JP7310544B2 - robot - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a robot that distributes articles.

Patent Literature 1 discloses a delivery system in which delivery vehicles deliver parcels to delivery destinations. The delivery vehicle loads delivery boxes to be delivered to the delivery destination. When the delivery vehicle moves to the delivery destination, a movable member of the delivery vehicle fixes the delivery box to a delivery box fixture provided at the delivery destination.

Japanese Patent No. 6455985

As a method of advertising goods and services, a method in which a distributor distributes tissue paper with advertisements to passersby on the street is used. The inventors of the present invention have recognized that it would be desirable for a robot to distribute tissue paper or the like to surrounding people from the viewpoint of reducing labor costs and promoting more effective advertising.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a robot capable of efficiently distributing objects to surrounding people.

In order to solve the above-described problems, a robot according to one aspect of the present invention includes a ring-shaped frame having a housing space inside, a container housed in the frame and containing a plurality of objects, and A manipulator unit accommodated in the frame on the upper side or the lower side, a traveling mechanism that supports the frame, a sensor data processing unit that acquires information about people around based on images taken by a camera, and the sensor. a traveling control unit that controls the traveling mechanism so that the robot approaches the surrounding people based on the information of the surrounding people supplied from the data processing unit. The manipulator unit has a manipulator capable of taking out an object from the container, and a control section that controls the manipulator so that the manipulator distributes the object in the container to surrounding people.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a robot comprising: a ring-shaped frame having a housing space inside; a container housed in the frame and containing a plurality of objects; a manipulator unit housed in the body; a display provided in the frame; and a display control unit for displaying on a display. The objects are tissue papers with advertisements, sweets, free samples, or novelties. The manipulator unit has a manipulator capable of taking out an object from the container, and a control section that controls the manipulator so that the manipulator distributes the object in the container to surrounding people.
According to still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a robot comprising: a ring-shaped frame having a housing space inside; a container housed in the frame and containing a plurality of objects; A manipulator unit housed in a frame, a standing actuator capable of causing the robot to assume a standing posture, a sensor data processing unit for acquiring heights of people around based on images captured by a camera, and the sensor. a motion control unit that drives the standing actuator to cause the robot to assume a standing posture when the height acquired by the data processing unit is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. The manipulator unit has a manipulator capable of taking out an object from the container, and a control section that controls the manipulator so that the manipulator distributes the object in the container to surrounding people.
A robot according to still another aspect of the present invention comprises a ring-shaped frame having a housing space inside, a container housed in the frame for containing a plurality of objects, and the frame below the container. a manipulator unit housed in a The manipulator unit has a manipulator capable of taking out an object from the container, and a control section that controls the manipulator so that the manipulator distributes the object in the container to surrounding people.

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the robot which can distribute an object to surrounding people efficiently can be provided.

FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b) are perspective views of a transport robot according to an embodiment. 2(a) and 2(b) are perspective views of the transport robot in an upright posture. 1 is a perspective view of a transport robot in an upright posture with loads loaded; FIG. FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b) are diagrams for explaining the relative motion of the main body with respect to the traveling mechanism. 5(a) and 5(b) are diagrams for explaining the structure of the transfer robot. 2 is a diagram showing functional blocks of the transport robot in FIG. 1; FIG. 1 is a front view of a distribution robot of a first configuration example; FIG. Figure 8 is a side view of the distribution robot of Figure 7; FIG. 11 is a side view of the distribution robot of the second configuration example;

In the embodiment, the robot for distributing articles places a container containing the articles and a manipulator unit for distributing the articles in the container on the frame 40 of the transfer robot 10 shown in FIGS. is realized by Therefore, first, the basic structure and function of the transfer robot 10 will be described.

FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b) show perspective views of a transport robot 10 according to an embodiment. The height of the transfer robot 10 may be, for example, about 1 to 1.5 meters. The transport robot 10 includes a traveling mechanism 12 having an autonomous traveling function, and a main body 14 supported by the traveling mechanism 12 for placing an object such as a load. The traveling mechanism 12 includes a first wheel body 22 and a second wheel body 24, the first wheel body 22 having a pair of front wheels 20a and a pair of middle wheels 20b, and the second wheel body 24 having a pair of rear wheels. A wheel 20c is provided. 1(a) and 1(b) show a state in which a front wheel 20a, a middle wheel 20b, and a rear wheel 20c are arranged in a straight line.

The main body 14 has a rectangular frame 40 , and the inside of the frame 40 constitutes a storage space in which an object such as luggage is placed. The frame 40 includes a pair of right side walls 18a and left side walls 18b, a bottom plate 18c connecting the pair of side walls at the bottom, and a top plate 18d connecting the pair of side walls at the top. A pair of opposing ribs (ribs) 56a, 56b, 56c (hereinafter referred to as "ridges 56" unless otherwise specified) are provided on the inner surfaces of the right side wall 18a and the left side wall 18b. The body portion 14 is connected to the traveling mechanism 12 so as to be capable of relative movement. The transport robot 10 has a home delivery function of loading a package, autonomously traveling to a set destination, and delivering the package to a user waiting at the destination. Hereinafter, regarding the direction of the main body 14, the direction perpendicular to the opening of the frame 40 when the main body 14 stands upright with respect to the traveling mechanism 12 is the "front-rear direction", and the direction perpendicular to the pair of side walls is the "left-right direction". ”.

2(a) and 2(b) show perspective views of the transport robot 10 in an upright posture. The front wheels 20a and the rear wheels 20c of the travel mechanism 12 approach each other, and the first wheel body 22 and the second wheel body 24 incline with respect to the ground surface, so that the transport robot 10 takes a standing posture. For example, when the transport robot 10 reaches the destination and takes a standing posture in front of the user at the destination, the user can easily pick up a package addressed to him/herself placed on the main unit 14 .

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the transport robot 10 in an upright posture with loads loaded. FIG. 3 shows a state in which a first package 16a, a second package 16b, and a third package 16c are stacked on the body portion 14. As shown in FIG. The first luggage 16a, the second luggage 16b, and the third luggage 16c are placed on the main body 14 by being placed or engaged with the ridges 56 formed on the inner surfaces of the right side wall 18a and the left side wall 18b.

Although the first package 16a, the second package 16b, and the third package 16c shown in FIG. 3 are box-shaped, the object placed on the main body 14 is not limited to the box-shape. For example, a container for storing an object may be placed on the pair of ridges 56 so that the object can be placed in the container. Alternatively, a hook may be provided on the inner surface of the upper plate 18d of the frame 40, an object may be placed in a bag with a handle, and the handle of the bag may be hung on the hook to hang the bag.

In addition to luggage, various items can be stored in the storage space inside the frame 40 . For example, by housing a refrigerator in the frame 40, the transfer robot 10 can function as a moving refrigerator. In addition, the carrier robot 10 can function as a moving store by accommodating product shelves on which products are mounted in the frame 40 . By providing display devices on both sides of the opening of the frame 40, the transport robot 10 can function as a moving display.

FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b) are diagrams for explaining the relative motion of the body portion 14 with respect to the traveling mechanism 12. FIG.
FIG. 4A shows a state in which the sidewalls of the frame 40 are inclined with respect to the vertical direction. The frame 40 is rotatably supported relative to the travel mechanism 12 by a connecting shaft extending in the left-right direction, and can be tilted in any of the front-rear directions.

FIG. 4(b) shows a state in which the frame 40 is rotated approximately 90 degrees around the vertical axis. The frame 40 is rotatably supported relative to the traveling mechanism 12 by a connecting shaft extending in the vertical direction. The frame 40 rotates as shown in b). The frame 40 may be rotatable 360 degrees.

5A and 5B are diagrams for explaining the structure of the transport robot 10. FIG. 5(a) shows the structure of the traveling mechanism 12, and FIG. 5(b) mainly shows the structure of the main body 14. As shown in FIG. A power supply unit and a control unit are actually provided in the traveling mechanism 12 and the main body unit 14, but are omitted in FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b).

As shown in FIG. 5(a), the traveling mechanism 12 includes a front wheel 20a, a middle wheel 20b, a rear wheel 20c, a first wheel body 22, a second wheel body 24, a shaft body 26, a connecting gear 28, an erecting actuator 30, It has a shaft support 32 , an object detection sensor 34 , a front wheel motor 36 and a rear wheel motor 38 .

The first wheel body 22 has a pair of side members 22a and a cross member 22b connecting the pair of side members 22a and extending in the vehicle width direction. A pair of side members 22a are provided so as to extend in a vertical direction from both ends of the cross member 22b. The pair of front wheels 20a are provided at front ends of the pair of side members 22a, respectively, and the pair of middle wheels 20b are provided at both ends of the cross member 22b. A pair of front wheels 20a is provided with a front wheel motor 36 for rotating the wheel shaft.

The second wheel body 24 has a cross member 24a extending in the vehicle width direction and a connecting member 24b extending vertically from the center position of the cross member 24a. The connecting member 24b is inserted into the cross member 22b of the first wheel body 22 and connected to the first wheel body 22 so as to be relatively rotatable. Rear wheels 20c are provided on both end sides of the cross member 24a.

A pair of rear wheels 20c is provided with a rear wheel motor 38 for rotating the wheel shaft. The pair of front wheels 20a and the pair of rear wheels 20c can be rotated independently by respective motors, and the travel mechanism 12 can turn left and right due to the difference in the amount of rotation of the left and right wheels.

A shaft 26 extending in the vehicle width direction and shaft support portions 32 supporting both ends of the shaft 26 are provided inside the cross member 22b. The connecting member 24 b of the second wheel body 24 is rotatably connected to the shaft body 26 by a connecting gear 28 . The erecting actuator 30 can rotate the connecting member 24 b around the axis of the shaft 26 . The first wheel body 22 and the second wheel body 24 are driven by the erecting actuator 30 to rotate relative to each other and assume the standing postures shown in FIGS. 2(a) and 2(b). It can return to the horizontal position shown in (a) and (b) of FIG.

The traveling mechanism 12 is configured with a rocker bogie structure capable of traveling over bumps on the road. A shaft body 26 connecting the first wheel body 22 and the second wheel body 24 is positioned offset from the wheel axis of the middle wheel 20b, and is positioned perpendicular to the width of the vehicle. located between As a result, the first wheel body 22 and the second wheel body 24 can be bent around the shaft body 26 according to the shape of the road surface during running.

The object detection sensor 34 is provided on the first wheel body 22 and detects an object in the traveling direction. Object detection sensor 34 may be a millimeter wave radar, an infrared laser, a sound wave sensor, etc., or a combination thereof. The object detection sensors 34 may be provided at various locations on the first wheel body 22 and the second wheel body 24 as well as the front portion of the first wheel body 22 to detect rearward or lateral objects.

As shown in FIG. 5B, the transport robot 10 includes a frame 40, a connecting shaft 42, an outer tooth portion 43, a rotary actuator 44, a connecting shaft 45, a tilting actuator 46, a first camera 50a, a second camera 50b, A communication unit 52 is provided. The frame 40 includes displays 48a, 48b, 48c (hereinafter referred to as "displays 48" unless otherwise distinguished), hooks 54, a pair of first protrusions 56a, a pair of second protrusions 56b, a pair of is provided with a third protrusion 56c. For convenience of explanation, FIG. 5B shows the connecting shaft 42, the outer peripheral tooth portion 43, the rotary actuator 44, the connecting shaft 45, and the tilt actuator 46 in a simplified and integrated manner. The portion 43 and the rotary actuator 44 may be provided separately from the connecting shaft 45 and the tilt actuator 46 .

The ridges 56 are provided so as to protrude from the inner surfaces of the right side wall 18a and the left side wall 18b in order to place luggage or the like. A hook 54 for hanging a load is formed on the inner surface of the upper plate 18d of the frame 40. As shown in FIG. The hook 54 may always be exposed from the inner surface of the upper plate of the frame 40, or may be provided so as to be accommodated within the inner surface of the upper plate so that it can be taken out when necessary.

The displays 48a and 48b are provided on the outer surfaces of the right side wall 18a and the left side wall 18b, respectively, and the display 48c is provided on the outer surface of the upper plate 18d to display images. The bottom plate 18c and the top plate 18d are provided with a first camera 50a and a second camera 50b (referred to as "camera 50" when not distinguished), respectively. It is preferable that the transport robot 10 is equipped with a camera other than the first camera 50a and the second camera 50b so as to be able to monitor all surrounding conditions. The camera 50 may be provided at a position for photographing the accommodation space of the frame 40 . A communication unit 52 is further provided on the upper plate 18d, and the communication unit 52 can communicate with an external server device via a wireless communication network.

The bottom plate 18 c is rotatably attached to the outer toothed portion 43 of the connecting shaft 42 via a gear (not shown) on the rotary actuator 44 side, and is connected to the first wheel body 22 by the connecting shaft 42 . The rotary actuator 44 rotates the frame 40 around the connecting shaft 42 by relatively rotating the outer peripheral tooth portion 43 and the gear. The rotary actuator 44 allows the frame 40 to rotate as shown in FIG. 4(b).

The tilt actuator 46 rotates the connecting shaft 45 to tilt the connecting shaft 42 with respect to the vertical direction. A connecting shaft 45 extending in the left-right direction is provided integrally with the lower end of the connecting shaft 42 , and tilting movement of the connecting shaft 42 is realized by rotating the connecting shaft 45 with a tilt actuator 46 . By tilting the connecting shaft 42, the tilt actuator 46 can tilt the frame 40 in the front-rear direction, as shown in FIG. 4(a).

FIG. 6 shows functional blocks of the transfer robot 10 of FIG. The transport robot 10 includes a control unit 100, a reception unit 102, a communication unit 52, a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver 104, a sensor data processing unit 106, a map holding unit 108, an actuator mechanism 110, a display 48, a front wheel motor 36 and a rear wheel. A wheel motor 38 is provided. The control unit 100 has a travel control unit 120 , a movement control unit 122 , a display control unit 124 and an information processing unit 126 , and the actuator mechanism 110 includes a standing actuator 30 , a rotation actuator 44 and a tilt actuator 46 . The communication unit 52 has a wireless communication function, can perform vehicle-to-vehicle communication with the communication unit of another transport robot 10, and can receive information transmitted from a mobile terminal device such as a user's smart phone. GPS receiver 104 detects the current position based on signals from satellites.

In FIG. 6, each element described as a functional block that performs various processes can be configured by a circuit block, memory, or other LSI in terms of hardware, and is loaded in memory in terms of software. It is realized by a program or the like. Therefore, those skilled in the art will understand that these functional blocks can be realized in various forms by hardware only, software only, or a combination thereof, and are not limited to either one.

The map holding unit 108 holds map information indicating road positions of roadways and sidewalks. The map holding unit 108 may hold map information indicating passage positions on each floor in a multi-story building such as a commercial facility, without being limited to road positions. As will be described later, the transport robot 10 of the embodiment autonomously travels in front of a station, a shopping street, a commercial facility, and the like, and distributes articles such as tissue paper to surrounding people. Therefore, the map holding unit 108 preferably holds map information for commercial facilities.

The transport robot 10 has a plurality of action modes and acts in the set action mode. Among the plurality of action modes, the basic action mode is an action mode in which the vehicle autonomously travels to a destination and delivers a package to a user waiting at the destination. The basic action mode of the transport robot 10 will be described below.

<Basic Behavior of Transport Robot 10>
The transport robot 10 stands by at the collection point, and when the delivery destination is input by the staff at the collection point, it autonomously travels to the input delivery destination. The travel route may be determined by the transport robot 10, or may be set by an external server device. Input of the delivery destination is performed by a predetermined wireless input tool, and when the staff inputs the delivery destination from the wireless input tool, the communication unit 52 receives the delivery destination and notifies it to the travel control unit 120 . The wireless input tool may be a dedicated remote controller, or may be a smartphone with a dedicated application installed.

The transport robot 10 has an interface for inputting the delivery destination, and the staff may input the delivery destination from the interface. For example, if the display 48 is configured as a touch panel, the display control unit 124 may display a delivery address input screen on the display 48, and the staff may input the delivery address from the delivery address input screen. When the reception unit 102 receives a touch operation on the touch panel, the information processing unit 126 identifies the delivery destination from the touch position and notifies the travel control unit 120 of it. When the staff at the pickup place puts the package on the frame 40 and inputs the delivery destination, and then instructs the carrier robot 10 to start delivery, the travel control unit 120 starts autonomous travel to the set delivery destination. A staff member may set a plurality of delivery destinations and load packages for each delivery destination in the accommodation space of the frame 40 .

The frame 40 is provided with a mechanism for locking (fixing) the load placed on the frame 40 . While the transfer robot 10 is running, the cargo is fixed to the frame 40 by the locking mechanism, so that it does not drop during running and is prevented from being pulled out by a third party who is not the recipient.

The travel control unit 120 uses the map information held in the map holding unit 108 and the current position information supplied from the GPS receiver 104 to control the travel mechanism 12 to travel along the set travel route. . Specifically, the travel control unit 120 drives the front wheel motor 36 and the rear wheel motor 38 to travel the transport robot 10 to the destination.

The sensor data processing unit 106 acquires information about objects existing around the transport robot 10 based on detection data from the object detection sensor 34 and images captured by the camera 50 , and provides the travel control unit 120 with the information. Target objects include static objects such as structures and gutters that obstruct travel, and movable objects (moving objects) such as people and other transport robots 10 . The traveling control unit 120 determines the traveling direction and traveling speed so as to avoid collision with other objects, and drives and controls the front wheel motor 36 and the rear wheel motor 38 .

When the transport robot 10 reaches the destination where the user, who is the recipient, is located, the travel control unit 120 stops driving the motor. A user obtains in advance a passcode for unlocking a package addressed to him/herself from an external server device. When the user transmits a passcode to the transport robot 10 using a mobile terminal device such as a smartphone, the communication unit 52 receives the passcode for unlocking, and the information processing unit 126 unlocks the package. At this time, the motion control unit 122 drives the standing actuator 30 to cause the transport robot 10 to take the standing posture. This makes it easier for the user to recognize that it is possible to receive the package, and to pick up the package addressed to him/herself placed on the main unit 14 . When the luggage is received by the user, the traveling control unit 120 autonomously travels to the next destination.

Although the basic action modes of the carrier robot 10 have been described above, the carrier robot 10 can also act in other action modes. Various behavior modes of the transport robot 10 may exist, and programs for realizing each behavior mode may be preinstalled. A user who uses the transport robot 10 sets a desired action mode to the transport robot 10 before use, and the transport robot 10 acts in the set action mode. A “distribution mode” in which the transport robot 10 functions as a distribution robot 10a that distributes articles such as tissue paper to surrounding people will be described below.

<Distribution mode>
Before use, the user configures the distribution robot 10a in the first or second configuration example depending on whether the person to whom the article is to be distributed is an adult or a child. After being configured in the first or second configuration example, the distribution robot 10a acting in the distribution mode autonomously travels to various locations in front of the station, shopping streets, commercial facilities, and the like. First, a first configuration example for distributing articles to adults will be described.

(First configuration example)
FIG. 7 is a front view of the distribution robot 10a of the first configuration example. FIG. 8 is a side view of distribution robot 10a of FIG. The distribution robot 10 a includes a container 60 housed in an annular frame 40 and a manipulator unit 70 housed in the frame 40 above the container 60 .

The container 60 is for containing a plurality of items distributed free of charge to surrounding people, and although it is a box-shaped container in this example, its shape is not particularly limited as long as it can be placed on the frame 40. An opening 60a is provided in the upper portion of the container 60, and articles can be taken out from the opening 60a. The articles put in the container 60 are objects such as tissue paper with advertisements, sweets, free samples, and novelties.

In this example, the container 60 is placed on the bottom plate 18c, and the manipulator unit 70 is placed on the first protrusion 56a. The container 60 may be placed on the third protrusion 56c. The container 60 and the manipulator unit 70 are fixed to the frame 40 by a locking mechanism.

The manipulator unit 70 has a manipulator 72 and a base portion 74 . The manipulator 72 includes a first joint 78a, a second joint 78b, a third joint 78c, a fourth joint 78d (hereinafter referred to as "joints 78" unless otherwise distinguished), a first arm 80a, a second arm 80b, a It has 3 arms 80 c (hereinafter referred to as “arm 80 ” unless otherwise specified) and a grip portion 82 .

The first joint 78 a rotatably connects the first arm 80 a to the base portion 74 . The second joint 78b rotatably connects the first arm 80a and the second arm 80b. The third joint 78c rotatably connects the second arm 80b and the third arm 80c. The fourth joint 78d rotatably connects the third arm 80c and the grasping portion 82. As shown in FIG. The arm 80 incorporates an actuator (not shown) for driving the joint 78 or the grip portion 82 . The joint 78 incorporates a sensor (not shown) for detecting the rotation angle.

The gripping part 82 can grip an article by, for example, opening and closing a finger-like gripper. The gripping portion 82 may have a mechanism for sucking an article.

As each joint 78 rotates, the manipulator 72 operates autonomously to grasp an article in the container 60 with the grasping portion 82, take it out of the container 60, and distribute the picked-up article to surrounding people. Each joint 78 is rotatable in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction so that the grip portion 82 can reach each position in the container 60 .

The manipulator 72 may have a well-known configuration, and the number of joints 78 and the number of arms 80 can be appropriately changed from this example. At least one of the plurality of arms 80 may be extendable. A plurality of manipulators 72 may be provided on the base portion 74 .

The base portion 74 is box-shaped in this example, but the shape is not particularly limited as long as it can be placed on the frame 40 . The base portion 74 has a control portion 76 . The control unit 76 controls the movement of the arm 80 based on the image inside the container 60 and the images of the surrounding people photographed by a camera (not shown) provided on the manipulator 72 and the rotation angle of the joint 78 detected by the sensor. The manipulator 72 is controlled by controlling the actuator. Images of surrounding people may be acquired from a camera provided on the frame 40 . A well-known control can be used to control the manipulator 72 . The controller 76 is set such that the container 60 is positioned below the manipulator unit 70 by a switch or wireless input tool (not shown). Accordingly, the control unit 76 controls the manipulator 72 so that the gripping unit 82 grips the article in the container 60 located on the lower side of the manipulator 72 .

As described above, the height of the transport robot 10 functioning as the distribution robot 10a is about 1 to 1.5 meters. Therefore, by placing the manipulator unit 70 on the uppermost stage of the frame 40, the grasping part 82 is placed near the position of the adult's hand, which is farther away from the distribution robot 10a than when placed on the lowermost stage. reachable. Therefore, even a person relatively distant from the distribution robot 10a can easily receive the article.

(Second configuration example)
Next, a second configuration example for distributing articles to children such as infants who are shorter than adults will be described. In the second configuration example, the vertical positional relationship between the container 60 and the manipulator unit 70 is changed from that in the first configuration example. The articles put into the container 60 are, for example, sweets for children, novelties, and the like.

FIG. 9 is a side view of the distribution robot 10a of the second configuration example. The container 60 is placed on the third protrusion 56c, and the manipulator unit 70 is placed on the bottom plate 18c. That is, the manipulator unit 70 is housed in the frame 40 below the container 60 . Once manipulator 72 reaches, container 60 may rest on second ridge 56b or first ridge 56a.

The controller 76 is set so that the container 60 is positioned above the manipulator unit 70 . Thereby, the control unit 76 controls the manipulator 72 so that the gripping unit 82 grips the article in the container 60 positioned on the upper side of the manipulator 72 and distributes the gripped article to surrounding people.

By placing the manipulator unit 70 on the bottom of the frame 40, compared to the first configuration example in which the manipulator unit 70 is placed on the top, the grip part 82 can be placed at a position where the child's hand is farther away from the distribution robot 10a. can be reached nearby. Therefore, even a child who is relatively distant from the distribution robot 10a can easily receive the article.

According to embodiments, the manipulator 72 facilitates the distribution of items to people in the vicinity. Therefore, the labor cost of the distributor can be reduced. Distributing by a robot makes it easier to attract the attention of people around you than by distributing by a person, and it is also possible to carry out effective advertising. Also, by exchanging the container 60, the distributed article can be easily exchanged. Therefore, it is possible to handle distribution of a plurality of types of articles. In addition, since the vertical positional relationship between the container 60 and the manipulator unit 70 can be changed according to the height of the person to whom the article is to be distributed, the person can easily receive the article. Therefore, the articles can be efficiently distributed to the surrounding people.

The travel control unit 120 drives and controls the front wheel motor 36 and the rear wheel motor 38 so that the distribution robot 10a approaches the surrounding people based on the information of the surrounding people supplied from the sensor data processing unit 106. may This makes it possible to distribute the goods to more people.

In addition, the display control unit 124 may cause the display 48 to display information on the item being distributed, advertisement attached to the item, information on an event related to the item, and the like. Thereby, more effective advertisement can be performed.

Further, the sensor data processing unit 106 may acquire the heights of surrounding people based on the images captured by the camera 50 and supply them to the motion control unit 122 . If the supplied height is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the motion control section 122 may drive the standing actuator 30 to make the distribution robot 10a assume the standing posture and adjust the height of the manipulator unit 70 . The predetermined value of the first configuration example is greater than the predetermined value of the second configuration example. This makes it easier for people around to receive the article.

Furthermore, when the container 60 becomes empty, the lock of the container 60 is released, and the controller 76 causes the manipulator 72 to grip the empty container 60, unload it from the frame 40, and place it on a nearby road. Another container 60 containing an article may be gripped and placed on the frame 40, and the articles in the placed container 60 may be distributed. Thereby, more articles can be distributed autonomously. The control unit 76 may control the manipulator 72 to place the empty container 60 on the carrier robot 10 for empty container recovery.

Two or more containers 60 may be placed on the frame 40, and when one container 60 becomes empty, the control unit 76 causes the manipulator 72 to lower the empty container 60 and place another container in the empty position. You may control so that the container 60 may be moved. For example, in a first configuration example, another container 60 is placed on the third ridge 56c, and the manipulator 72 distributes the items in the container 60 placed on the third ridge 56c. When the container 60 placed on the third ridge portion 56c is empty, the manipulator 72 lowers the container 60 placed on the third ridge portion 56c and moves the container 60 placed on the bottom plate 18c to the third ridge. Distribute the articles in the container 60 placed on the ridge 56c. In this case, since there is no need to leave another container 60 containing an item on the road, the distribution robot 10a can autonomously distribute more items while moving.

The present invention has been described above based on the embodiments. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiment is merely an example, and that various modifications are possible in combination of each component and each treatment process, and that such modifications are within the scope of the present invention.

Reference Signs List 10 Transport robot 10a Distribution robot 12 Running mechanism 14 Main unit 20a Front wheel 20b Middle wheel 20c Rear wheel 22. First wheel body 24 Second wheel body 30 Standing actuator 36 Front wheel motor 38 Rear wheel motor 40 Frame body 44 Rotation Actuator 46 Tilt actuator 48 Display 50 Camera 54 Hook 60 Container 70 Manipulator unit 72 Manipulator 74 Base unit 76 Control unit 100 Control unit 102 Receiving unit 104 GPS receiver 106 Sensor data processing unit 108 Map holding unit 110 ... Actuator mechanism, 120 ... Running control section, 122 ... Motion control section, 124 ... Display control section, 126 ... Information processing section.

Claims (5)

being a robot
an annular frame whose inner side constitutes an accommodation space;
a container housed in the frame for containing a plurality of objects;
a manipulator unit housed in the frame above or below the container;
a traveling mechanism that supports the frame;
A sensor data processing unit that acquires information about people around you based on the images captured by the camera,
a traveling control unit that controls the traveling mechanism so that the robot approaches the surrounding people based on the information of the surrounding people supplied from the sensor data processing unit;
The manipulator unit is
a manipulator capable of removing an object from the container;
a control unit that controls the manipulator so that the manipulator distributes the objects in the container to surrounding people;
A robot characterized by: an annular frame whose inner side constitutes an accommodation space;
a container housed in the frame for containing a plurality of objects;
a manipulator unit housed in the frame above or below the container;
a display provided on the frame;
a display control unit that causes the display to display at least one of information on an object in the container, an advertisement attached to the object, and information on an event related to the object;
The object is tissue paper with advertisement, confectionery, free sample, or novelty,
The manipulator unit is
a manipulator capable of removing an object from the container;
a control unit that controls the manipulator so that the manipulator distributes the objects in the container to surrounding people;
A robot characterized by: being a robot
an annular frame whose inner side constitutes an accommodation space;
a container housed in the frame for containing a plurality of objects;
a manipulator unit housed in the frame above or below the container;
a standing actuator capable of causing the robot to assume a standing posture;
A sensor data processing unit that acquires the heights of people in the surroundings based on the images captured by the camera;
a motion control unit that drives the standing actuator to cause the robot to assume a standing posture when the height acquired by the sensor data processing unit is equal to or greater than a predetermined value;
The manipulator unit is
a manipulator capable of removing an object from the container;
a control unit that controls the manipulator so that the manipulator distributes the objects in the container to surrounding people;
A robot characterized by: the predetermined value when the manipulator unit is placed above the container is greater than the predetermined value when the manipulator unit is placed below the container;
4. The robot according to claim 3, characterized in that: an annular frame whose inner side constitutes an accommodation space;
a container housed in the frame for containing a plurality of objects;
a manipulator unit housed in the frame on the lower side of the container,
The manipulator unit is
a manipulator capable of removing an object from the container;
a control unit that controls the manipulator so that the manipulator distributes the objects in the container to surrounding people;
A robot characterized by:

Images