WO2024013799A1

WO2024013799A1 - Transport system, and operation instruction method for automatic transport device

Info

Publication number: WO2024013799A1
Application number: PCT/JP2022/027244
Authority: WO
Inventors: 剛西本; 丈二五十棲
Original assignee: 株式会社Fuji
Priority date: 2022-07-11
Filing date: 2022-07-11
Publication date: 2024-01-18

Abstract

This transport system comprises an automatic transport device and a management device. The management device is provided with: a management storage unit that stores a correspondence relationship in which an identification image is associated with each of a plurality of sets of route operation information that each define the contents of a route along which the automatic transport device travels and an operation performed by the automatic transport device; and a management control unit that, when giving route and operation instructions to the automatic transport device, determines the identification image associated with route operation information, the content of which matches the instructions, on the basis of the correspondence relationship stored in the management storage unit, and displays the determined identification image on a prescribed display device. The automatic transport device is provided with: a transport storage unit that stores the correspondence relationship; a recognition unit that can recognize images displayed on the display device; and a transport control unit that, when the recognition unit recognizes an identification image, determines the route operation information associated with the recognized identification image on the basis of the correspondence relationship stored in the transport storage unit, and controls the automatic transport device on the basis of the content of the determined route operation information.

Description

Operation instruction method for transport system and automatic transport equipment

This specification discloses a transport system and a method for instructing the operation of an automatic transport device.

Conventionally, devices have been proposed that give instructions to vehicles such as autonomous vehicles. For example, in the system disclosed in Patent Document 1, signs are placed at multiple branch points on a route that a vehicle can travel, and the content to be displayed on the sign depending on the driving route to the destination is set, for example, to go straight, turn left, or turn right. Decide on one of these and display it. The vehicle recognizes the content of the sign from the image taken of the sign, and based on the recognized content, either goes straight, turns left, or turns right.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-184521

In the above-mentioned system, it is necessary to determine the content to be displayed and to recognize the displayed content for each sign, which can make the instruction process complicated and the recognition process take a long time. . Further, since only directions are given at each branch point, it is desirable to be able to more appropriately instruct the movement and operation of the automatic transport device through simple processing.

The main purpose of the present disclosure is to more appropriately instruct the movement and operation of an automatic transport device through simple processing.

The present disclosure has taken the following measures to achieve the above-mentioned main objective.

The conveyance system of the present disclosure includes:
A conveyance system comprising an automatic conveyance device that conveys articles, and a management device that manages the conveyance of articles by the automatic conveyance device,
The management device includes:
a management storage unit that stores a correspondence relationship in which an identification image is associated with each piece of route operation information that defines the route that the automatic transport device moves and the operation that it executes;
When instructing the automatic transport device regarding a route and an operation, determining the identification image associated with the route operation information whose content matches the instruction based on the correspondence relationship in the management storage unit; a management control unit that displays the determined identification image on a predetermined display device;
The automatic transport device is
a transport storage unit that stores the correspondence relationship;
a recognition unit capable of recognizing an image displayed on the display device;
When the identification image is recognized by the recognition unit, the route motion information associated with the recognized identification image is determined based on the correspondence relationship in the transport storage unit, and the determined The present invention further comprises a conveyance control unit that controls the automatic conveyance device based on the content of route operation information.

In the conveyance system of the present disclosure, the management device issues instructions to the automatic conveyance device based on a correspondence relationship in which an identification image is associated with each piece of route operation information that defines the route and operation of the automatic conveyance device. The identification image associated with the route motion information whose contents match is determined and displayed on the display device. Further, when the automatic conveyance device recognizes the identification image displayed on the display device, it determines the route operation information associated with the identification image based on the correspondence relationship, and controls based on the content. Thereby, the route of the automatic transport device can be instructed, and there is no need to perform instruction processing or image recognition processing at each branch point of the route. Further, it is possible to give instructions not only about the route but also about the operation of the automatic transport device. These instructions can be easily given by displaying an identification image without using wireless communication. Therefore, instructions for movement and operation of the automatic transport device can be more appropriately performed with simple processing.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the transport system 10, the robot 50, and routes R1 to R5. FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of a transport system 10 and a robot 50. An explanatory diagram showing an example of correspondence relationships 23a and 43a. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of display control processing. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of conveyance control processing.

Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described using the drawings. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the transport system 10, the robot 50, and the routes R1 to R5. FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of the transport system 10 and the robot 50. The transport system 10 includes an AMR (Autonomous Mobile Robot) 20, a display device 30, and a management device 40, and is used in factories, distribution warehouses, stores, and the like. The transport system 10 of this embodiment is used to transport articles (parts P, assemblies S, etc.) in a factory 1 equipped with a robot 50. The factory 1 includes a standby position (initial position) A0 of the AMR 20, a supply position A1 where the basket cart 2 for supplying parts P to the robot 50 is arranged, and a basket where the assembly S assembled by the robot 50 is collected. A recovery position A2 where the trolley 2 is placed is determined. Further, a basket truck 2a is used for supplying parts P, and a basket truck 2b is used for collecting assembled products S.

The AMR 20 is, for example, an automatic transport device that can automatically transport the articles by autonomously traveling while connected to the cart 2 loaded with the articles. The AMR 20 of this embodiment includes a generally flat body part 20a and a box-like housing part 20b connected to one end of the body part 20a, and has a generally L-shaped appearance. This AMR 20 includes wheels 21, a control section 22, a storage section 23, a drive motor 24, a battery 25, a power supply unit 26, a connection section 27,

sensors

28a, 28b, and

cameras

29a, 29b. .

A plurality of wheels (for example, four wheels) are attached to the lower surface of the vehicle body portion 20a, and are configured as mecanum wheels having a plurality of rollers rotatably supported at an angle of, for example, 45 degrees with respect to the axle. A plurality of drive motors 24 are provided so as to rotationally drive the corresponding wheels 21, respectively. The AMR 20 independently controls the rotational direction and rotational speed of the corresponding wheel 21 with each drive motor 24, thereby allowing the vehicle body 20a to move in all directions and perform various turns (such as a super turn, a turn, and a slow turn). rotation) is possible. The battery 25 is configured as, for example, a lithium ion secondary battery or a nickel hydride secondary battery, and is connected to the power supply unit 26 so as to supply power to each part of the AMR 20. The power supply unit 26 supplies electric power from the battery 25 as high voltage electric power necessary for drive systems such as the drive motor 24 and connection section 27, and supplies low voltage electric power necessary for control systems such as the control section 22 and storage section 23. It can also be used as electricity. The power supply unit 26 also detects the remaining battery power Br based on the voltage between the terminals of the voltage sensor provided between the terminals of the battery 25, and uses the power supplied from the power supply (external power supply) 5 of the factory 1. It also controls charging of the battery 25. Note that the standby position A0 is a charging position where the battery 25 can be charged. Therefore, when the AMR 20 stops at the standby position A0, a power supply connector (not shown) is connected, and the battery 25 is charged with power from the power source 5. Note that the battery 25 may be charged in a non-contact manner at the standby position A0.

The connecting portion 27 is installed on the upper surface of the vehicle body portion 20a, and includes a lifting device 27a and an engaging portion 27b that is raised and lowered by the lifting device 27a. In the AMR 20, when the car body part 20a is inserted into the car truck 2, the engaging part 27b is raised by the lifting device 27a, so that the engaging part 27b engages with the lower surface of the car truck 2 and is connected to the car truck 2. be done. The

sensors

28a and 28b are installed on both sides of the vehicle body 20a, and detect surrounding objects and distances to objects by emitting laser light and receiving the reflected light. The camera 29a is installed on the other end surface of the vehicle body section 20a on the side far from the housing section 20b, and the camera 29b is installed on the surface of the housing section 20b on the vehicle body section 20a side.

The control unit 22 includes a CPU, ROM, RAM, etc. (not shown). The storage unit 23 is an HDD, SSD, or the like, and stores various information such as a processing program and a correspondence relationship 23a to be described later. The control unit 22 receives the remaining battery power Br of the battery 25 from the power supply unit 26, detection signals from the

sensors

28a and 28b, images from the

cameras

29a and 29b, and the like. The control unit 22 also outputs control signals to the drive motor 24 and the lifting device 27a, imaging signals to the

cameras

29a and 29b, and the like.

The display device 30 is configured to display various information on a display screen 32 under the display control of the management device 40. This display device 30 is provided at a position facing the AMR 20 when the AMR 20 stops at the standby position A0. Therefore, while the AMR 20 is stopped at the standby position A0, it is possible to image the display device 30 (display screen 32) with at least one of the

cameras

29a and 29b. Note that the display device 30 may be a touch panel or the like that allows touch operations by the operator.

The management device 40 includes a control section 42, a storage section 43, and a communication section 44. The control unit 42 includes a CPU, ROM, RAM, etc. (not shown), and performs various processes such as managing the transportation of articles by the AMR 20 depending on the operating status of the robot 50. The storage unit 43 is an HDD, SSD, or the like, and stores various information such as a processing program and a correspondence relationship 43a to be described later. The communication unit 44 is capable of communicating with external equipment such as the robot 50 by wire. A detection signal from the A0 detection sensor 6 that detects the AMR 20 at the standby position A0, information received from the robot 50 through communication by the communication unit 44, and the like are input to the control unit 42. Further, the control unit 42 outputs a display signal to the display device 30, information to be transmitted to the robot 50 through communication by the communication unit 44, and the like.

The robot 50 includes an articulated robot arm 51, a control section 52, a storage section 53, a communication section 54, a drive motor 55, a sensor 56, and a camera 57. The robot 50 performs an assembly process, for example, by taking out necessary parts P from the basket truck 2a at the supply position A1, assembling them on the workbench 4, and storing the assembled product S into the basket truck 2b at the collection position A2.

The robot arm 51 has a plurality of links including a tip link to which the end effector 51a and camera 57 are attached, and a plurality of joints that rotatably or pivotably connect each link. The drive motor 55 drives each joint of the robot arm 51. The sensor 56 is configured as an encoder (rotary encoder) that detects the rotation angle of the drive motor 55 of each joint. The end effector 51a is capable of holding and releasing an article (component P or assembly S), and uses, for example, a mechanical chuck, a suction nozzle, an electromagnet, or the like.

The control unit 52 includes a CPU, ROM, RAM, etc. (not shown). The storage unit 53 is an HDD, SSD, or the like, and stores various information such as processing programs. The communication unit 54 can communicate with external devices such as the management device 40 by wire. A detection signal from the sensor 56, an image captured by the camera 57, information received from the management device 40 through communication by the communication unit 54, and the like are input to the control unit 52. In addition, the control unit 52 also receives a detection signal from the A1 detection sensor 7 that detects the car cart 2a at the supply position A1, a detection signal from the A2 detection sensor 8 that detects the car cart 2b at the collection position A2, etc. Ru. On the other hand, the control unit 52 outputs drive signals to the end effector 51a and drive motor 55, imaging signals to the camera 57, information to be transmitted to the management device 40 through communication by the communication unit 54, and the like. Note that the control unit 52 grasps the remaining number of parts P in the basket carriage 2a by, for example, processing an image taken of the basket carriage 2a by the camera 57 or counting the number of used parts P. Further, the control unit 52 processes an image taken of the car cart 2b by the camera 57, counts the number of assembled items S, and grasps the number of assembled items S accommodated in the car cart 2b.

Here, the correspondence relationship 23a stored in the storage unit 23 of the AMR 20 and the correspondence relationship 43a stored in the storage unit 43 of the management device 40 will be explained. Since the

correspondence relationships

23a and 43a have the same content, they will be explained together. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the

correspondence relationships

23a and 43a. The

correspondence relationships

23a and 43a have a plurality of patterns in which identification images G (G1 to G5) for identification are associated with route motion information that defines the route that the AMR 20 moves and the content of the operation that it executes.

In FIG. 3, five patterns, patterns 1 to E, are shown as an example. In the route operation information, the route is determined using each position within the factory 1. FIG. 1 shows some of the routes R1 to R5. In addition to the standby position A0, the supply position A1, and the collection position A2, positions A3 to A7 are defined within the factory 1. Position A3 is a position where the basket cart 2a containing the parts P is placed. Position A4 is a position where the empty basket cart 2a is placed. Position A5 is a position where the empty basket cart 2b is placed. Position A6 is a position where the basket cart 2b containing the assembly S is placed. Position A7 is the stop position of the AMR 20 at the time of shutdown. This position A7 is a position where the operator can easily start up the AMR 20 that has been shut down. Furthermore, the battery 25 may also be able to be charged at position A7. For convenience of illustration, one car cart 2 (2a, 2b) is shown at positions A3 to A6 in FIG. 1, but in reality, a plurality of car carts 2 are arranged. Further, although the description will be made assuming that there is one AMR 20, a plurality of AMRs may be used, and a parking space for a plurality of AMRs may be provided at position A7.

In pattern 1, a black circle-shaped identification image G1 is associated with route operation information that defines the route and operation for transporting the basket cart 2a (part P) to the supply position A1. The route operation information includes a route R1 of moving from the standby position A0 to the supply position A1 via the position A3 (omitted in FIG. 1), an operation of connecting with the car cart 2a at the position A3, and an operation of connecting the car cart 2a with the car cart 2a at the supply position A1. An operation for canceling the connection is defined. The details are omitted below, but the contents are similarly defined. That is, in pattern 2, the black triangular identification image G2 is associated with the route R2 and the route operation information that defines the operation for collecting the empty basket cart 2a from the supply position A1. In pattern 3, a black rectangular identification image G3 is associated with route operation information that defines a route R3 and an operation for transporting the empty cart 2b to the collection position A2. In pattern 4, a black star-shaped identification image G4 is associated with the route R4 and the route motion information that defines the motion for collecting the basket cart 2b (assembly S) from the collection position A2. In pattern 5, a double circle-shaped identification image G5 is associated with the route R5 for shutting down the AMR 20 and the route operation information that defines the operation. In addition, in FIG. 1, illustration of route R2 from standby position A0 to supply position A1 is omitted, route R3 from standby position A0 to position A5 is omitted, and route R4 from standby position A0 to position A2 is omitted. Illustrations are omitted.

Next, the operation of the transport system 10 of this embodiment configured in this manner will be described. FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of display control processing. This process is executed while the control unit 42 of the management device 40 is detecting the AMR 20 at the standby position A0 based on the detection signal from the A0 detection sensor 6.

In the display control process in FIG. 4, the control unit 42 acquires the operating status of the robot 50 through communication with the robot 50 (S100). The operation status includes the presence or absence of the basket cart 2a at the supply position A1, the presence or absence of the basket cart 2b at the collection position A2, the remaining number of parts P in the basket cart 2a at the supply position A1, and the presence or absence of the basket cart 2b at the collection position A2. This includes the number of assembled products S accommodated. Next, the control unit 42 checks the operation required for the AMR 20 based on the operation status (S110), and determines whether an instruction to the AMR 20 is required (S120).

If the control unit 42 determines in S120 that an instruction to the AMR 20 is not necessary, it determines whether it is time to shut down the AMR 20 (S130). For example, the control unit 42 determines that it is time to shut down when the work end time has come. If the control unit 42 determines that it is not time to shut down, it ends this process. Further, if the control unit 42 determines that an instruction to the AMR 20 is necessary or determines that it is time to shut down, the control unit 42 transfers the instruction and content (route and/or operation) from the correspondence relationship 43a of the storage unit 43 to the AMR 20. An identification image G corresponding to the matching motion route motion information is determined (S140). Then, the determined identification image G is displayed on the display screen 32 of the display device 30 (S150), and the present process ends.

For example, when the control unit 42 acquires in S100 that there is no basket cart 2a at the supply position A1, it determines in S120 that an instruction to supply the basket cart 2a (part P) to the supply position A1 is necessary, and takes action in S140. Identification image G1 of pattern 1 is determined from relationship 43a. Further, when the control unit 42 acquires that the remaining number of parts P in the basket cart 2a is 0 in S100, it determines that an instruction to recover the basket cart 2a from the supply position A1 is required in S120, and in S140 The identification image G2 of pattern 2 is determined from the correspondence relationship 43a. Further, when the control unit 42 determines that it is time to shut down in S130, the control unit 42 determines the identification image G5 of pattern 5 from the correspondence relationship 43a in S140.

Next, the processing performed by the control unit 22 of the AMR 20 will be explained. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the transport control process. This process is executed by the control unit 22 while the AMR 20 is stopped at the standby position A0. The control unit 22 images the display device 30 (display screen 32) with the

cameras

29a and 29b, executes image processing (S200), determines whether or not the identification image G can be recognized (S210), and If it is determined that it cannot be recognized, the process returns to S200. That is, the control unit 22 constantly monitors the display device 30 (display screen 32) with the

cameras

29a and 29b, and performs a process of recognizing the identification image G displayed on the display device 30.

When determining that the identification image G has been recognized in S210, the control unit 22 checks the remaining battery power Br of the battery 25 (S220), and determines whether the remaining battery power Br is less than or equal to a predetermined remaining power. (S230). For example, the predetermined remaining amount is calculated in advance as the remaining amount necessary to complete the movement and operation and return to the standby position A0, that is, the remaining amount that will not cause the battery to run out on the way, regardless of the content of the route operation information. things are determined. When the control unit 22 determines that the remaining battery power Br is less than the predetermined remaining power, that is, there is a possibility that the battery will run out midway, the control unit 22 waits at the standby position A0 without accepting an instruction according to the recognized identification image G. (S240) and returns to S230. In this case, the AMR 20 waits until the battery remaining amount Br exceeds the predetermined remaining amount while charging the battery 25 at the standby position A0.

On the other hand, when the control unit 22 determines that the battery remaining capacity Br exceeds the predetermined remaining capacity, the control unit 22 determines the route motion information corresponding to the identification image G from the correspondence relation 23a of the storage unit 23 (S250), and It is determined whether or not it is in shutdown (pattern 5 in FIG. 3) (S260). When the control unit 22 determines in S260 that the shutdown is to be performed because the identification image G5 has been recognized, the control unit 22 executes the shutdown process of the AMR 20 (S270), and ends this process. In the shutdown process, the control section 22 causes the AMR 20 (vehicle body section 20a) to move along route R5, outputs a control signal to the power supply unit 26 at position A7, and performs an operation of shutting down.

Further, if the control unit 22 determines that the shutdown is not performed in S270, the control unit 22 controls the AMR 20 based on the content of the route operation information determined in S250 (S280). That is, the control unit 22 controls the AMR 20 to move along a predetermined route to the target position and then perform a predetermined operation at the target position. For example, when the route motion information of pattern 1 is determined by recognizing the identification image G1, the control unit 22 causes the AMR 20 (vehicle body 20a) to move along the route R1, connect to the car trolley 2a at position A3, and supply At position A1, the operation of disconnecting from the car trolley 2a is executed. The control unit 22 then determines whether the execution content based on the route motion information has been completed (S290), and if it is determined that the execution content has been completed, the control unit 22 controls the AMR 20 to return to the standby position A0 (S300). ), this process ends. Note that the route to return to the standby position A0 may be determined in the route operation information.

Note that when the control unit 22 recognizes the identification image G and starts executing the content of the route motion information, the AMR 20 moves away from the standby position A0. Therefore, if the control unit 42 of the management device 40 detects that the AMR 20 is not at the standby position A0 based on the detection signal of the A0 detection sensor 6 after displaying the identification image G on the display device 30, the control unit 42 issues instructions to the AMR 20. You can judge that it has been communicated. In that case, the control unit 42 may end the display of the identification image G on the display device 30. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the identification image G from continuing to be displayed more than necessary.

Here, the correspondence between the components of this embodiment and the components of the present disclosure will be clarified. The AMR 20 of this embodiment corresponds to an automatic transport device, and the management device 40 corresponds to a management device. Further, the storage unit 43 corresponds to a management storage unit, the control unit 42 corresponds to a management control unit, the storage unit 23 corresponds to a transport storage unit, and at least one of the

cameras

29a and 29b and S200 and S210 of the transport control process The control unit 22 that executes this corresponds to a recognition unit, and the control unit 22 that executes the processes after S220 (at least S250 and S280) of the conveyance control process corresponds to a conveyance control unit. The battery 25 corresponds to a battery. In addition, in this embodiment, an example of the operation instruction method of the present disclosure is also made clear by explaining the operations of the

control units

22 and 42.

In the conveyance system 10 described above, the control unit 42 of the management device 40 determines the identification image G associated with the route movement information whose content matches the instruction to the AMR 20 based on the

correspondence relationship

43a, and 30. Further, when the control unit 22 of the AMR 20 recognizes the identification image G displayed on the display device 30, it determines the route motion information associated with the identification image G based on the correspondence relationship 23a, and The AMR 20 is controlled based on the contents of. Thereby, the transport system 10 can instruct the route of the AMR 20, so there is no need to perform instruction processing or image recognition processing at each branch point of the route. Further, it is possible to instruct not only the route but also the operation of the AMR 20. These instructions can be easily given by displaying the identification image G without using wireless communication. Therefore, instructions for movement and operation of the AMR 20 can be more appropriately performed with simple processing.

Further, since the AMR 20 recognizes the identification image G by capturing an image of the display device 30 at the standby position A0 (stop position) in the charging area where the battery 25 can be charged, the identification image G is displayed on the display device 30. The battery 25 can be charged while waiting.

Furthermore, if the remaining battery power Br is below the predetermined remaining power, the AMR 20 waits at the standby position A0 even if the identification image G is displayed on the display device 30, so the AMR 20 stops midway due to insufficient remaining power of the battery 25. It is possible to prevent problems such as

Furthermore, since the route operation information of the

correspondence relationships

23a and 43a includes the shutdown of the AMR 20 as the operation content, the AMR 20 can be automatically shut down. Therefore, the worker does not have to manually shut down the AMR 20, thereby reducing the workload.

Furthermore, since instructions are given to the AMR 20 without using wireless communication, there is no need to construct a wireless communication environment within the factory 1 or provide a wireless communication module in the AMR 20, making it possible to reduce costs. Furthermore, when wireless communication is performed, there is a risk that the AMR 20 may experience poor running due to radio wave interference with other wireless communication devices, but such a risk can be prevented.

It goes without saying that the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be implemented in various forms as long as they fall within the technical scope of the present disclosure.

In the above-described embodiment, the operation contents of the route operation information include the shutdown of the AMR 20, but the present invention is not limited to this and may not include the shutdown. Further, the operation of the route operation information may include stop and standby. For example, the route movement information may simply move to a destination position and stop or wait at that destination position. Further, the route operation information may include content such as not including a route of movement, that is, not moving, and waiting or shutting down on the spot.

In the embodiment, the AMR 20 is placed on standby at the standby position A0 when the remaining battery charge Br is equal to or less than the predetermined remaining charge, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, even if the battery remaining capacity Br is below a predetermined remaining capacity, if the route operation information (route or operation) consumes relatively little battery 25, it may be executed without waiting. For example, when a shutdown is instructed, it is only necessary to move to position A7 and shut down, and there is no need to return to standby position A0, so the load may be relatively small, so it may be executed when the remaining capacity is below a predetermined level. . In this way, when the remaining battery power Br is less than the predetermined remaining power, it is selected whether to make the AMR 20 standby or to execute the contents of the route operation information, depending on the contents of the route operation information (expected power consumption). You can. Further, when the battery remaining amount Br is less than or equal to the predetermined remaining amount, the identification image G may not be captured and the recognition process for the identification image G may not be performed. Alternatively, the control unit 22 may control the AMR 20 based on the content of the route operation information if it recognizes the identification image G, regardless of the remaining battery level Br. However, in order to prevent the battery from running out during the process, it is preferable to do as in the embodiment.

In the embodiment, the AMR 20 images the display device 30 and recognizes the identification image G at the standby position A0 where the battery 25 can be charged, but the invention is not limited thereto. The standby position A0 may be a position where the battery 25 cannot be charged, or a separate position where the battery 25 can be charged may be provided.

In the embodiment, the identification images G1 to G5 as figures with different shapes are illustrated as the identification images G, but the invention is not limited to this, and each pattern (route motion information) can be identified on the display screen 32 of the display device 30. That's fine. For example, the identification image G may be a barcode, a QR code (registered trademark), an AR marker, a data matrix, or the like. Further, the AMR 20 is not limited to recognizing the identification image G from images captured by the

cameras

29a and 29b, and may recognize the identification image G such as a code using a code reader or the like.

In the embodiment, the connecting portion 27 of the AMR 20 has the engaging portion 27b, and is connected to the car truck 2 by engaging the engaging portion 27b with the lower surface of the car truck 2, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the connecting portion 27 of the AMR 20 may not include the engaging portion 27b. In this case, for example, the AMR 20 has a flat upper surface and a liftable loading section as a connection section, and the loading section rises and comes into contact with the lower surface of the basket truck 2, so that the AMR 20 can be connected to the basket truck 2. good.

The present disclosure can be used in the technical field of transporting articles using an automatic transport device.

1 Factory, 2, 2a, 2b Cart truck, 4 Workbench, 5 Power supply unit, 6 A0 detection sensor, 7 A1 detection sensor, 8 A2 detection sensor, 10 Transport system, 20 AMR (automatic transport device), 20a Vehicle body, 20b housing section, 21 wheels, 22 control section, 23 storage section, 23a correspondence, 24 drive motor, 25 battery, 26 power supply unit, 27 connection section, 27a lifting device, 27b engaging section, 28a, 28b sensor section, 29a, 29b camera, 30 display device, 32 display screen, 40 management device, 42 control unit, 43 storage unit, 43a correspondence, 44 communication unit, 50 robot, 51 robot arm, 52 control unit, 53 storage unit, 54 communication Section, 55 Drive motor, 56 Sensor, 57 Camera, G Identification image, P Parts, R1 to R5 route, S Assembly.

Claims

A conveyance system comprising an automatic conveyance device that conveys articles, and a management device that manages the conveyance of articles by the automatic conveyance device,
The management device includes:
a management storage unit that stores a correspondence relationship in which an identification image is associated with each piece of route operation information that defines the route that the automatic transport device moves and the operation that it executes;
When instructing the automatic transport device regarding a route and an operation, determining the identification image associated with the route operation information whose content matches the instruction based on the correspondence relationship in the management storage unit; a management control unit that displays the determined identification image on a predetermined display device;
The automatic transport device is
a transport storage unit that stores the correspondence relationship;
a recognition unit capable of recognizing an image displayed on the display device;
When the identification image is recognized by the recognition unit, the route motion information associated with the recognized identification image is determined based on the correspondence relationship in the transport storage unit, and the determined a transport control unit that controls the automatic transport device based on the content of route operation information;
Conveyance system.
The automatic transport device includes a battery as a power source,
The recognition unit is capable of recognizing an image displayed on the display device while the automatic transport device is stopped at a charging position where the battery can be charged by an external power source.
The conveyance system according to claim 1.
The transport control unit causes the automatic transport device to wait at the charging position even if the identification image is displayed on the display device when the remaining amount of the battery is less than or equal to a predetermined remaining amount.
The conveyance system according to claim 2.
The route operation information in the correspondence relationship includes a shutdown of the automatic transport device as the operation content.
The conveyance system according to any one of claims 1 to 3.
A method for instructing the operation of an automatic conveyance device in a conveyance system comprising an automatic conveyance device that conveys articles, and a management device that manages the conveyance of articles by the automatic conveyance device, the method comprising:
(a) A route and an operation to the automatic transport device are determined based on a correspondence relationship in which an identification image is associated with each piece of route motion information that defines the route that the automatic transport device moves and the actions that the automatic transport device executes. determining the identification image associated with the route motion information whose content matches the instruction, and displaying the determined identification image on a predetermined display device;
(b) recognizing the image displayed on the display device;
(c) When the identification image is recognized in step (b), the route motion information associated with the recognized identification image is determined based on the correspondence relationship, and the determined controlling the automatic transport device based on the content of route operation information;
A method for instructing the operation of an automatic conveyance device including: