Patent ID: 11886190
Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
Field: Control (Instruments)
Classification: CPC G  B  H | IPC B  G

Claim 0:
1. A method for controlling a robot that accompanies a user, the method comprising:
detecting, through at least one sensor included in the robot, a location and a movement direction of the user who is moving, and an object around the user;
setting, based on the location and the movement direction of the user, a nearby ground area in front at the feet of the user;
controlling an illumination device included in the robot to irradiate the nearby ground area with light while driving at least one pair of legs or wheels of the robot to cause the robot to accompany the user;
specifying a type and a location of the detected object; and
controlling, in a case where the object is a moving object and comes within a range of a prescribed distance from the user, the illumination device to irradiate a notification area with light in addition to irradiating the nearby ground area with light, the notification area being located on a road surface between the user and the moving object.