JP5305082B2 - Autonomous mobile device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an autonomous moving apparatus that detects omnidirectional contact or collision with less detectors when autonomously moving. <P>SOLUTION: The autonomous moving apparatus 3 includes: a truck 40; a cover 41, a first proximity switch and a second proximity switch and an electronic control device 32. The cover 41 is configured to partially cover the side surface of the truck 40, and mounted on the truck 40 so as to be displaced to the truck 40. The first proximity switch is configured to output a detection signal to turn on/off when the cover 41 is displaced by a predetermined value to the truck 40, and arranged at the central part of the truck 40. The second proximity switch is set to be changed from ON to OFF when the cover 41 is displaced more largely than the displacement of the first proximity switch changed from ON to OFF. The electronic control device 32 controls the driving means according to the detection signals to be output from the first proximity switch and the second proximity switch. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&amp;INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an autonomous mobile device, and more particularly to an autonomous mobile device that moves while detecting contact with an obstacle or the like.

  In recent years, research and development of an autonomous vehicle that travels autonomously while detecting an obstacle or the like has been advanced, and has been put to practical use as a transport robot in a warehouse or a factory, for example. Patent Document 1, Patent Document 2 and Patent Document 3 disclose such autonomously traveling vehicles.

Patent Document 1 discloses an autonomous vehicle that can detect contact with an obstacle or the like in all directions of a vehicle body. This autonomous traveling vehicle is configured to include a rectangular body plate and a box-shaped exterior cover that covers the rectangular body plate, and the vehicle body plate and the exterior cover are coupled by a plurality of exterior cover coupling members, Eight micro switches for detecting the displacement of the exterior cover are attached between the side of the vehicle body base plate and the inner surface of the exterior cover. When the exterior cover comes into contact with an obstacle or the like and receives an external force, it moves in the horizontal direction, and among the eight microswitches, the microswitch disposed near the contact portion is turned on. Thereby, contact between the autonomous vehicle and the obstacle is detected.
JP-A-8-263137

Patent Document 2 discloses the following configuration in an obstacle detection device for an automatic guided vehicle including a movable bumper that surrounds the automatic guided vehicle main body and a sensor that detects the movement of the bumper. Yes. That is, the bumper of the automatic guided vehicle includes a main body frame provided on a side surface of the automatic guided vehicle main body, elastic support members provided at four corners of the main body frame, and a bumper frame suspended or straddled by the elastic support member. Consists of. The sensor included in the obstacle detection device includes a contact sensor provided outside the bumper frame, a proximity sensor provided inside the bumper frame, and a proximity sensor provided on the upper surface of the main body frame. .
JP-A-8-194538

Furthermore, Patent Document 3 discloses the following configuration as an autonomous robot. In other words, the autonomous robot includes a main body capable of driving and a exterior part that extends to the main body around the main body and is attached via a force sensor, based on the output of the force sensor. And detecting a collision with an obstacle in the exterior part.
JP 2006-21267 A

  In the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, in order to detect contact or collision in all directions (front / rear / left / right), eight micro switches are arranged over the entire circumference of the side surface of the vehicle body. Therefore, the configuration of the autonomous vehicle is complicated and the cost is increased, and the productivity and reliability may be reduced. Therefore, there has been a demand for a technique that can detect omnidirectional contact or collision with a smaller number of detectors when autonomously moving.

  The configuration of Patent Document 2 also has the same problem. That is, contact detection by a tape switch (contact sensor) cannot detect contact with an obstacle or the like unless the obstacle or the like touches the detection surface of the tape switch. Therefore, the contact detection by the tape switch is local only when an obstacle comes into contact with the tape width portion. However, if a large number of tape switches are arranged in order to detect contact evenly in all directions, the manufacturing cost increases. In addition, since the proximity sensor included in the obstacle detection device can only detect contact in the horizontal direction, for example, when the bumper moves obliquely upward, contact of the obstacle may not be detected.

  In this regard, in the configuration of Patent Document 3, when the exterior portion collides with an obstacle, the moment generated in the exterior portion due to the collision is detected by a force sensor, so that it can be determined that the exterior portion has collided with the obstacle. However, since a force sensor is more expensive than a binary sensor that is switched on / off, there is room for improvement in terms of reducing manufacturing costs.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and provides an autonomous mobile device capable of detecting omnidirectional contact or collision with fewer detectors when autonomously moving. Objective.

Means and effects for solving the problems

  The problems to be solved by the present invention are as described above. Next, means for solving the problems and the effects thereof will be described.

In the autonomous mobile device according to the present invention, the following configuration is provided. That is, the autonomous moving device includes a carriage provided with a movable driving means to and fro, to cover the entire hand side and top surfaces of the carriage, and displaced relative to the carriage in response to a force applied from the outside Detecting whether or not the relative displacement of at least the front, rear, left and right of the cover attached to the carriage via the supporting member that supports the carriage and the upper face of the carriage and the cover facing the upper face is greater than or equal to a predetermined value. depending on to output a detection signal for turning on / off, comprises a detecting means arranged only in the center of the carriage, and control means for controlling the drive means in response to a detection signal output from the detecting means.

Thereby, for example, when the autonomous mobile device comes into contact with an obstacle or the like, the cover is displaced relative to the carriage by an external force applied to the autonomous mobile device. By detecting this relative displacement by the detection means arranged at the center of the carriage, the relative displacement over all directions of the cover can be detected evenly. As a result, it is not necessary to arrange the detection means for each direction on the assumption that an obstacle or the like comes in contact from a plurality of directions, so that the number of detection means can be suppressed. Further, it is possible to detect omnidirectional contact or collision using a detection means that switches on / off with an inexpensive and simple configuration. Furthermore, since the detection means is arranged at the center, wiring and the like can be simplified, and the configuration for detecting contact and collision can be simplified. In addition, by providing the support member, when the autonomous mobile device comes into contact with an obstacle or the like, the cover is relatively displaced with respect to the carriage according to the magnitude of the external force applied to the cover of the autonomous mobile device. Therefore, for example, it is possible to prevent a situation in which a collision is detected even if the impact of contact with an obstacle is negligibly small, or a collision is not detected although the impact of contact with an obstacle is large. Accurate detection by the corresponding detection means becomes possible.

  In the above autonomous mobile device, the cover is preferably configured to have a symmetrical shape in the front-rear and left-right directions around the place where the detection means is disposed.

  Thereby, since it is comprised so that a cover may become a symmetrical shape, it can suppress that the amount of relative displacement is biased by the location of the cover which the obstacle etc. contacted. Therefore, contact and collision with the autonomous mobile device can be detected more uniformly in all directions, and detection accuracy is improved.

  In the said autonomous mobile apparatus, it is preferable to provide the control means for controlling that a cover moves upwards with respect to a trolley | bogie.

  As a result, even when an obstacle or the like comes into contact with the cover from the obliquely lower side, even if the cover is about to move obliquely upward, the upward movement is restricted by the restricting means. A sufficient amount can be secured. Therefore, the detection means can detect the collision and contact with high accuracy even when an obstacle or the like hits from an oblique lower side by detecting the horizontal movement of the cover.

In the autonomous mobile device, the detection means is preferably arranged at a position offset from the center of the carriage .

Thereby, even when an external force is applied so as to rotate the cover, the displacement of the cover can be reliably detected.

  The autonomous mobile device is preferably configured as follows. That is, the autonomous mobile device further includes a second detection unit having a detection characteristic different from that of the detection unit. The second detection means outputs a detection signal that is turned on / off when the cover is displaced by a predetermined value different from the predetermined value of the detection means with respect to the carriage. The control unit controls the driving unit in accordance with the on / off signal output from the detection unit and the on / off signal output from the second detection unit.

  Thereby, the strength of contact can be detected in three stages (ie, no contact, weak contact, strong contact). In addition, by controlling the driving means according to the detected degree (strength) of the contact, it is possible to control stepwise stop operation and avoidance operation corresponding to the detected degree (strength) of the contact. Is possible.

  DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In addition, in each figure, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the same element and the overlapping description is abbreviate | omitted.

  First, the configuration of the autonomous mobile device 1 according to the first embodiment will be described using FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 together. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the autonomous mobile device 1. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the autonomous mobile device 1.

  The autonomous mobile device 1 detects, for example, contact or collision with an obstacle or the like, and functions to move autonomously while taking an avoiding operation such as temporary stop when contact with the obstacle or the like is detected. It is what has. Therefore, the autonomous mobile device 1 covers the carriage 10 provided at the lower part thereof with the electric motor 12 and the omni wheel 13 driven by the electric motor 12, the front, rear, left and right side surfaces and the upper face of the carriage 10. A first proximity switch 21 that is turned on / off in accordance with the relative displacement between the cover 11 attached to the carriage 10 so as to be relatively displaceable with respect to the upper face of the carriage 10 and the cover 11 facing the upper face, and a first proximity And an electronic control unit 30 that controls the electric motor 12 in accordance with an on / off signal output from the switch 21. Hereinafter, each component will be described in detail.

  The carriage 10 has a housing 10A having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. Note that the shape of the housing 10A is not limited to a substantially rectangular parallelepiped. Four electric motors 12 are arranged in a cross shape and attached to the lower part of the housing 10A. Omni wheels 13 are mounted on the drive shafts of the four electric motors 12. That is, the four omni wheels 13 are attached on the same circumference at intervals of 90 ° along the circumferential direction.

  The omni wheel 13 is provided with two wheels 14 that rotate about the drive shaft of the electric motor 12, and 6 on the outer periphery of each wheel 14 so as to be rotatable about an axis orthogonal to the drive shaft of the electric motor 12. A wheel having a single free roller 15 is movable in all directions. The two wheels 14 are attached with a phase shifted by 30 °. Due to such a configuration, when the electric motor 12 is driven and the wheel 14 rotates, the six free rollers 15 rotate together with the wheel 14. On the other hand, when the grounded free roller 15 rotates, the omni wheel 13 can also move in a direction parallel to the rotation axis of the wheel 14. Therefore, by independently controlling the four electric motors 12 and individually adjusting the rotational direction and rotational speed of the four omni wheels 13, the autonomous mobile device 1 can be moved in a plane in any direction (omnidirectional) or It can be swiveled.

  Four insulators 20 as support members that support the cover 11 so as to be relatively displaceable with respect to the carriage 10 are provided at the four corners of the upper surface of the carriage 10 (housing 10A). Here, the cover 11 is a member formed so as to cover the front, rear, left, and right side surfaces and the upper surface of the carriage 10 with, for example, metal or resin. The cover 11 is formed in a rectangular shape in plan view. The insulator 20 is formed of, for example, an elastic member such as rubber or a spring, holds the cover 11 in a floating state with respect to the housing 10A, and external force applied from the obstacle or the like when in contact with the obstacle or the like. The vibration due to the contact is absorbed while the cover 11 is displaced in proportion to the size of. That is, the insulator 20 functions as a support member described in the claims. The insulator 20 may be attached to the side surface of the carriage 10 instead of or in addition to the upper surface of the carriage 10. Further, the insulator 20 is not limited to the one whose displacement is proportional to the external force, but may be any one as long as the correlation between the external force and the displacement is known.

  A first proximity switch that is turned on / off in accordance with relative displacement between the upper surface of the carriage 10 and the cover 11 facing the upper surface is provided on the upper surface of the carriage 10 (housing 10A) and the inner surface of the cover 11 facing the upper surface. 21 is attached. The first proximity switch 21 is a sensor that detects the presence or absence of a detection target in a non-contact manner. In the present embodiment, as the first proximity switch 21, a capacitance type proximity switch that detects the presence or absence of a detection target (detection body) from a change in capacitance generated between the detection body (dog) and the sensor is used. It was.

  Further, the first proximity switch 21 is disposed at substantially the center of the carriage 10 in plan view. However, strictly speaking, the first proximity switch 21 is attached at a position slightly offset from the center of the upper surface of the housing 10A. Thereby, even when an external force is applied to rotate the cover 11 around the center of the housing 10A, the displacement of the cover 11 can be reliably detected.

  The first proximity switch 21 includes a sensor 21A attached to the upper surface of the carriage 10 and a detection body 21B made of a circular metal plate attached at a position facing the sensor 21A on the inner surface of the cover 11. Composed. The first proximity switch 21 outputs an ON signal according to the capacitance between the detection body 21B and the sensor 21A when the detection body 21B is within the detection region of the sensor 21A, and the detection body 21B is connected to the sensor 21A. An off signal is output when it is not within the detection area. Therefore, the first proximity switch 21 outputs an ON signal when the autonomous mobile device 1 is not in contact with an obstacle or the like. On the other hand, the first proximity switch 21 is used when the autonomous mobile device 1 comes into contact with an obstacle or the like, and the detection body 21B moves out of the detection area of the sensor 21A due to the cover 11 being displaced in the horizontal direction with respect to the carriage 10. Outputs an off signal. Thus, the 1st proximity switch 21 functions as a detection means as described in a claim. The first proximity switch 21 is connected to the electronic control device 30, and the detection result (on / off signal) by the first proximity switch 21 is output to the electronic control device 30.

  The electronic control device 30 controls the autonomous mobile device 1. The electronic control unit 30 includes a microprocessor that performs calculations, a ROM that stores a program for causing the microprocessor to execute each process, a RAM that temporarily stores various data such as calculation results, and a battery. It consists of a backup RAM or the like that is held. The electronic control unit 30 also includes an interface circuit that electrically connects the first proximity switch 21 and the microprocessor, a driver circuit that drives the electric motor 12, and the like.

  The electronic control unit 30 detects a contact with an obstacle or the like, for example, based on the stored environment map and the own device position recognized by the laser range finder or the like up to a preset target position. Control is performed so that the autonomous mobile device 1 moves autonomously. When the electronic control device 30 performs autonomous movement, the electronic control device 30 determines the presence or absence of contact with an obstacle or the like based on the detection result of the first proximity switch 21, and controls the electric motor 12 based on the determination result. That is, when there is no contact with an obstacle or the like, the electronic control device 30 drives the electric motor 12 to continue the autonomous movement, and when there is a contact, stops the driving of the electric motor 12 and stops the autonomous moving device 1. Stop. Thus, the electronic control unit 30 functions as a control unit described in the claims.

  Next, the operation of the autonomous mobile device 1 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of contact detection processing by the autonomous mobile device 1. The contact detection process shown in FIG. 3 is mainly performed by the electronic control device 30, and is repeatedly executed at a predetermined timing from when the autonomous mobile device 1 is turned on until it is turned off.

  First, in step S100, the state (ON state or OFF state) of the first proximity switch 21 is read. Subsequently, in step S102, it is determined whether or not the state of the first proximity switch 21 read in step S100 is an on state. Here, when the state of the 1st proximity switch 21 is an ON state, it is judged that there is no contact with an obstacle etc., and autonomous driving | running | working is continued and performed (step S104). On the other hand, when the state of the first proximity switch 21 is in the OFF state, it is determined that the first proximity switch 21 has come into contact with an obstacle and the like, the drive of the electric motor 12 is stopped, and the autonomous mobile device 1 is emergency stopped (step S106).

  As described above, the autonomous mobile device 1 of the present embodiment includes the carriage 10, the cover 11, the first proximity switch 21, and the electronic control device 30. The carriage 10 is provided with driving means. The cover 11 covers the side surface and the upper surface of the carriage 10 and is attached to the carriage 10 so as to be capable of relative displacement with respect to the carriage 10. The first proximity switch 21 outputs a detection signal that is turned on / off when the cover 11 is displaced by a predetermined value with respect to the carriage 10, and is disposed at the center of the carriage 10. The electronic control unit 30 controls the electric motor 12 (driving means) according to the detection signal output from the first proximity switch 21.

  Thereby, for example, when the autonomous mobile device 1 comes into contact with an obstacle or the like, the cover 11 is relatively displaced with respect to the carriage 10 by an external force applied to the autonomous mobile device 1. By detecting this relative displacement by the first proximity switch 21 disposed at the center of the carriage 10, the relative displacement in all directions of the cover 11 can be detected evenly. As a result, it is not necessary to arrange the detection means for each direction on the assumption that an obstacle or the like comes in contact from a plurality of directions, so that the number of detection means can be suppressed. Further, it is possible to detect contact or collision in all directions by using the binary first proximity switch 21 that switches on / off with an inexpensive and simple configuration. Furthermore, since the first proximity switch 21 is arranged at the center, wiring and the like can be simplified, and the configuration for detecting contact and collision can be simplified.

(Second Embodiment)
Then, the structure of the autonomous mobile device 2 which concerns on 2nd Embodiment is demonstrated using FIG.4 and FIG.5 collectively. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the autonomous mobile device 2. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the autonomous mobile device 2. 4 and 5, elements having the same or equivalent configurations and functions as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals.

  The autonomous mobile device 2 further includes a second proximity switch 22 having a detection characteristic different from that of the first proximity switch 21 in addition to the first proximity switch 21 described above, and thus the autonomous mobile device according to the first embodiment described above. Different from 1. The autonomous mobile device 2 controls the electric motor 12 in accordance with an on / off signal output from the first proximity switch 21 and the second proximity switch 22 instead of the electronic control device 30 described above. Is different from the autonomous mobile device 1 described above. Hereinafter, components different from those of the autonomous mobile device 1 will be described in detail. Since other configurations are the same as or equivalent to those of the autonomous mobile device 1, the description thereof is omitted here.

  In addition to the first proximity switch 21 described above, the relative displacement between the upper surface of the carriage 10 and the cover 11 facing the upper surface is provided on the upper surface of the carriage 10 (housing 10A) and the inner surface of the cover 11 facing the upper surface. A second proximity switch 22 that is turned on / off in response to is attached. Similar to the first proximity switch 21, the second proximity switch 22 is a sensor that detects the presence or absence of a detection target in a non-contact manner. In the present embodiment, as the second proximity switch 22, a capacitance type proximity switch that detects the presence or absence of a detection target (detection body) from a change in capacitance generated between the detection body (dog) and the sensor is used. It was. The second proximity switch 22 is offset from the rotation axis of the cover 11 in order to reliably detect the displacement of the cover 11 even when an external force is applied so that the cover 11 rotates about the rotation axis. Attach to position. In the present embodiment, the second proximity switch 22 is disposed at a position slightly away from the center of the carriage 10 on the outer side in the longitudinal direction of the rectangular cover 11.

  The second proximity switch 22 includes a sensor 22A attached to the upper surface of the carriage 10 and a detection body 22B made of a circular metal plate attached at a position facing the sensor 22A on the inner surface of the cover 11. Composed. Similar to the first proximity switch 21, the second proximity switch 22 outputs an ON signal when the detection body 22B is within the detection region of the sensor 22A according to the capacitance between the detection body 22B and the sensor 22A. When the detection body 22B is not within the detection region of the sensor 22A, an off signal is output. Therefore, the second proximity switch 22 outputs an ON signal when the autonomous mobile device 2 is not in contact with an obstacle or the like. On the other hand, the second proximity switch 22 is used when the detection body 22B moves out of the detection area of the sensor 22A due to the autonomous mobile device 2 coming into contact with an obstacle or the like and the cover 11 is displaced in the horizontal direction with respect to the carriage 10. Outputs an off signal.

  Here, the second proximity switch 22 has a detection characteristic for the displacement of the cover 11 (that is, the strength of contact) different from that of the first proximity switch 21 by making the diameter of the detection body 22B different from the diameter of the detection body 21B. Is set to More specifically, the diameter of the detection body 22B is set to a value (for example, 10 mm) larger than the diameter (for example, 8 mm) of the detection body 21B. Therefore, the second proximity switch 22 is in contact with the cover 11 when the cover 11 is displaced more than the amount of displacement by which the first proximity switch 21 is switched from the on state to the off state, that is, when a larger external force is applied. Switch from on to off. Thus, the 2nd proximity switch 22 functions as the 2nd detection means as described in a claim.

  In this embodiment, by using two proximity switches having different displacement detection characteristics by making the diameters of the detection bodies 21B and 22B different, the strength of contact with an obstacle or the like is made in three stages (no contact, weak Contact, strong contact). Each of the first proximity switch 21 and the second proximity switch 22 is connected to the electronic control device 31, and the detection result (ON / OFF signal) by the first proximity switch 21 and the second proximity switch 22 is the electronic control device. 31 is output.

  The electronic control device 31 includes an interface circuit that electrically connects the first proximity switch 21 and the second proximity switch 22 to the microprocessor. When the electronic control device 31 performs autonomous movement, the electronic control device 31 determines the presence / absence of contact with an obstacle or the like and the strength of the contact based on the detection results of the first proximity switch 21 and the second proximity switch 22, and The electric motor 12 is controlled based on the determination result. More specifically, the electronic control unit 31 continues the autonomous movement when there is no contact with an obstacle or the like, and temporarily stops the electric motor 12 when there is a weak contact, thereby making the stronger contact. When there is, the electric motor 12 is stopped in an emergency. That is, the electronic control device 31 in the autonomous mobile device 2 of the present embodiment also functions as the control means described in the claims.

  Next, the operation of the autonomous mobile device 2 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of contact detection processing by the autonomous mobile device 2. The contact detection process shown in FIG. 6 is mainly performed by the electronic control device 31, and is repeatedly executed at a predetermined timing from when the autonomous mobile device 2 is turned on until it is turned off.

  First, in step S200, the state of the first proximity switch 21 (on state or off state) and the state of the second proximity switch 22 are read. Subsequently, in step S202, it is determined whether or not the state of the first proximity switch 21 read in step S200 is an on state. Here, when the state of the 1st proximity switch 21 is an ON state, it is judged that there is no contact with an obstacle etc., and autonomous driving | running | working is continued and performed (step S204). On the other hand, when the first proximity switch 21 is in the off state, it is determined that the first proximity switch 21 is in contact with an obstacle or the like, and the process proceeds to step S206.

  In step S206, a determination is made as to whether or not the state of the second proximity switch 22 read in step S200 is an on state. Here, when the state of the second proximity switch 22 is the on state, it is determined that the contact level with the obstacle or the like is relatively weak, and the driving of the electric motor 12 is temporarily stopped, and the autonomous mobile device 2 is temporarily stopped (step S208). On the other hand, when the state of the second proximity switch 22 is in the OFF state, it is determined that the contact level with the obstacle or the like is relatively strong, and the driving of the electric motor 12 is stopped and the autonomous mobile device 2 is Stop (step S210).

  As described above, the autonomous mobile device 2 of the present embodiment is configured as follows. That is, the autonomous mobile device 2 further includes a second proximity switch 22 having a detection characteristic different from that of the first proximity switch 21. The second proximity switch 22 outputs a detection signal that is turned off when the cover 11 is displaced more than a predetermined value of the first proximity switch 21 with respect to the carriage 10. The electronic control device 31 controls the electric motor 12 (driving means) according to the on / off signal output from the first proximity switch 21 and the on / off signal output from the second proximity switch 22.

  Thereby, the strength of contact can be detected in three stages (ie, no contact, weak contact, strong contact). In addition, by controlling the driving means according to the detected degree (strength) of the contact, it is possible to control stepwise stop operation and avoidance operation corresponding to the detected degree (strength) of the contact. Is possible.

  In the present embodiment, the second proximity switch 22 is arranged away from the center of the carriage 10 in plan view, but the second detection means can also be arranged at the center of the carriage. .

(Third embodiment)
Subsequently, the configuration of the autonomous mobile device 3 according to the third embodiment will be described using FIGS. 7 to 9 together. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the autonomous mobile device 3. FIG. 8 is a plan view of the autonomous mobile device 3. FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the autonomous mobile device 3. 7 to 9, elements having the same or equivalent configuration and function as those in the first embodiment or the second embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals.

  As in the first embodiment and the second embodiment, the autonomous mobile device 3 of the third embodiment detects contact or collision with an obstacle or the like, and when contact with an obstacle or the like is detected, For example, it has a function of moving autonomously while taking an avoidance operation such as a pause. The autonomous mobile device 3 includes a carriage 40, a cover 41, a first proximity switch 71 and a second proximity switch 72, and an electronic control device 32. The carriage 40 has drive means that enables traveling, and allows the autonomous mobile device 3 to travel. The cover 41 is formed in a substantially square shape in plan view, and protects the periphery of the carriage 40 from contact with an obstacle or the like. The first proximity switch 71 and the second proximity switch 72 output a detection signal that is turned on / off according to the relative displacement between the carriage 40 and the cover 41, and detect that the autonomous mobile device 3 has come into contact with an obstacle or the like. . The electronic control device 32 controls the electric motor 12 included in the driving unit in accordance with the on / off signal output by the first proximity switch 71 and the second proximity switch 72. Hereinafter, each component will be described in detail.

  The carriage 40 includes a housing 40A, a bottom plate frame 42 for supporting the housing 40A, and driving means. The housing 40A holds the electronic control device 32 therein. The bottom plate frame 42 is configured in a flat plate shape having a substantially square shape with four corners rounded in an arc shape in a plan view of FIG. 8, and supports the housing 40A on the upper surface side and drives on the lower surface side. Means are arranged. The driving means has an electric motor 12 and an omni wheel 13 as main components.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the four electric motors 12 included in the driving means are arranged in a cross shape so as to overlap the diagonal line of the bottom plate frame 42. Omni wheels 13 are mounted on the drive shafts of the four electric motors 12, respectively. That is, the four omni wheels 13 are attached to the lower part of the carriage 40 so as to be spaced by 90 ° along the circumferential direction on the same circumference and so as to correspond to the four corners of the bottom plate frame 42. Yes. In addition, since the structure of the electric motor 12 and the omni wheel 13 is the same as that of the said 1st Embodiment and 2nd Embodiment, detailed description is abbreviate | omitted. By this driving means, the autonomous mobile device 3 can be moved in any direction (all directions).

  The cover 41 is configured by a metal, resin, or the like as a frame-shaped exterior cover having a substantially symmetrical shape when viewed from the center of the carriage in the plan view of FIG. Covers the left and right sides. The cover 41 is supported from the inside by four cover frames 51 arranged so as to surround the front, rear, left and right of the driving means below the carriage 40. As shown in FIG. 8, in this embodiment, the cover 41 is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape with the center portions of the upper surface and the lower surface being opened, but this shape is changed to a columnar shape, a dome shape, or the like, for example. You can also Even in this case, it is preferable that the cover has a symmetrical shape in the front-rear and left-right directions when viewed from the center of the carriage.

  The cover frame 51 is configured by bending one end of a plate-like member at a right angle so that a part of the plane faces the lower surface of the bottom plate frame 42 and the other part of the plane faces the horizontal direction (side direction). Is arranged. Of the four cover frames 51, the front cover frame 51 and the rear cover frame 51 are connected by a plate-like frame connecting member 52, and the upper surface of the frame connecting member 52 is the lower surface side of the bottom plate frame 42. Is facing. The frame connecting member 52 is disposed so as to pass through the central portion of the carriage 40, and a first detection that is a part of the configuration of a first proximity switch 71 and a second proximity switch 72 described later is provided in the middle of the frame connection member 52. A body 71B and a second detection body 72B are arranged.

  The cover frame 51 of the present embodiment is supported via a so-called gel bush 61 on the lower surface side of the bottom plate frame 42. The gel bush 61 is made of a gel material and functions as a support member configured to be elastically deformable. More specifically, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, two gel bushes 61 arranged side by side are arranged on the upper surface of the front cover frame 51 and the upper surface of the rear cover frame 51, respectively. ing. On the other hand, one gel bush 61 is disposed on the upper surface of the left cover frame 51 and the upper surface of the right cover frame 51 so as to be located slightly in front of the center of the bottom plate frame 42. As shown in FIG. 9, in a state where these gel bushes 61 are sandwiched between the lower surface of the bottom plate frame 42 and the upper surface of the cover frame 51, the bottom plate frame 42 and the cover frame 51 are gel bushed by bolts, washers or the like. Fix to 61.

  The number of gel bushes 61 can be changed as appropriate. For example, like the front and rear cover frames 51, two gel bushes 61 are arranged on the upper surface of the left and right cover frames 51, and the cover frame 51 can be supported by a total of eight gel bushes 61. .

  In a state in which the cover frame 51 is attached to the bottom plate frame 42, the cover 41 is fixed to the side surfaces of the respective cover frames 51 arranged on the front, rear, left and right sides by fixing tools such as screws (not shown). As a result, the cover 41 is held by the cart 40 via the support member (gel bush 61) in a state of being suspended from the bottom plate frame 42. Further, since the gel bush 61 is configured to be elastically deformable, the cover 41 is in a state in which the position of the cover 41 can be slightly changed vertically and horizontally with respect to the bottom plate frame 42. Thus, when an obstacle or the like comes into contact with the cover 41 of the autonomous mobile device 3, the gel bush 61 is deformed according to the external force, and the cover 41 is relatively displaced with respect to the carriage 40.

  The support member disposed between the bottom plate frame 42 and the cover frame 51 is not limited to the gel bush 61. For example, it can replace with the gel bush 61 of this embodiment, and can be suitably changed into the insulator, damper, etc. which were used in 1st Embodiment and 2nd Embodiment.

  The bottom plate frame 42 is provided with a ball plunger 62 via a bracket 63 for restricting the upward movement of the cover 41. As shown in FIG. 8, the ball plungers 62 are arranged one by one in the front, rear, left, and right (a total of four), and the bottom plate frame 42 is arranged such that the tip portions of the respective ball plungers 62 face the upper surface of the cover frame 51. It is attached to the bottom side. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 9, the ball plunger 62 is an upper and lower formed between the bottom plate frame 42 and the cover frame 51 in a state where the shaft portion is held by a bracket 63 bent into an S shape. It is arranged using a gap in the direction. The ball plunger 62 is held by the bracket 63 so that the tip portion where the ball is disposed is in contact with the upper surface of the cover frame 51 to prevent the cover frame 51 from being lifted.

  As a result, even when the cover 41 receives an external force that comes into contact with an obstacle or the like and floats obliquely upward, the cover 41 is restricted from moving upward by the ball plunger 62 and moves in the horizontal direction. . Therefore, with this configuration, the approaching direction (upward direction) is removed from the axial direction (upward and downward direction) detection components of the proximity switch, so that the horizontal direction detection component in contact with an obstacle or the like of the autonomous mobile device 3 can be accurately It can be detected well. Note that the direction (downward direction) of the proximity switch axial direction detection component is the direction in which the proximity switch is turned off, so that it is on the safe side where the autonomous mobile device 3 stops, and in particular, the cover 41 is displaced downward. Need not be regulated.

  Next, the first proximity switch 71 and the second proximity switch 72 will be described. The first proximity switch 71 and the second proximity switch 72 are for turning on / off according to the relative displacement between the carriage 40 and the cover 41, and for transmitting a detection signal to the electronic control device 32. It is a sensor that can detect the presence or absence without contact. Also in this embodiment, a capacitive proximity switch is used as in the first and second embodiments. The first proximity switch 71 includes a first detection body 71B (dog) and a first sensor 71A (sensor) for detecting the first detection body 71B. On the other hand, the second proximity switch 72 similarly includes a second detector 72B (dog) and a second sensor 72A (sensor) for detecting the second detector 72B.

  As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the first sensor 71 </ b> A and the second sensor 72 </ b> A are both arranged at the approximate center on the upper surface side of the bottom plate frame 42. A first through hole 71 </ b> C is formed at the place where the first sensor 71 </ b> A of the bottom plate frame 42 is disposed, and a part (detection surface) of the first sensor 71 </ b> A is disposed on the frame connecting member 52. It faces the detection body 71B through the first through hole 71C. Similarly, a second through hole 72C is formed at a place where the second detection body 72B is disposed, and a part (detection surface) of the second sensor 72A is disposed on the frame connecting member 52. It faces the detection body 72B through the second through hole 72C.

  The first detection body 71B is formed in a cylindrical shape (for example, a diameter of 4 mm) from an appropriate metal. The first sensor 71A is configured to output an ON signal when the first detection body 71B is in the detection region, and output an OFF signal when the distance from the first detection body 71B is more than a certain distance. In the present embodiment, when the autonomous mobile device 3 is not in contact with an obstacle or the like and the cover 41 is in a neutral position with respect to the carriage 40, the center of the circular end surface of the first detector 71B and the first The positional relationship of each component is set so that the center of the detection area of one sensor 71A faces. In a state where the cover 41 is in the neutral position, the first sensor 71A outputs an ON signal to the electronic control unit 32. On the other hand, when the autonomous mobile device 3 comes into contact with an obstacle or the like, the cover 41 is relatively displaced with respect to the carriage 40, and accordingly the first detection body 71B moves out of the detection area of the first sensor 71A. The first sensor 71A outputs an off signal to the electronic control unit 32.

  On the other hand, the second detector 72B is formed in a columnar shape (for example, a diameter of 8 mm) with an appropriate metal. Similarly to the first sensor 71A, the second sensor 72A outputs an ON signal when the second detector 72B is within the detection region, and outputs an OFF signal when the distance from the second detector 72B is more than a certain distance. Is configured to do. Also in the second detection body 72B, when the cover 41 is in a neutral position with respect to the carriage 40, the center of the circular end surface of the second detection body 72B and the center of the detection region of the second sensor 72A face each other. Are arranged to be.

  However, the second proximity switch has a detection characteristic for the displacement of the cover 41 (that is, the strength of contact) different from that of the first proximity switch 71 by making the diameter of the second detection body 72B different from the diameter of the first detection body 71B. Are set differently. Specifically, in the present embodiment, the diameter (8 mm) of the second detection body 72B is set larger than the diameter (4 mm) of the first detection body 71B. Therefore, the second proximity switch 72 is in contact with the first proximity switch 71 when the cover 41 is displaced more than the amount of displacement by which the first proximity switch 71 switches from the on state to the off state, that is, when a larger external force is applied (more strongly contacted). Switch from on to off. Note that the diameters or shapes of the first detection body 71B and the second detection body 72B can be changed as appropriate, and thereby the degree of impact to be detected can be adjusted.

  With the above configuration, the strength of contact with an obstacle or the like can be detected in three stages (no contact, weak contact, strong contact). Each of the first proximity switch 71 and the second proximity switch 72 is connected to the electronic control device 32, and the detection result (ON / OFF signal) by the first proximity switch 71 and the second proximity switch 72 is the electronic control device. 32.

  In this configuration, even if an external force is applied from any of the front, rear, left and right directions of the autonomous mobile device 3, the space between the lower surface (bottom plate frame 42) of the carriage 40 and the frame connecting member 52 (cover 41) facing the lower surface. Causes a relative displacement in the horizontal direction. As described above, the cover 41 is configured in a substantially symmetrical shape in the front-rear and left-right directions when viewed from the center of the carriage 40 in plan view. Therefore, since the distance from the first proximity switch 71 arranged at the center to the side surface of the cover 41 does not vary extremely over the entire circumference of the autonomous mobile device 3, contact with obstacles and the like in all directions is evenly distributed. Can be detected.

  In the present embodiment, a ball plunger 62 is disposed as a restricting means for restricting the upward movement of the cover 41. Thus, even when the autonomous mobile device 3 receives a force that pushes the cover 41 obliquely upward due to contact with an obstacle or the like, the upward relative displacement of the cover 41 is restricted by the ball plunger 62, and the cover 41 The pressing force for pressing is guided in the horizontal direction. Accordingly, by detecting the movement of the horizontal component of the cover 41 by the first proximity switch 71 and the second proximity switch 72, the degree of impact can be accurately detected.

  The electronic control device 32 includes an interface circuit that electrically connects the first proximity switch 71 and the second proximity switch 72 and the microprocessor. When the electronic control device 32 performs autonomous movement, the electronic control device 32 determines the presence / absence of contact with an obstacle or the like based on the detection results of the first proximity switch 71 and the second proximity switch 72, and the strength of the contact. The electric motor 12 is controlled based on the determination result. More specifically, the electronic control unit 32 continues the autonomous movement when there is no contact with an obstacle or the like, and temporarily stops the electric motor 12 when there is a weak contact, thereby making the stronger contact. When there is, control is performed so that the power supply is stopped and the electric motor 12 is emergency stopped.

  According to the present embodiment, since two proximity switches (the first proximity switch 71 and the second proximity switch 72) having different detection characteristics are provided, the strength of contact with an obstacle or the like is increased in three levels (that is, contact). None, weak contact, and strong contact). Further, by controlling the electric motor 12 according to the detected contact strength (degree), for example, a step-by-step avoidance operation corresponding to the detected contact strength such as a temporary stop or an emergency stop is taken. It becomes possible. In addition, since the process procedure of the contact detection process by the autonomous mobile device 3 is the same as the process procedure (see FIG. 6) of the autonomous mobile device 2 of the second embodiment, the description thereof is omitted.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 10, the quantitative evaluation of the detection results of the first proximity switch 71 and the second proximity switch 72 when the autonomous mobile device 3 of the present embodiment contacts an obstacle will be described. What is shown on the left side of the drawing of FIG. 10 is a graph showing the strength of impact when the autonomous mobile device 3 is stopped or temporarily stopped for each direction in which an obstacle comes into contact. What is shown on the right side of FIG. 10 is a model diagram showing a position where an obstacle touches the autonomous mobile device 3 corresponding to the graph, and the direction of the arrow shown in this model diagram is the direction shown in the graph. It corresponds.

  As shown in the graph of FIG. 10, the magnitude of the impact of the obstacle when the driving means is controlled to pause is substantially constant over all directions. That is, it can be seen that the strength of the impact detected by the first proximity switch 71 is substantially constant in all directions, and there is almost no deviation in the accuracy of detecting the impact depending on the location where the obstacle or the like contacts the cover 41. Similarly, the magnitude of impact when the drive means is controlled to make an emergency stop is substantially constant over all directions. Furthermore, the autonomous mobile device 3 is controlled so as to make an emergency stop only when an impact larger than the impact detected when the autonomous mobile device 3 is controlled to temporarily stop, and depending on the magnitude of the detected impact. It can be seen that appropriate control is possible. As described above, according to the configuration of the present embodiment, it is possible to suppress the deviation of the accuracy of detecting the impact by the location where the obstacle or the like has contacted the cover 41, and the size (diameter) of the first detection body 71B and the second detection body 72B. In addition, the quantitative evaluation shown in FIG. 10 shows that the driving means can be appropriately controlled according to the desired magnitude of impact by appropriately optimizing the area).

  As described above, the autonomous mobile device 3 of the present embodiment includes the carriage 40, the cover 41, the first proximity switch 71, and the electronic control device 32. The carriage 40 is provided with driving means. The cover 41 covers a part of the side surface of the carriage 40 and is attached to the carriage 40 so as to be relatively displaceable with respect to the carriage 40. The first proximity switch 71 outputs a detection signal that is turned on / off when the cover 41 is displaced by a predetermined value with respect to the carriage 40, and is disposed at the center of the carriage 40. The electronic control unit 32 controls the driving unit according to the detection signal output from the first proximity switch 71.

  Thereby, for example, when the autonomous mobile device 3 comes into contact with an obstacle or the like, the cover 41 is relatively displaced with respect to the carriage 40 by an external force applied to the autonomous mobile device 3. By detecting this relative displacement by the first proximity switch 71 disposed at the center of the carriage 40, the relative displacement over all directions of the cover 41 can be detected evenly. As a result, it is not necessary to arrange the detection means for each direction on the assumption that an obstacle or the like comes in contact from a plurality of directions, so that the number of detection means can be suppressed. Further, it is possible to detect an omnidirectional contact or collision by using a binary first proximity switch 71 that switches on / off with an inexpensive and simple configuration. Furthermore, since the first proximity switch 71 is disposed at the center, wiring and the like can be simplified, and the configuration for detecting contact and collision can be simplified.

  Further, in the autonomous mobile device 3 of the present embodiment, the cover 41 is configured to be symmetrical in the front-rear and left-right directions around the place where the first proximity switch 71 is disposed.

  Thereby, since it is comprised so that the cover 41 may become a symmetrical shape, it can suppress that a relative displacement amount is biased by the location of the cover 41 which the obstacle etc. contacted. Therefore, contact and collision with the autonomous mobile device 3 can be detected more uniformly in all directions, and detection accuracy is improved.

  In addition, the autonomous mobile device 3 of the present embodiment includes a ball plunger 62 for restricting the cover 41 from moving upward with respect to the carriage 40.

  Thereby, even when an obstacle or the like comes into contact with the cover 41 from the obliquely lower side, even when the cover 41 tries to move obliquely upward, the ball plunger 62 restricts the upward escape, so that the cover 41 A sufficient amount of horizontal displacement can be secured. Therefore, the first proximity switch 71 can detect the collision and contact with high accuracy even when an obstacle or the like hits from an oblique lower side by detecting the movement of the cover 41 in the horizontal direction.

  Further, in the autonomous mobile device 3 of the present embodiment, the cover 41 is attached to the carriage 40 via a gel bush 61 that supports the cover 41 so as to be relatively displaceable according to a force applied from the outside.

  Thereby, when the autonomous mobile device 3 comes into contact with an obstacle or the like, the cover 41 is relatively displaced with respect to the carriage 40 according to the magnitude of the external force applied to the cover 41 of the autonomous mobile device 3. Therefore, for example, it is possible to prevent a situation in which a collision is detected even if the impact with which an obstacle is in contact is so small that it is negligible, or a collision is not detected with a large impact with which an obstacle has been in contact. Accurate detection by the corresponding detection means becomes possible.

  Further, the autonomous mobile device 3 of the present embodiment is configured as follows. That is, the autonomous mobile device 3 further includes a second proximity switch 72 having detection characteristics different from those of the first proximity switch 71. The second proximity switch 72 outputs a detection signal that is turned off when the cover 41 is displaced larger than a predetermined value of the first proximity switch 71 with respect to the carriage 40. The electronic control device 32 controls the electric motor 12 (driving means) according to the on / off signal output from the first proximity switch 71 and the on / off signal output from the second proximity switch 72.

  Thereby, the strength of contact can be detected in three stages (ie, no contact, weak contact, strong contact). In addition, by controlling the driving means according to the detected degree (strength) of the contact, it is possible to control stepwise stop operation and avoidance operation corresponding to the detected degree (strength) of the contact. Is possible.

  Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made as follows, for example.

  In the above embodiment, the capacitance type is used as the detection means (the first proximity switch 21, the second proximity switch 22, the first proximity switch 71, and the second proximity switch 72). Can be changed. For example, an inductive, ultrasonic, photoelectric, or magnetic proximity switch may be used as the detection means. In addition, as a detector which detects the relative displacement of the trolley | bogie 10 (trolley | bogie 40) and the cover 11 (cover 41), a non-contact type is preferable, However, It does not exclude using a contact-type detector.

  Moreover, in 1st Embodiment and 2nd Embodiment, it is the structure which attaches the 1st proximity switch 21 and the 2nd proximity switch 22 to the upper surface side of the trolley | bogie 10 (housing | casing 10A). Instead of this configuration, a cover is attached so as to cover the lower surface side of the housing 10A within a range not interfering with the omni wheel 13, and the first proximity switch 21 and the second proximity switch 22 are attached to the lower surface side of the housing 10A. It is good.

  In the first embodiment and the second embodiment, the detection bodies 21B and 22B are formed in a circular shape. However, for example, an ellipse or a rectangle may be used. In this way, directivity can be given to the displacement detection direction.

  Further, in the first embodiment and the second embodiment, the insulator 20 is used to support the cover 11 so as to be relatively displaceable with respect to the carriage 10, but a damper or the like may be used instead of the insulator.

  In the third embodiment, both the first proximity switch 71 and the second proximity switch 72 are arranged at the center of the carriage 40, but one is arranged at the center of the carriage and the other is the carriage. You may change to the structure arrange | positioned away from a center part. In addition, any one of the first proximity switch 71 and the second proximity switch 72 is omitted from the configuration of the third embodiment, and contact and collision of an obstacle or the like of the autonomous mobile device 3 are detected by a single proximity switch. It can also be set as the structure to do.

  In the above embodiment, one or two proximity switches are used, but a configuration using three or more proximity switches may be used. In this case, by making the detection characteristics of the proximity switches different, the strength (degree) of contact with an obstacle or the like can be detected in more stages.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, as a detection means (the 1st proximity switch 21, the 2nd proximity switch 22, the 1st proximity switch 71, and the 2nd proximity switch 72), an output is turned on when a detection body exists in a detection area. NO (normally open) type is used. This configuration can be changed as appropriate. For example, an NC (normally closed) type whose output is turned on when there is no detection object in the detection region can be used.

  In the above embodiment, when contact with an obstacle or the like is detected, the stop (temporary stop or emergency stop) is performed, but instead of such a stop operation, for example, an avoidance operation that leaves the touched obstacle or the like May be performed.

  In the said embodiment, although the omni wheel 13 which can move to all directions was employ | adopted as a wheel, you may use a normal wheel (a steering wheel and a drive wheel).

  In addition, at least the following technical thought can be grasped | ascertained from embodiment described above and its modification.

(1) a carriage provided with driving means;
A cover that covers all or part of the side and upper and lower surfaces of the carriage and is attached to the carriage so as to be relatively displaceable with respect to the carriage;
Detection means for outputting a detection signal corresponding to a relative displacement between at least one of the upper and lower surfaces of the carriage and the cover facing at least one of the upper and lower surfaces;
An autonomous mobile device comprising: control means for controlling the drive means in accordance with a detection signal output from the detection means.

  Thereby, for example, when the autonomous mobile device comes into contact with an obstacle or the like, the cover is displaced relative to the carriage by an external force applied to the autonomous mobile device. Here, even if an external force is applied from either the front, rear, left, or right direction of the autonomous mobile device, the horizontal relative distance between at least one surface of the upper and lower surfaces of the carriage and the cover facing at least one surface of the upper and lower surfaces is Displacement occurs. Therefore, contact with an obstacle or the like in all directions can be detected by at least one detection means for detecting relative displacement between the upper and lower surfaces of the carriage and the cover facing the upper and lower surfaces. For this reason, when autonomously moving by controlling the driving means, it is possible to detect omnidirectional contact or collision with fewer detectors (detecting means).

(2) The autonomous mobile device,
The autonomous mobile device according to claim 1, wherein the cover is attached to the carriage via a support member that supports the cover so as to be relatively displaceable in accordance with a force applied from the outside.

  In this way, for example, when the autonomous mobile device comes into contact with an obstacle or the like, the cover is displaced relative to the carriage according to the magnitude of the external force applied to the cover of the autonomous mobile device. Therefore, it is possible to obtain a detection result corresponding to the magnitude of the force acting on the autonomous mobile device (cover), that is, the strength of contact with an obstacle or the like.

(3) The autonomous mobile device,
The autonomous mobile device, wherein the support member supports the cover so as to be relatively displaceable in proportion to a force applied from the outside.

  In this way, for example, when the autonomous mobile device comes into contact with an obstacle or the like, the cover is displaced relative to the carriage in proportion to the magnitude of the external force applied to the cover of the autonomous mobile device. Therefore, a detection result proportional to the magnitude of the force acting on the autonomous mobile device (cover), that is, the strength of contact with an obstacle or the like can be obtained.

(4) The autonomous mobile device,
The autonomous mobile device, wherein the detecting means is disposed at a position offset from a rotation axis of the cover.

  With this arrangement, for example, when the autonomous mobile device comes into contact with an obstacle, the displacement of the cover, that is, contact with the obstacle, etc. is detected even if an external force is applied in the direction of rotating the cover. Is possible.

(5) The autonomous mobile device,
The autonomous moving device characterized in that the driving means includes an electric motor and wheels that are driven by the electric motor and are movable in all directions of front, rear, left and right.

  If it does in this way, it will become possible to move a trolley | bogie (autonomous moving apparatus) to the front and rear, right and left all directions by driving an electric motor.

(6) The autonomous mobile device,
The detection means is attached to a detection body attached to the inner surface of the cover facing at least one surface of the upper and lower surfaces of the carriage, and attached to a position facing the detection body of at least one surface of the carriage. An autonomous mobile device comprising: a sensor for detecting the presence or absence of a detection body in a non-contact manner.

  When the non-contact type detection means is used as described above, the displacement of the cover is not suppressed by the resistance of the detection means. Further, for example, when changing the attenuation characteristic of the support member and adjusting the amount of displacement of the cover with respect to the external force, it is not necessary to consider the resistance of the detection means, so the detection characteristic of the detection means and the attenuation characteristic of the support member are It can be set independently.

It is a perspective view of the autonomous mobile device concerning a 1st embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the autonomous mobile device which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the process sequence of the contact detection process by the autonomous mobile apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a perspective view of the autonomous mobile device which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the autonomous mobile apparatus which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the process sequence of the contact detection process by the autonomous mobile apparatus which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a perspective view of the autonomous mobile device which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is a top view of the autonomous mobile device concerning a 3rd embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the autonomous mobile apparatus which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is the graph which showed the mode of control when an autonomous mobile device detected the impact for every intensity and direction of impact.

Explanation of symbols

1, 2, 3 Autonomous mobile device 10 cart 10A housing 11 cover 12 electric motor 13 omni wheel 20 insulator (supporting member)
21 1st proximity switch 22 2nd proximity switch 21A sensor 22A sensor 21B detection body 22B detection body 30,31,32 Electronic control device (control means)
40 cart 40A housing 41 cover 61 gel bush (support member)
62 Ball plunger (regulator)
71 1st proximity switch 72 2nd proximity switch 71A 1st sensor 72A 2nd sensor 71B 1st detection body 72B 2nd detection body

Claims (5)

A carriage provided with driving means that can move back and forth and left and right ;
Cover the entire hand side and top surfaces of the carriage, and a cover attached to該台vehicle via a supporting member for supporting for relative displacement with respect to the carriage in response to a force applied from the outside,
Detecting whether or not the relative displacement of at least the front, rear, left and right of the upper surface of the carriage and the cover facing the upper face is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, and outputs a detection signal that is turned on / off according to the detection result ; Detection means arranged only in the center,
An autonomous mobile device comprising: control means for controlling the drive means in accordance with a detection signal output from the detection means.
The autonomous mobile device according to claim 1,
The autonomous mobile device according to claim 1, wherein the cover is configured to have a symmetrical shape in the front-rear and left-right directions with respect to a place where the detection means is disposed. The autonomous mobile device according to claim 1 or 2,
An autonomous mobile device comprising a restricting means for restricting the cover from moving upward relative to the carriage. The autonomous mobile device according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The autonomous mobile device , wherein the detection means is arranged at a position offset from a center of the carriage .
The autonomous mobile device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein
A second detection unit having a detection characteristic different from that of the detection unit;
The second detection means outputs a detection signal that is turned on / off when the cover is displaced by a predetermined value different from a predetermined value of the detection means with respect to the carriage.
The control means controls the driving means in accordance with an on / off signal output from the detection means and an on / off signal output from the second detection means. apparatus.

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