JP2017224136A - Mobile body and obstacle detector for mobile body - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To grasp the range in which a mobile body can move without an obstacle signal generated from an obstacle sensor when the mobile body is operated by a person and grasp whether it is necessary for people around the mobile body to avoid the mobile body when the mobile body autonomously moves.CONSTITUTION: The mobile body comprises an obstacle sensor for detecting an obstacle in a monitoring area and a light projection device for projecting light to a light projection area which is the monitoring area in a plane view. When the obstacle sensor detects an obstacle, the mobile body stops moving or decelerates.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a moving body and an obstacle detection device for the moving body.

  It is known that when an obstacle sensor is provided on a moving body and an obstacle is detected, the object is stopped or decelerated (Patent Document 1: JP2011-165025A). The obstacle sensor includes, for example, a laser distance meter and scans the surroundings with laser light to detect reflected light from the obstacle. Then, the distance to the obstacle is measured from the movement time of the light until the reflected light is received, and if there is an obstacle in the monitoring area, an obstacle signal is output.

JP2011-165025A

  Conventional obstacle sensors do not display the area to be monitored. For example, consider the case where the operator manually operates the moving body. It is difficult to know how close the moving object can approach the object at the target position, so it is necessary to force the operator to perform unnecessary fine operations to avoid the obstacle, or the moving object stops when it is too close to the obstacle It is easy to do. In addition, a moving body such as an automated guided vehicle moves autonomously in a factory or the like while coexisting with a person. In this case, it is difficult for people around to know whether it is necessary to move around a moving body. For this reason, it is easy to unnecessarily avoid the moving body and evacuate, or stay in the travel route of the moving body and stop the moving body.

The problem of the present invention is to display the monitoring area of the obstacle sensor,
・ When a person operates a moving body, the obstacle sensor should be able to grasp the range that can be moved without generating an obstacle signal,
-When a moving body moves autonomously, it is to be able to grasp whether surrounding people need to avoid the moving body.

The moving body of the present invention is moved by a drive mechanism,
A controller for controlling the movement of the moving object;
An obstacle sensor for detecting obstacles in the monitoring area;
A light projecting device that projects light to a light projecting area that represents the monitoring area in plan view,
The controller is configured to stop or decelerate the movement of the moving body when the obstacle sensor detects an obstacle.

The obstacle detection device for a moving body of the present invention is attached to the moving body to detect an obstacle,
An obstacle sensor for detecting obstacles in the monitoring area;
A light projecting device that projects light to a light projecting area that represents the monitoring area in plan view,
Based on an input from a moving body, the monitor area and the floodlight area are configured to change in two or more stages.

  In this invention, since the monitoring area by the obstacle sensor is projected onto the light projecting area represented in plan view, a person can easily grasp the monitoring area. Which range up or may move the moving body for this, how far the human when the mobile approaches must retracted, it can be easily grasped. The projection area may be a plan view of the monitoring area, and the projection area may be projected uniformly over the entire projection area or may be projected only on the contour thereof.

  Preferably, the light projecting device is configured to project light onto a moving surface on which a moving body travels, and the obstacle sensor is configured to detect an obstacle at a position higher than the moving surface. By projecting on the moving surface of the projection area that represents the monitoring area in plan view, a person can easily recognize the range of the monitoring area.

  Preferably, the obstacle sensor and the light projecting device are configured such that the areas of the monitoring area and the light projecting area change in two or more stages according to the speed of the moving body. Since the size of the monitoring area is changed according to the speed so that the monitoring area becomes wide at high speed and the monitoring area becomes narrow at low speed, the monitoring area can be narrowed. In addition, since the size of the projection area is changed according to the monitoring area, a person can always easily recognize the range of the monitoring area.

  Particularly preferably, the moving body includes a carriage that is self-propelled by the drive mechanism, and a conveyor that is installed on the carriage for loading and unloading a load, and the controller moves an obstacle while moving at a low speed. The cart is configured to stop when detected. Such a moving body can be used as a cargo handling device for carrying in / out a package to / from a container or the like, and can move so as not to collide with the package in a narrow space such as in the container. And at low speeds, the surveillance area and the floodlight area are narrowed, so it can be stopped very close to the luggage. When an obstacle is detected at high speed, the vehicle is decelerated or stopped, for example, interference is avoided by deceleration, and the vehicle stops when the obstacle approaches in the monitoring area at low speed.

Top view of an example cargo handling device working in a container The figure which shows the side surface of the cargo handling apparatus of an Example, and the perpendicular direction cross section of a container. Block diagram of the obstacle detection device of the embodiment The figure which shows the obstacle detection apparatus of an Example typically The figure which shows the obstacle detection apparatus of a modification typically The flowchart which shows the obstacle detection algorithm in the cargo handling apparatus of an Example

  In the following, an optimum embodiment for carrying out the present invention will be shown. The scope of the present invention should be determined according to the understanding of those skilled in the art based on the description of the scope of the claims, taking into account the description of the specification and well-known techniques in this field.

  FIGS. 1-6 shows an Example and its deformation | transformation by taking the cargo handling apparatus 2 as an example. 1 and 2, the cargo handling device 2 enters the container 30 and performs devanning (carrying out the luggage 32) or vanning (loading the luggage 32). The cart 4 of the cargo handling device 2 is self-propelled by wheels 5 and 8, the wheel 5 is driven by a traveling mechanism 6 having a motor as a driving wheel, and the wheel 8 is a driven wheel connected to, for example, a steering mechanism 9.

  The carriage 4 is provided with a conveyor 12. The conveyor 12 can be rotated about a vertical axis by the turntable 10, and can be turned upward and downward with respect to the horizontal plane by the movable arm 13. The tip conveyor 14 is a conveyor for approaching the load 32 and carrying out or loading the load. A driven roller conveyor 15 having a variable attitude is provided between the conveyors 12 and 14, and a roller conveyor 16 is provided behind the carriage 4 from the conveyor 12. The cargo handling device 2 may pull other conveyors behind the roller conveyor 16.

  The conveyors 12 and 14 are respectively provided with operation panels 17 and 18. For example, the cargo handling device 2 can be operated by the rear operation panel 17 outside the container 30, for example, by the front operation panel 18 inside the container 30. In addition, a lifting platform 20 for an operator to ride is provided below the front conveyor 14, and the lifting platform 20 can be moved up and down according to the height of the luggage 32. The operation panels 17 and 18 have the same function as an interface with the operator. The operation panel 17 also serves as a controller for the entire cargo handling device 2 and controls the traveling mechanism 6, the steering mechanism 9, the conveyors 12 and 14, the lifting platform 20, and the like. To do.

  In this specification, the front conveyor 14 side of the cargo handling device 2 is referred to as the front, and the roller conveyor 16 side is referred to as the rear. Further, the left and right are directions perpendicular to each other in the horizontal plane before and after the cargo handling device 2. A load 32 is stacked on the container 30, and a surface composed of a plurality of loads 32 stacked vertically and horizontally is called a surface 34.

  An obstacle detection device 22 is provided at a position where the leading end conveyor 14 and the operator are not erroneously detected, such as below the front part of the conveyor 12. The installation position of the obstacle detection device 22 is arbitrary, and the range in which the obstacle detection device 22 can be installed becomes wider especially when the operator can be excluded from the detection target by software. The obstacle detection device 22 includes an obstacle sensor and a light projecting device which will be described later. In the embodiment, the obstacle sensor viewed in plan view is equal to the light projecting area from the light projecting device. However, it is only necessary that the light projecting area visually allows the operator to grasp the range of the monitoring area, and does not have to be exactly the same as the area when the monitoring area is viewed in plan view. The obstacle detection device 22 has a wide monitoring area when the carriage moves forward at a high speed and a narrow monitoring area when the carriage moves forward at a low speed. The obstacle detection apparatus 22 projects light to the light projecting areas 36, 37, and 37 'at a high speed, and at a low speed. The light is projected onto the light projecting areas 37 and 37 ′. The light projecting area 37 covers a narrow range in front of the cargo handling device 2, and the light projecting area 37 ′ covers the front side surface of the cargo handling device 2.

  In the embodiment, the cargo handling device 2 is a moving body, but a moving body that moves on the ground such as an AGV, an electric cart, an electric wheelchair, a forklift, or a robot may be used. When a person operates and moves these moving objects, the operator can grasp how far the object can be moved without generating an obstacle signal by projecting light onto the monitoring area of the obstacle sensor. In addition, since the person around the moving body can grasp whether or not he / she interferes with the moving body, it is possible to determine the necessity of evacuation.

  3 to 5 show the structure of the obstacle detection device 22. As shown in FIG. 3, the obstacle detection device 22 receives the monitoring area from the operation panels 18 and 17 in, for example, two stages of narrow and narrow, and detects obstacle detection signals (hereinafter referred to as obstacle signals). Output to. Even if the monitoring plates 18 and 17 or the controller 24 are set so that the range of the monitoring area is determined based on the position and speed of the cargo handling device 2 in the container or the like, not in the monitoring area of the wide and narrow stages. good. The monitoring area may be changed based on how much the cargo handling device has entered the container and how fast the vehicle is. The obstacle detection device 22 inputs the monitoring area to the obstacle sensor 25 and the light projecting device 26 based on a signal from the controller 24 that also serves as an interface with the operation panels 17 and 18, and the obstacle sensor 25 detects the obstacle. When detected, an obstacle signal is output. The operation panel 17 that also serves as a controller of the cargo handling device stops the movement of the carriage 4 by the obstacle signal. In the embodiment, the obstacle sensor 25 and the light projecting device 26 are in the same housing, but they may be installed at different positions. Alternatively, the controller 24 may not be provided, and the obstacle sensor 25 may be directly input with a signal indicating the range of the monitoring area from the operation panel 17 and transfer the signal of the range of the monitoring area to the light projector 26.

  The monitoring area in which the obstacle sensor 25 monitors the obstacle and the projection area in which the light projecting device 26 projects light are substantially the same in plan view, but the monitoring device from the obstacle sensor 25 travels by the cargo handling device. At a position higher than the moving surface, the light projecting device 26 projects light toward the moving surface. Then, the contour of the light projecting area from the light projecting device 26 is substantially matched with the contour of the monitoring area in plan view. The light projecting device 26 may illuminate the inside of the light projecting area uniformly, or may project only the contour of the light projecting area, particularly the front contour as viewed from the cargo handling device and the lateral contours on the left and right sides. good. The obstacle sensor 25 may be a sensor other than light such as ultrasonic waves.

  The range of the monitoring area may change continuously in more stages than two stages, for example, depending on the speed of the moving body. In this case, the area of the light projecting area is continuously changed according to the monitoring area, for example. Furthermore, when the position of an obstacle such as a wall of a building or container, a fixed facility, or the like is known in advance, it is preferable to define a monitoring area so as to remove these obstacles. When an obstacle in the monitoring area is detected, the moving body stops, for example, under the control of the controller, but it may be determined whether to decelerate or stop depending on the distance to the obstacle.

  FIG. 4 shows an embodiment using a projector-type light projecting device. The obstacle sensor 25 includes a light projecting unit 40 such as a laser, a light receiving unit 41 that receives reflected light from the obstacle, and a signal processing unit 42. ing. The signal processing unit 42 controls the light projecting unit 40 so as to scan the inside of the monitoring area by changing the direction of the laser beam into a line segment or a beam. The signal processing unit 40 further calculates the distance from the received light signal to the obstacle and detects the obstacle in the monitoring area.

  Visible light from a light source 44 such as an LED is changed into a parallel light beam by a mirror 45 or a lens (not shown) and the like, and is projected onto a projection area via a liquid crystal panel 46. When the liquid crystal panel 46 is controlled to be transparent / opaque by the controller 24, the light projection area can be made variable. When there is a doubt about the durability of the liquid crystal panel, the light projection area is made variable by, for example, a mechanical shutter.

  FIG. 5 shows a modified obstacle detection apparatus that projects a laser beam onto a projection area. A laser 48 such as a semiconductor outputs beam-like visible light. For example, the movable mirror 49 whose direction is variable with respect to two axes is controlled by the controller 24 to project the laser beam onto the moving surface. The movable mirror 49 is controlled so that the position at which the laser beam is projected onto the moving surface is moved along the contour of the projection area. In this way, it is not necessary to project the entire projection area, and the contour of the projection area may be projected to indicate the range of the monitoring area.

  FIG. 6 shows an obstacle detection algorithm, and it is assumed that an operator travels the cargo handling device manually from an operation panel near the elevator. In step S1, whether to move forward or backward is set from the operation panel. The backward movement is limited to backward movement at a low speed, for example, and the obstacle is monitored in the same manner as the forward movement at a low speed to prevent the side surface of the cargo handling apparatus from interfering with the obstacle (step S2).

  When moving forward, in step S3, whether the speed is high or low is input. If the speed is high, the obstacle monitoring area is widened (step S4). If the speed is low, the obstacle monitoring area is narrowed (step S5). Then, light is projected from the light projecting device into the monitoring area (step S6), and when an obstacle in the monitoring area is detected (step S7), it is stopped when the speed is low (step S8). In the case of low speed, interference is avoided by deceleration, and when an obstacle approaches, for example, within the monitoring area at low speed, it stops (step S8 ′).

  In step S9, it is checked whether there is an interrupt for operating the conveyor, and if there is an interrupt, the conveyor is operated to perform devanning or vanning (step S10). As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the cargo handling device 2 moves the tip conveyor 14 up and down, left and right, and devanning or vanning. When one surface 34 is processed, the carriage 4 of the cargo handling device 2 is moved in step S11, and in the default case, the vehicle is moved forward at a low speed, but can be selected to move backward or at high speed.

  Since the light is projected from the light projecting device of the obstacle detection device to the moving surface in a range substantially equal to the monitoring area, the worker can operate the cargo handling device so that the monitoring area stops immediately before the next surface overlaps the next surface. For this reason, one advance of the cargo handling apparatus can be accurately performed in a short time. Since one container has a large number of surfaces, it is possible to improve the efficiency of vanning and devanning as a whole if the movement time of the cargo handling device is shortened on each surface or if the container can be stopped at an optimal position with respect to the next surface.

2 Cargo Handling Device 4 Carriage 5, 8 Wheel 6 Traveling Mechanism 9 Steering Mechanism 10 Turntable 12 Conveyor 13 Movable Arm 14 End Conveyor 15, 16 Roller Conveyor 17, 18 Control Panel 20 Lifting Base 22 Obstacle Detection Device 24 Controller 25 Obstacle Sensor 26 Light Emitting Device 30 Container 32 Luggage 34 Surfaces 36, 37 Light Emitting Area 40 Light Emitting Unit 41 Light Receiving Unit 42 Signal Processing Unit 44 Light Source 45 Mirror 46 Liquid Crystal Panel 48 Laser 49 Movable Mirror

Claims (5)

A moving body that is moved by a drive mechanism,
A controller for controlling the movement of the moving object;
An obstacle sensor for detecting obstacles in the monitoring area;
A light projecting device that projects light to a light projecting area that represents the monitoring area in plan view,
The moving body, wherein the controller is configured to stop or decelerate movement of the moving body when the obstacle sensor detects an obstacle.   The light projecting device is configured to project light onto a moving surface on which a moving body travels, and the obstacle sensor is configured to detect an obstacle at a position higher than the moving surface. The moving body according to claim 1.   The obstacle sensor and the light projecting device are configured such that the area of the monitoring area and the light projecting area changes in two or more stages according to the speed of a moving body. The moving body according to claim 1 or 2. The mobile body includes a carriage that is self-propelled by the drive mechanism, and a conveyor that is installed on the carriage for loading and unloading luggage.
4. The moving body according to claim 3, wherein the controller is configured to stop the carriage when an obstacle is detected while moving at a low speed. An obstacle detection device that is attached to a moving body and detects an obstacle,
An obstacle sensor for detecting obstacles in the monitoring area;
A light projecting device that projects light to a light projecting area that represents the monitoring area in plan view,
An obstacle detection apparatus for a moving body, characterized in that the monitoring area and the floodlight area are changed in two or more stages based on an input from the moving body.

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