JPH0443410A - Automatic travel vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To suppress a quantity deviated from an optimum route to be a minimum and to shorten time to a target position by correcting a difference between a present position which is accurately measured through the use of measurement wheels and the target position through the use of information on a next target position. CONSTITUTION:A travel vehicle has driving wheels 6 and 7 which mainly contribute to travel and the measurement wheels 61 and 71 which mainly contribute to the moving distance of the travel vehicle in the middle of travel. A means 18 calculating the present traveling position of the travel vehicle 1 at prescribed sampling time by measurement data by the measurement vehicles 61 and 71 and a means 19 correcting the difference between the present position and the target position at prescribed sampling time based on target position information at next sampling time on the route are provided. The present position at prescribed sampling time is corrected based on target position information at sampling time prior by one. Thus, control time for correction can be shortened and deviation from the optimum route can be reduced.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (A) Field of Industrial Application The present invention relates to an automatic vehicle that travels along a predetermined travel route.

(B) Conventional technology In recent years, automation of the transportation of goods is being carried out in food vending machines, factories, etc. An example of such automated goods transportation is a self-driving car, which can be used to transport goods while transporting food in a vending machine, or 1: inside a store!
II 1/, is used for transporting materials, etc.

In view of this technical situation, the applicant of the present application provided a guide means only in the section of the running rod, and when traveling in a section where there is no guide means, the applicant detects the 1-1 rotation of the +lj wheel of the i small by an encoder. From the results, we now have a◇, ;γ5
We have proposed a vehicle that can run while confirming the following as Japanese Patent Application No. 1-269281.

(c) Problems to be Solved by the Invention However, as described in 1-1 above, in the configuration of detecting the number of rotations of the wheels and calculating the current A◇ device, slips etc. occur between the wheels and the road surface. When this occurs, it becomes difficult to confirm the exact current location.

Another possible method is to use image processing to confirm the target and use this information to correct the current position, but this has the problem that the processing takes too much time and correction of the route tends to be delayed.

The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a method for controlling wheel drive so that the vehicle can accurately and quickly travel as close to a determined travel route as possible, regardless of the occurrence of wheel slip. It is to be.

(d) Means for Solving the Problems The present invention provides a vehicle that calculates an optimal route connecting two points and autonomously travels along this route, the vehicle having drive wheels that mainly contribute to the travel; Mainly used to measure the distance traveled by a running vehicle! means for calculating the current position of the traveling vehicle at a predetermined sampling time based on measurement data by the measuring wheel;
The apparatus includes means for correcting the difference between the current position and the target position at the predetermined sampling time based on the one-mark position information at the next sampling time on the route.

(E) Effect By correcting the current position at a predetermined sampling time based on the target position information at the next sampling time, the control time for correction can be shortened;
(2) The deviation from the optimum route can be reduced.

(F) Embodiment The traveling vehicle of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to an embodiment of the drawings.

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a running vehicle, and its (a), (b), and (c)
) indicate cases in which different optimal routes are set. In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a vehicle traveling along a preset Ja-dori travel route (indicated by a broken line in the figure), and 2.3 denotes guide means provided near the start and end points of the preset travel route. It is. The guide means 2.3 is specifically made of a magnetic tape affixed to the floor surface, and serves as a guide for the traveling vehicle 1 when traveling near the starting point and the ending point. 4.5
is a stop position mark indicating the stop position of the traveling vehicle, and is made of magnetic tape like the guide means 2.3. The guide means 2.3 are arranged circumferentially with respect to the travel path.

Figure 2 shows the bottom surface of the rl;1 traveling vehicle, and in the figure, 6.7 is driven by a motor etc.
M is a drive wheel that can be detected by an encoder or the like, and 8 is a rotatable caster. 9. Hl is a guide means detector for detecting the guide means 2.3, which is composed of a magnetic sensor, and is in a direction 1η rows from the traveling direction.
Subsequently, the guide means detectors 7i are arranged side by side with an interval of n:, and the position and direction of the traveling vehicle 1 are calculated from the detection results of the guide means detector 9°+0 as described later. 11 is the stop 1
1 Stop 1 for detecting position mark 4.5 A position detector is also composed of a magnetic sensor and is arranged in one line in the traveling direction.

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the traveling vehicle 1, and 12 is a traveling vehicle 1lL1.
A manubulator for work provided in a part of 6.
1.71 is located near the drive wheel 6.7, and its movement.
This is a measurement wheel that can detect the division using an encoder or the like.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the control 9p mechanism of the traveling vehicle 1. In the figure, reference numeral 14 denotes a travel route creation section, which includes a route generation section 15 that generates a travelable route from the start point to the end point based on the position information of the set start point and end point, and a route generation section 15 that generates a travel route that can be run from the start point to the end point, and , and a VF route selection 16 that selects the optimal route. I7 is based on the route information selected by the course selection unit 1G and calculates the movement target position: l at the time of sampling during the 10th hour IIj while traveling, and its +1 at the time interval. Target I◇; t1 weight part be.

18 is a current i◇:lC calculation unit, and the guide f/stage detector 9. If1 and stop 1st position: 1i The current f◇ of the traveling vehicle is determined by the detection data from the detector II or the measurement data (for example, encoder pulse) from the 111111 wheel 61.71 provided at the drive wheel 6.7. iFi
Calculate. Here, the measurement wheel 61.71 is 1L accurate even when the drive wheels 6 and 7 slip, and the current position of 1 is accurate: ? It is always in contact with the running surface so that j can be grasped. 1
9 compares the information from the target value calculation unit 17 at the time of sampling with the information from the current i◇device calculation unit 18 to perform target position correction 11;
2+ is this target position: 1i $I 11: section] Based on the data from
Control 111 for controlling to approach . A control amount calculation section 22.23 calculates the following by a proportional integral method, and 22.23 is a driver that individually drives each drive wheel 6.7 based on the calculation result of this control amount calculation section. Further, the drive data of the drive wheels 6 and 7 is fed back to the control amount calculation unit via the feedback loop 24, 25 for control! 31. This becomes the position data for calculation.

Become.

A method of controlling the traveling vehicle 1 having the above configuration will be described below.

[Current position calculation method] The current position calculation method while traveling i1tl is from the starting point,
and an autonomous driving section excluding the top of the guide means 2.3 at the end point;
Guide means 2. :(It is different from the guide running section of l.

■Current location rli calculation method for autonomous driving section Autonomous driving section Jf
In lJ, the amount of change in the encoder pulse of the measurement wheel 61.7+ is measured at each sampling time, and the current position (X, ,
Y,) ・Attitude θ, is determined by the following formula.

X,=X,,+Δ1. cos(#, -++Δ#/2)
... (Formula 1) Y, Y, , +Δ1. s i
n (θ, -1+Δ#/2) −・(
Equation 2) 1, = 1. -, +ΔI...
・(Super) Here, n is the number of sampling times, ΔL, and ΔI are the changes in travel distance and posture angle for each sampling time, respectively.
It is 1t. Further, the X and Y directions are the traveling direction and the direction perpendicular thereto, as shown in FIG.

■Current position calculation method for guide run 4j section The guide run section is the run section jJ'lJ when the two guide means detectors 9.10 before and after the drive wheel 6.7 are both in the guide means 2.3I-. be. In this guide traveling section, from the detection value of the guide means detector 9.10,
Y, is determined by the following formula.

#, -1an-' l(S f-5b)/W sl
...(Formula 4) Y, =S rcosL-(
Ws/2) sinj - (Formula 5) where Sf is the detection value of the front guide means detector IO, sb is the detection value of the rear guide means detector 9, and Ws is the front and rear guide means detectors 9, 10. The interval between Note that X is determined by the above formula 1.

[Traveling 11 (Position Complement 11 Two Methods]) In FIG. 5, the coordinate system 1x is based on the starting point.

Let the current position of the vehicle l at a predetermined sampling time in Y) be (X, , , Y, , , j, .,), and let lZ at this point in time be (X, , , , Y, , θ9..
), the target position at the next sampling time is (X',,1.
'1. +, #' t-+)! :do. Kono Jisou 11
The deviation from the target v1 at a predetermined sampling time of weight 1 is calculated as follows using the [l mark position information at the next sampling time.

Target travel distance of left and right drive wheels 6.7 1111Ll, 1. r
is the target 4:I at a given sampling of run 11 [l
Using the complement iF-quantity S in the traveling direction and the complement +lE hl: R in the direction of rotation for 7j, summer, °t is determined by the following formula.
, 1. 'r is supplemented with 1;

1, °j=L l+PI(S)+l'1(R)
-(86)! ,' r=1. r+gate (S)-
1'l (R) - (An where PI
represents the proportional integral, S=c,
...(Formula 8) %Formula%) ...(Formula 9) (C1, φ, Δ#, , , #, , , I, ., are as shown in Fig. 5) . In addition, V, , /V, , are the ratios between the moving speed of the traveling vehicle l at the time of predetermined sampling and the maximum speed, and are provided to reduce the correction of the rotational direction at low speeds. It is a term.

Therefore, during the actual running of the vehicle from the starting point, that is, the stop position mark 4 of the guide means 2, to the end point, that is, the stop position mark 5 of the guide means 2, the above-mentioned steps are taken. 911 will be implemented.

111 near the starting point of the circuit, the guide means 2 is connected to the guide knee stage detector 9. Stroke 11 of the part that can be detected by H1
Sometimes such guiding means detection 1i9. Based on the detection result of ++1, the current position calculation method during guided travel described in +iii. #Current position: Check the IM record 1! , 7+', hD tE 11 i
: Yacht F Move the drive wheel 6.7 so that it approaches the fixed letter target f1y position! Run 4 while controlling +t
i do

Travel 11. Travel in a portion near the middle of the salmon path where the guide means 2°:3 cannot be detected by the guide means detector 9.10. In y? Based on the detection results of 1 wheel measuring wheel 61.71, the current position calculation method of the autonomous driving section is used to calculate the current position of the autonomous driving section.
1 [Accurate current position of 1; confirm γt, and calculate the position complement 11
The vehicle travels while controlling the amount of movement of the drive wheels 6 and 7 so as to approach the target position set by the R method. Since the drive wheels 6.7 are each driven independently, it is possible to run the vehicle in any direction, front, back, left, or right by adjusting the amount of movement of each of them by an appropriate amount. In addition, since the position correction method described in Ipj is calculated using the target position information one step ahead, it is extremely difficult compared to the method in which the target is recognized as an image using a CCD camera, etc., and the traveling trajectory is corrected based on this data. I
LL <Can be processed.

Near the end point of the travel route, the guide means 3 detects the guide stage &y9. When the vehicle 1 reaches a point that can be detected by the guide means detectors 9 and 10, the guide means detectors 9 and 10 again check the 17% result, allowing the vehicle to travel while confirming the accurate current position and travel speed. When traveling near the middle of the travel route where the guide means 2.3 cannot be detected, even if the travel route is slightly deviated from the travel route, when the travel φ1 day reaches the guide means 3, the guide means 3 is detected. You can drive while checking the correct A1 equipment. Then, when the stop 11 position 11 detector 11 detects the stop +L4:,:;γ mark 5, such traveling ends at the stop +1. Then, the running vehicle l prepares for the next run.

In FIG. 6, the current position is calculated using the travel distance data of the driving wheels 6.7 using the travel route shown in FIG. The deviation in the Y direction was compared between when the movement of the wheel was controlled and when the current position was calculated using the movement data from the measurement wheels 6 and 71 and the amount of movement of the drive wheels 6 and 7 was controlled. It is something. It can be seen that as the traveling distance increases, the calculation of the current position: 6 based on the drive wheels 6.7 becomes more erroneous.

Figure 7 shows tIfII!, which is similar to Figure 1(a). #!
This is a case in which the amount of deviation is plotted when the position correction method using the 81 side wheels 61.71 is executed in the case of the traveling route, and the vertical axis represents the amount of deviation and the horizontal axis represents the autonomous traveling distance. In this figure, if it is necessary to keep the deviation of the target object within λ, for example, 10 mm, the traveling distance is 500 (l
If it is within the range of mm, it can be seen that control ii) is possible.

FIG. 8 shows the actual travel route of the vehicle relative to the arc-shaped optimal route. From this figure, it can be seen that the curve follows 1·min even for a substantially circular arc.

Figure 9 shows how the vehicle of the present invention can be used in an unmanned store system.
This is a schematic plan view when this occurs, and the same reference numerals are attached to the parts that have been explained so far.

In Fig. 9, 30.30 is a frozen stocker in which foods such as pizza, meat buns, red bean buns, gyoza, shumai, and hamburgers are stored, 31 is a conveyor that transports the food supplied from the frozen stocker 30, and 32 is a 7 unit unit, etc. A sub-robot 35a- that holds the food transported by the conveyor 31, transports it to the heating microwave oven 3;3, and supplies it to the finished product 1134 after heating.
35f is a plurality of delivery counters for receiving and handing over small rice products to customers.

Each of the delivery counters 35a to 351 is provided with an operation section (not shown) so that the type and number of foods can be specified. 36 is the delivery counter: 35a-35"
Frozen stocker 3 (1) based on the food information specified from
'＼Instructing food supply, sub-robot: 32
It is a host computer that gives 11 instructions for the movement of 11 and 3:3 heating instructions for electric oven and microwave.
Give instructions on where to transport the food.

At this time, instructions to Run 11 [1] are given by sending a wireless signal from the transmitter 37 on the host computer 36 side to the receiver (not shown in Figure 9) installed in Run 41 car l. However, this is not limited to wireless, but may also be done by wire by providing a power transmission line.

The traveling vehicle 1 of the present invention includes a Xiaomi 1. Gari 1134 and Ohami L counter 35a-35 "Which time do you go back and forth between Xiaomi 1 and Gari 1?
From 1:34, the food is transported to the delivery counters 35a to 35f in step 11.

In such an unmanned store system, for example, when a customer orders a pizza from the delivery counter 35b, the signal is transmitted to the host computer 3G. host computer 3
6 instructs the frozen stocker 3 () to supply pizza, and also gives instructions to the sub robot 32 and electric oven 3:3.
Also performs one movement. As a result, the pizza supplied from the stocker 30 is sent via the conveyor 31, conveyed to the sub-robot 32, heated in a microwave/oven, and then finished.
1-Gari [134]. The host computer 36 also instructs the traveling vehicle l via a transmitter 37 by a wireless signal to transport the food to the delivery counter 35b.

The traveling vehicle 1 contains the L77L information of the completed product 1134, that is, the position information of the guide means 2 provided in the month t 134, and the information of the delivery counter: 35a to 35 "position; γ, that is, each delivery. The positional information of the guide means 3 provided on the counters 35a-351 is changed in advance.

When the traveling vehicle 1 is instructed to transport food to the delivery counter 35b, the traveling vehicle 1 starts its traveling route creation unit 14.
The starting point set by 1. A travelable route is generated from the slope 1134 to the end point, that is, the delivery counter 35b. Then, the food is held using the manipulator 12 and starts running toward the delivery counter 35b. In the run 111, the running operation is performed while calculating the current fkey by the control described on the left. and.

When the food arrives at the Ji handover counter ('35+), the manipulator 12 is operated to receive and hand over the food. After that, the traveling vehicle l follows the same route and completes -1- 113
Go back to 4 and fly one or two. Food to different handing over counters! When an IC instruction is given, a run 11Ll is created by the run eaves road run red road creation unit 14 with the delivery counter as the end point, and the run 11Ll runs toward the delivery counter.

In such an unmanned store system, the delivery counter: 35
a~35: Due to the change in the arrangement of 1134 and 1134, it may be necessary to change the traveling route of Travel 11 [1]. However, according to this traveling vehicle, even in such cases, the starting point can be changed. and a guide means 2 provided only at the end point portion.
．． :(Ya stopped 11th place: 6 marks 4 and 5 were replaced, and the start and end points were 47. '+7;
This can be done by simply changing the data.

(G) Effects of the Invention As described in [below], the present invention corrects the difference between the current position '11: accurately measured using a measuring wheel and the target position using information on the next target fmlj. By using this method, the current position can be calculated with 11 accuracy even when the drive wheels slip, and it is also more accurate than when the target is recognized visually and that information is used. (Run (JI's run is 11 minutes long, and posture correction II is 1J, and it deviates from the optimal route by 1
, 1 to 11 to Komachi, purpose f1 attack? This has the effect of shortening the time it takes to reach .

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Figures 1 (a), (b), and (c) are diagrams showing the optimum running distance of +fi2 of the present invention running ij lj, and Fig. 2 shows the optimum running distance 11
East F view, Figure j) is a perspective view of the exterior during turning iJ, 1st
The figure shows the control mechanism of the same running IT.
The figure shows the concept of the fI/position compensation 11 method. Figure 6 shows the current position from the drive wheel or jl measuring wheel: γj'r7 output value is used to control the running IJIIL along a straight line. Figure 7 is a diagram comparing the difference in the deviation from the target position of the target f◇ with respect to the distance of the running control 911 during a straight run jJ using a Jl measuring wheel. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the deviation from the target travel path of iJ+I (while traveling on a curve), and FIG. This is a schematic diagram of the surface. Traveling j111 (, ; 1 Guide plate/stage, 7 Drive wheel, 10 Guide means detector, Target position:li calculation unit, 71 Lil measuring wheel, 25 Feedback loop.

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) In a vehicle that calculates an optimal route connecting two points and autonomously travels along this route, the vehicle primarily uses the drive wheels that contribute to travel and mainly measures the distance traveled by the vehicle while it is traveling. a measuring wheel that contributes to the measurement, and means for calculating the current position of the traveling vehicle at a predetermined sampling time based on the measurement data by the measuring wheel, and a means for calculating the current position of the traveling vehicle at a predetermined sampling time based on the position information on the route at the next sampling time. An automatic driving vehicle comprising means for correcting a difference between a current position and a target position at the time of the predetermined sampling.