JP2020107116A - Autonomous mobile body - Google Patents

Abstract

To track a tracking target while suppressing entry into an entry prohibited area.SOLUTION: The autonomous mobile body includes a vehicle, a distance measuring unit mounted on the vehicle, and a control device mounted on the vehicle. A storage unit of the control device stores map information including an environment map and information on an entry prohibited area. The control device uses an estimated local position and the map information stored in the storage unit to calculate a distance and azimuth from the local position to the entry prohibited area. The control device processes the measured value by replacing a measurement value, associated with that azimuth which is determined not to contain a measurement point between the vehicle and the entry prohibited area, with a calculated distance that is the distance calculated using the local position and the map information. The control device derives a movable range from measured values that have not been processed, and the calculated distance.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

The present invention relates to an autonomous mobile body that tracks a tracking target.

Patent Document 1 describes an autonomous moving body that recognizes a surrounding environment by a distance measuring unit for detecting an azimuth and a distance to a measurement point and autonomously moves. The autonomous mobile body described in Patent Document 1 includes a distance measurement unit, a storage unit in which an environment map is stored, a self-position estimation unit that estimates a self-position, a route generation unit, and a control device. An object that can be detected by the distance measuring unit and an object that cannot be detected by the distance measuring unit are registered in the environment map. The self-position estimating unit estimates the self-position from the detection result of the distance measuring unit. The route generation unit grasps the position of the object from the environment map and generates a route from the current position to the destination so as to avoid the object. That is, the position where the object is arranged is set as the entry prohibited area, and the route is generated so that the autonomous moving body does not enter the entry prohibited area. The control device moves the autonomous mobile body according to the generated route. By registering an object that cannot be detected by the distance measurement unit on the environment map and generating a route so as to avoid this object, the autonomous mobile body can move while avoiding an object that cannot be detected by the distance measurement unit. ..

JP, 2005-1820, A

By the way, some autonomous moving bodies track a tracking target. This type of autonomous moving body includes a distance measuring unit, an object detecting unit that detects a tracking target and an obstacle from the detection result of the distance measuring unit, and a moving body control unit that moves the autonomous moving body so as to track the tracking target. And Since the tracking target moves, the destination cannot be set. Therefore, the autonomous moving body that tracks the tracking target tracks the tracking target within the movable range in which the obstacle is not detected without generating the route. Therefore, the range in which the autonomous moving body depends on the detection result of the distance measuring unit, and if the distance measuring unit cannot detect the entry prohibited area, the autonomous moving body may enter the entry prohibited area. ..

An object of the present invention is to provide an autonomous moving body that can track a tracking target while suppressing entry into an entry-prohibited area.

An autonomous mobile body that solves the above-mentioned problem is an autonomous mobile body that tracks a tracking target, and a mobile body, a distance measurement unit for measuring a distance and a direction from the mobile body to a measurement point, and the tracking. An object detection unit that detects an object including an object and an obstacle, a moving body control unit that moves the moving body so as to track the tracking target, map information including information on an environment map and an inaccessible area are stored. Storage unit, a self-position estimation unit that estimates the self-position of the moving body in the environment map, the self-position estimated by the self-position estimation unit, and information on the entry-prohibited area stored in the storage unit Using a distance calculation unit that calculates a distance from the self position to the entry prohibited area for each of a plurality of horizontal directions from the self position to the entry prohibited area; and a moving body to the entry prohibited area. Among the measurement values of the distance measuring unit that are associated with the same orientation as the azimuth up to A processing unit that processes the calculated distance calculated by the distance calculation unit, the measurement value that is not processed by the processing unit among the measurement values of the distance measurement unit, and the movement from the calculated distance. A movable range deriving unit that derives a movable range of the body, and the movable body control unit moves the movable body within the movable range.

The calculated distance is the distance to the prohibited area calculated from the self position and the map information. Therefore, it can be said that the calculated distance is the distance measured by the distance measuring unit, assuming that the prohibited area is detected by the distance measuring unit. By processing the measurement value of the distance measuring unit into the calculated distance, the movable range deriving unit can recognize the prohibited area from the calculated distance. Therefore, it is possible to set the portion excluding the inaccessible area as the movable range. Therefore, the tracking target can be tracked while suppressing the moving body from entering the prohibited area.

For the autonomous mobile body, the self-position estimation unit, among the measurement values of the distance measurement unit, the measurement value that is not processed by the processing unit, and the measurement value before the processing by the processing unit is performed. It may be used to estimate the self-position.

According to this, the estimation accuracy of the self-position can be improved.
Regarding the autonomous mobile body, the object detection unit uses the measurement value that is not processed by the processing unit among the measurement values of the distance measurement unit, and the measurement value before the processing by the processing unit is performed. Alternatively, the tracking target may be detected.

According to this, it is possible to recognize the tracking target even when the tracking target enters the entry prohibited area.
The autonomous moving body may include a notification unit that notifies when the self-position estimated by the self-position estimation unit is located in the entry prohibited area.

When the self position is located in the prohibited area, the moving body may be in an immovable state. By providing the notification unit, it is possible to notify the tracking target when the self position is located in the inaccessible area.

Regarding the autonomous moving body, the movable range deriving unit, when the self-position estimated by the self-position estimating unit is located in the entry prohibited area, the movable range without using the calculated distance. May be derived.

According to this, the entry prohibited area can be recognized as the movable range. Therefore, when the self-position is located in the entry prohibited area, the moving body can be moved to the outside of the entry prohibited area.

According to the present invention, it is possible to perform tracking of a tracking target while suppressing entry into the entry prohibited area.

Schematic which shows an autonomous moving body and a tracking target. The block diagram which shows an autonomous mobile body. The figure which shows the detection range of a distance measurement part typically. The figure which shows an environment map and an entry prohibition area typically. The flowchart which shows the process which a control apparatus performs. The figure for demonstrating the process which a control apparatus performs. The figure for demonstrating the process which a control apparatus performs. The schematic diagram which shows the state which the tracking target entered into the entry prohibition area. The schematic diagram which shows the state in which an own position is located in the inaccessible area.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the autonomous mobile body will be described.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the autonomous mobile body 10 includes a vehicle 20, a distance measuring unit 31 mounted on the vehicle 20, a control device 32 mounted on the vehicle 20, and a notification unit 35. .. The vehicle 20 includes a vehicle body 21, a plurality of wheels 22, and a drive mechanism 23 for causing the vehicle 20 to travel. The vehicle 20 is a moving body that is controlled by the control device 32 and autonomously moves so as to track the registered tracking target T. The vehicle 20 performs tracking so that the distance L from the vehicle 20 to the tracking target T falls within a predetermined range.

As shown in FIG. 2, the drive mechanism 23 includes a motor 24 for rotating the wheels 22, a motor driver 25 for driving the motor 24, a travel control device 26, and an encoder 29. Although not shown, the motors 24 and the motor drivers 25 are provided in the same number as the wheels 22. The encoder 29 is provided individually for each motor 24.

The traveling control device 26 includes a CPU 27 and a storage unit 28 in which programs for performing various controls are stored. A command from the control device 32 is input to the travel control device 26. The traveling control device 26 calculates a command rotation speed based on a speed command value which is a command for instructing the speed of the vehicle 20 and a traveling direction command which is a command for instructing the traveling direction of the vehicle 20.

The encoder 29 is, for example, an incremental encoder that outputs a pulse signal based on the rotation amount of the rotation shaft of the motor 24. The encoder 29 detects the rotation speed of the rotation shaft of the motor 24. The motor driver 25 performs feedback control so that the rotation speed of the motor 24 and the command rotation speed match. As a result, the vehicle 20 moves in the traveling direction according to the traveling direction command at the speed according to the velocity command value.

The notification unit 35 is a member that notifies the tracking target T. As the notification unit 35, for example, a unit that performs notification by sound or a unit that performs notification by light can be used.
Next, the distance measuring unit 31 and the control device 32 will be described in detail.

As the distance measuring unit 31, a unit that allows the control device 32 to recognize an object existing around the vehicle 20 and can measure the distance from the vehicle 20 to the object is used. The object includes a tracking target T and an obstacle.

In this embodiment, LIDAR: Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging is used as the distance measuring unit 31. The LIDAR is a rangefinder that can recognize the surrounding environment by irradiating the surrounding area with a laser and receiving the reflected light reflected from the part where the laser hits. A two-dimensional rangefinder that irradiates a laser while changing the irradiation angle in the horizontal direction is used as the LIDAR.

As shown in FIG. 3, the laser irradiation range of the distance measuring unit 31 is, for example, a horizontal irradiation range θ1=270° and a irradiation range d=30 [m]. When the center of the irradiation possible angle θ1 is the reference axis, the irradiation range of the laser is the range of the reference axis ±135°. That is, the laser irradiation range of the distance measuring unit 31 is a fan shape having a radius of 30 [m] and a central angle of 270°. The irradiation range of this laser becomes a detection range SA in which an object can be detected.

Letting the part hit by the laser be the measurement point, LIDAR measures the distance to the measurement point in correspondence with the irradiation angle. The irradiation angle is an angle at regular intervals with respect to the horizontal direction, and is an angle according to the angular resolution θ2. The distance measuring unit 31 outputs the measured value at a constant angle. Explaining in detail, LIDAR outputs detection information that associates the measurement value of the distance to the measurement point with the irradiation angle when the reflected light can be received, and the irradiation angle when the reflected light cannot be received. The non-detection information is output in association with. Therefore, the LIDAR detection result is information in which the irradiation angle and the measured value are associated with each other. The measured value includes the measured distance and non-detection information indicating that the distance could not be detected. When there is an object around the vehicle 20, the laser hits the object, and the distance to the measurement point is output in association with the irradiation angle. Therefore, the control device 32 can determine whether or not an object exists around the vehicle 20 based on the LIDAR detection result, and if the object exists, the control device 32 can grasp the distance to the object and the irradiation angle. If the angular resolution θ2 of the irradiation angle is 1.0°, 271 detection results can be obtained in one cycle. The laser irradiation angle represents the direction from the vehicle 20. For example, if the reference axis faces the front of the vehicle 20, the irradiation angle on the clockwise side of the reference axis is the right side of the vehicle 20, and the irradiation angle on the counterclockwise side of the reference axis is the left side of the vehicle 20. Becomes Therefore, the distance measuring unit 31 measures the distance for each azimuth according to the angular resolution θ2.

The control device 32 includes a CPU 33 and a storage unit 34 including a RAM and a ROM. Various programs for controlling the vehicle 20 are stored in the storage unit 34. The control device 32 may include dedicated hardware that executes at least a part of various processes, for example, an application-specific integrated circuit: ASIC. The controller 32 may be configured as a circuit including one or more processors operating according to a computer program, one or more dedicated hardware circuits such as ASIC, or a combination thereof. The processor includes a CPU and memories such as RAM and ROM. The memory stores program codes or instructions configured to cause the CPU to perform processing. Memory, or computer readable media, includes anything that can be accessed by a general purpose or special purpose computer.

The control device 32 outputs various commands to the travel control device 26. As a result, the rotation speed of the wheels 22 and the rotation direction of the wheels 22 are controlled, and the vehicle 20 tracks the tracking target T. It can be said that the control device 32 autonomously moves the vehicle 20 by controlling the drive mechanism 23.

Map information is stored in the storage unit 34 of the control device 32. As shown in FIG. 4, the map information is information indicating the environment map M and the inaccessible area A. The environment map M is information about the physical structure of the environment around the autonomous mobile body 10, such as the shape and size of the environment in which the autonomous mobile body 10 is used. The prohibited area A is a place where the autonomous mobile body 10 is prohibited from entering, and is set in the environment map M.

The environment map M may be stored in the storage unit 34 in advance as long as the surrounding environment in which the autonomous mobile body 10 is used can be grasped in advance. When the environment map M is stored in the storage unit 34 in advance, the coordinates of objects such as the wall W of the building and the pillars Pi whose positions do not change are stored as the environment map M.

The environment map M may be created by mapping by SLAM: Simultaneous Localization and Mapping. The mapping is performed, for example, by creating a local map from the coordinates of the measurement points obtained by the distance measuring unit 31 and combining the local maps according to their own positions.

The prohibited area A is a place where the distance measuring unit 31 cannot detect, or a place where the distance measuring unit 31 cannot detect easily. The place that cannot be detected by the distance measuring unit 31 is, for example, a place where a member made of a material having a high laser transmittance such as colorless and transparent glass is arranged, or a member whose height is not hit by the irradiated laser. It is a place where the area is divided by the color of the floor such as the place and the walking zone in the factory. Further, it is also possible to set the entry-prohibited area A to an arbitrary place having no characteristic such as a place where no member is arranged or a place where the floor surface is not classified. The place where it is difficult to detect by the distance measuring unit 31 can detect a partial shape, for example, a shelf in which a shelf on which a load is placed is supported by columns, but a shape in the entire horizontal direction is recognized. It is a place where difficult-to-use members are placed.

The information indicating the prohibited area A is the coordinates of the prohibited area A on the environment map M. The prohibited area A may be stored in the storage unit 34 in advance together with the environment map M. Further, the prohibited area A may be stored in the storage unit 34 by an external device after being mapped by the control device 32.

Next, the control performed when the control device 32 performs tracking of the tracking target T will be described. As an example, a case where the autonomous mobile body 10 is used in the environment shown by the map information of FIG. 4 will be described.

As shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, in step S1, the control device 32 obtains the detection result of the distance measuring unit 31, that is, the measurement value of the azimuth and the distance to the measurement point P1 caused by the surrounding environment of the autonomous mobile body 10. It is acquired from the distance measuring unit 31. As can be understood from FIG. 6, the measurement point P1 occurs when the laser strikes the wall W, the pillar Pi, and the tracking target T. The control device 32 can obtain the relative coordinates of the measurement point P1 with respect to the vehicle 20 from the detection result of the distance measurement unit 31.

Next, in step S2, the control device 32 performs self-position estimation for estimating the position of the vehicle 20 on the environment map M. In the self-position estimation, the odometry that estimates the amount of self-movement of the vehicle 20 using the detection result of the encoder 29, the characteristic points (=landmarks) and the environment around the vehicle 20 obtained from the detection result of the distance measuring unit 31 are used. The matching result with the map M is integrated by the Bayes filter. That is, the control device 32 performs probabilistic self-position estimation to estimate the self-position by correcting the self-position obtained by odometry with the relative position with respect to the landmark. The landmark is a part of the shape of the surrounding environment which can be grasped from the measurement point P1 and whose shape changes. In addition, the self-position is a coordinate indicating one point of the vehicle body 21, and is, for example, a coordinate of the center of the vehicle body 21 in the horizontal direction. The control device 32 functions as a self-position estimation unit.

Next, as shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 7, in step S3, the control device 32 uses the self position estimated in step S2 and the map information stored in the storage unit 34 to prohibit entry from the self position. The distance and direction to the area A are calculated. The control device 32 calculates the distance to the prohibited area A for each of a plurality of azimuths with respect to the horizontal direction according to the angular resolution θ2 of the distance measuring unit 31. Therefore, when the angular resolution θ2 of the distance measuring unit 31 is 1.0°, the distance calculated by the control device 32 is also associated with each azimuth at 1.0° intervals. In other words, the control device 32 calculates, for each azimuth, the distance to the virtual measurement point P2 that occurs when the laser hits the inaccessible area A. The control device 32 functions as a distance calculation unit.

Next, in step S4, the control device 32 processes the measurement value of the distance measuring unit 31. First, the control device 32 determines whether or not the measurement point P1 exists between the vehicle 20 and the entry prohibited area A for each azimuth from the vehicle 20 to the entry prohibited area A. When the measurement point P1 exists between the vehicle 20 and the entry prohibited area A, it can be said that an object exists between the vehicle 20 and the entry prohibited area A. On the other hand, when the measurement point P1 does not exist between the vehicle 20 and the entry prohibited area A, it can be said that there is no object between the vehicle 20 and the entry prohibited area A.

The control device 32 determines that the measurement point P1 does not exist between the vehicle 20 and the entry prohibited area A among the measurement values associated with the same orientation as the direction from the vehicle 20 to the entry prohibited area A. The measured value associated with the azimuth is replaced with the calculated distance that is the distance calculated in step S3. In detail, the control device 32 replaces the measurement value of the distance measuring unit 31 with the calculated distance associated with the same azimuth as the azimuth with which the measurement value is associated, and thus the measurement value of the distance measuring unit 31. To process. It can be said that the control device 32 replaces the measurement value, which is longer than the calculated distance, and the non-detection information, among the measured values associated with the same direction as the direction from the vehicle 20 to the prohibited area A, with the calculated distance. The calculated distance obtained by processing the measured value is the distance to the virtual measurement point P2. The control device 32 can obtain the relative coordinates of the virtual measurement point P2 with the self position as a reference, from the azimuth and the calculated distance associated with the azimuth. Note that, of the measured values of the distance measuring unit 31, the measured values associated with an azimuth different from the azimuth from the self position to the prohibited area A are not processed. Therefore, among the measurement values of the distance measuring unit 31, the measurement value associated with the azimuth different from the azimuth from the self-position to the prohibited area A is the measurement value that has not been processed. The control device 32 functions as a processing unit.

Next, in step S5, the control device 32 discriminates between the tracking target T and the obstacle. First, the control device 32 detects an object by clustering the measurement points P1. The laser emitted from the distance measuring unit 31 is reflected when it hits an object, so that the measurement point P1 is interrupted at the boundary between the object and space. Therefore, the set of measurement points P1 represents a part of the contour of the object, and the object can be detected from the point group in which the measurement points P1 are clustered. In the example shown in FIG. 6, the measurement points P1 generated by the wall W, the pillar Pi, and the tracking target T are clustered, so that the wall W, the pillar Pi, and the tracking target T are detected as individual objects. The control device 32 can calculate the width of the object from the relative coordinates of the measurement points P1 forming the clustered point group.

Information relating to the tracking target T is registered in the control device 32, and an object matching this information is recognized as the tracking target T. The tracking target T of this embodiment is a person. When a person is set as the tracking target T, the information regarding the tracking target T is, for example, the width of the foot. The tracking target T is registered by setting the control device 32 in the registration mode by operating an operation unit or an external device provided on the vehicle 20 while a person stands upright in front of the distance measuring unit 31.

Next, the control device 32 clusters the virtual measurement points P2 and regards the cluster of the clustered virtual measurement points P2 as an object. That is, the virtual measurement point P2 is also treated in the same manner as the measurement point P1. The control device 32 recognizes both of the objects recognized by the measurement point P1 other than the tracking target T and the objects recognized by the virtual measurement point P2 as obstacles. It can be said that the control device 32 recognizes the tracking target T from the measurement point P1 and recognizes the obstacle from both the measurement point P1 and the virtual measurement point P2. That is, by processing the measured value, the entry prohibited area A can be regarded as a virtual obstacle. The control device 32 functions as an object detection unit.

Next, in step S6, the control device 32 derives the movable range MA. The control device 32 sets the range excluding the obstacle detected in step S5 as the movable range MA. In detail, the control device 32 controls the vehicle 20 so that the distance from the obstacle to the vehicle 20 is equal to or more than a predetermined value, so that the movable range MA is determined by the obstacle. By recognizing an obstacle from the virtual measurement point P2, the prohibited area A is regarded as an obstacle. Therefore, the movable range MA is derived from the obstacle recognized by the measurement value that is not processed by the control device 32 and the obstacle recognized by the calculated distance. The control device 32 functions as a movable range deriving unit.

Next, in step S7, the control device 32 moves the vehicle 20 within the movable range MA to track the tracking target T. The control device 32 recognizes the distance L from the vehicle 20 to the tracking target T from the detection result of the distance measurement unit 31, and controls the vehicle 20 so that the distance L falls within a predetermined range. As shown in FIG. 8, when the tracking target T is located in the inaccessible area A, the vehicle 20 is moved so that the distance to the tracking target T is the shortest within the movable range MA. Since the tracking target T is detected using the measurement value of the distance measurement unit 31 that has not been processed and the measurement value that has not been processed, the tracking target T is an inaccessible area. Even when approaching A, the tracking target T can be detected. The control device 32 functions as a moving body control unit.

As shown in FIG. 9, when the self position is located in the inaccessible area A, the control device 32 notifies the tracking target T by performing the notification by the notification unit 35. When the self position is located in the inaccessible area A, the control device 32 may mistakenly recognize that the surroundings are surrounded by obstacles by the virtual measurement point P2, and may be in an immovable state. Therefore, the notification by the notification unit 35 notifies that the vehicle 20 is in the immovable state. The reason why the self-position is located in the inaccessible area A is that the accuracy of self-position estimation is lowered. The accuracy of the self-position estimation may decrease depending on the position of the vehicle 20, such as when the landmark cannot be detected. In this case, the control device 32 may misidentify the prohibited area A as the movable range MA, and the vehicle 20 may enter the prohibited area A. If the correct self-position is estimated after the vehicle 20 enters the prohibition area A, the self-position may be located in the prohibition area A. Further, depending on the braking ability of the vehicle 20, the tracking target T that has entered the entry prohibited area A may try to track and enter the entry prohibited area A.

The operation of this embodiment will be described.
Since the control device 32 moves within the movable range MA, the vehicle 20 is suppressed from entering the entry prohibited area A. The relative position between the self-position and the prohibited area A is grasped from the map information, and the measured value of the distance measuring unit 31 is processed, so that the restricted area A can be prevented from entering.

Conventionally, the autonomous moving body 10 that tracks the tracking target T recognizes the tracking target T and the obstacle from the measurement value of the distance measuring unit 31 and tracks the tracking target T while suppressing contact with the obstacle. Has been done. As in the present embodiment, by processing the measured value of the distance measuring unit 31 and recognizing the prohibited area A as an obstacle, a logic for processing the measured value of the distance measuring unit 31 is added to the conventional control logic. The vehicle 20 can be prevented from entering the prohibited area A.

If the vehicle 20 is prevented from entering the prohibited area A by creating a route from its own position to the destination, assuming that the coordinates of the tracking target T are the destination, each time the tracking target T moves. Need to generate a route to. In this case, it takes a long time to generate the route, and the maximum speed of the vehicle 20 may slow down. On the other hand, by suppressing the entry of the vehicle 20 into the prohibited area A without generating a route as in the present embodiment, the maximum speed can be increased as compared with the case where the route is generated. ..

Further, in order to prevent the vehicle 20 from entering the prohibited area A, it may be possible to detect the prohibited area A by a member other than the distance measuring unit 31. For example, if the entry prohibition area A is a place where an object through which the laser passes is arranged, the entry prohibition area A can be recognized by providing an ultrasonic sensor. If the prohibition area A is a place where an object having a height not hit by the laser is arranged, the prohibition area A can be recognized by providing a three-dimensional rangefinder. If the entry prohibited area A is a place where the area is divided by the color of the floor surface, the entry prohibited area A can be recognized by providing a stereo camera. However, in any case, it is necessary to increase the number of members for detecting the inaccessible area A, resulting in an increase in manufacturing cost. Furthermore, if a location having no characteristics is the prohibited area A, the prohibited area A cannot be detected. On the other hand, by processing the measured value of the distance measuring unit 31 to suppress the vehicle 20 from entering the prohibited area A, it is possible to suppress an increase in manufacturing cost. In addition, even when a place without a feature is set as the entry prohibited area A, entry of the vehicle 20 into the entry prohibited area A can be suppressed.

The effects of this embodiment will be described.
(1) The control device 32 calculates the distance from the self position to the entry prohibited area A for each azimuth, and processes the measured value of the azimuth corresponding to the calculated calculated distance into the calculated distance. As a result, the control device 32 can recognize the entry prohibition area A as an obstacle, and thus can set the portion excluding the entry prohibition area A as the movable range MA. Since the entry of the vehicle 20 into the entry prohibited area A can be suppressed without performing the route generation, the entry of the vehicle 20 into the entry prohibited area A can be suppressed while tracking the tracking target T.

(2) The control device 32 performs self-position estimation using the measurement value of the distance measurement unit 31 that has not been processed and the measurement value that has not been processed. That is, the self-position estimation is performed without using the calculated distance. It is possible to improve the accuracy of self-position estimation as compared with the case where self-position estimation is performed only by odometry. In addition, the accuracy of self-position estimation can be improved as compared with the case where the self-position is estimated using both the measured value of the distance measuring unit 31 and the calculated distance. If the self-position is estimated using both the measured value of the distance measurement unit 31 and the calculated distance, if the environment map M has a terrain similar to the shape of the prohibited area A that can be recognized from the virtual measurement point P2, the control is performed. The device 32 may misidentify its own position. On the other hand, by estimating the self-position using only the measurement value of the distance measuring unit 31, the control device 32 is less likely to misidentify the self-position, and the self-position estimation accuracy can be improved.

(3) The control device 32 detects the tracking target T by using the measurement value of the distance measurement unit 31 that has not been processed and the measurement value that has not been processed. Since the tracking target T can be detected even when the tracking target T enters the entry prohibited area A, the control device 32 is less likely to lose track of the tracking target T. Further, even when the tracking target T is located in the entry prohibited area A, the distance to the tracking target T can be shortened within the movable range MA, so that the tracking performance is improved.

(4) When the self-position is located within the inaccessible area A, the notification unit 35 gives a notification. Therefore, the tracking target T can be notified when the vehicle 20 becomes immovable.

The embodiment can be modified and implemented as follows. The present embodiment and the following modified examples can be implemented in combination with each other within a technically consistent range.
When the own position is located in the inaccessible area A, the control device 32 may recognize the movable range MA only from the measurement value of the distance measuring unit 31. That is, the control device 32 may recognize the obstacle without using the calculated distance, and set the range excluding the obstacle as the movable range MA. As a result, the control device 32 can recognize the inaccessible area A as the movable range MA. As a result, the control device 32 is prevented from erroneously recognizing that the virtual measurement point P2 surrounds the surroundings with an obstacle, and the vehicle 20 is prevented from becoming immovable. When the own position is located in the entry prohibition area A, the control device 32 can move the vehicle 20 to the outside of the entry prohibition area A. In this case, the notification unit 35 may not be provided.

When the estimated self position is within the inaccessible area A, the control device 32 does not have to notify the notification unit 35.
The control device 32 may recognize the tracking target T using the calculated distance in addition to the measurement value of the distance measuring unit 31. In this case, when the tracking target T enters the entry prohibited area A, the control device 32 loses track of the tracking target T. The control device 32 moves toward the position where the tracking target T is finally detected. When the tracking target T moves out of the entry prohibited area A and the tracking target T is recognized again, the control device 32 causes the vehicle 20 to track the tracking target T.

The control device 32 may perform self-position estimation using the measured value of the distance measuring unit 31 and the calculated distance.
The control device 32 is only required to detect the entry prohibited area A and obtain the movable range MA by the calculated distance obtained by processing the measurement value of the distance measuring unit 31, and the processing of FIG. 5 may be appropriately changed.

○ The method of self-position estimation may be changed appropriately. For example, the self-location estimation may be performed only by odometry. Further, the odometry may be performed using a gyroscope, an acceleration sensor, or an inertial measurement device that combines these, or may be performed using a camera.

As the LIDAR used as the distance measuring unit 31, a three-dimensional distance meter that irradiates a laser while changing the irradiation angles in both the horizontal direction and the vertical direction may be used.
A stereo camera may be used as the distance measuring unit 31. The stereo camera causes the control device 32 to recognize the surrounding environment from the parallax image obtained by capturing the surrounding environment with a plurality of cameras. The parallax image shows a pixel difference that occurs between cameras when the same feature point is captured by a plurality of cameras. The characteristic point is a portion where parallax is obtained, such as an edge of an object, that is, a pixel whose luminance changes in each pixel of a captured image. The control device 32 can obtain the distance from the vehicle 20 to the feature point and the azimuth from the vehicle 20 to the feature point using the inter-eye distance of the stereo camera, the focal length, the parallax image, and the like. When the stereo camera is used as the distance measuring unit 31, the characteristic points are the measurement points. It should be noted that the distance measuring unit 31 may be one that uses radio waves.

The distance measuring unit 31 may be a combination of a plurality of sensors such as a LIDAR and a stereo camera. That is, the distance measuring unit 31 may be composed of a single sensor or plural sensors.

The tracking target T may be other than a person. For example, it may be a moving body other than the vehicle 20. In this case, the notification unit 35 may be a communication device capable of communicating with the mobile body that is the tracking target T. When the vehicle 20 enters the prohibited area A, the control device 32 communicates with the communication device to notify the moving body that is the tracking target T.

The tracking target T may be detected by providing the tracking target T with a mark or the like that can be detected by the distance measuring unit 31. The detection of the tracking target T may be performed by a detection unit other than the distance measurement unit 31.

The moving body is not limited to the vehicle 20, and may be a multipedal robot or an autonomously flying unmanned aerial vehicle.
The drive mechanism 23 may have any structure as long as the speed of the vehicle 20 can be controlled so as to follow the speed command value.

The control device 32 may have the function of the travel control device 26. The control device 32 may output the command rotation speed to the motor driver 25, and the motor driver 25 may drive the motor 24 according to the command rotation speed.

A... Inaccessible area, M... Environmental map, MA... Movable range, T... Tracking target, 10... Autonomous moving body, 20... Vehicle (moving body), 32... Control device (object detection unit, moving body control unit, Self position estimating unit, distance calculating unit, processing unit and movable range deriving unit), 34... storage unit, 35... notification unit.

Claims (5)

An autonomous moving body that tracks a tracking target,
A moving body,
A distance measuring unit for measuring the distance and azimuth from the moving body to the measurement point,
An object detection unit that detects an object including the tracking target and an obstacle,
A moving body control unit that moves the moving body so as to track the tracking target;
A storage unit in which map information including an environmental map and information on prohibited areas is stored,
A self-position estimation unit that estimates the self-position of the moving body in the environment map,
Using the self-position estimated by the self-position estimating unit and the information on the entry-prohibited area stored in the storage unit, the distance from the self-position to the entry-prohibited area is changed from the self-position to the entry prohibition. A distance calculation unit that calculates for each of a plurality of azimuths with respect to the horizontal direction to the area,
Of the measurement values of the distance measuring unit associated with the same azimuth as the azimuth from the moving body to the entry prohibited area, the azimuth in which the measurement point does not exist between the moving object and the entry prohibited area. A processing unit that processes the measured value associated with the processing distance into a calculated distance calculated by the distance calculation unit,
Of the measurement values of the distance measurement unit, the measurement value that has not been processed by the processing unit, and a movable range deriving unit that derives the movable range of the moving body from the calculated distance,
The moving body control unit is an autonomous moving body that moves the moving body within the movable range. The self-position estimating unit determines the self-position by using the measurement value that is not processed by the processing unit out of the measurement values of the distance measuring unit and the measurement value before the processing by the processing unit is performed. The autonomous mobile body according to claim 1, which is estimated. The object detection unit detects the tracking target by using the measurement value that has not been processed by the processing unit among the measurement values of the distance measurement unit and the measurement value before processing by the processing unit. The autonomous mobile body according to claim 1 or 2. The autonomous movement according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising: a notification unit configured to notify when the self-position estimated by the self-position estimation unit is located in the entry prohibited area. body. The movable range deriving unit derives the movable range without using the calculated distance when the self-position estimated by the self-position estimating unit is located in the entry prohibited area. ~ The autonomous mobile body according to any one of claims 3 to 4.