JP6350708B1 - Exploration vehicle and exploration method using it - Google Patents

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to make an exploration vehicle easy to carry and unattended exploration prior to work. A vehicle body having wheels, a drive motor for causing the vehicle body to travel forward and backward, a rotation speed detection sensor for measuring the rotation of the wheel and outputting measurement data, and a set travel distance Ls. When traveling instruction information D1 and D2 including at least one of the speeds Vs and Vl is input, the driving motor 10 is controlled to cause the vehicle body 4 to travel in the search direction, and the measurement received from the rotational speed detection sensor 32. A control panel 20 for deriving the travel distance Lc actually traveled from the data and returning the vehicle body 4 when the vehicle body 4 reaches the travel distance Ls derived by measurement, and cameras 30A to 30C for photographing the surroundings at the time of exploration The vehicle body 4 is arranged on the rail 3, the vehicle body 4 is made to travel in the search direction based on the travel instruction information D1 and D2, and the surroundings are photographed by the cameras 30A to 30C during the search travel. When the travel distance Lc reaches the set mileage Ls, to return the vehicle body 4. [Selection] Figure 9

Description

  The present invention relates to an exploration vehicle for inspecting a track in a railway and an exploration method using the same.

  Conventionally, in railway inspection work after stormy weather and inspection work during maintenance, a track maintenance cart is brought on the track, and one or more workers get on the track and visually check the track. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1). This conventional track maintenance cart has a cart that travels on a track by wheels, a DC brushless motor that outputs rotational driving force to the front and rear axles through a drive chain, and is detachably attached to the cart, and supplies power to the DC brushless motor. The lithium ion battery to be supplied and the power supplied from the lithium ion battery to the DC brushless motor are controlled so that they can be turned on and off, and the rotational driving force of the DC brushless motor is variably controlled to synchronize the front and rear DC brushless motors. And a drive control device for rotationally driving.

JP 2012-62001 A

  However, in the above conventional inspection work, workers actually get into the track maintenance cart and perform visual inspection work, so for example, dispatch workers to dangerous places where there is a possibility of falling trees or landslides after stormy weather. However, there is a problem that it is necessary to be cautious and take time for recovery work. In addition, a track maintenance cart on which a person actually rides must be brought into the track and used, and there is a problem that a motor and a battery increase in size to carry a person, and the cart itself increases in size and weight. For this reason, in the inspection work, it is difficult for one worker to bring the track maintenance cart into the track, and there is a problem that a plurality of workers are required.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and can perform an unmanned and safe and efficient inspection prior to inspection work and maintenance work by an operator, and further, a lightweight and simple configuration allows one person to perform the inspection. An object of the present invention is to provide an exploration vehicle that can be carried by an operator and can automatically return to the original location, and an exploration method using the exploration vehicle.

  An exploration vehicle according to a first aspect of the present invention includes a vehicle body having wheels and disposed in a path, a drive unit for driving the wheel to rotate and driving the vehicle body, and a measurement unit for measuring the rotation of the wheel. When the travel instruction information including at least one of the travel distance and the speed is input, the driving means is controlled based on the travel instruction information so that the vehicle body travels in the exploration direction along the route. The control means for deriving the actual travel distance from the measurement data received from the means and returning the car body when the actual travel distance of the vehicle body reaches the travel distance of the travel instruction information, and imaging for photographing the surroundings during the exploration And a means.

  In the exploration vehicle according to the first aspect of the present invention, a vehicle body having wheels and disposed in a path, a drive means for driving the wheel to rotate and driving the vehicle body, and a measurement means for measuring the rotation of the wheel When the travel instruction information including at least one of the travel distance and the speed is input, the driving means is controlled based on the travel instruction information so that the vehicle body travels in the exploration direction along the route. The control means for deriving the actual travel distance from the measurement data received from the means and returning the car body when the actual travel distance of the vehicle body reaches the travel distance of the travel instruction information, and imaging for photographing the surroundings during the exploration This means that the operator can inspect the driver unattended before going to the exploration site or inspection site, and when returning, not only the exploration site and inspection site but also the route can be confirmed on the video. Work safety There is improved and can make a work plan based on the image, thereby improving the working efficiency. In addition, since the exploration vehicle can be reduced in weight as a simple structure, it is easy to carry and can be used with high mobility.

  Further, in the exploration vehicle according to the present invention, the vehicle body is provided with obstacle detection means for detecting an obstacle and outputting a detection signal to the control means, and the control means receives the detection signal from the obstacle detection means when the vehicle travels. When it is received, it is preferable to stop the travel of the vehicle body and return to the original travel start position. By adopting such a configuration, it is possible to conduct an exploration with an unmanned exploration vehicle before dispatching a worker to a dangerous place, so that safety of inspection and maintenance work is improved. Also, the vehicle body is provided with input / output display means capable of displaying the input travel instruction information and the travel distance derived by measurement, while the travel instruction information is input to the control means through the input / output display surface. May be. With such a configuration, the worker can set the travel instruction information flexibly and flexibly on site. Furthermore, the travel instruction information includes first travel instruction information that includes information on a preset travel distance and a preset speed, respectively, and second information that includes information on a walking-corresponding speed that is set in accordance with the walking speed. The control means includes an automatic reciprocating travel mode for returning when the exploration vehicle reaches a set travel distance based on the first travel instruction information, and an exploration vehicle based on the second travel instruction information. The vehicle body is caused to travel based on one of the forward travel mode, the reverse travel mode, and the manual travel mode that is controlled by selecting either one of the forward travel mode and the stop mode. When one of the travel modes is selected by the operator, the input / output display means instructs the control means to travel in the selected travel mode, and the control means displays the automatic reciprocating travel mode. When the forward travel instruction section on the input / output display surface is operated during selection, a command signal for starting travel is transmitted to the drive means, and when the manual travel mode is selected, the forward travel instruction section on the input / output display surface is operated. When the reverse travel instruction unit is operated, the forward command signal is transmitted to the drive means, and the braking device provided in the vehicle body is operated to stop the operation of the drive means. It is preferable to stop the vehicle body. By adopting such a configuration, it is possible to switch the traveling mode according to the distance of the exploration distance and send the traveling instruction information, so that the workability is improved and the exploration can be performed efficiently.

  The control means may be configured to include a control panel mounted on the vehicle body and a remote operation device that is carried by an operator and that inputs a control command signal to the control panel via a wireless operation. preferable. With such a configuration, a control command signal can be sent at a location away from the exploration vehicle, so that operability is improved and work can be performed safely. Furthermore, the remote control device has a forward travel command button and a reverse travel command button for transmitting forward and reverse command signals to the control panel, respectively. A command signal to start the exploration travel is sent to the control panel by one-touch operation of the button, and when the manual travel mode is selected, a forward travel command signal is continuously transmitted to the control panel by continuing to press the forward travel instruction button, and the vehicle travels backward. It is preferable that a command signal for reverse travel is continuously transmitted to the control panel by continuously pressing the instruction button, and transmission to the control panel is stopped and the vehicle body is stopped when both the travel instruction buttons are not operated. By adopting such a configuration, the operator can operate with the remote control device at hand and the operability is improved. In addition, the input / output display means displays an operation on / off section for stopping the operation of the obstacle detection means on the control panel when the selection operation is performed, and the remote control device causes a fault on the control panel when operated. An operation on / off button for stopping the operation of the object detection means may be provided. Furthermore, the set speed during the exploration run in each travel mode is set to a low speed of 1 km / h or more and less than 5 km / h according to the walking speed, and an arbitrary set speed is set to a high speed of 5 km / h or more, and the first travel instruction information The set speed is preferably set with priority given to an arbitrary speed input immediately before the start of work. Further, the speed at the time of exploration traveling may be different from that at the time of return, and the speed at the time of return may be higher than the speed at the time of exploration traveling. With this configuration, work efficiency can be improved. Furthermore, the vehicle body is composed of an unmanned four-wheeled carriage made of a tubular frame. The four-wheeled carriage is electrically connected to a battery and includes an electric motor that drives wheels, and a braking device that constantly brakes the wheels. However, the electromagnetic brake may be configured to release the brake only when the electric motor is operating, and the electromagnetic brake may be provided with a brake forcibly releasing member that forcibly releases the brake according to an operation. Further, the imaging unit may be configured by a measurement / inspection unit that measures or inspects a route or a situation around the route.

  An exploration method using an exploration vehicle according to a second aspect of the present invention includes a vehicle body having wheels and disposed in a path, a drive means for driving the wheel to rotate and driving the vehicle body, and rotation of the wheel. When the travel instruction information including at least one of the travel distance and the speed is input, the driving means is controlled based on the travel instruction information to search the vehicle body along the route. The control means for returning the vehicle body when the actual travel distance of the vehicle body reaches the travel distance of the travel instruction information, and at the time of exploration An exploration method using an exploration vehicle provided with an image pickup means for photographing a state, wherein a first step of placing a vehicle body on a route by an operator, and when travel instruction information is input to the control means, the control means Entered by Based on the travel instruction information, the vehicle body is driven and controlled to travel in the exploration direction. During the exploration travel, the second step of photographing the surroundings by the imaging unit and the rotation of the wheel by the measurement unit are measured and measured. And a third step of deriving a travel distance actually traveled based on the data and a fourth step of returning the vehicle body when the actual travel distance of the vehicle body reaches the travel distance of the travel instruction information. Yes.

  In the exploration method using the exploration vehicle according to the second aspect of the present invention, a vehicle body having wheels and disposed in a path, a drive means for driving the wheel to rotate and driving the vehicle body, and rotation of the wheel When the travel instruction information including at least one of the travel distance and the speed is input, the driving means is controlled based on the travel instruction information to search the vehicle body along the route. The control means for returning the vehicle body when the actual travel distance of the vehicle body reaches the travel distance of the travel instruction information, and at the time of exploration An exploration method using an exploration vehicle provided with an image pickup means for photographing a state, wherein a first step of placing a vehicle body on a route by an operator, and when travel instruction information is input to the control means, the control means Entered by Based on the travel instruction information, the vehicle body is driven and controlled to travel in the exploration direction, and during the exploration travel, the rotation of the wheels is measured and measured by the image capturing means and the rotation of the wheels is measured by the measurement means. A third step for deriving a travel distance actually traveled based on the data and a fourth step for returning the vehicle body when the actual travel distance of the vehicle body reaches the travel distance of the travel instruction information. Therefore, when an operator goes to the exploration site or inspection site without an unmanned inspection in advance and returns, not only the exploration location and inspection location but also the route can be confirmed on the video. As a result, work plans can be made based on the images, and work efficiency is improved.

  Further, in the exploration method using the exploration vehicle according to the present invention, the vehicle body has obstacle detection means for detecting an obstacle and outputting a detection signal to the control means, and travel instruction information is supplied to the control means through the input / output display surface. Input / output display means capable of displaying the inputted travel instruction information and the travel distance derived by measurement are provided, and the control means receives a detection signal from the obstacle detection means during traveling of the vehicle body. The vehicle is configured to stop traveling and return to the original traveling start position. In the second step, during the exploration traveling, the control means detects the obstacle when the obstacle detecting means detects the obstacle. It is preferable that the vehicle is stopped, the actual travel distance to the stop position is derived in the third step, the vehicle body is returned from the stop position in the fourth step, and the actual travel distance is displayed on the input / output display surface. By adopting such a configuration, it is possible to conduct an exploration with an unmanned exploration vehicle before dispatching a worker to a dangerous place, so that safety of inspection and maintenance work is improved. The travel instruction information includes first travel instruction information that includes information on a preset travel distance and a preset speed, respectively, and second information on a walking-corresponding speed that is set according to the walking speed. The control means includes an automatic reciprocating travel mode for returning when the exploration vehicle reaches a set travel distance based on the first travel instruction information, and an exploration vehicle based on the second travel instruction information. The vehicle body is configured to travel based on one of a forward travel mode, a reverse travel mode, and a manual travel mode that is controlled by selecting either one of the forward travel mode and the stop mode. It is preferable that either one of the manual travel modes is selected. By adopting such a configuration, it is possible to switch the traveling mode according to the distance of the exploration distance and send the traveling instruction information, so that the workability is improved and the exploration can be performed efficiently. Furthermore, the control means includes a control panel mounted on the vehicle body, and a remote operation device that is carried by an operator and that inputs a control command signal to the control panel via a wireless operation. When the automatic reciprocating travel mode is selected, if the forward travel instruction button of the remote control device is operated with a single touch, a travel start command signal is transmitted to the control panel to start the vehicle travel. When the manual travel mode is selected, the remote control device If you continue to press the forward travel instruction button, the forward command signal is continuously sent to the control panel, the vehicle body continues to move forward, and if you continue to press the return operation button on the remote control device, It is preferable that the vehicle body is stopped if the command signal is continuously transmitted, the vehicle body is continuously moved backward, and neither the forward travel instruction button nor the return operation button is operated. With such a configuration, a control command signal can be sent at a location away from the exploration vehicle, so that operability is improved and work can be performed safely.

  An exploration vehicle according to the present invention includes a vehicle body having wheels and disposed in a route, a drive unit that drives the wheel to rotate and travels the vehicle body, a measurement unit that measures rotation of the wheel, a travel distance, When the travel instruction information including at least one of the speeds is input, the driving means is controlled based on the travel instruction information so that the vehicle body travels in the exploration direction along the route, and the measurement received from the measurement means A control means for deriving the actual travel distance from the data and returning the vehicle body when the actual travel distance of the vehicle body reaches the travel distance of the travel instruction information, and an imaging means for photographing the surroundings during exploration Since the construction of claim 1 is adopted, it is possible to perform an unmanned inspection in advance before the worker goes to exploration and inspection, and to confirm with a video after returning, improving work safety and working efficiency. Will improve. Further, since the exploration vehicle can be reduced in weight as a simple structure, it is easy to carry and workability is improved.

  The exploration method using the exploration vehicle according to the present invention includes a vehicle body having wheels and disposed in a path, a drive means for driving the wheel to rotate and driving the vehicle body, and a measurement means for measuring the rotation of the wheel. When the travel instruction information including at least one of the travel distance and the speed is input, the driving means is controlled based on the travel instruction information so that the vehicle body travels in the exploration direction along the route. The control means for deriving the actual travel distance from the measurement data received from the means and returning the car body when the actual travel distance of the vehicle body reaches the travel distance of the travel instruction information, and imaging for photographing the surroundings during the exploration A search method using an exploration vehicle provided with a means, wherein a first step of placing a vehicle body on a route by an operator, and travel instruction information input to the control means, travel input by the control means Instructions The vehicle is driven and controlled to travel in the exploration direction based on the above, and during the exploration travel, the rotation of the wheel is measured by the measuring means, and the second step of photographing the surrounding state by the imaging means, and based on the measured data A third step for deriving the travel distance actually traveled and a fourth step for returning the vehicle body when the actual travel distance of the vehicle body reaches the travel distance of the travel instruction information. Can be inspected in advance before going to the inspection place, so that work safety is improved and work efficiency is improved.

It is a top view which abbreviate | omitted the upper frame which shows the search vehicle which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is the front view which looked at the exploration vehicle of FIG. 1 from the front side. It is a left view of the exploration vehicle of FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows typically the travel distance measuring mechanism of the exploration vehicle of FIG. (A), (B) is explanatory drawing which respectively shows the distance setting screen and speed setting screen which were displayed on the screen of the input / output display apparatus of the exploration vehicle of FIG. (A), (B) is explanatory drawing which respectively shows the manual operation screen and standby time setting screen which were displayed on the screen of the input / output display apparatus of the exploration vehicle of FIG. It is a remote controller of the exploration vehicle of FIG. (A), (B) is explanatory drawing explaining operation of the remote controller, respectively. It is a flowchart which shows driving | running | working in automatic reciprocation driving mode. It is a flowchart which shows driving | running | working in manual driving mode. (A) and (B) are explanatory views schematically showing an example of traveling of the exploration vehicle in the automatic reciprocating travel mode, and (C) to (E) are schematic examples of traveling of the exploration vehicle in the manual travel mode. FIG. It is a side view which shows the search vehicle which concerns on other embodiment of this invention. It is a front view of the exploration vehicle of FIG. 12, and shows the state which measures the building limit in a tunnel by laser irradiation.

  Hereinafter, an exploration vehicle according to the present invention will be described with reference to an embodiment shown in the drawings. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, an exploration vehicle 2 according to an embodiment of the present invention is placed on a rail (path) 3 (3A, 3B) of a railway and travels. The exploration vehicle 2 includes a vehicle body (vehicle frame) 4 made up of an orbital traveling vehicle that travels unattended, and front and rear wheels 5 that are rotatably provided on the vehicle body 4 and roll on a rail 3.

  The vehicle body 4 is composed of tubular frames 4A to 4J. That is, the vehicle body 4 includes left and right side frames 4A and 4B. As shown in FIG. 3, the side frames 4 </ b> A and 4 </ b> B are vertically raised from the lower sides 4 </ b> Ad and 4 </ b> Bd, the upper sides 4 </ b> Au and 4 </ b> Bu shorter than the lower sides 4 </ b> Ad and 4 </ b> Bd 4A, 4Bl, and front and rear inclined parts 4As, 4Bs connected to the arc-shaped parts at both ends of the upper side. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the vehicle body 4 includes these side frames 4A and 4B, lower frames 4C and 4D for connecting the lower sides of both side frames 4A and 4B, and upper sides of the side frames 4A and 4B. The upper frames 4E and 4F that connect the portions 4Au and 4Bu respectively, and the front and rear frames 4G and 4H that connect the vertical rising portions 4Al and 4Bl of the side frames 4A and 4B, respectively, and the center between the side frames 4A and 4B. And a central frame 4I having substantially the same shape as the side frames 4A and 4B, and connecting the lower frames 4C and 4D, the front and rear frames 4G and 4H, and the upper frames 4E and 4F. It is prepared for.

  Between the left and right side frames 4A and 4B, axles 6A and 6B are rotatably supported in front of and behind the lower sides 4Ad and 4Bd, respectively, and wheels 5 are attached to both ends of the axles 6A and 6B. Each side frame 4A, 4B is provided with L-shaped support fittings 4Aa, 4Ab, 4Ba, 4Bb between the upper side portions 4Au, 4Bu and the lower side portions 4Ad, 4Bd, respectively. Between the lower frames 4C and 4D, a support frame 4J is provided between the central frame 4I and the left side frame 4A. These frames 4A to 4J are formed from aluminum hollow pipes to reduce the weight. A support floor 4K is provided between the front and rear lower frames 4C and 4D between the central frame 4I and the lower side 4Bd of the right frame 4B.

  A drive motor (driving means) 10 is provided on the lower side of the central frame 4I and the support frame 4J, and a battery mounting plate is provided on the lower side of the central frame 4I, the support frame 4J, and the lower frame 4C on the front side. 11, lithium ion batteries 12 are respectively mounted. The output shaft 13 of the drive motor 10 is provided with a pulley 75 that transmits the rotational force to the rear axle 6B via the coupling 14, and a non-excitation electromagnetic brake 16 is provided on the same shaft of the output shaft 13. It is done. The electromagnetic brake 16 is always in a braking state in a non-energized state (the power supply from the lithium ion battery 12 is off). When the drive motor 10 is driven, a control panel 20 (see FIGS. 3 and 4) described later is used. The braking is released based on the command signal. When the drive motor 10 is not in operation and the lithium ion battery 12 is energized or not energized, it is in a braking state. The non-excited electromagnetic brake 16 is manually forced to be braked by an operation rod (braking forced release member) 16A (see FIG. 3), which will be described later, regardless of whether the lithium ion battery 12 is energized or not. It can be canceled.

  A control board (control means, controller) 20 (see FIGS. 2 and 3) that is electrically connected to the drive motor 10 and controls the drive motor 10 is electrically connected to the support floor 4K. The first and second travel instruction information D1 and D2 input by the worker are displayed on the touch panel screen (display surface) 22 (see FIG. 5), and the input first and second travel instruction information D1. , An input / output display device (touch panel display device, input / output display means) 21 for transmitting D2 to the control panel 20 is mounted (see FIGS. 1 to 3). The control panel 20 and the input / output display device 21 are accommodated in a rectangular box-shaped case 23. The drive motor 10 is electrically connected to the lithium ion battery 12 via the control panel 20. The control panel 20 includes a central processing unit (not shown) and a memory unit, and controls the drive motor 10 based on one of the first and second travel instruction information D1 and D2 selected through the input / output display device 21. Rotate forward and backward. The touch panel screen 22 of the input / output display device 21 is exposed to the outside through a window 23 </ b> B opened in the right side wall portion 23 </ b> A of the case 23. The vehicle body 4 travels unattended when the drive motor 10 is driven and controlled by the control panel 20. In addition, you may comprise the control panel 20 from the terminal device provided with the input-output part, the display part, the central processing part, and the memory.

  An emergency stop button 25 is provided on the rear frame 4H of the vehicle body 4. When the emergency stop button 25 is pressed, the non-excited electromagnetic brake 16 is deenergized to perform a braking operation to stop the vehicle body 4. Further, the non-excitation electromagnetic brake 16 is provided with a braking forcible release mechanism (not shown) so that braking is forcibly released by operating the operating rod 16A when not energized. A rotating lamp (patrol light) 26 and an alarm device (horn) 27 are provided on the wall surface on the front side of the case 23, and LED lighting devices 28A and 28B are provided in the center of the front and rear frames 4G and 4H, respectively.

  A collision prevention sensor (obstacle detection means) 29 is provided below the front side lighting device 28A (see FIGS. 1 and 2). The collision prevention sensor 29 sends a detection signal to the control panel 20 when an obstacle OB (see FIG. 11) is detected. When the control panel 20 receives the detection signal, it temporarily stops driving the drive motor 10, and after the standby time t set to a desired time (1 to 60 seconds in the present embodiment) has elapsed, In reverse, the vehicle body 4 is moved backward to return to the original search start position. 2 indicates a detection level (detection surface) of the collision prevention sensor 29.

  Wireless cameras (imaging means) 30A and 30B are provided on the right side of the front frame 4G and the left side of the rear frame 4H, respectively, and a 360-degree camera 30C is provided on the left side of the front frame 4G. Video data is recorded and stored in a memory section of the panel 20 or an external storage device (not shown). These cameras 30A, 30B, and 30C are configured to be turned on and off by the control panel 20 through radio and are operated during exploration travel. Travel in the exploration direction is performed in the forward direction, and the backward direction of return is the reverse direction. Depending on the work content, this direction may be reversed and the traveling in the exploration direction may be set as the reverse direction. When the vehicle body 4 travels in the forward direction for exploration, only the front camera 30A and the 360 ° camera C operate, and when the vehicle body 4 travels in the backward direction, the rear camera 30B. Only the 360 degree camera C is operated. Further, the front side illumination device 28A and the rear side illumination device 28B are turned on and off by operation buttons displayed on the touch panel screen 22 of the input / output display device 21. The rotating lamp 26 is operated when the collision prevention sensor 29 is released. The cameras 30A, 30B, and 30C may be provided with a transmission device (not shown), and images taken by the cameras 30A, 30B, and 30C may be viewed in real time through a terminal device (not shown) that is carried by an operator. Further, as described above, the collision prevention sensor 29 may be provided not only on the front side but also on the rear side. In this case, the obstacle OB can be detected by operating the reverse collision prevention sensor.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the exploration vehicle 2 is provided with a travel distance measuring mechanism (travel distance measuring means) 31 that guides the travel distance traveled by the vehicle body 4 based on the rotation of the wheels 5. The travel distance measuring mechanism 31 is provided in the rear lower frame 4D, and measures the rotational speed of the drive-side axle 6B during exploration travel (during forward travel) and outputs the measurement data to the outside. A central processing unit (not shown) of the control panel 20 for guiding the travel distance based on the measurement data and the diameter of the wheel 5 is configured. The guided travel distance Lc is displayed on the touch panel screen 22 of the input / output display device 21 through the control panel 20. In the travel distance measuring mechanism 31, when the rotational speed detection sensor 32 measures the rotational speed of the drive side axle 6 </ b> B and outputs the measurement data to the control panel 20, the control panel 20 is based on the measurement data and the diameter of the wheel 5. Thus, the actual travel distance Lc is derived, and the travel distance Lc actually traveled is displayed on the input / output display device 21.

  First and second travel instruction information D1 and D2 are inputted to the input / output display device 21 through the touch panel screen 22 by an operator. The first and second travel instruction information D1 and D2 include first and second travel instruction information D1 and D2 respectively corresponding to different travel modes. The first travel instruction information D1 is configured by a set travel distance (travel distance for exploration) Ls and a set speed Vs (or Vl) that are respectively input and set by an operator. The first travel instruction information D1 is stored in a memory unit (not shown) of the control panel 20 as drive control in the automatic reciprocating travel mode M-AR. In the automatic reciprocating travel mode M-AR, the vehicle body 4 is traveled at the set speed Vs, and when the actual travel distance Lc reaches the set travel distance Ls, the vehicle body 4 is temporarily stopped and returned to the original travel start position. Mode. The second travel instruction information D2 includes only the set speed Vl (or Vs) input and set by the worker, and does not include travel distance information. The second travel instruction information D2 is stored in the control panel 20 as drive control in the manual travel mode M-RC. The manual travel mode M-RC is an operation mode in which the vehicle body 4 is moved forward, reverse, or stopped by manual operation one by one, and the forward speed or reverse speed is set to the set speed Vl (or Vs). It is an operation mode. That is, both the set travel distance Ls and the set travel speed Vs (or Vl) are set in the first travel instruction information D1, whereas the travel distance is not set in the second travel instruction information D2. The only difference is that only the speed Vl is set, whereby the operation mode for controlling the traveling of the vehicle body 4 is divided into the automatic reciprocating traveling mode M-AR and the manual traveling mode M-RC.

  The set speed Vl of the second travel instruction information is a speed in the range of 1 km / h or more and less than 5 km / h according to the walking speed set in advance on the control board 20 as a volume in the board, and this range is low. The speed is selected and set. That is, it is set to a speed according to the speed at which the worker walks along the rail 3 or a speed slower than that. When the operation mode is the manual travel mode M-RC, the vehicle body 4 travels with the worker and can be stopped with the emergency stop button 25 as necessary.

  On the other hand, the set speed Vs of the first travel instruction information D1 is an arbitrary speed (5 km / h or higher) higher than these low speeds, and in this embodiment, a speed of up to 20 km / h can be set. ing. The set travel distance Ls is set in the range of 1 to 2000 m in the exploration vehicle 2 according to the present embodiment, and the standard setting is 2 km. In addition, it can be set to 8 km or more depending on the number of lithium ion batteries 12 to be mounted according to work contents and exploration purposes. In addition, when set to a low speed in the range of 1 to 5 km / h, in addition to being able to be a walking speed or a lower speed and a safe speed, setting to such a low speed, for example, between gauges A measuring device (measuring / inspecting means) is mounted and the gauge is measured with a laser, or a building limit measuring device (measuring / inspecting means) 50 is mounted and the building limit is measured as shown in FIGS. It is now possible to obtain accurate data. That is, not only image data is acquired along the exploration path by the cameras 30A, 30B, and 30C, but also the gauge distance and the building limit can be measured along the exploration path. In addition, it is possible to measure and measure various indispensable data on track maintenance such as track height difference, rail gap, insulation / short-circuit resistance value, etc. by changing the installed device. . As described above, when measuring and measuring with a gauge measuring device or a building limit measuring device, the operation mode is set to the automatic reciprocating traveling mode M-AR, and the set speed of the first traveling instruction information D1 is set as follows. Needless to say, it may be set to a low speed Vl in the range of 1 km / h or more and less than 5 km / h according to the walking speed. As shown in FIG. 12, the building limit measuring apparatus 50 is provided on the upper frames 4E and 4F, and measures the building limit in the tunnel by laser irradiation. The building limit measurement data is sent to the control panel 20 or a personal computer (portable terminal) (not shown), and is associated with travel information so that the position or location is specified.

  When travel is controlled based on the first travel instruction information D1, that is, when travel is controlled in the automatic reciprocating travel mode M-AR, the control panel 20 sets the preset travel distance Ls and the preset speed. Based on Vs (Vl), the vehicle body 4 travels. When the vehicle body 4 reaches the set travel distance Ls, the vehicle body 4 is temporarily stopped and a predetermined time t (1 to 60 seconds in the present embodiment, FIG. 6). (Refer to the standby time setting screen in (B)) It stops and then returns to the original travel start position. The control panel 20 determines whether or not the set travel distance Ls has been reached based on the travel distance Lc actually traveled guided by the travel distance measurement mechanism 31 (= the reach distance Lr from the travel start position). It has become. Further, when the collision prevention sensor 29 detects the obstacle OB while the vehicle body 4 is traveling, the control panel 20 temporarily stops the vehicle body 4 and stops for a predetermined time t (1 second to 60 seconds), and then starts the original traveling. It is designed to return to the position. The reason for setting the predetermined stop time t at the time of stopping is to leave the situation at the stop position more reliably by the cameras 30A, 30B, and 30C.

  When travel is controlled based on the second travel instruction information D2, that is, when travel is controlled in the manual travel mode M-RC, the control panel 20 is preliminarily set to 1 km / h to 5 km / h according to the walking speed. A desired speed is selected from speeds in a range less than h and input as a set speed Vl (for example, Vl = 3 km / h), and the operation buttons (“forward” button 24A, “ It is made to move forward or backward by the operation of the “reverse” button 24B and the manual operation screen in FIG. 6A, and to follow in accordance with the walking of the worker. At this time, the cameras 30A, 30B, and 30C may be operated as necessary, or may not be operated. Then, when traveling for exploration with the worker in this manual travel mode M-RC, the vehicle body 4 follows the worker, so the operation of the collision prevention sensor 29 may be stopped.

  On the touch panel screen 22 of the input / output display device 21, as shown in the distance setting screen of FIG. 5A, these travel modes M-AR, M are displayed on the travel mode input display section (displayed as “AUTO-RETURN”) 22 D. -RC information is displayed in a selectable manner. When the traveling mode input display portion 22D is lit, the automatic reciprocating traveling mode M-AR is selected. When the display portion 22D is touched and turned off, the manual traveling mode M-AR is displayed. The state where RC is selected is shown.

  On the touch panel screen 22, the actually traveled distance Lc guided by the travel distance measuring mechanism 31 is output and displayed on the travel distance display unit 22 </ b> A. Further, on the touch panel screen 22, a distance from the start of the exploration travel to the turn-up, that is, a reach distance Lr (Ls ≧ Lr = Lc) from the travel start position to the turn-back position is an reach distance display section. 22C. The arrival distance Lr is the same as the set travel distance Ls when the exploration vehicle 2 completes the travel for the set travel distance Ls without detecting the obstacle OB. Is detected, it becomes the actual travel distance Lc from the start of travel until it is detected and turned back. For this reason, when the obstacle OB is detected, it is possible to know how far the obstacle OB is from the travel start position. In addition, the touch panel screen 22 displays the actual traveling speed Vr on the speed display portion 22G (see the speed setting screen in FIG. 5B, displayed as “speed”). The set travel distance Ls, the set speed Vs, and the actual travel distance Lc are recorded in a memory unit (not shown) of the control panel 20.

  When one of the driving modes M-AR and M-RC displayed on the touch panel screen 22 is selected by the operator, the input / output display device 21 is set to the selected driving mode M-AR or The M-RC information is transmitted to the control panel 20, and the control panel 20 waits for the drive motor 10 to be in a controllable state based on the selected travel mode M-AR or M-RC. When the automatic reciprocating travel mode M-AR is selected and the drive motor 10 is in a controllable standby state, the forward travel instruction unit 24A (of (A) in FIG. 6A) displayed on the touch panel screen 22 of the input / output display device 21 is displayed. When the operator touches the manual operation screen (displayed as “advance”), the input / output display device 21 transmits a command signal for starting travel to the control panel 20 in the automatic reciprocating travel mode M-AR. On the other hand, even when the manual travel mode M-RC is selected, the drive motor 10 enters a controllable standby state, and when the worker touches the forward travel instruction unit 24A, the input / output display device 21 is displayed on the control panel 20. A command signal for starting travel is transmitted in the manual travel mode M-AR.

  The set travel distance Ls of the first travel instruction information D1 is previously input by a worker through the set travel distance input display unit 22B (see (A) in FIG. 5, “set value”) of the touch panel screen 22, The set speed (set speed at the time of travel and return) Vs (or Vl) of the travel instruction information D1 of 1 is input through the set speed input display section 22H (refer to (B) of FIG. 5, displayed as “set value”). Is done. That is, when the worker touches the numeric part of the set travel distance input display unit 22B, a key window is displayed so that the set value of the travel distance can be input. Further, when a numeric part of the set speed input display section 22H is touched, a key window is displayed so that a speed set value can be input within a range of 1 km / h or more and less than 5 km / h. Further, the stop time t at the time of turn-back is input in advance by a worker through the standby time setting input display unit 24L (refer to the standby time setting screen in FIG. 6B, displayed in “standby time setting”) on the touch panel screen 22. The That is, when the worker touches the numeric part of the standby time setting input display section 24L, a key window is displayed, and the standby time at the time of return can be input in the range of 1 second to 60 seconds. When the automatic reciprocating mode M-AR is selected on the touch panel screen 22 and the operator touches and selects the forward travel instruction unit 24A on the touch panel screen 22 while the drive motor 10 is on standby, the vehicle body 4 is automatically The traveling is started according to the reciprocating traveling mode M-AR.

  Note that the speed is set either in the first travel instruction information D1 or the second travel instruction information D2, through the set speed input display unit 22H for safety, the volume in the panel is set to 1 km / h to 5 km / h in advance. Although a desired speed can be set from a low speed in a range less than h, a numerical value input through the set speed input display unit 22H of the touch panel screen 22 is given priority, and a low speed of 1 km / h or more and less than 5 km / h is given. Even if it is faster than the speed (for example, 5 to 20 km / h), it can be set freely.

  The second travel instruction information D2 does not include the setting of the travel distance. In the manual travel mode M-RC, unlike the automatic reciprocating travel mode M-AR, the forward, reverse or stop operation is manually performed. Therefore, it is suitable for the case where the vehicle body 4 is caused to travel in advance, and is moved backward along the exploration path while checking the presence / absence of an abnormality in the image by moving it backward and returning it to the worker. Even in this case, when the collision prevention sensor 28A detects the obstacle OB during traveling, the control panel 20 once stops the vehicle body 4 at that position and then moves backward.

  As described above, these set speeds Vs and Vl are set to a low speed (1 km / h or more and less than 5 km / h) as the volume in the panel during the exploration traveling and when returning after the exploration ends, or the set speed The speed is set to be higher than the range of 1 km / h or more and less than 5 km / h through the input display unit 22H, and the same speed is set at the time of traveling and returning. It is preferable to increase the efficiency by setting a higher speed.

  By the way, the exploration vehicle 2 is portable by an operator, and starts to travel in the automatic reciprocating travel mode M-AR to the control panel 20 by radio, and forward or reverse command signals are transmitted in the manual travel mode M-RC. A possible remote controller (remote control device) 40 is provided (see FIGS. 1 and 7). As shown in FIG. 7, the remote controller 40 includes a power button 41, an indicator 42 indicating the operation state of the button, and number buttons “1” to “1”, each of which is numbered from 1 to 10 and performs a specific function. “10”. The indicator 42 is provided with a power on / off display section that displays the power-on state when lit, and an operation status display section that displays the pressing operation state of the number buttons when lit. .

  As shown in FIG. 8, the remote controller 40 has a button number “1” (forward travel instruction button) as a forward button (FWD) corresponding to the forward travel instruction unit 24 </ b> A on the touch panel screen 22. The (reverse travel instruction button) is a reverse button (REV) corresponding to the reverse travel instruction section 24B of the touch panel screen 22, and the button number “6” is the reset section (operation on / off section) 24C (“RSET”) of the touch panel screen 22. The button number “5” is a horn button (HORN) corresponding to the alarm unit 24D (displayed by “horn”) on the touch panel screen 22 as a reset button (operation on / off button) (RST) corresponding to It is supposed to function. When the reset button having the button number “6” is pressed and held, the operation of the collision prevention sensor 29 in the ON state is stopped, and the rotating lamp 26 is operated to be lit. That is, the operation release of the collision prevention sensor 29 can be confirmed by turning on the rotating lamp 26. When the horn button (HORN) with the button number “5” is pressed, the alarm device 27 is sounded. When the power button 41 is pressed, the power of the remote controller 40 is turned on, and the power is turned off after one minute when the no-operation state continues.

  When the exploration vehicle 2 is selected to travel in the automatic reciprocating travel mode M-AR, the remote controller 40 is preset when the worker presses the forward button (FWD) with the button number “1” once with one touch. The vehicle travels for the set travel distance Ls and returns. At this time, the reverse button (REV) of the button number “2” is not operated (refer to “AUTO-RETURN mode” in FIG. 8B). In the exploration vehicle 2, when traveling in the manual traveling mode M-RC is selected, if the worker continues to press the forward button (FWD) of the button number “1”, the vehicle body 4 travels in the forward direction, The vehicle stops when the hand is released from the forward button (FWD) with the number “1” (see “RC mode” in FIG. 8A). If the reverse button (REV) is continuously pressed, the vehicle body 4 travels in the reverse direction (reverse direction), and stops when the button is released from the reverse button (REV) with the button number “2”. It is suitable for exploration vehicles 2 following the movement of workers and for exploration at a relatively short distance from the site, that is, proceeding sequentially along the exploration route while checking for abnormalities at a relatively short distance. In this case, too, During the row, the collision prevention sensor 29 is equal in operation, when detecting an obstacle OB is configured to return retreats.

  The touch panel screen 22 transitions to a speed setting screen shown in FIG. 5B when the next term transition unit 22F (displayed by “next term”) is touched on the distance setting screen shown in FIG. When the next item transition unit 22J (displayed by “next item”) is touched on the speed setting screen of FIG. 5B, the manual operation screen shown in FIG. 6A is displayed, and the previous item transition unit 22K (“previous item” is displayed). Touching (Display) makes a transition to the distance setting screen shown in FIG. Further, when the next term transition unit 24E (displayed by “next term”) is touched on the manual operation screen shown in FIG. 6A, the screen transits to the standby time setting screen shown in FIG. 6B, and the previous term transition unit 24F. When touched (displayed in “previous item”), a transition is made to the speed setting screen of FIG. When the next term transition unit 24G (displayed by “next term”) is touched on the standby time setting screen shown in FIG. 6B, the screen transitions to the distance setting screen shown in FIG. 5A and the previous term transition unit 24H (“previous term”). Touching (display), the screen shifts to the manual operation screen shown in FIG.

  In the manual operation screen shown in FIG. 6A, when the “front lamp” button 24I is pressed, the front side lighting device 28A is turned on, and when the button is pressed again, it is turned off. Similarly, when the “rear lamp” button 24J is pressed, the rear side lighting device 28B is turned on, and when the button is pressed again, the rear side lighting device 28B is turned off. The collision prevention function on / off display section 24K (displayed by “collision prevention OFF”) is the reset section 24C (displayed by “RSET”) on the touch panel screen 22 or the button number “6” (reset button (RST) of the remote controller 40. ) Is released and the operation of the collision prevention sensor 29 is released, the display of “collision prevention OFF” is lit. During the operation of the collision prevention sensor 29, the display of “collision prevention OFF” disappears. In the standby time setting screen of FIG. 6B, the brake operation state display unit 24M is turned on when pressed and selected, and the braking of the energized electromagnetic brake 16 is released. The energized electromagnetic brake 16 refers to a state in which the control panel 20 electrically connected to the electromagnetic brake 16 is energized. In this case, even when the drive motor 10 is in the non-driven state, the braking of the electromagnetic brake 16 is released, and the vehicle body 4 can be manually pushed. When the brake operation state display unit 24M in the lit state is pressed and turned off, the electromagnetic brake 16 in the energized state is maintained in the braking state, and the braking is released when the drive motor 10 is driven. In addition, the electromagnetic brake 16 at the time of de-energization is always in a braking state, and in this case, the control panel 20 is also in the non-energized state of off, and the touch panel screen 22 is not lit. In this case, the brake state can be forcibly released manually by operating the operating rod 16A as a forced braking release member.

  Next, the operation of the exploration vehicle 2 according to the above embodiment will be described. The exploration vehicle 2 according to the embodiment first places the exploration vehicle 2 on the rail 3 of the railway when the exploration vehicle 2 is brought into a desired work place. Since the vehicle 4 is lightened by the frames 4A to 4J made of aluminum hollow pipes, the exploration vehicle 2 can carry the vehicle 4 by one worker. When the vehicle body 4 is placed on the rail 3, the lithium ion battery 12 is mounted and electrically connected to the control panel 20 to complete the preparation (first step S1).

  When the exploration vehicle 4 is caused to travel in the automatic reciprocating travel mode M-AR, as shown in FIG. 9, first, the touch panel screen 22 of the input / output display device 21 is based on the work plan planned by the worker in advance. Then, the set travel distance Ls and the set speed Vs (or Vl) are respectively input and set as the first travel instruction information D1. These pieces of information are stored in a memory unit (not shown) of the control panel 20 and can be displayed on the touch panel screen 22. When the first travel instruction information D1 is input and set, it is determined by the control panel 20 as travel instruction information in the automatic reciprocating travel mode M-AR and registered in a memory unit (not shown). Next, as shown in FIG. 5A, the travel mode input display unit 22 </ b> D displayed by “AUTO-RETURN” is touch-operated on the distance setting screen displayed on the touch panel screen 22 to display the travel mode input display. The part 22D is turned on and traveling in the automatic reciprocating traveling mode M-AR is selected. At this stage, the vehicle body 4 is in a state of waiting for the start of traveling in the automatic reciprocating traveling mode M-AR. On the other hand, when the power is turned on by pressing the power button 41 of the remote controller 40, the power on / off display portion of the indicator 42 is turned on. At this stage, the remote controller 40 is also waiting to start traveling in the automatic reciprocating traveling mode M-AR.

  Next, the distance setting screen (see FIG. 5A) displayed on the touch panel screen 22 is changed to move to the manual operation screen as shown in FIG. When the traveling instruction unit 24A is pressed and operated by one touch, or when the forward button (FWD) of the button number “1” of the controller 40 is pressed and operated by one touch, the exploration device 2 is set by the first traveling instruction information D1. The forward traveling is started in the search direction at the set traveling speed Vs (or Vl). When the automatic reciprocating mode M-AR is selected, the forward button (FWD) with the button number “1” of the controller 40 operates, but the reverse button (REV) with the button number “2” is pressed. Even if it does not work. As shown in FIG. 8B, the controller 40 cancels the operation of the collision prevention sensor 29 by pressing and holding the number button “6”, and the horn button (HORN) with the button number “5”. An audible alarm is sounded. When the operation of the collision prevention sensor 29 is canceled, the control panel 20 automatically turns on the rotating lamp 26. Simultaneously with the start of traveling of the exploration device 2, the wireless camera 30A and the 360-degree camera 30C on the front side are operated by the control panel 20 through the radio (second step S2).

  When the exploration device 2 starts traveling, the traveling distance measuring mechanism 31 causes the rotational speed detection sensor 32 to measure the rotational speed of the drive side axle 6B, and when the measurement data is output to the control panel 20, the control panel 20 actually travels. The distance Lc is derived (third step S3). Then, when the guided actual travel distance Lc reaches the set travel distance Ls set by the first travel instruction information D1, the control panel 20 temporarily stops the vehicle body 4 and stops for a predetermined time t ((( The standby time setting input display section 24L on the standby time setting screen of B) is stopped, and then turned back to the original travel start position (see (A) of FIG. 11). In this case, the actual travel distance Lc = the set travel distance Ls = the reach distance Lr. The traveling speed Vs (or Vl) at the time of return is set in advance in the first traveling instruction information D1, but is set to be higher than the speed Vs (or Vl) at the time of the traveling traveling in the forward direction and returns. The speed is made faster than when moving forward to shorten the working time. When the vehicle body 4 starts turning back, the control panel 20 stops the operations of the wireless camera 30A and the 360-degree camera 30C (fourth step S4). Note that the control panel 20 may operate the wireless camera 30A and the 360-degree camera 30C in the fourth step S4 even when turning back. Thus, when the exploration device 2 returns to the original travel start position when the actual travel distance Lr reaches the preset travel distance Ls, the worker determines that there is no obstacle OB during that time. It is possible to check the video recorded in the wireless camera 30A and the 360 degree camera 30C and to check in detail whether there is an abnormality.

  By the way, when the collision prevention sensor 29 detects an obstacle OB such as fallen trees or earth and sand before reaching the set travel distance Ls after starting the exploration travel in the fourth step S4, the control panel 20 once holds the vehicle body 4 once. Stop and stop for a predetermined time t (see FIG. 6B), and then turn back to the original travel start position (see FIG. 11B). At this time, the reach distance Lr from the original travel start position to the obstacle OB is the same as the actual travel distance Lc of the vehicle body 4 and is shorter than the set travel distance Ls (the reach distance Lr to the obstacle OB = the vehicle body 4). Actual travel distance Lc <set travel distance Ls). The worker can know the reach distance Lr from the travel start position of the vehicle body 4 to the obstacle OB from the actual travel distance Lc of the travel distance display unit 22A displayed on the touch panel screen 22 of the returned exploration vehicle 2. In the meantime, the state of the obstacle OB can be examined in detail by checking the images recorded in the wireless camera 30A and the 360 degree camera 30C. After completion of the work, the exploration vehicle 2 that has returned to the original travel start position is removed from the rail 3. Therefore, it is possible to quickly determine what is necessary for the next operation and what should be done. Thus, since the unmanned, simple and lightweight exploration device 2 can be explored prior to dispatch of workers at a location away from the exploration area, exploration work can be performed safely and efficiently.

  Next, when the exploration vehicle 4 is caused to travel in the manual travel mode M-RC in the second step S <b> 2, as shown in FIG. 10, first, the set speed when the worker manually travels through the touch panel screen 22. When only Vl (or Vs) (however, the input speed is given priority) is input and set as the second travel instruction information D2, the control panel 20 determines that the travel instruction information is in the manual travel mode M-RC. Register in a memory unit (not shown). Next, the travel mode input display unit 22D displayed by “AUTO-RETURN” is touch-operated on the distance setting screen of the touch panel screen 22 shown in FIG. Select travel in the manual travel mode M-RC. At this stage, the vehicle body 4 is in a state of waiting for the start of traveling in the manual traveling mode M-RC. On the other hand, when the power is turned on by pressing the power button 41 of the remote controller 40, the power on / off display portion of the indicator 42 is turned on. At this stage, the remote controller 40 side is also waiting for the start of traveling in the manual traveling mode M-RC. At this time, unlike the automatic reciprocating travel mode M-AR, the remote controller 40 can operate the reverse button (REV) of the button number “2” of the number button as shown in FIG. When the button number “2” is continuously pressed, the backward movement is continued, and when the pressing operation is stopped, the button number “2” is stopped. Further, when the button number “1” is kept pressed, the forward movement is continued, and when the push operation is stopped, the operation stops. The operations of the button number “6” and the button number “5” are the same as in the automatic reciprocating mode M-AR.

  Next, the touch panel screen 22 is changed, and as shown in FIG. 6A, the forward travel instruction unit 24A of the “forward” button is selected and operated with one touch on the manual operation screen, or the button number of the controller 40 is selected. When the “1” forward button (FWD) is pressed and operated, the exploration device 2 travels forward in the exploration direction at the set travel speed Vl (or Vs) set in the first travel instruction information D1. In the manual travel mode M-RC, the set travel speed is set so that the exploration vehicle 2 does not go too far from the walking worker. It is selected and set from among them. For this reason, the vehicle body 4 does not go too far, travels with the worker, and can be stopped with the emergency stop button 25 as necessary. At this time, the wireless cameras 30A and 30B and the 360 degree camera 30C may be operated as necessary.

  In the third step S3, when the exploration device 2 starts traveling, the actual traveling distance Lc is displayed by the traveling distance measuring mechanism 31 on the traveling distance display portion 22A (see FIG. 5A) of the touch panel screen 22. Therefore, it is possible to know how much distance has moved since the start of traveling in the manual traveling mode M-RC (see actual traveling distances Lc1 and Lc2 in FIGS. 11C and 11D). . Then, in the fourth step, when the worker walks and reaches a desired working distance (Lc1 + Lc2), the user pushes the button number “2” of the controller button 40 or the reverse travel instruction unit 24B of the touch panel screen 22 there. Then, the exploration vehicle 2 is returned to the original exploration start position (see (E) of FIG. 11), and after completion of the work, the exploration vehicle 2 is removed from the rail 3. In this way, in the manual travel mode M-RC, the operator can safely follow the exploration vehicle 2 according to the walking speed, and the manual travel and the automatic reciprocating travel can be freely combined to provide high mobility. Can be used. In the manual travel mode M-RC, the collision prevention sensor 29 may be operated or may be turned off. When operating, it will travel over a relatively long distance. When the collision prevention sensor 29 is turned off, the exploration is performed by traveling a relatively short distance, and the worker works near the exploration vehicle 2.

  Thus, in the exploration vehicle according to the embodiment and the exploration method using the exploration vehicle, the exploration vehicle can be reduced in weight and easily carried. For this reason, it can be carried by one worker and can be used with great mobility. Even if the target location of the exploration is dangerous, if it is brought into the track, it will run unattended and return after inspection, so that work efficiency is improved and work safety is improved. Furthermore, it is possible to inspect before the worker goes to the inspection place, and when there is an obstacle, the response can be promptly performed, so that workability is improved.

  In the above embodiment, the set travel distance Ls and the set speed Vs of the first travel instruction information D1 are input through the touch panel screen 22 of the input / output display device 21, but the present invention is not limited to this. You may make it input into the control panel 20 through communication from the outside, or through the medium in which data was stored beforehand. In the above-described embodiment, instructions for forward / reverse travel and stop are transmitted to the control panel 20 through the remote controller 40. However, the present invention is not limited to this. It may replace with, and you may make it use terminal devices, such as a notebook personal computer and a smart phone. In that case, you may make it display the imaging data from camera 30A-30C on a terminal device. Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the automatic reciprocating mode M-AR is set to return to the original travel start position at the time of turning back. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the return position is set to the original travel start position. It is also possible to set a position advanced by a predetermined distance in the exploration direction as a reference, or a position moved backward by a predetermined distance in the opposite direction, and add or subtract the predetermined distance from the travel distance Lc. Moreover, you may enable the stop button of the controller 40 in automatic reciprocating driving mode M-AR. In this case, the exploration vehicle 2 that is returning can be stopped halfway. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, only the speed is set in the manual travel mode M-RC and the second travel instruction information D2 is set, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the speed is set to a predetermined speed (for example, 3 km) by default. / H), the travel distance may be input and set for each work, or even in the automatic reciprocating travel mode M-AR, the speed is set to a predetermined speed by default, and the setting is made. Only the travel distance may be performed. In the above embodiment, the vehicle body is an unmanned carriage for weight reduction. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the configuration described above is applied to a larger carriage provided with a worker's seat as in the prior art. However, during the exploration, the exploration may be carried out unattended without carrying a worker. Furthermore, in the said embodiment, although the railroad track is illustrated as a path | route which an exploration vehicle drive | works, it is not restricted to this, What is necessary is just a path | route which regulates the track of a wheel to one direction, for example, to a road A groove corresponding to the width of the wheel may be formed as a route, or may be a maintenance rail such as a monorail or a bridge that runs on one wheel. Further, the path may be an H-shaped steel or T-shaped steel path extending upward, and in that case, the exploration vehicle may be suspended from the path. Furthermore, in the said embodiment, although the path | route which restrict | limits the path | route of a wheel to one direction is illustrated, it is not restricted to this, It may be a wide road or a curvilinear path | route. When returning the vehicle body, it is possible to change the direction instead of going backward.

3 rail (path)
4 Car body 5 Wheel 10 Drive motor (drive means)
20 Control panel (control means)
30A, 30B wireless camera (imaging means)
30C 360 degree camera (imaging means)
32 Rotational speed detection sensor (measuring means)
Ls Travel distance Lc Travel distance (actual travel distance)
Vs High speed (set speed)
Vl Low speed (set speed)
D1 First travel instruction information (travel instruction information)
D2 Second travel instruction information (travel instruction information)

Claims (15)

A vehicle body having wheels and arranged in a route;
Driving means for driving the wheel to freely rotate and traveling the vehicle body to move forward and backward,
Measuring means for measuring the rotation of the wheel and outputting the measurement data to the outside;
When travel instruction information including at least one of the travel distance and speed is input from the outside, the driving means is controlled based on the travel instruction information so that the vehicle body travels in the search direction and is received from the measurement means. Control means for deriving the actual travel distance from the measurement data and returning the vehicle body when the actual travel distance of the vehicle body reaches the travel distance of the travel instruction information;
An exploration vehicle comprising an imaging means for photographing a surrounding state during exploration. The vehicle body is provided with obstacle detection means for detecting an obstacle and outputting a detection signal to the control means.
The exploration vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the control means stops traveling of the vehicle body and returns to the original travel start position when receiving a detection signal from the obstacle detection means during traveling of the vehicle body.   The vehicle body is provided with input / output display means capable of displaying the input travel instruction information and the travel distance derived by measurement while the travel instruction information is input to the control means through the input / output display surface. The exploration vehicle according to claim 1 or 2. The travel instruction information includes first travel instruction information including information on a preset travel distance and a preset speed, respectively, and second travel including information on a walking-corresponding speed set in accordance with the walking speed. Including instruction information,
The control means includes an automatic reciprocating travel mode that returns when the exploration vehicle reaches a set travel distance based on the first travel instruction information, and forward, reverse, or stop the exploration vehicle based on the second travel instruction information. The vehicle body is driven based on either one of the manual driving mode for selecting and controlling,
On the input / output display surface of the input / output display means, these travel modes are displayed in a selectable manner, and when one of the travel modes is selected by an operator, the input / output display means is displayed in the selected travel mode. Instruct the control means to travel,
The control means, when the automatic reciprocating travel mode is selected, when the forward travel instruction portion on the input / output display surface is operated, transmits a command signal to start travel to the drive means,
When the manual travel mode is selected, when the forward travel instruction unit on the input / output display surface is operated, the forward command signal is transmitted to the drive unit, and when the reverse travel instruction unit is operated, the reverse command signal is transmitted to the driving unit. The exploration vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the vehicle body is stopped by operating a braking device provided on the vehicle body to stop the operation of the driving means.   The control means comprises a control panel mounted on the vehicle body, and a remote operation device that is carried by an operator and that inputs a control command signal to the control panel via a wireless operation. The exploration vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4. The remote control device has a forward travel instruction button and a reverse travel instruction button for transmitting forward and reverse command signals to the control panel,
When the automatic reciprocating travel mode is selected, the remote control device transmits a command signal to start the exploration travel to the control panel by a one-touch operation of the forward travel instruction button.
When the manual travel mode is selected, a forward travel command signal is continuously transmitted to the control panel by continuing to press the forward travel instruction button, and a reverse travel command signal is continued to the control panel by continuing to operate the reverse travel instruction button. 6. The exploration vehicle according to claim 5, wherein when the two travel instruction buttons are not operated, transmission to the control panel is stopped and the vehicle body is stopped. The input / output display means displays an operation on / off section for stopping the operation of the obstacle detection means on the control panel when the selection operation is performed,
7. The exploration vehicle according to claim 6, wherein the remote control device has an operation on / off button for stopping the operation of the obstacle detection means on the control panel when operated.   The set speed for the exploration travel in each travel mode is set to a low speed of 1 km / h or more and less than 5 km / h according to the walking speed, and an arbitrary set speed is set to a high speed of 5 km / h or more, and the first travel instruction information is set. The exploration vehicle according to any one of claims 4 to 7, wherein the speed is set with priority given to an arbitrary speed input immediately before the start of work.   The exploration vehicle according to claim 8, wherein the speed at the time of exploration traveling is different from the speed at the time of retrieval, and the speed at the time of restoration is higher than the speed at the time of exploration traveling. The vehicle body is composed of an unmanned four-wheeled carriage made of a tubular frame,
The four-wheel carriage is electrically connected to the battery and includes an electric motor that drives the wheel, and the braking device is configured by an electromagnetic brake that constantly brakes the wheel and releases the braking only when the electric motor operates.
The exploration vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the electromagnetic brake is provided with a braking forcible release member that forcibly releases braking according to an operation.   The exploration vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the imaging unit is configured by a measurement / inspection unit that measures or inspects a route or a situation around the route. A vehicle body having wheels and arranged in a route;
Driving means for driving the wheel to freely rotate and traveling the vehicle body to move forward and backward,
Measuring means for measuring the rotation of the wheel and outputting the measurement data to the outside;
When travel instruction information including at least one of the travel distance and speed is input from the outside, the driving means is controlled based on the travel instruction information so that the vehicle body travels in the search direction and is received from the measurement means. Control means for deriving the actual travel distance from the measurement data and returning the vehicle body when the actual travel distance of the vehicle body reaches the travel distance of the travel instruction information;
An exploration method using an exploration vehicle equipped with an imaging means for photographing the surrounding state during exploration,
A first step of placing a vehicle body on a route by an operator;
When travel instruction information is input from the outside to the control means, the vehicle body is driven and controlled to travel in the search direction based on the travel instruction information input by the control means, and the surroundings are photographed by the imaging means during the search travel. A second step of:
A third step of measuring the rotation of the wheel by the measuring means and deriving the travel distance actually traveled based on the measured data;
An exploration method using an exploration vehicle, comprising: a fourth step of returning the vehicle body when the actual travel distance of the vehicle body reaches the travel distance of the travel instruction information. The vehicle body has obstacle detection means for detecting an obstacle and outputting a detection signal to the control means, travel instruction information is input to the control means through the input / output display surface, and is derived from the input travel instruction information and measurement. Provided with an input / output display means capable of displaying the traveled distance,
The control means is configured to stop the travel of the vehicle body and return to the original travel start position when receiving a detection signal from the obstacle detection means during the vehicle body travel,
In the second step, during the exploration travel, when the obstacle detection means detects the obstacle, the control means stops the vehicle body travel, and in the third step, the actual travel distance to the stop position is derived. The exploration method using an exploration vehicle according to claim 12, wherein in the fourth step, the vehicle body is returned from the stop position, and the actual travel distance is displayed on the input / output display surface. The travel instruction information includes first travel instruction information including information on a preset travel distance and a preset speed, respectively, and second travel including information on a walking-corresponding speed set in accordance with the walking speed. Including instruction information,
The control means includes an automatic reciprocating travel mode that returns when the exploration vehicle reaches a set travel distance based on the first travel instruction information, and forward, reverse, or stop the exploration vehicle based on the second travel instruction information. The vehicle body is configured to travel based on either one of a manual travel mode that selects and controls the vehicle,
The exploration method using an exploration vehicle according to claim 12 or 13, wherein, in the second step, one of an automatic reciprocating travel mode and a manual travel mode is selected by an operator. The control means includes a control panel mounted on the vehicle body, and a remote operation device that is carried by an operator and inputs a control command signal to the control panel via radio, by remote operation,
In the second step, when the automatic reciprocating travel mode is selected, when the forward travel instruction button of the remote control device is operated by one touch, a travel start command signal is transmitted to the control panel to start the body travel,
When manual travel mode is selected, if the forward travel instruction button on the remote control device is kept pressed, the forward command signal is continuously transmitted to the control panel, the vehicle body is continuously advanced, and the return operation button on the remote control device is pressed. If the operation is continued, the reverse command signal is continuously transmitted to the control panel, the vehicle body is continuously moved backward, and the vehicle body is kept stopped if neither the forward drive instruction button nor the return operation button is operated. The exploration method using the exploration vehicle according to claim 14.