Robot for assisting in playing golf

Abstract

A robot for assisting a user in playing golf includes a self-propelled body, a memory device, a processor, a display device, a positioning device, a compass device, a lidar device and a Doppler radar that cooperatively estimate a position at which a golf ball would likely land after a shot, and to display the estimated position on a golf course map for assisting the user to find the golf ball.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A robot for assisting a user in playing golf, comprising:
 a self-propelled body having a front face;   a display device disposed on said self-propelled body;   a positioning device disposed on said self-propelled body, and configured to determine a location of said self-propelled body and generate location information;   a compass device disposed on said self-propelled body, and configured to sense an orientation of said self-propelled body and generate orientation information;   a lidar device disposed on said self-propelled body, and configured to sense an object or objects around said self-propelled and generate lidar information associated with the object or objects;   a Doppler radar disposed on said front face of said self-propelled body;   a memory device storing golf course map information therein; and   a processor electrically coupled to said self-propelled body, said display device, said positioning device, said compass device, said lidar device, said Doppler radar and said memory device, and configured   to enable automatic movement of said self-propelled body to a first target location based on the golf course map information, the location information, the orientation information and the lidar information,   to cause said Doppler radar to emit a radar signal toward a radar zone in front of said self-propelled body;   to calculate, based on the radar signal that is reflected back to said Doppler radar by a golf ball and a golf club that are disposed in the radar zone when the golf ball is hit by the golf club, an estimated landing position at which the golf ball is estimated to land; and   to cause said display device to display the estimated landing position and the golf course map information.   
     
     
         2 . The robot of  claim 1 , further comprising a camera device disposed on said front face of said self-propelled body and coupled to said processor, wherein said processor is further configured
 to cause said camera device to capture an image having the golf ball after said self-propelled body is at the first target location,   to adjust, when said processor determines that the golf ball does not fall within the radar zone, the first target location based on the position of the golf ball relative to the radar zone, such that the golf ball would be in the radar zone if said self-propelled body is at the first target location thus adjusted; and   to enable automatic movement of said self-propelled body to the first target location thus adjusted.   
     
     
         3 . The robot of  claim 1 , wherein said processor is further configured to calculate shot information after the golf ball is hit by the golf club, and to cause said display device to display the shot information, the shot information including at least one of a carry distance, a maximum height of the golf ball, a club speed of the golf club, a ball speed of the golf ball, a backspin rate of the golf ball, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The robot of  claim 1 , wherein the first target location is behind a tee box by a first predetermined distance. 
     
     
         5 . The robot of  claim 4 , wherein the first predetermined distance is between two meters and three meters. 
     
     
         6 . The robot of  claim 1 , wherein said memory device further stores shot history information associated with the user, and said processor is further configured
 to perform calculation, based on the golf course map information and the shot history information, to obtain advisory information that includes an advised golf club to use and an advised orientation of a shot to be made,   to record club information associated with the golf club selected by the user to hit the golf ball, and   to calculate, based on the golf course map information and the shot history information, an advised destination position to which the golf ball is advised to be hit.   
     
     
         7 . The robot of  claim 6 , further comprising a camera device coupled to said processor and configured to capture an image of the golf club selected by the user to hit the golf ball, wherein said processor is further configured to recognize a club number of the golf club based on the image captured by said camera device for generating the club information. 
     
     
         8 . The robot of  claim 1 , wherein said processor is further configured
 to calculate, based on the estimated landing position and the golf course map information, a second target location that is spaced apart from the estimated landing position by a second predetermined distance, and   to enable automatic movement of said self-propelled body to the second target location based on the golf course map information, the location information, the orientation information and the lidar information.   
     
     
         9 . The robot of  claim 8 , wherein the second predetermined distance is between two meters and three meters. 
     
     
         10 . The robot of  claim 1 , wherein said lidar device is disposed on a top face of said self-propelled body to sense the object or objects around said self-propelled body in all directions. 
     
     
         11 . The robot of  claim 1 , further comprising a touch sensing operation device, wherein said memory device further stores a user operation interface which is controllable by the user through said touch sensing operation device. 
     
     
         12 . The robot of  claim 1 , further comprising a microphone and a speaker for allowing interaction between the user and said robot by voice. 
     
     
         13 . The robot of  claim 1 , further comprising a wireless communication device connected to the Internet for downloading an update of the golf course map information. 
     
     
         14 . The robot of  claim 1 , further comprising a wireless communication device connected to the Internet via a mobile communication network, and configured to upload information of the user playing golf to a cloud server via the Internet. 
     
     
         15 . The robot of  claim 1 , further comprising a wireless communication device to be connected to a cloud server using a device that is one of a computer, a mobile phone and a wireless access point for uploading information of the user playing golf to the cloud server via a mobile communication network. 
     
     
         16 . The robot of  claim 1 , further comprising a wireless communication device for the user to interact with said robot by operating an application installed in a mobile phone that establishes wireless communication with said wireless communication device.