JPWO2019053798A1 - Autonomous driving robot system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an autonomous traveling robot system capable of highly reliable and safe follow-up traveling with a relatively simple configuration. An autonomous traveling robot system of the present name detects an identification pattern provided on an object, a main body including a drive mechanism, and a main body mounted on the main body to detect the direction and distance of the identification pattern and the pattern of the intensity of reflected light. The active optical sensor and the control device for controlling the drive mechanism are provided, and the control device identifies the type of the identification pattern based on the pattern of the intensity of the reflected light detected by the active optical sensor. Follow-up travel control or contact avoidance travel control is performed based on the type, direction, and distance of the identification pattern. [Selection diagram] Fig. 1

Description

The present invention relates to an autonomous driving robot system, and more particularly to a technique for improving the reliability and safety of autonomous driving.

As a means of transporting goods in facilities such as warehouses and factories, autonomous traveling robots that detect information on the surrounding environment with sensors and automatically travel based on it are often adopted instead of human-powered trolleys. There is. As an autonomous traveling robot, an automatic guided vehicle that travels along a predetermined traveling route by using a magnetic tape attached to a road surface and a magnetic sensor attached to the lower surface of a vehicle body is known (Patent Document 1).

In addition, a retroreflective member is attached to the rear part of the transport trolley that travels along the track, and the reflected light from the retroreflective member of the transport trolley that travels in front is detected by an optical ranging device, and the front transport trolley It is known that the vehicle speed is controlled in order to calculate the distance between vehicles and prevent collisions (Patent Document 2).

Further, an autonomous traveling robot that detects a person or an object by using an optical sensor and performs following traveling to the person or the object and avoiding contact with an obstacle is known (Patent Document 3).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2004-86453 Japanese Patent No. 4461199 WO2017 / 056334A1

Many autonomous traveling robots use a laser sensor, which is a type of active optical sensor, to detect surrounding objects. The active optical sensor is a type of optical sensor that emits light and detects reflected light from an object. The laser sensor uses a rotating mirror to irradiate the surroundings with a pulse of laser light and measures the time it takes for the laser light to be reflected and returned on the surface of the object, thereby using the direction and distance to the surface of the object as a point group. It is to detect. It is also possible to detect the intensity of the reflected light. The laser sensor has few false positives and is highly reliable, but since it can only obtain information on the shape of the object on one plane through which the laser beam passes, it can accurately identify the type of object based on the information obtained from the sensor. It's difficult to do. Moreover, the three-dimensional shape of the object cannot be obtained.

Therefore, there are the following problems regarding the reliability and safety of autonomous driving.
(1) Since the three-dimensional shape of the surrounding object cannot be obtained, it is not possible to accurately determine whether or not the object and the autonomous traveling robot come into contact with each other, and there is a risk that they will come into contact with each other. In particular, in an autonomous driving robot equipped with a laser sensor, the cross-sectional shape of the vehicle body at the height of the sensor may be smaller than that of other heights in order not to obstruct the field of view of the sensor. In this case, the autonomous traveling robot may recognize the size of the other autonomous traveling robots to be smaller than the actual size, and the robots may come into contact with each other.
(2) When an object is detected by a laser sensor and the following object is being followed, if another object crosses between the autonomous traveling robot and the object and loses sight of the following object, the following object is seen again. Sometimes it is difficult to identify the same thing and it is not possible to continue following driving.
(3) There is a towed autonomous traveling robot consisting of a main body and a detachable trolley. In particular, when the autonomous traveling robot follows the towed autonomous traveling robot, the carriage travels inside the turning circle rather than the main body when the tracking target robot is turning, so that the trajectory of the main body of the tracking target robot and The deviation of the trajectory of the following robot becomes large.
(4) In the case of a towed autonomous traveling robot, in order to prevent contact between the dolly and surrounding obstacles, it is necessary to change the traveling trajectory depending on whether the dolly is connected or not, but with the scanning laser sensor mounted on the main body, , It is difficult to recognize the presence or absence of a dolly, and other detection means are required.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an autonomous driving robot having a relatively simple and low-cost configuration and improved reliability and safety of autonomous driving.

The autonomous traveling robot system of the present invention is an active optical sensor that detects an identification pattern provided on an object, a main body provided with a drive mechanism, and a main body mounted on the main body to detect the direction and distance of the identification pattern and the pattern of the intensity of reflected light. And a control device that controls the drive mechanism. The control device identifies the type of the identification pattern based on the pattern of the intensity of the reflected light detected by the active optical sensor, and the type and direction of the identification pattern. Follow-up travel control or contact avoidance travel control is performed based on the distance.

Preferably, the identification pattern comprises one or more high reflection intensity portions.

Preferably, the high reflection intensity portion of the identification pattern is formed of a retroreflective material.

Preferably, the active optical sensor is a scanning laser sensor.

Preferably, the control device controls the drive mechanism so as to follow the identification pattern of the same type.

Preferably, the control device obtains the direction and distance of the tracking target with reference to preset data based on the type, direction and distance of the identified identification pattern, and drives the control device to follow the tracking target. Control the mechanism.

Preferably, the main body is provided with a dolly that can be connected and separated, the dolly is provided with an identification pattern at the rear, and the control device detects the identification pattern at the rear of the dolly of another autonomous traveling robot. , The drive mechanism is controlled so as to follow the connecting portion of the bogie as a follow-up target.

Preferably, the control device obtains the interference shape by referring to the preset data based on the type, direction and distance of the identified identification pattern, and the drive mechanism so as to avoid contact with the interference shape. To control.

Preferably, the rear part of the main body is provided with the identification pattern toward the rear and the identification pattern toward the front, and the control device detects the identification pattern provided in the other autonomous traveling robot and other identification patterns. The drive mechanism is controlled so as to avoid contact with the autonomous driving robot.

Preferably, the body is provided with a trolley that can be connected and separated, the trolley is provided with an identification pattern at the front, and the control device makes contact between the trolley and surrounding objects when the identification pattern of the trolley is detected. The drive mechanism is controlled so as to avoid.

According to the present invention, by recognizing an identification pattern provided on a surrounding object by using an active optical sensor, the type of the surrounding object is identified and autonomous driving is performed. Therefore, reliability of tracking and obstacle avoidance is achieved. Improves sex and safety.

It is a side view which shows the operation state of the autonomous driving robot system which concerns on embodiment. It is a perspective view of an autonomous driving robot. It is a front view of the autonomous driving robot. It is a side view of the autonomous driving robot. It is a top view which shows the detail of the operation part. It is a rear view of the trousers provided with the operator identification pattern. It is the front view and the rear view which shows the identification pattern of the identification mark. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of a control device. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of the follow-up running control. It is a top view which shows the operator and the autonomous driving robot which follows and travels. It is a top view which shows the tow type autonomous driving robot and the autonomous driving robot which follows. It is a top view which shows the traveling path of the traction type autonomous driving robot and the autonomous traveling robot which follows. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of contact avoidance control. It is a top view which shows the detection range of a laser sensor and the interference shape.

Hereinafter, an embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a luggage carrying robot will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 to 14.
[Structure of Embodiment]

FIG. 1 is a side view showing an operating state of the autonomous traveling robot system according to the embodiment. In FIG. 1, two autonomous traveling robots 20 are operated on the floor surface 1 of the warehouse. Of these autonomous traveling robots 20, one in front follows the leading operator 2, and one in the rear follows the preceding autonomous traveling robot 20. The first is a tow-type autonomous traveling robot, in which the main body 40 is towing a carriage 41 that is detachably connected by a connecting portion 42. The main body 40 has a drive mechanism and runs on its own. The carriage 41 has a universal caster 48 and a fixed caster 49, and is towed by the carriage 41 to move. Articles 5 to be transported in the warehouse are mounted on the deck 27 and the carriage 41 included in the main body 40 of each autonomous traveling robot 20. In addition, in this specification, the term "autonomous traveling robot" is used as a general term for those having a towing carriage and those not having it.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the autonomous traveling robot.
FIG. 3 is a front view of the autonomous traveling robot.
FIG. 4 is a side view of the autonomous traveling robot.
FIG. 5 is a plan view showing the details of the operation unit.
FIG. 6 is a rear view of the trousers provided with the operator identification pattern.
FIG. 7 is a front view and a rear view showing the identification pattern of the identification mark.
FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the control device.

As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the main body 40 of the autonomous traveling robot 20 is composed of a steel plate, a steel pipe, an extruded aluminum material, or the like, and includes a vehicle body 21 in which a rear overhang portion 21a extends from the rear end. The vehicle body 21 has a pair of left and right drive wheels 22 connected to a pair of left and right electric motors 29 at the rear lower portion as a drive mechanism. Further, the vehicle body 21 has a pair of left and right free caster wheels 23 at the lower front portion, and a pair of left and right fall prevention wheels 24 at the rear end of the rear overhang portion 21a. A center column 25 is erected on the upper part of the vehicle body 21, and a pair of left and right rear pillars 26 are erected at the rear end of the rear overhang portion 21a. At the upper ends of the center column 25 and the rear pillar 26, long rectangular decks 27 are supported in the front-rear direction for loading articles.

A scanning laser sensor (hereinafter, simply referred to as a laser sensor) 35, which is a kind of active optical sensor, is attached to the front portion of the center column 25. The height of the laser sensor varies depending on the size of the autonomous traveling robot, but is, for example, about 30 cm. The laser sensor 35 horizontally projects a laser beam in a predetermined range, for example, a range of 270 degrees including from the front to the diagonally rearward, receives the reflected light, and determines the position / direction of surrounding objects and the reflected light. Detect intensity. The deck 27 is supported by the center column 25 and the rear pillar 26, and since the pillar is not provided at the front portion, the laser beam is not blocked and the field of view from the front to the diagonally rear can be secured.

A bracket 31 is attached to the central portion of the front end of the deck 27, and an operation portion 32 is fixed to the upper portion of the bracket 31. The operation unit 32 is provided with a follow-up travel button 61, an automatic travel button 62, a stop button 63, and a joystick 33 that can be tilted back and forth and left and right, as shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 6, a pair of identification patterns 71 having a band-shaped high reflection intensity portion are provided on the hem of the trousers 3 worn by the operator 2 in front and behind. A rectangular plate-shaped identification mark 37 is attached to the rear portion of the autonomous traveling robot 20, and as shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, identification patterns 38 and 39 having a band-shaped high reflection intensity portion are provided. , It is provided on both the front and back sides. Similarly, an identification mark 43 is attached to the rear portion of the carriage 41 of the towed autonomous traveling robot, and as shown in FIG. 7C, an identification pattern 44 is provided toward the rear.

The above-mentioned high-reflection intensity portion is made by using a retroreflective material. The retroreflective material is, for example, a tape coated with glass beads, and has a property of reflecting incident light in the incident direction with high reflectance. Therefore, when a pattern formed by the retroreflective material is detected by an active optical sensor such as a laser sensor, the light emitted by the sensor toward the retroreflective material returns to the sensor with high reflectance, and the other Since the ambient light incident from the direction of is not directed to the sensor, the pattern can be detected without being affected by the ambient light. The number, width, and spacing of the bands of the retroreflective material are arbitrary, but the number, width, and spacing of each of the bands are changed for each type so that the patterns of reflected light intensity can be distinguished.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a control system for the autonomous traveling robot 20. Inside the vehicle body 21, a control device 45 that controls an electric motor to autonomously drive the autonomous driving robot 20 is mounted. A laser sensor 35, an operation unit 32, and an electric motor 29 are connected to the control device 45. The control device 45 is a control computer including an input / output device, an arithmetic unit, and a storage device that stores a control program, and uses data obtained from the laser sensor 35 to detect the position and shape of surrounding objects, and to detect the position and shape of surrounding objects. The identification patterns 38, 39, and 71 are recognized, and based on this, the robot can follow a person / object and automatically travel along a predetermined route without contacting surrounding objects. , Control the electric motor.

When the operator 2 presses the follow-up travel button 61, the autonomous travel robot 20 follows a person or an object in front of the robot 20 to travel. When the operator 2 presses the automatic traveling button 62, the autonomous traveling robot 20 travels along a predetermined route. When the operator 2 presses the stop button 63, the autonomous traveling robot 20 stops traveling. The joystick 33 is used when the autonomous traveling robot 20 is assisted and manually operated. When the operator 2 tilts the joystick 33 back and forth and left and right, the autonomous traveling robot 20 moves back and forth and turns left and right.
[Action of Embodiment]

Hereinafter, the operation of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 to 14.
FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the procedure of follow-up traveling control.
FIG. 10 is a plan view showing an operator and an autonomous traveling robot that follows and travels.
FIG. 11 is a plan view showing a towed autonomous traveling robot and an autonomous traveling robot that follows and travels.
FIG. 12 is a plan view showing a travel path of a towed autonomous traveling robot and an autonomous traveling robot that follows and travels.
FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing the procedure of contact avoidance control.
FIG. 14 is a plan view showing the detection range of the laser sensor and the interference shape.
(Following control)

When the autonomous traveling robot 20 is made to follow the operator 2, the operator 2 stands in front of the autonomous traveling robot 20 and presses the following traveling button 61 of the operation unit 32. When the follow-up travel button 61 is pressed, the control device 45 executes the follow-up control whose procedure is shown in the flowchart of FIG.

The control device 45 that has started the follow-up control detects and identifies the identification pattern of the object in front from the output data of the laser sensor 35 in step S1 of FIG. 9, and stores the type of the identification pattern. The identification pattern is identified by obtaining the width and number of the portion where the reflected light is strong from the information of the direction, the distance, and the reflected light intensity obtained from the laser sensor 35, and comparing it with the data registered in advance. When following a person, the control device 45 detects the identification pattern 71 provided on the pants 3 of the operator 2. In step S2, it is determined whether or not the identification pattern is detected in the field of view of the laser sensor 35, and if it is not detected, the process proceeds to step S13 and stops without starting the follow-up running.

In step S3, the distance 81 and the direction 82 of the detected identification pattern are detected, and these are set as tracking targets. When following a person, if the identification pattern 71 of both feet of the pants 3 is detected, the intermediate point of both feet is set as the tracking target. Steps S4 and S5 are procedures for correcting the tracking target when following the towed autonomous traveling robot, which will be described later. In step S6, the electric motor 29 is controlled according to the distance and direction of the tracking target, and the autonomous traveling robot 20 is made to follow the tracking target. FIG. 10 shows a case of following a person. The follow-up travel is performed by decelerating when the distance is short, increasing the speed when the distance is long, and turning toward the identification pattern according to the direction 82 of the identification pattern, according to the distance 81 to the follow-up target.

In step S7, it is confirmed whether or not the stop button 63 is pressed, and if the stop button is pressed, the process proceeds to step S13, the following traveling is interrupted, and the autonomous traveling robot 20 is stopped.

In step S8, the identification pattern is detected again for the next control cycle. In step S9, it is determined whether or not the detection of the identification pattern of the same type as the type of the stored identification pattern of the tracking target is successful, and if the detection is successful, the process is repeated from step S3.

When another person, the autonomous traveling robot 20, or the like crosses between the leading operator 2 and the like, the field of view of the laser sensor 35 is blocked, and the detection of the identification pattern fails. In this case, step S10 is executed to detect the identification pattern again. In step S11, it is determined whether or not the detection of the same type of identification pattern is successful, and if successful, the process returns to step S3 and the tracking is restarted. Since the type of the identification pattern is stored, even if the identification pattern is lost, the tracking can be resumed if the identification pattern of the same type comes into the field of view of the sensor again. At this time, even if an object having another identification pattern such as an autonomous traveling robot enters the field of view, it is possible to prevent the other object from being erroneously followed because the type of the identification pattern is different from the stored tracking object.

If the identification pattern of the same type as the tracking target cannot be detected, the elapsed time from the last successful detection is inspected in step S12, and if it is within a predetermined time (for example, 5 seconds), the process is repeated from step S10. If the time exceeds the predetermined time, the process proceeds to step S13, the traveling is interrupted, and the vehicle is stopped.
(Follow-up control for autonomous driving robots)

When the operator 2 presses the follow-up travel button 61 in a state where the autonomous driving robot 20 is placed behind another autonomous driving robot, that is, in a state where the rear part of the other autonomous driving robot faces the front of the autonomous driving robot 20. , The control device 45 performs the follow-up running according to the procedure of FIG. 9 in the same manner as described above. In this case, the control device 45 detects the identification pattern 39 at the rear of the other autonomous driving robot instead of the operator 2, and travels following the other autonomous driving robot. Even if the operator 2 crosses in front of the autonomous driving robot 20 during the following running and the operator's identification pattern 71 enters the field of view of the laser sensor 35, the reflected light intensity pattern is different, so that the operator and the tracking target are autonomous. If the identification pattern 39 of the autonomous traveling robot to be followed again comes into the view of the laser sensor 35 without misidentifying the traveling robot, the following traveling can be continued.
(Following control for the dolly)

When the autonomous traveling robot 20 is made to follow the carriage 41 of the towed autonomous traveling robot, the control device 45 performs the following control in the same procedure as in FIG. 9, but in this case, in step S4, Based on the identification pattern installed at the rear of the trolley, it is determined that the tracking target is a towed autonomous traveling robot, and step S5 is executed.

In step S5, as shown in FIG. 11, the shape data of the trolley registered in advance is obtained from the distance 81 to the identification pattern 44 at the rear of the trolley 41 detected by the laser sensor 35, the direction 82, and the rotation angle 83 of the identification pattern. With reference to this, the distance 84 and the direction 85 to the connecting portion 42 connecting the main body 40 and the carriage 41 are calculated, and these are set as the follow-up targets.

The effect of this control will be described with reference to FIG. When the main body 40 of the towed autonomous traveling robot makes a turning trip, the connected carriage 41 travels on a path 87 inside the traveling path 86 of the main body 40. Since the autonomous traveling robot that follows a turning object has a characteristic of traveling on a route inside the tracking target, the autonomous traveling robot 20 follows the identification pattern 44 provided at the rear of the trolley 41. When traveling, the autonomous traveling robot 20 travels on a route further inside the route 87 of the carriage 41. Therefore, a large space is required for the operation of the autonomous driving robot system. On the other hand, according to the control procedure of FIG. 9, since the autonomous traveling robot 20 follows and travels with the connecting portion 42 as a target, it travels on a route close to the traveling route 86 of the main body 40. Therefore, it can be operated in a narrower space.
(Contact avoidance control)

The control device 45 detects an object other than the tracking target, that is, an obstacle, and when there is a risk that the obstacle and the autonomous traveling robot 20 approach each other and come into contact with each other, the autonomous traveling robot 20 is decelerated and the obstacle is used. It is equipped with a contact avoidance control that prevents contact by turning in the direction away from it. In particular, when the object is provided with an identification pattern, the possibility of contact between the object and the autonomous traveling robot 20 can be determined more accurately, and contact can be prevented more reliably. This function can be enabled in any of following driving, automatic driving, and manual driving.

The procedure for avoiding contact is shown using the flowchart of FIG. FIG. 13 is an example for explaining the contact avoidance procedure, and here, another autonomous traveling robot 20a and a pillar 98 are present in front of the autonomous traveling robot 20. The autonomous traveling robot 20a is traveling toward the autonomous traveling robot 20, and the identification pattern 38 on the front surface is in the field of view of the laser sensor 35 of the autonomous traveling robot 20.

First, in step S21, the control device 45 acquires the surrounding object data regarding the surrounding object within the detection range 90 of the sensor from the laser sensor 35. The surrounding object data is a list of distances and directions of point groups on the surface of the object detected by the laser sensor 35. The laser sensor detects a portion of the surface of an object that can be seen by the sensor, that is, a portion that is not hidden by another object or the object itself. In the example of FIG. 13, another autonomous traveling robot 20a and the pillar 98 are present, but the laser sensor 35 detects the portion shown by the thick line.

Next, the control device 45 determines in step S22 whether or not the vehicle is following the vehicle, and if the vehicle is following the vehicle, the control device 45 removes the point cloud of the tracking object from the surrounding object data in step S23, and thereafter uses this as obstacle position data. Used as. Obstacle objects include, for example, moving objects such as people and robots other than the tracking target, and non-moving objects such as walls, pillars, and shelves. The reason for removing the tracking target portion from the obstacle is to prevent the smooth tracking from becoming impossible by recognizing the tracking target portion as an obstacle and trying to avoid contact.

In step S24, the control device 45 detects the type of identification pattern, the distance 91, the direction 92, and the rotation angle 93 of the identification pattern within the detection range 90 from the data of the laser sensor 35. In step S25, the control device 45 refers to the data registered in advance based on the type of the identification pattern, and acquires the interference shape of the object provided with the identification pattern. In step S26, the interference shape is moved / rotated so that the position, distance, and angle of the portion corresponding to the identification pattern in the interference shape and the distance 91, direction 92, and rotation angle 93 of the detected identification pattern match. , Add a point cloud of interference shape to obstacle data.
Here, the interference shape refers to a shape obtained by projecting a portion of an object that may come into contact with an autonomous traveling robot, including a portion that is not detected by the laser sensor 35, on a top view. In the example of FIG. 13, a part of the identification pattern 38 of the autonomous traveling robot 20a is detected, and the distance 91, the direction 92, and the rotation angle 93 are detected. Since the type of the identification pattern can be recognized even from a part of the pattern, it is recognized that the identification pattern belongs to the autonomous traveling robot, and the interference shape of the autonomous traveling robot is added to the obstacle data. In this case, the interference shape matches the outer shape of the autonomous traveling robot 20a shown in the figure.

In step S27, the control device 45 checks whether obstacle data exists in the contact determination area 97, that is, whether or not there is contact possibility, and if there is contact possibility, avoids contact in step S28. Controls the electric motor 29. The contact determination region 97 is an region having a predetermined width in the direction in which the autonomous traveling robot 20 is scheduled to travel. The width of the contact determination region is the width of the autonomous traveling robot 20 plus a margin. Obstacle avoidance is performed by decelerating the autonomous traveling robot 20 according to the detected distance to the obstacle and turning the autonomous traveling robot 20 to the right side or the left side where there are few obstacles with respect to the current traveling direction.

The effects of the above obstacle avoidance procedure will be described below. In the autonomous driving robot, in order to secure a wide field of view of the laser sensor, as shown in FIG. 3, a space is provided in the height portion of the laser sensor. Therefore, when observing another autonomous traveling robot with a laser sensor mounted on the autonomous traveling robot, a shape smaller than the outer shape of the autonomous traveling robot 20a is detected as shown by a thick line in FIG. This is called the observed shape. Since the autonomous traveling robot has a structure at a height different from that of the laser sensor such as a loading platform, there is a risk of contact with an obstacle if obstacle avoidance is performed using the observation shape. In order to accurately judge the contact possibility, it is necessary to use the outer shape including the other height parts. This is called an interference shape. In the above contact avoidance procedure, the type of the object is recognized using the identification pattern, the interference shape information is acquired based on the identification pattern, and the contact avoidance is performed based on the obstacle data. Even if the observed shape is smaller than the interference shape, contact can be prevented.

The above method can be applied not only to avoiding contact with the autonomous traveling robot 20 but also to avoiding contact with various objects having parts other than the height of the laser sensor. For example, since the desk has legs inside the top plate on the upper surface, when the desk is around the autonomous traveling robot 20, only the legs are detected by the laser sensor, and the top plate and the autonomous traveling robot 20 come into contact with each other. However, if the desk is provided with an identification pattern, contact can be prevented. Further, since the forklift travels by lowering the claws used for raising and lowering the luggage when the load is empty, when the forklift is traveling around the autonomous traveling robot 20, the claws cannot be detected by the laser sensor, and the claws. There is a risk that the part and the autonomous traveling robot will come into contact with each other, but if the forklift is provided with an identification pattern, the contact can be prevented.
(Tow truck detection)

The identification pattern can also be used to detect the presence or absence of a dolly in a towed autonomous driving robot. As shown in FIG. 14, identification patterns 69 are provided at both ends in front of the carriage 41. Since the laser sensor 35 mounted on the main body 40 has a field of view diagonally to the rear, the identification pattern 69 can be detected if the width of the dolly 41 is relatively large and the dolly is turning. The angle 96 of the dolly 41 with respect to the above can be detected. Using this information, when a dolly exists, it is possible to prevent contact between the dolly and an obstacle by widening the width of the contact determination area in obstacle avoidance. When the trolley does not exist, the width of the contact determination area can be returned to normal so that the vehicle can travel even in a narrow place.

Although the description of the specific embodiment is completed above, the aspect of the present invention is not limited to these. For example, in follow-up traveling, in addition to following a person or an autonomous traveling robot, various objects such as other self-propelled trolleys, forklifts, and robots can be followed. Further, in the above embodiment, the present invention is applied to an autonomous traveling robot used for transporting goods in a warehouse, a factory, or the like, but it can also be applied to a passenger robot or the like operated in an airport, a park, or the like. .. As the active optical sensor, instead of the scanning laser sensor, a camera or a stereo camera having a floodlight and capable of detecting the intensity of reflected light can also be used. In addition, the specific procedure of each process, as well as the specific shape and arrangement of each identification pattern can be changed as appropriate.

The autonomous traveling robot of the present invention can be effectively used for transporting articles in facilities such as warehouses and factories.

2 Operator 3 Trousers 20 Autonomous traveling robot 32 Operation unit 35 Laser sensor 37 Identification mark 38 Front identification pattern 39 Rear identification pattern 40 Main body 41 Bogie 42 Connection part 43 Bogie identification mark 44 Bogie identification pattern 71 Operator identification pattern

Claims (10)

The identification pattern provided on the object and
The main body with a drive mechanism and
An active optical sensor mounted on the main unit that detects the direction and distance of the identification pattern and the pattern of the intensity of the reflected light.
It is equipped with a control device that controls the drive mechanism.
The control device identifies the type of the identification pattern based on the pattern of the intensity of the reflected light detected by the active optical sensor, and performs follow-up travel control or contact avoidance travel control based on the type, direction, and distance of the identification pattern. ,
Autonomous driving robot system. The identification pattern comprises one or more high reflection intensity sections,
The autonomous traveling robot system according to claim 1. The high reflection intensity part of the identification pattern is formed of a retroreflective material.
The autonomous traveling robot system according to any one of claims 1 to 2. The active optical sensor is a scanning laser sensor,
The autonomous traveling robot system according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The control device controls the drive mechanism so as to follow the identification pattern of the same type.
The autonomous traveling robot system according to any one of claims 1 to 4. The control device obtains the direction and distance of the tracking target by referring to the preset data based on the type, direction, and distance of the identified identification pattern.
Control the drive mechanism to follow the tracking target,
The autonomous driving robot system according to claim 5. Equipped with a dolly that can be connected and separated from the main body
The dolly has an identification pattern at the rear,
The control device detects the identification pattern of the rear part of the bogie of another autonomous traveling robot, and controls the drive mechanism so as to follow the connecting portion of the bogie as a follow-up target.
The autonomous driving robot system according to claim 6. The control device acquires the interference shape by referring to the preset data based on the type, direction, and distance of the identified identification pattern.
Control the drive mechanism to avoid contact with the interference shape,
The autonomous traveling robot system according to any one of claims 1 to 6. At the rear of the main body, an identification pattern facing the rear and an identification pattern facing the front are provided.
The control device detects the identification pattern provided in the other autonomous driving robot and controls the drive mechanism so as to avoid contact with the other autonomous driving robot.
The autonomous driving robot system according to claim 8. Equipped with a dolly that can be connected and separated from the main body
The dolly has an identification pattern on the front and
When the control device detects the identification pattern of the dolly, the control device controls the drive mechanism so as to avoid contact between the dolly and surrounding objects.
The autonomous traveling robot system according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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