JP7489013B2 - Automated Guided Vehicle System - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an automated guided vehicle system in which an automated guided vehicle loads and unloads luggage inside a luggage container, and more specifically, to an automated guided vehicle system in which the automated guided vehicle performing the above-mentioned tasks travels autonomously inside and outside the luggage container.

As an example of an automated guided vehicle system, there is one in which an automated guided vehicle loads and unloads cargo inside a cargo container such as a truck container (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

In the automated guided vehicle system of Patent Document 1, a mobile robot 6, which is an automated guided vehicle, autonomously travels inside a loading platform 5, which is a cargo container of a truck 4, to load and unload items W. The mobile robot 6 has a laser beam generator and emits a laser beam over a wide area upward and to both sides ([0013]). By using a sensor to detect laser light reflected by multiple reflectors 9 attached at fixed positions on the inner side of the side walls and ceiling of the loading platform 5, the mobile robot 6 can determine its own position and posture inside the loading platform 5 ([0013]).

In the automated guided vehicle system of Patent Document 2, a transport vehicle 1, which is an automated guided vehicle, travels autonomously within a container C, which is a baggage container of a truck T, to load and unload baggage W. The transport vehicle 1 is equipped with a reference position setting member 10 that is arranged outside the container C and sets a reference position for the vehicle body 2, and distance acquisition units 11A, 11B that acquire information regarding the distance between the vehicle body 2 and the reference position setting member 10 ([0016]-[0019]). The reference position setting member 10 has a shape that extends along the width direction of the vehicle body 2, and is arranged on a platform outside the container C at the travel start position of the vehicle body 2 when the vehicle body 2 attempts to enter the container C from outside the container C ([0017]).

When the driving condition acquisition unit 31 of the control unit 20 determines that the vehicle body 2 is in an abnormal state where it is tilted from the reference direction SD based on the first distance information acquired by the distance acquisition unit 11A and the second distance information acquired by the distance acquisition unit 11B, the drive control unit 32 of the control unit 20 performs control to correct the abnormal state and return the vehicle body 2 to a straight-line state ([0025]-[0026]).

JP 7-101554 A JP 2020-1845 A

The configuration of the automated guided vehicle system in Patent Document 1 requires many reflectors 9 to be installed in a certain area on the inner side of the side walls and ceiling of the luggage container. Therefore, every time the luggage container to be worked on is changed, it is necessary to reinstall many reflectors 9 inside the luggage container, which is a very time-consuming task.

In the configuration of the automated guided vehicle system in Patent Document 2, the reference position setting member 10, which sets the reference position of the vehicle body 2 and has a shape extending along the width direction of the vehicle body 2, needs to be placed and fixed on a platform outside the luggage container. Therefore, if the stopping position of the truck deviates from the specified position, the reference position setting member 10 needs to be reinstalled. Furthermore, since the reference position setting member 10, which has a shape extending along the width direction of the vehicle body 2, is placed on the platform, the reference position setting member 10 may get in the way.

The present invention aims to reduce the time and effort required to install a reflector in an automated guided vehicle system equipped with a laser sensor on the vehicle body that detects a reflector, eliminate the need to reinstall the reflector even if the truck's stopping position deviates from the specified position, and prevent the reflector from getting in the way.

In order to solve the above problems, the automated guided vehicle system according to the present invention comprises:
An automated guided vehicle system in which an automated guided vehicle loads and unloads luggage inside a luggage container,
The automated guided vehicle is
The vehicle body is equipped with a laser sensor that detects reflectors.
Autonomous travel within and outside the luggage container;
The reflector,
provided on the left and right sides of the entrance of the baggage container so as to face an aisle along which the automated guided vehicle travels autonomously ;
The laser sensor includes:
The front laser sensor and the rear laser sensor,
The vehicle body is provided at diagonal positions in front and rear,
The automated guided vehicle stores a map of the interior of the baggage container,
In the luggage compartment,
the front laser sensor measures a distance to one of a side wall of the luggage container and the reflector;
the rear laser sensor measures the distance to both the side wall of the luggage container and the reflector;
The measurement data from the front laser sensor and the rear laser sensor are integrated and used to estimate the self-position of the automatic guided vehicle .

According to this configuration, reflectors are provided on the left and right sides of the entrance to the baggage container, facing the passage along which the automated guided vehicle travels autonomously. The automated guided vehicle then travels autonomously inside and outside the baggage container while detecting the reflectors with a laser sensor mounted on the vehicle body. Therefore, the automated guided vehicle can travel autonomously inside and outside the baggage container while maintaining high travel accuracy, even without the need for guide tapes or the like.

Furthermore, the same reflectors can be used when the automated guided vehicle travels inside and outside the luggage container, so the number of reflectors can be reduced. Furthermore, the reflectors on the left and right sides of the entrance to the luggage container can be easily installed, for example, with magnets, making the installation work of the reflectors extremely simple. In other words, since it is only necessary to install reflectors on the left and right sides of the entrance to the luggage container, there is no need to reinstall many reflectors inside the luggage container every time the luggage container to be worked on changes, as is the case with the installation work of reflectors in Patent Document 1.

Furthermore, even if the stopping position of the truck deviates from the specified position and the position of the baggage container deviates from the specified position, reflectors can be installed on the left and right sides of the entrance to the baggage container, so there is no need to reset the reflectors as with the reference position setting member of Patent Document 2. Furthermore, because the reflectors are installed on the left and right sides of the entrance to the baggage container, they do not get in the way as with the reference position setting member of Patent Document 2 that has a shape extending in the left-right direction and is placed on the platform.
Furthermore, when the automated guided vehicle travels in and out of the baggage storage unit, the front and rear laser sensors mounted at diagonal positions on the front and rear of the vehicle body can continuously detect reflectors installed on the left and right sides of the entrance to the baggage storage unit.
Furthermore, if the overall length of the luggage container is long and the automated guided vehicle enters the rear of the luggage container, far from the entrance, the automated guided vehicle can autonomously travel inside the luggage container while accurately grasping its own position and any deviation in its posture in the direction of rotation around the vertical axis by combining distance data to one of the side walls or the reflector of the luggage container measured by the front laser sensor and distance data to both the side wall and the reflector of the luggage container measured by the rear laser sensor and comparing them with the positions of the reflector and side wall on a stored map of the luggage container.

Here, the reflector is
The central axis of the semicylinder is in the vertical direction, and the shape includes a shape along the side surface of the semicylinder, or
In a preferred embodiment, the shape includes a shape that follows three side surfaces of the rectangular prism, with the side between the side surfaces of the rectangular prism being in the vertical direction.

With this configuration, when the AGV enters the baggage container from the outside and when the AGV exits the baggage container from the inside, the reflection direction of the laser light emitted from the AGV's laser sensor and incident on the reflector can be changed more continuously. As a result, the position of the AGV relative to the reflector can be detected continuously and accurately when the AGV travels in and out of the baggage container.

In order to solve the above problems, the automated guided vehicle system according to the present invention comprises:
An automated guided vehicle system in which an automated guided vehicle loads and unloads luggage inside a luggage container ,
The automated guided vehicle is
The vehicle body is equipped with a laser sensor that detects reflectors.
Autonomous travel within and outside the luggage container;
The reflector,
provided on the left and right sides of the entrance of the baggage container so as to face an aisle along which the automated guided vehicle travels autonomously;
the laser sensor is a two-dimensional laser sensor,
A second reflector is provided on the left and right of a dock leveller that is installed so as to be connected to the entrance of the baggage container, so as to face the passage along which the automatic guided vehicle travels autonomously .

According to this configuration, reflectors are provided on the left and right sides of the entrance of the baggage container so as to face the passage along which the automated guided vehicle travels autonomously. The automated guided vehicle travels autonomously inside and outside the baggage container while detecting the reflectors with a laser sensor provided on the vehicle body. Therefore, the automated guided vehicle can travel autonomously inside and outside the baggage container while maintaining high travel accuracy without providing guide tapes or the like.
Furthermore, the same reflector can be used when the automated guided vehicle travels inside and outside the luggage container, so the number of reflectors can be reduced. Furthermore, the reflectors provided on the left and right sides of the entrance to the luggage container can be easily installed, for example, with magnets, so the installation work of the reflectors is extremely simplified. In other words, since it is only necessary to install reflectors on the left and right sides of the entrance to the luggage container, there is no need to reinstall many reflectors inside the luggage container every time the luggage container to be worked on is changed, as in the installation work of reflectors in Patent Document 1.
Furthermore, even if the stopping position of the truck deviates from the specified position and the position of the baggage container deviates from the specified position, reflectors can be installed on the left and right sides of the entrance to the baggage container, so there is no need to reset the reflectors as with the reference position setting member of Patent Document 2. Furthermore, because the reflectors are installed on the left and right sides of the entrance to the baggage container, they do not get in the way as with the reference position setting member of Patent Document 2 that has a shape extending in the left-right direction and is placed on the platform.
Furthermore, when a dock leveller is installed to eliminate the step when the floor level of the baggage container and the floor level of the platform are different, the automated guided vehicle can travel on the dock leveller by accurately detecting the position of the dock leveller using a two-dimensional laser sensor equipped on the vehicle body to detect second reflectors installed on the left and right sides of the dock leveller so as to face the passage along which the automated guided vehicle travels autonomously. Moreover, the second reflectors installed on the left and right sides of the dock leveller can be easily installed using, for example, magnets, etc., so the installation work for the second reflectors is also extremely simple.

As described above, in the automated guided vehicle system of the present invention, an automated guided vehicle equipped with a laser sensor on the vehicle body that detects reflectors travels autonomously inside and outside a baggage container, the work of installing the reflector is not time-consuming, there is no need to reinstall the reflector even if the truck's stopping position deviates from the specified position, and the reflector does not get in the way.

1 is a partial cross-sectional plan view of an automated guided vehicle system according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional plan view of an automated guided vehicle system according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing an example equipped with a dock leveller. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an automated guided vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. This is also a front view. 1A and 1B show an example of a reflector according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 10A and 10B show a modified example of a reflector, in which FIG. FIG. 4 is an enlarged plan view of a main portion around the reflector in FIG. 3 . FIG. 5 is an enlarged front view of a main portion around the reflector in FIG. 4 .

The following describes an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings.

In the following embodiments, the direction in which the automated guided vehicle enters the baggage container from the outside to the inside is defined as "front," left and right are defined as looking forward, and a view from the left is considered a front view.

As an example of an automated guided vehicle system according to an embodiment of the present invention, the partial cross-sectional plan view of FIG. 1 and the partial vertical sectional front view of FIG. 2 show an example in which there is no step between the floor surface N of the cargo container A, which is, for example, a container of a truck T, and the floor surface J of the platform, while the partial cross-sectional plan view of FIG. 3 and the partial vertical sectional front view of FIG. 4 show an example in which a dock leveler D is provided due to the presence of such a step.

The automated guided vehicle 1 travels autonomously inside and outside the luggage container A, and performs the work of loading and unloading luggage W inside the luggage container A. The luggage W is, for example, a pallet P and a load Q that is loaded on the pallet P.

The automated guided vehicle 1 is equipped with two-dimensional laser sensors 3 and 4 on the vehicle body 2. Here, the laser sensors 3 and 4 are two-dimensional laser sensors.

In the example of Figures 1 and 2, reflectors 5 and 6 are provided on the left and right of the entrance E of the luggage container A, and in the example of Figures 3 and 4, in addition to the reflectors 5 and 6, second reflectors 7 and 8 are also provided on the left and right of the dock leveler D. Reflectors 5 to 8 face the passage G (Figures 1 and 3) along which the automated guided vehicle 1 travels autonomously.

In the example of Figures 1 and 2, the laser sensors 3 and 4 of the automated guided vehicle 1 detect the reflectors 5 and 6 (see, for example, the laser beams L1 and L2 in Figure 1).

In the example of Figures 3 and 4, when the automated guided vehicle 1 is located on the floor surface J of the platform, the laser sensors 3 and 4 are two-dimensional laser sensors and cannot detect the reflectors 5 and 6. In the example of Figures 3 and 4, the laser sensors 3 and 4 of the automated guided vehicle 1 detect the reflectors 5 to 8 (see, for example, the laser beams L1 and L2 in Figure 3).

Even if one were to install a reflector on the end surface V at the back of the luggage container A, luggage W is usually placed inside the luggage container A from the back, so a reflector cannot be installed on the end surface V. Furthermore, if a reflector were installed on luggage W, the position of the reflector would change as the luggage W is loaded and unloaded. In other words, by providing reflectors 5 and 6 on the left and right of the entrance E of luggage container A, the installation positions of the reflectors installed in luggage container A are optimized.

The laser sensors 3 and 4 are, for example, LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging), which emit pulses of laser light L1 and L2 while changing direction, detect the scattered light that is reflected back, and measure the distance and direction to the target object from the time it takes for the light to be reflected off the object and return. By using the laser light L1 and L2, which has a higher luminous flux density and a shorter wavelength than radio waves, the position, shape, etc. can be detected with high accuracy.

The automated guided vehicle 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention is, for example, an automated forklift, and as shown in the perspective view of FIG. 5 and the front view of FIG. 6, is equipped with a loading device B for loading and unloading operations, a moving device C for traveling and turning operations, and a control device for controlling the loading device B and the moving device C.

The loading device B has a mast M that moves up and down and tilts back and forth, forks F that carry cargo W, and a lift bracket K that moves up and down along the mast M and supports the forks F. The moving device C has a pair of front wheels on the left and right, rear wheels that are both driving and steering wheels, and a drive device for the rear wheels. The control device controls the drive of the loading device B and the moving device C, and has a communication device etc. that communicates with a control device on the ground.

The automated guided vehicle 1 is autonomous and has a self-location estimation function that estimates its own location on an environmental map. The self-location estimation function is, for example, the "laser SLAM type" or "image SLAM type" defined in "Terminology Related to Automated Guided Vehicle Systems" of JIS D 6801:2019 ("SLAM" stands for Simultaneously Localization And Mapping). That is, the distance to the surface of a wall, pillar, etc. is measured by a laser range finder or a camera capable of measuring distance on the automated guided vehicle 1, and a map of the surrounding environment is created and the self-location on the environmental map is estimated.

The laser sensors equipped on the vehicle body 2 of the automated guided vehicle 1 are a front laser sensor 3 and a rear laser sensor 4, with the front laser sensor 3 located on the front left of the vehicle body 2 and the rear laser sensor 4 located on the rear right of the vehicle body 2 (see also the enlarged plan view of the main parts in Figure 9). The front laser sensor 3 may be located on the front right of the vehicle body 2 and the rear laser sensor 4 on the rear left of the vehicle body 2; that is, the laser sensors 3, 4 may be provided at diagonal positions in the front and rear of the vehicle body 2.

By equipping the laser sensors 3 and 4 at diagonal positions on the front and rear of the vehicle body 2, the laser sensors 3 and 4 can continuously detect the reflectors 5 and 6 installed on the left and right sides of the entrance E of the luggage container A when the automated guided vehicle 1 travels inside and outside the luggage container A.

Laser sensors 3 and 4 may be arranged one on each side (four in total) at the front and rear of the vehicle body 2 (variant arrangement example 1).

The positions of the front laser sensor 3 and the rear laser sensor 4 are not limited to the diagonal positions on the front and rear of the vehicle body 2. For example, the laser sensors 3 and 4 may be placed in front and behind the center of the left and right direction of the vehicle body 2 (variant arrangement example 2). In that case, a slit is provided in the vehicle body 2 so that the laser can reach the sides of the vehicle body 2.

In addition to the front and rear of the center of the left and right direction of the vehicle body 2, laser sensors may also be provided on the left and right sides of the vehicle body 2 (Modified Arrangement Example 3). Alternatively, a three-dimensional laser sensor capable of detecting 360 degrees around the vehicle body 2 may be provided above the vehicle body 2 (Modified Arrangement Example 4).

If four laser sensors are arranged on the vehicle body 2 as in modified arrangement examples 1 and 3, the number of laser sensors increases, resulting in increased costs. If slits are provided in the vehicle body 2 as in modified arrangement example 2, the strength of the vehicle body 2 decreases. If a three-dimensional laser sensor is provided above the vehicle body 2 as in modified arrangement example 4, there is a risk that the laser emitted from the three-dimensional laser sensor toward the reflector may be blocked by luggage W or mast M loaded on the automatic guided vehicle 1. For these reasons, it is a more preferable embodiment to arrange the laser sensors 3 and 4 at diagonal positions in the front and rear of the vehicle body 2.

The automated guided vehicle 1 stores a map of the interior of the luggage container A shown in Figures 1 to 4. Inside the luggage container A, the front laser sensor 3 measures the distance to the side walls S1, S2 and one of the reflectors 5 of the luggage container A, and the rear laser sensor 4 measures the distance to the side walls S1, S2 and both of the reflectors 5, 6 of the luggage container A (see laser light L2 in Figures 1 and 3). The measurement data from the front laser sensor 3 and the rear laser sensor 4 are then integrated and used to estimate the self-position of the automated guided vehicle 1.

With this configuration, even if the overall length of the luggage container A is long and the automated guided vehicle 1 enters the luggage container A far from the entrance E, the distance data to the side walls S1, S2 and one of the reflectors 5 of the luggage container A measured by the front laser sensor 3 and the distance data to the side walls S1, S2 and both of the reflectors 5, 6 of the luggage container A measured by the rear laser sensor 4 are integrated and compared with the positions of the reflectors 5, 6 and the side walls S1, S2 on the stored map of the luggage container A, allowing the automated guided vehicle 1 to travel autonomously within the luggage container A while accurately grasping its own position and any deviation in its posture in the direction of rotation around the vertical axis.

In Figures 1 to 4, the automated guided vehicle 1 travels autonomously from outside the baggage container A to the entrance E of the baggage container A using a map of the outside of the baggage container A that reflects the positions of the reflectors 5, 6 at the entrance E. When the automated guided vehicle 1 enters the baggage container A from the entrance E, since the map inside the baggage container A is different for each baggage container A, the automated guided vehicle 1 reads out a stored environmental map of the inside of the baggage container A, or obtains or creates an environmental map of the inside of the baggage container A on the spot, and travels autonomously while estimating its own position on the environmental map.

Reflectors 5 and 6 and second reflectors 7 and 8 according to an embodiment of the present invention shown in the perspective view of FIG. 7(a) and the plan view of FIG. 7(b) have, for example, the same shape. Reflectors 5 to 8 include a shape that follows the side surface 9A of the semi-cylinder 9 with the central axis O of the semi-cylinder 9 as the vertical direction.

Reflectors 5 and 6 and second reflectors 7 and 8 of modified examples shown in the perspective view of FIG. 8(a) and the plan view of FIG. 8(b) are, for example, of the same shape. Reflectors 5 to 8 include shapes that follow three side surfaces 10A, 10B, and 10C of rectangular prism 10, with side R between the side surfaces of rectangular prism 10 being the vertical direction. In the example of FIG. 8(a) and FIG. 8(b), reflectors 5 to 8 are separated into three reflectors that follow side surfaces 10A, 10B, and 10C, but they may be connected together to form a single integrated reflector.

The height U of the reflectors 5-8 is set so that they can receive the laser light from the laser sensors 3, 4 of the automated guided vehicle 1. For example, in the partial vertical sectional front view of FIG. 4 and the enlarged main part front view of FIG. 10, when the automated guided vehicle 1 is traveling on the floor surface J of the platform, when the automated guided vehicle 1 is traveling on the inclined surface I of the dock leveller D, and when the automated guided vehicle 1 is traveling on the floor surface N of the baggage container A, the reflectors 5-8 are able to receive the laser light L1, L2 (see the partial horizontal sectional plan view of FIG. 3 and the enlarged main part plan view of FIG. 9) from the laser sensors 3, 4.

The above-described shape of the reflectors 5 and 6 makes it possible to change the reflection direction of the laser light L1, L2 emitted from the laser sensors 3, 4 of the automated guided vehicle 1 and incident on the reflectors 5, 6 more continuously when the automated guided vehicle 1 enters from the outside to the inside of the baggage container A, and when the automated guided vehicle 1 exits from the inside to the outside of the baggage container A. This makes it possible to continuously and accurately detect the position of the automated guided vehicle 1 relative to the reflectors 5, 6 when the automated guided vehicle 1 travels between the inside and outside of the baggage container A.

In addition, due to the shape of the reflectors 7 and 8 as described above, when the automated guided vehicle 1 enters the dock leveller D from the rear, and when the automated guided vehicle 1 exits the dock leveller D to the rear, the reflection direction of the laser light L1, L2 emitted from the laser sensors 3, 4 of the automated guided vehicle 1 and incident on the reflectors 7, 8 can be changed more continuously. As a result, when the automated guided vehicle 1 travels between the inside and outside of the baggage container A and passes through the dock leveller D, the position of the automated guided vehicle 1 relative to the second reflectors 7, 8 can be detected continuously and accurately.

The reflectors 5 to 8 in the examples shown in Figures 7(a) and 7(b) and 8(a) and 8(b) have magnets 11 fixed to their undersides, so the magnetic attraction of the magnets 11 makes it extremely easy to install the reflectors 5 and 6 on the left and right sides of the entrance E of the luggage container A, and the second reflectors 7 and 8 on the left and right sides of the dock leveller D.

As shown in the enlarged plan view of the main part in FIG. 9 and the enlarged front view of the main part in FIG. 10, in an example equipped with a dock leveller D, the second reflectors 7, 8 provided on the left and right of the dock leveller D are provided on the left and right of the lower horizontal plane H near the bottom of the inclined surface I of the dock leveller D. If the dock leveller D does not have an inclined surface I and the horizontal plane is raised and lowered by a lift mechanism, the second reflectors 7, 8 may be provided on the left and right of the area on the horizontal plane of the dock leveller D that is farthest from the luggage container A (for example, the area corresponding to the lower horizontal plane H in the dock leveller D with the inclined surface I in FIG. 9 and FIG. 10).

By installing the second reflectors 7 and 8 in this manner, when the dock leveller D is installed to eliminate the step when the height of the floor surface N of the luggage container A differs from the height of the platform floor surface J, the automated guided vehicle 1 can accurately detect the position of the dock leveller D while detecting the second reflectors 7 and 8 using the laser sensors 3 and 4 provided on the vehicle body 2, and travel on the dock leveller D.

As shown in Figures 9 and 10, when the dock leveler D has an inclined surface I, the inclination of the automated guided vehicle 1 while the automated guided vehicle 1 is traveling on the inclined surface I is recognized by an inclination sensor mounted on the vehicle body 2.

When the unmanned guided vehicle 1 travels on the platform floor J toward the dock leveller D, as in the case of the unmanned guided vehicle 1 shown on the far right in Figures 3 and 4, it travels autonomously using a map outside the baggage container A that reflects the positions of the second reflectors 7 and 8 on the dock leveller D. When the unmanned guided vehicle 1 travels through the dock leveller D, it travels autonomously using a map outside the baggage container A that reflects the positions of the reflectors 5 and 6 at the entrance E of the baggage container A. When the unmanned guided vehicle 1 enters the baggage container A from the entrance E, the unmanned guided vehicle 1 reads out the stored environmental map of the baggage container A, or obtains or creates an environmental map of the baggage container A on the spot, and travels autonomously while estimating its own position on the environmental map.

According to the above-described automated guided vehicle system, the automated guided vehicle 1 can autonomously travel inside and outside the luggage container A while maintaining high travel accuracy, even without the provision of guide tapes or the like. Furthermore, even if the stopping position of the truck T deviates from the specified position and the position of the luggage container A deviates from the specified position, it is sufficient to install the reflectors 5, 6 on the left and right sides of the entrance E of the luggage container A, so there is no need to reinstall the reflectors 5, 6. Furthermore, because the reflectors 5, 6 are installed on the left and right sides of the entrance E of the luggage container A, the reflectors 5, 6 do not get in the way.

The above description of the embodiments is merely illustrative and is not intended to be limiting. Various improvements and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

1 Automatic guided vehicle 2 Vehicle body 3, 4 Laser sensor 5, 6 Reflector 7, 8 Second reflector 9 Semi-cylinder 9A Side of semi-cylinder 10 Square pillar 10A, 10B, 10C Side of square pillar 11 Magnet A Luggage container B Loading device C Moving device D Dock leveler E Entrance F Fork G Passage H Lower horizontal surface I Inclined surface J Platform floor surface K Lift bracket L1, L2 Laser light M Mast N Floor surface of luggage container O Center axis P of semi-cylinder Pallet Q Load R Side S1, S2 Side wall T Truck U Reflector height V Abutment surface W Luggage

Claims (3)

An automated guided vehicle system in which an automated guided vehicle loads and unloads luggage inside a luggage container,
The automated guided vehicle is
The vehicle body is equipped with a laser sensor that detects reflectors.
Autonomous travel within and outside the luggage container;
The reflector,
provided on the left and right sides of the entrance of the baggage container so as to face an aisle along which the automated guided vehicle travels autonomously ;
The laser sensor includes:
The front laser sensor and the rear laser sensor,
The vehicle body is provided at diagonal positions in front and rear,
The automated guided vehicle stores a map of the interior of the baggage container,
In the luggage compartment,
the front laser sensor measures a distance to one of a side wall of the luggage container and the reflector;
the rear laser sensor measures the distance to both the side wall of the luggage container and the reflector;
The measurement data of the front laser sensor and the rear laser sensor are integrated and used for self-position estimation of the automatic guided vehicle .
Automated guided vehicle system. The reflector is
The central axis of the semicylinder is in the vertical direction, and the shape includes a shape along the side surface of the semicylinder, or
The shape includes a shape along three side surfaces of the rectangular prism, with the side between the side surfaces of the rectangular prism being in the vertical direction.
The automated guided vehicle system according to claim 1 . An automated guided vehicle system in which an automated guided vehicle loads and unloads luggage inside a luggage container,
The automated guided vehicle is
The vehicle body is equipped with a laser sensor that detects reflectors.
Autonomous travel within and outside the luggage container;
The reflector,
provided on the left and right sides of the entrance of the baggage container so as to face an aisle along which the automated guided vehicle travels autonomously ;
the laser sensor is a two-dimensional laser sensor,
a second reflector is provided on the left and right of a dock leveller that is installed so as to be connected to the entrance of the baggage container, so as to face the passage along which the automated guided vehicle travels autonomously;
Automated guided vehicle system.

Images