JPH10325866A - Device for inspecting detection range of obstacle sensor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To automatically and accurately inspect the detection range of an obstacle sensor. SOLUTION: A simulated obstacle 110 is mounted on a movement part 103 of a three-axis movement mechanism 100. When a three-axis movement command is sent from a computer 130 for control to the three-axis movement mechanism 100, the movement part 103 moves corresponding to the three-axis movement command. An unmanned carrier vehicle 1 stops at set position 120. In this state, an obstacle sensor 6 detects the simulated obstacle 110. A computer 100 for control judges the position of the simulated obstacle 110 based on the three-axis movement command and stores it when the obstacle sensor 6 detects the simulated obstacle 110. In this manner, the computer 130 for control inspects the position of the simulated obstacle 110 as the detection range of the obstacle sensor 6 when the obstacle sensor 6 detects the simulated obstacle 110.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an inspection device for detecting a detection range of an obstacle sensor, and a device for automatically and accurately detecting a detection range in which an obstacle can be detected by the obstacle sensor. It was done.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An automatic guided vehicle travels unmannedly at various factories, warehouses, offices, and the like, and transports parts, products, small articles, and the like. Such an automatic guided vehicle detects a guide line (an electric wire or a light reflecting tape) laid on a traveling path with a guide sensor (a magnetic sensor or an optical sensor) and travels along the guide line.

Here, an example of an automatic guided vehicle will be described with reference to FIG. The automatic guided vehicle 1 shown in FIG. 3 has one front wheel (steering wheel) 2 that performs rotational driving and steering,
It is a tricycle type having two rear wheels 3 functioning as driven wheels. An induction sensor 5 is installed on the front side of the bottom of the vehicle body 4. When the vehicle travels with guidance, the guidance sensor 5 detects the guidance line 10, and travels while performing steering control so that the center of the guidance sensor 5, that is, the center of the vehicle body 4, is located directly above the guidance line 10. .

The automatic guided vehicle 1 is provided with an obstacle sensor 6. The obstacle sensor 6 includes an ultrasonic sensor, an optical sensor, and the like, and detects whether or not there is an obstacle (a person or an object) ahead of the automatic guided vehicle 1 in the traveling direction. When an obstacle is detected by the obstacle sensor 6, an alarm is sounded and the vehicle is decelerated. Further, when an obstacle is not departed within a predetermined area (for example, an area within 1 m), the control is performed so as to automatically stop. The deceleration control and the automatic stop control are performed by a control device (not shown) mounted on the automatic guided vehicle 1. Note that the detection range (detection distance / detection width) of the obstacle sensor 6 differs depending on the type and performance of the sensor.

Although the automatic guided vehicle 1 of the same type is provided with the obstacle sensors 6 having the same characteristics, there is a slight variation in the detection range of each obstacle sensor 6 even though they have the same characteristics. Therefore, before shipping the automatic guided vehicle 1, the detection range of the obstacle sensor 6 is inspected to check whether an obstacle can be detected in a preset detection range.

Here, a conventional method for inspecting the detection range of an obstacle sensor will be described with reference to FIG. 4 which is a plan view. As shown in FIG. 4, a simulated obstacle 21 is mounted on the mobile trolley 20. Then, the mobile trolley 20 is set with the simulated obstacle 21 facing the front of the automatic guided vehicle 1. Then, the operator moves the movable trolley 20 along the front-back direction (X direction) and the left-right direction (Y direction). When the mobile trolley 20 is moved in the front-back and left-right directions in this manner, the obstacle sensor 6 detects the simulated obstacle 2
1 (the simulated obstacle 2)
1) is recorded, and from this record, the detection range of the obstacle sensor 6 is inspected. In the detection range, the detection distance can be detected as a distance in the X direction, and the detection range at each detection distance can be detected as a distance in the Y direction.

[0007]

In the prior art shown in FIG. 4, the operator moves the carriage 20 and determines whether or not the obstacle sensor 6 has detected the simulated obstacle 21. Inevitably, an error occurs in the measured value. In addition, the measured values vary due to the habit of the operator. For this reason, in the related art, the detection range of the obstacle by the obstacle sensor 6 cannot be automatically and accurately inspected. In addition, such an inspection required a lot of time and labor.

In view of the above prior art, an object of the present invention is to provide an inspection device for an obstacle sensor detection range capable of automatically and accurately detecting an obstacle sensor detection range.

[0009]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention is to move in a front-rear direction in a horizontal plane, a right-left direction orthogonal to the front-rear direction, and a vertical direction in response to a three-axis movement command. With a moving part that can
A three-axis moving mechanism in which a simulated obstacle is attached to the moving part; and a three-axis moving command is sent to the three-axis moving mechanism, and the three-axis moving mechanism is set to a preset position. By determining whether the obstacle sensor has detected the simulated obstacle, by determining the position of the moving unit when the obstacle sensor has detected the simulated obstacle based on the three-axis movement command, A control unit for inspecting a detection range of the obstacle sensor.

[0010]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 show an apparatus for inspecting the detection range of an obstacle sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention.
In both figures, to facilitate understanding, the three-axis moving mechanism 1
00, the simulated obstacle 110, the set position 120, and the automatic guided vehicle 1 are shown in a plan view, and a control computer (control unit) 1
30 and the printer 140 are shown from the front side.

In the three-axis moving mechanism 100, the left-right axis 102 can move in the front-rear direction (X direction) in the horizontal plane with respect to the front-rear axis 101, and the moving unit 103 moves in the left-right direction (Y Direction) and a vertical direction (Z direction; a direction perpendicular to the plane of FIG. 1 and FIG. 2). The moving unit 10
A simulated obstacle 110 is attached to 3.

A three-axis movement command is sent from the control computer 130 via the transmission line L1 to the three-axis movement mechanism 10.
0, the moving unit 10 according to the three-axis movement command.
3 moves in the X, Y, and Z directions. Eventually, the three-dimensional position given by the three-axis movement command output from the control computer 130 corresponds to the three-dimensional position of the moving unit 103 and thus the three-dimensional position of the simulated obstacle 110. Therefore, the control computer 130 moves the moving unit 103 (simulated obstacle 110) based on the three-axis movement command.
Can be determined. Note that the three-axis movement command is sent in a transmission format such as RS232C.

Based on the installation position of the three-axis moving mechanism 100, a preset position 120 is determined as a position facing the simulated obstacle 110. This setting position 120
Is drawn by a white line or the like.

The control computer 130 has a printer 1
40 is connected. When the detection range of the obstacle sensor 6 of the automatic guided vehicle 1 is inspected, as shown in FIG. 2, the control computer 130 and the obstacle sensor 6 are connected by the transmission line L2.

When actually inspecting the detection range of the obstacle sensor 6 of the automatic guided vehicle 1, as shown in FIG. 2, the automatic guided vehicle 1 is moved to be positioned exactly above the set position 120. And then stop. Further, the control computer 130 and the obstacle sensor 6 are connected by the transmission line L2.

After setting to the state shown in FIG. 2, a three-axis movement command is sent from the control computer 130 to the three-axis movement mechanism 100 so that the moving part 103, that is, the simulated obstacle 110 is sequentially passed through each three-dimensional position. , X, Y, and Z directions. When the simulated obstacle 110 is moved three-dimensionally in this manner, the obstacle sensor 6 is
10 is detected, this detection indicates that the transmission line L2
Via the control computer 130. That is,
The control computer 130 can determine that the obstacle sensor 6 has detected the simulated obstacle 110.

As described above, the control computer 13
0 can determine the three-dimensional position of the moving unit 103 (simulated obstacle 110) based on the three-axis movement command. Therefore, the control computer 130 stores all three-dimensional positions of the simulated obstacle 110 when the obstacle sensor 6 determines that the simulated obstacle 110 has been detected. The three-dimensional position of the simulated obstacle 110 stored in this manner becomes the obstacle detection range of the obstacle sensor 6. That is, the detection range of the obstacle sensor 6 can be automatically inspected by the control computer 130.
The detected detection range can be stamped out by the printer 140 and recorded on paper.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, if the automatic guided vehicle 1 is accurately positioned at the set position 120 and stopped by the operator, thereafter, the moving unit is controlled by the control computer 130. 103 (simulated obstacle 110)
Can be moved to automatically and accurately determine the detection range of the obstacle sensor 6 in a short time. In other words, if the automatic guided vehicle 1 is accurately positioned at the set position 120 and stopped, the operation by the operator will not be performed thereafter.
There is no variation in the inspection by the operator.

The operator places the automatic guided vehicle 1 at the set position 120.
Since it is only necessary to perform the operation of accurately positioning and stopping the inspection, the adjustment time for the inspection can be reduced.

[0021]

As described above in detail with the embodiments, the present invention moves in the front-rear direction in the horizontal plane, in the left-right direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction, and in the vertical direction in response to the three-axis movement command. And a three-axis moving mechanism having a simulated obstacle attached to the moving part, and sending a three-axis movement command to the three-axis moving mechanism, and It is determined whether the obstacle sensor set at the set position has detected the simulated obstacle, and the position of the moving unit when the obstacle sensor detects the simulated obstacle is moved in the three-axis direction. A control unit that checks the detection range of the obstacle sensor by making a determination based on the command.

With this configuration, the detection range of the obstacle sensor can be accurately and automatically inspected in a short time. Further, as long as the operator only positions the automatic guided vehicle at the set position accurately, there is no variation in the inspection result for each worker. Further, since the operation performed by the operator is only to accurately position the automatic guided vehicle at the set position, the preparation time and the inspection time required for the inspection can be reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing a detection range inspection device of an obstacle sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram showing a detection range inspection device of the obstacle sensor according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram showing an automatic guided vehicle.

FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram showing a conventional technique.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Unmanned guided vehicle 6 Obstacle sensor 100 Three-axis moving mechanism 101 Front-rear axis 102 Left-right axis 103 Moving part 110 Simulated obstacle 120 Setting position 130 Control computer 140 Printer

Claims (1)

[Claims] A moving part which can move in a front-rear direction in a horizontal plane, a right-left direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction, and a vertical direction in response to a three-axis movement command, and wherein the moving part has a simulated obstacle. A three-axis moving mechanism having attached thereto, and a three-axis moving command is sent to the three-axis moving mechanism, and the obstacle sensor set at a preset position set in advance with respect to the three-axis moving mechanism is the simulated obstacle. By determining whether or not an obstacle has been detected, and by determining the position of the moving unit when the obstacle sensor has detected the simulated obstacle based on the three-axis movement command, the detection range of the obstacle sensor And a control unit for inspecting a detection range of the obstacle sensor.