Patent ID: 7068004
Filing Date: 2006-06-27
Classification: B25J,G05D,H02J

Abstract:
1. A robot apparatus having movement means and a built-in power supply unit for driving and adapted for acting autonomously responsive to an inner state thereof; said robot apparatus including: imaging means for imaging a surrounding state; storage means having pre-stored the information on the position of at least one marker provided to an electrical charging device electrically charging said power supply unit; position vector calculating means for calculating the distance and the direction to said marker from the information on said marker position stored in said storage means and from an image including the marker position photographed by said imaging means; and operation controlling means for driving said movement means, thereby performing control for causing movement of said robot apparatus towards said electrical charging device depending on the distance and the direction to said marker calculated by said position vector calculating means; wherein said at least one marker comprises a main marker and a sub marker, the main marker is provided at an uppermost location of the electrical charging device and the sub marker is provided at a rear end of the electrical charging device.