JPH01180607A - Unmanned carrier system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reduce the cost of guide lines and to simplify the hardware for the traveling/steering control by using the colored guide lines for an unmanned carrier. CONSTITUTION:A traveling/steering control part 6 works when a destination setting switch 7B, for example, of an unmanned carrier 3 is turned on and then an operation switch turned on. Thus a motor M is driven and at the same time, the color sensors 8A-8C starts their detecting actions. Then the output signal of only the color sensor 8B is led into the part 6 through the switch 7B and therefore the carrier 3 is driven along a blue guide line 2B while detecting a blue guide line 2B. Then the output of the sensor 8B is vanished when the sensor 8B passes through an end part of the line 2B. Thus the part 6 performs the stop control of the carrier 3 and the carrier 3 stops at a prescribed position. As a result, it is possible to reduce the cost of the guide lines and to simplify the hardware for the traveling/steering control of the carrier 3.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an unmanned vehicle system in which an unmanned vehicle using a storage battery as a driving source travels on a diothermal line extending above a floor surface.

[Conventional technology]

Currently, unmanned vehicle systems being introduced for cargo handling and transportation in factories, warehouses, etc. are unmanned vehicles equipped with running/steering control devices and powered by storage batteries, and electromagnetic induction wires laid on the floor. The guide line is equipped with various marks such as a guide line such as a light-reflecting tape, and a position mark provided at a predetermined position along the guide line, and the guide line is detected by a guide line detection device that is a component of the traveling/steering control device. The vehicle is configured so that the vehicle travels while traveling, and changes routes or stops by detecting the marks with a mark detector.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

Recently, attempts have been made to use this type of unmanned vehicle system for transporting specimens and documents in large hospitals, but the installation of the conventional guide lines described above is expensive and
The driving and steering control is also highly sophisticated and complex, and the hardware costs are the same, so there was a problem that it was difficult to introduce it as is into hospitals, where a simple system would be sufficient.

This invention was made to solve the above problem.
To provide a simple unmanned vehicle system with simple hardware for guiding and stopping an unmanned vehicle and requiring no expense for the hardware.

[Means to solve the problem]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention uses a colored guide wire formed on a floor surface in a color different from the color of the floor surface, and a guide wire detection device mounted on an unmanned vehicle is connected to the colored guide wire. In the case where there are a plurality of colored guide wires, the guiding wire detection device includes a color sensor array that identifies each color of the colored guide wires and the outputs of these color sensors. The configuration includes a destination setting switch unit that selects one of the destinations.

[Effect]

In this invention, since the guide wire is a colored guide wire, the cost for the guide wire can be reduced, and the hardware for running and steering the unmanned vehicle can be simplified.

〔Example〕

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

In Figure 1, 1 is the floor surface of a large hospital, 2 is a colored guide line drawn on the floor surface L for guiding visitors, and the red guide line 2 is drawn from the general reception area S of the hospital, etc. It is assumed that the person extends to the entrance of the internal medicine ward, the blue guide line 2B extends to the entrance of the first surgical ward, and the black guide line extends to the entrance of the second surgical ward.

3 is an unmanned vehicle, which includes left and right drive wheels 4L, 4R and four free wheels 5 driven by a motor M via a speed reduction mechanism.
is installed under the floor, and in addition to a storage battery (not shown), a second
The traveling/steering control unit 6 shown in the figure is mounted, and the destination setting switch unit 7 includes destination setting switches 7A, 7B, and 7C, and the color sensor unit 7 includes a row of color sensors 8A, 8B, and 8C arranged in parallel at a predetermined interval. A color identification device 9 including a sensor unit 8 is mounted. Color sensor 8A
, 8B, and 8C are color sensors that send out electrical signals when detecting red, blue, and black, respectively, and the electrical signals are passed through the destination setting switch unit 7 and sent to the travel/steering control unit as a guide line detection signal. 6.

In this configuration, color sensors 8A, 8B, and 8C are
The two red guide lines, the blue guide line 2B, and the black guide line 2C are included in the field of view, respectively.

When the operator wants to move the unmanned vehicle 3 to the first surgical ward, the operator turns on the destination setting switch 7B and then turns on the operation switch (not shown). As a result, the travel/steering control unit 6 is activated, the motor M is driven, and the color sensors 8A to 8C start detection operations, and only the output signal of the color sensor 8B is passed through the destination setting switch 7B to control the travel/steering. Since it will be introduced in Section 6, unmanned vehicles will follow the blue guide line 2B.
While detecting this, the robot is guided by the blue guide line 2B and travels toward the first surgical ward where the blue guide line 2B extends. When the unmanned vehicle 3 travels to the entrance of the first surgical ward and the color sensor 8B passes the end of the blue guide line 2B, the output of the color sensor 8B disappears, so the travel/steering control unit 6 performs stop control. The unmanned vehicle 3 then stops at a predetermined position at the entrance of the first surgical ward.

When the destination setting switch 7A or 7C is turned on, the unmanned vehicle 3 is similarly guided by the colored guide line 2A or 2C to the entrance of the internal medicine ward or the second surgical ward and stops.

In the above embodiment, the colored guide lines that are usually drawn on the hospital floor are used as guide lines, so there is no need to newly install guide lines to introduce an unmanned vehicle system, and the system is improved accordingly. Becomes cheaper.

In addition, the unmanned vehicle 3 travels only while the colored guide lines 2A to 2c extend, and the destination can be selected by simply specifying the color using the destination setting switches 7A to 7C. Hardware becomes easier.

In the above embodiment, the color sensors 8A to 8C have a color detection function of detecting red, blue, black, etc.
It may simply have a function of identifying the difference in color between the colored guide line and the color of the floor surface.

In addition, although the above embodiment is explained using a hospital as an example,
Since the system of this invention is convenient and inexpensive, it can be easily introduced into supermarkets and the like.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, this invention uses a colored guide wire as a guide line for an unmanned vehicle, so the cost of the guide wire is lower than that of conventional guide wires, and it is especially useful in hospitals etc. for providing directions to visitors. A plurality of color lines are drawn on the floor surface, which has the advantage of being able to be used as is.Furthermore, with this invention, the desired color can be detected simply by specifying a color sensor that detects a specific color. Since unmanned vehicles can be dispatched to destinations, the hardware configuration for driving and steering control is simple, making it possible to obtain a system that is inexpensive, convenient, and easy to introduce.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a system configuration diagram showing an embodiment of this invention;
The figure is a diagram for explaining the dedicated line detection device mounted on the unmanned vehicle of the above embodiment. 2A, 2B, 2C-colored guide line, 3--unmanned vehicle, 6
- Traveling/steering control unit, 7A, 7B, 7C - Destination setting switch, 8A, 8B, 8C... - Color sensor.

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) In the unmanned vehicle system, the guide line is a colored guide line formed on the floor in a color different from the floor color,
An unmanned vehicle system characterized in that a guide wire detection device mounted on the unmanned vehicle is a color sensor that detects the color of the colored guide wire. (2) In an unmanned vehicle system, the guide wire is a plurality of colored guide wires formed on a floor surface in a color different from the floor surface color and mutually different colors, and the guide wire is mounted on the unmanned vehicle. An unmanned vehicle system characterized in that the detection device is a color identification device consisting of a color sensor array that respectively identifies the color of the colored guide wire and a destination setting switch unit that selects one of the outputs of these color sensors. .