JP2022125471A - Autonomous traveling device, communication system and control method of autonomous traveling device - Google Patents

Abstract

To detect a transparent obstacle accurately even without complicated operation processing and expensive equipment.SOLUTION: An autonomous traveling device comprises: a drive unit which causes the autonomous traveling device to travel; a storage unit which stores map information; a position recognition unit which recognizes a position of the autonomous traveling device during traveling; a traveling path determination unit which determines a traveling path of the autonomous traveling device based on the position of the autonomous traveling device and the map information; and a transparent obstacle detection unit which detects a transparent obstacle on a path using at least one of shock applied to the autonomous traveling device and magnetism when the autonomous traveling device travels. When the transparent obstacle detection unit detects the transparent obstacle, the traveling path determination unit corrects the traveling path of the autonomous traveling device to avoid a position of the transparent obstacle.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to an autonomous mobile device, a communication system, and a control method for an autonomous mobile device.

Techniques have been proposed for determining the travel route of an autonomous mobile device such as an autonomous mobile robot (AMR) using map information. Such techniques are used, for example, for security inside buildings and for transporting goods in factories. An autonomous mobile device travels while autonomously selecting a travel route toward a target position requested by a user based on map information prepared in advance and position information of the device. The position information of the autonomous mobile device is, for example, the measurement results of a ToF (Time of Flight) sensor that uses laser light, and the measurement results of a sensor (rotary encoder) that measures the amount of rotation of multiple motors that drive the autonomous mobile device. can be calculated from

Map information can be generated using the ToF sensor and rotary encoder measurements described above. However, since laser light penetrates transparent objects such as glass and acrylic, it is difficult for ToF sensors that use laser light to detect transparent objects. For example, in commercial buildings there are many transparent objects such as walls, partitions or doors, which can become obstacles to travel. If the map information is generated as a drivable area instead of an area that is originally not drivable, there is a risk that a normal travel route cannot be generated when the vehicle autonomously travels based on the map information.

Patent Literature 1 discloses a method of generating map data to be referred to by an autonomous mobile robot. In this method, an obstacle such as glass is recognized by judging the obstacle from the ratio of the amount of reflected light of the laser beam.

Patent Literature 2 discloses an autonomous mobile robot that accurately estimates the position of the autonomous mobile robot itself. In this technique, an evaluation value indicating the probability that an object exists is calculated from the intensity of reflected laser light. An evaluation value of 0 indicates that the object does not exist, and an evaluation value of 1 indicates that the object exists. If the intensity of the reflected light is high, an evaluation value close to 1 is calculated, and if the intensity of the reflected light is extremely low, an evaluation value close to 0 is calculated. If the intensity of the reflected light is low due to the transparent glass, a rating value close to 0.5 is calculated. An autonomous mobile robot aims a distance sensor at a space with a high evaluation value, and compares the obtained distance measurement result with a map to estimate the position of the autonomous mobile robot itself.

JP 2009-252162 A JP 2018-185768 A

However, it is difficult to accurately detect transparent obstacles with the technology that attempts to recognize obstacles using reflected light. Detection accuracy may vary depending on various factors such as obstacle shape, surface condition, illumination light, and sunlight. Consistently accurate and transparent obstacle detection by reflected light can require complex computations and expensive equipment.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an autonomous mobile device, a communication system, and a control method for an autonomous mobile device that can accurately detect transparent obstacles without complicated arithmetic processing and expensive equipment. .

An autonomous mobile device according to an aspect of the present invention includes a driving unit that drives the autonomous mobile device, a storage unit that stores map information, a position recognition unit that recognizes the position of the autonomous mobile device during travel, and the autonomous mobile device. a travel route determination unit that determines a travel route of the autonomous mobile device based on the position of the mobile device and the map information; and a transparent obstacle detection unit for detecting a transparent obstacle on the path using one. When the transparent obstacle detection unit detects the transparent obstacle, the travel route determination unit modifies the travel route of the autonomous mobile device to avoid the position of the transparent obstacle.

A communication system according to an aspect of the present invention includes an autonomous mobile device and a travel control device that wirelessly communicates with the autonomous mobile device. The autonomous mobile device includes a driving unit that causes the autonomous mobile device to travel, a position recognition unit that recognizes the position of the autonomous mobile device during travel, and a a transparent obstacle detection unit for detecting a transparent obstacle on a route by using at least one of an applied impact and magnetism; It has a fault location reporting unit that wirelessly reports to the device. The travel control device includes a storage unit that stores map information, a travel route determination unit that determines a travel route of the autonomous mobile device based on the position of the autonomous mobile device and the map information, and the travel route determination unit. and a travel route instructing unit that wirelessly instructs the autonomous mobile device of the travel route determined in . The travel route determining unit modifies the travel route of the autonomous mobile device to avoid the location of the transparent obstacle reported from the autonomous mobile device.

A control method for an autonomous mobile device according to an aspect of the present invention includes recognizing the position of a traveling autonomous mobile device, and determining a travel route of the autonomous mobile device based on the position of the autonomous mobile device and map information. determining; traveling the autonomous mobile device to follow the travel route; detecting a transparent obstacle above; and modifying a travel path of the autonomous mobile device to avoid the position of the transparent obstacle when the transparent obstacle is detected.

In the aspect of the present invention, transparent obstacles on the route are detected by using at least one of the impact and magnetism given to the autonomous mobile device, so that the shape of the transparent obstacles can be detected without complicated arithmetic processing and expensive equipment. , surface conditions, illumination light, sunlight, and other factors to accurately detect transparent obstacles.

1 is a block diagram showing an autonomous mobile device according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of an example of an autonomous mobile device; FIG. FIG. 11 is a schematic plan view of another example of an autonomous mobile device; 4 is a flow chart showing the operation of the autonomous mobile device according to the embodiment of the present invention; It is a schematic diagram showing the operation of the autonomous mobile device according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a communication system according to another embodiment of the invention; 7 is a flow chart showing the operation of the autonomous mobile device in the communication system according to the embodiment of FIG. 6; 7 is a flow chart showing the operation of the cruise control device in the communication system according to the embodiment of FIG. 6;

Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

An autonomous mobile device 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is, for example, a mobile robot or an unmanned guided vehicle that autonomously travels indoors such as a commercial building. A building in which the autonomous mobile device 1 is used has a large number of transparent objects such as walls, partitions, or doors, which can become obstacles to travel.

The autonomous mobile device 1 has a controller 2 , a storage section 4 , a drive section 6 , a position recognition section 8 and a transparency obstacle detection section 10 .

The controller 2 is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), operates according to a computer program stored in the storage unit 4 , and executes control related to traveling of the autonomous mobile device 1 .

The storage unit 4 stores a computer program to which the controller 2 conforms and map information regarding the area in which the autonomous mobile device 1 can travel. The map information is referred to for determining the travel route of the autonomous mobile device 1 . The storage unit 4 is, for example, a ROM (Read Only Memory), a hard disk, or an SSD (Solid State Drive). The computer program and map information may be stored in separate storage units.

The drive unit 6 drives the traveling mechanism (for example, the wheels 6a shown in FIG. 2) of the autonomous mobile device 1 to cause the autonomous mobile device 1 to travel. The drive unit 6 has, for example, a motor 6b that operates a traveling mechanism and a control circuit for the motor 6b.

The position recognition unit 8 sequentially recognizes the current position of the autonomous mobile device 1 during travel. The position recognition unit 8 may be, for example, a positioning sensor that uses a wireless LAN (Local Area Network), or may be a plurality of sensors (rotary encoders) that detect the amount of rotation of a plurality of wheels 6a. Alternatively, the position recognition unit 8 may be an arithmetic device that estimates the current position of the autonomous mobile device 1 from an image captured by a camera mounted on the autonomous mobile device 1, or a ToF sensor using laser light. There may be. Furthermore, the position recognizer 8 may be a combination of any of these devices. The position recognition unit 8 sequentially supplies information regarding the current position of the autonomous mobile device 1 recognized by the position recognition unit 8 to the controller 2 .

The transparent obstacle detection unit 10 detects a transparent obstacle on the route by using the impact given to the autonomous mobile device 1 when the autonomous mobile device 1 travels. The transparent obstruction detection unit 10 has at least one contact detection switch, and when the autonomous mobile device 1 comes into contact with some object and impacts the autonomous mobile device 1, it outputs an electric signal indicating that the impact has been applied. It is supplied to the controller 2.

In a preferred example, as shown in FIG. 2, a bumper 12 is arranged around the body of the autonomous mobile device 1 to absorb impact. Bumper 12 is composed of a plurality of segments 13 . These segments 13 are made of metal or resin and attached to the body of the autonomous mobile device 1 . Each segment 13 is provided with one or more contact detection switches 14 . Contact sensing switch 14 is a pressure sensitive switch known as a bumper switch. When one of the segments 13 contacts with some object and the segment 13 is impacted, the contact detection switch 14 provided in the segment 13 closes and current flows through the switch 14 . The controller 2 monitors the current flow of each contact detection switch 14 as an electrical signal from each switch 14, and detects the contact detection switch 14 that has received an impact from changes in the current. By arranging a plurality of contact detection switches 14 around the body, the controller 2 can grasp which part of the autonomous mobile device 1 has come into contact with the object.

In FIG. 2 , an arrow A indicates the traveling direction of the autonomous mobile device 1 . Bumpers 12 can be provided on the front and sides of the body of the autonomous mobile device 1 .

These contact detection switches 14 can be used as safety sensors. For example, when any contact detection switch 14 detects an impact, the controller 2 of the autonomous mobile device 1 can stop the driving section 6 .

Further, these contact detection switches 14 can also be used as the transparent obstruction detection section 10 . It is assumed that the position recognition unit 8 recognizes objects optically, such as a camera or a ToF sensor using laser light. If any of the contact detection switches 14 detects an impact at a position where the position recognition unit 8 using such optical principles does not recognize the object, the transparent obstacle (for example, wall, partition or door) will be detected. presumed to be in position. Therefore, the transparent obstacle detection unit 10 according to the embodiment can also be considered as a combination of the position recognition unit 8 and the contact detection switch 14 using the optical principle.

As shown in FIG. 3, a bumper 12 is provided so as to surround the entire body of the autonomous mobile device 1, and one or more contact detection switches 14 are provided in each segment 13 of the bumper 12 so as to surround the entire body. A detection switch 14 may be arranged. In particular, this arrangement is advantageous if the autonomous mobile device 1 can travel both in the direction of arrow A and in the direction of arrow B.

The controller 2 has a drive control section 20 , a travel route determining section 22 , a transparent obstacle position calculating section 24 and an obstacle position recording section 26 . The drive control unit 20, the traveling route determination unit 22, and the transparent obstacle position calculation unit 24 are functional blocks executed by the controller 2 functioning according to a computer program.

The drive control unit 20 controls the drive unit 6 to accelerate and decelerate the traveling mechanism of the autonomous mobile device 1 . Further, the drive control unit 20 causes the drive unit 6 to move the autonomous mobile device 1 straight and turn so that the autonomous mobile device 1 follows the travel route determined by the travel route determination unit 22 .

Based on the current position of the autonomous mobile device 1 recognized by the position recognition unit 8, the goal point of the autonomous mobile device 1, and the map information stored in the storage unit 4, the travel route determination unit 22 determines the location of the autonomous mobile device 1. determine the driving route of In determining the travel route, the travel route determination unit 22 calculates costs for each of the plurality of route candidates in the map information using an evaluation function, and selects the route candidate corresponding to the lowest cost as the travel route. Since such a cost calculation method is known, the explanation is omitted.

When the travel route determination unit 22 determines the travel route, the drive control unit 20 causes the drive unit 6 to move the autonomous mobile device 1 straight and turn so that the autonomous mobile device 1 follows the determined travel route.

The transparent obstacle position calculator 24 calculates the positions of transparent obstacles present on the route along which the autonomous mobile device 1 travels, based on the electrical signals from the contact detection switches 14 of the transparent obstacle detector 10 . Specifically, when any of the contact detection switches 14 detects an impact, the transparent obstacle position calculation unit 24 detects the position of the autonomous mobile device 1 recognized by the position recognition unit 8 and the contact detection that detected the impact. Based on the position of the switch 14 relative to the body, the position of the transparent obstruction is calculated. Since a plurality of contact detection switches 14 are arranged around the body, the transparent obstacle position calculator 24 can accurately grasp the position of the transparent obstacle relative to the position of the autonomous mobile device 1 .

The obstacle position recording unit 26 records the information regarding the position of the transparent obstacle calculated by the transparent obstacle position calculator 24 in the map information stored in the storage unit 4 . In this way, the map information in the storage unit 4 is updated by reflecting the position of the transparent obstacle in the map information.

Thus, when the transparent obstacle detection unit 10 detects a transparent obstacle, the map information is updated to include the position of the obstacle. The travel route determination unit 22 re-determines the travel route of the autonomous mobile device 1 using the updated map information. As a result, when the transparent obstacle detection unit 10 detects a transparent obstacle, the travel route determination unit 22 corrects the travel route of the autonomous mobile device 1 so as to avoid the position of the transparent obstacle.

The operation of the autonomous mobile device 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. FIG.

In the autonomous mobile device 1, the travel route determination unit 22 first determines the travel route of the autonomous mobile device 1 based on the current position of the autonomous mobile device 1, the goal point of the autonomous mobile device 1, and the map information stored in the storage unit 4. A route is determined (step S1).

Each of the upper and lower portions of FIG. 5 is a map showing roads on which the autonomous mobile device 1 can travel. The map shows a current point c of the autonomous mobile device 1 and a target point or goal point t. Various route candidates including route candidates 30 and 31 can exist between the current point c and the goal point t. The travel route determination unit 22 calculates the cost using the evaluation function for each of the plurality of route candidates in the map information, and selects the route candidate corresponding to the lowest cost as the travel route. It is now assumed that route candidate 30 has been determined as the travel route.

The drive control unit 20 causes the drive unit 6 to move the autonomous mobile device 1 straight and turn, and causes the autonomous mobile device 1 to travel along the travel route determined by the travel route determination unit 22 (step S2 in FIG. 4).

If no transparent obstacle is detected (step S3), the process returns to step S1, and the travel route determining unit 22 determines the current position of the autonomous mobile device 1, the goal point of the autonomous mobile device 1, and the storage unit 4 to store the Based on the obtained map information, the travel route of the autonomous mobile device 1 is determined again.

As shown in the upper part of FIG. 5, when the transparent obstacle detection unit 10 detects a transparent obstacle 32 on the route on which the autonomous mobile device 1 travels (step S3 in FIG. 4), the drive unit 6 causes the autonomous mobile device 1 to travel. to stop Then, the transparent obstacle position calculation unit 24 calculates the position of the transparent obstacle based on the current position of the autonomous mobile device 1 recognized by the position recognition unit 8 and the position of the contact detection switch 14 that detected the impact with respect to the body. Calculate (step S4).

Then, the obstacle position recording section 26 records the position of the transparent obstacle 32 in the map information, and updates the map information in the storage section 4 (step S5). The updated map information can be used to determine the travel route of the autonomous mobile device 1 thereafter.

After that, the drive control unit 20 performs a return operation (step S6). In the return operation, the drive control unit 20 causes the autonomous mobile device 1 to retreat by a predetermined distance, as indicated by an arrow 33 at the bottom of FIG.

Next, the process returns to step S1, and the travel route determination unit 22 determines the current position of the autonomous mobile device 1 (position after reversing), the goal point of the autonomous mobile device 1, and the updated map information. The travel route of the device 1 is determined again. The evaluation function used by the travel route determination unit 22 to determine the travel route is determined so that the cost of route candidates including obstacles is much higher than the cost of route candidates not including obstacles. Therefore, route candidates 30 for which transparent obstacles 32 have been detected in previous runs are excluded from subsequent travel route selection as much as possible. As a result, for example, the route candidate 31 is determined as the travel route of the autonomous mobile device 1 . As a result, the travel route determination unit 22 modifies the travel route of the autonomous mobile device 1 so as to avoid the position of the transparent obstacle.

In this embodiment, transparent obstacles on the route are detected using the impact given to the autonomous mobile device 1, so objects that cannot be recognized only by the position recognition unit 8 that uses optical principles can be detected as transparent obstacles. . In addition, transparent obstacles can be detected accurately without being influenced by factors such as the shape of the transparent obstacle, surface condition, illumination light, and sunlight, without complicated arithmetic processing and expensive equipment. Transparent obstructions that can be detected include not only objects that transmit light so much that they appear to be non-existent, but also objects that are cloudy and transmit some light (translucent objects). Also, transparent obstacles that can be detected include both colorless and colored objects.

Transparent faults detected by the above process may be verified later. For example, a person may move inside a building and check the position of a transparent obstacle recorded in the map information. If the transparent obstacle is not confirmed by the human, the human corrects the map information. Alternatively, the autonomous mobile device 1 may run again inside the building and attempt to pass through the location where the transparent obstacle is recorded in the map information (the location where the obstacle was previously detected). If the transparent obstacle detection unit 10 does not detect an obstacle at a position where an obstacle has been previously detected, the obstacle position recording unit 26 deletes the position of the obstacle from the map information and replaces it with the map stored in the storage unit 4. Information may be updated. In this way, the map information reflects accurate and up-to-date road conditions.

The functions of the autonomous mobile device 1 can be distributed among multiple devices that wirelessly communicate with each other. FIG. 6 shows a communication system according to such another embodiment. The communication system shown in FIG. 6 has an autonomous mobile device 1A and a travel control device 40 that wirelessly communicates with the autonomous mobile device 1A.

The travel control device 40 has a controller 42 , a wireless communication section 44 and a storage section 46 .

The controller 42 is, for example, a CPU, operates according to a computer program stored in the storage unit 46, and executes control related to traveling of the autonomous mobile device 1A.

The wireless communication unit 44 wirelessly communicates with the autonomous mobile device 1A under the control of the controller 42 . The wireless communication unit 44 has a transmission circuit for transmitting signals to the autonomous mobile device 1A, a receiving circuit for receiving signals from the autonomous mobile device 1A, and an antenna for transmission and reception.

The storage unit 46 stores a computer program to which the controller 42 conforms and map information regarding an area in which the autonomous mobile device 1A can travel. The map information is referred to by the controller 42 for determining the travel route of the autonomous mobile device 1A. The storage unit 46 is, for example, a ROM, hard disk, or SSD. The computer program and map information may be stored in separate storage units.

The controller 42 has a travel route determining section 48 . The travel route determining unit 48 is a functional block executed by the controller 42 functioning according to a computer program. Based on the current position of the autonomous mobile device 1A reported from the autonomous mobile device 1A, the goal point of the autonomous mobile device 1A, and the map information stored in the storage unit 46, the travel route determination unit 48 determines the location of the autonomous mobile device 1A. determine the driving route of In determining the travel route, the travel route determination unit 48 calculates costs for each of the plurality of route candidates in the map information using an evaluation function, and selects the route candidate corresponding to the lowest cost as the travel route.

When the travel route determination unit 48 determines the travel route, the controller 42 (travel route instruction unit) uses the wireless communication unit 44 to wirelessly instruct the determined travel route to the autonomous mobile device 1A.

The autonomous mobile device 1A has a controller 50, a wireless communication section 52, a storage section 54, a drive section 6, a position recognition section 8, and a transparency obstacle detection section .

The controller 50 is, for example, a CPU, operates according to a computer program stored in the storage unit 54, and executes control related to traveling of the autonomous mobile device 1A.

The wireless communication unit 52 wirelessly communicates with the traveling control device 40 under the control of the controller 50 . Wireless communication unit 52 has a transmission circuit for transmitting a signal to running control device 40, a receiving circuit for receiving a signal from running control device 40, and an antenna for transmission and reception.

The storage unit 54 stores computer programs to which the controller 50 conforms. The storage unit 54 is, for example, a ROM, hard disk, or SSD.

A copy of the latest map information stored in the storage unit 46 of the travel control device 40 may be stored in the storage unit 54 . In this case, a copy of the map information is supplied to the controller 50 by wireless communication between the wireless communication units 44 and 52 , and the controller 50 stores the copy of the map information in the storage unit 54 . A copy of the map information can be referred to by the controller 50 for controlling the traveling of the autonomous mobile device 1A. The computer program and the copy of the map information may each be stored in separate storage units.

The drive unit 6, the position recognition unit 8, and the transparency detection unit 10 may be the same as the drive unit 6, the position recognition unit 8, and the transparency detection unit 10 of the autonomous mobile device 1 of FIG. The position recognition unit 8 sequentially supplies the information regarding the current position of the autonomous mobile device 1A recognized by the position recognition unit 8 to the controller 50 . The controller 50 uses the wireless communication unit 52 to wirelessly and sequentially report information about the current position of the autonomous mobile device 1A to the traveling control device 40 .

When the autonomous mobile device 1A comes into contact with some object and impacts the autonomous mobile device 1A, the transparent obstacle detection unit 10 supplies the controller 50 with an electric signal indicating that the impact has been applied. . The contact detection switch 14 shown in FIG. 2 or 3 can be used as the transparent obstruction detection unit 10. As shown in FIG.

The controller 50 has a drive control section 20 and a transparent obstacle position calculation section 56 . The drive control section 20 and the transparent obstacle position calculation section 56 are functional blocks executed by the controller 50 functioning according to a computer program.

The drive control unit 20 controls the drive unit 6 to accelerate and decelerate the traveling mechanism of the autonomous mobile device 1A. When the wireless communication unit 52 receives the instruction of the travel route determined by the travel route determination unit 48 of the travel control device 40, the autonomous mobile device 1A performs drive control so that the autonomous mobile device 1A follows the instructed travel route. The unit 20 causes the drive unit 6 to move the autonomous mobile device 1A straight and turn.

The transparent obstacle position calculator 56 calculates the positions of transparent obstacles present on the route along which the autonomous mobile device 1A travels, based on the electrical signals from the contact detection switches 14 of the transparent obstacle detector 10 . Specifically, when any of the contact detection switches 14 detects an impact, the transparent obstacle position calculation unit 56 detects the position of the autonomous mobile device 1A recognized by the position recognition unit 8 and the contact detection that detected the impact. Based on the position of the switch 14 relative to the body, the position of the transparent obstruction is calculated. Since a plurality of contact detection switches 14 are arranged around the body, the transparent obstacle position calculator 56 can accurately grasp the position of the transparent obstacle relative to the position of the autonomous mobile device 1A.

The controller 50 (obstacle position reporting unit) uses the wireless communication unit 52 to wirelessly report information on the position of the transparent obstacle calculated by the transparent obstacle position calculation unit 56 to the traveling control device 40 .

When this report is received by the wireless communication unit 44 , in the traveling control device 40 , the controller 42 (obstacle location recording unit) records the reported location of the transparent obstacle in the map information stored in the storage unit 46 . In this way, the map information in the storage unit 46 is updated by reflecting the position of the transparent obstacle in the map information. Thereafter, in order to store a copy of the latest map information in the autonomous mobile device 1A, the controller 42 may use the wireless communication unit 44 to transmit a copy of the latest map information to the autonomous mobile device 1A.

Thus, when the transparent obstacle detection unit 10 detects a transparent obstacle, the map information is updated to include the position of the obstacle. The travel route determining unit 48 re-determines the travel route of the autonomous mobile device 1A using the updated map information. As a result, when the transparent obstacle detection unit 10 detects a transparent obstacle, the travel route determination unit 48 corrects the travel route of the autonomous mobile device 1A so as to avoid the position of the transparent obstacle.

FIG. 7 is a flow chart showing the operation of the autonomous mobile device 1A in the communication system according to the embodiment of FIG. In the autonomous mobile device 1A, the wireless communication unit 52 receives the travel route instruction from the travel control device 40 (step S11). The drive control unit 20 causes the drive unit 6 to move the autonomous mobile device 1A straight and turn, and causes the autonomous mobile device 1A to travel along the travel route instructed by the travel control device 40 (step S12).

If a transparent obstacle is not detected (step S13), the process returns to step S11, and the autonomous mobile device 1A continues traveling according to instructions from the traveling control device 40. FIG.

When the transparent obstacle detection unit 10 detects a transparent obstacle on the route on which the autonomous mobile device 1A travels (step S13), the driving unit 6 stops the autonomous mobile device 1A from traveling. Then, the transparent obstacle position calculation unit 56 calculates the position of the transparent obstacle based on the current position of the autonomous mobile device 1A recognized by the position recognition unit 8 and the position of the contact detection switch 14 that detected the impact with respect to the body. Calculate (step S14).

Then, the controller 50 (obstacle position reporting unit) uses the wireless communication unit 52 to wirelessly report information about the transparent obstacle position to the traveling control device 40 (step S15). After that, the drive control unit 20 performs a return operation (step S16). In the return operation, the drive control unit 20 causes the autonomous mobile device 1A to retreat by a predetermined distance. Next, the process returns to step S<b>11 , and the wireless communication unit 52 receives the travel route instruction from the travel control device 40 .

FIG. 8 is a flow chart showing the operation of the cruise control device 40 in the communication system according to the embodiment of FIG. In the travel control device 40, the travel route determination unit 48 first determines the current position of the autonomous travel device 1A reported from the autonomous travel device 1A, the goal point of the autonomous travel device 1A, and the map information stored in the storage unit 4. to determine the travel route of the autonomous mobile device 1 (step S21). The goal point of the autonomous mobile device 1A is known to the travel control device 40 that controls the autonomous mobile device 1A. Next, using the wireless communication unit 44, the controller 42 (travel route instruction unit) wirelessly instructs the autonomous mobile device 1A on the travel route determined by the travel route determination unit 48 (step S22).

If the wireless communication unit 44 does not receive a report of the transparent obstacle location information from the autonomous mobile device 1A (step S23), the process returns to step S21, and the travel route determination unit 48 determines the current location of the autonomous mobile device 1A. Then, based on the goal point of the autonomous mobile device 1A and the map information stored in the storage unit 46, the travel route of the autonomous mobile device 1A is determined again.

When the wireless communication unit 44 receives the report of information on the location of the transparent obstacle from the autonomous mobile device 1A (step S23), the controller 42 (obstacle location recording unit) stores the reported location of the transparent obstacle in the map information. , and update the map information in the storage unit 46 (step S24). The updated map information can be used to determine the travel route of the autonomous mobile device 1A thereafter.

Next, the process returns to step S21, and the travel route determining unit 48 determines the current position of the autonomous mobile device 1A (preferably the position after the backward movement after the return operation in step S16 in FIG. 7) and the goal point of the autonomous mobile device 1A. Then, based on the map information updated in step S24, the travel route of the autonomous mobile device 1A is determined again. The evaluation function used by the travel route determination unit 48 to determine the travel route is determined so that the cost of route candidates including obstacles is much higher than the cost of route candidates not including obstacles. As a result, the travel route determining unit 48 corrects the travel route of the autonomous mobile device 1A so as to avoid the position of the transparent obstacle.

Detected transparent faults may be verified later. For example, a person may move inside a building and check the position of a transparent obstacle recorded in the map information. Alternatively, the autonomous mobile device 1A may run again inside the building and attempt to pass through a location where a transparent obstacle is recorded in the map information (a location where the obstacle was previously detected). If the transparent obstacle detection unit 10 does not detect an obstacle at the position where the obstacle was previously detected, the controller 50 of the autonomous mobile device 1A wirelessly reports this to the traveling control device 40, and the traveling control device The controller 42 (failure location recording unit) of 40 may delete the location of this failure from the map information and update the map information in the storage unit 46 . In this way, the map information reflects accurate and up-to-date road conditions.

Although the invention has been illustrated and described with reference to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes in form and detail can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims. One thing will be understood. Such changes, alterations and modifications are intended to fall within the scope of the present invention.

For example, in the autonomous mobile device 1 or 1A or the travel control device 40, each function executed by the controller may be executed by hardware instead of the controller, for example FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), DSP (Digital A programmable logic device such as a Signal Processor) may be used.

Further, in the above embodiment, the transparency detection unit 10 has a plurality of contact detection switches 14 arranged around the body of the autonomous mobile device. However, the transparency obstacle detection unit 10 may have a plurality of magnetic proximity sensors arranged around the body of the autonomous mobile device. In this case, instead of or in addition to the contact detection switch, a plurality of magnetic proximity sensors that use magnetism to detect nearby objects are arranged around the body of the autonomous mobile device. One or more magnetic proximity sensors may be provided on each segment 13 of bumpers 12 at the front and sides of the body of the autonomous mobile device, as shown in FIG. One or more magnetic proximity sensors may be provided on each segment 13 of the bumper 12 that surrounds the body of the autonomous mobile device.

1 Autonomous mobile device 2 Controller 4 Storage unit 6 Drive unit 8 Position recognition unit 10 Transparent obstacle detection unit 14 Contact detection switch 20 Drive control unit 22 Travel route determination unit 24 Transparent obstacle position calculation unit 26 Obstacle position recording unit 32 Transparent obstacle 1A Autonomous mobile device 40 Travel control device 42 Controller 42 Controller (travel route instruction unit, fault position recording unit)
44 wireless communication unit 46 storage unit 48 traveling route determination unit 50 controller (failure location reporting unit)
52 Wireless communication unit 54 Storage unit 56 Transparent obstacle position calculation unit

Claims (7)

a driving unit for running the autonomous mobile device;
a storage unit that stores map information;
a position recognition unit that recognizes the position of the autonomous mobile device that is running;
a travel route determination unit that determines a travel route of the autonomous mobile device based on the position of the autonomous mobile device and the map information;
a transparent obstacle detection unit that detects transparent obstacles on a route using at least one of impact and magnetism given to the autonomous mobile device when the autonomous mobile device travels,
The autonomous mobile device according to claim 1, wherein when the transparent obstacle detection unit detects the transparent obstacle, the travel route determination unit corrects the travel route of the autonomous mobile device so as to avoid the position of the transparent obstacle. 2. The autonomous mobile device according to claim 1, further comprising an obstacle location recording unit that records the location of the transparent obstacle in the map information when the transparent obstacle detection unit detects the transparent obstacle. When the transparent obstacle detection unit does not detect the obstacle at the position where the obstacle was previously detected, the obstacle position recording unit deletes the position of the obstacle from the map information. The autonomous mobile device according to claim 2. 4. The transparent obstruction detector according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the transparent obstruction detector has a plurality of contact detection switches or a plurality of magnetic proximity sensors arranged around the body of the autonomous mobile device. Autonomous running device. having an autonomous mobile device and a travel control device that wirelessly communicates with the autonomous mobile device;
The autonomous mobile device,
a driving unit for running the autonomous mobile device;
a position recognition unit that recognizes the position of the autonomous mobile device that is running;
a transparent obstacle detection unit that detects transparent obstacles on a route using at least one of impact and magnetism given to the autonomous mobile device when the autonomous mobile device travels;
an obstacle location reporting unit that wirelessly reports the position of the transparent obstacle to the travel control device when the transparent obstacle detection unit detects the transparent obstacle;
The travel control device is
a storage unit that stores map information;
a travel route determination unit that determines a travel route of the autonomous mobile device based on the position of the autonomous mobile device and the map information;
a travel route instruction unit that wirelessly indicates the travel route determined by the travel route determination unit to the autonomous mobile device;
The communication system according to claim 1, wherein the travel route determination unit corrects the travel route of the autonomous mobile device so as to avoid the location of the transparent obstacle reported from the autonomous mobile device. The travel control device is
6. The communication system according to claim 5, further comprising an obstacle location recording unit that records the location of the transparent obstacle reported from the autonomous mobile device in the map information. recognizing the position of the autonomous mobile device during travel;
determining a travel route of the autonomous mobile device based on the location of the autonomous mobile device and map information;
causing the autonomous mobile device to travel so as to follow the travel route;
detecting transparent obstacles on a route using at least one of impact and magnetism given to the autonomous mobile device when the autonomous mobile device travels;
modifying a travel path of the autonomous mobile device to avoid the location of the transparent obstacle when the transparent obstacle is detected;
A control method for an autonomous mobile device, comprising:

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