EP2776630A1

EP2776630A1 - Traffic management vehicle

Info

Publication number: EP2776630A1
Application number: EP12798339.3A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Clebert O'bryan Ricardo Yearwood
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2011-11-10
Filing date: 2012-11-09
Publication date: 2014-09-17
Also published as: GB2496416A; GB201119409D0; WO2013068716A1

Abstract

A traffic management vehicle comprising a robotic arm is disclosed. The robotic arm has at least six axes of movement and is coupled to a vehicle. An end effector is located at one end of the robotic arm and is adaptable to a variety of traffic management functions. The traffic management vehicle may further comprise a control system configured to process information from various data sources and control the movement of the robotic arm to perform a traffic management function. The data source may be, for example, a camera, a GPS receiver, an RFID reader, CAD software, a map or a plan. The traffic management vehicle could be arranged to distribute and collect traffic management equipment such as traffic cones or to perform road-side surveillance.

Description

Traffic management vehicle

Field of the invention

5 The present invention relates to traffic management vehicles and more specifically to a traffic management vehicle having an integrated six-axis robotic arm.

Background section

o Road traffic management can be used to perform a multitude of road

management tasks, including the laying and collecting of traffic management equipment, for example traffic cones, barriers, bollards, road signs and speed humps, and the surveying of road surfaces. These tasks are usually carried out by hand by the thousands of road workers that maintain the roads. In order to5 minimise the inconvenience to other road users during road maintenance, these tasks are generally carried out whilst there is still traffic on the road.

Consequently, the job of road worker is fraught with danger from fast moving vehicles, and several road surveyors and traffic-cone men are seriously injured or die each year due to accidents whilst carrying out their duties. For example, in o 2005, the UK Highways Agency reported 5 fatalities and 12 serious injuries of road workers on the UK's road system.

As an example, the laying or placing of traffic cones is usually done by hand from the back of a moving traffic management vehicle. Figure 1 shows a typical traffic management vehicle 10 which has a storage area 12 for storing5 stacked traffic cones. The vehicle depicted in figure 1 has an area 14 at the side of the vehicle with a lower floor than the rest of the back section of the vehicle. A first road worker can stand or sit in this area so that he can reach over and overhang the road to place the traffic cones. Typically, another second road worker on the back of the vehicle passes the first road worker a traffic cone from o the back of the vehicle which the first worker then places at the correct position on the road. The two workers then work together to place the traffic cones at the desired spacing as the traffic management vehicle moves along the road.

Including the driver, at least three road workers are required to place traffic cones in this manner, and there is considerable risk to the road workers on the back of the vehicle.

5 The road workers may have to work very fast in order to place the traffic cones at the required separations, and so the traffic cones may not be placed very accurately. It is not uncommon for some of the traffic cones that have been placed on the road by the road workers to fall down because they were not placed correctly. This can be then cause a hazard to the traffic, and may even o cause an accident.

To collect the traffic cones, the traffic management vehicle slowly drives next to the cones. A first worker typically walks alongside the vehicle picking up the cones and passes them to a second worker on the back of the vehicle who can manually stack the traffic cones. This is particularly dangerous, as one of the5 workers must walk along the actual carriageway and is in danger of being struck by a moving vehicle. Alternatively, a single road worker may be on the back of the traffic management vehicle and have to lean over the side of the vehicle into the road to reach the traffic cones to retrieve them. However, this is extremely dangerous, as the road worker must lean right out of the vehicle and so be in 0 danger of being hit by traffic on the road. Further, should the road worker lose his balance, he may fall out of the vehicle altogether.

As well as the danger of fast moving traffic, the job of manually laying and retrieving traffic cones from the road is very physically strenuous and can cause injuries to the workforce due to overexertion.

5 Therefore, there is a need to provide a safer, less strenuous method of maintaining the roads.

There have been several attempts at designing an automated traffic cone placing and retrieving system that would eliminate the need for road traffic workers to expose themselves to dangers whilst placing and retrieving traffic o cones. For example, EP1630294(B1) describes an apparatus for dispensing and collecting traffic cones using a conveyor belt. The apparatus comprises a vehicle with a conveyor belt attached to the rear. An actuation system moves the traffic cones down the conveyor belt and onto the road. The position of the traffic cones with respect to the road can be controlled by moving the conveyor belt perpendicular to the direction of motion of the vehicle. The apparatus can retrieve traffic cones by reversing towards the cones, which are then drawn up the 5 conveyor belt to the back of the traffic management vehicle, where they can be stored. This has the distinct disadvantage that the driver of the vehicle must drive for a long distance in reverse, and must maintain a very accurate course in relation to the line of traffic cones.

Other mechanisms that have been used for collecting traffic cones from0 the side of a road include having a collecting mechanism which is fitted to the side of a vehicle. The mechanism has a cage like front which is driven towards the cone. A bar knocks the cone over, so that the cone is lying on its side with the bottom of the cone facing rearwards. A mechanised collecting arm can then scoop the cone off the floor and return it to the back of the vehicle.

5 JP 2004-232215 describes a vehicle for delivering traffic cones stacked on a movable table using a robotic arm.

However, the above mentioned methods of placing and retrieving traffic cones need highly specialised vehicles which have little use in any other applications. Also, due to the nature in which these vehicles collect the traffic o cones, the driver of the vehicle must keep constant watch on the position of the vehicle and ensure that he steers the vehicle so that the cones are collected.

Summary of invention

According to the present invention, there is provided a traffic management5 vehicle comprising a robotic arm, as disclosed in claim 1. The robotic arm has a base and an end effector at the opposite end, and can move about at (east six axes of motion. The base of the robotic arm is coupled to the vehicle. The traffic management vehicle is then able to perform a variety of traffic management functions.

o The vehicle has the advantage that it is able to perform road traffic

management functions, for example laying and retrieving traffic management equipment such as traffic cones or surveying a roadside, without the need for traffic management personal exposing themselves to danger by being in the road. The versatility of the six axes robotic arm means that the traffic

management vehicle can be adapted for use for many different functions. A six axes robotic arm may comprise a base, a main arm, a forearm and an end effector. There are 3 couplings between these four components. Through the four components and three joints provide six independent modes of movement, or degrees of freedom. A six axes robotic arm has the advantage over other types of robotic arms of having a high speed of movement and being capable of reaching any position within the envelope of movement of the arm.

Preferably, the robotic arm is manoeuvrable in order to position the end effector in a plurality of positions inside and outside the vehicle and may by coupled to the vehicle on a guiding track to allow translational motion of the robotic arm across the vehicle, such as form one side of the vehicle to the other.

Preferably, the vehicle has a control unit which controls the robotic arm based on data received from at least one data source. The data source could be a video camera, a GPS receiver, RFID reader, CAD software, a map or a plan.

The invention further provides a traffic cone laying and retrieving vehicle according to claim 16. The vehicle is coupled to a six axes robotic arm and further comprises a control unit which controls the robotic arm to automatically perform the functions of placing a traffic cone on a road surface and retrieving a traffic cone from a road surface, based on data received from at least one data source.

Preferably, the data source is at least one of a video camera, a GPS receiver, RFID reader, CAD software, a map or a plan.

The invention further provides a road surveying vehicle according to claim

18. The vehicle is coupled to a six axes robotic arm and further comprises a control unit. The control unit controls the robotic arm to survey a roadside environment based on data received from at least one data source.

Preferably, the data source is at least one of a video camera, a GPS receiver, RFID reader, CAD software, a map or a plan. The invention provides still further a traffic management method according to claim 21. The traffic management method comprises controlling a six axes robotic arm coupled to a vehicle to perform a traffic management function.

Finally, the invention provides a computer program according to claim 30 to perform the traffic management method of controlling a six axes robotic arm coupled to a vehicle.

Brief summary of the drawings

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, and with reference to the accompanying drawings of which:

Figure 1 shows a schematic of a prior art traffic management vehicle in which a road worker manual places and retrieves traffic cones;

Figure 2 shows a robotic arm coupled to a traffic management vehicle according to an embodiment of the invention;

Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a six-axes robotic arm;

Figure 4 shows a six-axis robotic arm on a guiding track providing a seventh degree of freedom;

Figure 5 shows a docking plate as the end effector and an interchangeable module according to an embodiment of the invention;

Figure 6 shows a schematic block diagram of the main functional components of the traffic management vehicle;

Figure 7 shows a typical plan of the layout of traffic cones on a road;

Figure 8 shows a rear view of a traffic management vehicle showing a robotic arm and a movable end bumper 170 according to an embodiment of the invention; and

Figure 9 shows a plan view of the traffic management vehicle showing the robotic arm and the movable bumper 170 according to an embodiment of the invention. Detailed description of the embodiments

In a first aspect of the present invention, as shown in figure 2, a traffic management vehicle 100, for example a vehicle for laying and retrieving traffic cones 500, is coupled to a six-axis robotic arm 200. The vehicle may be lorry, van or other type of vehicle. Preferably, the vehicle is a lorry having an open back. The robotic arm 200 could be coupled to any part of the vehicle 100, but in a preferred embodiment it is coupled to the base of the rear section of the lorry, for example behind the cabin 160 as shown in figure 2.

Figure 3 shows a six-axis robotic arm 200. That is, a robotic arm that can rotate about six independent axes. This provides the robotic arm 200 with six degrees of freedom, and so the robotic arm 200 may also be called a six degrees of freedom (6-DOF) robotic arm.

A six-axis robotic arm 200 typically comprises a base 210, a main arm 220, a forearm 230 and an end effector 240. The end effector 240 is the part of the robotic arm 200 that interacts with the outside world, and can be considered analogous to the hand at the end of a human arm. The end effector 240 is sometimes known as the end-of-arm tooling. The end effector 240 could designed for a specific task, for example a traffic cone gripping device or a connector for a camera, or may have a multi-function purpose, for example a general gripper. The main arm 220 and forearm 230 are both sometimes called the upper arm and lower arm, depending on the orientation of the robotic arm 200. However, to avoid confusion, we shall refer only to the terms main arm 220 and forearm 230 in this description.

The main arm 220 and base 210 are connected by a joint known as the shoulder joint 2 5 which allows for both the pitch and yaw of the main arm 220 relative to the base 210. The pitch is the angle of the robotic arm 200 with the horizontal and the yaw is the azimuthal angle of the robotic arm 200. The main arm 220 and forearm 230 are connected by a joint known as the elbow 225 which allows for pitch and roll of the forearm 230 relative to the main arm 220. The roll is the twist angle of the forearm 230 along its axis. Finally, the end effector 240 is connected to the forearm 230 by a joint known as the wrist 235 which allows for both pitch and roll of the end effector 240 relative to the forearm 230. These parts of the robotic arm 200 are shown in figure 2 along with the movements allowed by each of the joints. These parts of the robotic arm 200 together allow the positioning and orientation of the end effector 240 within the work envelope of the robotic arm 200. Of course, other designs of six-axis robotic arms are possible, and the above description is merely to illustrate a typical example.

The robotic arm 200 is moved by the use of actuators or drives (not shown). These actuators are typically located at or near to the joints of the robotic arm 200. The actuators may be hydraulic, pneumatic or electrical. In general, hydraulic actuators are used for heavy payloads where power is the biggest consideration. Electrical actuators are used when there is a need for more precise control of the end effector 240, and power is of a lesser consideration.

Sensors (not shown) are distributed throughout the robotic arm 200 so that the exact position of the parts of the robotic arm 200 can be relayed to a control unit. Sensors may also be used to provide feedback to the control unit that the robotic arm 200 is close to an obstruction so that collision with the obstruction can be avoided.

In order to provide even more manoeuvrability of the robotic arm 200, the base 210 of the robotic arm 200 could be coupled to the base of the lorry 100 via a guide track 250, as shown in figure 4. This guide track 250 might take the form of a rail in which the base is firmly held, but which enables the base of the robotic arm 200 to move in a transverse direction relative to the length of the vehicle, or any other guide which allows transverse motion of the robotic arm 200 whilst coupling the robotic arm 200 to the vehicle 100. The addition of this seventh degree of freedom allows for a greater work envelope of the robotic arm 200. That is, the robotic arm 200 can reach further distances, and in particular can be moved from one side of the vehicle 100 to the other.

The traffic management vehicle 100 with robotic arm 200 can be used for a variety traffic management functions. For example, the traffic management vehicle 100 could be used for laying traffic management equipment, for example traffic cones 500, barriers, bollards, road signs and speed humps, on a road, and also their subsequent retrieval. Further, the traffic management vehicle could also be used for surveying a road. In order to fulfil this multi-purpose role, the end effector 240 could be a docking plate that allows the interchangeable attachment of different modules, as shown in figure 5. In this figure, the upper plate 242 would form the end effector 240 of the robotic arm 200 and the lower plate 242 would be attached to whichever module is most suited for the particular function that is required. In this manner, a selection of different interchangeable modules could be kept on the vehicle to perform different functions. Whenever, the robotic arm 200 is required to perform a different task, the docking plate could be disengaged from the current module, and the appropriate module easily attached. For example, the modules could be grippers, dedicated coupling devices or video surveillance devices. The docking plate could allow the connection of any necessary facilities to the module, for example electrical, pneumatic or hydraulic connections. The modules could be changed manually by an operator, or the robotic arm 200 could change the module itself. For example, if the selection of modules were kept in a position in reach of the robotic arm 200, the robotic arm 200 could quickly and autonomously change the module to perform a desired function. It would then be unnecessary to manually change the end effector 240 to match the function that is to be performed and so reduce the workload of the operators.

As an example of invention, when the traffic management vehicle 100 is used for laying and retrieving traffic cones 500, the back of the lorry would preferably be arranged to have an area 120 where stacked traffic cones 500 can be stored which is within reach of the end effector 240 of the robotic arm 200. The end effector 240 being adapted to be able to handle traffic cones 500. For example, the end effector 240 could be a pair of grippers that can be opened and closed in order to grip and release a traffic cone 500, or could be a dedicated coupling device for traffic cones 500. For example, the coupling device could use suction to hold the traffic cone 500.

When the traffic management vehicle is operating to lay traffic cones 500, stacks of traffic cones 500 are stored on the back 120 of the lorry, and the robotic arm 200 picks up the traffic cones 500 one by one and positions them on or near a road at pre-determined positions. As the vehicle moves forward, the robotic arm 200 could lay a long line of traffic cones 500 along the road. Because of the dexterity of the six-axis robotic arm 200, the traffic cones 500 are able to be picked up and placed very accurately, ensuring that none of the traffic cones 500 are misplaced or knocked over.

When retrieving traffic cones 500, the robotic arm 200 grips the traffic cones 500 whilst they are on the road, picks them up and stacks them on the back 120 of the lorry. Again, because of the dexterity of the six-axis robotic arm 200, it can be positioned to pick up a traffic cone 500 even if it is in an awkward position or has been knocked over. The robotic arm 200 can also stack the retrieved traffic cones 500 in any position on the back 120 of the lorry that is desired.

Preferably, a control unit 300 controls the movement of the robotic arm 200 as schematically depicted in figure 6. The control unit 300 may take data from one or more sources to determine how the robotic arm 200 is to be controlled. For example, the control unit 300 may receive data from one or more video or vision cameras 322 to provide visual data, GPS receiver 320 to provide geographic location data or data from an RFID receiver 324 regarding the proximity of an RFID device. It may further receive other forms of data from other data sources 326, for example CAD data, a map or other type of plan.

For example, the control unit 300 may be provided with CAD (computer- aided design) or CAE (computer-aided engineering) data, designed for example using the proprietary software EPLAN, providing the desired layout of the positions of a set of traffic cones 500, as shown in schematically in figure 7. Figure 7 shows a plan of a road 400 including the sides of the road 410, a lane dividing line 420 and the desired layout of the traffic cones 500. The control unit 300 can then control the robotic arm 200 to position the traffic cones 500 in exactly the desired position.

Other data sources may also provide data to the control unit 300 to help control the robotic arm 200. For example, machine vision cameras or video cameras could be mounted on the vehicle. The video cameras 322 may be mounted anywhere on the vehicle 100, but may be particularly useful at the front to be able to provide visual data of the road ahead. As an example, the video data may provide the position of traffic cones 500 in the road, and may also provide the orientation of the traffic cones 500. For example, if a traffic cone 500 has fallen over, the video data will allow the control unit 300 determine the location and orientation of the traffic cone 500. The control unit 300 can then control the robotic arm 200 to move to the correct position and orientation to retrieve the traffic cone 500 from the road.

The control unit 300 may also perform a cruise control function to control the speed of the vehicle as needed to perform the traffic management function. This cruise control function may be carried out directly by the control unit 300, or indirectly by a cruise control unit 310 in communication with the control unit 300. The control unit 300 may even control some aspect of the steering of the vehicle in order to be able to reach the desired position. In this manner, the traffic management function can be performed automatically, without exposing roadside engineers to risk.

Alternatively, the control unit 300 may provide some signal to the driver that the desired position is out of reach of the work envelope of the robotic arm 200. The signal may provide details of how the course of the vehicle could be corrected in order to allow the robotic arm 200 to reach the desired position. For example, the signal may include an indication, either visual or audio, that the vehicle needs to be steered in a certain direction in order that the robotic arm 200 arrives within reach of the desired position.

A vision camera 322 could also be mounted on the robotic arm 200, preferably on or near the end effector 240. This vision camera 322 could then provide visual data to the control unit 300 regarding the position of the end effector 240 relative to the subject area of interest. In the example of retrieving traffic cones 500, the visual data could be processed using machine vision techniques to provide information regarding the distance of the end effector 240 from the traffic cone 500 and the orientation of the traffic cone 500 relative to the end effector 240. This would allow the control unit 300 to control the movement of the robotic arm 200 to position the end effector 240 in the correct orientation for retrieving the traffic cone 500.

The control unit 300 could be in communication with a data storage device 330 in order to store data. The data storage device 300 could be any device suitable for storing data, for example, a hard drive or flash memory. The controi unit 300 could then store data relevant to the traffic management function. For example, if the traffic management vehicle was fitted with a GPS receiver 320 to provide location of the vehicle to the control unit 300, the position of the vehicle 100 could be stored. This would be especially useful when the vehicle 100 is being used to deploy traffic management equipment on the road as the exact position of that each item of equipment was placed could be recorded. This would also be useful when the vehicle 100 is being used to survey the road.

The traffic management equipment could be provided with RFID tags and the traffic management vehicle fitted with an RFID reader or receiver 324 to enable the logging of the deployment and retrieval of the traffic management equipment. For example, the control unit 300 could store the position that a particular traffic cone 500 was deployed, along with any other relevant data, for example the time and date. Then, this information could be used to enable the tracking of each cone.

As another example, the traffic management vehicle could be used for surveying of a roadside environment. For example, a video camera could be coupled to the end effector for taking video images of the surface of the road, for example to examine possible pot holes. The video camera could also be used to examine areas close to the roadside, for example the sides or underneath of a bridge. Further, the vehicle could be parked at the side of the road, and the video camera used to monitor the traffic on the roads.

In order to minimise the chances of the robotic arm 200 hitting anything whilst it is in operation, it is preferable to provide the traffic management vehicle 100 with safety features so as to reduce the chance of accidents or injury. For example, there could be provided at the rear of the vehicle a movable bumper 170 as shown in figures 8 and 9. The movable bumper 170 can be moved to a position on either side of the vehicle 100 in order to shield the area in which the robotic arm 200 is moving from other road users. In figure 8 the bumper 170 is extended to the right of the vehicle. As can be seen, the bumper 70 protrudes from the vehicle 100 at least as far as the robotic arm 200. This prevents any vehicles or other road users from accidentally getting in the way of the robotic arm 200 when it is moving. The bumper 170 would preferably be covered with high visibility markings to ensure that the bumper 170 is very easy to see. Other road traffic signs 75 may be incorporated with the bumper 170, for example a "keep right" sign as shown in figure 8.

Other safety features that could be incorporated with the robotic arm 200 are safety cut out switches. The area in which the robotic arm 200 moves could be monitored by sensors. These sensors would be able to detect anything, especially people, that enter the work envelope of the robotic arm 200. Any area monitoring sensors could be used, for example, passive infra-red (PIR) detectors, ultrasound detectors, pressure sensors light or light beam sensors, so that if someone accidentally got too close to the robotic arm 200, the robotic arm 200 would be immediately stopped to prevent injury.

The robotic arm 200 could also be fitted with switches in order to prevent the arm from hitting parts of the vehicle, for example, the cabin 160 or the base. These switches would be activated if the robotic arm 200 tried to move to a position in which contact with a part of the vehicle was likely, and provide feedback to the control unit 300 to prevent the robotic arm 200 from moving any further.

The robotic arm 200 could be provided with its own power supply, separate from the vehicle's. The power supply would depend on the needs of the particular robotic arm 200. Typically, the power supply will provide 200 - 600 V AC at a frequency of 50 - 60 Hz, an it would be preferable to provided as three phases. An uninterruptable power supply (UPS) could be used to prevent the sudden stopping of the robotic arm 200 whilst in the middle of an operation if the power supply failed.

To explain how some of the various features of the invention may be used together, a detailed description of a specific embodiment of the invention in which the traffic management vehicle is used to lay and retrieve traffic cones 500 will now be discussed. However, it should be apparent how these features could also be used in combination in a similar manner when the invention is employed in other traffic management roles, for example laying and retrieving other traffic management equipment or surveying a roadside. 34

- 13 -

It should be understood that not all of the features discussed in this example are essential features of the invention, and various combinations of the features may be used depending on the circumstances.

Plan data including the desired layout of the traffic cones is loaded into the control unit 300 and stored in memory. This plan data is depicted schematically in figure 7. The plan data includes GPS coordinates of the position of the start of the desired position of the traffic cones' layout. A GPS receiver 320 coupled to a GPS navigation system 321 receives these coordinates from the control unit 300 and directs the driver of the vehicle to a location near to the desired position of the first traffic cone. The control system then indicates to the driver that the position has been reached, for example via a visual display or an audio signal, so that the driver can stop the vehicle ready to start the laying of the traffic cones 500. Alternatively, the traffic cone laying procedure may start without the need to stop the vehicle 100 completely.

Once the vehicle 100 is near to the desired position of the first traffic cone, the movable bumper 70 is moved into a position to protect the area in which the robotic arm 200 will be moving, as shown in figures 8 and 9. The movement of the movable bumper 170 might be controlled manually by the driver, but preferably automatically by the control unit 300. Flashing lights and other signs 75 could also be activated depending on local traffic regulations for road traffic works. In figures 8 and 9, the robotic arm 200 is on the right side of the vehicle 100. However, it should be understood that the robotic arm 200 and the movable bumper 170 could also be deployed on the left side of the vehicle 100 as needed.

The control unit 300 then controls the six-axis robotic arm 200 to collect a traffic cone 500 from the back of the lorry. Vision cameras 322 on or near the end effector 240 of the robotic arm 200 provide visual data that the control unit 300 processes to determine the positions of the traffic cones 500 to ensure that it can manoeuvre the robotic arm 200 to the traffic cone 500 and then grip it. The control unit 300 then controls the robotic arm 200 to position the traffic cone 500 at the desired position on the surface of the road 400. The control unit 300 then performs a cruise control function to control the speed of the vehicle so that the robotic arm 200 can position the further traffic cones 500 in the desired positions. The control unit 300 processes the data from the plan to determine the desired positions of the traffic cones 500, and uses GPS data from the GPS receiver 320 to position the vehicle 100 in the correct position. Because of the large reach of the robotic arm 200, the control unit 300 can correct for small 5 deviations of the vehicle 100 from the desired position of the traffic cones 500 by adjusting the position of the robotic arm 200. However, if the desired position becomes out of reach of the robotic arm 200, the control unit 300 could control the steering of the vehicle 100. Alternatively, the control unit 300 could provide a signal to the driver, for example via a visual display or an audio signal, to steer o the vehicle in order to keep the vehicle on the right course.

As the vehicle lays the traffic cones 500 on the road surface, it could keep a log of data relevant to the positions and identity of the traffic cones 500. For example, if the traffic cones 500 are fitted with RFID identification tags, and the robotic arm 200 has an RFID reader 324, the control unit 300 can record the5 identity and position of each of each traffic cone 500 in its memory 330. This could then be used to help track the traffic cones 500 and provide a data log of their usage.

Once the final traffic cone 500 has been laid, the movable bumper 170 can be retracted and the vehicle 100 driven away from the area. The control unit 300 o then indicates to the driver that the traffic cone 500 laying procedure has been completed, and may even relay this to a third party, for example a road work foreman or head office, via a radio transmission.

When the traffic management vehicle is used to retrieve the traffic cones 500, the GPS system could be used to guide the driver to the position of the 5 traffic cones 500 in a similar fashion as during the laying procedure described earlier. Once the area of the traffic cones 500 has been reached, the movable bumper 170 can then be moved into position to protect the area in which the robotic arm 200 moves - the work envelope. The data stored in the memory of the control unit 300 provides the expected position of the traffic cones 500.

o However, the traffic cones 500 may not be in the expected positions. For example, they might have moved by the wind, collisions with vehicles or human intervention. Therefore, vision cameras 322 on the front of the vehicle provide visual data to the control unit 300. The control unit 300 then uses machine vision techniques and/or image recognition techniques to identify the exact positions of the traffic cones 500 and their respective orientations. The vehicle 100 is then controlled, via cruise control or signals to the driver, to position the vehicle so that the traffic cone 500 is in reach of the robotic arm 200. The control unit 300 then controls the robotic arm 200 to position the end effector 240 in such a way that it can hold the traffic cone 500. Vision cameras 322 on or near the end effector 240 may provide further visual data to the control unit 300 to ensure that the exact position and orientation of the traffic cone 500 can be determined.

The traffic cone 500 is then retrieved from the road surface by the robotic arm 200 and placed on the back 120 of the vehicle. The traffic management vehicle can then continue to retrieve the remainder of the traffic cones 500, using the combination of data available from the record of the expected layout of the traffic cones, GPS data of the vehicle's position and visual data from the vision cameras 322. If RFID tags are fitted to the traffic cones 500, RFID identification data could also be collected.

The robotic arm 200 can stack each of the traffic cones 500 in a manner that allows optimum storage of the traffic cones 500 on the back 20 of the vehicle. Once the final traffic cone 500 has been retrieved, the movable bumper 170 can be retracted and a signal provided to the driver or other persons that all of the traffic cones 500 have been retrieved.

If any of the traffic cones 500 were not retrieved, for example, because they could not be found, this could be recorded in the memory as part of a log. The expected position and maybe its RFID tag number could be provided, so that an investigation could be carried as to its whereabouts. For example, it may have been knocked out of site or reach of the traffic management vehicle, and need to be retrieved manually.

Many other traffic management functions could be envisaged for the aforementioned traffic management vehicle 100 having a six axis robotic arm 200, and the invention, defined by the claims, is meant to encompass all such functions. For example, the robotic arm 200 could be used to reach and maintain street lighting or traffic lighting which would otherwise need a roadside engineer to manually maintain. The vehicle may also be used to provide similar functions not necessarily on or near a road. For example, the laying and retrieving of traffic cones 500 or pedestrian barriers in a pedestrianised area or other area away from a road could be performed by the vehicle.

The person skilled in the art will readily appreciate that various

modifications and alterations may be made to the above described traffic management vehicle 100 without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A traffic management vehicle comprising a robotic arm, the robotic arm having at least six axes of movement and comprising at least a base and an end effector, the base being coupled to the vehicle and the robotic arm being arranged to perform a traffic management function.

2. The traffic management vehicle of claim 1 wherein the robotic arm is manoeuvrable in order to position the end effector in a plurality of positions such as to move an object from the vehicle to an adjacent surface.

3. The traffic management vehicle of any one of claims 1 and 2 further comprising a guiding track on which the base of the robotic arm is coupled and which is arranged to allow a transverse translational motion of the entire robotic arm relative to the vehicle.

4. The traffic management vehicle of any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the end effector is a docking plate adapted to receive an interchangeable module.

5. The traffic management vehicle of any preceding claim further comprising a control unit to control the motion of the robotic arm, the control unit being configured to process information from at least one data source and control the movement of the robotic arm in response to data received from the at least one data source.

6. The traffic management vehicle of claim 5, wherein the at least one data source is at least one of a vision camera, a GPS receiver, FID reader, CAD software, a map or a plan.

7. The traffic management vehicle of any one of claims 5 and 6, further comprising a vision camera arranged to provide the control unit with visual data regarding a subject area.

8. The traffic management vehicle of claim 7, wherein the subject area is an area in which traffic equipment is to be placed or retrieved.

5

9. The traffic management vehicle of any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the end effector is adapted to pick up and release traffic management equipment.

10. The traffic management vehicle of claim 9, wherein the traffic management0 equipment is at least one of traffic cones, barriers, bollards, road signs and speed humps.

11. The traffic management vehicle of any one of claims 5 to 10, wherein the traffic management vehicle is arranged to position traffic management equipment5 on a road surface in a pre-defined pattern, the end effector being adapted to hold the traffic management equipment and the control unit arranged to control the movement of the robotic arm to position the traffic management equipment on the road surface at the pre-defined positions. 0 12. The traffic management vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the pre-defined

pattern is provided by CAD or CAE software.

13. The traffic management vehicle of claim 7, wherein the subject area is an area to be surveyed.

5

14. The traffic management vehicle of dai^'m 3, wherein the end effector is adapted to perform a surveying function.

15. The traffic management vehicle of any one of claims 5 to 14, wherein the o control unit is adapted to perform a vehicle cruise control operation.

16. The traffic management vehicle substantially as shown in figures 2, 8 and 9.

17. A traffic cone laying and retrieving vehicle comprising a robotic arm coupled to the vehicle, the robotic arm being movable about at least six axes, the vehicle further comprising a control unit being configured to process information from at least one data source and controlling the robotic arm in order to automatically place and retrieve a traffic cone.

18. The traffic cone laying and retrieving vehicle of claim 17, wherein the at least one data source is at least one of a vision camera, a GPS receiver, RFID reader, CAD software, a map or a plan.

19. The traffic cone laying and retrieving vehicle of claim 176 or 18, wherein the robotic arm is configured to stack traffic cones on the vehicle that have been retrieved from a road surface.

20. A road surveying vehicle comprising a robotic arm coupled to the vehicle, the robotic arm movable about at least six axes, the vehicle further comprising a control unit being configured to process information from at least one data source and controlling the robotic arm to survey a roadside environment.

21. The road surveying vehicle of claim 20, wherein the at least one data source is at least one of a vision camera, a GPS receiver, RFID reader, CAD software, a map or a plan.

22. The vehicle of any preceding claim further comprising a movable end bumper that can be moved to a position to protect the work envelope of the robotic arm.

23. The vehicle of any proceeding claim wherein the work envelope is monitored by a sensor and the robotic arm is stopped if the sensor detects a person or unexpected object within the area

24. A traffic management method comprising controlling a robotic arm coupled to a vehicle to perform a traffic management function, the robotic arm movable about at least six axes.

25. The traffic management method of claim 24 wherein the robotic arm is controlled by a control unit, the control unit being provided with data from at least one data source and the control unit control unit controlling the robotic arm in response to the data from the at least one data source.

26. The traffic management method of claim 25 wherein the at least one data source is at least one of a video camera, a GPS receiver, RFID reader, CAD data, a map or a plan.

27. The traffic management method of claims 25 or 26 wherein the control unit performs a cruise control function to control the motion of the vehicle so that the robotic arm can be moved to a desired position on a road to perform a traffic management function.

28. The traffic management method of any one of claims 25 to 27, wherein the traffic management function is the laying and retrieving of traffic management equipment on a road surface.

29 The traffic management method of claim 28, wherein the traffic

management equipment is at least one of traffic cones, barriers, bollards, road signs and speed humps.

30. The traffic management method of claims 28 or 29, wherein traffic management equipment is positioned on a road surface at pre-defined positions.

31. The traffic management method of claim 30, wherein the pre-defined pattern is provided by CAD or CAE software.

32. The traffic management method of any one of claims 25 to 27, wherein the traffic management function is surveying a roadside environment.

33. A computer program providing instructions to carry out the method of any one of claims 25 to 32.