JPH0444961B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a method for controlling the running of a self-propelled vehicle.

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, when a self-propelled vehicle is run along a set route to automatically perform work such as flaw detection or welding, a rail is laid along the running line in advance and the rail is attached to the track. It is common for self-propelled vehicles to run along the road.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

However, in the conventional method described above, it is difficult to install the rails, and especially when the running line has a complicated curved shape, there are problems such as the production and installation of the rails requires a large amount of time and cost. Was.

An object of the present invention is to provide a travel control method for a self-propelled vehicle that allows the self-propelled vehicle to travel along an arbitrary set travel line without requiring a track such as a rail.

[Means for solving problems]

The present invention has been made in order to solve the above technical problem, and includes reflective plates disposed in the X direction and Y direction so as to be perpendicular to each other, and to be perpendicular to each reflective plate device. Two light wave distance meters capable of projecting light in directions 90 degrees from each other to measure the distance between the reflectors and the respective reflector devices are mounted on an upper swinging body that is rotatably supported on the lower body of the vehicle. One light wave distance meter is mounted on the upper revolving body of the self-propelled vehicle having a body and measures the distance between each reflector plate device, and the light wave range meter is mounted on the upper revolving body of the self-propelled vehicle having a body and measures the distance between the light wave distance meter and the other light wave range meter from the above-mentioned 90° position. Make the head swing left and right by the same angle, measure the distance between the two points on the reflector device when the head swings to the left and right to the maximum, and measure the distance between the two points. A traveling control method for a self-propelled vehicle, the method comprising controlling the traveling direction of the self-propelled vehicle based on measured distances in the X and Y directions while adjusting the turning position of the upper rotating structure so that the distances match; This is related to.

[Effect]

Therefore, according to the present invention, one of the lights projected in the 90° direction is swung from the 90° position to the left and right at the same required angle, and the distance between the two points on the reflector is determined. Since the upper rotating body is rotated so that the measured distance at that point matches, the distance can be measured by always projecting the light from the light wave rangefinder at right angles to the reflector. Therefore, the position of the self-propelled vehicle can be accurately known and the self-propelled vehicle can be accurately driven in any set direction.

〔Example〕

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

FIG. 1 schematically shows the present invention applied to flaw detection of a steel plate 1, in which a vertical X-axis reflector 2 and a Y-axis reflector 3 are aligned along two right-angled sides of a rectangular steel plate 1 placed horizontally. Set up. The reflecting plates 2 and 3 are, for example, the plate 4.
In addition, it has a structure in which a reflective sheet 5 made of fine spherical lenses is attached to the surface thereof, so that the projected light can be reflected with good retroactivity.

Furthermore, by projecting light onto the steel plate 1 in two directions at right angles to the X-axis and Y-axis, and measuring the phase difference of the light reflected from the X-axis reflector 2 and Y-axis reflector 3, the distance between the two directions is measured. A self-propelled vehicle 8 is provided which is equipped with light wave distance meters 6 and 7 on its upper part to measure the distance between the two.

2 and 3 show detailed examples of the self-propelled vehicle 8. The self-propelled vehicle 8 includes a lower body 9 and an upper rotating body 1 rotatably supported on the upper part thereof via a support shaft 10.
1, the front and rear of the lower body 9,
Running wheels 12a, 12a', 12 provided on the left and right
b, 12b' is movably supported on the steel plate 1. In addition, left and right running wheels 1 on one side of the front and back
2a and 12b are travel drive motors 13a and 1, respectively.
3b or gear 14 as shown.
a and 14b, it is possible to drive the rotation simultaneously or separately.

Further, one of the light wave distance meters 6 and 7 is fixed on the upper revolving body 11, and the other 7 is fixed to the fulcrum 1.
It is provided so as to be rotatable in the horizontal direction about 5. Further, an arc gear 16 is fixed to the light wave distance meter 7, and a drive gear 18 of a swing drive motor 17 provided on the upper revolving body 11 is connected to the arc gear 1.
6, the motor 17 is rotated in the forward and reverse directions to swing the light wave distance meter 7 from a position of 90 degrees to the left and right at the same required angle θ with respect to the light wave distance meter 6 on the fixed side. It is now possible to do so.

Further, a fixed gear 19 for rotation is attached to the support shaft 10.
A swing drive motor 21 having a drive gear 20 meshing with the fixed gear 19 is connected to the upper swing structure 1.
The rotating upper body 11 can be rotated about the support shaft 10 with respect to the lower vehicle body 9 by operating the rotation drive motor 21.

Also, at a position away from the self-propelled vehicle, as shown in FIG. A control device 25 is provided separately for transmitting and receiving signals between the drive motors 13a, 13b and the swing drive motor 17, and controls the drive motors 13a, 13b and the swing drive motor 17.
is connected to each drive source of the self-propelled vehicle via a signal cable 24 and a terminal box 27. A required number of flaw detection devices 26 (see FIG. 2) are installed at required positions of the above-mentioned self-propelled vehicle 8 to perform flaw detection on the steel plate 1. In addition, when the steel plate 1 as shown in Fig. 1 is required to be inspected at a position a required distance inside from its edge, and at a position further inward from there at a required distance, In the figure, L ₁ , L ₂ . . . indicate inspection lines parallel to the X-axis reflector 2, and M ₁ , M _{2 .} . . indicate inspection lines parallel to the Y-axis reflector 3.

When performing flaw detection on a rectangular steel plate ₁ as shown in FIG.
The direction figure _{of the} self-propelled vehicle consisting of the distance between L ₂ .
In addition, the swing angle θ and period of the light wave distance meter 7, the traveling speed of the self-propelled vehicle 8, etc. are also given.

In the above state, when the self-propelled vehicle 8 is placed at the starting point S and the device is turned on, the control device 25
The traveling drive motors 13a and 13b are driven, and the self-propelled vehicle 8 starts traveling at the set speed.

At this time, the light wave distance meter 7 swings its head left and right at a required angle θ and detects the distances Y ₁ and Y ₂ at that time, and the detection signals are led to the computer 22 . If Y ₁ and Y ₂ are different, the optical distance meter 7 will not be at a right angle to the reflector 2 (not facing the front), so calculate the direction and degree of inclination. Then, based on the calculation result, the swing drive motor 21 is driven via the control device 25 to swing the upper swing structure 11 so that Y ₁ and Y ₂ coincide with each other. As a result, accurate (true) distances in X and Y can be measured. Furthermore, the distance measured by the light wave distance meter 7 is determined in advance by the indicating device 23.
By controlling the driving of the travel drive motors 13a and 13b via the control device 25 so that the drive motors 13a and _13b reach a constant value set by can be done. Therefore, at the same time as this traveling, the flaw detection device 26 can be activated to perform flaw detection along the inspection line _L1 .

When the self-propelled vehicle 8 moves to the right end of the inspection line _L1 , it changes direction twice by 90 degrees and turns in order to move to the next inspection line _L2 .
That is, when it comes to the end position of the inspection line _L1 , it is detected by the light wave distance meter 6, the traveling of the self-propelled vehicle 8 is stopped, and the self-propelled vehicle 8 then turns in the direction of the inspection line _L2 . Then, after traveling further to the inspection line _L2 position, the direction is further changed by 90 degrees. At this time, the direction of the self-propelled vehicle 8 is changed by driving one of the travel drive motors while the other is stopped, or by rotating the motors in opposite directions. Furthermore, if the light wave range finders 6 and 7 change direction when the self-propelled vehicle changes direction, the projected light will come off the reflector and measurement will become impossible. Therefore, at the same time as the self-propelled vehicle 8 changes direction,
The upper rotating body 11 is rotated twice by 90 degrees. As a result, the optical range finders 6 and 7 always face the front of the reflectors 2 and 3.

As a result of the above, the inspection lines L ₁ , L ₂ ... can be efficiently inspected, and the inspection lines M ₁ ,
The same method can be applied to M ₂ . . .

FIG. 5 shows an example of flaw detection applied to a fan-shaped steel plate 1', in which a curved inspection line N is given to the indicating device 23 as a path figure, so that the optical distance meter 6, 7 is always the reflector 2,
When the position of the upper rotating body 11 is adjusted so as to face the front of the optical distance meter 6, 7,
Self-propelled vehicle 8 so that the measured value of Y becomes the set value.
The direction of travel is controlled. Thereby, the flaw detection inspection can be performed while the self-propelled vehicle 8 is traveling along the curved inspection line N.

In the above embodiment, the case where two light wave range finders 6 and 7 are provided in the 90° direction is illustrated, but the present invention can also be practiced in a case where the light wave range finder is provided with one light wave range finder. That is, as shown in FIG. 6, one optical distance meter 6 is rotated in a 90° direction to measure the distance between each reflecting plate 2 and 3, and at the end of the rotation, the required angle is set left and right. The position of the upper revolving body 11 is adjusted so that the detected distances Y ₁ and Y ₂ are the same by swinging the head by θ and measuring the distances Y ₁ and Y ₂ to the two points. Therefore, in this case, it is necessary to be able to change the projection direction of the optical distance meter 6 by increasing the angle of the arcuate gear 16 or by using a circular gear.

Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, but can be applied to the travel control of various self-propelled vehicles that perform inspections other than flaw detection, welding, transportation, etc., and the reflector may have various structures. Reflectors can be placed on all four sides, and there are various methods for self-propelled vehicles, such as the driving method, direction change method, rotation method for the upper revolving structure, and oscillation method for light wave rangefinders. It goes without saying that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, according to the traveling control method for a self-propelled vehicle of the present invention, the distance between two points is always the same by swinging the light wave range meter, so that the light wave range meter always accurately detects the reflection plate. While adjusting the turning so that it faces the direction, the distance between it and the reflectors installed in the This provides an excellent effect of allowing the vehicle to travel freely and accurately.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG.
The figure is a plan view showing a detailed example of a self-propelled vehicle, and Figure 3 is a plan view showing a detailed example of a self-propelled vehicle.
Fig. 4 is a block diagram showing the control system, Fig. 5 is a plan view showing another embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 6 is an embodiment in which one optical distance meter is used. FIG. 1 is a steel plate, 2 is an X-axis reflector, 3 is a Y-axis reflector,
6 and 7 are optical distance meters, 8 is a self-propelled vehicle, 10 is a support shaft, 11 is an upper revolving body, 12a, 12a', 12
b, 12b' are running wheels, 13a, 13b are running drive motors, 16 is an arc gear, 17 is a swing drive motor, 19 is a fixed gear, 21 is a swing drive motor, 2
2 is a computer, 23 is an instruction device, and 25 is a control device.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1 Reflector devices are arranged in the X direction and Y direction so as to be perpendicular to each other, and light is projected in directions 90° from each other so as to be perpendicular to each reflector device. Two light wave distance meters capable of measuring the distance between the two light wave distance meters and the plate device are mounted on the upper rotating body of a self-propelled vehicle having an upper rotating body rotatably supported with respect to the lower vehicle body. One light wave distance meter that measures the distance between the reflector and the other light wave distance meter is swung left and right by the same required angle from the above-mentioned 90° position with respect to the other light wave range meter, and Measure the distances between the two points on the reflector device when the person shakes his or her head, and adjust the rotating position of the upper rotating structure so that the distances between the two points match. A method for controlling the running of a self-propelled vehicle, characterized in that the traveling direction of the self-propelled vehicle is controlled based on measured distances in the X and Y directions.