Liquid motion detection system for delivery robots, and liquid delivery robot equipped with the same

Liquid motion detection technology for spill-free delivery robots

This technology relates to a liquid motion detection system for delivery robots and a liquid delivery robot equipped with said system. More specifically, it involves technology that analyzes the sloshing of liquid on a tray in real-time using a camera to control the robot's driving speed and tray angle.

Service robots transporting food and beverages in restaurants frequently face issues with liquid spilling due to sudden speed changes or uneven floor surfaces. This leads to reduced service quality, the need for rework, and potential safety hazards.

By actively controlling the tray angle and driving speed through a liquid state analysis unit and a reinforcement learning model, this technology ensures stable delivery without liquid spills. It can be applied to various fields, including serving robots, unmanned cafes, and hospital transport robots.

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Key Features:

• System configuration for detecting the state of at least one liquid container placed on a delivery robot's tray during transport
• At least one camera that captures images of the liquid container's rim and the surface of the liquid stored within
• A liquid state analysis unit that detects the state of the liquid in real-time during delivery by analyzing the captured images
• Configuration that detects the rim of the liquid container using an image-based object tracking algorithm and senses the movement of the liquid within that area

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This invention was developed with support from the Ministry of Science and ICT’s Zero-Power Body Enhancement Basic Research Laboratory and the development of deep learning-based tactile/texture interpretation and tactile-enhanced prosthetic hands using flexible artificial neural patches.