JP2019144612A - Travel device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a travel device that enables traveling to a destination while suppressing the possibility of stopping travel even in an environment where there are many moving obstacles.SOLUTION: Based on an analysis result of the area direction vector of an area which indicates a flow formed by the mobile body existing in an area around oneself during a traveling, the traveling along the flow of the person as the mobile body becomes to be selectable. As a result, even in an environment where there are many people (pedestrians) around, for example, by traveling along the flow formed by these people, the possibility of stop traveling is suppressed and the travel to the destination becomes possible.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

  The present invention relates to a traveling device such as a robot that travels in a station premises, for example.

  Various robots and the like that move to a destination are known, such as a robot that jumps out and predicts movement in order to avoid an obstacle (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

  However, in Patent Documents 1 and 2 described above, even if individual obstacles can be dealt with, for example, in an environment where a large number of pedestrians may become obstacles to travel in a station premises, etc., prediction of avoidance means It is considered that there is a high possibility that the continuation of the traveling becomes difficult without stopping and the traveling is stopped.

JP 2010-055498 A JP 2006-209991 A

  The present invention has been made in view of the above points. For example, even in an environment where there are many moving obstacles, the possibility of stopping traveling is suppressed and traveling to a destination is enabled. An object is to provide a traveling device.

  In order to achieve the above object, a traveling device according to the present invention is a traveling device that moves to a set destination, and is based on the acquired surrounding environment data in an area set as its surroundings. A flow analysis unit that analyzes a region direction vector of a flow formed by a moving body, and a traveling direction selection unit that enables selection of traveling along the flow of the moving body in the region based on the analysis result of the flow analysis unit With.

  In the above traveling device, it is possible to select traveling along the flow of the moving body based on the analysis result of the region direction vector indicating the flow formed by the moving body existing in the surrounding area during traveling, For example, even in an environment where there are a large number of moving bodies, by moving along the flow formed by these moving bodies, it is possible to suppress the possibility of stopping traveling and to travel to the destination. to enable.

  In a specific aspect of the present invention, the travel direction selection unit performs a detour selection process of selecting a travel in a detour direction when the travel in the direction approaching the destination cannot be selected. In this case, it is possible to have an option of making a detour without going against the flow.

  In another aspect of the present invention, the traveling direction selection unit selects a moving direction according to the presence or absence of an empty space between the moving body and itself in the area. In this case, movement to an empty space can be included as an option.

  In still another aspect of the present invention, the travel direction selection unit determines a travel direction to be selected based on map data about the surrounding environment. In this case, it is possible to select travel using map data that has been previously stored.

  In still another aspect of the present invention, the travel direction selection unit determines a travel direction to be selected based on trend data relating to a tendency of the flow of the moving object in each time zone. In this case, it is possible to select more efficient traveling according to the time zone using the trend data. Furthermore, you may make it consider the status change of the installation | facility in which an apparatus is installed.

  In still another aspect of the present invention, the traveling direction selection unit selects a direction of movement toward the boundary of the flow formed by the moving body in the region. In this case, by moving to the boundary side of the flow of the moving body, it is easy to shift to another flow in order to reach the destination while moving along the flow.

  In still another aspect of the present invention, the flow analysis unit includes a human movement detection unit that detects the flow of a pedestrian around him as the flow of the moving body in the region. In this case, by capturing the flow of a person (pedestrian) as the flow of the moving body, it is possible to travel according to the flow of the person's walk.

  In still another aspect of the present invention, a travel direction control unit including a flow analysis unit and a travel direction selection unit, and environmental data that acquires image data or distance measurement data as peripheral environment data and transmits the acquired image data or distance measurement data to the travel direction control unit An acquisition unit and a travel drive unit that travels according to the analysis result of the travel direction control unit are provided. In this case, by specializing the operation in each part, the overall processing capability can be increased, and smooth running becomes possible.

  In still another aspect of the present invention, a guidance device that performs guidance according to the surrounding environment is provided, and the environment data acquisition unit is a sensor unit provided in the guidance device. In this case, traveling by the traveling drive unit is performed based on a result obtained by analyzing the information from the sensor unit provided in the guide device in the traveling direction control unit.

1 is a perspective view conceptually illustrating a configuration example of a traveling robot as an example of a traveling device according to an embodiment. It is a front view for demonstrating one structural example of the communication robot as a customer service part integrated in a traveling robot. It is a block diagram for demonstrating the structure of the traveling robot as a traveling apparatus. It is a conceptual top view for demonstrating an example about the detection range of a traveling robot. (A)-(H) are notional top views for demonstrating the pattern of how a traveling robot moves. It is a flowchart for demonstrating an example about operation | movement of the traveling robot as a traveling apparatus. It is a flowchart for demonstrating an example regarding the selection process of a moving direction among operation | movement of a traveling robot. It is a conceptual diagram for demonstrating one modification about the setting from the departure place of a traveling robot to the final destination. It is a block diagram for demonstrating one modification of the structure of a traveling robot.

  Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 1 etc., an outline | summary is demonstrated about an example of the traveling robot as a traveling apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention.

  A traveling robot 100 as a traveling device according to the present embodiment includes a customer service unit 10 that functions as a communication robot CR that performs communication such as various types of guidance for users in various facilities such as a station, and a traveling unit that includes a driving mechanism for traveling. 20 and a connection part CN that connects the customer service part 10 and the traveling part 20 are provided. That is, the traveling robot 100 has a three-part configuration, and the customer service unit 10 located on the upper side of the device performs various types of customer service such as providing guidance to a person, and also runs on the lower side of the device. By enabling the autonomous traveling by the unit 20, the device moves to a set destination such as moving to the vicinity of the user or guiding the user.

  Moreover, in this embodiment, the connection part CN located in the middle among the traveling robots 100 receives various data related to the external environment from the customer service part 10 and determines the direction of traveling by the traveling part 20 based on the received information. , Is responsible for transmitting the determination result to the traveling unit 20. In other words, roles are divided for each part. Thereby, for example, the travel robot 100 moves to a place where there is a person who seeks guidance, or guides a person to the destination while performing guidance. It is possible.

  In the present embodiment, as described above, the travel direction control unit that enables the travel direction control at the connection portion CN so that the travel robot 100 as the travel device can autonomously move to the destination. Each part is provided in order to function as a travel direction control unit, and details of the configuration of the connection part CN as a traveling direction control part will be described later with reference to FIG.

  Returning to FIG. 1, first, in the traveling robot 100, the customer service unit 10 has a head-shaped part HD shaped like a part of a human body and a body-shaped part TR that supports the head-shaped part HD as shown in the figure. In addition, the customer service unit 10 has a microphone and various sensors as information acquisition means so as to make it possible to understand human voice and support, etc., and also has information output means such as a monitor and a speaker as an image display unit, It is possible to handle customer service such as providing information guidance. In addition, about a detailed structure of the customer service part 10, an example is later mentioned with reference to FIG.2 and FIG.3.

  As described above, the connection portion CN is disposed between the customer service unit 10 and the traveling unit 20, and supports the circular plate-like mounting table TA on which the customer service unit 10 is mounted, and the mounting table TA. In addition to having the mounting table support portion TS connected to the traveling unit 20, for example, a ring-shaped handrail portion HB that is connected and fixed to a plurality of rod-shaped portions BB that extend radially from the side of the mounting table support portion TS. Have. The handrail portion HB can be grasped when the guided person moves with the traveling robot 100 in accordance with the guidance by the traveling robot 100 which is a traveling device, for example.

  The traveling unit 20 travels while supporting the connecting portion CN in a state where the customer service unit 10 is placed on the upper side from the lower side, that is, a transport function that enables the entire traveling robot 100 to move. It is a part to bear. For this reason, it has the base part 150 for supporting the customer service part 10 and the connection part CN connected with this, and the moving mechanism MM provided with the tire. Although not shown in FIG. 1, the traveling unit 20 can detect various obstacles such as walls and protrusions appearing around itself when moving, and various obstacles such as a pedestrian's bag. It has sensors, and based on these, it is possible to avoid various obstacles. An outline of each part regarding the operation of the traveling unit 20 will be described later with reference to FIG.

  Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 2, an example of the communication robot CR constituting the customer service unit 10 of the traveling robot 100 as the traveling device will be described. Here, as an example, the gravitational direction (vertical direction) is the Z direction, and the directions perpendicular to each other in a plane (horizontal plane) perpendicular to the Z direction are the X direction and the Y direction. That is, a plane perpendicular to the Z direction is taken as an XY plane. Further, these X direction, Y direction, and Z direction are set as reference directions.

  The communication robot CR shown in FIG. 2 is a guidance type robot that performs various types of guidance for users at various facilities such as stations, and recognizes the voice of the user, and based on the recognized voice information, This is a guidance device that enables communication with a user. For this reason, the communication robot CR includes, for example, a microphone, a speaker, an infrared camera as a human sensor, and the like. Further, here, it is assumed that each part of the communication robot CR is operable as part of the communication operation. That is, the communication robot CR performs various actions such as bending forward, swinging, scolding, shaking the head, etc. in addition to utterance, for the purpose of assisting and facilitating communication. Is possible.

  Hereinafter, the mechanism of the movable part in the communication robot CR, that is, the portion responsible for movement in the communication robot CR will be described.

  As illustrated in FIG. 2, the communication robot CR has a head-like portion HD that is provided at the uppermost portion and has a nearly spherical shape, and a body-like shape that is provided below the head-like portion HD and supports the head-like portion HD. It has a portion TR and has a shape imitating the upper body of a person, that is, a humanoid three-dimensional structure. Further, the torso-shaped part TR includes a chest part TR1 located on the upper side, a seat part TR2 located on the lower side, and a variable part CH connecting between the chest part TR1 and the seat part TR2. The chest TR1 and the seat TR2 are members made of, for example, resin and have a certain degree of strength. On the other hand, the variable portion CH is made of a deformable material made of, for example, rubber or cloth. Further, the variable portion CH may have a structure like a bellows.

  Hereinafter, the mechanism of each unit for transmitting information and collecting information in the communication robot CR will be described.

  First, as one means for transmitting information, on the front side corresponding to the face of the head portion HD, a panel portion PL made up of, for example, a liquid crystal panel or an organic EL panel, or various lighting displays Lighting units LU1 to LU3 for performing the above are provided. For example, by displaying an image of the eyes, nose and mouth on the panel part PL, and providing an image like a face on the head part HD, the head part HD at the top is the head of a humanoid robot. Can be recognized by the user. In the illustrated example, a large eyeball is displayed. In addition, in the panel part PL etc., it is good also as what performs an image display required in order to perform various guidance.

  Further, as another means for transmitting information, a speaker SK for transmitting a voice to the user is incorporated in the head portion HD.

  Further, as one means for collecting information, a microphone MC is provided in front of the head portion HD.

  Furthermore, as another means for collecting information, each part of the communication robot CR is provided with a human detection sensor unit CM for detecting a user in the vicinity, that is, for detecting a person. As the human detection sensor unit CM, various devices for capturing the positions and movements of surrounding people can be adopted. For example, a camera device that acquires the surrounding situation as image data, an infrared sensor, A rider device that uses laser irradiation to capture the position and movement of a person can be considered. Further, in the illustrated example, a plurality of human detection sensor units CM are arranged along the seat portion TR2, but various installation locations other than this can be considered as long as the surrounding environment can be captured.

  By performing the operation as described above, the communication robot CR can perform a communication operation such as a conversation, and can move the body portion at the same time.

  Further, the communication robot CR has various sensor units such as the above-described human detection sensor unit CM, so that information about the external environment can be acquired. In this embodiment, paying attention to this point, in the traveling robot 100, the communication robot CR that is one of the constituent elements, that is, the customer service unit 10, is used as an environment data acquisition unit for acquiring environment data that is information related to the surroundings. It is supposed to be.

  Here, in general, when performing autonomous traveling of a robot, for example, where there is not much traffic, taking measures against individual obstacles in the prior art may be sufficient for maintaining traveling. unknown. That is, among the above-described examples, various sensors for obstacle detection are arranged in the traveling unit 20 and obstacles are detected based on data acquired thereby, for example, the movement of the detection target as necessary. It may be possible to maintain your own driving by making predictions. However, in the case of driving in a place where a large number of pedestrians may become obstacles, such as the premises of major stations in urban areas or large event venues, the conventional avoiding means as described above alone will It is considered that there is a high possibility that the continuation becomes difficult and the traveling is stopped.

  In order to cope with such a situation, in the present embodiment, the customer service unit 10 functioning as an environmental data acquisition unit acquires various types of information, and the connection unit CN as a travel direction control unit performs various processes related to control of the travel direction. After traveling, traveling by the traveling unit 20 suppresses the possibility of stopping traveling and enables traveling to a destination even in an environment where there are many moving obstacles, for example. . In an environment where many people are moving at the same time as described above, many people move in a certain direction, so to speak, a mass of people move together to form a flow. It is often in a state of going. Therefore, in the present embodiment, particularly in the selection of the traveling direction in the traveling direction control unit, the flow formed by the person is analyzed, and the movement is avoided by avoiding the flow and moving along the flow. I am doing so.

  Hereinafter, an example of the internal structure of the traveling robot 100 for performing the operation as the traveling device will be described with reference to the block diagram of FIG. 3.

  As illustrated and as described above, the traveling robot 100 as the traveling device according to the present embodiment includes a service unit 10 that is a communication robot CR, a traveling unit 20, and a traveling direction control that is a connection unit CN. Part 50.

  Among these, the customer service unit 10 includes a customer service drive unit 11, a display unit 12, a speaker SK, a microphone MC, and a human detection sensor unit CM. Here, the customer service drive unit 11 means a drive device for moving the head-shaped part HD and the body-shaped part TR in the example of FIG. Moreover, the display part 12 means the part which performs display operations, such as panel part PL and lighting part LU1-LU3, if it says in the example of FIG.

  Here, when the customer service unit 10 is regarded as a functional unit related to traveling, the service unit 10 acquires image data or distance measurement data as peripheral environment data of the traveling robot 100 and transmits it to the traveling direction control unit 50. Functions as a data acquisition unit. Specifically, the microphone MC, the camera, the rider device, or the human detection sensor unit CM composed of an infrared sensor, a distance image device, and the like among the above-described units in the customer service unit 10 is in a situation around the traveling robot 100. It functions as an environment data acquisition unit 13 that acquires information such as image data or distance measurement data. In other words, the environment data acquisition unit 13 includes a sensor unit provided in the customer service unit 10 that is a guide device.

  Next, the traveling unit 20 includes a traveling command receiving unit 21, a traveling drive unit 22, and an obstacle detection sensor unit 23. The travel command receiving unit 21 is connected to the travel direction control unit 50, receives a travel command from the travel direction control unit 50, and transmits it to the travel drive unit 22. In the example of FIG. 2, the traveling drive unit 22 is configured by a moving mechanism MM or the like including a tire or the like, and moves the tire or the like in accordance with a signal received by the traveling command receiving unit 21 to move in a target direction. Do. However, the traveling unit 20 further includes an obstacle detection sensor unit 23, and the traveling drive unit 22 performs traveling according to a signal from the obstacle detection sensor unit 23. The obstacle detection sensor unit 23 is configured by various sensors such as an infrared sensor, for example, and can detect various obstacles such as walls and protrusions appearing in the immediate vicinity of itself when moving, or a pedestrian's bag. Based on this, the detection result is transmitted to the traveling drive unit 22 to avoid various obstacles. Therefore, the traveling drive unit 22 uses the information based on the relatively wide range of surrounding environment information acquired by the customer service unit 10 as the environment data acquisition unit and the relatively narrow range information acquired by the obstacle detection sensor unit 23. Based on driving. In other words, the traveling unit 20 travels based on the support from the traveling direction control unit 50 in principle and avoids any sudden obstacles or the like when there is a sudden obstacle.

  Next, the configuration of the traveling direction control unit 50 will be described. As described above, the traveling direction control unit 50 functions as an environment data acquisition unit or determines the traveling direction of the traveling robot 100 based on the surrounding environment data acquired from the customer service unit 10 having the environment data acquisition unit 13. For example, it is configured by a PC having a CPU, a storage device, and the like, and has each functional unit shown in the figure. That is, the traveling direction control unit 50 includes an external information receiving unit 51, a destination setting unit 52, an analysis target region setting unit 53, a flow analysis unit 54, a space search unit 55, a traveling direction selection unit 56, A storage unit 60 and a timer 70 are provided. Of these, for example, the storage unit 60 includes a map data storage area 61 that stores map data about a range in which the traveling robot 100 can move, and a location (specifically, a station or event venue) where the traveling robot 100 moves. The trend data storage area 62 for storing the trend data corresponding to the attributes of the above-mentioned data is included, and these data are read out as necessary when making decisions at each unit. As an example of the trend data, as shown in the figure, hourly trend data 62a can be considered. That is, trend data such as a change in the degree of congestion depending on the time zone is stored as hourly trend data 62a, which is appropriately read out together with the timer 70 so that a movement pattern according to time can be selected.

  First, among the above-described units, the external information receiving unit 51 is connected to the environmental data acquisition unit 13 of the customer service unit 10, receives various types of information from the environmental data acquisition unit 13, and transmits the various information to each unit.

  Next, the destination setting unit 52 appropriately reads the map data stored in the map data storage area 61, and sets the destination to which the traveling robot 100 should go based on the information received from the external information receiving unit 51. That is, the direction in which the traveling robot 100 should go is set.

  Next, the analysis target area setting unit 53 sets an analysis target area for determining the current situation around the traveling robot 100. Specifically, for example, a range indicating a positive component with respect to the target direction vector set by the destination setting unit 52 and a direction in which a range within a few meters around the traveling robot 100 should be selected is selected. To be set as the analysis target.

  Next, the flow analysis unit 54 analyzes the human flow in the range set by the analysis target region setting unit 53 by performing image processing of the acquired data and the like, that is, when viewed as a group, that is, a group of a group It captures the direction of movement as a whole. For this reason, the flow analysis unit 54 is extracted by the human movement detection unit 54a and the human movement detection unit 54a that analyze the flow with each person from the image data and the distance measurement data acquired through the external information reception unit 51. A region direction vector determination unit 54b that determines a region direction vector indicating a moving direction of the region when the flow of each person is collected to form a lump region. The flow analysis unit 54 grasps the movement state of a person as a moving body in the surroundings based on the analysis results of the human movement detection unit 54a and the region direction vector determination unit 54b.

  Next, the space search unit 55 searches for a space (space) that is an empty space in which the traveling robot 100 can move within the range set by the analysis target region setting unit 53. That is, the space search unit 55 uses the image data and the distance measurement data acquired via the external information reception unit 51 to determine a location where there is no person and is connected to the current location and is movable. Analyze for presence.

  Finally, the traveling direction selection unit 56 selects the traveling direction of the traveling robot 100 using the results of the flow analysis unit 54 and the space search unit 55. That is, based on the analysis result in the flow analysis unit 54, for example, if there is a movement of a person as a moving body along the direction of the destination, the traveling robot 100 travels along this, The traveling robot 100 can go to the destination without stagnation even in the crowd. In addition, when there is a small amount of people and a lot of space, it is possible to go to the destination more quickly by selecting the best space that approaches the destination and proceeding in this direction. Therefore, in the traveling direction selection unit 56, selection criteria for determining the best choice for the movement of the surrounding people and the space are determined in advance, and the analysis result or the search result of the flow analysis unit 54 or the space search unit 55 is determined. The traveling direction of the traveling robot 100 is determined by selecting one of the moving methods. When the traveling direction selection unit 56 determines the traveling direction, the traveling direction selection unit 56 transmits the determination result to the traveling command receiving unit 21 of the traveling unit 20.

  Moreover, although a detailed example is mentioned later, in this embodiment, in the traveling direction selection part 56, the detour selection process part 56a is further provided. As a result of the above analysis, the circuitous selection processing unit 56a is a circuit used when there is no option in the direction approaching the destination, that is, when traveling in the direction approaching the destination cannot be selected. .

  As described above, the selection of the traveling direction is performed by the operation of each unit of the traveling direction control unit 50, and the traveling operation according to the selection is performed in the traveling unit 20. Independent driving to the ground is achieved. Here, as described above, the traveling robot 100 has a three-part configuration, the traveling direction control unit 50 is responsible for controlling the traveling direction, and other data acquisition for traveling itself, customer service, or selection of the traveling direction is performed. By dividing the roles as the configuration bears, the calculation processing burden in each part is distributed, and rapid processing is possible.

  As shown in FIG. 4, for example, the detection range in the traveling robot 100 is required to have a certain angle range RG1 with reference to the forward direction A1, which is the traveling direction, for example. The range RG2 can be detected. For example, it is conceivable that the range of the first candidate as the range set in the analysis target region setting unit 53 is the angle range RG1. Furthermore, it is conceivable that the range of the second candidate is the range RG2 when there is no option in the direction approaching the destination.

  Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 5 (A) to 5 (H), typical patterns of movement patterns in the traveling robot 100 configured as described above will be described.

  First, as a premise, each of the above drawings conceptually shows a state in which image data and distance measurement data acquired via the external information receiving unit 51 are analyzed. Here, for simplification of explanation, it is assumed that, as a result of analyzing the data, a plan view in which the traveling robot 100 and its surroundings are captured from a bird's-eye view is obtained, and in this plane, that is, a two-dimensional space. It is assumed that the traveling direction selection unit 56 selects an optimal moving direction of the traveling robot 100 in the vehicle. For example, in FIG. 5A, the position of the traveling robot 100 is indicated by a position P, and the direction of the destination that is the direction to which the traveling robot 100 should be directed is indicated by an arrow PD1. On the other hand, the traveling direction of the selected traveling robot 100 is indicated by an arrow CD1. The same applies to the other figures.

  On the other hand, in FIG. 5A, for example, among the movements of the surrounding objects, that is, the movements regarding the person (pedestrian) that is the moving body, for each movement, first, the position of each moving body is the position H. The direction and speed of the movement are indicated by the direction and size of the arrow a. In addition, regarding the region DH1 that represents a group of people gathered by the flow of people indicated by the dashed box in the figure, the direction and speed of movement as the region DH1 is indicated by an arrow DD1. That is, the arrow DD1 indicates a region direction vector that is a direction vector for a flow of a person who is a moving body in the region DH1. The same applies to the other figures.

  Based on the above, first, in the case illustrated in FIG. 5A, due to the presence of the wall WA, it is impossible to move to the rear side of the position P, that is, the direction of the arrow PD1 indicating the target direction. With respect to the arrow PD1 indicating the target direction, a region DH1 existing on the front side of the position P is in a state of moving in a direction including many positive components in the direction of the arrow PD1. That is, the arrow DD1 includes a component along the direction of the arrow PD1. When the flow analysis unit 54 analyzes that the situation is as described above, the direction (or direction vector) indicated by the illustrated arrow CD1 moving along the arrow DD1 is selected as the traveling direction of the traveling robot 100. It will be extracted as one of the candidates for what should be done. That is, one option is that the traveling robot 100 moves along the region DH1 and the flow of the person shown in the traveling direction thereof. When the traveling direction selection unit 56 determines that the movement in the illustrated direction is optimal from comparison with other analysis results, it is determined and moved.

  Next, in the case illustrated in FIG. 5B, there are a plurality of regions indicating a group of clusters. Specifically, a region DH1 that exists in front of the position P with respect to the arrow PD1 and moves in a direction including many positive components in the direction of the arrow PD1, and exists behind the position P and has the arrow PD1. There is a region DH2 that moves in a direction that includes many negative components in the direction of. In this case, the direction of the arrow CD1 moving along the arrow DD1 indicating the traveling direction of the region DH1, and the direction of the arrow CD2 as the subsequent direction are selected, and the direction of the arrow DD2 indicating the traveling direction of the region DH2 is selected. Will not be. However, in this case, it is desirable that the movement direction is selected so that the movement is performed within a range not affected by the flow formed by the region DH2. In the above case, regarding the selection of the arrow DD1 and the arrow DD2 in the travel direction selection unit 56, for example, a vector component of the arrow PD1 indicating the target direction is extracted in advance, and the direction of the arrow PD1 among the arrows DD1 And the component along the direction of the arrow PD1 in the arrow DD2 can be determined.

  Next, in the case illustrated in FIG. 5C, a state in which the plurality of regions DH1 and DH2 are moving in the direction including the negative component in the direction of the arrow PD1 is shown. In other words, in this case, there is only an option for moving along which group does not approach the destination, that is, makes a detour. Even in such a case, for example, the component of arrow DD1 along the direction of arrow PD1 is compared with the component of arrow DD2 along the direction of arrow PD1, and the absolute value of the negative component is smaller. It is conceivable to take a method such as to select. In addition, about the above selection processes, it is performed in the roundabout selection process part 56a among the driving | running | working direction selection parts 56 especially.

  Next, as illustrated in FIG. 5D, first, the arrow CD1 moving along the arrow DD1 indicating the traveling direction of the region DH1 is selected and moved, and the direction of the arrow PD1 indicating the target direction is selected. When a space SP1 that is an empty space indicated by a dashed-dotted line, that is, a space between the person who is a moving object and the self in the region DH1, is found in a direction that further includes a component in the direction of the space SP1. The selection may be changed or corrected so as to select movement in the direction of a certain arrow CD2. Further, by repeatedly selecting such a movement, it is possible to move to the boundary side of the flow formed by the region DH1. By moving to the boundary side, it becomes easy to change to a region where another flow is formed. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 5C, even if a long-distance selection that is not close to the destination is performed, an area having another flow as illustrated in FIG. By finding it, it becomes possible to change to move closer to the destination.

  Next, as in the case illustrated in FIG. 5E, when the position H of the person is sparse and there is no region indicating a group of clusters, and the space SP2 is found in the direction of the arrow PD1 indicating the target direction. The direction of the arrow CD1 along the arrow PD1 may be selected.

  Next, in the case illustrated in FIG. 5 (F), as shown by a broken line, a region DH3 indicating a new group of clusters appears from one region DH1 that has progressed along the line, and When the traveling direction of the region DH3 is indicated by an arrow DD3 and there are more components along the direction of the arrow PD1, the selection may be changed so as to select movement along the region DH3. .

  Next, as illustrated in FIG. 5G, when the arrow a indicating the movement of the person's position H is disjoint and there is no region indicating a group of clusters, the target direction is changed as illustrated. A space SP1 indicated by an alternate long and short dash line may be found in the direction of the arrow PD1 shown, and movement in the direction like the space SP1 may be preferentially selected.

  Finally, as illustrated in FIG. 5H, the traveling direction of the region DH1 indicating a group of clusters suddenly changes at a certain point to the traveling direction of the region DH2, that is, the direction of the arrow DD1 is the arrow DD2. It may be possible to change to As a typical example, a place that is an intersection may be considered. In such a place, for example, when there is no great difference between the vector components of the arrow PD1 indicating the target direction before and after the change, a moving method that matches the change may be an option.

  As illustrated above, a person as a moving body moves along a movement as a group of areas formed as a lump, that is, a movement that does not oppose the flow formed by a person or between people By searching for a space and moving to that space, the traveling robot 100 can suppress the occurrence of stagnation of its own movement even in a crowd and can surely head for the destination. It has become.

  Hereinafter, an example of the operation of the traveling robot 100 as the traveling device will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS. 6 and 7.

  As shown in FIG. 6, first, when the destination (final destination) to be reached by the traveling robot 100 is set in the destination setting unit 52 of the traveling direction control unit 50 (step S101), the analysis target region is set. The setting unit 53 sets the range of the analysis target area, and the flow of the person who is a moving body and the presence / absence of a space in the range of the analysis target area set by the flow analysis unit 54 and the space search unit 55 are checked, and the traveling direction The selection unit 56 makes a determination regarding options in the traveling direction (step S102). A detailed example of the determination process in step S102 will be described later with reference to FIG.

  If one option is selected as a result of the determination process in step S102 (step S103: Yes), movement in that direction is performed (step S104). After the movement in step S104, the traveling direction control unit 50 or the destination setting unit 52 appropriately reads the map data stored in the map data storage area 61, searches for the surrounding situation (step S105), and sets the destination. It is determined whether or not it has been reached (step S106).

  In step S106, when it is determined that the destination has been reached (step S106: Yes), the traveling direction control unit 50 finishes the series of processes and ends the operation. To stop the movement, i.e., stop traveling and start other necessary processes such as starting various operations necessary for guidance.

  On the other hand, when it is determined in step S106 that the destination has not been reached (step S106: No), the traveling direction selection unit 56 of the traveling direction control unit 50 selects the moving method in step S104, A comparison with the search result of the surrounding situation in S105 is performed, and it is determined whether there is a more favorable moving method (step S107). Typically, it is determined whether there is a new option that can be appropriately advanced in the target direction with a change in surroundings as exemplified with reference to FIGS. 5 (D) to 5 (F).

  When it is determined in step S107 that there is a new option (step S107: Yes), the traveling direction selection unit 56 performs the changed movement after changing the movement method (step S108). It is determined whether or not the movement method can be continued (step S109). If it is determined in step S107 that there is no new option (step S107: No), the traveling direction selection unit 56 can continue the moving method while maintaining the current moving method. Is determined (step S109).

  In step S109, when it is determined by the traveling direction selection unit 56 that continuation is possible (step S109: Yes), movement in that direction is performed, and the operation from step S104 is repeated (steps S104 to S104). S109).

  On the other hand, when the traveling direction selection unit 56 determines that continuation is impossible in step S109 (step S109: No), the traveling direction control unit 50 returns to step S102 and again proceeds as possible. An analysis process for the direction and a determination process for the choice of the traveling direction are performed.

  Hereinafter, an example of a series of processes in step S102 will be described with reference to FIG. In step S102, first, the flow analysis unit 54 performs flow analysis on the range of the analysis target region set by the analysis target region setting unit 53 as a premise (step S401). In other words, the analysis (vector group analysis) processing of the movement of the area indicating the group of a mass formed by a plurality of persons together with the analysis of the flow of the person as the moving body in the range of the analysis target area illustrated with reference to FIG. Made. Here, as an example of the range of the analysis target region, it may be considered to be the forward angle range RG1 with the forward direction A1 illustrated in FIG. 4 as the destination direction. That is, it is conceivable not to include a range on the rear side that is negative with respect to the direction of the destination.

  Further, in parallel with step S401, the traveling direction control unit 50 searches for the presence or absence of a space by the space search unit 55. That is, a search is made for a space that can be formed between a plurality of people exemplified with reference to FIG. 5 (step S402).

  When the processing in step S401 and step S402 is performed, the traveling direction selection unit 56 determines whether there is an option in a direction approaching the destination (step S403). That is, it is determined whether at least one candidate to be selected as the traveling direction of the traveling robot 100 exists.

  In step S403, when one or more options exist (step S403: Yes), the travel direction selection unit 56 determines the best travel option according to the selection criteria predetermined (step S404). Finish the process. On the other hand, in step S403, when no option exists (step S403: No), it is determined that there is no option (step S405), and the series of processing ends.

  As a result of the series of processes in step S102 described above, when the best movement option is determined, it is determined in step S103 in FIG. 6 that there is an option (step S103: Yes). On the other hand, if it is determined that there is no movement option as a result of the series of processes in step S102, it is determined in step S103 that there is no option (step S103: No).

  Here, in Step S103, when it is determined that there is no option in the direction to approach the destination (Step S103: No), the traveling direction control unit 50 performs a detour process (Step S201). In other words, processing is performed including options in the direction away from the destination. Typically, processing is performed to select and include even the situation illustrated in FIG. Therefore, for example, not only the forward angle range RG1 illustrated in FIG. 4 but also the rear range RG2 is set as a detection range, and further, movement in a direction that is a negative component with respect to the target direction is also an option. Candidate for Based on the premise as described above, a series of processing relating to a space and a vector group similar to step S102 illustrated in FIG. 7 is performed (step S202). If the best movement option is determined in step S202, it is determined that there is an option (step S203: Yes), and the movement based on the option is performed (step S104), and the subsequent operations are repeated as described above. It is.

  On the other hand, in step S202, if there are no options (step S203: No), the target direction cannot be moved regardless of whether it is positive or negative. In this case, a reporting operation is performed to indicate to the surroundings that the vehicle cannot move (step S301). Specifically, using an information transmission function such as an audio means such as a speaker SK, an intention display operation such as “Please open the road” is performed. After the notification operation in step S301, it is confirmed whether or not the surrounding situation has changed (step S302). If there is a change (step S302: Yes), the operation from step S102 is repeated again. On the other hand, if there is no change (step S302: No), the notification operation of step S301 is repeated a predetermined number of times (A times: A> 1) (step S303), and the predetermined number of times is reached in step S303 (step S303: Yes). If the surrounding situation does not change (step S304: No), for example, a communication function is used to report (report) to the management room or the like (step S305), and the operation is performed while waiting on the spot. Exit. In step S304, when the situation has changed (step S304: Yes), the operation from step S102 is repeated again.

  As described above, in the traveling robot 100 as the traveling device according to the present embodiment, the region direction vector of the region DH1 indicating the flow formed by the moving person existing in the surrounding region during traveling, that is, the arrow in the figure. Based on the analysis result of DD1, it is possible to select traveling along the flow of a person who is a moving body. As a result, even in an environment where there are a large number of people (pedestrians) around, for example, by moving along the flow formed by these people, the possibility of stopping traveling is suppressed, Driving to the ground is possible.

[Others]
The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and can be implemented in various modes without departing from the scope of the invention.

  First, in the above embodiment, the destination is described as the final destination. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, the first destination PP1, the second destination PP2,... The nth destination may be the final destination (nth destination) PPn, and the vehicle may sequentially travel toward the middle destination. That is, the destination may be set in small increments. At this time, for example, the destination setting unit 52 appropriately reads the hourly trend data 62 a stored in the trend data storage area 62 together with the map data stored in the map data storage area 61, and the above-described midway An optimum destination may be set according to the time zone.

  In the above description, the customer service unit 10 constituted by the communication robot CR is an environment data acquisition unit that acquires information such as image data or distance measurement data about the situation around the traveling robot 100 itself. The data acquisition unit is not limited to this, and various modes are conceivable. For example, a part of the traveling unit 20 may acquire auxiliary data. Furthermore, on the premise of acquiring the data around itself as described above, in addition, information from a camera or the like separately prepared in a premises such as a station where the traveling robot 100 is arranged, It may be available through a communication line or the like. Specifically, for example, as illustrated in FIG. 9 as a modification of FIG. 3, the data transmission unit of the fixed point camera FC provided for monitoring by the traveling direction control unit 50 in the facility (for example, a ceiling portion of a station or the like). The configuration may be such that information is received from the FCd by wireless communication.

  Various things can be assumed for the selection criteria that are set in advance in the traveling direction selection unit 56. For example, the criteria may be changed for each hour by reflecting the hourly trend data 62a. For example, in the vicinity of a platform of a station, it is conceivable to change the setting with an emphasis on the characteristics of the flow immediately after or just before the arrival of a train where the flow of people is likely to increase.

  The communication robot CR may be connected to a management device or the like via a network, for example. In this case, the matters that can be dealt with in software may be handled by a management device or the like that is a connection destination of the network. In addition, for example, it may be possible to deal with various languages so as to be able to guide more people. At this time, in addition to having a language recognition function, a touch panel for selecting a language is provided. May be installed.

  Moreover, although the case where it integrated in the robot for guidance as a communication robot was illustrated in the said embodiment, the robot mechanism of this invention can be applied not only to this but to various robots. For example, the present invention may be applied to a wheelchair-type traveling device that places a person who has difficulty walking or the like to travel.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Customer service part, 11 ... Customer service drive part, 12 ... Display part, 13 ... Environmental data acquisition part, 20 ... Traveling part, 21 ... Traveling command receiving part, 22 ... Traveling drive part, 23 ... Obstacle detection sensor part, DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 50 ... Travel direction control part, 51 ... External information reception part, 52 ... Destination setting part, 53 ... Analysis object area | region setting part, 54 ... Flow analysis part, 54a ... Human movement detection part, 54b ... Area direction vector determination part, 55 ... Space search unit, 56 ... Travel direction selection unit, 56a ... Selection processing unit, 60 ... Storage unit, 61 ... Map data storage area, 62 ... Trend data storage area, 62a ... Hourly trend data, 70 ... Timer, 100 ... running robot, 150 ... pedestal part, a ... arrow, A1 ... forward direction, BB ... bar-like part, CD1 ... arrow, CD2 ... arrow, CH ... variable part, CM ... human detection sensor part, CN ... connection part, CR ... Communication Robot, DD1, DD2, DD3 ... arrow, DH1, DH2, DH3 ... area, H ... position, HB ... handrail part, HD ... head-like part, LU1-LU3 ... lighting part, MC ... microphone, MM ... moving mechanism, P ... Position, PD1 ... Arrow, PL ... Panel part, PP1, PP2 ... Destination, RG1 ... Angle range, RG2 ... Range, SK ... Speaker, SP1, SP2 ... Space, SS1 ... Departure point, TA ... Place, TR ... Body-like part, TR1 ... Chest, TR2 ... Seat part, TS ... Place support part, WA ... Wall

Claims (9)

A traveling device that moves to a set destination,
A flow analysis unit that analyzes a region direction vector of a flow formed by a moving body in a region set as a periphery of the self based on the acquired surrounding environment data of the self;
A travel device comprising: a travel direction selection unit that enables selection of travel along the flow of the moving body in the region based on the analysis result of the flow analysis unit.   The travel device according to claim 1, wherein the travel direction selection unit performs a detour selection process of selecting travel in a detour direction when travel in a direction approaching the destination cannot be selected.   The traveling device according to any one of claims 1 and 2, wherein the traveling direction selection unit selects a traveling direction according to the presence or absence of an empty space between the mobile body and itself in the region.   The travel device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the travel direction selection unit determines a travel direction to be selected based on map data about the surrounding environment.   The said driving | running | working direction selection part judges the driving | running | working direction which should be selected based on the tendency data regarding the tendency of the flow of the mobile body in the said area | region for every time slot | zone. apparatus.   The traveling device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the traveling direction selection unit selects a direction to move to a boundary side of a flow formed by a moving body in the region.   The travel device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the flow analysis unit includes a human movement detection unit that detects a flow of a pedestrian around the self as a flow of the moving body in the region. . A travel direction control unit comprising the flow analysis unit and the travel direction selection unit;
An environment data acquisition unit that acquires image data or distance measurement data as the surrounding environment data and transmits the data to the traveling direction control unit;
The travel device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising a travel drive unit that travels according to an analysis result in the travel direction control unit.   The travel device according to claim 8, further comprising a guidance device that performs guidance according to an ambient environment, wherein the environment data acquisition unit is a sensor unit provided in the guidance device.

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