JP7119285B2 - Remote control system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to remote control systems.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, techniques for remotely operating an unmanned mobile object such as an unmanned working machine have been studied. 2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional system for remotely controlling an unmanned mobile object, an operator operates a control panel or the like to transmit a command signal to the unmanned mobile object, as shown in Patent Document 1, for example. In addition, as shown in Patent Document 2, for example, studies are underway to present various types of information measured by the unmanned mobile body and images captured by a camera to the operator so that the operator can feel more realistic.

JP 2015-191249 A Japanese Patent No. 3000068

An unmanned mobile object may overturn due to a change in inclination during operation. However, operators tend to concentrate on remote control, and there is a possibility that they may overlook changes in the inclination of the unmanned vehicle.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a remote control system that enables an operator to suitably detect changes in the inclination of an unmanned vehicle.

In order to achieve the above object, a remote control system according to the present invention comprises an unmanned mobile body and a remote control device that is operated by an operator and performs wireless communication with the unmanned mobile body to control the operation of the unmanned mobile body. and a tilt angle detection unit for detecting the tilt angle of the unmanned vehicle, and an output amount is determined based on information related to the tilt angle of the unmanned vehicle from the tilt angle detection unit. and a haptic sense presentation unit presenting to the operator a haptic sense corresponding to the output amount calculated by the output amount computing unit.

According to the remote control system described above, the output amount is calculated from the information regarding the tilt angle of the unmanned mobile body, and the haptic sensation corresponding to the output amount is presented to the operator. In this way, the operator is notified of the information about the inclination of the unmanned mobile body by haptic sensation, so that the operator can preferably detect the change in the inclination of the unmanned mobile body.

Here, the haptic sensation presenting unit may present the haptic sensation to the operator by vibrating a part of the remote control device.

A device that is remotely controlled by an operator usually does not have a mechanism that generates vibration. Therefore, the operator can intuitively grasp the inclination of the unmanned mobile body by providing the operator with a haptic sensation by means of vibration.

Further, the haptic presentation section may present information regarding the tilt direction of the unmanned mobile body to the operator by haptic by changing the vibrating position of the remote control device.

As described above, in the case of presenting information about the tilt direction of the unmanned mobile body by changing the vibrating position, the operator can grasp the information about the tilt direction of the unmanned mobile body. The operator can detect changes in the inclination of the moving object in more detail.

Further, the remote control device further includes an operation panel held by the operator and a weight moving mechanism capable of moving a weight with respect to the operation panel, and the haptic sensation presenting unit moves the weight. A haptic sensation may be presented to the operator by changing the center of gravity of the operation panel using a mechanism.

As described above, by adopting a configuration in which the center of gravity of the operation panel is changed by the weight movement mechanism, the operator can intuitively grasp the information related to the tilt angle of the unmanned vehicle. The change can be conveniently detected by the operator.

The remote control device may perform control to forcibly stop the operation of the unmanned mobile body when the tilt angle of the unmanned mobile body detected by the tilt angle detection unit exceeds a predetermined value.

As described above, when the inclination angle of the unmanned mobile body exceeds a predetermined value, the configuration is such that the operation of the unmanned mobile body is forcibly stopped. As a result, for example, when the tilt angle is such that the risk of overturning of the unmanned mobile body increases, the operation of the unmanned mobile body can be stopped earlier than the control by the operator. Therefore, it is possible to suitably prevent the overturning of the unmanned mobile body.

Further, the apparatus further includes an orientation detection unit that detects an orientation of the unmanned mobile body, and the output amount calculation unit receives information related to the inclination angle of the unmanned mobile object from the inclination angle detection unit and information from the orientation detection unit. and the information relating to the posture of the unmanned mobile body.

If an orientation detection unit that detects the orientation of the unmanned mobile body is provided, the output amount is calculated based on the orientation information as well. can be detected.

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the remote control system with which an operator can detect the change of the inclination of an unmanned mobile body suitably is provided.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a remote control system according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. It is a figure explaining an inclination angle. It is an example of information related to the correspondence relationship between the tilt angle and the output amount. FIG. 3 is a flow chart explaining a remote control method according to the first embodiment; It is an example of information related to the correspondence relationship between the tilt angle and the output amount. FIG. 11 is a flow diagram illustrating a remote control method according to the second embodiment; It is a figure explaining the 1st modification. It is a figure explaining the 2nd modification. It is a figure explaining the 3rd modification.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and overlapping descriptions are omitted.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a remote control system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, a remote control system 1 according to this embodiment includes an unmanned mobile body 2 and a remote control device 3 that allows an operator to remotely control the unmanned mobile body 2 . Information is transmitted and received between the unmanned mobile body 2 and the remote control device 3 by wireless communication. The remote control system 1 is characterized by presenting information regarding the inclination of the unmanned mobile body 2 to the operator as a haptic sensation.

FIG. 1 shows a case where the unmanned mobile body 2 is a hydraulic excavator, which is a type of construction machine. Therefore, the unmanned mobile body 2 is composed of a traveling body 11 for traveling itself, a revolving body 12 that can turn on the traveling body 11, and a boom 13, an arm 14, and a bucket 15 attached to the front of the revolving body 12. and a working unit 16 . The boom 13, the arm 14 and the bucket 15 are rotatably connected to each other. However, the unmanned mobile body 2 is not particularly limited as long as it is a machine that moves and operates by remote control.

The unmanned mobile body 2 operates the unmanned mobile body 2 based on the control signal from the remote control device 3 received by the communication unit 17 for transmitting and receiving information to and from the remote control device 3. a control unit 18 for control, a tilt angle detection unit 19 for detecting the tilt angle of itself, posture detection units 20A to 20C for detecting the posture of itself, and a change in the center of gravity resulting from a change in the mass of the movable portion. and a weight detection unit 20D.

The communication unit 17 receives information related to the tilt angle detected by the tilt angle detection unit 19 described later, information related to the posture detected by the posture detection units 20A to 20C described later, and the center of gravity detected by the weight detection unit. to the remote control device 3. The communication unit 17 receives control signals transmitted from the remote control device 3 .

The control unit 18 has a function of operating each unit of the unmanned mobile body 2 based on control signals transmitted from the remote control device 3 and received by the communication unit 17 .

The tilt angle detection unit 19 is attached to, for example, the revolving body 12 on the traveling body 11 and has a function of detecting its own tilt angle. A tilt sensor or the like can be used as the tilt angle detector 19 . The tilt angle detection unit 19 also detects in which direction the unmanned vehicle 2 is tilted at the same time as the tilt angle. Then, the tilt direction and the tilt angle are transmitted from the communication unit 17 to the remote control device 3 as information related to the tilt angle.

The attitude detection units 20A to 20C have a function of detecting the attitude of the unmanned mobile body 2. FIG. A gyro sensor or the like can be used as the attitude detection units 20A to 20C. In the unmanned mobile body 2, the attitude detection units 20A to 20C are attached to movable parts that are considered to be related to changes in its own attitude. Specifically, an example in which a posture detection unit 20A is attached to the rear part of the revolving body 12, a posture detection unit 20B is attached to the boom 13, and a posture detection unit 20C is attached to the bucket 15 is shown. The mounting positions of the posture detection units 20A to 20C are appropriately changed according to the shape and motion of the unmanned vehicle 2. FIG. Information related to the posture detected by the posture detection units 20A to 20C includes information related to the moving direction, moving speed, etc. of the members to which the posture detection units 20A to 20C are attached. The weight detection unit 20D has a function of measuring the change in the mass of the movable part due to loading during work or the like. A load cell or the like can be used as the weight detection unit 20D. Information detected by the weight detection unit 20</b>D is information related to changes in the center of gravity of the unmanned vehicle 2 . These pieces of information are transmitted from the communication unit 17 to the remote control device 3 as information relating to the attitude and center of gravity of the unmanned mobile body 2 .

The remote control device 3 is a device operated by the operator of the unmanned mobile body 2, notifies the operator of various information related to the unmanned mobile body 2, and transmits control signals input by the operator to the unmanned mobile body 2. It has a function to send to The remote control device 3 also has a function of outputting information regarding the inclination of the unmanned vehicle 2 to the operator based on information from the unmanned vehicle 2 .

The remote control device 3 includes an operation unit 31 operated by an operator, a communication unit 32 for transmitting and receiving information between the unmanned mobile body 2, an output amount calculation unit 33, an inclination information output unit 34, and a control unit 31. and an indicator 35 .

The operation unit 31 is a part operated by an operator, and has a function of acquiring input related to control of the unmanned vehicle 2 by the operator. Although a joystick is shown as the operation unit 31 in FIG. 1, the configuration and shape of the operation unit 31 can be changed as appropriate. The operation unit 31 also has a function of outputting information regarding the inclination of the unmanned vehicle 2 to the operator. Specifically, the operation unit 31 has a vibration function, and by vibrating the joystick based on the tilt of the unmanned vehicle 2, notifies the operator of information about the tilt. In addition, by changing the vibration amount according to the tilt angle, the tilt angle of the unmanned vehicle 2 can also be presented to the operator. That is, in the remote control device 3, vibration of the operation unit 31 is adopted as a method of presenting information about inclination to the operator by haptic sensation. That is, the operation unit 31 functions as a haptic presentation unit in the remote control device 3 .

The communication unit 32 transmits to the unmanned mobile body 2 a control signal input by the operation of the operation unit 31 by the operator. In addition, the communication unit 32 receives information related to the tilt angle transmitted from the unmanned mobile body 2, information related to the posture detected by the posture detection units 20A to 20C, and the center of gravity detected by the weight detection unit 20D. receive such information.

The output amount calculation unit 33 calculates the information related to the tilt angle transmitted from the unmanned mobile body 2, the information related to the posture detected by the posture detection units 20A to 20C, and the center of gravity detected by the weight detection unit 20D. It has a function of calculating the magnitude (output amount) of the haptic sensation output to the operator by the operation unit 31 based on such information.

Here, information relating to the inclination of the unmanned mobile body 2 presented to the operator by haptic sensation will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. FIG. Here, the information regarding the inclination angle detected by the inclination angle detection section 19 is not used, and the information concerning the orientation detected by the orientation detection sections 20A to 20C and the information concerning the center of gravity detected by the weight detection section 20D are not used. will be described using only

When the unmanned vehicle 2 is a working machine such as a hydraulic excavator, the inclination of the unmanned vehicle 2 includes inclination in the roll direction and inclination in the pitch direction. 2(A) and 2(B) schematically show that a normal region R1, a warning region R2, and a dangerous region R3 exist with respect to the inclination of the unmanned vehicle 2 in the roll direction and the pitch direction. there is The normal range R1 is a range of inclination assumed to be a range in which the operation of the unmanned vehicle 2 is completely unproblematic. Also, the dangerous area R3 is a range of slopes in which the unmanned vehicle 2 may overturn or overturn. The warning area R2 is provided between the normal area R1 and the danger area R3, and if the inclination progresses further, there is a possibility that the unmanned mobile body 2 will reach the danger area R3 where there is a possibility of overturning. This is the range of inclination where the unmanned mobile body 2 may overturn depending on the usage conditions of the unmanned mobile body 2 if the state is maintained.

As shown in FIG. 2, in the unmanned mobile body 2, a normal region R1, a warning region R2, and a dangerous region R3 are defined for each of the roll direction and the pitch direction. In the remote control system 1, when the tilt of the unmanned mobile body 2 reaches the warning zone R2 or the danger zone R3, the operator is presented with haptic information about the tilt. Here, the ranges of the normal region R1, the warning region R2, and the dangerous region R3 may be configured to change depending on the amount and direction of deviation of the center of gravity position from the normal center of gravity position due to the posture and the weight of each part.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3, the output amount calculator 33 of the remote control device 3 holds in advance information relating to the correspondence relationship between the tilt angle and the output amount. The output amount in FIG. 3 is the magnitude of the output when presented as a haptic sensation. As described above, when the inclination of the unmanned vehicle 2 is in the warning area R2 or the danger area R3, when presenting the operator with a haptic sensation, the inclination angle θ _s shown in FIG. Let it be the boundary between R1 and the warning area R2. While the tilt angle detected by the tilt angle detection unit 19 is included in the normal region R1, the output amount is set to 0, and when the tilt angle reaches the warning region R2 or the danger region R3, The configuration is such that the amount of output is increased. With this configuration, it is possible to suitably present to the operator that the inclination of the unmanned vehicle 2 is in the warning area R2 or the danger area R3. In this way, the output amount calculation unit 33 has a function of calculating the output amount of the haptic sensation to be presented by the operation unit 31 functioning as the haptic presentation unit, from the information on the tilt angle from the unmanned mobile body 2 .

As described above, when the tilt direction of the unmanned vehicle 2 is distinguished, for example, in the roll direction and the pitch direction, the output amount calculation unit 33 calculates the graph shown in FIG. 3 for each tilt direction. Corresponding information may be retained. Then, when the tilt angle of the unmanned vehicle 2 in at least one tilt direction among the classified tilt directions reaches the warning region R2 or the danger region R3, the output amount calculation unit 33 determines that the tilt angle in that direction can be configured to calculate the output amount from

Further, in the above description, the case where the output amount is calculated from the information regarding the tilt angle transmitted from the unmanned mobile body 2 has been described. A configuration may be adopted in which the amount of haptic output is calculated using information about the posture of the robot itself or information about the weight of the load detected by the weight detection unit 20D (information about the center of gravity). The information about the attitude and the information about the center of gravity include information that has an element that changes the tilt angle of the unmanned mobile body 2 . Therefore, the output amount calculation unit 33 may calculate the output amount by combining the information about the posture or the information about the center of gravity with the information about the tilt angle. In that case, the output amount calculation unit 33 holds in advance information (for example, a calculation formula) for calculating the output amount from the information regarding the posture or the information regarding the center of gravity and the information regarding the tilt angle. , the output amount can be calculated based on the information. It should be noted that both the information related to the posture and the information related to the center of gravity may be used.

Returning to FIG. 1 , the inclination information output unit 34 has a function of instructing the operation unit 31 that presents the haptic sensation to present the haptic sensation of the output amount calculated by the output amount calculation unit 33 . When presenting the magnitude of the tilt angle of the unmanned vehicle 2 by changing the magnitude of vibration as in the operation unit 31, the tilt information output unit 34 performs vibration corresponding to the output amount. to the operation unit 31.

The control instruction unit 35 has a function of converting a control instruction based on an operator's input on the operation unit 31 into a control signal to be transmitted to the unmanned mobile body 2 . In addition, even when a control signal is transmitted to the unmanned mobile body 2 regardless of the operator's input, the control instruction unit 35 prepares the control signal. The control signal created by the control instruction unit 35 is transmitted from the communication unit 32 to the unmanned mobile body 2 .

The remote control device 3 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), RAM (Random Access Memory) and ROM (Read Only Memory) which are main storage devices, a communication module for communicating with other devices, a hard disk, etc. It is configured as a computer equipped with hardware such as an auxiliary storage device. The functions of the respective parts of the remote control device 3 are exhibited by the operation of these components.

Next, among the remote control methods by the above-described remote control system 1, a method of notifying the operator of information regarding the inclination of the unmanned mobile body 2 will be described with reference to FIG. Also in FIG. 4, a case will be described in which the output amount of vibration to be presented as a haptic sensation is calculated using only the information related to the tilt angle transmitted from the unmanned mobile body 2. FIG.

First, when driving is started, the tilt angle measurement unit 29 measures the tilt angle of the unmanned mobile body 2 and transmits information about the tilt angle from the communication unit 17 to the remote control device 3 . The measurement timing of the tilt angle and the transmission timing of the information related to the tilt angle may be set at predetermined intervals (for example, every 1 to 10 seconds), or may be configured to constantly measure and transmit in real time like image information. good. In the remote control device 3, the communication unit 32 receives information about the tilt angle transmitted from the unmanned mobile body 2 (S01). In addition to the tilt angle information, when the posture information and/or the center of gravity information is obtained from the unmanned mobile body 2, the information regarding the tilt angle may be obtained at the same time. Next, a normal region R1, a warning region R2, and a dangerous region R3 are set based on information about the tilt angle (S02). As described above, when changing the ranges of the normal region R1, the warning region R2, and the dangerous region R3 based on the posture, the position of the center of gravity, etc., each range is set based on the information acquired from the unmanned mobile body 2. do. Note that this processing can be omitted if the ranges of the normal range R1, the warning range R2, and the critical range R3 are not changed.

Next, based on the above information, the output amount calculator 33 determines whether conversion to an output amount is necessary. That is, it is determined whether or not the tilt angle of the unmanned vehicle 2 included in the tilt angle information is greater than or equal to the threshold value (S03). Here, the threshold value is a value, such as the tilt angle θ _s shown in FIG. 3, whose handling changes depending on whether it is necessary to present the haptic sensation. That is, in the present embodiment, the threshold is the boundary between the normal region R1 and the warning region R2.

If the tilt angle of the unmanned vehicle 2 included in the tilt angle information is smaller than the threshold (S03-NO), the output amount calculator 33 determines that the output amount may be 0 (S04). , the processing related to presentation of the haptic sensation to the operator ends. On the other hand, if the tilt angle of the unmanned vehicle 2 included in the tilt angle information is greater than or equal to the threshold value (S03-YES), the output amount calculator 33 calculates the output amount corresponding to the tilt angle (S05). . Thereafter, the tilt information output unit 34 instructs the operation unit 31 to present a haptic sensation corresponding to the output amount, and the operation unit 31 presents the haptic sensation by vibration (S06). Since the operation unit 31 vibrates with a magnitude corresponding to the amount of output, the operator can know information about the tilt of the unmanned vehicle 2 from the magnitude of vibration of the operation unit 31 . In addition to presenting the haptic sensation, the operator may be notified of the tilt information by combining other methods such as displaying a warning message on a monitor or outputting an alarm sound.

After the above processing, it is determined whether or not to end the operation of the remote control device 3 (S07). If the operation is not to be ended (S07-NO), the reception of the information on the tilt angle is continued (S01 ).

As a result, it is possible to acquire information about the tilt angle from the unmanned vehicle 2, calculate the output amount corresponding to the tilt angle in the output amount calculator 33, and present it to the operator as a haptic sensation.

In addition to the information related to the tilt angle, when calculating the output amount based on the information related to the attitude and/or the information related to the center of gravity acquired from the unmanned mobile body 2, the remote control device 3 may set the tilt angle It is determined whether the output amount is set to 0 based on a preset criterion such as whether or not any of the information related to the position, the information related to the posture, and the information related to the center of gravity is equal to or greater than a threshold value (S03). . Also, the output amount is calculated based on any one of the information on the tilt angle, the information on the posture, and the information on the center of gravity (S05).

As described above, according to the remote control system 1 according to the present embodiment, the operator is notified of information related to the inclination of the unmanned vehicle 2 as a haptic presentation. When the operator of the remote control system 1 steers the unmanned vehicle 2 , he or she generally tends to concentrate on controlling the working portion 16 such as the bucket 15 of the unmanned vehicle 2 . As a result, there is a possibility that information regarding the tilting of the unmanned mobile body 2 itself may be delayed, and it is conceivable that responses to maintaining the posture of the unmanned mobile body 2 may be delayed. On the other hand, it is conceivable to display the inclination angle and the like of the unmanned mobile body 2 on a monitor or the like. However, the operator who controls the working unit 16 is likely to concentrate on confirming information about the working unit 16 . Therefore, it is possible that the operator still does not recognize the tilt angle and the like. On the other hand, in the remote control system 1 according to the present embodiment, the information regarding the inclination of the unmanned vehicle 2 is presented to the operator as a haptic sensation, so it is considered that the operator can easily recognize the information regarding the inclination. .

In addition, it is considered that a conventional remote control system does not adopt a configuration for notifying an operator of some information by means of vibration. Therefore, like the configuration for vibrating the operation unit 31 of the remote control system 1, by vibrating a part of the remote control device 3 to present a haptic sensation to the operator, the operator can operate the unmanned mobile object. Inclination can be grasped intuitively.

Further, the operator is notified only when a predetermined condition is satisfied (in this embodiment, when the tilt angle changes from the normal range R1 to the warning range R2 or the dangerous range R3), and the predetermined condition is not satisfied. In this case (when the tilt angle is in the normal range R1), the output amount is set to 0 and the operator is not notified. In this case, the operator can intuitively grasp that the tilt of the unmanned vehicle 2 is not in the normal range R1 at the stage of being notified of the tilt information as the haptic sensation. Therefore, it is considered that the operator can control the inclination of the unmanned vehicle 2 more quickly.

(Second embodiment)
Next, a remote control system according to a second embodiment of the invention will be described. The device configuration of the remote control system of the second embodiment is the same as that of the remote control system 1 according to the first embodiment, but the specific processing for notifying the operator of the tilt of the unmanned mobile body 2 is described in the second embodiment. Differs from one embodiment.

In the second embodiment, a case will be described in which the operator is always notified of the information regarding the inclination of the unmanned mobile body 2 regardless of the magnitude of the inclination, that is, the operator is notified even when the inclination is within the normal range R1. do. Also, in the second embodiment, a case will be described in which the operation of the unmanned vehicle 2 is forcibly stopped when the tilt angle of the unmanned vehicle 2 is in the dangerous range R3.

FIG. 5 is an example of information related to the correspondence relationship between the tilt angle and the output amount held by the output amount calculation unit 33 of the remote control device 3 . In the second embodiment, even when the inclination of the unmanned vehicle 2 is within the normal range R1, the operator is presented with a haptic sensation. Therefore, as shown in FIG. A gradual increase in the amount of output is shown. In FIG. 5, the tilt angle θ _s is defined as the boundary between the normal region R1 and the warning region R2, and when the tilt of the unmanned vehicle 2 reaches the warning region R2, a haptic presentation is given to the operator. It has been shown to increase the magnitude of the change in response compared to the normal range R1. Furthermore, FIG. 5 shows that the inclination angle _θd is set as the boundary between the warning area R2 and the dangerous area R3, and that the unmanned vehicle 2 is forced to stop when the inclination reaches the dangerous area R3. . In the second embodiment, based on the information shown in FIG. 5, the output amount calculation unit 33 calculates the haptic sensation to be presented by the operation unit 31 functioning as a haptic presentation unit, based on the information on the tilt angle from the unmanned mobile body 2. Calculate the output amount of

When the unmanned vehicle 2 is to be forcibly stopped, the control instruction unit 35 generates a control signal for instructing the forced stop of the unmanned vehicle 2 based on the calculation result of the output amount calculation unit 33, and the communication unit 32 to the unmanned mobile object 2 .

In addition to the information on the tilt angle, information on the posture detected by the posture detection units 20A to 20C or information on the weight of the load detected by the weight detection unit 20D (information on the center of gravity) is also used. When calculating the output amount of the haptic sense using the information on the tilt angle, the information on the posture or the information on the center of gravity in the output amount calculation unit 33, as in the first embodiment, Information for calculating competence is held.

Next, among the remote control methods according to the second embodiment, in particular, a method of notifying the operator of information related to the inclination of the unmanned mobile body 2 will be described with reference to FIG.

First, when driving is started, the tilt angle measurement unit 29 measures the tilt angle of the unmanned mobile body 2 and transmits information about the tilt angle from the communication unit 17 to the remote control device 3 . In the remote control device 3, the communication unit 32 receives information about the tilt angle transmitted from the unmanned mobile body 2 (S11). In addition to the tilt angle information, when the posture information and/or the center of gravity information is obtained from the unmanned mobile body 2, the information regarding the tilt angle may be obtained at the same time. Next, a normal region R1, a warning region R2, and a dangerous region R3 are set based on information about the tilt angle (S12). Note that this processing can be omitted if the ranges of the normal range R1, the warning range R2, and the critical range R3 are not changed. Next, based on the information, the output amount calculation unit 33 determines whether a forced stop is necessary. That is, it is determined whether or not the tilt angle of the unmanned vehicle 2 included in the tilt angle information is greater than or equal to a threshold value (S13). The threshold here is a value that requires a forced stop, such as the tilt angle _θd shown in FIG. That is, in the present embodiment, the threshold is the boundary between the warning area R2 and the danger area R3.

Here, if the tilt angle of the unmanned vehicle 2 included in the information related to the tilt angle is greater than the threshold (S13-YES), the control instruction unit 35 outputs a control signal for instructing the forced stop of the unmanned vehicle 2. is created and transmitted from the communication unit 32 to the unmanned mobile body 2 (S14). As a result, in the unmanned mobile body 2, the operation of the unmanned mobile body 2 is stopped by the control unit 18, and the processing ends. Although the method of returning from the forced stop state is not particularly limited, for example, it can be configured to return when the operator performs predetermined control using the operation unit 31 .

On the other hand, if the tilt angle of the unmanned vehicle 2 included in the tilt angle information is equal to or less than the threshold (S13-NO), the output amount calculator 33 calculates the output amount corresponding to the tilt angle (S15). . Thereafter, the tilt information output unit 34 instructs the operation unit 31 to present a haptic sensation corresponding to the output amount, and the operation unit 31 presents the haptic sensation by vibration (S16).

After the above process, it is determined whether or not to end the operation of the remote control device 3 (S17). ).

As a result, it is possible to acquire information about the tilt angle from the unmanned vehicle 2, calculate the output amount corresponding to the tilt angle in the output amount calculator 33, and present it to the operator as a haptic sensation.

In this way, also in the remote control system 1 according to the second embodiment, the operator is notified of information related to the inclination of the unmanned vehicle 2 as presentation of haptic sensations. Further, in the case of the configuration described in the second embodiment, the haptic sensation is presented to the operator even when the tilt angle is within the normal range R1. Therefore, the operator can always grasp information related to the inclination of the unmanned mobile body 2 and can more preferably control the unmanned mobile body 2 regardless of the inclination of the unmanned mobile body 2 .

Further, in the configuration described in the second embodiment, when the tilt angle exceeds a predetermined value (threshold value), that is, when it is in the danger zone R3, the operation of the unmanned vehicle 2 is forced by the remote control device 3. Stop. Therefore, since the operation of the unmanned mobile body 2 can be stopped before the operator controls the unmanned mobile body 2, it is possible to prevent the unmanned mobile body 2 from overturning or the like.

It should be noted that, when the inclination angle satisfies a predetermined condition, a configuration may be adopted in which control other than the forced stop of the unmanned mobile body 2 is performed. For example, when the tilt angle exceeds a predetermined value, control may be performed to change the posture of the unmanned mobile body 2 so that the tilt angle becomes smaller.

In this manner, when the tilt angle satisfies a predetermined condition, the remote control device 3 transmits an instruction signal without an instruction from the operator, and performs some control on the unmanned mobile body 2. be able to.

(Modification)
A modification of the remote control system according to the present invention will be described.

First, as a first modified example, a modified example of a technique for presenting haptic sensations to the operator in the remote control device 3 will be described. In the first embodiment and the second embodiment, the operation unit 31 vibrates to notify the operator of information regarding the inclination of the unmanned vehicle 2 . At this time, information about the degree of tilt of the unmanned mobile body 2 is notified by changing the magnitude of vibration as the output amount. On the other hand, in the first modified example, a configuration capable of notifying the operator of not only the magnitude of the tilt but also the direction in which the unmanned vehicle 2 tilts will be described.

FIG. 7A shows an operator's operation panel 40A of the remote control device 3. FIG. The operation panel 40A is held by an operator, and the unmanned mobile body 2 can be controlled by operating a joystick, buttons, etc. on the operation panel 40A. The joystick as the operation unit 31 described above may be mounted on the operation panel 40A.

The operation panel 40A is provided with four vibrating sections 41 functioning as haptic presentation sections. In FIG. 7A, "A" to "D" are assigned to the four vibrating portions 41, respectively. Of the four vibrating portions 41, the vibrating portions 41 indicated by A and D are provided in the vertical direction of the operation panel 40A. Vibration units 41 indicated by B and C are provided in the horizontal direction of the operation panel 40 . The configuration of the vibrating portion can be realized by vibrating a magnetic material such as iron with an electromagnet or the like.

In the operation panel 40A, the vibrating portion corresponding to the tilt direction of the unmanned vehicle 2 vibrates. That is, the operation panel 40A is regarded as the unmanned vehicle 2, the top of the operation panel 40A corresponds to the front of the unmanned vehicle 2, the bottom of the operation panel 40A corresponds to the rear of the unmanned vehicle 2, and the left and right sides of the operation panel 40A correspond to the front of the unmanned vehicle 2. It is assumed that the direction corresponds to the horizontal direction of the unmanned vehicle 2 . When the unmanned vehicle 2 is tilted forward, for example, "A" of the vibrating units 41 vibrates. It is assumed that the magnitude of the amplitude of vibration corresponds to the amount of output. With such a configuration, for example, when "B" of the vibrating section 41 vibrates, the operator can intuitively grasp that the unmanned mobile body 2 is tilting to the left. Also, the operator can grasp the degree of inclination of the unmanned vehicle 2 from the magnitude of the vibration. By adopting a configuration in which a plurality of vibrating sections are provided and selectively vibrated in this way, it is possible to present the tilt direction of the unmanned mobile body 2 to the operator.

FIG. 7B is a modification of the arrangement of the vibrating section. The four vibrating sections 41 shown as "E" to "H" in FIG. 7B are arranged at the four rectangular corners of the operation panel 40A. Even when such an arrangement is adopted, similarly to the example shown in FIG. vibrates in accordance with the inclination of the unmanned mobile body 2 . Note that the arrangement of the vibrating section can be appropriately changed according to the shape of the unmanned vehicle 2, the direction in which it can be tilted, and the like.

The second modification, like the first modification, is a modification relating to the method of presenting haptic sensations to the operator in the remote control device 3 . Specifically, by changing the gravity balance of the control panel held by the operator, the operator is notified of the magnitude and direction of the inclination of the unmanned vehicle 2 .

As shown in FIG. 8A, in the second modification, a weight moving mechanism 42 functioning as a haptic presentation unit is provided below the operation panel 40B. However, the mounting position of the weight moving mechanism 42 is not limited to the downward position. The operator holds and operates the operation panel 40B to which the weight moving mechanism 42 is attached.

As shown in FIG. 8B, the weight moving mechanism 42 includes a weight 43 having a certain weight supported by a movable support member 44, and the weight 43 can be moved vertically and horizontally. It is what I did. The support member 44 moves the weight 43 in the extending direction of the operation panel 40B based on the instruction from the tilt information output section 34. As shown in FIG. As the moving means, a mechanism such as an existing XY recorder that moves the weight 43 by rotating a wire roll, or a mechanism that moves the weight 43 with a configuration of a linear motor using electromagnets arranged in an array can be used.

When the position of the weight 43 moves, the operator holding the operation panel 40B (and the weight moving mechanism 42) can feel the change in the center of gravity of the operation panel 40B. In other words, in the second modification, the change in the center of gravity of the operation panel 40B is presented to the operator as a haptic sensation, and the operator perceives this change in the center of gravity of the operation panel 40B as a change in the inclination of the unmanned vehicle 2. can be done. For example, when the tilt angle of the unmanned mobile body 2 is large, the weight 43 is largely moved to the vicinity of the end of the operation panel 40B to increase the deviation of the center of gravity, thereby notifying the operator of the tilt angle. be able to. In this way, when the magnitude of the deviation of the center of gravity is used as the output amount, the weight moving mechanism 42 notifies the operator of information related to the inclination of the unmanned vehicle 2, such as the direction of inclination and the magnitude of the angle of inclination. can be done. It should be noted that the moving direction of the weight in the weight moving mechanism can be appropriately changed according to the shape of the unmanned vehicle 2, the direction in which it can be tilted, and the like.

Further, the weight moving mechanism may be configured to move the weight only in one predetermined direction (for example, vertical direction). In this case, since the center of gravity of the operation panel 40B changes only in one direction, the tilt direction of the unmanned vehicle 2 cannot be notified to the operator. However, it is possible to present the operator with information related to the tilt of the unmanned vehicle 2 based on the change in the center of gravity.

As a third modified example, a modified example for notifying the operator of information related to the inclination of the unmanned mobile body 2 by vibration as in the first and second embodiments will be described. In the above-described embodiment, a configuration has been described in which the magnitude of the tilt of the unmanned vehicle 2 is notified to the operator by changing the magnitude of the vibration, with the magnitude of the vibration being the output amount. In the third modification, the magnitude of the tilt of the unmanned vehicle 2 is notified to the operator by changing the vibration pattern using the output amount as the vibration pattern.

FIG. 9 shows a specific example of changing the vibration pattern. In the example shown in FIG. 9, the vibration period (one cycle) is T (seconds), and the vibration time t (seconds) during which the vibrating section (the operating section 31 in FIG. 1, the vibrating section 41 in FIG. 7, etc.) vibrates in the vibration period T ) is changed. In this configuration, the vibration time t is used to notify the operator of the degree of inclination of the unmanned vehicle 2 . More specifically, as the tilt angle increases and the output amount increases, the proportion of the vibration period T occupied by the vibration time t is increased. Therefore, the operator can grasp the degree of inclination of the unmanned vehicle 2 from the ratio of the vibration time t.

In this way, when the information about the inclination of the unmanned vehicle 2 is changed for the operator by vibration as a haptic sensation, the vibration time is adopted instead of the vibration magnitude as the output amount, and the vibration time is changed. , the output amount can be changed. In the above description, the proportion of the vibration time t in the vibration period T is changed in accordance with the output amount. However, for example, the repetition pattern of vibration (vibration period, etc.) may be changed in accordance with the output amount. .

Although the remote control system 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not necessarily limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

For example, in the above embodiment, the case where the remote control device 3 is implemented by one device has been described, but the remote control device 3 may be configured by a plurality of devices.

Further, when the haptic sensation is presented to the operator by means other than the weight moving mechanism 42, the remote control device 3 is realized as a device that is placed on a table, for example, instead of being held by the operator. good too. In that case, the haptic presentation unit that presents the haptic to the operator is provided at a position where the operator can recognize the haptic. Depending on the type of haptic sensation to be presented to the operator, the haptic sensation can be presented to the operator even if the haptic presentation section is provided at a position not in contact with the operator. Therefore, the position where the haptic sense presentation unit is provided can be changed as appropriate.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the method of notifying the operator of the information related to the inclination of the unmanned mobile body 2 has been described using two flowcharts, but the processes described in these may be combined as appropriate. For example, a configuration may be employed in which a process for determining whether or not a forced stop is necessary is added to the process described in the first embodiment.

Further, in the above embodiment, an example in which the output amount calculation unit 33 is provided in the remote control device 3 has been described, but the output amount calculation unit may be provided in the unmanned mobile body 2 . When the output amount calculation unit is provided in the unmanned mobile body 2, a series of processing up to the calculation of the output amount is performed in the unmanned mobile body 2, and information about the output amount is sent from the unmanned mobile body 2 to the remote control device 3. , and the remote control device 3 presents haptic sensations based on this information. Thus, the arrangement of the output amount calculator can be changed as appropriate.

1 remote control system 2 unmanned mobile body 3 remote control device 17 communication unit 18 control unit 19 inclination angle detection units 20A, 20B, 20C attitude detection unit 20D weight detection unit 31 operation unit 32 communication unit 33 output amount calculation unit 34 inclination information output Unit 35 Control instruction units 40A and 40B Operation panel 41 Vibration unit 42 Weight moving mechanism

Claims (4)

A remote control system including an unmanned mobile body and a remote control device that is operated by an operator and performs wireless communication with the unmanned mobile body to control the operation of the unmanned mobile body,
an inclination angle detection unit that detects an inclination angle of the unmanned mobile body;
an output amount calculation unit that calculates an output amount based on information related to the inclination angle of the unmanned vehicle from the inclination angle detection unit;
a haptic presentation unit that presents to the operator a haptic sensation corresponding to the output amount calculated by the output amount calculation unit;
has
The remote control device includes a control panel held by the operator;
It includes a movable support member attached to the operation panel and a weight attached to the support member, and by moving the position of the weight along the extending direction of the operation panel, a weight moving mechanism capable of changing the center of gravity of the operation panel;
The haptic sense presenting unit presents the haptic sense to the operator by changing the center of gravity of the operation panel using the weight moving mechanism. further comprising an orientation detection unit that detects the orientation of the unmanned mobile body;
The output amount calculator calculates the output amount based on the information about the tilt angle of the unmanned mobile body from the tilt angle detector and the information about the attitude of the unmanned mobile body from the attitude detector. 2. The remote control system according to claim 1, wherein . A remote control system including an unmanned mobile body having a traveling body for running itself, and a remote control device operated by an operator to perform wireless communication with the unmanned mobile body and control the operation of the unmanned mobile body and
an inclination angle detection unit that detects an inclination angle of the unmanned mobile body;
an output amount calculation unit that calculates an output amount based on information related to the inclination angle of the unmanned vehicle from the inclination angle detection unit;
a haptic presentation unit that presents to the operator a haptic sensation corresponding to the output amount calculated by the output amount calculation unit;
a plurality of posture detection units individually attached to a plurality of movable units related to changes in the posture of the unmanned mobile body, each detecting the posture of the unmanned mobile body;
has
The output amount calculation unit calculates the Calculate the amount of output,
The haptic sense presentation unit vibrates a part of a plurality of vibrating units provided in the remote control device, which are provided in the remote control device so as to correspond to directions in which the unmanned vehicle can be tilted. presenting a haptic sense corresponding to the output amount to the operator, and changing a vibrating portion among the plurality of vibrating portions to vibrate for presentation of the haptic sense, thereby providing the operator with the A remote control system that presents information related to the tilt direction of an unmanned vehicle. 4. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the remote control device performs control to forcibly stop the operation of the unmanned mobile body when the tilt angle of the unmanned mobile body detected by the tilt angle detection unit exceeds a predetermined value. A remote control system according to any one of the preceding claims.

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