JP2002254363A - Traveling work robot - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To carry out work in the event of a disaster with high reliability. SOLUTION: This traveling work robot comprises a traveling truck 2 equipped with a crawler 1 following on an irregular ground and capable of traveling on the irregular ground by the crawler, a multi-shaft type body portion 3 disposed on the traveling truck, a revolute arm 4 equipped on the body portion 3, and a revolute shooting arm 5 equipped on the body portion 3.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for moving by remotely operating a site to which an operator cannot access, for example, during disaster prevention, by capturing image data of the site and sending it in real time, TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a traveling work robot suitable for performing multipurpose work such as opening and closing of valves, cutting of piping, and the like with high reliability.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, work that is difficult for humans to perform has been performed.
For the purpose of performing work on behalf of humans, for example, robots that perform disaster prevention related work in nuclear facilities, chemical plants, and the like have been actively researched.

[0003] For example, if a criticality accident or the like occurs in a nuclear facility, the spatial radiation dose rate becomes extremely high. . Further, if an explosion occurs in a chemical plant or the like and the entire plant is covered by a fire due to an induced fire, it is not possible to even approach the fire site and start fire extinguishing work.

[0004] When such a disaster occurs, the vehicle travels to the site, transmits photographic data of the site in real time based on remote control, and opens and closes doors and valves.
Research has been conducted on a traveling work robot that performs operations such as cutting pipes, carrying luggage, and extinguishing fires.

[0005]

However, such a traveling work robot has the following problems.

In general, nuclear facilities and chemical plants have a large site area because facilities are provided according to the flow of a process. Each facility is connected in a complicated manner by intricate corridors and stairs. Further, it is conceivable that objects fall into the corridor due to fire or explosion, etc., and become obstacles for traveling. Therefore, the traveling work robot has a high operability that can perform traveling on a traveling path having unevenness due to such obstacles, or stably move up and down stairs, while performing remote control, and Mobility is required.

Further, in a nuclear facility or a chemical plant, equipment in each process is arranged in a complicated manner, so that work such as opening and closing a valve and cutting a pipe need not be performed in a narrow place in most cases. Not be. Therefore, the traveling work robot is required to have high workability that can work even in such a narrow place.

Further, such operations are not limited to opening and closing operations of valves and cutting operations of piping as described above, and various operations are expected to be required. Therefore, high versatility that can cope with many tasks that cannot be specified is required.

Furthermore, not only is the battery provided so that the work can be continued even when the working time is long, and of course, all the power of the battery is used. Even in the case where it is lost, it is required to have various power supply means capable of supplying power from a battery of another traveling work robot.

[0010] Therefore, work at the time of disaster occurrence is
As described above, in order to execute with high reliability, mobility that can run in a stable state even on uneven terrain, workability that can work in narrow places, remote control and flexibility It is necessary to have a rich operability, a variety of power supplies, and versatility capable of coping with an unspecified number of operations.

[0011] However, a traveling work robot that can satisfy all the demands required for disaster prevention work as described above has not yet been realized.

[0012] The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and has the mobility of being able to travel in a stable state even on uneven terrain, the workability of being able to work even in a narrow place, and the remote control. It is a mobile type that has high flexibility and operability, versatility of power supply, and versatility that can respond to unspecified number of tasks, and can execute tasks in the event of disaster with high reliability It is intended to provide a working robot.

[0013]

Means for Solving the Problems In order to achieve the above object, the present invention takes the following measures.

That is, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the vehicle has a crawler capable of following irregular terrain, and is capable of traveling on uneven terrain by the crawler, and has a multi-axis configuration disposed on the traveling trolley. A torso portion, an articulated arm provided on the torso portion, and an articulated photographing means provided on the torso portion are provided.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the traveling work robot according to the first aspect of the present invention, control information for controlling the operation of each section of the traveling work robot, which is transmitted from the remote control side, is received. Communication means for transmitting operation state information of each part of the working robot to the remote control side, power supply means for supplying power for operating each part of the traveling work robot, and control information received by the communication means, A crawler, a torso, an articulated arm, and control means for controlling the operation of the articulated photographing means are added.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the traveling work robot according to the second aspect of the present invention, the communication means communicates information with a remote control side via a cable, and the power supply means includes:
A cable reel that receives power supply from a power supply side via a cable and controls winding or unwinding of each cable is added.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the traveling work robot according to the third aspect of the present invention, the robot rotates forward based on the winding control by the cable reel, winds and holds the cable on the drum, and controls the unwinding by the cable reel. In the case where the cable is held on the entire cable winding surface of the cable drum and the cable is rotated in the reverse direction based on And layer winding control means for controlling the cable to be wound and held in a layer winding manner on the cable already wound on the cable winding surface.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the traveling work robot according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the cable drum winds and unwinds the cable at a constant pitch.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the traveling work robot according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the slack detecting means for detecting the slack of the cable when the cable is wound by the cable drum, and the slack detecting means reduces the slack of the cable. Cable drum rotation control means for applying tension to the cable to eliminate slack by increasing the forward rotation speed of the cable drum when detected.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the traveling work robot according to the second aspect of the present invention, the power supply means includes a wired power supply means receiving power from a power supply side via a cable, and a traveling work robot. Battery power supply means for supplying power from a battery provided in the main body is used in combination.

According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in the traveling work robot according to the seventh aspect of the present invention, the communication means transmits image information photographed by the articulated photographing means to the remote control side;
The power supply means transmitted from the remote control side is supplied with power by a method of receiving power supply by communication or by a power supply method determined by the power supply means based on the type of input power supply and voltage. The power supply means supplies power by at least one of the wired power supply means and the battery power supply means based on the selection information received by the communication means.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in the traveling work robot according to the eighth aspect, a plurality of articulated photographing means are provided, and the communication means transmits selection information of each articulated photographing means transmitted from the remote control side. Based on the received selection information, the image information photographed by the selected articulated photographing means is transmitted to the remote control side.

According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, in the traveling work robot according to the first aspect of the present invention, a plurality of crawlers are respectively provided below the traveling carriage, and each of the crawlers can be rotationally oscillated about a central portion in the longitudinal direction of each crawler. And crawler driving means for independently driving the provided crawlers.

According to an eleventh aspect of the present invention, in the traveling work robot according to the tenth aspect of the present invention, a plurality of crawlers are paired forward and one rearward with respect to the traveling direction of the traveling vehicle.
There are a total of four.

According to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, in the traveling work robot according to the tenth or eleventh aspect, the body is disposed so as to be movable on the traveling carriage, and each crawler rotates about the fulcrum. Based on the rotation angle detecting means for detecting the rotation angle of the crawler and the rotation angle of each crawler detected by the rotation angle detecting means, the traveling work robot main body is adapted to stably travel on uneven ground, A center-of-gravity moving means for moving the center of gravity of the traveling work robot main body by moving the arrangement position on the traveling carriage is added.

According to the thirteenth aspect, in the tenth to the first aspects,
2. In the traveling work robot according to any one of the inventions, the torque detecting means for detecting a torque around the fulcrum of each crawler, and the torque detecting means in the opposite direction so as to make the torque detected by the torque detecting means zero. A torque control means for applying torque is added.

According to a fourteenth aspect of the present invention, in the traveling work robot according to the thirteenth aspect, when climbing up and down the stairs, the torque control means sets the torque of the crawler at the ascending and descending openings of the stairs to zero. Torque in the opposite direction.

According to a fifteenth aspect of the present invention, in the traveling work robot according to the thirteenth or fourteenth aspect, the stairs are moved up and down, and each of the crawlers is connected to a stairway ascending and descending port. In a case where there is no steady stair climb, the traveling direction control means for directing the traveling direction of each crawler in the same direction is added.

According to the sixteenth aspect, in the thirteenth to the first aspects,
5. In the traveling work robot according to any one of the above aspects 5, when climbing the stairs, and when the crawler provided on the front side with respect to the traveling direction of the traveling carriage is at the climbing exit of the stairs, The torque control means applies a torque in the reverse direction about the fulcrum of the crawler so as to make the torque of the crawler provided on the front side zero, while applying the torque to the crawler provided on the rear side. A torque is applied in the direction opposite to the opposite direction about the fulcrum.

According to a seventeenth aspect of the present invention, in the traveling work robot according to the first aspect of the present invention, the body can swing along a predetermined swing axis, and can swing about a predetermined swing axis. And

According to an eighteenth aspect of the present invention, in the traveling work robot according to the seventeenth aspect of the present invention, an arcuate guide portion is provided on an upper portion of the traveling bogie, and the body portion travels with the guide portion as a predetermined swing axis. It can swing on a trolley.

According to a nineteenth aspect of the present invention, in the traveling work robot according to the eighteenth aspect, the arrangement reference position of the body portion on the guide portion is set near the midpoint on the arc.

According to a twentieth aspect of the present invention, in the traveling work robot according to the eighteenth or nineteenth aspect, the body portion above the guide portion can be turned around a predetermined turning axis.

According to a twenty-first aspect of the present invention, in the traveling work robot according to the first aspect, the multi-joint arm comprises seven joints.

According to a twenty-second aspect of the present invention, in the traveling work robot according to the twenty-first aspect, a camera is provided on a tip side of the articulated arm.

According to a twenty-third aspect of the present invention, in the traveling work robot according to the twenty-first or twenty-second aspect, the multi-joint photographing means are connected to each other from the body portion toward the distal end of the multi-joint photographing means. And six cameras arranged at any of the joints.

According to a twenty-fourth aspect of the present invention, in the traveling work robot according to the twenty-third aspect, the six joints of the multi-joint photographing means are sequentially moved from the body to the tip of the multi-joint photographing means. First pivotable about a predetermined pivot axis
Swivel joint, a first bending joint that can be bent at an arbitrary angle with respect to the first swiveling joint about a first predetermined bending axis, and a second bending joint.
A second bending joint that can be bent at an arbitrary angle with respect to the first bending joint about a predetermined bending axis, and a bending at an arbitrary angle with respect to the second bending joint about a third predetermined bending axis Possible third flexion joint, second pivot joint that can pivot about a second predetermined pivot axis, and bendable at any angle with respect to the second pivot joint about a fourth predetermined flexion axis This is the fourth flexion joint.

According to a twenty-fifth aspect of the present invention, in the traveling work robot according to the twenty-fourth aspect, the first turning joint, the first bending joint, the second bending joint, and the third bending joint are used. Position control means for controlling a spatial position of the articulated arm and a relative position with respect to the traveling cart, a second turning joint,
And a pan / tilt device including a fourth bending joint, and a pan / tilt control unit for controlling the turning angle of the second turning joint and the bending angle of the fourth bending joint.

According to a twenty-sixth aspect of the present invention, in the traveling work robot according to the twenty-fifth aspect, a camera disposed on the articulated photographing means, an illuminating means for illuminating a photographing direction side of the camera, and the camera and the illuminating means And a transparent cover for sealing the pan-tilt device.

According to a twenty-seventh aspect of the present invention, in the traveling work robot according to the second aspect of the present invention, the control means includes a first control unit for controlling the operation of the crawler and a second control unit for controlling the operation of the body. , A third control unit for controlling the operation of the multi-joint arm, and a fourth control unit for controlling the operation of the multi-joint photographing means, and the respective control units are connected by serial wiring. This enables mutual information transmission between the control units.

According to a twenty-eighth aspect of the present invention, in the traveling work robot according to the twenty-seventh aspect, at least one of a crawler, a body, an articulated arm, and an articulated photographing means is provided based on control by the control means. And a servo amplifier for supplying electric power for driving the servo motor, and the servo amplifier is integrally provided with a multi-axial body part.

According to a twenty-ninth aspect of the present invention, in the traveling work robot according to the twenty-seventh aspect, at least one of a crawler, a body, an articulated arm, and an articulated photographing means is controlled based on the control means. And a servo amplifier that supplies electric power for driving the servo motor.

According to a thirtieth aspect of the present invention, in the traveling work robot according to the second aspect of the present invention, the power supply means converts the first voltage alternating current supplied from the remote control side into a predetermined voltage direct current. Voltage conversion means for converting an AC current of a second voltage supplied from a remote control side into a DC current of a predetermined voltage, and a battery capable of storing DC power When an AC current of a first voltage is supplied from the remote control side and an operating power is supplied to the traveling work robot main body, the DC current of a predetermined voltage converted by the first voltage converting means is supplied. The operating power is supplied to the main body of the traveling work robot, and when the operating power is excessive or the operating power is not supplied, the power of the DC current of a predetermined voltage converted by the first voltage converting means is supplied to the battery. A first switching means for storing electric power in the vehicle, an AC current of a first voltage not supplied from the remote control side, and an AC current of a second voltage supplied from the remote control side, so that the operating power is supplied to the traveling work robot main body. If you supply
The direct current of a predetermined voltage converted by the voltage conversion means is supplied to the traveling work robot body as operating power,
When the operating power is excessive or when the operating power is not supplied, the second switching means for storing the DC power of the predetermined voltage converted by the second voltage converting means in the battery; When a DC current of a predetermined voltage is supplied from the controller and the operating power is supplied to the traveling work robot main body, the DC current of a predetermined voltage is supplied to the traveling work robot main body as the operating power and not supplied. A third switching means for storing the power of the DC current of a predetermined voltage in the battery, and neither the AC current of the first voltage nor the DC current of the predetermined voltage is supplied from the remote control side, and the traveling work robot When supplying the operating power to the main body, a discharging unit for supplying a DC voltage of a predetermined voltage stored in the battery as the operating power is provided.

[0044]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of the traveling work robot according to the embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing an example of the traveling work robot according to the embodiment.

That is, the traveling work robot according to the embodiment of the present invention is provided with a crawler 1 at a lower portion capable of following irregular terrain such as a stair or a stepped floor, and the crawler 1 travels on an irregular ground. Truck 2 capable of moving and a body portion 3 having a multi-axis configuration disposed on the traveling truck 2
An articulated arm 4 provided on the torso 3, and a torso 3
And a multi-joint imaging arm 5 provided in the camera.

As shown in FIG. 1, the crawler 1 has a pair on the front side with respect to the traveling direction F of the traveling vehicle 2 and one on the rear side.
There are a total of four. Japanese Patent No. 2,717,722 (registered November 14, 1997) and No. 2,935,248 disclose such a crawler 1 of an irregular terrain following type.
No. (registered June 4, 1999).

Further, in the traveling work robot according to the embodiment of the present invention, each crawler 1 has a pin 7
And is attached to the lower part of the traveling vehicle 2 in a state where the crawler 1 can rotate and swing about the central portion in the length direction of the crawler 1 as a fulcrum. Each crawler 1 has a crawler motor 8 for driving its own crawler 1, so that each crawler 1 can be driven independently. Normally, the crawler 1 has the long side of the crawler installed on rough terrain as shown in FIG. 1, but this allows the short side of the crawler to be positioned on uneven terrain as shown in FIG. It can be installed.
In this state, by rotating the crawler 1 on the left side and the crawler 1 on the right side in the running direction F in opposite directions, the traveling work robot can be rotated on an irregular ground.

As shown in FIG. 4, the pin 7 has a coaxial shape, and the torque sensor 10, the speed reducer 11, the swing motor 12, and the rotation angle detector 13 are directed toward the inside of the traveling vehicle 2. It is stuck.

The rotation angle detector 13 detects the rotation angle of the pin 7, that is, the rotation angle of the crawler 1 with respect to irregular terrain. The torque sensor 10 detects a torque around the pin 7 of each crawler 1. The speed reducer 11 reduces the rotation speed of the pin 7, that is, the rotation speed of the crawler 1 with respect to irregular terrain.

The oscillating motor 12 controls the torque to zero by applying a torque in a direction opposite to the torque detected by the torque sensor 10. In particular, when the traveling work robot moves up and down the stairs by driving the crawler 1, control is performed so that the torque of the crawler 1 at the ascending and descending openings of the stairs becomes zero. In addition, as shown in FIG. 5, when climbing stairs, the crawler 1 (#
When 1) is located at the entrance of the stairs, center the pin 7 (# 1) of the crawler 1 (# 1) so that the torque of the crawler 1 (# 1) provided on the front side becomes zero. and while applying a reverse torque T ₁ which is, for the rear side a provided crawler 1 (# 2), the front side of the crawler around the pin 7 (# 2) of the crawler 1 (# 2) 1 (# 1)
There multiplying the torque in the opposite direction T ₂ are the direction T ₁ exerted torque.

FIG. 6 shows a case in which the user goes up and down stairs.
As shown in (a), when both of the crawlers 1 are in a stairs steady ascending / descending state where there is no stairway entrance or exit, the traveling direction control unit 15 determines whether the traveling direction control unit 15 is in the state shown in FIGS.
The traveling direction of each crawler 1 is directed to the same direction F as shown in FIG.

A communication unit 17 for receiving control information transmitted from the remote control unit 16 and transmitting operating state information of each part of the traveling work robot to the remote control unit 16 is provided in the traveling carriage 2. Based on control information received by the communication unit 17, the crawler 1, the body 3, the articulated arm 4, the articulated arm 5, etc., based on the control information received by the communication unit 17. A control unit 19 for controlling the operation.

The communication unit 17 is applicable to both wireless communication and wired communication. An antenna 21 is used for wireless communication, and a communication cable 22 is used for wired communication. Each communicates with the remote control unit 16. That is, transmitted from the remote control unit 16 side,
The control information for controlling the operation of each part of the traveling work robot is received and output to the control unit 19. Conversely, the crawlers 1, the traveling trolley 2, the body 3, the multi-joint arm 4, the multi-joint photographing arm 5, the pan-tilt device 23, the camera 24 described below , 25 and the operating state information of the servo amplifier 26 and the like are transmitted to the remote control unit 16. Further, the camera 24,
The image information captured by the control unit 25 is transmitted to the remote control unit 16 side.

As shown in FIG. 7, the power supply unit 18 can also receive power from the remote control unit 16 via the transmission cable 28 or from the battery 29. The power supply unit 18 further includes two converters 30 (# 1) and 30 (# 2), a battery management device 31, and a discharge management device 32.

The converter 30 (# 1) is connected to the remote control unit 1
The AC current AC1 (for example, 200 V) supplied from the sixth side via the transmission cable 28 (# 1) is converted into a DC current DC of a predetermined voltage. Converter 30 (# 2) converts AC current AC2 (for example, 100 V) supplied from remote control unit 16 side to DC current DC having a predetermined voltage equal to the voltage converted by converter 30 (# 1). Converter 30 (# 1) receives supply of an alternating current having a higher voltage than converter 30 (# 2) (that is, AC1).
> AC2), the power supply unit 18 normally supplies the alternating current A
When AC1 is received and AC1 cannot be received, AC2 is received as a backup,
They do not receive power at the same time. The DC current DC of a predetermined voltage converted by these converters 30 is a crawler 1, a traveling cart 2, a body 3, an articulated arm 4, an articulated arm 5, a pan-tilt device 23, The power is supplied to the cameras 24 and 25, the servo amplifier 26, and the like as operating power. If it is not necessary to supply the operating power, the battery 29 is stored in the battery 29 according to the management by the battery management device 31 as described later.

The battery management device 31 includes a converter 30
The DC power DC of the predetermined voltage converted by the above is supplied to each part of the traveling work robot as operating power, or stored in the battery 29. First, when the alternating current AC1 is supplied from the remote control unit 16 and it is necessary to supply operating power to each unit, the DC current DC of a predetermined voltage converted by the converter 30 (# 1) is used as operating power. Supply. This DC current DC
Is the power for driving the traveling work robot (servo motor 3
3, used for the crawler motor 8 and the like), or control electric power for controlling the traveling work robot (the control unit 19,
(Used for cameras 24 and 25, wireless communication, etc.). On the other hand, when the alternating current AC1 is supplied from the remote control unit 16 side and it is not necessary to supply the operating power, the power of the DC voltage DC of the predetermined voltage converted by the converter 30 (# 1) is supplied to the battery 29. Store electricity.

The remote control unit 16 supplies an alternating current AC
1 is not supplied, and the
Is supplied, and when supplying operating power to each part of the traveling work robot, the DC current DC of a predetermined voltage converted by the converter 30 (# 2) is supplied as operating power. Since the voltage of the AC current AC2 is lower than the voltage of the AC current AC1, the discharge management device 3
2 supplies the DC current DC stored in the battery 29 at the same time. Thus, converter 30 (# 2)
And the DC current DC supplied from the battery 29 is used for driving electric power for controlling each part of the traveling work robot,
And used as control power. If no power is stored in the battery 29,
DC current D converted by converter 30 (# 2)
Supply only C. Thus, converter 30 (#
When the DC current DC is supplied only from 2), the supplied DC current DC is used as control power for controlling each part of the traveling work robot.

On the other hand, from the remote control unit 16 side,
1 is not supplied, and the
Is supplied, and when the operating power is excessive or the operating power is not supplied to each part of the traveling work robot, the DC current DC of the predetermined voltage converted by the converter 30 (# 2) Is stored in the battery 29.

Further, when a direct current DC of a predetermined voltage is supplied from the remote control unit 16 or an external power supply facility (not shown), and when operating power is supplied to each part of the traveling work robot, a predetermined voltage is applied. Is supplied as operating power. The DC current DC is used as driving power for driving the traveling work robot and control power for control. On the other hand, when a DC current DC of a predetermined voltage is supplied from the remote control unit 16 or an external power supply facility and the operating power is excessive or is not supplied to each part of the traveling work robot, the predetermined voltage is applied. Of the direct current DC of the battery 29
To be charged.

The battery 29 stores the specified direct current DC based on an instruction from the battery management device 31.

When neither the alternating current AC1 nor the direct current DC is supplied and the operating power is supplied to each part of the traveling work robot, the discharge management device 32 stores the predetermined voltage stored in the battery 29. Is supplied as operating power. The direct current DC is used as a driving power for driving the traveling work robot and a control power for controlling.

The cable reel 35 is connected to the transmission cable 28.
And for controlling the winding of the communication cable 22 onto the cable drum 36 or the feeding thereof. When winding the cables such as the communication cable 22 and the transmission cable 28, the cable drum 36 is rotated. The cable is wound around the cable drum 36. On the other hand, when the cable is fed, the cable drum 36 is rotated in the reverse direction.
The cable that is wound up is fed out. The cable drum 36 winds and unwinds the cable at a constant pitch.

Further, a slack detector 37 and a layer winding control unit 38 are provided to control the winding surface of the cable drum 36 so that the cable does not slack. The slack detector 37 detects the slack of the cable when the cable is wound by the cable drum 36, and outputs a slack detection signal to the cable rotation controller 39 when the slack is detected. When receiving the slack detection signal from the slack detector 37, the cable rotation controller 39 instructs the cable reel 35 to increase the forward rotation speed of the cable drum 36. This provides tension to the cable to eliminate slack.

The layer winding control unit 38 controls the case where the cable is held on the entire cable winding surface of the cable drum 36, and when the cable is further wound, the cable is already wound around the cable drum 36. It is controlled so that it is wound up in a layer winding shape (multilayer winding) on the taken cable.

As described above, the cable reel 35, the cable drum 36, the slack detector 37, the layer winding control unit 38, and the cable rotation control unit 39 can efficiently wind and unwind the communication cable 22 and the transmission cable 28. ing. The processing of such a cable is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 6-86441, and the details thereof are omitted here.

The body 3 is provided with a body moving mechanism 41, and a guide section 42 provided in an upper portion of the traveling vehicle 2 by the body moving mechanism 41 and formed in an arc shape in the front-rear direction of the running direction F. It is possible to travel along. The torso portion 3 has the reference point P at the arc vertex of the guide portion 42, that is, the midpoint of the arc. However, the torso portion moving mechanism 41 detects the crawler 1 of each crawler 1 detected by the rotation angle detector 13 of each crawler 1. Based on the rotation angle, the torso section 3 is provided so that the traveling work robot body can stably travel on uneven ground.
Along the guide portion 42 to move the center of gravity of the traveling work robot.

The body 3 has a turning drive mechanism 43. The turning drive mechanism 43 turns the body 3 around the turning axis A.

The articulated arm 4 has seven joints 51-57.
It has.

[0071] Joint 51 includes a fixed portion connected to the body portion 3 is connected to the fixed portion at a pivot axis S _1, and a pivotable pivot portion relative to the fixed part around this pivot axis S ₁ This is a swivel joint.

[0072] Joint 52 includes a connection to a fixed portion to the pivot portion of the joint 51, is connected to the fixed portion in the bending axis S _2, bendable at any angle with respect to the joint 51 around this bending axis S ₂ This is a bending joint including a flexible bending portion.

[0073] Joint 53 includes a fixed portion connected to the bent portion of the joint 52, is connected to the fixed portion at a pivot axis S _3, and the pivotable pivot portion relative to the fixed part around this pivot axis S ₃ A swivel joint comprising:

[0074] Joint 54 includes a connection to a fixed part to the turning part of the joint 53, is connected to the fixed portion in the bending axis S _4, bendable at any angle with respect to the joint 53 around this bending axis S ₄ This is a bending joint including a flexible bending portion.

[0075] Joint 55 includes a connection to a fixed portion in the bent portion of the joint 54, is connected to the fixed portion at a pivot axis S _5, the pivotable pivot portion relative to the fixed part around this pivot axis S ₅ A swivel joint comprising:

[0076] Joint 56 includes a connection to a fixed part to the turning part of the joint 55, is connected to the fixed portion in the bending axis S _6, bendable at any angle with respect to the joint 55 around this bending axis S ₆ This is a bending joint including a flexible bending portion.

[0077] Joint 57 includes a fixed portion connected to the bent portion of the joint 56, is connected to the pivot axis S ₇ Oite fixing portion, pivotable pivot portion relative to the fixed part around this pivot axis S ₇ And a swivel joint comprising: The tip of this joint 57
The camera 24 and the dedicated tool 58 can be freely attached and detached. When the camera 24 is provided, the camera 24 transmits the photographing information of the photographed image to the control unit 19.
Output to As the special tool 58, for example, a tool having a mechanism for opening and closing a door, a tool capable of lifting an object, a tool having a mechanism for opening and closing a valve, and making a hole in piping. There are various tools depending on the purpose, such as possible tools.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the traveling work robot may include a plurality of articulated arms 4.

The articulated arm 5 has six joints 61.
To 66, a pan / tilt device 23 including a joint 65 and a joint 66, a camera 25 installed at a tip of the joint 66, a light 69 illuminating the front of the camera 25, and a transparent cover 70 covering the camera 25 and the light 69. Have.

The joint 61, like the joint 51,
And a turning part connected to the fixed part at a predetermined turning axis and capable of turning with respect to the fixed part about the predetermined turning axis. Further, the joint 62 is connected to the fixed portion connected to the turning portion of the joint 61 and the fixed portion at a predetermined bending axis, similarly to the joint 52,
The bending joint includes a bending portion that can be bent at an arbitrary angle with respect to the joint 61 about the predetermined bending axis. The joint 63, like the joint 53, is connected to a fixed portion connected to the bent portion of the joint 62, and is connected to the fixed portion at a predetermined pivot axis.
A swivel joint including a swivel part that can swivel about the fixed swivel axis with respect to the fixed part. Joint 64 is joint 5
4, a fixed part connected to the turning part of the joint 63,
The bending joint includes a bending portion connected to the fixed portion at a predetermined bending axis and capable of bending at an arbitrary angle with respect to the joint 63 about the predetermined bending axis. Further, the joint 65
Similarly to the joint 55, a fixed portion connected to the bent portion of the joint 64 and a turning portion connected to the fixed portion at a predetermined turning axis and capable of turning with respect to the fixed portion about the predetermined turning axis are provided. It is a turning joint. A camera 25 is provided at the tip of the joint 66, and the camera 25 outputs photographed information to the control unit 19.

The control section 19 includes the joints 51 to 54 of the joints 51 to 57 constituting the articulated arm 4 and the joints 61 to 64 of the joints 61 to 66 constituting the articulated arm 5. By controlling the position, the spatial position of the articulated arm 4 and the articulated arm 5 and the relative position with respect to the traveling vehicle 2 are controlled. Further, the control unit 19
The camera 25 and the light 69 are directed in a predetermined direction by controlling the turning angle of the joint 65 and the bending angle of the joint 66 constituting the pan-tilt device 23.

As described above, since the control unit 19 controls the operation of each unit of the traveling work robot, it may be constituted by a plurality of units classified according to functions. For example, a first control unit that controls the operation of the crawler 1,
Each control unit includes a second control unit for controlling the operation of the body 3, a third control unit for controlling the operation of the articulated arm 4, a fourth control unit for controlling the operation of the articulated arm 5, and the like. Alternatively, the control units may be connected to each other by serial wiring, so that information can be transmitted between the control units.

Further, the body 3 has a servo motor 33 and a servo amplifier 73. The servo motor 33
The power supplied from the servo amplifier 73 gives a driving force to the crawler 1, the body 3, the multi-joint arm 4, and the multi-joint imaging arm 5, which are drive units, under the control of the control unit 19. The servo amplifier 73 receives power from the power supply unit 18 and amplifies the power to a predetermined voltage to be supplied to the servo motor 33.
Supply 3 In addition, even if such a servo motor 33 and a servo amplifier 73 are separately provided in the body 3,
The body unit 3 may be provided with a servo unit 71 which is a device in which the servo motor 33 and the servo amplifier 26 are integrated.

As described above, the traveling work robot according to the embodiment of the present invention has the above-described configuration. It can run freely on uneven terrain such as a floor with steps. Further, the pin 7 is provided with a torque sensor 10, a speed reducer 11, a swing motor 12, and a rotation angle detector 13, and a torque in a direction opposite to the torque applied to the crawler 1 is applied to make the torque zero. Such control is performed. Further, by moving the body portion 3 on the guide portion 42 in conjunction with the rotation angle of the crawler 1, the position of the center of gravity is adjusted so that the traveling work robot can travel in a stable state. As a result, it is possible to freely travel in a stable state on uneven terrain such as stairs or a stepped floor.

The articulated arm 4 connected to the body 3
And an articulated imaging arm 5. The multi-joint arm 4 achieves a high degree of freedom by combining a large number of joints such as seven axes. Furthermore, the joint 57 at the tip of the arm 5 is configured to be capable of attaching and detaching a tool according to the work content, so that the joint 57 has high versatility and is suitable for an object arranged in a narrow place. It is also possible to securely access and perform a predetermined operation.

Since the articulated imaging arm 5 is provided with the camera 25, the image captured by the camera 25 is monitored from the remote control unit 16 so that
For example, even in a place where a worker cannot access (for example, a place with a high radiation dose rate, a place with a high temperature, a place with a risk, etc.), the inside of the place can be monitored. Since the direction of the camera 25 is controlled by the pan / tilt device 23, the camera 25 can monitor an arbitrary location designated by an operator. Further, since the light 69 for illuminating the shooting direction is provided, the object can be clearly monitored. Further, since the light 69 and the camera 25 are covered by the transparent cover 70, the light 69 and the camera 25 can be applied, for example, as an underwater monitor.

The reception of the control signal transmitted from the remote control unit 16 to the traveling work robot and the transmission of the operation status signal from the traveling work robot to the remote control unit 16 are performed via the communication unit 17. However, transmission of each signal may be performed by a wired method using the communication cable 22 or a wireless method performed via the antenna 21. Therefore, for example, when traveling to a work place remoter than the length of the communication cable 22 that can be held by the cable drum 36, or when there is some abnormality on the communication cable 22 side, the signal communication is changed from the wired system to the wireless system. It can be switched and has excellent reliability and redundancy.

The power supply unit 18 also supplies electric power to each unit of the traveling work robot based on the power supplied from the remote control unit 16 via the transmission cable 28, or stores the electric power in the battery 29. Since any system of supplying power from the battery 29 to each part of the traveling work robot can be applied, the reliability and the redundancy are excellent. Further, the power supply unit 18 receives the DC current DC from outside even if the AC current AC1 and the AC current AC2 are not supplied from the remote control unit 16, and supplies the DC current DC to each part of the traveling work robot as it is. can do. When the DC current DC supplied from outside is supplied to each part of the traveling work robot in this way, the supplied DC current DC is used as a power source for driving or controlling. When there is no need to supply the externally supplied direct current DC, the battery 2
9, the stored DC current DC can be taken out of the battery 29 as needed and supplied to each part of the traveling work robot. This allows, for example,
The AC current AC1 is also supplied from the remote control unit 16 side to the AC current AC2.
Cannot be supplied, and when all the power stored in the battery 29 is exhausted, the DC current DC is supplied from the power supply unit 18 of another traveling work robot. Thus, the DC current DC is stored in the battery 29, and the stored DC current D
By supplying C as a driving power source to the traveling work robot, the traveling work robot can be driven again.

Conventionally, when such a stop due to power shortage occurred in a place having a high spatial radiation dose rate at the time of a nuclear disaster or the like, the robot could not be recovered. According to No. 18, it is possible to supply the self-propelled driving power again by driving the other traveling work robot, approaching the stopped traveling work robot, and charging the battery 29. Therefore, it is possible to contribute to improving the use efficiency and driving security of the traveling work robot.

The communication cable 22 is used for information communication between the traveling work robot and the remote control unit 16, and the communication cable 22 is used for supplying power from the remote control unit 16 to the traveling work robot by wire. The transmission cable 28 is used for each. These cables 22 and 28 are connected to a slack detector 37, a cable rotation controller 39, a cable reel 3
The cable 5 is wound around and held by the cable drum 36 while being controlled so that no slack occurs due to the interlocking movement of 5. Further, the cables 22 and 2 are controlled by the layer winding control unit 38.
By controlling the layer winding of 8, it is possible to use the cable drum 36 as small as possible.

As described above, the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described with reference to the accompanying drawings, but the present invention is not limited to such configurations. Within the scope of the technical idea described in the claims, those skilled in the art can come up with various modified examples and modified examples, and these modified examples and modified examples are also within the technical scope of the present invention. It is understood that it belongs to.

[0092]

As described above, according to the present invention,
Mobility that can run in a stable state even on uneven terrain, high workability that can work even in narrow places,
It has remote operation and flexible operability, versatility of power supply, and versatility that can cope with an unspecified number of tasks.

As described above, it is possible to realize a traveling work robot capable of executing work at the time of occurrence of disaster with high reliability.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a traveling work robot according to an embodiment of the present invention (when installed on a long side of a crawler with respect to the ground).

FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing an example of a traveling work robot according to the embodiment;

FIG. 3 is an exemplary perspective view showing an example of the traveling work robot according to the embodiment (when installed on the crawler short side with respect to the ground);

FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing a configuration of a pin provided with a crawler, a torque sensor, a speed reducer, a swing motor, and a rotation angle detector.

FIG. 5 is a conceptual diagram for explaining torque control at the entrance of the stairs.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram for explaining a state of the traveling work robot at the time of ascending and descending stairs steadily;

FIG. 7 is a functional block diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a power supply unit.

[Explanation of symbols]

F ... running direction T ... torque direction P ... reference position A ... pivot axis _{S 1, S 3, S 5} , S 7 ... pivot axis _{S 2, S 4, S 6} ... bending axis AC ... AC current DC ... DC current 1 ... Crawler 2 ... Truck 3 ... Body 4 ... Articulated arm 5 ... Articulated arm 7 ... Pin 8 ... Crawler motor 10 ... Torque sensor 11 ... Reducer 12 ... Swing motor 13 ... Rotation angle detector 15 ... Running direction control unit 16 remote control unit 17 communication unit 18 power supply unit 19 control unit 21 antenna 22 communication cable 23 pan / tilt device 24, 25 camera 26 servo amplifier 28 transmission cable 29 battery 30 ... Converter 31 ... Battery management device 32 ... Discharge management device 33 ... Servo motor 35 ... Cable reel 36 ... Cable drum 37 ... Slack detector 38 ... Layer winding Control unit 39 cable rotation control unit 41 body moving mechanism 42 guide unit 43 turning drive mechanism 51-57, 61-66 joints 58 dedicated tool 69 light 70 transparent cover 71 servo unit

Continued on the front page. (72) Inventor Osamu Kokaka 1-1-1 Wadazakicho, Hyogo-ku, Hyogo-ku, Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture Inside the Kobe Shipyard of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. No.1 F term in Takasago Research Laboratory, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (reference) 2G075 CA02 EA01 FA13 FA20 FC01 GA09 GA37 3C007 AS27 AS32 BS13 CS08 CT01 CT02 CT05 CY00 CY02 CY21 HS09 JS05 JS06 JU12 KS20 KS35 KT02 KT05 LV00 MT11 WA12 WA17 WA24

Claims (30)

[Claims] 1. A traveling vehicle having a crawler capable of following irregular terrain and capable of traveling on irregular terrain by the crawler; a multi-axial body portion disposed on the traveling vehicle; A traveling work robot, comprising: a multi-joint arm provided on a body portion; and an articulated photographing means provided on the body portion. 2. The traveling work robot according to claim 1, wherein control information for controlling the operation of each section of the traveling work robot, which is transmitted from a remote control side, is received, and each section of the traveling work robot is received. Communication means for transmitting the operating state information of the traveling control robot to the remote control side, power supply means for supplying power for operating each part of the traveling work robot, based on the control information received by the communication means,
A traveling work robot, further comprising control means for controlling operations of the crawler, the body, the articulated arm, and the articulated photographing means. 3. The traveling work robot according to claim 2, wherein the communication unit communicates information with the remote control side via a cable, and the power supply unit transmits the information from the power supply side via a cable. A mobile work robot further comprising a cable reel that receives power supply and controls winding or unwinding of each cable. 4. The traveling work robot according to claim 3, wherein the robot rotates forward based on the winding control by the cable reel, winds and holds the cable on a drum, and is controlled by a feeding control by the cable reel. A cable drum that rotates in the opposite direction to unwind the cable held by the drum; and a case where the cable is held on the entire cable winding surface of the cable drum, and further winds the cable. In this case, a layer winding control means for controlling the cable to be wound and held in a layer winding manner on the cable already wound on the cable winding surface has been added. Working robot. 5. The traveling work robot according to claim 4, wherein the cable drum winds up the cable and unwinds the cable at a constant pitch. . 6. The traveling work robot according to claim 5, wherein the cable drum detects the slack of the cable when the cable drum winds the cable, and the slack detecting means detects the slack of the cable. A traveling work robot, comprising: cable drum rotation control means for applying tension for eliminating the slack to the cable by increasing the forward rotation speed of the cable drum when detected. 7. The traveling work robot according to claim 2, wherein the power supply means is provided in a wired power supply means for receiving power supply from a power supply side via a cable, and in the traveling work robot body. A mobile work robot characterized by using battery power supply means for supplying power from a battery. 8. The traveling work robot according to claim 7, wherein the communication unit transmits image information photographed by the articulated photographing unit to the remote control side and is transmitted from the remote control side. The power supply means is defined as a method of supplying power by a method of receiving power supply by communication or a method of power supply determined by the power supply means based on the type of input power supply and voltage. Receiving selection information, wherein the power supply unit supplies power by at least one of the wired power supply unit and the battery power supply unit based on the selection information received by the communication unit. A traveling work robot characterized by the following. 9. The traveling work robot according to claim 8, further comprising a plurality of the articulated photographing means, wherein the communication means receives selection information of each of the articulated photographing means transmitted from the remote control side. A mobile work robot, wherein image information captured by the selected articulated photographing means is transmitted to the remote control side based on the received selection information. 10. The traveling work robot according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the crawlers are provided below the traveling vehicle, respectively.
A traveling work robot, further comprising crawler driving means for independently rotating each of the crawlers provided so as to be rotatable around a central portion in the longitudinal direction of each of the crawlers. 11. The traveling work robot according to claim 10, wherein a total of four of the plurality of crawlers are provided, one pair on a front side and one pair on a rear side with respect to a traveling direction of the traveling vehicle. A traveling work robot characterized by the following. 12. The traveling work robot according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the body is disposed so as to be movable on the traveling carriage, and each of the crawlers is rotated about the fulcrum. Rotation angle detection means for detecting a rotation angle, and a traveling work robot main body based on the rotation angle of each crawler detected by the rotation angle detection means,
A center-of-gravity moving means for moving a center of gravity of the traveling work robot body by moving an arrangement position of the body on the traveling carriage so as to stably travel on the irregular ground, Traveling work robot. 13. The method according to claim 10, wherein:
In the traveling work robot according to the paragraph, a torque detecting means for detecting a torque about the fulcrum of each of the crawlers, and applying a torque in a reverse direction so that the torque detected by the torque detecting means becomes zero. A traveling work robot to which a torque control means is added. 14. The traveling work robot according to claim 13, wherein, when climbing up and down the stairs, the torque control means sets the torque of the crawler at the climbing and descending openings of the stairs to zero. A traveling work robot characterized by applying a torque in a reverse direction. 15. The mobile work robot according to claim 13 or 14, wherein the crawler moves up and down stairs, wherein none of the crawlers is located at an ascending or descending entrance of the stairs. A traveling work robot, further comprising traveling direction control means for directing the traveling directions of the crawlers in the same direction in the elevating state. 16. The method according to claim 13, wherein:
In the traveling work robot according to the item, when climbing a staircase, and when a crawler provided on a front side with respect to a traveling direction of the traveling carriage is at a climbing exit of the staircase, the torque control means Applies torque in the reverse direction around the fulcrum of the crawler so that the torque of the crawler provided on the front side becomes zero, while the crawler provided on the rear side is A traveling work robot, wherein a torque is applied about the fulcrum in a direction opposite to the reverse direction. 17. The traveling work robot according to claim 1, wherein the body is swingable along a predetermined swing axis.
A traveling work robot characterized by being capable of turning around a predetermined turning axis. 18. The traveling work robot according to claim 17, further comprising: a guide portion having an arc shape on an upper portion of the traveling vehicle, the guide portion being the predetermined swing axis, and the body portion being the traveling vehicle. A traveling work robot characterized by being swingable on the top. 19. The traveling work robot according to claim 18, wherein an arrangement reference position of the body portion on the guide portion is:
A traveling work robot characterized by being located near a midpoint on an arc. 20. The traveling work robot according to claim 18, wherein the body portion above the guide portion is rotatable around the predetermined rotation axis. Traveling work robot. 21. The traveling work robot according to claim 1, wherein the multi-joint arm includes seven joints. 22. The traveling work robot according to claim 21, wherein a camera is provided on a tip side of the articulated arm. 23. The traveling work robot according to claim 21, wherein the multi-joint photographing means is connected to each other from the body part side toward the tip end of the multi-joint photographing means. A traveling work robot comprising: six joints; and a camera disposed at any one of the joints. 24. The traveling work robot according to claim 23, wherein the six joints of the articulated photographing means are arranged in a first order from the body part side toward the tip end of the articulated photographing means. A first swivel joint capable of swiveling about a predetermined swivel axis, a first bending joint capable of bending at an arbitrary angle with respect to the first swivel joint about a first predetermined bending axis, a second predetermined joint A second bending joint that can be bent at an arbitrary angle with respect to the first bending joint about a bending axis, and bent at an arbitrary angle with respect to the second bending joint about a third predetermined bending axis Possible third flexion joint, second pivot joint that can pivot about a second predetermined pivot axis, and bendable at any angle with respect to the second pivot joint about a fourth predetermined flexion axis A traveling work robot characterized by having a fourth bending joint. 25. The traveling work robot according to claim 24, wherein the first turning joint, the first bending joint, the second bending joint, and the third bending joint form the first turning joint, the first bending joint, the second bending joint, and the third bending joint. In a pan-tilt apparatus including a position control unit that controls a spatial position of an articulated arm and a relative position with respect to the traveling vehicle, the second turning joint and the fourth bending joint, the second turning is performed. A traveling work robot to which a pan / tilt control means for controlling a turning angle of a joint and a bending angle of the fourth bending joint is added. 26. The traveling work robot according to claim 25, wherein a camera arranged on the articulated photographing means, an illuminating means for illuminating a photographing direction side of the camera, and the camera and the illuminating means are sealed. A traveling work robot, comprising a transparent cover and a pan / tilt device. 27. The traveling work robot according to claim 2, wherein the control means controls a movement of the crawler, a second control part controls movement of the body, A third control unit for controlling the operation of the multi-joint arm; and a fourth control unit for controlling the operation of the multi-joint photographing means. Further, the control units are connected by serial wiring. The mobile work robot according to claim 1, wherein the control section can transmit information between the control sections. 28. The traveling work robot according to claim 27, wherein at least one of the crawler, the body, the multi-joint arm, and the multi-joint photographing unit is controlled based on the control by the control unit. And a servo amplifier that supplies electric power for driving the servo motor, and the servo amplifier is integrally provided with the body of the multi-axis configuration. Work robot. 29. The traveling work robot according to claim 27, wherein at least one of the crawler, the body, the multi-joint arm, and the multi-joint photographing unit is controlled based on the control by the control unit. And a servo amplifier for supplying electric power for driving the servo motor. 30. The traveling work robot according to claim 2, wherein the power supply means converts a first voltage alternating current supplied from the remote control side into a predetermined voltage direct current. A voltage conversion means for converting an AC current of a second voltage supplied from the remote control side into a DC current of the predetermined voltage; and a battery capable of storing power of the DC current. When an AC current of the first voltage is supplied from the remote control side and operating power is supplied to the traveling work robot main body, a DC of a predetermined voltage converted by the first voltage converting means is provided. A current is supplied to the traveling work robot main body as the operating power, and when the operating power is excessive or the operating power is not supplied, the current is converted by the first voltage converting unit. First switching means for storing the DC power of the predetermined voltage in the battery; and AC power of the first voltage is not supplied from the remote control side, and the second voltage of the second voltage is supplied from the remote control side. When an AC current is supplied and the operating power is supplied to the traveling work robot main body, a DC current of a predetermined voltage converted by the second voltage conversion means is used as the operating power in the traveling operation robot. When the operating power is supplied to the robot body and the operating power is excessive or the operating power is not supplied, the DC power of the predetermined voltage converted by the second voltage converting means is stored in the battery. A second switching means for causing the DC power of the predetermined voltage to be supplied from the remote control side and supplying the operating power to the traveling work robot main body; Supplying a constant voltage DC current to the traveling work robot body as the operating power,
If not supplied, third switching means for storing the power of the DC current of the predetermined voltage in the battery; and both the AC current of the first voltage and the DC current of the predetermined voltage from the remote control side. Discharging means for supplying the DC power of the predetermined voltage stored in the battery as the operating power when the operating power is not supplied and the traveling work robot main body is supplied. A mobile work robot.