JP3277980B2 - Control method for unmanned vehicles - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a traveling control technology of an unmanned traveling vehicle such as a floor cleaning robot capable of reciprocating in a predetermined area for cleaning a floor of a building, and more particularly to an appropriate reversing operation. And a control method for an unmanned traveling vehicle that enables reciprocating traveling without interruption in a predetermined area.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An unmanned traveling vehicle of this type includes a side sensor (for example, an ultrasonic sensor) for detecting the periphery in order to travel while monitoring the periphery of the traveling vehicle body. The vehicle will automatically run based on the surrounding conditions.

For example, as shown in FIG. 12, ultrasonic sensors 2 and 3 are provided on the front surface and left and right side surfaces of a traveling vehicle main body 1, and the ultrasonic sensors 2 and 3 detect an object to be detected (a wall surface) in the front or both side directions. Is detected, and the distance to the wall surface is measured to confirm the position of the traveling vehicle body 1.

[0004] The vehicle further includes drive motors 4 and 5 for driving left and right wheels, and drives the drive motors 4 and 5 to control the travel of the traveling vehicle body 1.
5 is provided with rotary encoders 6 and 7, and the traveling of the traveling vehicle body 1 is controlled by encoder signals from the rotary encoders 6 and 7.

[0005] An auxiliary wheel 8 is provided at the front of the traveling vehicle body 1. Although not shown, when the unmanned traveling vehicle is a floor cleaning robot, the vehicle is provided with cleaning means such as brushes and squeegees necessary for cleaning the floor, and a function of sucking sewage.

The traveling operation of the unmanned traveling vehicle will be described with reference to FIG. 13. First, the side wall surface is detected by an ultrasonic sensor 3 attached to the side surface of the traveling vehicle main body 1, and the traveling vehicle main body 1 is detected.
Is assumed to travel straight along a reference plane (for example, a right wall surface).
When the ultrasonic sensor 2 detects the front wall surface, it stops just before the wall surface and measures and stores the distance of the first row to the wall surface.

On the other hand, the distance to both side walls is measured, and the remaining width of the predetermined area is calculated based on the measured value. If there is the remaining width, the traveling vehicle body 1 is inverted (1).
(Reversed by 80 degrees) to enable reciprocating traveling in a predetermined area.

In the reversing operation of the traveling vehicle body 1, FIG.
As shown by the wavy arrow, the traveling vehicle body 1 is swung 90 degrees (rotated 90 degrees to the left) in front of the front wall surface, traveled for a predetermined distance (the width of the traveling vehicle body 1), and again. The head is swung 90 degrees to the left, that is, the traveling vehicle body 1 is turned in a direction opposite to the front traveling line and moved in parallel.

[0009] Thereafter, the traveling vehicle body 1 is made to go straight ahead again, and when traveling the same distance as the traveling distance of the front row (first row), the traveling vehicle body 1 is stopped. By repeating the above operation, it is possible to reciprocate in a passage or the like in a predetermined area and clean the floor without troublesome labor.

[0010]

By the way, in the traveling control method of the unmanned traveling vehicle, as shown in FIG.
When the traveling vehicle body 1 is rotated by 90 degrees to reverse it, and there is an obstacle 9 beside the traveling vehicle body 1, the traveling vehicle body 1
The obstacle 9 is detected by the ultrasonic sensor 3 on the side of the vehicle, and the rotation of the traveling vehicle body 1 is temporarily stopped.

Thereafter, even if a predetermined time has elapsed, if the obstacle 9 is detected within a predetermined range, for example, the obstacle 9 is removed, or if the obstacle 9 is a moving body, the same moving body is detected. As long as the vehicle does not move out of the predetermined range, the traveling vehicle body 1
, The traveling vehicle body 1 is kept stopped.

Therefore, the traveling vehicle body 1 does not collide with the obstacle 9 and the safety is high. However, when the obstacle 9 cannot move (for example, when it is a pillar or the like), the traveling is stopped. (Running cannot be continued). If the unmanned vehicle is a floor cleaning robot,
There is a problem that cleaning is interrupted.

In order to eliminate the interrupted state,
It is only necessary to turn off the main power supply of the traveling vehicle main body 1 and move the vehicle, and then restart it, but there is a problem that it is not only manual but also troublesome.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and has as its object to prevent a floor cleaning robot from continuing to invert an obstacle even if an obstacle is detected during the inversion operation of the traveling vehicle body. In this case, it is an object of the present invention to provide a control method for an unmanned traveling vehicle that can perform cleaning of a predetermined area without interruption.

[0015]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is to stop the traveling vehicle body once at a predetermined reverse position so that the traveling vehicle body can reciprocate within a predetermined area. After the first 90-degree swiveling,
An unmanned traveling vehicle that moves forward by a predetermined distance and then performs a second 90-degree swing motion in the same direction again, and shifts the traveling vehicle body to the next traveling line parallel to the previous traveling line by the 180-degree reversal operation. In the control method, the presence or absence of an object to be detected is detected by detecting means on the side surface of the traveling vehicle body during the first 90-degree swiveling of the traveling vehicle body. If the object is within the predetermined range, the first 90-degree swing movement is stopped halfway, and if the detected object is within the predetermined range even after a predetermined time has elapsed, the traveling vehicle body Is rotated in the reverse direction to return to the state before the start of the first 90-degree swiveling rotation, after which the traveling vehicle body is retracted and stopped by a predetermined distance, and the traveling vehicle body is detected from the retreat stop position. Swivel a specified angle away from your body Then, the traveling vehicle body is rotated forward by a predetermined distance, and the traveling vehicle body is again rotated in the forward traveling position so as to be in the same direction as that at the time of the retraction stop. It is characterized in that the traveling vehicle main body can be inverted without colliding with the detected object by performing rotation, forward movement, and the second 90-degree swiveling.

[0016]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3, a main control unit (CPU board) 10 of the control apparatus for an unmanned traveling vehicle according to the present invention reverses the traveling vehicle main body 11 (reversed by 180 degrees) and turns the traveling vehicle main body 11 in a row parallel to the front traveling row. At this time, when the detected object (obstacle) is detected within a predetermined range by a detection signal from the ultrasonic sensor (detection means) 12c on the side surface, the traveling vehicle body 11 is temporarily stopped, and after a predetermined time elapses, the traveling vehicle body 11 is stopped. When the detection object is being detected, the avoidance operation for avoiding the detection object is performed, and the reversing operation of the traveling vehicle body 11 is enabled.

The control device includes an ultrasonic sensor unit 12 having a front sensor (ultrasonic sensor) 12a on the front of the vehicle body 11 and side sensors (ultrasonic sensors) 12b and 12c on both sides thereof. A sub-control unit (CPU board) that detects a front wall surface or both wall surfaces (obstacles, etc.) based on a detection signal from the sensor unit 12 and measures the distance between the two walls.
13, drive motors 18 and 19 with rotary encoders 16 and 17 for driving left and right drive wheels 14 and 15, and a drive wheel control circuit 2 for driving these drive motors 18 and 19
0 and a drive circuit 21.

The main control unit 10 runs (speeds), stops or reverses (rotational angle) based on the operation of an operation panel (not shown), the measurement results of the sub-control unit 13 and the encoder signals from the rotary encoders 16 and 17. , Including the direction of rotation). The drive wheel control circuit 20 includes the main control unit 10
The drive circuit 21 outputs drive signals for the drive motors 18 and 19 in accordance with the control instruction from the CPU, and the drive circuit 21 drives the drive motors 18 and 19 based on the drive signals.

The traveling vehicle body 11 is provided with auxiliary wheels 22, and in the case of a floor cleaning robot, a cleaning means such as a brush or a squeegee is provided at a predetermined portion of the traveling vehicle body 11.

Next, the operation of the control apparatus for an unmanned traveling vehicle having the above configuration will be described with reference to the operation explanatory diagrams of FIGS. 4 to 11. First, when the traveling vehicle body 11 is traveling straight in a predetermined area, It is assumed that the front wall surface is detected, the traveling vehicle main body 11 is stopped just before the front wall surface, and a 180-degree inversion operation is started.

At this time, the main control unit 10
It is determined whether or not the detected object (obstacle) is detected by the ultrasonic sensor 12c on the side surface of the traveling vehicle body 11 based on the measurement result of the above, and whether the obstacle is within a predetermined range. Determine whether or not.

For example, as shown in FIG.
1 is being swung 90 degrees to the left (rotation angle a
), The obstacle 23 is detected, and when it is determined that the obstacle 23 has entered the predetermined range, the traveling vehicle main body 11 is temporarily stopped (see a two-dot chain line in the figure).

Thereafter, when the obstacle 23 is within the predetermined range even after the predetermined time has elapsed, as shown by the dashed arrow in FIG. (rotated by a degrees) to the original state. That is, the left and right driving motors 18 and 19 are driven in a predetermined manner, and the traveling vehicle main body 11 is reversely rotated by the angle a.

Subsequently, after the traveling vehicle main body 11 is retracted and stopped by a predetermined distance (see the two-dot chain line in FIG. 5), the traveling vehicle main body 11 can be turned 180 degrees without colliding with the obstacle 23. (See the wavy arrow in FIG. 6).

FIG. 7 shows a method for shifting the traveling vehicle body 11.
Referring to FIG. 8, first, the left and right drive motors 18 and 19 are driven in a predetermined manner to rotate the traveling vehicle main body 11 by a predetermined angle in a direction away from the obstacle 23 and advance by a predetermined distance (see FIG. 7). See dash-double-dot line). Thereafter, the left and right driving motors 18 and 19 are driven at a predetermined speed to reversely rotate the traveling vehicle main body 11 by the predetermined angle (for example, 12 degrees) so that the traveling vehicle main body 11 is oriented in the same direction as when the rotation started (FIG. 8). Two-dot chain line).

Incidentally, some unmanned traveling vehicles (floor cleaning robots and the like) are provided with a function of avoiding an obstacle on the assumption that there is an obstacle ahead. The operation of avoiding the obstacle in front is performed by stopping the traveling vehicle body just before the obstacle, retreating a predetermined distance, rotating in a direction away from the obstacle by a predetermined angle (for example, 12 degrees), and rotating the vehicle body by a predetermined distance (for example, a predetermined distance) 1m) Forward, then a predetermined angle (for example, 12 degrees)
The direction is the same as that in the state where the motor is rotated backward and stopped just before the obstacle.
Accordingly, the traveling vehicle body moves away from the obstacle, so that the traveling vehicle body can travel (forward) again, that is, the obstacle can be avoided and traveling can be continued.

The avoidance function is not limited to the operations shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, and therefore, the avoidance function may be used. By using this avoidance function, there is no need to create a new program. The traveling vehicle body 1 shown in FIG.
The first transition method may use not only the operation of avoiding a forward obstacle, but also, for example, S-shaped running, or another method.

After the traveling vehicle body 11 is brought into the two-dot chain line state in FIG. 8 by the above operation, the 180-degree inversion operation shown in FIGS. 9 to 11 is performed. First, as shown in FIG. 9, the traveling vehicle body 11 is swung 90 degrees to the left. At this time, since the position of the traveling vehicle body 11 is far from the obstacle 23, the traveling vehicle body 11 may collide with the obstacle 23. No, the running car body 11
Can be rotated degrees.

Subsequently, the traveling vehicle body 11 travels (forwards) a predetermined distance (for example, the width of the traveling vehicle body 11) and stops (see the two-dot chain line in FIG. 10). (See the two-dot chain line in FIG. 11).

As a result, the traveling vehicle main body 11 can be turned 180 degrees and shifted to a row parallel to the front traveling row at a predetermined distance, and the reversing operation of the traveling vehicle main body 11 ends.

As described above, when the traveling vehicle body 11 is turned over, even if the obstacle 23 is present on the side of the traveling vehicle body 11,
Since the reversing operation is performed after the traveling vehicle main body 11 is positioned away from the obstacle 23, the reversing operation can be performed without colliding with the obstacle 23.

This is particularly useful when an obstacle cannot be removed (for example, when it is a pillar or the like), and the traveling vehicle body 11 can travel without interruption. Further, when the traveling vehicle body 11 is a floor cleaning robot, the cleaning is not interrupted (the cleaning is interrupted), and the entire floor surface of the predetermined area can be cleaned by reciprocating in the predetermined area.

The traveling vehicle body 1 detects the obstacle 23 and detects
If the obstacle 23 is not at least within a predetermined range from the traveling vehicle body 11 when a predetermined time has elapsed after the rotation operation of the first rotation operation is temporarily stopped (after stopping at the angle a), a normal reversing operation is performed. I do. That is, the remaining angle (90 degrees-
It is only necessary to shake the traveling vehicle body 11 for a).

It is apparent that the above-described embodiment can be applied to a reversing operation in the middle of reciprocating a predetermined area or a reversing operation to the last row.

[0035]

As described above, according to the present invention, the traveling vehicle main body is temporarily stopped at a predetermined reversal position and the first traveling 90 is performed in order to enable the traveling vehicle main body to reciprocate within a predetermined area. After performing the swivel rotation, the vehicle is moved forward by a predetermined distance, and then the second 90-degree swivel rotation is performed again in the same direction. In the control method for an unmanned traveling vehicle that shifts to the next traveling train, the presence / absence of an object to be detected is detected by detecting means on a side surface of the traveling vehicle body at the time of the first 90-degree swiveling of the traveling vehicle body. When the detection object is within a predetermined range from the traveling vehicle main body, the first 90
When the detected object is within the predetermined range even after the predetermined time has elapsed, the traveling vehicle body is reversely rotated to perform the first 90-degree head rotation. After returning to the state before the start, the traveling vehicle body is retracted a predetermined distance and then stopped, and then the traveling vehicle body is swung by a predetermined angle from the retreat stop position in a direction away from the object to be detected. The traveling vehicle body is reversely rotated again in the forward traveling position, in the same traveling direction as that at the time of the reverse stop, and then the traveling vehicle body is rotated by the first 90-degree swiveling, forward traveling. And by performing the second 90-degree swiveling, the traveling vehicle body can be inverted without colliding with the detected object,
The reversal operation can be safely continued by avoiding the obstacle without removing the obstacle of the detected object, and particularly useful when the obstacle cannot be eliminated (for example, when the object is a pillar). You.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a control device according to an embodiment of the present invention, to which a control method of an unmanned vehicle is applied.

FIG. 2 is a schematic front view of the unmanned traveling vehicle according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of the unmanned traveling vehicle according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic operation diagram illustrating a method for controlling an unmanned traveling vehicle according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic operation diagram illustrating a control method for an unmanned traveling vehicle according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a schematic operation diagram illustrating a method for controlling an unmanned traveling vehicle according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a schematic operation diagram illustrating a control method for an unmanned traveling vehicle according to the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a schematic operation diagram illustrating a method for controlling an unmanned traveling vehicle according to the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a schematic operation diagram illustrating a method for controlling an unmanned traveling vehicle according to the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a schematic operation diagram illustrating a method for controlling an unmanned traveling vehicle according to the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a schematic operation diagram illustrating a method for controlling an unmanned traveling vehicle according to the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a schematic front view of a conventional unmanned traveling vehicle.

FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the unmanned traveling vehicle shown in FIG.

FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the unmanned traveling vehicle shown in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 10 Main control unit (CPU board) 11 Traveling vehicle body (for unmanned traveling vehicle) 12 Ultrasonic sensor unit 12a Ultrasonic sensor (front sensor) 12b Ultrasonic sensor (side sensor) 12c Ultrasonic sensor (side sensor; detecting means) 14, 15 drive wheel 16, 17 rotary encoder 18, 19 drive motor 20 drive wheel control circuit 21 drive circuit 22 auxiliary wheel 23 obstacle (detected object)

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A for the vehicle body reciprocally travel in the predetermined area, the traveling vehicle body at a predetermined reversing position
After 90 Dokubi pretend rotation of the first temporarily stopped, and a predetermined distance forward, the next same direction again for 90 Dokubi pretend rotation of the second round, the travel by the reverse operation of the 180-degree
The control method of an unmanned vehicle to shift the car body before traveling column parallel next driving sequence, the first round of 90 Dokubi pretend rotation sometimes detection means side of said vehicle body of said vehicle body to be The presence or absence of the detecting object is detected, and the detected object is within a predetermined range from the traveling vehicle body.
If the object is present, the first 90-degree swing motion is stopped halfway, and if the detected object is within the predetermined range even after a predetermined time has elapsed , the traveling vehicle is stopped. the first round of back to 90 Dokubi swing rotation state before starting to <br/> reverse rotation of the body, after which the vehicle body is stopped with withdrawal after a predetermined distance, the travel from its retracted rest position wherein the car body to swing rotated by a predetermined angle in the direction away from the detection object and forward running a predetermined distance, during the retraction stop and reverse rotation again before <br/> SL vehicle body at its forward drive position 90 and after having the same direction, of the first round to the vehicle body
Degree rotation, forward movement, and the second 90 degree rotation
A method for controlling an unmanned traveling vehicle, characterized in that the traveling vehicle body can be inverted without causing collision with the object to be detected by performing rotation .