JP2006155039A - Store robot - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a store robot for improving the convenience of merchandise purchase by a shopping customer in a store such as a supermarket. <P>SOLUTION: This store robot 1 is provided with a basket 2 for storing merchandise, a moving means 6 for driving the independent traveling of this basket, an obstacle sensor 5 for detecting an obstacle in periphery of the basket and a user recognizing means 4 for recognizing the user of the basket, and for calculating a distance between the obstacle and the user. Thus, it is possible for this store robot to move following up the user based on a distance calculated by the user recognizing means. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a store robot that supports the purchase of a product by a shopper at a particularly large store such as a supermarket.

  In order to assist the shoppers in purchasing a product in a particularly large store such as a supermarket, information on the sales floor on which floor of the store the desired product is located and a bargain sale By providing information on products that are being sold, information on recommended foods at the grocery store, and information on various items such as product information on necessary ingredients and information on nutrition, customers can shop There is a guidance system used for the purpose of facilitating sales and promoting sales. In such a guidance system, for example, a fixed display board is provided in the vicinity of the entrance / exit of each floor (floor) or each sales floor and the various information is posted on the display board to provide information to the customer. Alternatively, a TV screen type information display device is installed at a predetermined position on each floor (floor) so that desired information can be retrieved by a customer's key operation.

However, in such a guidance system, a display board for displaying information or an information display device or the like is installed at a fixed position. Therefore, in order to obtain information, it is necessary to go to the installation place, and the display board or Since there are only a limited number of display devices, etc., when a customer wants to obtain information, the information cannot be obtained quickly on the spot, and the use of the guidance information is inconvenient. There was a point. As a result, it could not be said that the effect of sales promotion was always sufficient. Therefore, a shopping cart used by a shopping customer is provided with a touch panel display panel, which promptly displays information desired for that customer, particularly information on the layout of the sales floor and information on the current position in the display. A shopping cart that is provided for convenience of shopping for customers is considered. (See Patent Document 1)
JP-A-6-42979

However, in a conventional shopping cart with wheels and the like, a customer pushes and pulls a product while putting it in a basket to carry the product. This shopping cart provides the convenience of customers who buy a large number of items at once without having to carry a heavy basket, but the customer has to push, pull and change their direction, As the amount of goods in the basket increases, the weight and inertia of the entire shopping cart increase, and a considerable amount of force is required to move it, especially for elderly people, light women, and children. Yes.

In addition, when moving, you must move while paying attention to the products in the display shelves, wagons, and other customers, and you must pay attention to the direction of cart travel, especially when the store is crowded. . Therefore, there is a problem that it is difficult to concentrate on looking at the products arranged on the display shelf while moving, inconvenience the customer, and the store side cannot provide sufficient services to the shopping customer. In addition, because it depends on the user's attention and operation ability for safety while moving, it may cause injury by hitting other customers, causing trouble, or coming into contact with a child who has jumped out. There is also the danger of In addition, the more products that are in the basket, the more blind spots are in front of the cart, and there is a possibility that small children may not be in contact with the products in front of the cart.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a store robot that can improve the convenience of purchasing a product by a shopper at a store such as a supermarket.

  In order to achieve the above object, a store robot according to the present invention includes a basket for storing a product, a moving means for driving the basket independently, an obstacle sensor for detecting an obstacle around the basket, A user recognition unit that recognizes the user and calculates a distance from the user, and a driving control of the moving unit to follow the user based on the distance calculated by the user recognition unit. Drive control means.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the store robot which can improve the convenience of goods purchase by a shopper in stores, such as a supermarket, can be provided.

  Hereinafter, a store robot according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an external configuration of a store robot 1 according to the present embodiment.
The store robot 1 includes a basket 2 for storing merchandise, four wheels 3 for freely moving and guiding the basket 2 in the front-rear and left-right directions, an image sensor 4 fixed to the front portion of the basket 2, and a basket 2 Ten ultrasonic sensors 5 provided for detecting surrounding obstacles, a movement control unit 6 that controls the driving of the wheels 3 and controls the movement of the basket 2, and the floor layout in the store And a display device 7 for displaying information such as information, in-store product information, and information on special sale items. The ultrasonic sensors 5 are provided at a total of 10 locations, two at the upper front of the cage 2 and two at each of the four side surfaces of the rectangular parallelepiped movement control unit 6. In FIG. Although only four places are illustrated, four places are similarly provided on the side surface on the back side.

FIG. 2 is a block configuration diagram showing the configuration of the movement control unit 6 in the store robot 1 of the present embodiment.
The movement control unit 6 includes a movement mechanism 21 for controlling the movement of the car 2 by driving control of the wheels 3, a processing device 31 that transmits and receives control data to and from the movement mechanism 21 to control the entire store robot 1, and these The power source unit 41 supplies power to the moving mechanism 21 and the processing device 31.

The moving mechanism 21 includes a motor 22 for rotating the wheel 3, a motor 23 for changing the direction of the wheel 3, a rotation amount measuring device (encoder) 24 for measuring the rotation amount of the wheel 3, and the rotation amount thereof. And an acceleration measuring instrument 25 that measures acceleration based on the above.

The processing device 31 includes an input / output (I / O) 32 for inputting sensor information from the ultrasonic sensor 5 for detecting an obstacle and an image sensor 4 for obtaining visual information, and movement to the moving mechanism 21. I / O interface 33 (I / O: Input / Output) for inputting / outputting measurement data from control commands and moving mechanisms, store floor layout information, store product information, product layout (position) information, basket 2 Moveable area information (area information other than fixed obstacles such as display shelves and wagon products), information on merchandise sale information and evacuation routes, etc., and information stored in this memory 34 as a display device 7 and the graphic chip 35 to be displayed on the display 7 and the ultrasonic sensor 5, the image sensor 4, the moving mechanism 21, the power supply unit 41, the display device 7, and the like. And a computing unit 36. make the necessary computation to the overall control of the store robot 1. The product layout (position) information is pre-registered and stored in the memory 34, for example, X: 11, Y: 30, for example, by two-dimensional (X-axis, Y-axis) matrix information in the store floor layout. . Similarly, the store floor layout information is also stored in the memory 34 in which a product display shelf or the like is represented by two-dimensional matrix information.

The power supply unit 41 includes a rechargeable battery 42, a supply circuit 43 that performs rectification and voltage conversion, and a charging circuit 44 that controls charging of the battery 42 by connecting to the external power source 50 when charging the battery 42. Has been.

  FIG. 3 shows a display example by the display device 7. The display device 7 includes a touch panel type liquid crystal display unit 91, and displays floor layout information in the store indicating the position of a product display shelf such as vegetables, fruits, and beverages in the display unit 91, and soft switches. 92 is displayed. In addition, the current position of the user himself / herself, position information of the product, route guidance when the product is designated, and the like are displayed. Further, the product search button 92a is operated to search for in-store products, the shopping memo button 92b is operated to receive a shopping memo registered in advance in the server (details will be described later), and the layout button 92c. 3 can be displayed to display the floor layout in the store as shown in FIG. 3, or the special sale button 92d can be used to display special sale information.

Next, operation | movement of the store robot 1 comprised in this way is demonstrated.
The store robot 1 is installed at a predetermined position in the store, is connected to an external power supply 50, and the battery 42 is charged via the charging circuit 44.
When a user who visits the store starts up by pressing an operation switch (not shown) of the store robot 1 and stands in front of the image sensor 5, the image sensor 4 of the store robot 1 stores the image data of the user at the I / O 32. Is input to the arithmetic unit 36. The computing unit 36 extracts a plurality of feature points such as the appearance, body shape, color of the worn clothing, etc., which are the features of the user, and registers them in the memory 34 and calculates the distance from the user. Thereafter, when the user walks toward the merchandise display shelf for purchasing the merchandise, the processing device 31 targets the registered user's feature points and keeps the distance of the target constant. The cage 2 is moved in the direction by the wheel 3 and the moving mechanism 21. That is, the cage 2 is moved and guided so that the user can follow it. At this time, when an obstacle is detected by the ultrasonic sensor 5, the moving mechanism 21 drives and controls the wheel 3 so as to avoid the obstacle. Further, the store robot 1 stops when the image sensor 4 loses sight of the feature point (target) of the user while moving while avoiding an obstacle. In this case, the store robot 1 starts following the user by causing the user to recognize the feature point again by standing in front of the image sensor 4 or the like.

  As described above, according to the store robot of the present embodiment, the user is recognized by the image sensor 4 and follows the distance to the user while keeping the distance constant. Since it is not necessary to move, even if it is a relatively weak old man, a woman, or a child, many goods can be put in the basket 2 and shopping can be carried out without a burden. In addition, it is safe because there is no concern about contact with other people, and it is possible to concentrate on the examination of in-store merchandise and make shopping much more convenient. Further, for the store side, the service to the customer is improved, and troubles such as contact between carts and contact with a product display shelf or a wagon product can be avoided.

Next, the operation | movement is demonstrated about the different usage of the store robot 1 of a present Example. In this case, user recognition and follow-up control by the image sensor 4 are not performed.
First, the user activates the store robot 1 by pressing an operation switch (not shown) of the store robot 1 at the place where the store robot 1 is installed. When the user operates the product search button 92 a on the display device 7 to input a desired product, the data is input to the calculator 36 and compared with the information stored in the memory 34. If there is a corresponding product as a result of the comparison, it is displayed on the display device 7. When the user designates the product displayed on the display device 7, the calculator 36 recognizes the place where the product is displayed from the layout information of the product stored in the memory 34. The computing unit 36 calculates the shortest path (see FIG. 3) to the product position from the product position and the current position of the store robot 1, and outputs a command based on the calculation result to the moving mechanism 21. Based on the above, the basket 2 is moved to a desired product display shelf. The store robot 1 specifies its own position from the direction of the wheel 3 and the rotation amount measuring device 24, and refers to floor layout information in the store and a movable area (an area without a fixed obstacle such as a display shelf). Determine the travel route. When the user designates a plurality of products, a route that can move the plurality of product display positions along the shortest route is calculated, and the car 2 is moved based on the route. When the obstacle sensor 5 detects an obstacle during movement, the obstacle sensor 5 moves while avoiding the obstacle.

  Thus, by storing the position of the in-store product and the movable area of the store robot 1, the store robot 1 can run independently from the position of the basket 2 and the designated product position. Since it is not necessary for the person to push or pull the basket 2 to move it, even a relatively weak person such as an elderly person, a woman, or a child can place many items in the basket 2 and shop without any burden. In addition, it is safe because it does not care about contact with other people, and it is possible to shop by concentrating on the examination of in-store merchandise, which greatly improves convenience. Further, the service to the customer is improved for the store side, and troubles such as contact between carts and contact with merchandise can be avoided.

Next, a modified example of the store robot 1 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
In FIG. 4, a microphone 61 and a speaker 62 are connected to the store robot 1. Specifically, the microphone 61 and the speaker 62 are connected to the processing device 31. Further, the processing device 31 is provided with a wireless communication unit 37 to perform wireless communication with the wireless access point 63 installed in the store. The wireless access point 63 is connected to a gateway 66 for connecting the server 65 and an external network via a network (LAN) 64. The server 65 is connected with a microphone 67 and a speaker 68 for store clerk.

FIG. 5 is a block configuration diagram when the gateway 66 is further connected via the Internet 80 to a gateway 71 installed in a store customer's home, for example.
The gateway 71 is connected to a network-compatible microwave oven 72, a network-compatible refrigerator 73, and a personal computer (PC) 74.
In the store robot 1 configured as described above, data such as voice data can be transmitted / received via the wireless communication unit 37, the access point 63, the LAN 64, and the server 65. Using the speaker 62, the store clerk can make a voice call using the microphone 67 and the speaker 68, and inquiries and consultations regarding missing items, product descriptions, price information, etc. while shopping It can be a side clerk, and the service to the customer can be improved. It is also possible to send special sale information from the server 65 to the store robot 1 and display the information on the display device 7. Furthermore, if a temporary wagon sale is being held, the wagon where the store robot 1 is temporarily installed is also considered by transmitting the location information of the wagon product and updating the movable area of the store robot 1. To be able to guide the shortest route.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 5, by enabling connection to the home LAN via the gateways 66 and 71 and the Internet 80, a shopping list can be acquired from the home PC 74 during shopping, or the home refrigerator 75 can be stored. Data can be checked and convenience for shoppers is improved. The shopping list is transmitted from the home PC to the store server 65 in advance, and the shopping list is obtained from the server 65 by operating the shopping memo button 92b displayed on the display device 7 when shopping at the store. You may make it do. Based on the shopping list, the store robot 1 can automatically search for the product position from the products on the list and calculate the shortest route for guidance.

  Further, when the store robot 1 is provided with a reading device for an ID card owned by the customer, and the user causes the reading device to read the ID card, the ID information is transmitted from the wireless communication unit 37 via the access point 63 to the server 65. And the server 65 identifies the customer and returns the product information matched to the customer's preference and the special sale information for the customer to the wireless communication unit 37 to be displayed on the display device 7. Can do. By configuring in this way, information unique to the user can be transmitted to the store robot 1, and a fine service can be provided to the customer. In this embodiment, the user is specified by the ID card, but may be specified by biometric information such as user face authentication by the image sensor 4 or user fingerprint authentication by the fingerprint reader.

FIG. 6 is an external perspective view showing a modification when the store robot 103 in which the shopping cart 101 is connected by the coupler 102 is connected.
The shopping cart 101 is composed of a basket 104 for storing commodities and wheels 105 for guiding the basket 104. The store robot 103 includes an image sensor 4, an obstacle sensor 5, a movement control unit 6, and a display device 7, similar to the store robot 1 of the above-described embodiment.

  According to this configuration, by connecting the store robot 103 to the shopping cart 101 with the coupler 102, the same operation and function as the store robot 1 of the above-described embodiment can be achieved. Since the cart 101 can be managed separately, it can be stored easily.

It is an external appearance perspective view of the store robot which concerns on Example 1 of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the function structure of the store robot which concerns on Example 1 of this invention. It is a figure which shows the example of a display of the display apparatus of the store robot which concerns on Example 1 of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the modification of Example 1 of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the modification of Example 1 of this invention. It is an external appearance perspective view of the store robot of the modification of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Store robot 2 ... Basket 4 ... Image sensor 5 ... Ultrasonic sensor 6 ... Movement control unit 7 ... Display apparatus 21 ... Movement mechanism 31 ... Processing apparatus 41 ... Power supply unit 37 ... Wireless communication unit

Claims (9)

A basket that houses the product,
Moving means for driving the basket independently;
An obstacle sensor for detecting obstacles around the basket;
User recognition means for recognizing the user of the basket and calculating the distance to the user;
Drive control means for driving and controlling the moving means to follow the user based on the distance calculated by the user recognition means;
A store robot characterized by comprising   2. The store robot according to claim 1, further comprising information display means for presenting store information such as store information and product descriptions.   3. The store robot according to claim 2, wherein storage means for storing store floor layout information, in-store product information, product layout information, and movable area information by the moving means, and the in-store product via the information display means. A store robot, characterized in that the moving means guides the basket to a display position of a desired product based on a search result of the product search means.   The store robot according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a communication unit for transmitting and receiving information to and from a remotely installed server device via a network.   The store robot according to claim 4, wherein the communication means transmits and receives real-time audio data.   5. The store robot according to claim 4, further comprising identification means for identifying and identifying a user, and presenting the information for the user identified by the identification means on the information display means via the communication means. A featured store robot. A basket that houses the product,
Moving means for driving the basket independently;
An obstacle sensor for detecting obstacles and the like around the basket;
Storage means for storing store floor layout information, in-store product information, product layout information and movable area information by the moving means;
Product acceptance means for accepting designation of a desired product among the in-store products;
A store robot, comprising: guidance control means for drivingly controlling the moving means so as to guide the basket to a display position of a product designated by the product receiving means.   8. The store robot according to claim 7, further comprising information display means for presenting information such as store guide and product description.   9. The store robot according to claim 8, further comprising an identification unit that identifies and identifies a user, and presenting the information for the user identified by the identification unit on the information display unit via the communication unit. A featured store robot.

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