JPS63236107A - Unmanned golf cart - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To omit a buried electric wire or a rail to guide a golf cart by instructing a course with input of a running map stored in a computer and guiding the cart based on said map. CONSTITUTION:The input 12 of a running map can be selectively projected on a video screen of a display device 9. The map information on the input 12 is stored in a computer. That is, the input 12 includes a layout 13 of each course and a running path 14 of an unmanned golf cart. The position of the cart is compared with the input 12 and the difference between them is larger than the error set initially. Under such conditions, the computer produces a steering control signal so that said error is approximate to zero.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an unmanned golf cart that travels based on an internally stored travel route.

[Prior art]

In recent years, the work of carrying golf bags and the like at golf courses has been replaced by caddies and unmanned golf carts.

As a guidance method for an unmanned golf cart, an electromagnetic induction method or a Morseal method is known. The former electromagnetic induction method involves digging a trench 2 to 5 cm deep in the ground, burying an induction loop wire, and passing a current of 3 to 10 KHz.
The magnetic field generated by this current is detected and guided by a pink-up coil attached to the unmanned vehicle, and it is necessary to bury the induction loop wire as ancillary equipment.

The latter mole rail system is a system in which golf carts run on rails installed on the golf course. This method also requires ancillary equipment work such as the erection of rails.

[Purpose of the invention]

As mentioned above, there are two ways to guide an unmanned golf cart: the electromagnetic induction method and the Morseal method. However, both methods require expensive ancillary equipment work such as burying the induction loop line and erecting the rails.

Furthermore, since the traveling route is fixed, it is difficult to change the traveling route (course) once it has been determined.

Furthermore, these methods spoil the aesthetic appearance of the golf course by directly showing the rails or showing the concrete pavement for golf carts. The concrete pavement is provided to prevent the grass from being damaged by repeated driving of golf carts. For this reason, since the driving path is provided along the edge of the course, when loading and unloading golf clubs, the player must walk to the golf cart at the edge of the course, which is inconvenient.

An object of the present invention is to provide an unmanned golf cart with a built-in driving map.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an easy-to-use unmanned golf cart that does not require a lot of walking to put in and take out golf clubs, etc.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an unmanned golf cart that does not spoil the beauty of a golf course.

[Structure of the invention]

The unmanned golf cart of the present invention is an unmanned golf cart that runs unmanned along a preset running route, and includes a computer that determines the running route based on selective running map input, and a computer that detects the current position of the golf cart. a determination unit that determines whether the position of the golf cart determined by the position detection device is compatible with the travel path; and a drive unit that causes the golf cart to travel based on information from the determination unit; have. More specifically, in response to the changeable travel map input, the distance traveled is calculated using a wheel rotation measurement sensor installed on the rear wheel of the golf cart, and the direction is detected using a sensor installed on the front wheel for measuring the course of the vehicle. At the same time, the current position of the golf cart is calculated by also calculating the trajectory of the golf cart.

This calculated value is compared with the driving map input, and if there is an error, the direction is corrected by controlling the steering of the front wheels.

[For production]

The unmanned golf cart of the present invention with the above configuration uses a driving map input to command the course and guides the golf cart based on the map. There is no need for burying or installing rails, and the cost is low when using an unmanned golf cart.In addition, the unmanned golf cart of the present invention can be driven even in the center of the fairway by commanding it with a travel map, and caddy service is available. Furthermore, with the unmanned golf cart of the present invention, by changing the driving map from time to time, damage to the grass caused by driving the golf cart can be reduced, so there is no need to provide a concrete paved road. , the beauty of the golf course is not impaired at all.

〔Example〕

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

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an unmanned golf cart according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the main parts, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a system configuration diagram, and FIG. 5 is a flowchart similarly showing the control configuration.

As shown in the external view of FIG. 1, the unmanned golf cart of the present invention has a vehicle body covered with a cover 1, and
It has a structure having a single front wheel 2 and a rear wheel consisting of a right wheel 3 and a left wheel 4. The front surface of the cover 1 is an inclined surface 5, and at the lower part of this inclined surface 5, a frame-structured support 6 is provided to support the lower part of the golf bag, and at the upper part of the inclined surface 5, A bag receiver 7 is provided for receiving a golf bag.

On the other hand, the upper part of the cover 1 is also shown in FIG.

As shown, a control panel 8 and a cathode ray tube 9 as a display are provided. On the control panel 8, an indicator light 10, a plurality of push buttons 11, etc. are arranged. Further, on the image plane of the display 9, a travel map input 12 that can be selectively displayed is displayed.

The map information of these travel map inputs 12 is stored in a computer which will be described later. That is, this travel map input 12 consists of a layout 13 of each course of the golf course and a travel path 14 for the unmanned golf cart. For example, FIG. 3 shows the driving map human power 12 for a course with a course length of 420 m and a par 4 out 7. Bunker 17□Pond 18. Green 19 is displayed. Further, in this travel map input 12, a travel path 14 along which an unmanned golf cart travels is displayed as a solid line. Incidentally, in the travel map input 12 displayed on the display 9, the travel trace 20 actually traveled by the unmanned golf cart is sequentially displayed as dotted lines.

Here, the input of the driving map to the computer will be explained. Computer ROM (Read only)
Memory: ROM) An example of writing to
It is as follows.

For example, each layout 13 of courses 1 to 18 of a golf course and the running route (travel target route) are arranged in the XY direction of the entire golf course.
Position by coordinates and create a table for each. Next, based on these tables, CPU <central control unit: here refers to the computer. ) to create a memory card (CPU memory card) and store it in the computer as data. It is assumed that the layout 13, the golf cart travel path 14, and data of each course are displayed on the XY coordinates. The course data includes, for example, course length, 420 m, par 4, etc., as shown in FIG.

Further, the display on the cathode ray tube 9 is as follows. That is, recent cathode ray tube displays have standard communication means connectable to the CPU, and display data is received and delivered according to this communication procedure. Therefore, by selecting a plurality of push buttons 11 on the control panel 8, the driving map 12 of a desired course can be displayed on the cathode ray tube 9. In addition, by monitoring and calculating the travel distance and traveling route of the golf cart, which will be described later, the position from time to time is determined, and the travel trace 20 of the golf cart is displayed on the cathode ray tube 9.

Next, the structure of the main body will be explained with reference to FIG.

A rectangular frame-shaped chassis 21 includes a computer 22 and a control unit 23 . A remote control receiver 24 and a power supply battery 25 are installed approximately in the center. Also,
A front wheel 2 is attached to the center of the front part of this chassis 21, and right wheels 3 are attached to both sides of the rear part of the chassis 21.
and a left wheel 4 are attached.

A power transmission device 28 such as a belt connected to a steering motor 27 is attached to the axle 26 of the front wheel 2, and the direction of the front wheel 2 can be changed by the steering motor 27. Further, the direction of the front wheels 2 is constantly monitored by a vehicle body course measuring sensor (course sensor) 29 such as a synchro transmitter, for example. The rotational state of the axle 26 of the front wheel 2 is
The power is transmitted to the vehicle course measuring sensor 29 by a power transmission device 30 extending between the vehicle body course measuring sensor 29 and the axle 26 .

On the other hand, the right wheel 3 and the left wheel 4 are driven by brake-equipped travel motors 33 and 3, respectively, via a speed reduction device 3L32.
4. The rotational speeds of the right wheel 3 and the left wheel 4 are measured with high precision by wheel frequency measuring sensors 35 and 36, which are comprised of pulse generators, synchro transmitters, or the like.

The unmanned golf cart is operated by a remote control (not shown), and instructions for starting and stopping the golf cart are given to the combiator 22 and the control unit 23 via the remote control receiver n 24 jr: of the control unit 23.

The system configuration of this unmanned golf cart is shown in FIG. That is, a signal transmitted by remote control operation is captured by the remote control receiver 24 and transmitted to the computer 22. Further, the driving map 12 is stored in the computer 22 in advance. This running map human power 12 is displayed on the cathode ray tube 9.

As shown in FIG. 3, the current position of the unmanned golf cart can be read from the travel track 20 displayed as a dotted line on the cathode ray tube. From this travel track 20, it can be seen at a glance where the unmanned golf cart is located within the course and what error it has traveled with respect to the travel map input.

Further, the computer 22 is driven by a battery 25 for power supply. This power source battery 25 serves as a power source for the entire golf cart, including the steering control unit 23a and travel drive unit 23b in the computer 22. The steering control unit 23a
controls the steering motor 27, and the travel drive unit 23b controls the travel motors 33 and 34 with brakes. Additionally, a sensor for measuring vehicle course (course sensor)
29 and wheel rotation measurement sensors 35 and 36 are sent to the computer 22. Note that the vehicle body course measuring sensor 29 and the wheel rotation measuring sensor 3
5.36 etc. constitute a position detection device that detects the position of the golf cart.

In such a configuration, the golf cart operates according to a control flow as shown in FIG. That is, when checking the current situation or starting or stopping, the wheel rotation measurement sensors 35 and 36 measure the rotation speed of the right wheel 3 and left wheel 4, and calculate the average rotation speed of the rear wheels (averaging calculation). . On the other hand, the vehicle body course measurement sensor 2
9 is also combined, the track of the golf cart is calculated (track calculation), and the position of the golf cart is calculated. The current position of the golf cart is displayed on the cathode ray tube 9 together with the track of the golf cart. The current location of the golf cart is
A determination section comprising a computer 22 compares the travel map with human power 12 input in advance to determine the presence or absence of an error. If there is no error, continue, that is, in the case of current position confirmation operation or stop operation, stop at that position. In addition, in the case of starting operation, the vehicle is driven by remote control operation.

On the other hand, if the golf cart position is compared with the driving map input 12 and determined to be larger than the initial setting error, the computer 22 generates a steering control signal so that this error approaches zero, and the steering control unit 23a
The steering motor 27 is driven to guide the golf cart based on the driving map input command while correcting the direction.

According to such an embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

(1) Since the unmanned golf cart of the present invention commands the course by inputting a driving map and guides the golf cart based on the map, there is no need to use electric wires as in the case of conventional unmanned golf carts. There is no need for burying or installing rails, and the capital investment cost is reduced when using unmanned golf carts.

(2) With the unmanned golf cart of the present invention, damage to the grass caused by the driving of the golf cart can be reduced by changing the driving map from time to time, so there is no need to provide a concrete paved road, and equipment costs are reduced. becomes cheaper.

(3) With the unmanned golf cart of the present invention, by changing the driving map from time to time, damage to the grass caused by driving the golf cart can be reduced, so there is no need to provide a concrete paved road; Since there is no need to install rails to guide golf carts, the beauty of the golf course is not impaired at all.

(4) The unmanned golf cart of the present invention has a driving path that serves as a reference for the golf cart inside, and there is no need to provide a guide path on the fairway. Since the grass is not damaged, the golf cart can be moved close to the line where the player moves, further improving the usability of the golf cart.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments,
It goes without saying that various changes can be made without departing from the gist of the invention.For example, in the above embodiment, a sensor for measuring the course of the vehicle body using a synchro transmitter was used, but instead of this, an existing gyroscope may be used. Even in this case, the same effect as in the above embodiment can be obtained. Further, in the above embodiment, two wheel rotation measurement sensors are provided on the left and right sides of the rear wheels, but only one sensor may be provided at the front and rear to measure the rotation speed of the wheels.

Furthermore, in order to improve the usability of such an unmanned golf cart, the golf cart may be brought to the player's or caddy's hand by remote control.

The present invention can be applied to things other than golf carts.

(Effects of the Invention) The unmanned golf cart of the present invention uses a method in which the course is commanded by inputting a travel map stored in a computer and the golf cart is guided based on the map. There is no need to bury guiding electric wires or install rails, and by changing the running map from time to time, damage to the grass caused by cart running can be reduced, making it possible to turn running paths such as concrete paved roads into fairways. In addition, since the unmanned golf cart of the present invention does not require a running path or guidance equipment, it does not spoil the beauty of the golf course and does not interfere with the player's movement line. It is also possible to move the golf cart along the track, further improving usability.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing an example of a travel map displayed on a cathode ray tube, FIG. 4 is a system configuration diagram, and FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a control configuration. 1...Cover, 2...Front wheel, 3...Right wheel, 4...
・・Left wheel, 5・Slope, 6・Support is on stand, 7・・
・B/knob receiver, 8... Control panel, 9... Braun tube, 10... Indicator light, 11... Push button, 12...
Driving map input, 13... Layout, 14... Driving route, 15... Fairway, 16... Tee ground, 17... Bunker, 18... Pond, 19... Green, 20... ...Travel trace, 21...Chassis, 22
... Computer, 23 ... Control unit, 23a
...Steering control unit, 23b...Travel drive unit, 24...Remote control receiver, 25...Power supply battery, 26...Axle, 2
7...Steering motor, 28...Power transmission device, 29...Vehicle body course measurement sensor, 30...Power transmission device, 3L32...Deceleration device, 33.34...
Travel motor with brake, 35.36...Wheel rotation measurement sensor. Agent Patent Attorney Makoto Ogawa - Patent Attorney i'' 1 D Ken Teru,'=:,,
l. Patent Attorney Kazuhiko Saishita 1.16,
D11

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A golf cart that runs unmanned along a travel route set in advance by remote control, comprising a drive unit for driving the golf cart and a travel route that is determined by selective travel map input. The computer includes a computer that determines the current position of the golf cart, and a position detection device that detects the current position of the golf cart. An unmanned golf cart, characterized in that the driver is configured to determine whether there is an error and, if there is an error, control the drive unit so that the error approaches zero. 2. The unmanned golf cart according to claim 1, further comprising a cathode ray tube that displays the driving path of the golf cart and the actual driving track of the golf cart. 3. The travel map is inputted into the computer in advance, and each travel route is selectively obtained by pressing a button provided on a panel of the golf cart. Unmanned golf cart as described. 4. The unmanned golf cart according to claim 1, wherein the position detection of the golf cart is obtained by actually measuring the moving direction and moving distance of the golf cart.