JP2015222521A - Conveyance unit, and long item conveyance system including the conveyance unit - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a novel long item conveyance system which makes it possible to efficiently convey a long heavy item by less manpower.SOLUTION: There is provided a long item conveyance system in which two or more conveyance units 100A, 100B are connected, in which each conveyance unit includes: a body part 10 including traveling means by drive wheels; a long item fixing part for fixing a long item; freely extensible/contractible connecting means provided in a freely oscillating manner in right/left for a front part in a traveling direction of the body part; measuring means for measuring an oscillation angle and a length of the connecting means; a control part which controls rotation of the drive wheels; and a connecting means fixing part which is provided for a rear part in a traveling direction of the body part in order to fix a tip end part of the connecting means of another conveyance unit, in which each control part of each conveyance unit estimates a position track of a leader based on the oscillation angle and the length of its own connecting means, and controls the traveling means such that the position of the conveyance unit gradually approaches on the estimated position track.

Description

  The present invention relates to a long material transport system, and more particularly to a long material transport system suitable for transporting thinned wood generated during forest maintenance.

  Where thinning work is indispensable for forest conservation, the problem is how to carry thinned wood from the deep part of the forest to the working road. At present, there are many cases where thinned wood is carried out using a small work vehicle such as a tractor or carried by a plurality of workers, and it takes a lot of time and labor to carry the thinned wood.

  On the other hand, the present inventor has studied a robot system that automatically follows a leader (human or robot) connected by a tether in the development of a working robot that performs heavy labor or dangerous work on behalf of a human.

Fukushima E. Fumihiko, Hirose Shigeo et al., "Proposal of Hyper Tether", Proceedings of the 15th Annual Conference of the Robotics Society of Japan, The Robotics Society of Japan, September 12, 1997, p453-454 Endo Gen, Fukushima E. Fumihiko et al., “Development of Follow-up Conveyance Vehicle to Support Out-of-Home Oxygen Therapy Patients”, Journal of the Robotics Society of Japan, The Robotics Society of Japan, October 15, 2012, Vol. 30, No8

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems in the prior art, and the present invention provides a novel long material transport system that enables a long heavy object to be efficiently transported with few human hands. With the goal.

  The present inventor applied the automatic tracking mechanism devised by the present inventor to the transport system while earnestly examining the configuration of the long material transport system that enables efficient transport of long heavy objects with a small number of hands. The idea to do this was obtained and the present invention was achieved.

  That is, according to this invention, it is a long material conveyance system by which two or more conveyance units are connected, Comprising: Each said conveyance unit is for a trunk | drum part provided with the driving means by a drive wheel, and for fixing the said long material A long object fixing portion; a telescopic connecting means provided on the front portion in the direction of travel of the body portion; and a measuring means for measuring a swing angle and length of the connecting means; and the traveling means. And a connecting means fixing portion provided at a rear portion in the advancing direction of the body portion for fixing the tip end portion of the connecting means of the other transport unit, and each of the transport units. The control unit estimates the position trajectory of the leader based on the swing angle and length of the connecting means of itself, and controls the traveling means so that the position of the transport unit asymptotically approaches the estimated position trajectory. To do, long Transportable system is provided.

  As described above, according to the present invention, there is provided a new long material transport system that enables a long heavy object to be efficiently transported with a small number of hands.

The figure which shows the conveyance unit of 1st Embodiment. The figure which shows the conveyance unit of 1st Embodiment. The conceptual diagram for demonstrating a connection means. The conceptual diagram for demonstrating the internal structure of the conveyance unit of 1st Embodiment. The figure which shows the long material conveyance system formed by connecting the conveyance unit of 1st Embodiment. The conceptual diagram for demonstrating the control algorithm of a conveyance unit. The figure which shows the conveyance unit of 2nd Embodiment. The figure which shows the long material conveyance system formed by connecting the conveyance unit of 2nd Embodiment. The figure which shows the long material conveyance system formed by connecting the conveyance unit of 2nd Embodiment. The figure which shows the long material conveyance system formed by connecting the conveyance unit of 2nd Embodiment. The conceptual diagram for demonstrating the internal structure of the conveyance unit of 3rd Embodiment. The conceptual diagram for demonstrating the control algorithm of a conveyance unit. The figure which shows the long material conveyance system of 3rd Embodiment. The figure which shows the long material conveyance system of 3rd Embodiment. The figure which shows the conveyance unit of 4th Embodiment. The figure which shows the long material conveyance system of 4th Embodiment. The conceptual diagram for demonstrating the structure for supplying a power supply to a conveyance unit.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to embodiments shown in the drawings, but the present invention is not limited to the embodiments shown in the drawings. In the drawings referred to below, the same reference numerals are used for common elements, and the description thereof is omitted as appropriate.

  The long material transport system of the present invention is constructed by connecting at least two transport units. The long material transport system of the present invention is used for transporting long materials, and is particularly suitable for transporting long heavy materials represented by wood. In the following, the present invention will be described by taking as an example a case for carrying thinned wood.

(First embodiment)
First, a long material transport system that supports and transports thinned wood with two or more transport units will be described. FIG. 1 shows a transport unit 100 constituting the long material transport system of the first embodiment. 1A shows a front view of the transport unit 100, FIG. 1B shows a side view of the transport unit 100, and FIG. 1C shows a top view of the transport unit 100.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the transport unit 100 is roughly divided into a body part 10 and a long object fixing part 20. The body portion 10 includes driving wheels 12a and 12b that are independently driven left and right as traveling means. Further, a tether 13 which is a connecting means for connecting to a leader (another transport unit or an operator) is provided at the front part in the traveling direction of the body part 10, and a stopper metal is attached to the tip of the tether 13. The attached hook 13a is fixed. Furthermore, a ring 14 for fixing a tether 13 (hook 13a) of another transport unit 100 is provided at the rear part in the traveling direction of the body part 10.

  On the other hand, a long object fixing part 20 for supporting and fixing the weight of the thinned lumber is connected on the body part 10. The long object fixing part 20 is connected to the holding part 22 and the grip part via the neck part 23. The rotating pedestal 24 is connected to the rotating pedestal 24. As shown in FIG. 2 (a), the gripping portion 22 has a structure in which thin semi-cylinders 22a and 22b are locked by hinges, and one end of the thinned material is placed on the semi-cylinder 22a during transportation. In the state, the half-cylinder 22b is closed, and the thinned wood is fixed by hanging the yoke 25. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 2A, the rotary pedestal 24 is fitted to the upper surface of the body 10 via a bearing, and as shown in FIG. Is configured to be rotatable about the rotation axis.

  Here, the tether 13 in the present embodiment will be described. As shown in FIG. 3, the tether 13 in this embodiment is housed in a winch structure 15 having a back tension mechanism. As shown in an enlarged view in FIG. 3, in the winch structure 15 that houses the tether 13, the end of the tether 13 is fixed to the take-up shaft 15 a and is usually taken up by the take-up shaft 15 a. In the housing 15b. When a pulling force is applied to the tether 13, the take-up shaft 15a rotates and the tether 13 is fed out along the guide portion 15c formed in the housing 15b. At this time, since the take-up shaft 15a is urged in a direction to take up the tether 13 by an urging means (not shown), the tether 13 can be expanded and contracted in a state where a constant tension is always applied.

  On the other hand, a swing shaft 15d is fixed to the housing 15b, and the housing 15b is pivotally supported by the body portion 10 via the swing shaft 15d. As a result, the guide portion 15c swings left and right on a plane substantially parallel to the ground surface in conjunction with the tether 13 being pulled left and right, and the swing shaft 15d is interlocked with the swing of the guide portion 15c. It is configured to rotate.

  Then, the internal structure of the conveyance unit 100 is demonstrated based on Fig.4 (a). As shown in FIG. 4A, inside the transport unit 100, a motor 16a that rotationally drives the right drive wheel 12a, a motor 16b that rotationally drives the left drive wheel 12b, and rotations of the motors 16a and 16b. A microcomputer 17 (hereinafter referred to as a microcomputer 17), which is a control unit for controlling the above, is mounted. Further, inside the transport unit 100, the measuring means 18 for measuring the rotation amount (direction and angle) of the winding shaft 15a with respect to the winch structure 15 described above, and the rotation amount of the swing shaft 15d. A measuring means 19 for measuring (direction and angle) is provided. In the present embodiment, the measuring means 18 and 19 can be constituted by a rotary encoder.

  The microcomputer 17 derives the swing angle θ of the tether 13 based on the rotation amount input from the measuring means 18. Here, the swing angle θ means the left and right relative angles with respect to the direction perpendicular to the rotation axis of the drive wheels 12a and 12b. Further, the microcomputer 17 calculates the feed amount of the tether 13 based on the rotation amount input from the measuring means 19 and derives the length l of the tether 13. Here, the length l means a linear distance from the swing shaft 15d to the tip of the tether 13.

  In the present invention, the measuring means for measuring the swing angle θ and the length l of the tether 13 is not limited to the above-described configuration, and may be configured by other appropriate alternative means. In the present invention, the connecting means is not limited to the tether, and any other suitable alternative means can be used as long as the connecting means can be provided so as to be able to swing left and right with respect to the body portion 10 and can be extended and contracted. It may be configured. For example, a multi-stage telescopic boom 11 as shown in FIG. In this case, the swing angle θ of the boom 11 can be derived by measuring the rotation amount of the swing shaft 11a with a rotary encoder, and the length of the boom 11 is determined by the distance measuring sensor installed inside the boom 11. It can be derived based on the measured value.

  Although the configuration of the transport unit 100 has been described above, the long material transport system of the present invention can be constructed by preparing and connecting at least two transport units 100. FIG. 5 shows a state in which the thinned wood 600 is transported using the long material transport system 1000 constructed as described above. FIG. 5 (a) shows a view of the state of transport from the side, and FIG. 5 (b) shows a view of the state of transport from the side.

  The long material transport system 1000 is constructed by connecting two transport units 100A and 100B. When transporting the thinned material 600, the operator first places one end of the thinned material 600 on the grip 22 of the transport unit 100A, and places the other end of the thinned material 600 on the grip 22 of the transport unit 100B. After that, fix with the bolt 25. Subsequently, the operator feeds out the tether 13 of the transport unit 100B on the rear side in the traveling direction, and fixes the hook 13a to the ring 14 of the transport unit 100A on the front side in the traveling direction. Finally, the operator moves forward while pulling the handle 30 with the hook 13a of the tether 13 of the transport unit 100A fixed to the appropriate handle 30.

  At this time, the microcomputer 17 mounted on the transport unit 100A estimates and estimates the position trajectory of the hook 13a (that is, the position trajectory of the operator) based on the swing angle θ and the length l of its own tether 13. The drive wheels 12a and 12b (that is, the motor 16a and the motor 16b) are independently controlled so that the position of the transport unit 100A asymptotically approaches the position trajectory. As a result, the transport unit 100A tracks the operator's traveling trajectory accurately. Similarly, the microcomputer 17 mounted on the transport unit 100B estimates the position trajectory of the hook 13a (that is, the position trajectory of the transport unit 100A) based on the swing angle θ and the length l of the own tether 13 and estimates the same. The own drive wheels 12a and 12b (that is, the motor 16a and the motor 16b) are independently controlled so that the position of the transport unit 100B asymptotically approaches the position trajectory. During this time, the transport units 100A and 100B are mutually restrained via the thinning material 600, but each gripping part 22 (rotating pedestal part 24) rotates around the vertical direction of the ground plane as the rotation axis. The degree of freedom is ensured, and the transport unit 100B accurately tracks the traveling path of the transport unit 100A.

  As described above, in this embodiment, since the transport unit 100A tracks so as to follow the traveling trajectory of the worker, and the transport unit 100B tracks so as to follow the travel trajectory of the transport unit 100A, The worker only needs to move forward while pulling the tether 13, and the transport unit 100A and the transport unit 100B collide the thinned wood 600 with surrounding trees while following the operator's travel route accurately. Carry without letting.

  In addition, in FIG. 5, although the aspect which conveys one thinning material with the two conveyance units 100 was shown, according to this embodiment, one thinning material is conveyed with the three or more conveyance units 100. May be. Moreover, you may make it one worker convey a some thinning material by connecting the four or more conveyance units 100 by the tether 13 in a daisy chain. In that case, in order to avoid a collision with the leader (transport unit 100 or worker), the microcomputer 17 of each transport unit 100 is transported in response to the length l of the tether 13 falling below a predetermined threshold. It is preferable that the rotation of the drive wheels 12a and 12b of the unit 100 is controlled to be stopped.

  The transport mechanism of the present invention has been described above, but in order to realize this transport mechanism, it is necessary to accurately trace the route taken by the leader to the subsequent transport unit. Hereinafter, a control algorithm for this purpose will be described with reference to FIG.

  This algorithm stores the movement trajectory of the tip of the connecting means (hereinafter referred to as tether for convenience) for a certain period of time so that the movement trajectory of the leader (transport unit or operator) can be accurately traced to the subsequent transport unit. Features.

In this algorithm, by the position and orientation of the conveying units U sequentially estimated and recorded as seen from the inertial coordinate system sigma _g by dead reckoning method, obtains the movement trajectory of the transport unit U, the same inertial frame of sigma _g The movement trajectory of the viewed tether tip T is acquired, and the target movement direction φ of the transport unit U is obtained by the following procedure (steps 1 to 4) according to the acquired movement trajectory of the tether tip T. In the following description, the trajectory of the tether tip T is T (s _t ), the trajectory of the transport unit U is P (s _r ), and s _t and s _r are the parameters of the respective trajectories. .

  Step 1: The position of the transport unit U is estimated by the dead reckoning method.

When the target moving direction of the transport unit U is φ, the translation speed V _r and the angular speed Ω _r of the transport unit U are obtained by the following formula (1) and the following formula (2), respectively.

In the above formula _{(1) (2), l} m represent measured tether length, _{l d} denotes the target tether length, _{K p} represents a speed gain, _{w r} denotes the vehicle width of the conveying units U. Here, the measured tether length l _m corresponds to the length l of the tether 13 derived based on the measurement value of the measuring means 18 in the embodiment shown in FIG.

Here, the translation speed and the angular speed of the transport unit U at time t are V _r and Ω _r , respectively, and the angular speed commands given to the left and right drive wheels are w _L and w _R , respectively, and V = [w _L When w _R ] ^T and q = [V _r Ω _r ], the following equation (3) holds.

  Here, when r is the radius of the driving wheel of the transport unit U, the matrix A in the above equation (3) is expressed by the following equation (4).

In the above formula (4), r represents the radius of the drive wheel, and w _r represents the vehicle width of the transport unit U.

Next, derived based orientation Γ of conveying units U for the inertial coordinate system sigma _g the following equation (5).

Next, the movement distance Δs _r of the transport unit U is derived based on the following formula (6).

Next, the position P (s _r ) of the transport unit U is updated based on the following formula (7).

In the above formula (7), theta is the direction of the tether as viewed from the sigma _g, satisfy the following formula (8). Here, Θ = Γ + θ, and θ corresponds to the swing angle θ derived based on the measurement value of the measuring means 19 in the embodiment shown in FIG.

Step 2: The position T (s _t + Δs _t ) of the tether tip T is derived based on the following formula (9).

  Step 3: The moving distance of the tether tip T is derived based on the following formula (10).

  Step 4: The target moving direction φ of the transport unit U is derived.

A point s _tmin on the trajectory of the tether tip T located at the shortest distance ρ from the position P (s _r + Δs _r ) of the transport unit U is searched, and the transport unit _reaches a position T (s _tmin + δ) advanced by a distance δ. A steering command (that is, an angular velocity command for the left and right drive wheels) is derived so that the position of U asymptotically converges on the trajectory of the tether tip T.

Specifically, the target movement direction φ of the transport unit U is obtained based on the following formula (11).

In the above formula (11), [Phi represents a target moving direction of the conveying units U as viewed from the inertial coordinate system sigma _g.

Finally, by inputting the target movement direction φ obtained by the above equation (11) into the above equations (1), (2), and (3), the angular velocity commands (w _L , w _R ) to be given to the left and right drive wheels are obtained. To derive.

  The microcomputer 17 automatically generates a steering signal (control signals for the motor 16a and the motor 16b) for following the leader by a program that implements the algorithm described above. Note that the above-described algorithm is an example of a control method, and it goes without saying that various design changes are possible.

  In the above-described embodiment, for convenience of explanation, the simplest configuration (two drive wheels, articulated steering) is described as an example for the transport unit. However, in the present invention, three or more transport units are used. It is preferable that the unit is a self-traveling unit having a plurality of wheels, and a crawler structure in which a crawler belt is wound around a driving wheel may be employed as a traveling unit. Further, it goes without saying that other methods (Ackermann steering, all-wheel independent steering method, etc.) can be adopted for the steering mechanism.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, the long material conveyance system which suspends and conveys thinned wood with two or more conveyance units will be described. FIG. 7 shows a transport unit 200 constituting the long material transport system of the second embodiment. 7A shows a front view of the transport unit 200, FIG. 7B shows a side view of the transport unit 200, and FIG. 7C shows a top view of the transport unit 200. In the following description, only differences from the first embodiment will be described, and description of contents common to the first embodiment will be omitted as appropriate.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the transport unit 200 is roughly divided into a body part 10 and a long object fixing part 40. The body portion 10 includes crawlers 52a and 52b that are independently driven to the left and right.

  On the other hand, a long object fixing part 40 for supporting and fixing the weight of the thinned material is connected on the body part 10, and the long object fixing part 40 is used for constructing a column for hanging the thinned material. The gantry 42 includes a gantry 42 and a rotating pedestal 44 connected to the gantry 42. As shown to Fig.7 (a), in the installation base part 42, the hole 42a for inserting the support | pillar for connecting the installation base part 42 of the two conveyance units 200, and for suspending a thinning material Two holes 42b and 42c for inserting the support columns are formed. Further, as shown in FIG. 7B, the rotating pedestal portion 44 is fitted to the upper surface of the body portion 10 via a bearing, and as shown in FIG. It is connected rotatably about a substantially vertical direction of the ground plane as a rotation axis.

  FIG. 8 is a top view of a long material transport system 2000 constructed by connecting two transport units 200. As shown in FIG. 8, in this embodiment, the support columns 62a are installed in the holes 42a of the installation table portions 42 of the transport units 200A and 200B. Further, in each erection base portion 42 of the transport units 200A and 200B, the support column 62b is installed in a form of being inserted and fixed in the hole 42b. On the other hand, the support column 62c is installed in a manner to be inserted into the hole 42c and is rotatably fixed. A rear end of the support column 62c is connected to a rotation motor 64 installed on the transport unit 200B via a pulley mechanism. As a result, in the present embodiment, a plurality of winch structures having the column 62c as the winding shaft are constructed, and the rope 66 passed between the column 62b and the column 62c is wound by the rotation of the column 62c.

  In the present embodiment, when transporting the thinned wood 600, the operator first crosses the ropes 66 passed between the columns 62b and 62c as shown in FIG. Place one or more thinned wood 600. Next, the operator drives the rotary motor 64 to wind up the rope 66, and fixes the thinned material 600 in a manner to be suspended from the support 62b and the support 62c. Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 9 (b), the operator feeds out the tether 13 of the transport unit 200B on the rear side in the traveling direction, and fixes the hook 13a to the ring 14 of the transport unit 200A on the front side in the traveling direction. Finally, as shown in FIGS. 10A and 10B, the operator moves forward while pulling the handle 30 in a state where the hook 13a of the tether 13 of the transport unit 200A is fixed to the appropriate handle 30. .

  Here, the transport units 200 </ b> A and 200 </ b> B are mutually constrained via the support columns 62 a to 62 c, but each erection base part 42 (rotary base part 44) rotates about the vertical direction of the ground plane as a rotation axis. Since the degree of freedom is ensured by doing so, the transport unit 200B can accurately follow the traveling trajectory of the transport unit 200A. In the second embodiment as well, it goes without saying that the necessary number of transport units 200 can be connected and used in the same manner.

  As mentioned above, although 2nd Embodiment which suspends and conveys a long thing has been demonstrated, according to 2nd Embodiment, it becomes possible to carry a thin diameter thinning material collectively. In the above description, in order to facilitate understanding, a mode in which the thinned material is lifted by a plurality of ropes has been shown. However, the thinned material may be lifted using other members (chains, bands, nets, etc.). . Moreover, in FIG. 10, although the aspect which conveys the thinning material 600 with the two conveyance units 200 was shown, you may convey the thinning material 600 with the three or more conveyance units 200. FIG.

  In the first and second embodiments described above, each of two or more transport units that cooperate to transport thinned wood has equivalent intelligence, and each of them determines the traveling trajectory of the leader who is connected by the tether 13. Then, the configuration for controlling its own running so as to follow this was shown. Subsequently, of the two or more transport units that cooperate to transport the thinned wood, only the top transport unit has intelligence, and an embodiment in which the travel of other transport units subsequent thereto is remotely controlled will be described. .

(Third embodiment)
FIG. 11 shows the internal configuration of the transport unit 300 and the transport unit 320 that constitute the long object transport system 3000 of the third embodiment. In FIG. 11, the same reference numerals are used for elements equivalent to those in FIG. 4 described above, and the description thereof is omitted as appropriate.

  The transport unit 300, which is the leading unit of the long material transport system 3000, corresponds to the transport unit 100 shown in FIG. 4 changed to an independent two-wheel steering system, and the left and right drive wheels 12a, 12b are independent by motors 16a, 16b. And is steered independently by the steering actuators 26a and 26b. On the other hand, the transport unit 320 has independent two-wheel steering equivalent to the transport unit 300, but does not have the winch structure 15 (including the tether 13 and the measuring means 18, 19) and the microcomputer 17, and instead transports the transport unit 320. A signal input I / F 28 for receiving a control signal transmitted from the unit 300 is mounted, and the signal input I / F 28 is connected to the microcomputer 17 of the transport unit 300 via the signal cable 27.

  Here, the microcomputer 17 of the transport unit 300 causes the position of the transport unit 300 to converge asymptotically to the trajectory of the tip of the tether 13 by an appropriate algorithm based on the measurement values input from the measuring means 18 and 19. A steering command (that is, an angular velocity command for the motors 16a and 16b and a steering angle command for the steering actuators 26a and 26b) is derived to drive and control the motors 16a and 16b and the steering actuators 26a and 26b.

  Further, the microcomputer 17 of the transport unit 300 generates a control signal of the transport unit 320 (that is, an angular velocity control signal of the motors 16a and 16b mounted on the transport unit 320 and a steering angle control signal of the steering actuators 26a and 26b), This is output to the transport unit 320 via the signal cable 27, and the motors 16a and 16b and the steering actuators 26a and 26b mounted on the transport unit 320 are remotely controlled. As a result, the subsequent transport unit 320 follows the traveling path of the leading transport unit 300.

  In addition, in 3rd Embodiment, the long thing fixing | fixed part provided on the trunk | drum 10 of the conveyance unit 300 and the conveyance unit 320 is either the long thing fixing | fixed part 20 (refer FIG. 1) or the long thing fixing | fixed part 40 (refer FIG. 7). It may be. In the present embodiment, since the degree of freedom is secured by the steering mechanism of the drive wheels 12a and 12b, the body portion 10 and the long object fixing portion may be fixed.

  Here, an algorithm in which the microcomputer 17 of the transport unit 300 generates a control signal of the transport unit 320 will be described with reference to FIG.

Among a plurality of transport units to perform transportation of thinned wood cooperate leading transport unit U of, in the inertial coordinate system sigma _g, asymptotically track T (s _t) of the position P tether tip T own The steering control is performed so as to converge. As a result, the position P of the transport unit U draws a trajectory P (s _r ). This point is as already described in the description of FIG.

On the other hand, in the present embodiment, during this time, the transport unit U has coordinates (x (P), y () on the trajectory P (s _r ) of its own position P at the time (time t + Δt) when the time Δt has elapsed from the current time. P)) and the coordinates (x (P ′)) of the position P ′ of the transport unit U ′ at time t + Δt, provided that the position P ′ of the subsequent transport unit U ′ follows the trajectory P (s _r ). , Y (P ′)). In the present embodiment, for example, the distance L _calc between the transport unit U and the transport unit U ′ is derived by the following formula (12), and the position P ′ ( Search for x (P ′), y (P ′)).

  In the above equation (13), “L” indicates the distance between the position P of the transport unit U and the position P ′ of the transport unit U ′. When the transport unit U and the transport unit U ′ transport thinned wood in cooperation, “L” is a constant because the distance between them is fixed. In the present embodiment, “L” acquired in advance by an appropriate method is set in the microcomputer 17 as a parameter. “0.99” and “1.01” are allowable error constants for allowing a slight convergence error.

  Finally, the transport unit U reaches the coordinates (x (P ′), y (P ′)) searched for by the position P ′ of the transport unit U ′ after the time Δt has elapsed from the current time (time t + Δt). The angular speed and the steering angle of the driving wheel of the transport unit U ′ necessary for the calculation are calculated, and control signals corresponding to them are generated.

  FIGS. 13A and 13B show a state in which the thinned material 600 is transported using the long material transport system 3000. FIG. In the example illustrated in FIG. 13, the transport unit 300 and the transport unit 320 have a configuration in which the long object fixing unit 20 (see FIG. 1) is fixed on the body unit 10.

  In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 13A and 13B, when the operator moves forward while pulling the handle 30 to which the hook 13a of the tether 13 is fixed, the transport unit 300 receives this, The worker's traveling trajectory is judged and tracked to follow this. At the same time, the transport unit 300 transmits a control signal via the signal cable 27, and in response to this, the transport unit 320 follows the traveling path of the transport unit 300. In addition, transmission / reception of the control signal between the conveyance unit 300 and the conveyance unit 320 is not limited to wired communication, and may be wireless communication or optical communication.

  FIG. 14 shows a state in which the long material transport system 3000 according to the present embodiment transports three thinned wood 600. In the example shown in FIG. 14, the transport unit 300 and the transport unit 320 constitute a subsystem as a pair, and the three subsystems are connected unconstrained via the telescopic tether 13 to transport a long object. A system 3000 has been built. In the long material transport system 3000, the head unit (300A, 300B, 300C) of each subsystem is asynchronous so as to determine and follow the traveling trajectory of the leader (worker, 320A, 320B) connected by the tether 13. Tracking. On the other hand, the subsequent units (320A, 320B, 320C) restrained by the head unit of each subsystem through the thinning material 600 are controlled by the control signal generated by the head unit, so that the head unit (300A) is controlled. , 300B, 300C), the traveling trajectory of the head unit is followed.

  The third embodiment has been described above. In the third embodiment, the case where two independent steered wheels are used as travel means has been described as an example. However, in the present invention, the transport unit is configured as a self-sustained travel type unit having three or more wheels. In addition, it is needless to say that other methods (such as Ackerman steering and articulated steering) can be adopted for the steering mechanism.

(Fourth embodiment)
As a second embodiment, a long material transport system that suspends and transports thinned timber with two or more transport units has been described previously, but here, another embodiment that suspends and transports thinned timber is referred to as a fourth embodiment. explain.

  FIG. 15 shows transport units 400 and 420 constituting the long material transport system of the fourth embodiment. 15A shows a front view and a top view of the transport unit 400, and FIG. 15B shows a side view of the transport units 400 and 420. In the following description, the description common to the third embodiment will be omitted as appropriate.

  As shown in FIG. 15, the transport unit 400 includes a body portion 32, foot portions 33 a and 33 b that are pivotally supported on the bottom surface of the body portion 32 about the vertical direction as a rotation axis, and foot portions 33 a and 33 b. Motors 34a and 34b fixed to the ends are provided. In the present embodiment, the left and right drive wheels 12a, 12b are independently driven by the motors 34a, 34b and are steered independently by the steering actuators 35a, 35b. A microcomputer (not shown) mounted on the motor is configured to control the motors 34a and 34b and the steering actuators 35a and 35b. On the other hand, the transport unit 420 has the same configuration as the transport unit 400, but does not have a winch structure and a microcomputer to which the tether 13 is connected.

  That is, the internal configurations of the transport unit 400 and the transport unit 420 are the same as those of the third embodiment, and the microcomputer 17 of the transport unit 400 drives and controls the motors 34a and 34b and the steering actuators 35a and 35b. The control signal of the transport unit 320 is generated and output to the transport unit 420 via the signal cable 27 so that the travel of the transport unit 320 is remotely controlled.

  Here, the transport units 400 and 420 include a mechanism for lifting the long object from the bottom surface of each body part 32 as a long object fixing part. Specifically, the transport units 400 and 420 are provided with a steel cable 36 that hangs down from the bottom surface of the body portion 32, and the electric winch mechanism 37 in which the steel cable 36 is provided inside the body portion 32. It is comprised so that it can wind up. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 15 (a), after hooking the tip of the steel cable 36 to a rope or the like tied to the thinned wood 600, the steel cable 36 is wound up by the electric winch mechanism 37. You can lift the thinned wood 600. However, it is needless to say that the lifting mechanism shown in FIG. 15 is merely an example, and other appropriate mechanisms (for example, a lifting mechanism using a band, a net, or the like) may be adopted.

  In the present embodiment, during operation, it is preferable to bridge the struts between the transport unit 400 and the transport unit 420 and connect them to each other. A fixing tool 38 is formed for attaching the.

  FIGS. 16A and 16B show a state in which the thinned material 600 is transported using the long material transport system 4000 including the transport unit 400 and the transport unit 420. As shown in FIGS. 16 (a) and 16 (b), when the support 39 is bridged between the transport unit 400 and the transport unit 420 and is fixed by the fixture 38, the traveling of the long material transport system 4000 is stabilized. In addition, it is preferable that the support | pillar 39 is equipped with the mechanism which can expand-contract the length freely according to the length of wood. Moreover, the member for connecting both may be a rigid body having an appropriate shape, and may be a frame body or a plate-like body in addition to the support.

  In the present embodiment, when the operator moves forward while pulling the handle 30 to which the hook 13a of the tether 13 is fixed, the transport unit 400 receives this and determines and follows the traveling trajectory of the operator. To track. At the same time, the transport unit 400 transmits a control signal via the signal cable 27, and in response to this, the transport unit 420 follows the traveling path of the transport unit 400. In addition, transmission / reception of the control signal between the conveyance unit 400 and the conveyance unit 420 is not limited to wired communication, and may be wireless communication or optical communication.

  The fourth embodiment has been described above. In the fourth embodiment, the case where two independent steered wheels are used as travel means has been described as an example. However, in the present invention, the transport unit is configured as a self-sustained travel type unit having three or more wheels. In addition, it is needless to say that other methods (such as Ackerman steering and articulated steering) can be adopted for the steering mechanism. Further, in the fourth embodiment, only the transport unit 400 has intelligence, and the mode of remotely controlling the travel of the transport unit 420 subsequent thereto has been described. However, as in the first and second embodiments described above, It is also possible to connect two or more transport units 400 with the tether 13 so that each unit follows the traveling path of the leader at its own judgment.

  As mentioned above, although this invention has been demonstrated based on 1st Embodiment thru | or 4th Embodiment, in the long material conveyance system of this invention, the structure for supplying power to each conveyance unit in preparation for a long-time operation | work. It is preferable to add. This point will be described with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 17 shows a state where an operator is transporting the thinned material 600 by connecting the two transport units 500A and 500B and the power supply unit 500C. The transport units 500A and 500B shown in FIG. 17 have a configuration in which the drive wheel 12 of the transport unit 100 of the first embodiment is replaced with a crawler 52 and a power supply unit 70 for relaying power is added. . On the other hand, the power supply unit 500C has a configuration in which the upper surface of the body portion 10 of the transport unit 500A is replaced with a cargo bed, and a generator 80 is mounted on the cargo bed. In the system configuration shown in FIG. 17, the generator 80, the power supply unit 70 of the transport unit 500 </ b> B, and the power supply unit 70 of the transport unit 500 </ b> A are connected via the power cable 90, and the power generated by the generator 80 is the power supply unit 70. Is configured to be relay-transmitted to the transport units 500A and 500B.

  In addition, in this invention, you may integrate the connection means and power transmission path which connect between conveyance units. Moreover, you may comprise so that the electric power used in the up section may be collect | recovered in a down section by providing the function of a regenerative brake in the electric motor which drives the drive wheel of a conveyance unit.

  As described above, according to the long material transport system of the present invention, it is possible to transport thinned wood efficiently with a small number of hands. Further, according to the present invention, it is possible to carry out the thinned material without damaging surrounding trees or the ground.

  As described above, the long material transport system of the present invention has been described by taking the case of using the thinned wood as an example, but the use of the present invention is not limited to the transport of the thinned wood, and is applicable to the transport of all long materials. It goes without saying that you can do it. Moreover, the structure of the conveyance unit of this invention is not limited to the structure of embodiment mentioned above, It cannot be overemphasized that a various design change is possible. For example, as long as the shape of the long object fixing portion described above is a shape that can be supported while holding one end of the long object, or a shape that can suspend a long object, other appropriate shapes may be adopted. . In addition, the present invention is included in the scope of the present invention as long as the functions and effects of the present invention are exhibited within the scope of embodiments that can be conceived by those skilled in the art, such as driving the drive wheels to the engine.

  The function of the microcomputer 17 described above can be realized by a device executable program described in C, C ++, C #, Java (registered trademark), and the like. The program of this embodiment includes a hard disk device, a CD-ROM, It can be stored and distributed in a device-readable recording medium such as MO, DVD, flexible disk, EEPROM, EPROM, etc., and can be transmitted over a network in a format that other devices can.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Body part, 11 ... Boom, 12a, 12b ... Drive wheel, 13 ... Tether, 13a ... Hook, 14 ... Ring, 15 ... Winch structure, 15a ... Winding shaft, 15b ... Housing, 15c ... Guide part, 15d Oscillating shaft, 16a, 16b ... motor, 17 ... microcomputer, 18 ... measuring means, 19 ... measuring means, 20 ... long object fixing part, 22 ... gripping part, 23 ... neck part, 24 ... rotating pedestal part, 25 ... pinning 26a, 26b ... steering actuator, 27 ... communication cable, 28 ... signal input I / F, 30 ... handle, 32 ... trunk, 33a, 33b ... foot, 34a, 34b ... motor, 35a, 35b ... steering actuator 36 ... Steel cable, 37 ... Electric winch mechanism, 38 ... Fixing tool, 39 ... Post, 40 ... Long object fixing part, 42 ... Installation base part, 44 ... Rotating base part, 52 ... Roller, 62a, 62b, 62c ... support, 64 ... rotation motor, 65 ... rotation motor, 66 ... rope, 70 ... power supply unit, 80 ... generator, 100,200,300,320,400,420,500 ... transport unit , 600 ... Thinned wood, 1000, 2000, 3000, 4000 ... Long material transport system

Claims (26)

A long material transport system in which two or more transport units are connected,
Each said transport unit is
A body portion provided with traveling means by drive wheels;
A long object fixing portion for fixing the long object;
Stretchable connecting means provided on the front part of the body part in the direction of travel so as to swing left and right;
Measuring means for measuring the swing angle and length of the connecting means;
A control unit for controlling the traveling means;
A connecting means fixing portion provided at a rear portion in the advancing direction of the body portion in order to fix the tip end portion of the connecting means of the other transport unit;
Including
Each control unit of each transport unit estimates the position trajectory of the leader based on the swing angle and length of its connection means, and the position of the transport unit asymptotically approaches the estimated position trajectory. To control the travel means,
Long material handling system.   2. The long material transport system according to claim 1, wherein each of the long material fixing portions of the two transport units connected via the connection means includes a gripping portion for supporting the long material in a state where one end of the long material is gripped. .   Each of the long object fixing portions of the two transporting units connected via the connecting means includes an erection base part for laying a column for suspending the long object, and between the erection base parts, The long article conveyance system according to claim 1, wherein a support is installed.   The long object transport system according to claim 1, wherein the long object fixing unit is a mechanism for lifting the long object from a bottom surface of the body part.   The long material conveyance system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, comprising a tether that is connected to a winch structure including a back tension mechanism and is extendable as the coupling means.   The long material conveyance system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, comprising a multistage telescopic boom as the connection means. The traveling means includes one or more driving wheels that are independently driven on the left and right of the body portion,
The long object fixing part is rotatably connected to the body part,
The control unit controls rotation of the drive wheel.
The long material conveyance system as described in any one of Claims 1-6. A crawler structure in which a crawler belt is wound around the drive wheel;
The long material transport system according to claim 7. As the traveling means, provided with one or more steering wheels on the left and right of the body part,
The control unit controls the rotation and steering angle of the steered wheels.
The long material conveyance system as described in any one of Claims 1-6.   Each said control part stops and controls rotation of the said driving wheel in response to the length of the said connection means having fallen below the predetermined threshold value, The long material conveyance system as described in any one of Claims 1-9. . The drive wheel is driven by an electric motor,
A unit comprising a generator mounted on the body is connected to at least one transport unit via the connecting means, and each transport unit has a configuration for relaying the generated power of the generator. The long material conveyance system as described in any one of Claims 1-10.   The long-wheel conveyance system according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the driving wheel is driven by an electric motor, and the electric motor functions as a regenerative brake. The transport unit constituting a long material transport system in which two or more transport units are connected,
A body portion provided with traveling means by drive wheels;
A long object fixing portion for fixing the long object;
Stretchable connecting means provided on the front part of the body part in the direction of travel so as to swing left and right;
Measuring means for measuring the swing angle and length of the connecting means;
A control unit for controlling the traveling means;
A connecting means fixing portion provided at a rear portion in the advancing direction of the body portion in order to fix the tip end portion of the connecting means of the other transport unit;
Including
Each control unit of each transport unit estimates the position trajectory of the leader based on the swing angle and length of its connection means, and the position of the transport unit asymptotically approaches the estimated position trajectory. To control the travel means,
Transport unit. A long material transport system comprising a first transport unit and one or more second transport units following the first transport unit,
The first transport unit is
A body portion provided with traveling means by drive wheels;
A long object fixing portion for fixing the long object;
Stretchable connecting means provided on the front part of the body part in the direction of travel so as to swing left and right;
Measuring means for measuring the swing angle and length of the connecting means;
A controller that estimates the position trajectory of the leader based on the swing angle and length of the connecting means, and controls the traveling means so that the position of the first transport unit is asymptotic to the estimated position trajectory. When,
Including
The second transport unit is
A body portion provided with traveling means by drive wheels;
A long object fixing portion for fixing the long object;
Including
The controller of the first transport unit is
The traveling means of the second transport unit is controlled so that the position of the second transport unit follows the position trajectory of the first transport unit in a state where the position of the second transport unit is separated from the position of the first transport unit by a predetermined distance. To
Long material handling system.   15. The long object transportation system according to claim 14, wherein each of the long object fixing parts includes a grip part for supporting the long object in a state where one end of the long object is gripped.   15. The long material transport system according to claim 14, wherein each of the long object fixing portions includes an erection base part for erection of a column for suspending the long object, and the column is erected between the erection base parts.   The long object transport system according to claim 14, wherein the long object fixing part is a mechanism for lifting the long object from a bottom surface of the body part.   The long connection system according to any one of claims 14 to 17, wherein the connecting means is a tether that is connected to a winch structure including a back tension mechanism to be extendable.   18. The long material transport system according to claim 14, wherein the connecting means is a multistage telescopic boom. Each of the traveling means includes one or more drive wheels that are independently driven on the left and right of the body part,
Each long object fixing portion is rotatably connected to the body portion,
The control unit controls the rotation of the driving wheels of each of the traveling means.
The long material conveyance system as described in any one of Claims 14-19. A crawler structure in which a crawler belt is wound around the drive wheel;
The long article conveyance system according to claim 20. As each of the traveling means, one or more steering wheels are provided on the left and right of the body part,
The control unit controls the rotation and the steering angle of the steered wheels of each of the travel means;
The long material conveyance system as described in any one of Claims 14-19.   23. The control unit according to any one of claims 14 to 22, wherein the control unit stops and controls the rotation of the driving wheels of each of the traveling units in response to the length of the coupling unit being less than a predetermined threshold value. Long material transport system.   The long material transport system according to any one of claims 14 to 23, wherein the driving wheel is driven by an electric motor, and the electric motor functions as a regenerative brake. The drive wheel is driven by an electric motor,
The second transport unit includes a connecting means fixing portion at a rear portion in the traveling direction of the body portion;
A tip end portion of the connecting means of a unit in which a generator is mounted on the body portion of the first transport unit is connected to the connecting means fixing portion of at least one second transport unit, and each of the transport units The long material conveyance system according to any one of claims 14 to 24, comprising: a configuration for relay transmission of power generated by the generator.   A plurality of the long material conveyance systems according to any one of claims 14 to 25 are provided as a subsystem, and the second conveyance unit constituting each subsystem includes a coupling means fixing portion at a rear portion in the traveling direction of the body portion. The long end of the connecting means of the first transport unit constituting the subsystem is connected to the connecting means fixing portion of the second transport unit constituting the other subsystem. Conveying system.