JP7436132B2 - guidance system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a guidance system including an unmanned flying vehicle and a manned guided vehicle.

Manned guided vehicles used in factories and warehouses are configured to operate when operated by an operator. The manned guided vehicle is, for example, a forklift. Forklifts are configured to use their forks to handle cargo.

By the way, a guidance system is known that includes one unmanned flying vehicle capable of hovering, a manned carrier, and a management device that controls the unmanned flying vehicle (see Patent Document 1, etc.).

The unmanned flying vehicle is equipped with a projector that projects a guidance image onto the road surface. The guidance image is, for example, an arrow pointing in the specified direction, and is projected onto the road surface in front of the manned guided vehicle. Thereby, the operator who is operating the manned guided vehicle is configured to be guided to the cargo handling position by checking the guidance image.

By the way, in conventional guidance systems, one unmanned flying vehicle guides the manned guided vehicle, so there is a problem that it is difficult for the operator operating the manned guided vehicle to intuitively recognize the distance and direction to the cargo handling position. be.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-52629

Therefore, the problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a guidance system that uses an unmanned flying vehicle to guide a manned guided vehicle and allows an operator to intuitively recognize the distance and direction to a cargo handling position. It's about doing.

In order to solve the above problems, the guidance system according to the present invention,
Multiple unmanned aerial vehicles capable of hovering;
A manned guided vehicle,
A guidance system comprising: a management device;
The unmanned aerial vehicle has a projection unit that projects a guidance image,
The management device is
a storage unit that stores facility maps and cargo handling positions;
a route determination unit that determines a route for guiding the manned guided vehicle to the cargo handling position based on the position of the manned guided vehicle, the cargo handling position, and the facility map;
a placement determining unit that determines the placement position of each unmanned flying vehicle on the determined route,
The plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles guide the manned guided vehicle by projecting light and/or images while hovering at the deployment location,
The arrangement determination unit is characterized in that it is configured to adjust the distance between the guided images according to the traveling speed of the manned guided vehicle so that the guided image can be easily recognized by the operator of the guided guided vehicle.

The guidance system preferably includes:
The placement determining unit expands or contracts the horizontal distance between the guided images by adjusting the horizontal distance between the unmanned flying objects.

The guidance system preferably includes:
the control measure further comprises a projection control unit;
The guidance image is configured so that its length in the running direction can be adjusted,
The projection control section controls the projection section and adjusts the length of the guidance image in the traveling direction according to the traveling speed of the manned guided vehicle.

The guidance system preferably includes:
The projection section is configured to be able to adjust the projection angle,
The projection control section controls the projection section to adjust the projection angle, thereby adjusting the length of the guidance image in the traveling direction.

The guidance system preferably includes:
A placement determining unit determines the placement positions of the plurality of unmanned flying objects so that the heights thereof are constant.

The guidance system preferably includes:
There are multiple manned guided vehicles,
A placement determining unit determines routes such that the routes of the plurality of manned guided vehicles do not overlap.

The guidance system preferably includes:
The unmanned aerial vehicle further has a speaker,
The management device further includes a voice control unit,
The audio control unit causes the speaker to notify either or both of the bending position and the cargo handling position.

The guidance system preferably includes:
The audio control unit makes a notification using the speaker of the unmanned flying vehicle that does not project.

The above-mentioned guidance system allows the operator to intuitively recognize the distance and direction to the cargo handling position in accordance with the traveling speed of the automatic guided vehicle.

A guidance system according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown, with A being a side view and B being a plan view. A is a perspective view of the guidance system shown in FIG. 1, and B is an enlarged perspective view of the unmanned air vehicle shown in FIG. 2. 2 is a functional block diagram of the guidance system shown in FIG. 1. FIG. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a plurality of unmanned flying objects and guidance images corresponding to changes in traveling speed. A shows an example of a light image projected onto an unmanned air vehicle, and B shows an example of another light image projected onto an unmanned air vehicle. A shows another example of the height of the unmanned air vehicle shown in FIG. 1A, and B shows yet another example of the height of the unmanned air vehicle. 1A is a diagram illustrating yet another example of the height of the unmanned aerial vehicle shown in FIG. 1A. FIG.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of a guidance system according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The X direction, Y direction, and Z direction are directions orthogonal to each other.

FIG. 1 shows a guidance system S according to an embodiment of the present invention, where A is a side view and B is a plan view. Moreover, FIG. 2A is a perspective view of the guidance system S shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of the guidance system S. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2A, the guidance system S includes a manned guided vehicle 1, an unmanned flying object 2 (2a, 2b, 2c), and a management device 3. Although seven unmanned aerial vehicles 2 are shown in FIG. 1, the number of unmanned aerial vehicles 2 in the present invention is not limited to this. A load W to be transported by the manned guided vehicle 1 is placed on the shelf R1. The position where the load W is placed or the position where the load W will be placed corresponds to the "placement position" of the present invention.

Although the manned guided vehicle 1 is a forklift operated by the operator O, this is just an example, and the manned guided vehicle 1 according to the present invention is not limited to this forklift. For example, it may be a forklift for both manned and unmanned use, having an unmanned mode in which it operates autonomously and a manned mode in which it operates under the operation of the operator O. The manned guided vehicle 1 is configured to be able to communicate with the management device 3.

The manned guided vehicle 1 includes a vehicle body 10 and a fork 11 disposed in front of the vehicle body 10. The operator O scoops up the load W with the fork 11 and transports it. As shown in FIG. 3, the manned guided vehicle 1 further includes a position detection section 12. The position detection unit 12 detects the position of the manned guided vehicle 1 and transmits the detected position of the manned guided vehicle 1 to the management device 3.

As shown in FIG. 2B, the unmanned flying vehicle 2 is a so-called drone, and includes a main body 20, four propellers 21 arranged on the four sides of the main body 20, and a power unit that rotates the propellers 21. (not shown). As shown in FIG. 3, the unmanned flying object 2 further includes a flight control section 22, a storage section 23, a projection section 24, and a speaker 25. The unmanned aerial vehicle 2 is configured to be able to communicate with the management device 3.

The flight control unit 22 detects the position of the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 using known technology, controls the rotation of the propeller 21, and flies the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 to the placement position received from the management device 3, or hovers at the placement position. Let me do it.

The storage unit 23 stores a guidance image D for guiding the unmanned flying vehicle 2. As shown in FIG. 1B, the guidance image D includes a first image D1 showing the direction in which the manned guided vehicle 1 travels, a position at which the manned guided vehicle 1 changes direction (corresponding to the "bent position" of the present invention), and a direction at which the manned guided vehicle 1 changes direction and travels. It includes a second image D2 showing the direction and a third image D3 showing the cargo handling position. Below, the first, second, and third images D1, D2, and D3 may be collectively referred to as a guided image D. The "cargo handling position" in the present invention means a position where the manned guided vehicle 1 stops and handles cargo. The arrows in the first and second images D1 and D2 indicate the running direction, and the arrow in the third image D3 indicates the direction of the placement position. The shapes, sizes, and colors of the first, second, and third images D1, D2, and D3 are preferably different from each other, but for example, any one of the shapes, sizes, and colors may be different. The first, second, and third images D1, D2, and D3 according to the present embodiment are composed of circles of different colors and arrows of different colors arranged inside the circles.

The storage unit 23 further stores a voice V for guiding the operator O. The voice V includes "○m", "Turn left ahead", "Ahead, destination", "There is an obstacle ahead", "Please be careful", etc.

In this embodiment, the projection unit 24 is configured by a projector. The projection unit 24 is disposed on the lower surface of the main body 20, and projects the guided image D downward, as shown in FIGS. 1A and 2A. The projection unit 24 of this embodiment is configured to be able to adjust the projection direction. The projection unit 24 may further include, for example, a gimbal in order to adjust the projection direction. The projected guidance image D is displayed on the road surface, as shown in FIG. 1B.

The speaker 25 is arranged on the main body 20 and outputs a sound V toward the operator O.

The management device 3 is, for example, a server computer, and includes storage means and calculation means (not shown). The storage means stores a program for causing the server computer to function as the management device 3 according to this embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 3, the management device 3 includes a storage section 30, a route determination section 31, a placement determination section 32, a projection control section 33, and an audio control section 34.

The storage unit 30 stores a facility map, cargo handling positions, and loading positions. The facility map includes the position of the shelf R, the height of the shelf R, the position of the passageway, and the position of obstacles. The facility map also stores the width of traffic routes. In this embodiment, the management device 3 manages a plurality of manned guided vehicles 1, and the storage unit 30 stores cargo handling positions and loading positions related to the plurality of manned guided vehicles 1.

The route determining unit 31 determines a route (hereinafter simply referred to as "route") along which the manned guided vehicle 1 will go to the cargo handling position based on the position of the manned guided vehicle 1, the cargo handling position, and the facility map. For example, the route determination unit 31 determines the shortest route connecting the manned guided vehicle 1 and the cargo handling position, or uses operator O's past travel route, the vehicle width of the traffic route, and the condition of the traffic route (steps, etc.) The route may be determined by taking this into consideration. Further, the route determining unit 31 determines the routes so that the routes of the plurality of manned guided vehicles 1 do not overlap. For example, the route determination unit 31 determines a route by taking into account the time when the plurality of manned guided vehicles 1 travel, or updates the route in real time based on the current positions of the plurality of manned guided vehicles 1. Good too.

The placement determining unit 32 determines the placement position of each unmanned flying vehicle 2 on the determined route. More specifically, the placement determining unit 32 places the unmanned flying vehicle 2 above the bending position and cargo handling position on the route, and also places the unmanned flying object 2 above other positions. Further, the arrangement determining unit 32 determines the arrangement positions so that the hovering heights H (hereinafter simply referred to as "height H") of the plurality of unmanned flying objects 2 are constant. The height H of the unmanned flying object 2 is preferably higher than the head position of the operator O so as not to obstruct the operator's forward view.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the horizontal distance Q1 between the plurality of unmanned flying objects 2 and the distance Q2 between the guided images D, which correspond to changes in the traveling speed of the manned guided vehicle 1. The arrangement determining unit 32 expands or contracts the distance Q1 between the unmanned flying objects 2 according to the traveling speed of the manned guided vehicle 1. That is, the arrangement determining unit 32 updates the arrangement position of each unmanned flying object 2 according to the traveling speed of the manned guided vehicle 1. The vertical axis in FIG. 4 indicates the traveling speed of the manned guided vehicle 1, and the traveling speed increases downward. As shown in FIG. 4, the arrangement determining unit 32 arranges the unmanned flying objects 2 so that the distance Q1 between the unmanned flying objects 2 arranged on the route increases as the traveling speed of the manned guided vehicle 1 increases. Thereby, the guidance system S can widen the distance Q2 between the guidance images D each time the traveling speed of the manned guided vehicle 1 increases, thereby improving the visibility of the guidance images D by the operator O. .

As shown in FIG. 1A, the projection control unit 33 causes the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 to project the first, second, and third images D1, D2, and D3 shown in FIG. 1B. Thereby, the guidance system S can make the operator O intuitively recognize the traveling direction, the bending position, and the cargo handling position.

As shown in FIG. 1B, the projection control unit 33 causes the projection unit 24 to project the first, second, and third images D1, D2, and D3 according to the bending position, cargo handling position, and other positions on the route. . Since the colors of the first, second, and third images D1, D2, and D3 are different from each other, the guidance system S informs the operator O of the bending position and the cargo handling position based on the color of the guidance image D displayed at each position. Each position can be recognized more intuitively than the guided image D, which simply has a different shape. In this embodiment, since the first, second, and third images D1, D2, and D3 corresponding to each position are stored in advance in the storage unit 23 of the unmanned aerial vehicle 2, the projection control unit 33 controls the bending position, The projection unit 24 of the unmanned flying vehicle 2 placed above the cargo handling position and other positions is controlled to project the guidance image D corresponding to each position.

The projection control unit 33 adjusts the projection angle of the projection unit 24 to project the guidance image D obliquely downward in side view, thereby adjusting the length of the guidance image D in the traveling direction. As shown in FIG. 4, the projection unit 24 adjusts the length of the guidance image D in the traveling direction to become longer as the traveling speed increases, thereby adjusting the length of the guiding image D in accordance with the change in the traveling speed of the manned guided vehicle 1. It is possible to provide the operator O with a clear visibility of the guidance image D. Note that the projection control unit 33 may fix the projection angle of the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 placed at the bending position and the cargo handling position directly below the unmanned aerial vehicle 2, regardless of the traveling speed of the manned guided vehicle 1. The projection angle may be adjusted depending on each placement position of the unmanned aerial vehicle 2.

The arrangement determining unit 32 and the projection control unit 33 determine the running speed of the manned guided vehicle 1, for example, when the unmanned flying object 2 has a camera and recognizes the running speed of the manned guided vehicle 1 using the camera. Alternatively, the management device 3 may receive the detection of the traveling speed of the manned guided vehicle 1 to recognize the information.

Furthermore, the projection control unit 33 may periodically blink the first, second, and third images D1, D2, and D3 so as to flow in the traveling direction, and guide the manned guided vehicle 1 by the flowing blinking effect. good. Alternatively, the projection control unit 33 may cause only the first image D1 to flow and blink while the second image D2 and third image D3 are kept lit. Furthermore, the projection control unit 33 may cause only the second and third images D3 to blink. In this way, the projection control unit 33 causes the entire first, second, and third images D3 to blink in a specific pattern, or causes the first, second, and third images D3 to light up and blink in different patterns, respectively. By doing so, the operator O can intuitively recognize the direction of the route, each positional relationship, etc.

Furthermore, the projection control unit 33 provides an image-free space Q3 at a position several meters in front of the manned guided vehicle 1, and does not project the image onto the unmanned flying object 2a above the image-free space Q3. This is to prevent the operator O's line of sight from concentrating downward and the operator O from being unable to see what is ahead. That is, by providing the image-free space Q3, the projection control unit 33 directs the operator O's line of sight forward, thereby improving safety during driving. Note that as the manned guided vehicle 1 moves, the imageless space Q3 also moves accordingly, so the projection control unit 33 further adjusts the projection of the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 that is located above the imageless space Q3. make it stop.

The audio control unit 34 controls the speaker 25 of the unmanned flying vehicle 2 placed above the imageless space Q3 to notify the operator O of either or both of the bending position and the cargo handling position as well as other information. The notification voice V may be, for example, "Turn left in 15 meters", "30 meters ahead, destination", "There is an obstacle ahead. Please be careful", etc. The voice V is a combination of "○m", "Turn left ahead", "Go ahead, destination", "There is an obstacle ahead", and "Please be careful" stored in the storage unit 23 as appropriate. may be generated. The guidance system S can make the operator O more intuitively recognize the bending position, cargo handling position, etc. by the notification using the voice V.

With reference to FIG. 2A, the role of each unmanned flying object 2 placed by the placement determining unit 32 will be explained again. The two unmanned flying objects 2a in front of the manned guided vehicle 1 do not project the guidance image D, but guide the manned guided vehicle 1 using the audio V. The unmanned flying object 2b arranged between the unmanned flying object 2 and the bending position and between the bending position and the cargo handling position projects the first image D1 and guides the manned guided vehicle 1. The unmanned flying objects 2c and 2d placed at the bending position and the cargo handling position respectively project second and third images D2 and D3 to show the bending position and the cargo handling position, respectively, and guide the manned guided vehicle 1. Note that when the manned guided vehicle 1 passes below the unmanned aerial vehicle 2, the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 completes its role and is placed in a new guidance position by the management device 3, or heads to a predetermined location for charging. It's okay.

By having the above configuration, the guidance system S can make the operator O intuitively recognize the distance, direction, etc. to the cargo handling position. Moreover, since the guidance system S adjusts the distance Q2 between the guidance images D according to the traveling speed of the manned guided vehicle 1 and also adjusts the length of the guidance image D in the traveling direction, Regardless of the speed, the operator O can appropriately recognize the guided image D. Furthermore, the guidance system S can be operated without particularly changing the configuration of a conventional manned guided vehicle.

Although the guidance system S according to one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the guidance system S according to the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, the above embodiment may be modified as follows, or may be implemented in combination with the following modifications.

(1) The guidance system S has, for example, a plurality of guidance images D having different lengths in the traveling direction, and projects a guidance image D corresponding to the traveling speed of the manned guided vehicle 1 from the plurality of guidance images D. However, the method for adjusting the length of the guided image D is not particularly limited. When adjusting the length of the guide image D by selecting a plurality of guide images D having different lengths, the projection unit 24 may have a fixed projection angle. Further, the guidance system S may adjust the distance Q2 between the guidance images D according to the traveling speed of the manned guided vehicle 1, for example, by adjusting the projection angle of the projection unit 24 using the projection control unit 33.

(2) The guidance system S uses simple round light images D4, D5, D6 or arrow light images instead of the first, second and third images D1, D2, D3, as shown in FIGS. 5A and 4B. The images D7, D8, and D9 may be projected onto the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 as the guide images D. In this case, the guidance system S may vary the size, color, and shape of the light image depending on the bending position, cargo handling position, and other positions on the route, as shown in FIGS. 5A and 4B. good. In FIGS. 5A and 5B, light images D4 and D7 indicate the running direction, light images D5 and D8 indicate the bending position and running direction, and light images D6 and D9 indicate the cargo handling position and the loading position, respectively. It shows. When projecting these light images, the guidance system S also adjusts the distance Q1 between the unmanned flying objects 2, the projection angle, and the length of the guidance image D to be projected according to the traveling speed. By adjusting the speed, a guidance image D corresponding to the traveling speed of the manned guided vehicle 1 can be displayed on the road surface.

(3) The guidance system S may arrange the unmanned flying object 2 at the height of the mounting position, for example, as shown in FIG. 6A. In this case, the placement determining unit 32 determines the placement position so that the unmanned flying object 2 is placed at the height of the placement position. Alternatively, the guidance system S may arrange the unmanned flying object 2 along a straight line L connecting the height of the face of the operator O and the height of the mounting position, for example, as shown in FIG. 6B. In this case, the placement determining unit 32 determines the placement position so that the unmanned flying object 2 is placed at a height along the straight line L. By arranging the unmanned flying object 2 in this manner, the guidance system S allows the operator O to intuitively recognize the height of the mounting position.

In addition, when the position of the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 is arranged in this way, the guidance image D is blocked by the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 when the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 is placed at a low position, and the guidance image D is not recognized by the operator O. I can't do it. Therefore, the guidance system S is configured to be able to project the guidance image D downward and upward through the projection unit 24 of the unmanned aerial vehicle 2, and when the height of the mounting position is below a predetermined height, the projection control unit 33 projects the guidance image D. The guide image D may be projected toward the ceiling by controlling the unit 24, as shown in FIG. 7A. The predetermined height may be, for example, 0.5 m to 1 m. In this case, the operator O can recognize the direction of the route, the bending position, and the cargo handling position from the guidance image D projected on the ceiling, and can also recognize the height of the loading position from the height H of the unmanned aerial vehicle 2. can.

Furthermore, in order to prevent the operator O's line of sight from moving upward and becoming unable to recognize the front, the guidance system S further increases the distance of the no-image space Q3 as shown in FIG. 7B when projecting toward the ceiling. You can set it to a long time. In this case, for example, the projection control unit 33 may be configured to further include a line-of-sight recognition unit that recognizes the angle of the line-of-sight of the operator O, and adjust the distance of the image-free space Q3 based on the angle of the line-of-sight of the operator O. good. The line of sight recognition unit includes a camera, and the camera may be placed, for example, on the unmanned flying vehicle 2, the manned guided vehicle 1, the shelf R, or the like. The projection control unit 33 also determines the size of the light and/or the image, or the shape of the light and/or the image, depending on the projection target. That is, the projection control unit 33 may make the size and shape of the guidance image D projected on the ceiling different from those when the guidance image D is projected onto the road surface.

(4) The guidance system S may recognize the position of the manned guided vehicle 1 using a camera provided within the facility or a camera provided on the unmanned flying vehicle 2. In this case, the manned guided vehicle 1 does not need to include a position recognition section.

(5) The guidance system S configures the guidance image D with only the first image D1, for example, and displays the operator O at the bending position and the cargo handling position by flashing the first image D1 projected at the bending position and the cargo handling position. may be recognized. Furthermore, the guidance system S may configure the sound V emitted by the speaker 25 as a buzzer, chime, etc., and may notify the operator O of the bending position and the cargo handling position using the sound V.

1 Manned guided vehicle 10 Vehicle body 11 Fork 12 Position detection unit 2 Unmanned flying object 20 Main body 21 Propeller 22 Flight control unit 23 Storage unit 24 Projection unit 25 Speaker 3 Management device 30 Storage unit 31 Route determination unit 32 Placement determination unit 33 Projection control unit 34 Audio control unit D1 First image D2 Second image D3 Third image H Hovering height L Straight line O Operator Q1 Horizontal distance between unmanned aerial vehicles Q2 Distance between guidance images Q3 Space without image R Shelf S Guidance system V Audio W load

Claims (8)

Multiple unmanned aerial vehicles capable of hovering;
A manned guided vehicle,
A guidance system comprising: a management device;
The unmanned flying vehicle has a projection unit that projects a guidance image,
The management device includes:
a storage unit that stores facility maps and cargo handling positions;
a route determining unit that determines a route for guiding the manned guided vehicle to the cargo handling position based on the position of the manned guided vehicle, the cargo handling position, and the facility map;
a placement determining unit that determines the placement position of each of the unmanned flying vehicles on the determined route;
The plurality of unmanned flying objects guide the manned guided vehicle by projecting light or images or both while hovering at the arrangement position,
The management device is characterized in that the management device is configured to adjust the distance between the guiding images according to the traveling speed of the manned guided vehicle so that an operator of the manned guided vehicle can easily recognize the guided images. guidance system. The guidance system according to claim 1, wherein the arrangement determining unit expands or contracts the distance between the guidance images by adjusting the horizontal distance between the unmanned flying objects. The management device further includes a projection control section,
The guidance image is configured such that its length in the traveling direction can be adjusted,
The guidance system according to claim 2, wherein the projection control section controls the projection section to adjust the length of the guidance image in the traveling direction according to the traveling speed of the manned guided vehicle. The projection unit is configured to be able to adjust the projection angle,
The guidance system according to claim 3, wherein the projection control section adjusts the length of the guidance image in the traveling direction by controlling the projection section and adjusting the projection angle. The guidance system according to claim 1, wherein the arrangement determining unit determines the arrangement positions so that the heights of the plurality of unmanned flying objects are constant. The manned guided vehicle is plural,
The guidance system according to claim 1, wherein the arrangement determining unit determines routes such that the routes of the plurality of manned guided vehicles do not overlap. The unmanned aerial vehicle further includes a speaker,
The management device further includes a voice control unit,
The guidance system according to claim 1, wherein the audio control unit causes a speaker to notify either or both of the bending position and the cargo handling position. 8. The guidance system according to claim 7, wherein the audio control unit makes the notification using the speaker of the unmanned flying vehicle that does not project.

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