TW201833702A - A vehicle performing obstacle avoidance operation and recording medium storing computer program thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

A moving body 10 includes: a plurality of driving wheels driven by a plurality of motors; an obstacle sensor; an external sensor that repeatedly scans the environment and outputs sensor data for each scan; a position estimation device that successively generates and outputs position information on the moving body on the basis of the sensor data; a control circuit that controls the movement of the moving body while referring to the position information; and a storage device that stores detour route data defining a reference detour route which is a combination of a first route relating to a first direction and a second route relating to a second direction different from the first direction. When it is detected that an obstacle is present in the traveling direction at the first position from the output of the obstacle sensor while the moving body is moving along a preset traveling route, the control circuit sets a detour route from the first position to the second position on the preset traveling route by using the detour route data, and causes the moving body to move along the detour route.

Description

a moving body that performs an obstacle avoidance action and a recording medium on which a computer program is recorded

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present disclosure relates to a moving body that performs an avoidance action of an obstacle.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Research and development of mobile bodies such as unmanned vehicles or mobile robots are continuing. For example, a system for controlling the movement of each moving body is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2009-223634, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. Hei. No. 2009-205652, and Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. Hei No. 2005-242489. The movement is controlled so as not to cause a plurality of autonomous moving bodies to collide with each other.

[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. Hei. No. 2009-223652

Disclosure of the Invention Problems to be Solved by the Invention An exemplary embodiment of the present invention, which is not limited to the above, provides a technique for allowing a moving body to smoothly avoid an obstacle when an obstacle is present on the moving path. Means to solve the problem

The moving body of the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is a movable body that can move autonomously, and the moving body is provided with: a plurality of driving wheels; a plurality of motors each connected to the plurality of driving wheels; an obstacle sensor , detecting an obstacle; an external sensor, repeating the scanning environment, and outputting the sensor data according to each scan; the position estimating device sequentially generates and outputs the position information according to the sensor data, the position information Is information indicating an estimated value of the position and the direction of the moving body; and the control circuit rotates the plurality of motors to control the movement of the moving body while referring to the position information outputted by the position estimating device; The storage device stores the bypass path data defining the reference bypass path, the reference bypass path being a combination of the first path in the first direction and the second path in the second direction different from the first direction, The moving body moves in the movement path along the preset movement path, and the output of the obstacle sensor is in the first position. When it is detected that there is an obstacle in the traveling direction, the control circuit sets the bypass path from the first position to the second position on the previously set moving path by using the bypass path data, and causes the moving body Move along the aforementioned bypass path. Effect of the invention

According to the embodiment of the present disclosure, when the moving body moves along the movement path set in advance, when the obstacle is detected in the traveling direction by the output of the obstacle sensor by the output of the obstacle sensor, The control circuit uses the bypass path data to set the bypass path from the first position to the second position on the movement path set in advance, and moves the moving body along the bypass path. The bypass path is defined by a reference bypass path which is a combination of a first path having a first direction and a second path having a second direction different from the first direction. Thereby, the setting of the bypass path can be simplified.

Form for implementing the invention <Glossary> "AGV" refers to the manual or automatic loading of goods into the body, and automatically moves to the indicated location, and then unloads by manual or automatic means. Railless vehicles. The "unmanned transport vehicle" includes an unmanned tractor and a forklift.

The term "no one" refers to a situation in which the vehicle is controlled to require no one to carry out, and it is not excluded that the unmanned transport vehicle carries "a person (for example, a person who carries out loading and unloading of goods)".

"Unmanned tractor" refers to a trolley that pulls a truck that is loaded or unloaded by manpower or automatic means and automatically walks to the indicated location.

"Unmanned fork lifter" is a rail that is equipped with a mast that moves the fork or the like for moving the load up and down, and automatically transfers the load to the fork and the like, and automatically travels to the indicated place, and performs automatic freight transport. vehicle.

"Trackless vehicle" refers to a vehicle that has wheels and an electric motor or engine that rotates the wheels.

The "mobile body" refers to a device that moves by loading a person or a cargo, and is provided with a driving device that generates a driving force for driving, a two-legged or multi-legged walking device, and a propeller. The term "mobile body" in the present disclosure includes not only a narrowly-equipped unmanned transport vehicle, but also a mobile robot, a service robot, and a drone.

"Automatic walking" includes the following types of walking: the unmanned transport vehicle travels according to the command of the operation management system of the computer connected by communication, and the autonomous transport of the unmanned transport vehicle according to the control device provided. In the autonomous walking, not only the unmanned transport vehicle travels toward the destination along a predetermined path but also the travel following the tracking target. Further, the unmanned transport vehicle can also be manually walked according to the instructions of the worker. Although "automatic walking" generally includes both "guided" walking and "non-guided" walking, in the present disclosure it refers to "no guiding" walking.

The "guided type" is a method in which an inducer is continuously or intermittently provided to induce an unmanned transport vehicle by using an inducer.

"Non-guided" is a method of inducing without providing an inducer. The unmanned transport vehicle according to the embodiment of the present disclosure includes the own position estimating device and can travel in a non-guided manner.

The "position estimating device" is a device for estimating the position of the environment map based on the sensor data, wherein the sensor data is obtained by an external sensor such as a laser range finder. data of.

The "outer sensor" is a sensor that senses the state of the outside of the moving body. Among the external sensors, there are, for example, a laser range finder (also called a three-dimensional scanner), a camera (or image sensor), LIDAR (Light Radar, Light Detection and Ranging), millimeter wave radar, and ultrasonic waves. Sensor, and magnetic sensor.

The "built-in sensor" is a sensor that senses the state of the inside of the moving body. Among the built-in sensors, there are, for example, a rotary encoder (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as an "encoder"), an acceleration sensor, and an angular acceleration sensor (for example, a gyroscope sensor).

"SLAM (Synchronous Positioning and Ground Construction)" is short for Simultaneous Localization and Mapping, and refers to the situation where both the position estimation and the environment map are produced at the same time. <Exemplary embodiment>

Hereinafter, an example of a map making apparatus and a map making system of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the attached drawings. Furthermore, explanations that are more detailed than necessary will sometimes be omitted. For example, a detailed description of a well-known matter or a repeated description of substantially the same configuration will be omitted. This is because the following description is to be avoided unnecessarily lengthy for easy understanding by those skilled in the art. The inventors of the present invention have provided additional drawings and the following description in order to make the disclosure of the present invention fully understood by those skilled in the art. However, it is not intended to be limited to the subject matter described in the scope of the patent application.

1A to 1C show a basic operation example of the moving body 10 performed by the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. In FIGS. 1A to 1C, a movement path R connected between the start point S and the end point G is displayed. In the present specification, an example of a moving body is an "unmanned transport vehicle" (AGV). In this case, the moving path is sometimes referred to as a "walking path." In the illustrated example, the travel path R is a straight line. As will be described later, the moving body 10 has an obstacle sensor that detects at least an obstacle in the traveling direction of the moving body 10.

Shown in FIG. 1A is a moving body 10 that travels along the traveling path R.

FIG. 1B shows the moving body 10 in which the walking is stopped in the case where the obstacle 70 is present on the traveling path R by the obstacle sensor. The moving body 10 restarts walking when the obstacle 70 is removed.

As shown in FIG. 1C, when the obstacle 70 is present on the traveling path R by the obstacle sensor, the moving body 10 that travels to avoid the bypass path of the obstacle 70 is set. The avoidance direction of the obstacle 70 is shown in FIG. 1C as the bypass path B _right on the right side of the traveling path R and the bypass path B _left on the left side with reference to the traveling direction. Which side of the right side or the left side is to be set as the avoidance direction can be set in the moving body 10 in advance.

In the present disclosure, the bypass path B is set using the "reference roundabout path".

An example of a typical reference circuitous path is shown in Figure 1D. The "reference bypass path" is a path defined by a combination of paths in at least two directions. In other words, the reference bypass path is a path defined by a combination of a first path in the first direction and a second path in the second direction different from the first direction. In the example of FIG. 1C, the first direction is a direction perpendicular to the path R (the vertical direction of the paper surface), and the second direction is a direction parallel to the traveling path R.

When the bypass path is set to avoid the obstacle 70, the moving body 10 moves in the first direction, for example, by setting the first path to one unit, and moving the second path to the second direction.

As shown in FIG. 1D, in the preferred embodiment, the first direction and the second direction of the reference bypass path are orthogonal to each other, but may not be orthogonal. In the case of not orthogonal, there may be a path having another one or a plurality of directions different from the first direction and the second direction. Therefore, in the example shown in FIG. 1D, the meandering loop has a U shape, but the outer circumference when the hexagonal shape is divided by a straight line passing through the center may be formed into a shape of a path.

Further, in the example of FIG. 1D, the distance between the first path and the distance of the second path are both fixed values and equal. But the two do not need to be the same value. In the embodiment described later, the second path is an example in which the distance of the second path is not a fixed value.

For the convenience of explanation, in the present specification, an example of the bypass on the right side is described. However, as long as it is a general knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention pertains, it can be clearly understood that the loop can be set in the same manner as the right side for the left side. In the following description, the reference symbol B _right of the bypass path is omitted from the description of the additional word "right" indicating that it is the right side.

Hereinafter, a more specific example of the case where the mobile body is an unmanned transport vehicle will be described. In this specification, an unmanned transport vehicle may be described as "AGV" by using an abbreviation. In the following description, as long as there is no contradiction, a mobile body other than the AGV, such as a mobile robot, a drone, or a human vehicle, can be similarly applied. (1) The basic structure of the system

2 shows a basic configuration example of an exemplary mobile body management system 100 of the present disclosure. The mobile body management system 100 includes at least one AGV 10 and an operation management device 50 that performs operation management of the AGV 10. In FIG. 2, the terminal device 20 which can be operated by the user 1 is also described.

The AGV10 is an unmanned transfer vehicle that can perform "no guide" walking without requiring an inducer such as a tape during walking. The AGV 10 is capable of estimating its own position and transmitting the estimated result to the terminal device 20 and the operation management device 50. The AGV 10 can automatically walk in the moving space S in accordance with an instruction from the operation management device 50. The AGV 10 can also be further operated by a "tracking mode" that moves in accordance with a person or other moving body.

The operation management device 50 is a computer system that tracks the position of each AGV 10 and manages the travel of each AGV 10. The operation management device 50 may be a desktop personal computer, a notebook personal computer, and/or a server computer. The operation management device 50 communicates with each AGV 10 through a plurality of access points 2. For example, the operation management device 50 transmits the data of the coordinates of the position to which each AGV 10 should go next to each AGV 10. Each AGV 10 transmits data indicating the position and orientation of itself to the operation management device 50 periodically, for example, every 100 milliseconds. When the AGV 10 reaches the indicated position, the operation management device 50 further transmits the data of the coordinates of the position to be followed. The AGV 10 can also travel in the moving space S in response to the operation of the user 1 who has input to the terminal device 20. An example of the terminal device 20 is a tablet computer. Typically, the travel of the AGV 10 using the terminal device 20 is performed at the time of map creation, and the travel of the AGV 10 using the operation management device 50 is performed after the map is created.

Fig. 3 shows an example of the moving space S in which three AGVs 10a, 10b, and 10c exist. All AGVs are set to walk in the depth direction of the figure. The AGVs 10a and 10b carry the goods carried on the top plate. The AGV10c is walking following the AGV10b in front. In addition, for convenience of explanation, reference symbols 10a, 10b, and 10c are attached to FIG. 3, but are described as "AGV10" hereinafter.

In addition to the method of transporting the goods placed on the roof, the AGV10 can also use the traction trolley connected to itself to transport the goods. Shown in Figure 4A is the AGV 10 and the towing trolley 5 before the connection. Casters are provided under each leg of the traction trolley 5. The AGV 10 is mechanically coupled to the towing trolley 5 . Shown in Figure 4B is the connected AGV 10 and the towing trolley 5. When the AGV 10 is walking, the towing trolley 5 is towed by the AGV 10. By pulling the towing trolley 5, the AGV 10 can transport the cargo placed on the towing trolley 5.

The connection method of the AGV 10 and the traction trolley 5 can be any method. An example of this is described here. A plate member 6 is fixed to the top plate of the AGV 10. A guide rail 7 having a slit is provided on the traction carriage 5. The AGV 10 is close to the traction carriage 5, and the plate 6 is inserted into the slit of the guide rail 7. When the insertion is completed, the AGV 10 penetrates the electromagnetic lock type plug (not shown) through the plate member 6 and the guide rail 7, and locks the electromagnetic lock. Thereby, the AGV 10 and the traction trolley 5 can be physically connected.

Referring again to Figure 2. Each of the AGVs 10 and the terminal device 20 can be connected in a one-to-one manner, for example, and can communicate in accordance with the Bluetooth (registered trademark) standard. Each AGV 10 and the terminal device 20 can also perform Wi-Fi (registered trademark)-based communication using one or a plurality of access points 2. A plurality of access points 2 are connected to each other through, for example, a switching hub 3. In Fig. 2, two access points 2a and 2b are described. The AGV 10 is wirelessly connected to the access point 2a. The terminal device 20 is wirelessly connected to the access point 2b. The data transmitted by the AGV 10 is received at the access point 2a, transferred to the access point 2b via the switching hub 3, and transmitted from the access point 2b to the terminal device 20. Further, the data transmitted by the terminal device 20 is received at the access point 2b, transferred to the access point 2a via the switching hub 3, and transmitted from the access point 2a to the AGV 10. Thereby, bidirectional communication between the AGV 10 and the terminal device 20 can be achieved. A plurality of access points 2 can also be connected to the operation management device 50 via the switching hub 3. Thereby, bidirectional communication can also be realized between the operation management device 50 and each AGV 10. (2) Production of environmental map

In order to allow the AGV 10 to walk while estimating its own position, a map in the moving space S can be created. The AGV10 is equipped with a position estimating device and a laser range finder, and the map can be produced by using the output of the laser range finder.

The AGV 10 is transferred to the data acquisition mode by the user's operation. In the data acquisition mode, the AGV10 is the acquisition of sensor data using a laser range finder. The laser range finder periodically emits a laser beam such as infrared or visible light to the surroundings, and scans the surrounding space S. The laser beam is reflected on the surface of a structure such as a wall, a pillar, or the like, an object placed on the floor, or the like. The laser range finder is a device that receives the reflected light of the laser beam and calculates the distance to each of the reflection points, and outputs data indicating the measurement result of the position of each of the reflection points. The direction and distance of the reflected light are reflected in the positions of the respective reflection points. The data of the measurement results obtained by one scan is sometimes referred to as "measurement data" or "sensor data".

The position estimating device accumulates the sensor data in the storage device. When the acquisition of the sensor data in the mobile space S is completed, the sensor data accumulated in the storage device is transmitted to the external device. The external device may be, for example, a computer having a signal processor and having a map making program installed.

The signal processor of the external device will superimpose the sensor data obtained by each scan. The signal processor can create a map of the space S by repeating the process of coincidence. The external device will send the data of the created map to the AGV10. The AGV10 saves the data of the maps that have been created in the internal storage device. The external device may also be the operation management device 50 or other devices.

Maps can also be produced by the AGV10 instead of external devices. As long as the circuit of the microcontroller unit (microcomputer) of the AGV 10 can perform the processing performed by the signal processor of the external device described above. In the case of making a map in the AGV 10, it becomes unnecessary to transmit the accumulated sensor data to the external device. It can be considered that the data capacity of the sensor data is generally large. Since it is not necessary to transmit the sensor data to an external device, the occupation of the communication line can be avoided.

Furthermore, the movement in the moving space S for obtaining the sensor data is realized by the AGV 10 walking in accordance with the user's operation. For example, the AGV 10 wirelessly receives a walking command from the user via the terminal device 20, and the walking command is a command for instructing movement in each of the front, rear, left, and right directions. The AGV 10 travels forward and backward in the moving space S in accordance with the walking command, and creates a map. When the AGV 10 and the control device such as the joystick are connected by wire, the control signal from the control device may be used to move forward and backward in the moving space S, and a map may be created. The sensor data can also be obtained by implementing a measuring trolley equipped with a laser range finder.

Further, although a plurality of AGVs 10 are shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the number of AGVs may be one. When there are a plurality of AGVs 10, the user 1 can select one AGV 10 from among the plurality of registered AGVs by using the terminal device 20, and create a map of the mobile space S.

When a map is created, each AGV 10 can use the map to estimate the position itself and perform automatic walking. The description of the treatment of the presumed position is described later. (3) Composition of AGV

Fig. 5 is an external view of an exemplary AGV 10 of the embodiment. The AGV 10 has two drive wheels 11a and 11b, four casters 11c, 11d, 11e, and 11f, a frame 12, a transfer table 13, a travel control device 14, and a laser range finder 15. The two drive wheels 11a and 11b are respective Set to the right and left of the AGV10. The four casters 11c, 11d, 11e, and 11f are disposed at four corners of the AGV 10. Further, although the AGV 10 also has a plurality of motors connected to the two drive wheels 11a and 11b, a plurality of motors are not shown in FIG. Further, in Fig. 5, one drive wheel 11a and two casters 11c and 11e located on the right side of the AGV 10 and the caster 11f located on the left rear portion are shown, but the left drive wheel 11b and the left front caster 11d are It is hidden behind the frame 12 and is therefore not explicitly stated. The four casters 11c, 11d, 11e, and 11f are freely rotatable. In the following description, the drive wheels 11a and the drive wheels 11b are also referred to as wheels 11a and 11b, respectively.

The travel control device 14 is a device that controls the operation of the AGV 10, and includes an integrated circuit mainly including a microcomputer (described later), electronic components, and a substrate on which the semiconductor device is mounted. The travel control device 14 performs the above-described transmission and reception of data with the terminal device 20 and pre-processing operations.

The laser range finder 15 is an optical machine that detects a distance to a reflection point by emitting a laser beam 15a such as infrared or visible light and detecting the reflected light of the laser beam 15a. In the present embodiment, the laser range finder 15 of the AGV 10 emits a pulse shape while changing the direction every 0.25 degrees with respect to the space of the range of 135 degrees (total 270 degrees) on the front side of the AGV 10, for example. The laser beam 15a is detected, and the reflected light of each of the laser beams 15a is detected. Thereby, it is possible to obtain information on the distance to the reflection point in the direction determined at an angle of 0.25 degrees and a total of 1081 steps. Further, in the present embodiment, the scanning of the surrounding space by the laser range finder 15 is substantially parallel to the floor surface and is planar (two-dimensional). However, the laser range finder 15 can also perform scanning in the height direction.

The AGV 10 can create a map of the space S by the position and orientation direction (direction) of the AGV 10 and the scan result of the laser range finder 15. In the map, it is possible to reflect the arrangement of the wall around the AGV, the structure such as the pillar, and the object placed on the floor. The map data is stored in a storage device set in the AGV 10.

Generally, the position and orientation of the moving body are referred to as poses. The position and orientation of the moving body in the two-dimensional plane are expressed by the position coordinates (x, y) in the XY rectangular coordinate system and the angle θ with respect to the X axis. Hereinafter, the position and orientation direction of the AGV 10, that is, the posture (x, y, θ) may be simply referred to as "position".

The position of the reflection point from the emission position of the laser beam 15a can be expressed by the polar coordinates determined by the angle and the distance. In the present embodiment, the laser range finder 15 outputs sensor data expressed in polar coordinates. However, the laser range finder 15 can also convert the position represented by the polar coordinates into a rectangular coordinate to output.

Since the structure and operation principle of the laser range finder are well known, a more detailed description is omitted in the present specification. Examples of objects that can be detected by the laser range finder 15 are people, goods, shelves, and walls.

The laser range finder 15 is an example of an external sensor for sensing the surrounding space to obtain sensor data. As another example of such an external sensor, an image sensor and an ultrasonic sensor can be considered.

The travel control device 14 can compare the measurement result of the laser range finder 15 with the map data held by itself to estimate the current position of itself. Furthermore, the map data retained may also be map data produced by other AGVs 10.

Fig. 6A shows an example of the first hardware configuration of the AGV 10. Further, FIG. 6A also shows a specific configuration of the travel control device 14.

The AGV 10 includes a travel control device 14, a laser range finder 15, two motors 16a and 16b, a drive device 17, wheels 11a and 11b, and two rotary encoders 18a and 18b.

The travel control device 14 includes a microcomputer 14a, a memory 14b, a storage device 14c, a communication circuit 14d, a position estimating device 14e, and an obstacle sensor 14j. The microcomputer 14a, the memory 14b, the storage device 14c, the communication circuit 14d, and the position estimating device 14e are connected by the communication bus 14f, and can exchange data with each other. The laser range finder 15 is also connected to the communication bus 14f via a communication interface (not shown), and transmits the measurement result, that is, the measurement data, to the microcomputer 14a, the position estimating device 14e, and/or the memory 14b.

The microcomputer 14a is a processor or a control circuit (computer) that performs calculation for controlling the entirety of the AGV 10 including the travel control device 14. Typically, the microcomputer 14a is a semiconductor integrated circuit. The microcomputer 14a transmits a control signal, that is, a PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) signal to the driving device 17, to control the driving device 17, and adjusts the voltage applied to the motor. Thereby, each of the motors 16a and 16b can be rotated at a desired rotational speed.

One or more control circuits (for example, microcomputers) for controlling the driving of the left and right motors 16a and 16b may be provided independently of the microcomputer 14a. For example, the motor driving device 17 may be provided with two microcomputers each controlling the driving of the motors 16a and 16b. The two microcomputers can also calculate coordinates of the encoded information output from the encoders 18a and 18b to estimate the moving distance of the AGV 10 from a given initial position. Moreover, the two microcomputers can also control the motor drive circuits 17a and 17b by using the coded information.

The memory 14b is a storage device that stores the volatility of the computer program executed by the microcomputer 14a. The memory 14b can also be used as a working memory when the microcomputer 14a and the position estimating device 14e perform calculations.

The storage device 14c is a non-volatile semiconductor memory device. However, the storage device 14c may be a magnetic recording medium typified by a hard disk or an optical recording medium typified by a compact disk. Furthermore, the storage device 14c may also include a head device for writing and/or reading data to any recording medium, and a control device for the head device.

The storage device 14c is map data M for storing the traveling space S, data (walking path data) R for one or a plurality of traveling paths, and bypass path data Bd. The map data M is created by the AGV 10 operating in the map creation mode and stored in the storage device 14c. The walking path data R can be sent from the outside after the map material M has been created. The bypass path data Bd is prepared in advance for specifying the reference bypass path, and is stored in the storage device 14c. The reference bypass path may be defined as a combination of the first path and the second path, wherein the first path is a path in the first direction, and the second path is a path in the second direction different from the first direction. . In the present embodiment, the map data M, the traveling path data R, and the bypass path data Bd are stored in the same storage device 14c, but may be stored in different storage devices.

An example of the walking path data R will be described.

In the case where the terminal device 20 is a tablet computer, the AGV 10 receives the traveling path data R indicating the traveling path from the tablet computer. The traveling path data R at this time includes marking data indicating the position of a plurality of marks (marks). The "mark" is the passing position (passing point) of the AGV 10 that shows walking. The traveling path data R includes at least a start mark indicating a travel start position and an end mark indicating a travel end position. The walking path data R may further include position information of one or more intermediate passing points. In the case where the traveling path includes one or more intermediate passing points, the path from the start mark to the end mark sequentially through the traveling passing point is defined as the traveling path. In addition to the coordinate data of the mark, the data of each mark may include information on the direction (angle) of the AGV 10 and the travel speed before moving to the next mark. When the AGV 10 is temporarily stopped at the position of each mark, and the position estimation and the notification to the terminal device 20 are performed, the data of each mark may include the following information: the time required for the acceleration to reach the travel speed, And/or the deceleration time required for the deceleration from the travel speed to the stop of the next marked position.

Instead of the terminal device 20, the operation management device 50 (for example, a personal computer and/or a server computer) controls the movement of the AGV 10. In this case, the operation management device 50 may also instruct the AGV 10 to move to the next mark each time the AGV 10 reaches the mark. For example, the AGV 10 receives, from the operation management device 50, the following information as the traveling path data R indicating the traveling path: the coordinate data of the destination position to be followed, or the distance to the destination position and the angle to be advanced. data.

The AGV 10 can estimate the position of itself by using the created map and the sensor data output from the laser range finder 15 obtained during walking, and walk along the stored walking path.

The communication circuit 14d is, for example, a wireless communication circuit that performs wireless communication in accordance with Bluetooth (registered trademark) and/or Wi-Fi (registered trademark) specifications. Any specification includes wireless communication specifications that utilize the frequency of the 2.4 GHz band. For example, in a mode in which the AGV 10 is moved to create a map, the communication circuit 14d performs wireless communication in accordance with the Bluetooth (registered trademark) standard, and communicates with the terminal device 20 in a one-to-one manner.

The position estimating device 14e performs estimation processing of the position itself when the map is created and traveled. The position estimating device 14e creates a map of the moving space S by the scanning result of the position and orientation of the AGV 10 and the laser range finder. While walking, the position estimating device 14e receives the sensor data from the laser range finder 15, and reads the map data M already stored in the storage device 14c. By matching the local map data (sensor data) created by the scan result of the laser range finder 15 with a wider range of map data M, the position of the map data M itself is x, y, θ) are identified. The position estimating device 14e is information for generating "reliability" indicating that the local map data matches the map data M. Each piece of information of its own position (x, y, θ), and reliability can be transmitted from the AGV 10 to the terminal device 20 or the operation management device 50. The terminal device 20 or the operation management device 50 can receive the respective data of its own position (x, y, θ), and reliability, and display it on the built-in or connected display device.

In the present embodiment, the microcomputer 14a and the position estimating device 14e are individual components, but this is only an example. It is also possible to use one wafer circuit or a semiconductor integrated circuit that can perform the operations of the microcomputer 14a and the position estimating device 14e independently. In Fig. 6A, a wafer circuit 14g including a microcomputer 14a and a position estimating device 14e is shown. In the following, an example in which the microcomputer 14a and the position estimating device 14e are separately provided is described.

The obstacle sensor 14j is an infrared sensor that detects an obstacle by, for example, emitting infrared rays and detecting reflected light.

The two motors 16a and 16b are attached to the two wheels 11a and 11b, respectively, and each wheel is rotated. That is, the two wheels 11a and 11b are drive wheels, respectively. In the present specification, the description will be made assuming that the motors 16a and 16b are motors that respectively drive the right and left wheels of the AGV 10.

The moving body 10 further includes an encoding unit 18 that further measures the rotational position or rotational speed of the wheels 11a and 11b. The encoding unit 18 includes a first rotary encoder 18a and a second rotary encoder 18b. The first rotary encoder 18a measures the rotation at a certain position from the motor 16a to the power transmission mechanism of the wheel 11a. The second rotary encoder 18b measures the rotation at a certain position from the motor 16b to the power transmission mechanism of the wheel 11b. The encoding unit 18 transmits the signals obtained by the rotary encoders 18a and 18b to the microcomputer 14a. The microcomputer 14a can also control the movement of the moving body 10 not only by the signal received from the position estimating device 14e but also by the signal received from the encoding unit 18.

The drive unit 17 has motor drive circuits 17a and 17b for adjusting the voltage applied to each of the two motors 16a and 16b. Each of the motor drive circuits 17a and 17b includes a so-called inverter circuit. The motor drive circuits 17a and 17b adjust the application by turning on or off the current that can flow to the motors by the PWM signals transmitted from the microcomputer 14a or the microcomputer in the motor drive circuit 17a. The voltage of the motor.

Fig. 6B shows an example of the second hardware configuration of the AGV 10. The second hardware configuration example is different from the first hardware configuration example (FIG. 6A) in that the laser positioning system 14h is provided and the microcomputer 14a is connected to each component in a one-to-one manner.

The laser positioning system 14h has a position estimating device 14e and a laser range finder 15. The position estimating device 14e and the laser range finder 15 are connected by, for example, an Ethernet (registered trademark) cable. The operations of the position estimating device 14e and the laser range finder 15 are as described above. The laser positioning system 14h outputs information indicating the posture (x, y, θ) of the AGV 10 to the microcomputer 14a.

The microcomputer 14a has various general-purpose I/O interfaces or general-purpose input ports (not shown). The microcomputer 14a is directly connected to other components in the travel control device 14 such as the communication circuit 14d and the laser positioning system 14h through the general-purpose input port.

Fig. 6B is common to the configuration of Fig. 6A except for the above configuration. Accordingly, the description of the common configuration will be omitted.

The AGV 10 in the embodiment of the present disclosure may be provided with a safety sensor such as a bumper switch (not shown). The AGV10 can also be equipped with an inertial measuring device such as a gyro sensor. The amount of change (angle) of the moving distance and the direction of the AGV 10 can be estimated by using the measurement data measured by the built-in sensors such as the rotary encoders 18a and 18b or the inertial measurement device. The estimated values of these distances and angles are referred to as odometry data, and can function as a function of assisting the position and orientation directions obtained by the position estimating device 14e. (4) Map data

7A to 7F are diagrams schematically showing the AGV 10 moving while acquiring sensor data. The user 1 can manually move the AGV 10 while operating the terminal device 20. Alternatively, the unit provided with the travel control device 14 shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B or the AGV 10 itself may be placed on the trolley, and the user 1 may push or pull the trolley by hand to obtain the sensor. data.

In Fig. 7A, shown is an AGV 10 that utilizes a laser range finder 15 to scan the surrounding space. A laser beam is emitted at each prescribed step angle for scanning. Further, the illustrated scanning range is an example of a schematic display, which is different from the above-described scanning range of 270 degrees in total.

In each of Figs. 7A to 7F, the position of the reflection point of the laser beam is schematically displayed by a plurality of black dots 4 indicated by a symbol "・". The scanning of the laser beam is performed in a short period during the period in which the position and orientation of the laser range finder 15 are changed. Therefore, the number of true reflection points is much larger than the number of reflection points 4 shown. The position estimating device 14e stores the position of the black dot 4 obtained in association with the walking, for example, in the memory 14b. The map data is gradually completed by letting the AGV10 continue to scan while walking. In FIGS. 7B to 7E, for the sake of simplicity, only the scanning range is shown. This scanning range is exemplified, and is different from the above-described example of a total of 270 degrees.

The map can also be made using the microcomputer 14a in the AGV 10 or an external computer based on the sensor data obtained after the map is produced. Alternatively, the map can be created in an instant manner based on the sensor data acquired by the moving AGV 10.

Figure 7F is a portion of the map 40 that is shown schematically. In the map shown in Fig. 7F, the free space is separated by a point cloud corresponding to a set of reflection points of the laser beam. Another example of a map is a grid-occupied map, which is a grid of points that distinguish the space and free space occupied by objects. The position estimating device 14e stores the map information (map material M) in the memory 14b or the storage device 14c. Furthermore, the number or density of black dots shown is only an example.

The map data thus obtained can be shared by a plurality of AGVs 10.

A typical example of an algorithm in which the AGV 10 estimates its position based on map data is an ICP (Iterative Closest Point) match. As described above, by matching the partial map data (sensor data) created by the scan result of the laser range finder 15 with the map data M of a wider range, the map data M can be estimated. The position itself (x, y, θ).

When the area where the AGV10 is walking is wide, the amount of data of the map data M will increase. Therefore, there is a possibility that the production time of the map increases, or it takes a lot of time to estimate the position itself. In the case of such inconvenience, the map material M can be divided into a plurality of partial maps to be created and recorded.

Fig. 8 shows an example in which the entire area of one floor of one factory is covered by a combination of four partial map data M1, M2, M3, and M4. In this example, one partial map data covers an area of 50 m x 50 m. In each of the X direction and the Y direction, and at the boundary portion between the adjacent two maps, a rectangular overlapping area having a width of 5 m is provided. This overlapping area is referred to as a "map switching area". When the AGV 10 traveling while referring to one partial map reaches the map switching area, it switches to the walking of other adjacent partial maps. The number of partial maps is not limited to four, and may be appropriately set in accordance with the area of the floor on which the AGV 10 is traveling, and the performance of a computer that performs map production and its own position estimation. The size of the partial map data and the width of the overlapping area are not limited to the above examples, but can be arbitrarily set. (5) Configuration example of the operation management device

FIG. 9 shows an example of the hardware configuration of the operation management device 50. The operation management device 50 includes a CPU 51, a memory 52, a location database (position DB) 53, a communication circuit 54, a map database (map DB) 55, and an image processing circuit 56.

The CPU 51, the memory 52, the position DB 53, the communication circuit 54, the map DB 55, and the image processing circuit 56 are connected by the communication bus 57, and can exchange data with each other.

The CPU 51 is a signal processing circuit (computer) that controls the operation of the operation management device 50. Typically, the CPU 51 is a semiconductor integrated circuit.

The memory 52 is a storage device that stores the volatility of the computer program executed by the CPU 51. The memory 52 can also be utilized as a working memory when the CPU 51 performs calculation.

The location DB 53 stores location data which is information showing each location that can be the destination of each AGV 10. The location data can be represented by, for example, coordinates that are virtually set by the manager at the factory. Location information is determined by the management.

The communication circuit 54 is a wired communication that conforms, for example, to the Ethernet (registered trademark) specifications. The communication circuit 54 is connected to the access point 2 (FIG. 1) in a wired manner and can communicate with the AGV 10 through the access point 2. The communication circuit 54 receives the data to be transmitted to the AGV 10 from the CPU 51 through the bus bar 57. Further, the communication circuit 54 transmits the data (notification) received from the AGV 10 to the CPU 51 and/or the memory 52 via the bus bar 57.

The map DB 55 stores information on maps inside the factory where the AGV 10 is walking. The map may also be the same as map 40 (Fig. 7F) or different. As long as the map has a corresponding relationship with the position of each AGV 10 in a one-to-one manner, the form of the data is not limited. For example, a map stored in the map DB 55 may be a map created by CAD.

The position DB 53 and the map DB 55 may be constructed on a non-volatile semiconductor memory, or may be constructed on a magnetic recording medium typified by a hard disk or an optical recording medium typified by a compact disk.

The image processing circuit 56 is a circuit that generates data of an image that can be displayed on the monitor 58. The image processing circuit 56 operates only when the manager operates the operation management device 50. In the present embodiment, a more detailed description will be specifically omitted. Furthermore, the monitor 59 can also be integrated with the operation management device 50. Further, the processing by the image processing circuit 56 may be performed by the CPU 51. (6) Operation of the operation management device

An outline of the operation of the operation management device 50 will be described with reference to Fig. 10 . FIG. 10 is a view schematically showing an example of a movement path of the AGV 10 determined by the operation management device 50.

The outline of the operation of the AGV 10 and the operation management device 50 is as follows. In the following, an example is described in which an AGV 10 is now located at the position M ₁ and passes through a number of positions to travel to the final destination, that is, the position M _n+1 (n: a positive integer of 1 or more). Furthermore, a display connected to the recording position after M ₁ M ₂ should pass, then at each position to be adopted after the position M ₂ M _3, etc. the position coordinate information on the position DB53.

CPU51 running management apparatus 50 is the reference position and the reading position M DB53 ₂ coordinate data, to generate a traveling instruction toward the position M _2. The communication circuit 54 transmits the walking command to the AGV 10 through the access point 2.

The CPU 51 periodically receives data indicating the current position and the orientation direction from the AGV 10 through the access point 2. In doing so, the operation management device 50 can track the position of each AGV 10. When CPU51 M ₂ coincides with the position has been determined that the current position of the AGV 10, reads the coordinates of the position data M _3, and generates traveling toward the position M ₃ and sent to the command AGV10. That is, when it is determined that the AGV 10 has reached a certain position, the operation management device 50 transmits a walking command toward the position to be passed next. Thereby, the AGV 10 can reach the final destination position M _n+1 . The passing position and the destination position of the AGV 10 described above are sometimes referred to as "marks". (7) The avoidance action of the obstacle by the moving body 10 of the first example

Hereinafter, various examples of the avoidance operation of the moving body 10 in the case where an obstacle is present on the traveling path R will be described.

FIG. 11A shows an example of the bypass path B in the case where the obstacle 70 is present on the traveling path R.

Now, a case where the obstacle 70 is present in the traveling direction is detected at the position P1 while the moving body 10 is moving from the starting point S along the movement path R set in advance. At this time, the microcomputer 14a sets the bypass path B from the position P1 on the movement path to the position P4 by using the bypass path data Bd, and moves the moving body 10 along the bypass path B.

The bypass path B shown in Fig. 11A is constituted by the most basic one of the reference bypass paths. The "reference bypass path" is defined by the first movement path and the second movement path. When the positions P1, P2, P3, and P4 shown in Fig. 11A are used, in the present embodiment, the reference bypass path can be defined as follows. First, the first direction and the second direction are orthogonal to each other. Further, the reference bypass path is defined by a first path from the position P1 to the position P2, a second path from the position P2 to the position P3, and a first path from the position P3 to the position P4.

The first path from the position P1 to the position P2 is parallel to the first direction, and moves the moving body 10 in a direction away from the moving path R by a distance corresponding to the distance D1. When the position P2 is reached, the moving body 10 is rotated in the counterclockwise direction, and the direction of the direction is changed from the first direction to the second direction. The second path from the position P2 to the position P3 is parallel to the second direction, and moves the moving body 10 by a path corresponding to the distance D2. When the position P3 is reached, the moving body 10 is rotated in the counterclockwise direction, and the direction of the direction is changed from the second direction to the first direction. The first path from the position P3 to the position P4 is parallel to the first direction, and moves the moving body 10 in a direction close to the moving path R by a distance corresponding to the distance D1. When the position P4 is reached, the moving body 10 is rotated clockwise, and the direction of the direction is changed from the first direction to the second direction. Thereby, it is possible to bypass the obstacle 70 and return to the original moving path R, and then move along the moving path R.

The first maximum allowable distance Dmax1 in the first direction and the second maximum allowable distance Dmax2 in the second direction are shown in FIG. 11A. The bypass path B is set such that the distance from the first direction of the movement path R falls within the first maximum allowable distance Dmax1, and the movement distance with respect to the second direction falls within the second maximum allowable distance Dmax2. Each piece of data of the first maximum allowable distance Dmax1 and the second maximum allowable distance Dmax2 is previously stored in the storage device 14c by, for example, a manager of the mobile body 10. Further, in the environment in which the plurality of moving bodies 10 are used, each of the reference bypass route, the first maximum allowable distance Dmax1, and the second maximum allowable distance Dmax2 may be independently set for each moving body 10.

Here, the description of the obstacle detection operation and the bypass operation performed by the moving body 10 will be described with reference to FIG. 11B. The meaning of each operation of the symbols a to c is shown as an example in FIG. 11B. That is, as an example, the determination operation a of the obstacle, the movement operation b, and the direction conversion operation c between the first path and the second path are described. In the present specification, the distance moved by the movement operation b may be referred to as a "minimum avoidance distance". The "minimum avoidance distance" is the minimum distance away from the original path.

The same symbols are attached to the respective operations in FIG. 12 and later, and the description of the respective operations of the operations a to c is omitted. In addition, for the convenience of explanation, the operations a to c which are to be particularly noted may be described as "action a1" and the like.

12, 13, and 14 are examples showing a bypass path in the case where a plurality of obstacles 70a exist. The microcomputer 14a sets the reference bypass path by detecting the obstacle 70a by the first obstacle determination operation a.

In Fig. 12, the microcomputer 14a performs the first movement operation b in order to bypass. After the movement of the distance D1, the microcomputer 14a detects another obstacle 70b in the traveling direction, that is, the bypass path in the second direction by the obstacle determination operation a1. Thereby, the microcomputer 14a further continues the movement operation b1 along the first direction. The action after the further movement of the distance D1 is the same as the example after the position P2 of Fig. 11A. However, the movement by the last movement action b2 is D2*2.

In FIG. 13, the microcomputer 14a performs the first movement operation b for the bypass, and performs the direction switching operation c after the movement of the distance D1. When the movement operation b1 is performed on the bypass path in the second direction in the traveling direction, the microcomputer 14a detects another obstacle 70b in the traveling direction, that is, the bypass path in the second direction by the obstacle determination operation a1. Thereby, the microcomputer 14a further moves the operation b2 in a direction away from the original movement path R along the first direction. After the movement of the further distance D1, it is the same as the example of FIG.

Further, in FIGS. 12 and 13, although a plurality of obstacles 70a and 70b are respectively displayed, this is only an example. In the case where the long object is disposed to traverse across a plurality of bypass paths along the second direction, the above-described processing may be performed.

In Fig. 14, what is shown is the motion of the moving body 10 in the case where an obstacle is detected between a plurality of moving actions b. The operation when each obstacle is detected is an example of FIG. 12 and FIG.

Specifically, the determination operation a1 of the obstacle will be described. The position at which the obstacle determination operation a1 is performed corresponds to a position at which the movement corresponds to the distance D2 from the position where the first determination operation a0 is performed when viewed in the second direction. The microcomputer 14a determines whether or not the direction of the movement path R can be returned (returned) in units of the distance D2 from the position where the first determination operation a0 is performed. In the case of this example, since the obstacle has been detected by the determination operation a1, the movement operation b1 in the second direction is continued. Further, the direction switching operation c1 is an operation performed by determining the result of the operation, that is, the situation in which the obstacle does not exist. Thereby, the microcomputer 14a moves the moving body 10 in the direction toward the movement path R in the first direction.

Fig. 15 to Fig. 17 show three examples in which the return to the original movement path R cannot be performed. When the bypass path is not set within the first maximum allowable distance Dmax1 in the first direction (FIG. 15), the microcomputer 14a determines that the return to the movement path R cannot be performed, as a result of the first determination operation a0. The moving body 10 is stopped. Further, when the bypass path cannot be set within the second maximum allowable distance Dmax2 in the second direction (FIG. 16), the microcomputer 14a also stops the moving body 10. Further, as shown in FIG. 17, in the case where the presence of an obstacle has been detected in all the return directions of the movement path R, the microcomputer 14a also stops the moving body 10.

After the stopping of the moving body 10, for example, the manager transports the moving body 10 to a different position and restarts the moving body 10.

18A and 18B are flowcharts showing the procedure of the processing of the microcomputer 14a performed in the present embodiment.

In step S10, the microcomputer 14a starts normal walking. In Fig. 18BA, the state table that travels on the movement path R is referred to as "normal operation".

In step S12, the microcomputer 14a determines whether or not an obstacle has been detected by the output of the obstacle sensor 14j. When the obstacle is not detected, the normal operation in step S10 is continued, and in the case where the obstacle has been detected, the process proceeds to step S14.

In step S14, the microcomputer 14a determines whether or not the first maximum allowable distance Dmax1 has been reached. This processing is realized by, for example, the following method: the position information outputted by the position estimating device 14e is used to store the position at the time point of the movement path R, and the microcomputer 14a has the first direction, and the position is calculated. The difference in location. When it is determined that it has not arrived, the process proceeds to step S16, and if it is determined that it has arrived, the process proceeds to step S26.

In step S16, the microcomputer 14a controls the moving direction so that the moving body 10 travels in the direction away from the moving path R along the first direction. Next, the process proceeds to step S18.

The processing of step S18 is started from the beginning of the movement of the mobile body 10. In step S18, the microcomputer 14a again determines whether or not an obstacle has been detected by the same processing as that of step S12. In the case where the obstacle is not detected, the process proceeds to step S20, and in the case where the obstacle has been detected, the process proceeds to step S22.

In step S20, the microcomputer 14a determines whether or not the movement in the first direction by the minimum avoidance distance has been completed. The information of the moving distance is the same as the method explained in step S14.

In step S22, the microcomputer 14a determines whether or not the second maximum allowable distance Dmax2 has been reached. This processing is also realized by the same processing as that of step S14. That is, it is realized by using the position information outputted by the position estimating device 14e to store the position at the time point of the movement path R, and the microcomputer 14a has the second direction, and calculates the position and the current position. Difference. When it is determined that it has not arrived, the process proceeds to step S24, and if it is determined that it has arrived, the process proceeds to step S26.

In step S24, the microcomputer 14a controls the moving direction so that the moving body 10 travels in the direction along the second direction. Next, the process proceeds to step S20 (Fig. 18B). Furthermore, the processing of step S18 is started immediately before the moving body 10 starts moving.

In step S26, the microcomputer 14a stops the movement of the moving body 10. The reason is because the avoidance of the obstacle 70 has failed. As a result, after the determination of the operation stop is performed, the obstacle detection is stopped until the manager 10 restarts the moving body 10, for example, to suppress the consumption of electric power.

In step S28 of Fig. 18B, the microcomputer 14a again determines whether or not an obstacle has been detected by the same processing as that of step S12. In the case where the obstacle is not detected, the process proceeds to step S30, and in the case where the obstacle has been detected, the process returns to step S14.

In step S30, the microcomputer 14a determines whether or not the movement in the second direction corresponding to the minimum avoidance distance has been completed. The information of the moving distance is obtained in the same manner as the method described in steps S14 and S20.

In step S32, the microcomputer 14a controls the moving direction so that the moving body 10 travels in the direction toward the first moving direction and toward the moving path R. Next, the process proceeds to step S34.

In step S34, the microcomputer 14a determines again whether or not an obstacle has been detected by the same processing as that in step S12. In the case where the obstacle is not detected, the process proceeds to step S36, and if the obstacle has been detected, the process returns to step S22.

In step S36, the microcomputer 14a determines whether or not the movement in the first direction by the minimum avoidance distance has been completed. The information of the moving distance is obtained in the same manner as the method described in steps S14, S20, and S30. If the movement is not completed, the process returns to step S32 and the movement is continued. If the movement has been completed, the process proceeds to step S38. In step S38, the microcomputer 14a determines whether or not the mobile body 10 has reached the movement path R. At this time, it is only necessary for the microcomputer 14a to compare the current position output by the position estimating device 14e with the position at the time point when the movement direction R is separated from the first direction. When the mobile body 10 has reached the movement path R, the process proceeds to step S40, and if it has not arrived, the process proceeds to step S34 while continuing to move.

In step S40, the microcomputer 14a determines that the movement path R has been returned and that the avoidance operation has been completed. Thereby, the movement (normal operation) on the movement path R can be restarted.

The above-described operations of FIGS. 12 to 14 are examples of the setting of the bypass path. When it is determined at the outset that an obstacle exists, and it is further determined later that the obstacle exists, it is not necessary to always advance the moving body 10 in a direction away from the moving path R. It is merely an example in which the selection of the moving body 10 in the direction away from the moving path R is performed in a state in which a plurality of bypass paths can be set. Further, even when the vehicle has moved in the direction approaching the movement path R, the selection may be made to advance in the direction away from the movement path R. Further, the movement in the second direction is not only proceeding in the direction from the starting point S toward the end point G, but also in the direction from the end point G to the starting point S. (8) The avoidance action of the obstacle by the moving body 10 of the second example

The inventors of the present invention observed a situation in which an obstacle was placed on the movement path R of the moving body 10. As a result, it has been found that the placement of the obstacle is temporary, and when the certain time has elapsed, the obstacle is often removed. When the bypass path is set several times and the bypass path is set, the moving distance becomes long and it takes time to move. Therefore, the following problem has been found: only the actual obstacle has been removed, and the moving body 10 continues to travel on the bypass path.

19A to 19E are diagrams for explaining different operation examples of the moving body 10. The operation described below is a different operation example of the moving body 10 in the situation shown in FIG.

As shown in Fig. 19A, while the moving body 10 is traveling on the moving path R, the microcomputer 14a detects the obstacle 70p by the action a1 at the position P1. As a result, the bypass path is set and the movement operation b is performed. Next, the microcomputer 14a detects the obstacle 70q in the traveling direction by the determination operation a2 at the position P2. In the example of Fig. 12, the microcomputer 14a moves the moving body 10 along another bypass path b1. However, in practice, the mobile body 10 may also select the bypass path b2, and may also select another alternative bypass path b3. Moreover, not only the two directions (the first direction and the second direction) but also the bypass paths in other directions can be selected.

In this example, the microcomputer 14a selects a path for moving the moving body 10 from the position P2 to the position P1 as a bypass path among the plurality of bypass paths. Shown in Fig. 19C is the moving body 10 returning to the position P1 along the path b2.

The position P1 is a position at which the obstacle 70p has been detected on the movement path R. The microcomputer 14a of the moving body 10 returning to the position P1 determines whether or not the obstacle 70p is present on the original moving path R again at the position P1. Based on the above knowledge, the possibility that the obstacle 70p has been removed is high. It is conceivable that even if the obstacle 70p still exists, there will be a removal as long as it stands by for a while.

In the case where the obstacle 70p has been removed at the position P1, the microcomputer 14a of the moving body 10 moves the moving body 10 along the original movement path R. When the obstacle 70p is not removed, the microcomputer 14a of the moving body 10 waits for the moving body 10 to wait for a predetermined time at the position P1, and waits for the obstacle 70p to be removed. Thereafter, the microcomputer 14a moves the moving body 10 along the original movement path R as long as the obstacle 70p has been removed.

According to the above operation, the moving body 10 can be temporarily moved on the bypass path, and the bypass path can be used to return to the moving path R relatively quickly without the presence of an obstacle on the bypass path.

In the case where there is an obstacle on the bypass path, it is returned to the original position and it is determined whether the obstacle has been removed. In the case where it has been removed, the walking of the moving path R can be started quickly. On the other hand, even if a certain period of time has elapsed before the removal, there is a case where the bypass path can be repeatedly moved on the moving path R as compared with the repeated setting of the bypass path.

Fig. 20 is a flow chart showing the procedure of the processing up to Figs. 19A to 19E. The flowchart shown in Fig. 20 is an alternative process of Fig. 18B. In principle, the processing shown in Fig. 18A is performed in common. However, in the case where the processing shown in Fig. 20 is executed, the processing shown by "B" surrounded by a circle in Fig. 18A is not included. Since the processing from step S28 to step S14 included in Fig. 18B is not included in Fig. 20 .

The difference between the processing of FIG. 20 and the processing of FIG. 18B is that steps S50, S52, and S54 are provided in FIG. In FIG. 20, the same processes (steps) as those in FIG. 18B are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted. Furthermore, in this example, the detection of the obstacle in step S28 is performed before the movement in the second direction is to be performed. In other words, it is assumed that there is a situation in which the obstacle 70 is present in the traveling direction in the second direction, and the moving body 10 has not moved in the second direction.

In step S50, the microcomputer 14a selects the returned path from among the plurality of bypass paths available. The returned path refers to the path that travels in reverse along the path that has been traveled thereto. The process then proceeds to step S32.

In step S52, the microcomputer 14a determines whether or not an obstacle has been detected. The obstacle at this time means that the obstacle 70 is required to set the bypass path while walking on the movement path R. In the case where the obstacle is continuously detected, for example, the microcomputer 14a stands by until it becomes undetected. The process proceeds to step S54 if no obstacle is detected. As described above, according to the knowledge of the inventors of the present invention, since most obstacles can be removed in a short time, it is conceivable that in most cases in step S52, until an obstacle is not detected. The time is short.

In step S54, the microcomputer 14a restarts the walking along the movement path R.

The configuration and operation of the moving body 10 of the embodiment of the present disclosure have been described above.

The above comprehensive or specific aspects may also be implemented by a system, a method, an integrated circuit, a computer program, or a recording medium. Alternatively, it may be implemented by any combination of systems, devices, methods, integrated circuits, computer programs, and recording media. Specifically, the above-described processing of FIGS. 18A, 18B, and 20 can be realized as a computer program executable by the microcomputer 14a. The computer program can be recorded on a recording medium such as a CD-ROM or a disk such as a hard disk or a semiconductor memory such as a flash memory. Alternatively, a computer program can use an electrical communication circuit to send and receive as an object of a commercial transaction. Industrial availability

The mobile body and the mobile body management system disclosed in the present invention can be ideally used for moving and transporting goods, parts, finished products, and the like in factories, warehouses, construction sites, logistics, and hospitals.

1‧‧‧Users

2, 2a, 2b‧‧‧ access points

3‧‧‧Switching hub

4‧‧‧Reflection points

5‧‧‧Towing trolley

6‧‧‧ boards

7‧‧‧rails

10, 10a, 10b, 10c‧‧‧AGV (mobile body)

11a, 11b‧‧‧ drive wheels (wheels)

11c, 11d, 11e, 11f‧‧‧ casters

12‧‧‧Frame

13‧‧‧Transportation station

14‧‧‧Travel control device

14a‧‧‧Microcomputer

14b, 52‧‧‧ memory

14c‧‧‧ storage device

14d, 54‧‧‧ communication circuit

14e‧‧‧ position estimation device

14f, 57‧‧‧Communication bus

14g‧‧‧ wafer circuit

14h‧‧‧Laser positioning system

14j‧‧‧obstacle sensor

15‧‧‧Laser rangefinder

15a‧‧‧Laser beam

16a, 16b‧‧‧ motor

17‧‧‧ drive

17a, 17b‧‧‧Motor drive circuit

18‧‧‧ coding unit

18a‧‧‧1st rotary encoder

18b‧‧‧2nd rotary encoder

20‧‧‧Terminal devices (mobile computers such as tablets)

40‧‧‧Map

50‧‧‧Operation management device

51‧‧‧CPU

53‧‧‧Location Database (Location DB)

55‧‧‧Map Database (Map DB)

56‧‧‧Image Processing Circuit

58‧‧‧Monitor

70, 70a, 70b, 70p, 70q‧‧‧ obstacles

100‧‧‧Mobile Management System

a, a0, a1‧‧‧ determine action

b, b1, b2‧‧‧ moving action

B, B _right , B _left , b1~b3‧‧‧迂回回

Bd‧‧‧ Roundabout Path Information

c, c1‧‧‧ direction conversion action

D1, D2‧‧‧ distance

Dmax1‧‧‧1st maximum allowable distance

Dmax2‧‧‧2nd maximum allowable distance

G‧‧‧ End

M‧‧‧Map data

M1, M2, M3, M4‧‧‧ partial map data

M ₁ , M ₂ , M ₃ , M _n , M _n+1 , P1~P4‧‧‧ position

R‧‧‧Moving path (walking path)

R‧‧‧ Walking Path Information

Starting point of S‧‧

S‧‧‧Mobile Space

S10, S12, S14, S16, S18, S20, S22, S24, S26, S28, S30, S32, S34, S36, S38, S40, S50, S52, S54‧‧

Fig. 1A is a view showing a movement path of an AGV during general walking. Fig. 1B is a view showing a stop action when an AGV detects an obstacle. Fig. 1C is a view showing an obstacle avoiding action of the AGV. FIG. 1D is a diagram for explaining a reference bypass path. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a moving space S in which an AGV exists. Fig. 3 is a view showing the AGV and the traction trolley before connection. Fig. 4A is a view showing the AGV and the traction trolley before connection. Figure 4B is a diagram showing the connected AGV and the towing trolley. Fig. 5 is an external view of an exemplary AGV of the embodiment. Fig. 6A is a view showing an example of a first hardware configuration of the AGV. Fig. 6B is a view showing an example of a second hardware configuration of the AGV. Fig. 7A is a view showing an AGV that generates a map while moving. Fig. 7B is a view showing an AGV that generates a map while moving. Fig. 7C is a view showing an AGV that generates a map while moving. Fig. 7D is a diagram showing an AGV that generates a map while moving. Fig. 7E is a view showing an AGV that generates a map while moving. Fig. 7F is a diagram schematically showing a part of the completed map. FIG. 8 is a view showing an example of a map constituting one floor by a plurality of partial maps. Fig. 9 is a view showing an example of a hardware configuration of the operation management device. FIG. 10 is a view schematically showing an example of a movement path of the AGV determined by the operation management device. FIG. 11A is a view showing an example of the bypass path B in the case where the obstacle 70 is present on the traveling path R. FIG. 11B is a diagram for explaining the description of the obstacle detection operation and the bypass operation performed by the moving body 10. FIG. 12 is a view showing an example of a bypass path in the case where a plurality of obstacles 70a are present. FIG. 13 is a view showing an example of a bypass path in the case where a plurality of obstacles 70a are present. FIG. 14 is a view showing an example of a bypass path in the case where a plurality of obstacles 70a are present. Fig. 15 is a view showing three examples in which the return to the original movement path R cannot be performed. Fig. 16 is a view showing three examples in which the return to the original movement path R cannot be performed. Fig. 17 is a view showing three examples in which the return to the original movement path R cannot be performed. Fig. 18A is a flow chart showing the procedure of the processing of the microcomputer 14a by the exemplary embodiment. Fig. 18B is a flow chart showing the procedure of the processing of the microcomputer 14a by the exemplary embodiment. FIG. 19A is a view for explaining an operation example of the moving body 10 performed by another example. 19B is a view for explaining an example of the operation of the moving body 10 performed by another example. 19C is a view for explaining an example of the operation of the moving body 10 performed by another example. 19D is a view for explaining an operation example of the moving body 10 performed by another example. 19E is a view for explaining an example of the operation of the moving body 10 performed by another example. Figure 20 is a flow chart showing the sequence of processing by the microcomputer 14a performed by other exemplary embodiments.

Claims (14)

A moving body is autonomously movable, and the moving body is provided with: a plurality of driving wheels; a plurality of motors each connected to the plurality of driving wheels; an obstacle sensor detecting an obstacle; an external sensor, repeating Sweeping the environment and outputting the sensor data for each scan; the position estimating device sequentially generates and outputs the position information according to the sensor data, wherein the position information indicates the position and orientation direction of the moving body ( Information of the estimated value of the orientation; the control circuit rotates the plurality of motors to control the movement of the moving body while referring to the position information outputted by the position estimating device; and the storage device stores the predetermined reference The bypass path data of the path is a combination of a first path having a first direction and a second path having a second direction different from the first direction, wherein the moving body is set in advance During the movement of the moving path, the output of the obstacle sensor is detected, and the first position is detected to be stored in the traveling direction. When there is an obstacle, the control circuit will use the detour route information set from the movement path of the previously set in the first position to the second position of the detour path, and the movable body is moved along the circuitous path. The moving body according to claim 1, wherein the first direction and the second direction are orthogonal to each other, and the bypass path is a path for moving the moving body sequentially as follows: parallel to the first direction and away from the foregoing The direction of movement of the set movement path moves parallel to the second direction, and moves parallel to the first direction and in a direction approaching the previously set movement path. The mobile body according to claim 2, wherein the first path has a first predetermined distance, the second path has a second predetermined distance, and when the bypass path is referred to as a first bypass path, the moving body is in the first When the bypass path moves to the third predetermined position and reaches the third position, the control circuit detects that there is an obstacle in the traveling direction in the second direction by the output of the obstacle sensor. The second bypass path from the third position to the fourth position on the first bypass path is set by the bypass path data, and the moving body is moved along the second bypass path. The mobile body according to claim 2, wherein the first path has a first predetermined distance, the second path has a second predetermined distance, and when the bypass path is referred to as a first bypass path, the moving body is in the first The output of the obstacle sensor is performed at a fourth position that moves to the third position corresponding to the first predetermined distance and moves in a direction parallel to the second direction on the bypass path. When it is detected that there is an obstacle in the traveling direction, the control circuit sets a second bypass path from the fourth position to the fifth position on the first bypass path, and causes the moving body to follow the second The second bypass path is a path for sequentially moving the moving body from the fourth position as follows: moving in a direction parallel to the first direction and moving away from the previously set moving path corresponds to the first a predetermined distance parallel to the second direction, and a movement corresponding to a shorter distance than the second predetermined distance, parallel to the first direction, and closer to the aforementioned Moving direction of the moving path corresponding to the first predetermined distance. The moving body of claim 2, wherein when the traveling direction is a direction parallel to the second direction, and an obstacle is detected in the traveling direction by the output of the obstacle sensor, The control circuit sets a new bypass path that detects the position of the obstacle and moves the moving body parallel to the first direction and moves away from the previously set moving path. path. The moving body according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the control circuit sets the moving direction when the traveling direction is parallel to the second direction and the moving body has traveled by the second predetermined distance or more A path that is parallel to the first direction and that moves the moving body in a direction approaching the previously set moving path. The mobile object according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the storage device holds the first distance data and the second distance data, wherein the first distance data indicates the first maximum allowableness in the first direction. In the distance data, the second distance data is data indicating the second maximum allowable distance in the second direction, and the control circuit refers to the first distance data and the second distance data to set the following path as The bypass path: a distance from the first direction of the predetermined movement path that falls within the first maximum distance, and a path in which the movement distance in the second direction falls within the second maximum distance. The moving body of claim 7, wherein the control circuit stops the moving body in a case where a distance from the predetermined movement path in the first direction exceeds the first maximum distance When there is one or a plurality of obstacles in the case where the moving distance in the second direction exceeds the second maximum distance or in the direction of approaching the previously set moving path and the second direction In case. A recording medium recording a computer program for controlling an action of a movable body that can move autonomously, the moving body having: a plurality of driving wheels; a plurality of motors each connected to the plurality of driving wheels; an obstacle sensor , detecting an obstacle; an external sensor, repeating the scanning environment, and outputting the sensor data according to each scan; the position estimating device sequentially generates and outputs the position information according to the sensor data, the position information It is information indicating an estimated value of the position and the direction of the moving body; and the control circuit rotates the plurality of motors to control the movement of the moving body while referring to the position information outputted by the position estimating device. a computer and a storage device storing a bypass path data defining a reference bypass path, the reference bypass path being a first path in the first direction and a second path in the second direction different from the first direction Combining the movement of the moving body along the movement path set in advance by the obstacle sensor Outputting, and when it is detected at the first position that there is an obstacle in the traveling direction, the computer program causes the control circuit to: set the first one from the previously set moving path by using the bypass path data The bypass path is positioned to the second position, and the moving body is moved along the bypass path. A moving body is autonomously movable, and the moving body is provided with: a plurality of driving wheels; a plurality of motors each connected to the plurality of driving wheels; an obstacle sensor detecting an obstacle; an external sensor, repeating Sweeping the environment and outputting the sensor data for each scan; the position estimating device sequentially generates and outputs the position information according to the sensor data, wherein the position information indicates the position and orientation direction of the moving body And the control circuit, while referring to the position information outputted by the position estimating device, rotating the plurality of motors to control the movement of the moving body to move along a movement path set in advance When the obstacle is detected in the traveling direction by the output of the obstacle sensor, the control circuit sets the bypass path from the first position and moves the moving body. In the movement along the aforementioned bypass path, the output of the obstacle sensor is detected, and the second position is detected to be traveling. Additionally upward obstacle exists, the control circuit causes the movable body is moved from the second position to the first position again. The mobile object of claim 10, wherein a plurality of bypass paths exist at the second position, and the bypass paths are bypass paths of the obstacles detectable at the second position, the control circuit Among the plurality of bypass paths, a path for moving the moving body from the second position to the first position is selected as a bypass path. In the moving body of claim 11, after the obstacle sensor does not detect the obstacle on the first path after moving from the second position to the first position, the control circuit causes the movement The body moves again along the aforementioned previously set moving path. In the moving body of the claim 11, when the obstacle sensor detects an obstacle on the first path after moving from the second position to the first position, the control circuit is configured to move the moving body After the obstacle is removed, the control circuit moves the moving body again along the previously set moving path when the obstacle has been removed. A recording medium recording a computer program for controlling an action of a movable body that can move autonomously, the moving body having: a plurality of driving wheels; a plurality of motors each connected to the plurality of driving wheels; an obstacle sensor, Detecting obstacles; external sensor, repeating scanning environment, and outputting sensor data for each scan; position estimating device sequentially generating and outputting position information according to the aforementioned sensor data, the position information is Information indicating an estimated value of the position and the direction of the moving body; and a control circuit that rotates the plurality of motors to control the movement of the moving body while referring to the position information outputted by the position estimating device When a movement is detected along a predetermined movement path and an obstacle is detected in the first direction by the output of the obstacle sensor, the computer program causes the control circuit to perform: Setting a bypass path starting from the first position and moving the moving body to move along the bypass path , The output by the obstacle sensor, detected at the second position is additionally present in the traveling direction there is an obstacle, so that the movable body is moved from the second position to the first position again.