower motor 166 built in the lower motor unit 148. The upper motor 164 and the lower motor 166 are preferably composed of step motors. In such a case, it is easy to drive the upper motor 164 and the lower motor 166 synchronously.

  FIG. 38 is a flowchart showing the control operation of the microrobot of the embodiment of FIGS. First, when the work control sensor 15 receives a control command, the CPU core 40 determines whether or not the command is a command to raise the arm (S81). If the command is a command to raise the arm, the upper motor drive circuit 160 rotates the upper motor 164 counterclockwise (S82). As a result, the upper arm 146 rotates clockwise. Next, the lower motor 166 is rotated counterclockwise by the lower motor drive circuit 162 (S83). As a result, the lower arm 154 rotates clockwise. Thus, by rotating the upper arm 146 and the lower arm 154 in the clockwise direction, the hand 156 is raised as shown in FIG.

  When the CPU core 40 receives a command to lower the arm (S84), the upper motor driving circuit 160 rotates the upper motor 164 clockwise (S85). As a result, the upper arm 146 rotates counterclockwise. Next, the lower motor driving circuit 162 rotates the lower motor 166 clockwise (S86). As a result, the lower arm 154 rotates counterclockwise. Thus, the hand 156 is lowered by rotating both the upper arm 146 and the lower arm 154 counterclockwise.

  When the CPU core 40 receives a command to open the arm (S87), the upper motor driving circuit 160 rotates the upper motor 164 counterclockwise (S88). As a result, the upper arm 146 rotates clockwise. Next, the lower motor driving circuit 162 rotates the lower motor 166 clockwise (S86). As a result, the lower arm 154 rotates counterclockwise. Thus, by rotating the upper arm 146 clockwise and the lower arm 154 counterclockwise, the upper arm 146 and the lower arm 154 are opened as shown in FIG.

  When the CPU core 40 receives a command to close the arm (S90), the upper motor driving circuit 160 rotates the upper motor 164 clockwise (S91). As a result, the upper arm 146 rotates counterclockwise. Next, the lower motor drive circuit 162 rotates the lower motor 166 counterclockwise (S92). As a result, the lower arm 154 rotates clockwise. Thus, the upper arm 146 and the lower arm 154 are closed by controlling the upper arm 146 and the lower arm 154 to approach each other.

  FIG. 41 is a conceptual diagram of a microrobot according to another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 42 is a side view thereof. The robot body 10 incorporates a work motor 200 as shown in the figure, and this work motor 200 includes a motor stator 202 and a rotor 204. It is assumed that the robot body 10 is disposed in a nonmagnetic tube 206, and the nonmagnetic tube 206 contains liquid. A coil stator 208 is disposed outside the nonmagnetic tube 206, and a coil 210 is wound around the coil stator 208. FIG. 43 is a diagram showing details of the work motor 200. The motor stator 202 is provided with a pair of inner notches 202a on the inner peripheral portion and a pair of outer notches 202b on the outer peripheral portion. The position of the inner notch 202a and the position of the outer notch 202b are as shown in the figure. It is displaced in the direction. The rotor 204 is composed of a magnet and is magnetized into two poles, an N pole and an S pole. When an external magnetic field is applied, the magnetic flux 212 passes through the motor stator 202 as shown.

  43 to 46 are diagrams showing the operation principle of the work motor 200. FIG. FIG. 44 is a diagram showing a state in which no magnetic field is applied from the outside. In this state, the boundary point between the N pole and the S pole of the rotor 204 is opposed to the inner notch 202a and is stable. Next, when a magnetic field is applied as shown in FIG. 45, the rotor 204 rotates, but the portion of the motor stator 202 in the portion of the outer notch 202b becomes narrow. Thus, the boundary point of the rotor 204 is stabilized at the outer notch 202b. Thereafter, when the application of the magnetic field from the outside is stopped, the boundary point of the rotor 204 is opposed to the inner notch 202a and stabilized as shown in FIG. Thus, it can be seen from FIGS. 44 to 46 that the rotor 204 is rotating halfway. Next, when the magnetic field is supplied from the opposite direction, the rotor 204 further rotates half a turn. Thus, by alternately applying a magnetic field, the rotor 204 rotates continuously. Although the above description is an example of rotating in the counterclockwise direction, it can be rotated in the same manner in the clockwise direction. The operating principle of the motor itself is also applied to the step motors 64 and 66 of the above-described embodiment.

  Now that the operating principle of the working motor 200 has been clarified, the operation of the apparatus shown in FIGS. 41 and 42 will be described. When positive and negative exciting currents are supplied to the coil 210, a corresponding magnetic flux is generated in the coil stator 208, and the magnetic flux passes through the non-magnetic tube 206 to the motor stator 202, and the rotor 204 rotates by the above-described operating principle. To do. The rotor 204 can be rotated to function as a micro pump, or can be propelled by rotating a screw (not shown), or a liquid flow can be created. Alternatively, a target portion can be deleted by rotating a cutter (not shown).

  In particular, in this embodiment, when the coil stator 208 is moved in the length direction of the nonmagnetic tube 206, the working motor 200 itself is moved along the movement by the magnetic force generated by the magnetic field. Therefore, the position of the micro robot main body 10 can be controlled by applying a magnetic field from the outside. Furthermore, since the working motor 200 can be driven by applying a magnetic field from the outside, the microrobot main body 10 does not need means (storage battery) for storing energy for driving the working motor 200. It should be noted that the coil stator 208 may be provided in a plurality along the length direction of the nonmagnetic tube 206, and the plurality of robot main bodies 10 may be sequentially driven. Moreover, the coil 210 does not need to be a single phase and may be constituted by a multi-phase coil such as a three-phase. In that case, the motor stator 202 and the like are also configured accordingly.

  The step motor of the above-described embodiment may be an ultrasonic motor or the like except for the embodiment of FIG. Moreover, you may comprise a micro robot by combining suitably the element of each above-mentioned Example as needed.

  Next, a charging mechanism for the power supply 16 will be described. FIG. 47 is a block diagram showing details of the circuit unit 22 to which a charging mechanism by electromagnetic induction is added. The output of the charging circuit of the motor drive circuit 62 is connected to the power supply unit 16, and a voltage regulator 56 is connected to the power supply unit 16. The voltage regulator 56 includes a booster circuit 300 and a voltage limiter 302.

  FIG. 48 is a circuit diagram showing details of the motor drive circuit 62 of this embodiment. The motor drivers 304, 306, 308, 310 are H-connected to the exciting coil 68 as shown in the figure, and diodes 312, 314, 316, 318 are connected to each driver in parallel and in the opposite direction. Further, switches 320 and 322 for detecting an alternating magnetic field are connected to both ends of the exciting coil 68. When these switches 320 and 322 are closed, a closed circuit is formed for the exciting coil 68. Further, both ends of the exciting coil 68 are led to the magnetic field detecting inverters 324 and 326, and their outputs are led to the motor drive control circuit 58 via the OR circuit 328. Normally, the drivers 304 and 310 and the drivers 308 and 306 are alternately driven to supply the exciting current to the exciting coil 68 and the step motor 66 is driven. However, during the charging operation, all the drivers 304, 306, 308, and 310 are driven. When the excitation coil 68 receives electromagnetic induction from the charging coil of the charging station, which will be described later, the induced voltage is rectified by the diodes 312, 314, 316, 318 and guided to the power supply unit 16 to perform the charging operation. . If the drivers 304, 306, 308, 310 are composed of FETs as shown in the figure and the diodes equivalently included in the drivers function sufficiently, the external diodes 312, 314, 316, 318 are omitted. You can also.

  FIG. 49 shows the discharge characteristics of the electric double layer capacitor 334 constituting the power supply unit 16, and FIG. 50 is a circuit explanatory diagram showing details of the voltage regulator 56. In FIG. 50, a high-capacitance capacitor 334 and a limiter switch 330 are provided, and a capacitor 360 is provided as another power source. Means for charging while increasing the voltage from the capacitor 334 to the capacitor 360 is shown in a portion surrounded by a broken line 135. The means 335 for charging while increasing the voltage from the capacitor 334 to the capacitor 360 includes capacitors 340 and 350 and switches 336, 338, 342, 344, 346, 348 and 352. A power supply voltage is supplied from the capacitor 360 to each unit of the control unit 22. The detector 332 detects the voltage of the capacitor 334.

Next, the operation of the circuit of FIG. 50 will be described.
When the large-capacity capacitor 334 is fully charged and its voltage is 1.2 V or higher, the capacitor 334 and the capacitor 360 have the same voltage. When the voltage of the capacitor 334 is 1.2V to 0.8V, the voltage is boosted 1.5 times by the boosting means 335 and charged to the capacitor 360. This operation is a section from t ₁ to t ₃ in FIG. Therefore, the voltage of the capacitor 360 at this time is 1.8V to 1.2V. When the voltage of the capacitor 334 is between 0.8V and 0.6V, the voltage is boosted twice by the boosting means 335 and charged to the capacitor 360. This is the section from t ₃ to t _{4 in} this operation diagram 49. At this time, the voltage of the capacitor 360 is 1.6V to 1.2V.

When the voltage of the capacitor 334 is 0.6 or less, the voltage is boosted three times by the boosting means 335 and the capacitor 360 is charged. This operation is after t ₄ in FIG. FIG. 49 shows this state. The voltage indicated by the solid line is the voltage of the capacitor 360 in FIG. 50, and the voltage indicated by the broken line is the voltage of the capacitor 334.

Next, the operation of the booster 335 will be described.
When boosting, the capacitor 334 is first charged into the capacitors 340 and 350, and then the capacitor 360 is charged with the capacitors 334, 340 and 350. That is, by repeating the operations shown in FIGS. 51 to 53, boost charging can be performed.
When boosting 1.5 times, (A) and (B) in FIG.
When boosting 2.0 times, (A) and (B) in FIG.
53A is shown in FIGS. 53A and 53B when the voltage is boosted 3.0 times.
These switching operations are executed by switching the switches 336, 338, 342, 344, 346, 348, and 352 of FIG.

The operable time According to this embodiment as described above, in FIG. 49, are extended from t ₂ hours to t ₅ hours. Further, in terms of the voltage of the capacitor 334, what was conventionally usable only between 0.9V and 1.8V can be used from 0.3V to 1.8V according to the present embodiment. It can be seen that the stored energy is being used effectively.

  Further, in this embodiment, the boosting means 335 has three types of boosting means of 1.5 times, 2.0 times, and 3.0 times, and these are used by being switched by the voltage signal from the voltage detection unit 332. The present invention is not limited to these three types, and one type or multiple types may be prepared, and various magnifications may be considered. In this embodiment, the voltage of the capacitor 334 is detected (1.8, 1.2, 0.8, 0.6V), but the voltage of the capacitor 360 is detected (1.8V, Of course, it is possible to determine the boosting state as compared with the contents of the boosting means 335. This method has an advantage that the detection voltage may be small.

  FIG. 54 is a perspective view of a charging stand applied to the above-described microrobot. As shown in the drawing, for example, an energy supply device 372 is installed in the vicinity of a signal generation device 370 that emits infrared rays, and a charging area 374 is formed above the energy supply device 372.

  FIG. 55 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the energy supply device 372. The output of the oscillator 376 is amplified by the amplifier 378 to excite the charging coil 380. The frequency of the exciting current of the charging coil 380 is set to a frequency higher than the frequency that can be followed by the step motor.

  FIG. 56 is a flowchart showing the operation during automatic charging. The CPU core 40 takes in the voltage value of the power supply unit 16 and determines whether or not it is higher than a predetermined reference voltage (S111). If it is higher, normal operation is continued (S112). When the voltage of the power supply unit 16 is lower than a predetermined reference voltage VL, the charging operation is started. First, the robot body 10 rotates once on the spot. For example, it starts to turn to the left and it is determined whether or not the sensor 12 is on (S113). If it is on, the signal generator 170 is assumed to be on the left and the step motor 64 is driven (S114). As a result, the wheel 38 is rotationally driven and turns to the left. Further, it is determined whether or not the sensor 14 is on (S115). If the sensor 14 is on, the signal generator 170 is assumed to be on the right side, and the step motor 66 is driven (S116). As a result, the wheels 36 are driven to rotate and turn to the right. Each of the sensors 12 and 14 includes two elements, one element is used as a guide in response to, for example, ordinary light, and the other element is only responsive to infrared rays from the signal generator 370, for example. Suppose that it is used to search the charging area 374.

  Next, when the switches 320 and 322 in FIG. 48 are closed and the robot body 10 reaches the charging area 374, the exciting coil 68 receives the magnetic field generated by the charging coil 380 and generates an induced voltage. This induced voltage is taken into the CPU core 40 via the inverters 324 and 326 and the OR circuit 328, and it is detected that an AC magnetic field has been detected there (S117). When the AC magnetic field is detected in this way, the robot body 10 is on the charging area 174, and thus the driving of the step motors 64 and 66 is stopped (S118). The exciting coil 68 receives the magnetic field generated by the charging coil 380 and generates an induced voltage. The induced voltage is rectified by the diodes 312, 318, 316 and 306 and guided to the power supply unit 16. Is supplied. Then, the CPU core 40 takes in the voltage of the power supply unit 16 and determines whether or not it is higher than the reference value VH (S119). When the voltage becomes higher, the CPU core 40 returns to normal operation (S112).

Note that the signal generator 370 of the charging stand may generate ultrasonic waves, magnetism, or the like. In that case, it is necessary to equip the robot body with a sensor for detecting it. In addition, the magnetism, light, heat and the like generated from the energy supply device 372 may be detected and moved. In that case, the signal generator 370 becomes unnecessary.
Furthermore, the energy supply device 372 may be operated after the robot body 10 reaches the charging area 374, and in this case, energy saving is achieved.

  57 to 60 are views showing a microrobot according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 57 is a view from the front, FIG. 58 is a view from the rear, and FIG. 59 is a view 59-59 in FIG. FIG. 60 is a sectional view for explaining the function of the arm. The microrobot of this embodiment is propelled by rotating the fins in the liquid flowing in the pipe, and at the time of charging, the liquid flow is used to generate electricity and thereby charge. Four arms 400 are attached to the front part of the robot body 10, fins 402 are attached to the rear part, and external teeth 404 are provided on the outer peripheral part thereof. Further, the fin 402 is covered with a cover portion 406. The fin 402 is connected to the step motor 66 through a pinion 408. The arm 400 is configured such that one end of the arm 400 is driven by the plunger 410. When the plunger 410 is pulled, the arm 400 expands, and when the end of the arm 400 is pressed against the inner wall of the pipe, the robot body 10. Stops in the liquid.

  The configuration of the circuit 22 of this embodiment is basically the same as that shown in FIG. 47, and the step motor 64 of FIG. In the normal operation state, the fins 402 are rotationally driven by the step motor 66 and the robot body 10 moves forward in the liquid. When the voltage of the power supply unit 16 becomes lower than the predetermined reference value VL, the driving of the step motor 66 is stopped, and the arm 400 is expanded by pulling the plunger 410. As a result, the robot body 10 stops in the liquid. When liquid is flowing in the tube in the stationary state, the fin 402 rotates, and as a result, the rotor 70 of the step motor 66 rotates, and an induced voltage is generated in the exciting coil 68. The induced voltage is the same as that of the above-described embodiment. In the same manner as in the case, the current is rectified and led to the power supply unit 16, and a charging current is supplied to the power supply unit 16. When the battery is charged in this way and becomes equal to or higher than the predetermined reference voltage VH, the plunger 410 is returned, the arm 400 is closed, the stationary state of the robot body 10 is released, and the stepping motor 66 is driven to start again.

FIG. 61 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a control unit in the case of charging with a photovoltaic element. For example, a solar cell 412 is provided as a photovoltaic element, and the output of the solar cell 412 is supplied to the power supply unit 16 via the limiter 302 (see FIG. 47) of the voltage regulator 56 and the CPU via the decoder 416. Supplied to the core 40.
FIG. 62 is a flowchart showing the operation of the embodiment of FIG. In this embodiment, the solar cell 412 charges the battery even during normal work. However, when the voltage of the power supply unit 16 becomes lower than the predetermined reference voltage VL (S121), the step motors 64 and 66 are driven (S122), and this state is continued until the rotation of these motors cannot be detected (S123). (S124). That is, by driving the step motors 64 and 66 until the robot body 10 collides with a wall or the like, the robot body 10 is retracted toward the corner and charged in that state for about 100 seconds, for example (S125). When the voltage of the power supply unit 16 becomes higher than the predetermined reference voltage VL (S121), the normal operation is resumed (S122). In this embodiment, it is possible not only to supply energy from the light emitting element by controlling the light emitting element on the light emitting side, but also to supply a control signal by superimposing the control signal on the light emitting energy. On the robot body 10 side, the output of the solar cell 212 is analyzed by the decoder 416 and taken into the CPU core 40.

  Incidentally, in the embodiment of FIG. 61, the example using the solar cell 412 has been described, but this may be replaced with a thermoelectric generator. Since the thermoelectric generator generates electric power due to a temperature difference, the thermoelectric generator can continuously generate power by alternately repeating heat absorption and heat generation on the energy supply side (drive the heat absorption and heating element at the charging stand). In this case, however, the output of the thermoelectric generator alternately repeats positive and negative, so that the charging circuit 214 requires a rectifier circuit. Not only in this case, but also in the case of charging by electromagnetic induction, a rectifier circuit is required not only for the exciting coil 68 but also for charging the power supply unit 16 by providing a charging coil instead of the solar cell 212. Become.

  FIG. 63 is a flowchart showing an operation in the case of performing control combining charging, obstacle avoidance, work, and return. The CPU core 40 takes in the voltage of the power supply unit 16 and determines whether or not the value is higher than a predetermined reference voltage VL (S131). If the voltage of the power supply unit 16 is lower than the predetermined reference voltage VL, the charging operation is started (S132). This charging operation is the same as the operation in each of the embodiments described above. If the voltage of the power supply unit 16 is higher than the predetermined reference voltage VL, it is next determined whether or not there is an obstacle (S133). The presence / absence of an obstacle is detected by, for example, attaching an obstacle detection sensor and detecting the obstacle or detecting a state in which the step motor is not rotating. Detection in the latter case is performed as follows. The induced voltage becomes large after supplying the drive pulse to the excitation coil of the step motor when in the rotating state, and the induced voltage becomes small in the non-rotating state. Therefore, by detecting the magnitude of the induced voltage, Judgment is made.

  When it is determined that there is an obstacle (S133), an avoidance operation is performed (S134). The avoiding operation is performed by performing control processing such as stop and reverse. If it is determined that there is no obstacle, a desired operation (forward advancement, etc.) is performed (S134). Next, it is determined whether there is a return command (S135). If there is no return command, the above processing is repeated, and if there is a return command, return is performed (S135). In this embodiment, the work is continued until the return command is from the outside, but it may be automatically returned when the work is completed. Returning is done in the same way as moving to the charging station.

It is a side view of the micro robot of one Example of this invention. FIG. 2 is a top view of FIG. 1. It is a bottom view of FIG. It is explanatory drawing when a robot main body climbs the inclined traveling ground. It is a side view of the micro robot of the other Example of this invention. FIG. 6 is a bottom view of FIG. 5. It is a side enlarged view of the wheel of the micro robot. It is the block diagram which showed the detail of the circuit part. It is a circuit diagram of a sensor. It is a top view of a drive part. It is an expanded view of the drive part of FIG. 6 is a timing chart showing an example of basic operation of the robot of the embodiment of FIG. 1 or FIG. FIG. 13 is a timing chart showing the basic operation at the start of driving of the robot of the embodiment of FIG. 6 is a timing chart showing an operation at the start of driving of the robot of the embodiment of FIG. It is a wave form diagram of the drive pulse of the robot of the Example of FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the process (the 1) in the case of avoiding an obstruction. It is explanatory drawing of the avoidance operation | movement. It is a flowchart which shows the process (the 2) in the case of avoiding an obstruction. It is explanatory drawing of the avoidance operation | movement. It is a timing chart showing a method of detecting the presence or absence of rotation of a step motor. It is the figure which each showed the front, side, and back surface of the micro robot which concerns on the other Example of this invention. It is the figure which each showed the front, side, and back surface of the micro robot which concerns on the other Example of this invention. It is the figure which each showed the front, side, and back surface of the micro robot which concerns on the other Example of this invention. FIG. 24 is a block diagram showing peripheral circuits of the motor drive circuit of the embodiment of FIGS. It is a top view of the micro robot of the other Example of this invention. It is the block diagram which showed the detail of the circuit part of the Example of FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the control operation of the circuit part of FIG. FIG. 27 is a flowchart showing an operation when a work control sensor is not equipped in FIGS. 25 and 26. FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the detail of the other Example of a circuit part. It is a top view of the robot main body of the other Example of this invention. 30 is a flowchart showing a control operation of the circuit unit in FIG. 29. It is sectional drawing which shows the example which applied the micro robot of this invention to the endoscope. It is a bottom view of the micro robot which concerns on the other Example of this invention. It is a side view of the micro robot of FIG. It is a side view of the micro robot which concerns on the other Example of this invention. It is a bottom view of the micro robot of FIG. FIG. 37 is a block diagram showing details of the circuit unit of the microrobot shown in FIGS. It is the flowchart which showed the control action of the macro robot of FIGS. It is a figure which shows a state when the micro robot of FIG. 35 raises a hand. It is a figure which shows a state when the micro robot of FIG. 35 opens a hand. It is a conceptual diagram of the micro robot which concerns on the other Example of this invention. It is a side view of FIG. It is the figure which showed the detail of the working motor. It is the figure which showed the operating principle of the work motor. It is the figure which showed the operating principle of the work motor. It is the figure which showed the operating principle of the work motor. It is the block diagram which showed the detail of the circuit part which added the charging mechanism by electromagnetic induction to the circuit part. It is a block diagram which shows the detail of the motor drive circuit of the Example of FIG. It is a discharge characteristic figure of the electric double layer capacitor which constitutes a power-source part. It is circuit explanatory drawing which shows the detail of a voltage regulator. It is operation | movement explanatory drawing of a pressure | voltage rise means. It is operation | movement explanatory drawing of a pressure | voltage rise means. It is operation | movement explanatory drawing of a pressure | voltage rise means. It is a perspective view of a charging stand. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of an energy supply apparatus. It is a flowchart which shows the operation | movement at the time of automatic charge. It is a front view of the micro robot which concerns on the other Example of this invention. FIG. 58 is a rear view of the micro robot of FIG. 57. It is 59-59 sectional drawing of FIG. It is a figure explaining the function of the arm of FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the control part in the case of charging with a photovoltaic element. FIG. 62 is a flowchart showing the operation of the embodiment of FIG. 61. FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the operation | movement in the case of performing control which combined charge, failure avoidance, work, and return.

Claims (2)

At least two sensors partially overlapping the detection area;
At least one pair of drive units that are driven independently of each other and have drive points that are separated from each other in a direction perpendicular to the moving direction;
A control unit that controls the drive unit based on an ON output of the sensor;
A power supply unit that is rechargeable and supplies a power supply voltage to the sensor, the drive unit, and the control unit;
The drive unit, the control unit, and the power supply unit are each formed in a plate shape, and are arranged so that the control unit and the power supply unit overlap between the pair of drive units,
Supported by two driving points that are driven by the pair of driving units with respect to the traveling ground, and a sliding portion that is in sliding friction contact with the traveling ground ;
The vertical line segment extending from the center of gravity and the line segment connecting the two drive points intersect with each other by the inclination of the traveling ground, each having the sliding portion before and after the two drive points. When the vertical line segment is in front of the line connecting the driving points, the front sliding part is in contact with the traveling ground, and when the vertical line segment is behind, the rear microrobot sliding portion is characterized that you contact with the travel ground.   2. The micro of claim 1, further comprising: a protrusion protruding from the housing, having flexibility and conducting to the power supply, and charging the power supply by energizing the protrusion. robot.

Images