Unmanned conveying system

Abstract

Provided is a novel automated guided vehicle system for transporting a heavy object to a destination on the premise of traveling on a specified travel route. An unmanned transport system (100) that travels on a specified virtual activity route (210) and transports a heavy object (53) toward a specified destination is provided with: an unmanned transport vehicle (300) that travels in an unmanned manner on the basis of a control signal; one or more cameras (10) that capture images of the site (50) on which the automated guided vehicle (300) travels from above the site (50) and generate still images or moving images; and a driving control means (20) that generates, on the basis of the still image or the moving image, a control signal for controlling the automated guided vehicle (300) to travel on the virtual movement route (210). A driving control device (20) is provided with: a detection unit (21) that detects an automated guided vehicle (300) on the basis of a still image or a moving image; a position ascertaining unit (22) that ascertains the position of the automated guided vehicle (300) in the site (50) by using the detection result of the detection unit (21), without relying on a sensor mounted on the automated guided vehicle (300); and a control unit (24) that generates a control signal on the basis of the position of the automated guided vehicle (300) grasped by the position grasping unit (22).

Description

(19) State Intellectual Property Office (12) Invention Patent Application (10) Application Publication Number (43) Application Publication Date (21) Application Number 202511170406.9 (22) Application Date 2024.01.17 (30) Priority Data 2023-007710 2023.01.20 JP (62) Divisional Application Data 202480008473.8 2024.01.17 (71) Applicant Angel Group Co., Ltd. Address Shiga Prefecture, Japan (72) Inventor Shigeta Tai (74) Patent Agency Beijing Panhua Law Firm 11336 Patent Attorney Yan Fuxin (51) Int.Cl. G05D 1 / 43 (2024.01) G05D 1 / 243 (2024.01) G05D 1 / 246 (2024.01) G05D 1 / 633 (2024.01) G05D 1 / 648 (2024.01) G05D 105 / 20 (2024.01) (54) Invention Title Unmanned Transport System (57) Abstract This invention provides a novel unmanned transport system for transporting heavy objects to a destination, based on the premise of traveling on a designated activity route. The unmanned transport system is an unmanned transport system (100) that transports heavy objects (53) toward a designated destination by traveling on a designated hypothetical activity route (210) and includes: an unmanned transport vehicle (300) that travels in an unmanned manner according to a control signal; one or more cameras (10) that capture images of the site (50) where the unmanned transport vehicle (300) travels from above the site (50) and generate still images or moving images; and a driving control mechanism (20) that generates control signals for controlling the unmanned transport vehicle (300) to travel on the hypothetical activity route (210) based on the still images or moving images. The driving control device (20) includes: a detection unit (21) that detects the unmanned transport vehicle (300) based on still or moving images; a position control unit (22) that uses the detection results of the detection unit (21) to control the position of the unmanned transport vehicle (300) in the site (50) without relying on sensors mounted on the unmanned transport vehicle (300); and a control unit (24) that generates a control signal based on the position of the unmanned transport vehicle (300) controlled by the position control unit (22). Claims 3 pages, Description 11 pages, Drawings 6 pages CN 121115747 A 2025.12.12 CN 1 21 11 57 47 A 1. An unmanned transport system for transporting heavy objects toward a designated destination by traveling along a designated hypothetical route, and comprising: an unmanned transport vehicle that travels in an unmanned manner according to a control signal; one or more cameras that capture images of the site in which the unmanned transport vehicle travels from above the site.The system generates still or moving images; and a driving control mechanism generates a control signal for controlling the unmanned transport vehicle to travel on the hypothetical activity route based on the still or moving images. The driving control mechanism comprises: a detection unit that detects the unmanned transport vehicle based on the still or moving images; a position control unit that uses the detection result of the detection unit to determine the position of the unmanned transport vehicle in the site, without relying on sensors mounted on the unmanned transport vehicle; and a control unit that generates the control signal based on the position of the unmanned transport vehicle determined by the position control unit. 2. The unmanned transport system according to claim 1, wherein the unmanned transport vehicle is a forklift truck that lifts and transports the heavy object placed on a pallet together with the pallet. 3. The unmanned transport system according to claim 1, wherein the site is indoors, and the one or more cameras are mounted on the ceiling or wall to film the site from above. 4. The unmanned transport system according to claim 1, wherein the site is outdoors, and the one or more cameras are mounted on an outdoor structure to film the site from above. 5. The unmanned transport system according to claim 1, wherein the driving control mechanism further comprises an orientation control unit for determining the orientation of the unmanned transport vehicle based on the still image or the dynamic image, and the control unit also generates the control signal based on the orientation determined by the orientation control unit. 6. The unmanned transport system according to claim 1, wherein the unmanned transport vehicle performs autonomous driving for loading or unloading heavy objects at the destination. 7. The unmanned transport system according to claim 1, wherein the detection unit of the driving control mechanism further detects obstacles based on the still image or the dynamic image, and the control unit of the driving control mechanism generates the control signal based on the detection result of the detection unit. 8. The unmanned transport system according to claim 1, wherein the unmanned transport vehicle further comprises an operation unit for a user to operate to start driving on the activity route, and the control unit of the driving control mechanism starts generating the control signal in response to the operation of the operation unit. 9. The unmanned transport system according to claim 1, wherein it comprises a plurality of unmanned transport vehicles respectively designated with the destination and the hypothetical activity route, the detection unit of the driving control mechanism detects the plurality of unmanned transport vehicles based on the still image or the moving image, the position grasping unit of the driving control mechanism grasps the respective positions of the plurality of unmanned transport vehicles in the site, and the control unit of the driving control mechanism generates a plurality of [unclear text - likely related to a specific system or mechanism].10. The unmanned transport system of claim 1, wherein a plurality of cameras with different fields of view are provided, and the position control unit determines the position of the unmanned transport vehicle in the site by integrating a plurality of still images or moving images generated by the plurality of cameras. 11. The unmanned transport system of claim 1, wherein the detection unit uses a neural network to detect the unmanned transport vehicle. 12. The unmanned transport system of claim 1, wherein the upper surface of the unmanned transport vehicle has a predetermined mark, and the detection unit detects the unmanned transport vehicle by detecting the predetermined mark. 13. The unmanned transport system of claim 1, wherein the driving control mechanism stores a map of the site defining the activity route, and the position control unit determines the position of the unmanned transport vehicle by mapping the unmanned transport vehicle detected by the detection unit onto the map. 14. The unmanned transport system of claim 1, wherein a predetermined location in the site has a predetermined mark, the detection unit detects the predetermined mark, and the position control unit determines the position of the unmanned transport vehicle based on the predetermined mark detected by the detection unit. 15. The unmanned transport system of claim 1, wherein the detection unit of the driving control mechanism further detects the heavy object being transported by the unmanned transport vehicle. 16. The unmanned transport system of claim 1, wherein the unmanned transport vehicle comprises: an on-board detection unit for detecting surrounding obstacles; and an emergency stop processing unit for performing emergency stop processing on the unmanned transport vehicle based on the detection of the obstacles by the on-board detection unit. 17. The unmanned transport system of claim 1, further comprising a derailment determination mechanism for determining whether the unmanned transport vehicle has deviated from the activity route; if the derailment determination mechanism determines that the unmanned transport vehicle has deviated from the activity route, the driving control mechanism generates the control signal to stop the unmanned transport vehicle or to return the unmanned transport vehicle to the activity route. 18. The unmanned transport system according to claim 17, wherein the derailment determination mechanism comprises: a vehicle-mounted camera mounted on the unmanned transport vehicle, which captures images of the surroundings of the unmanned transport vehicle and generates still or moving images; and a determination unit, which determines whether the unmanned transport vehicle has deviated from the activity route based on the still or moving images generated by the vehicle-mounted camera. 19. The unmanned transport system according to claim 17, wherein the derailment determination mechanism comprises: a receiver receiving a positioning signal; and a determination unit, which determines whether the unmanned transport vehicle has deviated from the designated route based on the positioning signal received by the receiver.The activity route deviates. Claims 3 / 3 Page 4 CN 121115747 A Unmanned transport system

[0001] Divisional application

[0002] This application is a divisional application of the patent application filed on January 17, 2024, with application number 202480008473.8 and invention title: Unmanned transport system.

[0003] Cross-reference to related applications

[0004] This application claims the benefit of patent application number 2023-7710 filed in Japan on January 20, 2023, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical field

[0005] The present invention relates to an unmanned transport system (i.e., an automated guided vehicle) that moves heavy objects toward a designated destination along a designated activity route. Background art

[0006] Conventionally, an unmanned transport vehicle (i.e., an automated guided vehicle, AGV) is used to move heavy objects in designated areas such as factories or warehouses. In conventional automated guided vehicle (AGV) systems, the route (or path, or even route) that the AGV should travel on within the site is specified by indicator strips, etc. The AGV detects these indicator strips and travels along them, thereby moving heavy objects to their destination within the site.

[0007] In the site, there are situations where the destination needs to be changed. In such cases, the route also needs to be changed. However, when the route is changed, the indicator strips on the site need to be reset, which is a significant burden.

[0008] In particular, when the AGV is a forklift that moves heavy objects placed on pallets along with the pallets, the destination may deviate due to changes in the size of the pallets and the spacing of the stored heavy objects, resulting in frequent changes to the destination. Therefore, the burden of resetting the route, i.e., the indicator strips, etc., each time the size of the pallets is changed is extremely large.

[0009] It should be noted that there are also AGVs that do not travel on designated routes, but rather autonomously drive towards their destination by sensing the surrounding environment (obstacles, etc.). However, in busy areas such as factories or warehouses, it is extremely dangerous for unmanned transport vehicles carrying heavy objects to be able to freely travel along paths.

[0010] The object of this invention is to provide a novel unmanned transport system for transporting heavy objects to a destination, based on the premise of traveling along a designated activity route.

[0011] One aspect of the unmanned transport system of this invention is an unmanned transport system that transports heavy objects toward a designated destination by traveling along a designated hypothetical activity route, and includes: an unmanned transport vehicle that travels in an unmanned manner according to a control signal; one or more cameras that view the area where the unmanned transport vehicle travels from above the area.The system captures images and generates still or moving images; and a driving control mechanism generates a control signal based on the still or moving images to control the unmanned transport vehicle to travel on the hypothetical activity route. The driving control mechanism includes: a detection unit that detects the unmanned transport vehicle based on the still or moving images; a position control unit that uses the detection results of the detection unit to determine the position of the unmanned transport vehicle in the site, without relying on sensors mounted on the unmanned transport vehicle; and a control unit that generates the control signal based on the position of the unmanned transport vehicle determined by the position control unit.

[0012] In the above-described unmanned transport system, the unmanned transport vehicle can be a forklift truck that lifts and transports the heavy object placed on the pallet along with the pallet.

[0013] In the above-described unmanned transport system, the site can be indoors, and the one or more cameras can be installed on the ceiling or wall to capture images of the site from above.

[0014] In the above-described unmanned transport system, the site can be outdoors, and the one or more cameras can be installed on an outdoor building to film the site from above.

[0015] In the above-described unmanned transport system, the driving control mechanism can also include an orientation control unit that determines the orientation of the unmanned transport vehicle based on the still image or dynamic image, and the control unit can also generate the control signal based on the orientation determined by the orientation control unit.

[0016] In the above-described unmanned transport system, the unmanned transport vehicle can perform autonomous driving for loading or unloading heavy objects at the destination.

[0017] In the above-described unmanned transport system, the detection unit of the driving control mechanism can also detect obstacles based on the still image or dynamic image, and the control unit of the driving control mechanism can also generate the control signal based on the detection result of the detection unit.

[0018] In the above-described unmanned transport system, the unmanned transport vehicle may further include an operation unit for user operation to begin driving on the activity route. The control unit of the driving control mechanism may generate a control signal in response to the operation of the operation unit.

[0019] In the above-described unmanned transport system, multiple unmanned transport vehicles may be provided, each designated with a destination and a hypothetical activity route. The detection unit of the driving control mechanism may detect multiple unmanned transport vehicles based on the still image or the moving image. The position control unit of the driving control mechanism may control the respective positions of the multiple unmanned transport vehicles in the site. The control unit of the driving control mechanism may, based on the...The location control unit generates control signals for each of the multiple unmanned transport vehicles by controlling multiple locations.

[0020] The unmanned transport system described above may have multiple cameras with different fields of view. The location control unit can control the position of the unmanned transport vehicle in the site by integrating multiple still images or moving images generated by the multiple cameras.

[0021] In the unmanned transport system described above, the detection unit can use a neural network to detect the unmanned transport vehicle.

[0022] In the unmanned transport system described above, the upper surface of the unmanned transport vehicle may have a predetermined mark. The detection unit can detect the unmanned transport vehicle by detecting the predetermined mark.

[0023] In the unmanned transport system described above, the driving control mechanism can store a map of the site with the defined activity route. The location control unit can control the position of the unmanned transport vehicle by mapping the unmanned transport vehicle detected by the detection unit onto the map.

[0024] The above-described unmanned transport system may have a designated mark at a designated location in the site. The detection unit can detect the designated mark, and the position control unit can determine the position of the unmanned transport vehicle based on the designated mark detected by the detection unit.

[0025] In the above-described unmanned transport system, the detection unit of the driving control mechanism can also detect the heavy object being transported by the unmanned transport vehicle.

[0026] In the above-described unmanned transport system, the unmanned transport vehicle may include: an on-board detection unit for detecting surrounding obstacles; and an emergency stop processing unit for performing emergency stop processing on the unmanned transport vehicle based on the detection of obstacles by the on-board detection unit.

[0027] The above-described unmanned transport system may also include a derailment determination mechanism for determining whether the unmanned transport vehicle has deviated from the activity route. If the derailment determination mechanism determines that the unmanned transport vehicle has deviated from the activity route, the driving control mechanism generates the control signal to stop the unmanned transport vehicle or to return the unmanned transport vehicle to the activity route.

[0028] In the above-described unmanned transport system, the derailment determination mechanism may include: a vehicle-mounted camera, mounted on the unmanned transport vehicle, which captures images of the surroundings of the unmanned transport vehicle and generates still or moving images; and a determination unit, which determines whether the unmanned transport vehicle has deviated from the activity route based on the still or moving images generated by the vehicle-mounted camera.

[0029] In the above-described unmanned transport system, the derailment determination mechanism may include: a receiver, which receives a positioning signal; and a determination unit, which determines whether the unmanned transport vehicle has deviated from the activity route based on the positioning signal received by the receiver. (See attached figures)

[0030] FIG1 is a top view showing the site to which the unmanned transport system according to an embodiment of the present invention is applicable;

[0031] FIG2 is a side view showing the site to which the unmanned transport system according to an embodiment of the present invention is applicable;

[0032] FIG3 is a perspective view showing the unmanned transport vehicle in the unmanned transport system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] FIG4 is a block diagram showing the structure of the unmanned transport system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] FIG5A is a diagram showing an example of a change in the activity route according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] FIG5B is a diagram showing an example of a change in the activity route according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] FIG6 is a side view showing another example of the site to which the unmanned transport system according to an embodiment of the present invention is applicable. Detailed Description

[0037] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the embodiments described below are only examples of implementations of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the present invention to the specific structures described below. When implementing the present invention, specific structures corresponding to the embodiments may be appropriately adopted.

[0038] FIG1 is a top view showing the site to which the unmanned transport system of the embodiment of the present invention is applicable, and FIG2 is a side view of the site to which the unmanned transport system of the embodiment of the present invention is applicable. The site 50 to which the unmanned transport system (i.e., automated guided vehicle) of this embodiment is applicable can be a factory, warehouse, etc. In this embodiment, the unmanned transport vehicle (i.e., automated guided vehicle, AGV) 300 is a forklift vehicle that lifts and transports the heavy object 53 placed on the pallet 54 together with the pallet 54.

[0039] The unmanned transport vehicle 300 travels on a designated hypothetical activity route within the site 50 to transport the heavy object toward a designated destination. For example, the site 50 is equipped with manufacturing equipment 52, and there may also be workers 400 walking around. These manufacturing equipment 52 and workers 400 may become obstacles when the unmanned transport vehicle 300 travels within the site 50. Furthermore, the heavy objects 53 and pallets 54 placed within the site 50 may also become obstacles. In the event that multiple unmanned transport vehicles 300 are traveling within the site 50 (page 3 / 11, CN 121115747 A), other unmanned transport vehicles 300 may also become obstacles.

[0040] The site 50 is located inside a building (indoors), and multiple overhead cameras 10 are installed on the ceiling 55. The multiple overhead cameras 10 respectively capture images of the site 50 from above. It should be noted that the overhead cameras 10 can be installed at a height on the walls, pillars, poles, etc. of the building. Furthermore, multiple markers 51 are provided in the site 50 at a position visible from the overhead cameras 10.

[0041] Each of the multiple overhead cameras 10 is configured such that a portion of the area of ​​the site 50 that can be captured overlaps (see Figure).2) Thus, the shooting areas of multiple overhead cameras 10 cover the entire site 50. It should be noted that it is not necessary to shoot the entire site 50. The site 50 may include a portion of the area not shot by any overhead camera 10. That is, within the site 50, areas where the unmanned transport vehicle 300 is not planned to travel may not be included in the shooting range of any overhead camera 10.

[0042] The unmanned transport vehicle 300 loads goods at the loading position and unloads goods at the destination, using the loading position as the starting point to transport the heavy object 53 to the destination. After completing the transport, the unmanned transport vehicle 300 returns to the loading position without carrying the heavy object 53 for the next transport. At this time, the unmanned transport vehicle 300 uses the unloading position as the starting point and the loading position as the destination to move (return). In the unmanned transport system of this embodiment, such transport of the heavy object 53 and the return of the unmanned transport vehicle 300 are performed in an unmanned manner.

[0043] The site 50 is provided with a hypothetical activity route 210. Please note that the activity route 210 is a hypothetical route, not a physical route set up in the site 50. In the case of a conventional unmanned transport system in which an activity route (hereinafter referred to as a "physical activity route") is set up in the site 50 as a physical entity, the unmanned transport vehicle 300 can travel to its destination along the physical activity route by detecting the physical activity route and traveling in a manner that does not deviate from the physical activity route.

[0044] However, in such a conventional unmanned transport system, if it is desired to change the travel path of the unmanned transport vehicle 300, the physical activity route needs to be changed, which is a heavy operational burden. Therefore, in the unmanned transport system 100 of this embodiment, the physical activity route is not used, but a hypothetical activity route 210 is set up, and the unmanned transport vehicle 300 is controlled in a manner that allows the unmanned transport vehicle 300 to travel on the hypothetical activity route 210.

[0045] FIG3 is a perspective view showing the unmanned transport vehicle in the unmanned transport system of the embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG3, the front end of the unmanned transport vehicle 300 is provided with vertically movable forks 330. In addition, in order to photograph the area around the unmanned transport vehicle 300, the unmanned transport vehicle 300 is equipped with an onboard camera 310 that can photograph the front. Furthermore, a marking 350 is provided on the upper surface of the unmanned transport vehicle 300.

[0046] Furthermore, the unmanned transport vehicle 300 is assigned individual identification information, which is marked on the upper surface of the unmanned transport vehicle 300 as an identification information mark 370, in a manner that can be photographed by the overhead camera 10. In the example of FIG1, the two unmanned transport vehicles 300 are respectively assigned identification information such as "1" and "2", and the identification information marks 370 representing this identification information are marked on the upper surface of the unmanned transport vehicle 300. It should be noted that the identification information mark 370 can be used to identify...Information encoding generates codes (e.g., barcodes, QR codes, etc.).

[0047] FIG4 is a block diagram showing the structure of an unmanned transport system according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG4, the unmanned transport system 100 of this embodiment includes multiple overhead cameras 10, a driving control device 20, and an unmanned transport vehicle 300. The multiple overhead cameras 10 are respectively connected to the driving control device 20 via wired cables. The overhead cameras 10 capture images of the site 50 from above the site 50 where the unmanned transport vehicle 300 travels and generate dynamic images. The overhead cameras 10 transmit the generated dynamic image stream to the driving control device 20 in real time, and the driving control device 20 receives the dynamic image stream from the multiple overhead cameras 10.

[0048] It should be noted that the overhead cameras 10 can be wirelessly connected to the driving control device 20 to wirelessly transmit and receive dynamic image streams. In addition, the overhead cameras 10 can continuously capture still images and generate continuous still images, and transmit the generated still images to the driving control device 20 in real time. The multiple overhead cameras 10 are each assigned inherent identification information. The driving control device 20 uses the identification information from the overhead camera 10 to determine which overhead camera 10's still image or moving image is being viewed.

[0049] Based on the still image or moving image sent from the overhead camera 10, the driving control device 20 generates a control signal for controlling the unmanned transport vehicle 300 to travel on the hypothetical activity route 210 and sends it to the unmanned transport vehicle 300. The driving control device 20 can be located within or outside the site 50, or it can be located in the cloud and communicate with the overhead camera 10 and the unmanned transport vehicle 300 via the Internet. Furthermore, the driving control device 20 can be located at either the overhead camera 10 or the unmanned transport vehicle 300. In this way, the driving control device 20 can be configured anywhere as long as it can transmit data (moving image streams, still images, control signals, etc.) between the overhead camera 10 and the unmanned transport vehicle 300.

[0050] The driving control device 20 includes a detection unit 21, a position grasping unit 22, an orientation grasping unit 23, a control unit 24, and a storage unit 25. The detection unit 21 detects the unmanned transport vehicle 300 based on still images or moving images. Since the driving control device 20 acquires still images or moving images from multiple overhead cameras 10, the detection unit 21 detects the unmanned transport vehicle 300 based on each of the still images or moving images obtained from these multiple overhead cameras 10.

[0051] The detection unit 21 detects the unmanned transport vehicle 300 based on still images or moving images by inputting the still images or moving images into a learned neural network. It should be noted that when the driving control device 20 acquires still images or moving images from the overhead cameras 10...When acquiring a dynamic image, the detection unit 21 can extract frame images from the dynamic image at predetermined intervals and detect the unmanned transport vehicle 300 based on these frame images (still images).

[0052] Since a predetermined mark 350 is provided on the upper surface of the unmanned transport vehicle 300, the detection unit 21 can use the mark 350 as a clue to detect the unmanned transport vehicle 300 based on still images or dynamic images. That is, the detection unit 21 can detect the unmanned transport vehicle 300 as the mark 350 provided on the unmanned transport vehicle 300.

[0053] The detection unit 21 also detects the identification information mark 370 of the unmanned transport vehicle 300. As shown in the example of FIG1, when the identification information is represented by text (including numbers), the detection unit 21 determines the identification information of the detected unmanned transport vehicle 300 by performing text recognition on the detected identification information mark 370. In addition, when the identification information is represented by code information, the detection unit 21 determines the identification information of the detected unmanned transport vehicle 300 by decoding the detected identification information mark 370. Furthermore, marker 350 can also serve as identification information marker 370.

[0054] The position control unit 22 uses the detection results of the detection unit 21 to determine the position of the unmanned transport vehicle 300 in the site 50. It should be noted that although the unmanned transport vehicle 300 is equipped with an onboard camera 310, the position control unit 22 does not rely on the onboard camera 310 or other onboard sensors mounted on the unmanned transport vehicle 300, but rather on the detection results of still images or moving images captured by the overhead camera 10 to determine the position of the unmanned transport vehicle 300 in the site 50.

[0055] The storage unit 25 stores a map of the site 50. The activity route that the unmanned transport vehicle 300 should travel is defined in this map. The position control unit 22 determines the position of the unmanned transport vehicle 300 by mapping the unmanned transport vehicle 300 detected by the detection unit 21 onto this map. For this mapping, a predetermined marker 51 is set at a predetermined location in the site 50 and captured by the overhead camera 10. The detection unit 21 detects the marker 51, and the position control unit 22 determines the position of the unmanned transport vehicle 300 based on the marker 51 detected by the detection unit 21.

[0056] Furthermore, the position control unit 22 can integrate still or moving images of multiple different areas acquired from multiple overhead cameras 10 based on the recognition information of the overhead cameras 10, thereby generating a still or moving image of the entire site 50, and using such an integrated image to determine the position of the unmanned transport vehicle 300 in the site 50.

[0057] The orientation control unit 23 determines the orientation of the unmanned transport vehicle 300 based on the still or moving image. The orientation control unit 23 inputs the still or moving image into a learned neural network, thereby determining the orientation of the unmanned transport vehicle 300 based on the still or moving image.The orientation of the unmanned transport vehicle 300 is detected by dynamic image. Furthermore, the orientation control unit 23 can control the orientation of the unmanned transport vehicle 300 by controlling the orientation of the marker 350 on page 5 / 11 of the manual (CN 121115747 A).

[0058] The control unit 24 generates control signals for controlling the movement of the unmanned transport vehicle 300 based on the position of the unmanned transport vehicle 300 controlled by the position control unit 22 and the orientation of the unmanned transport vehicle 300 controlled by the orientation control unit 23. Specifically, the control unit 24 generates control signals including instructions to move forward, stop, and steer based on the position and orientation of the unmanned transport vehicle 300, so that the unmanned transport vehicle 300 moves towards its destination on the activity route 210 defined on the map. The generated control signals are sent to the corresponding unmanned transport vehicle 300 in real time.

[0059] The unmanned transport vehicle 300 receives the control signals from the driving control device 20 and moves according to the control signals. The unmanned transport vehicle 300 includes a driving control unit 301, a lift control unit 302, an on-board detection unit 303, an emergency stop processing unit 304, a judgment unit 305, an autonomous driving processing unit 306, an operation unit 307, a driving unit 308, a lift drive unit 309, an on-board camera 310, and a receiver 311.

[0060] The driving unit 308 includes a power source, a power transmission mechanism, a steering mechanism, a transmission mechanism, a braking mechanism, and wheels for driving the unmanned transport vehicle 300. The lift drive unit 309 includes a drive source, a power transmission mechanism, and an auxiliary locking mechanism for moving the forks 330 up and down, for fixing the forks 330 in a predetermined position. The driving unit 308 is driven according to the control of the driving control unit 301. The lift drive unit 309 is driven according to the control of the lift control unit 302.

[0061] The driving control unit 301 responds to the control signal received from the driving control device 20, drives the driving drive unit 308, and thereby controls the unmanned transport vehicle 300 to travel along a predetermined hypothetical activity route 210. In the unmanned transport system 100 of this embodiment, the unmanned transport vehicle 300 requires only the driving control unit 301 and the driving drive unit 308 to travel along the hypothetical activity route 210; other structures (e.g., the vehicle-mounted detection unit 303 or the vehicle-mounted camera 310) are additional structures.

[0062] The vehicle-mounted detection unit 303 is used for emergency stopping of the unmanned transport vehicle 300. The vehicle-mounted detection unit 303 can be, for example, an infrared sensor or a LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) sensor. If there is an obstacle in front of the unmanned transport vehicle 300 in the direction of travel, the vehicle-mounted detection unit 303 detects the obstacle. Alternatively, not limited to in front of the direction of travel, if there is an obstacle in all directions around the unmanned transport vehicle 300, the vehicle-mounted detection unit 303 can also detect the obstacle.

[0063] When the on-board detection unit 303 detects an obstacle, the emergency stop processing unit 304 performs an emergency stop for the unmanned transport vehicle 300. Specifically, the emergency stop processing unit 304 controls the driving drive unit 308 to stop generating power from the power source and brake as an emergency stop. At this time, if a sudden braking is performed, the pallet 54 may fall off the forks 330 and the load 53 may fall off the unmanned transport vehicle 300. Therefore, braking is performed with an intensity that prevents such an accident from occurring.

[0064] It should be noted that the obstacle may also be detected by the driving control device 20, and the control unit 24 generates a control signal taking into account the presence of the obstacle. In this case, the detection unit 21 detects the obstacle based on a still image or a moving image obtained from the overhead camera 10. Furthermore, the control unit 24 also generates a control signal based on the obstacle detection result of the detection unit 21.

[0065] In this embodiment, the unmanned transport vehicle 300 is not controlled to deviate from the set activity route 210 and avoid obstacles. If it is unable to travel on the activity route 210 due to an obstacle, the unmanned transport vehicle 300 is stopped immediately. Since the unmanned transport vehicle 300 in this embodiment is a transport vehicle for carrying heavy objects 53, it is undesirable from a safety point of view for the unmanned transport vehicle 300 to deviate from the preset activity route 210 and travel in any space. In order to notify the surrounding area of ​​the unmanned transport vehicle 300 that it is unable to move on the activity route 210 due to an obstacle, the unmanned transport vehicle 300 can activate an alarm (not shown) and emit an alarm sound.

[0066] As described above, in the unmanned transport system 100 of this embodiment, the movement of the unmanned transport vehicle 300 is controlled based on still or moving images obtained from the overhead camera 10 (pages 6 / 11 of the specification, CN 121115747 A). This allows the unmanned transport vehicle 300 to travel along a pre-set hypothetical route 210. If an obstacle is encountered on the path of the unmanned transport vehicle 300, the unmanned transport vehicle 300 automatically detects the obstacle and performs an emergency stop.

[0067] Furthermore, even if the unmanned transport vehicle 300 is in an emergency stop state, if the control unit 24 detects that the event causing the unmanned transport vehicle 300 to reach the emergency stop state has been resolved, the unmanned transport vehicle 300 can resume movement. As in the past, when a human determines that the event causing the unmanned transport vehicle 300 to reach the emergency stop state has been resolved, and the process of resuming movement from the emergency stop state relies on manual operation, its reliability becomes very low. It should be noted that the control unit 24 can identify the cause of the obstacle based on the fact that the on-board detection unit 303 or the on-board camera 310 of the unmanned transport vehicle 300 no longer detects the obstacle.The emergency stop event has been resolved, or it can be identified that the event causing the emergency stop has been resolved based on still or moving images from the overhead camera 10.

[0068] As described above, it is assumed that the unmanned transport vehicle 300 usually travels or stops on the activity route 210. However, it is also assumed that the unmanned transport vehicle 300 may derail (derail) from the activity route 210 for some reason. Therefore, the unmanned transport system 100 of this embodiment has a function for determining whether the unmanned transport vehicle 300 has derailed.

[0069] The control unit 24 determines whether the position grasped by the position grasping unit 22 has deviated from the activity route 210 defined by the map stored in the storage unit 25. If the control unit 24 determines that it has deviated from the activity route 210, it generates a control signal to stop the unmanned transport vehicle 300 and return the unmanned transport vehicle 300 to the activity route 210.

[0070] In this way, the driving control device 20 can determine the position of the unmanned transport vehicle 300 based on the still or moving images of the overhead camera 10, thereby determining derailment. However, it is also possible to have a derailment determination system that does not utilize the still or moving images of the overhead camera 10, or to have a derailment determination system that does not utilize the still or moving images of the overhead camera 10, instead of the driving control device 20 determining the position of the unmanned transport vehicle 300 based on the still or moving images of the overhead camera 10. In this case, the control unit 24 also generates a control signal in response to the derailment determination system determining that the unmanned transport vehicle 300 has deviated from the activity route 210, so as to stop the unmanned transport vehicle 300 and return it to the activity route 210.

[0071] The first derailment determination system consists of an onboard camera 310 and a determination unit 305. A vehicle-mounted camera 310 is mounted on the unmanned transport vehicle 300 to capture images of the surroundings of the unmanned transport vehicle 300 and generate still or moving images. A determination unit 305 determines whether the unmanned transport vehicle 300 has deviated from the activity route 210 based on the still or moving images generated by the vehicle-mounted camera 310. Specifically, the determination unit 305 determines whether the unmanned transport vehicle 300 has derailed by judging whether the image from the vehicle-mounted camera 310 is the image that should be captured when the unmanned transport vehicle 300 is located on the activity route 210.

[0072] The second derailment determination system consists of a receiver 311 and a determination unit 305. The receiver 311 receives a positioning signal transmitted into the site 50. The positioning signal is generated within the site 50. Various conventional technologies have been proposed and adopted as indoor positioning technologies; any conventional indoor positioning technology can be used as the second derailment determination system.

[0073] For example, receiver 311 can receive WiFi (Wireless Network Communication Technology) radio waves as positioning signals. In this case, the site 50 is equipped with multiple base stations that transmit WiFi radio waves. Receiver 311 receives WiFi radio waves from these multiple base stations, and determination unit 305 determines the position of the unmanned transport vehicle 300 based on the different strengths of the WiFi radio waves received by receiver 311 from the multiple base stations, and determines whether the unmanned transport vehicle 300 has deviated from the activity route 210 defined on the map by mapping it to a map.

[0074] Furthermore, for example, receiver 311 can receive positioning signals from beacons installed within the site 50. In this case, the site 50 is equipped with multiple beacons. The determination unit 305 determines the position of the unmanned transport vehicle 300 within the site 50 based on the strength of the positioning signals received from multiple beacons, as described on page 7 / 11 of the specification, CN 121115747 A, and determines whether the unmanned transport vehicle 300 has deviated from the activity route 210 defined on the map by mapping the signal to a map.

[0075] The derailment determination system can use any conventional positioning technology, such as positioning using magnetic sensors, positioning using IMES (Indoor Messaging System) which operates on the same principle as GPS (Global Positioning System), positioning using PDR (Pedestrian Dead Reckoning), positioning using visible light, or positioning using ultrasound, to determine whether the vehicle has derailed.

[0076] As described above, in the unmanned transport system 100 of this embodiment, the unmanned transport vehicle 300 is designed to travel on the hypothetical activity route 210, and in the event of derailment for some reason, derailment is detected and the travel of the unmanned transport vehicle 300 is controlled to return to the activity route 210.

[0077] When the unmanned transport vehicle 300 is transporting a heavy object 53, the heavy object 53 is loaded onto the unmanned transport vehicle 300 at the departure point and unloaded from the unmanned transport vehicle 300 at the destination. Furthermore, when the unmanned transport vehicle 300 is moved from the unloading point back to the loading point, the heavy object 53 is unloaded from the unmanned transport vehicle 300 at the departure point and loaded onto the unmanned transport vehicle 300 at the destination.

[0078] The loading and unloading at the departure point and destination can be performed autonomously by the unmanned transport vehicle 300. The autonomous driving processing unit 306 of the unmanned transport vehicle 300 performs autonomous driving for loading and unloading heavy objects 53 at the departure point or destination. Therefore, when the autonomous driving processing unit 306 returns to the departure point after a turnaround, it analyzes the image from the onboard camera 310 and detects the heavy object 53 to be loaded based on the image. The autonomous driving processing unit 306 then controls the vehicle based on the detected heavy object 53.The driving unit 308 and the elevator driving unit 309 perform loading.

[0079] Furthermore, when the autonomous driving unit 306 performs transport driving and arrives at the destination, it analyzes the image of the vehicle-mounted camera 310 and detects the unloading position based on the image. The autonomous driving unit 306 controls the driving unit 308 and the elevator driving unit 309 to unload based on the detected unloading position.

[0080] The unmanned transport vehicle 300 includes an operation unit 307, which is used by the user to start driving on the activity route 210. If the user performs the start driving operation on the operation unit 307, the operation signal is sent from the unmanned transport vehicle 300 to the driving control device 20. Upon receiving the operation signal, the control unit 24 starts generating a control signal. As described above, whether loading or unloading is performed based on autonomous driving or manual operation, the control unit 24 can start driving control in response to the operation signal. The operation unit 307 can be a terminal independent of the unmanned transport vehicle 300, for example, it can be a tablet terminal. Furthermore, in the case of loading or unloading based on autonomous driving, it can also be configured to automatically start driving after loading or unloading is completed, without relying on the operation signal of the operation unit 307.

[0081] As described above, the site 50 is equipped with multiple unmanned transport vehicles 300, each assigned a different destination and a different activity route, and the driving control device 20 simultaneously controls multiple unmanned transport vehicles 300. Therefore, the detection unit 21 detects multiple unmanned transport vehicles 300 based on still images or moving images from the overhead camera 10. Furthermore, the position monitoring unit 22 monitors the respective positions of the multiple unmanned transport vehicles 300 in the site 50. Furthermore, the control unit 24 generates respective control signals for the multiple unmanned transport vehicles 300 based on the multiple positions monitored by the position monitoring unit 22.

[0082] Therefore, multiple unmanned transport vehicles 300 can be controlled simultaneously in one site 50. Furthermore, by treating other unmanned transport vehicles 300 as obstacles, when there are other unmanned transport vehicles 300 in front of the direction of travel of a certain unmanned transport vehicle 300, the other unmanned transport vehicle 300 can be detected as an obstacle, thereby causing the certain unmanned transport vehicle 300 to stop urgently. Therefore, the hypothetical activity routes 210 set for multiple unmanned transport vehicles 300 can be set to intersect each other.

[0083] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, when controlling multiple unmanned transport vehicles 300 simultaneously, by setting an identification information mark 370 on the upper surface of the unmanned transport vehicle 300, the driving control device 20 detects the identification information mark 370 based on the still image or moving image of the overhead camera 10, knows the position of each unmanned transport vehicle 300, and controls each unmanned transport vehicle 300.Each of the 300 vehicles generates a control signal. That is, an identification information mark 370 is used to individually control each of the 300 vehicles. Alternatively, the 300 vehicle may also have a structure without the identification information mark 370.

[0084] In this case, the 300 vehicle sends the onboard camera image from the onboard camera 310 to the driving control device 20. The control unit 24 of the driving control device 20 analyzes the onboard camera image to identify which location the image comes from. By doing so, the driving control device 20 can identify the 300 vehicle detected based on the image from the overhead camera 10 and the 300 vehicle that sent the onboard camera image as the same 300 vehicle. In this way, the driving control device 20 can send a control signal for each of the 300 vehicles detected based on the image from the overhead camera 10 to the corresponding 300 vehicle.

[0085] It should be noted that the detection unit 21 described above can detect the unmanned transport vehicle 300 not only based on still images or moving images, but also detect the heavy objects being transported by the unmanned transport vehicle 300. By doing so, it is possible to confirm whether the unmanned transport vehicle 300 is transporting the heavy object 53, that is, whether it is being transported or being returned, and whether the heavy object 53 being transported has fallen off the unmanned transport vehicle 300.

[0086] As explained above, by using the unmanned transport system 100 of this embodiment, the position of the unmanned transport vehicle 300 is determined by the overhead camera 10, and the movement of the unmanned transport vehicle 300 is controlled by referring to a map. Therefore, the unmanned transport vehicle 300 can travel from the starting point to the destination along an imaginary activity route 210 without using a physical activity route. This is particularly advantageous when it is necessary to change the activity route. This is because when changing the activity route, it is not necessary to physically change the activity route in the site 50, but only to change the activity route on the map. Next, the situation of changing the activity route will be explained.

[0087] Figures 5A and 5B are diagrams illustrating examples of changes in the activity routes according to embodiments of the present invention. In the example of Figure 5A, the smaller pallet 54 (weight 53) is the object to be transported, while in the example of Figure 5B, the larger pallet 54 (weight 53) is the object to be transported. Therefore, at the destination, when the weights 53 are arranged for storage, the distance between adjacent weights 53, that is, the distance between the activity routes 210 of adjacent weights toward the storage location (destination), is different from each other. In the example of Figure 5A, the distance between the activity routes 210a toward the destination, i.e., the storage location, is shorter, while in the example of Figure 5B, the distance between the activity routes 210b toward the destination, i.e., the storage location, is longer.

[0088] In the state of transporting weights 53 with such a site 50 and even weights 53 as objects, the pallet 54 (weight 53) is the object to be transported.When the size of the object 53 changes, the distance between the activity routes 210 also needs to be changed. For example, when the size of the pallet 54 (weight 53) increases, the distance between the activity routes 210 also needs to increase, and the activity routes need to be changed, such as changing from activity route 210a shown in FIG. 5A to activity route 210b shown in FIG. 5B. Even in such cases, in this embodiment, since activity routes 210a and 210b are not physically set in the actual site 50, but are defined on a map stored in the storage unit 25, they can be easily changed.

[0089] FIG. 6 is a side view showing another example of the site to which the unmanned transport system of the embodiment of the present invention is applicable. In the above embodiment, an example of using the interior of a building as the site 50 and mounting the overhead camera 10 on the ceiling 55 was described, but the unmanned transport system 100 of this embodiment can also be used outdoors. However, in this case, since there is no ceiling, the overhead camera 10 is set at a high position on a tall building, such as a pole 56 or the exterior wall of the building, to film the site 50.

[0090] (Modification)

[0091] The control unit 24 can control the speed of the unmanned transport vehicle 300 based on the still or moving images from the overhead camera 10. The detection unit 21 detects the unmanned transport vehicle 300 and obstacles (including workers 400, manufacturing equipment 52, stored heavy objects 53, other unmanned transport vehicles 300, etc.) as the control object based on the still or moving images from the overhead camera 10. If there are no obstacles within a specified range around the unmanned transport vehicle 300, the control unit 24 generates a control signal to increase the travel speed. Alternatively, since the unmanned transport vehicle 300 travels on the activity route 210, the control unit 24 can determine whether there are obstacles within a specified range along the activity route 210 from the unmanned transport vehicle 300.

[0092] In this way, the cycle of material handling operations can be shortened by confirming the safety of the area around the automated guided vehicle 300 and increasing the speed of the automated guided vehicle 300. This can effectively improve production efficiency in factories. It should be noted that, as for speed control, for example, the automated guided vehicle 300 can be controlled to travel at a lower speed when moving forward with the forks 330 in front of it, and at a higher speed when moving backward to the side opposite to the forks 330.

[0093] In this way, even when the speed is changed according to whether there are obstacles around, control based on still or moving images from the overhead camera 10 is also effective. That is, if it is desired to detect obstacles around the automated guided vehicle 300 using sensors (vehicle-mounted camera, LiDAR, etc.) to confirm safety,In some cases, obstacles may not be detected due to blind spots of the sensors, and obstacles that are far away may also not be detected, thus compromising safety. Therefore, by using the overhead camera 10, the necessary range around the unmanned transport vehicle 300 can be set, and whether there are obstacles within that range can be confirmed.

[0094] Furthermore, regardless of whether there are obstacles around the unmanned transport vehicle 300, the speed can be set according to the activity route defined on the map according to the interval, and a control signal corresponding to the speed set on the map can be generated based on the position of the unmanned transport vehicle 300. For example, a faster speed can be set in the interval where the activity route 210 of other unmanned transport vehicles 300 does not intersect, and a slower speed can be set in the interval where the activity route 210 of other unmanned transport vehicles 300 intersects or in the interval that crosses the area where the workers 400 travel.

[0095] It should be noted that the above-mentioned driving control device 20 can be implemented by a computer, and the detection unit 21, the position control unit 22, the orientation control unit 23, and the control unit 24 can be functions implemented by a processor executing one or more driving control programs of this embodiment. Furthermore, the driving control unit 301, elevator control unit 302, emergency stop processing unit 304, determination unit 305, and autonomous driving processing unit 306 of the unmanned transport vehicle 300 can be functions implemented by executing one or more unmanned transport programs of this embodiment through a processor. Furthermore, the driving control unit 301, elevator control unit 302, emergency stop processing unit 304, determination unit 305, and autonomous driving processing unit 306 do not necessarily have to be installed on the unmanned transport vehicle 300; they can be installed on, for example, a service provider in the cloud, enabling the unmanned transport vehicle 300 to communicate with that service provider.

[0096] In the above embodiment, the unmanned transport vehicle 300 is a forklift lift; however, the unmanned transport vehicle 300 is not limited to this. For example, it can also be a truck-type or even a flatbed truck-type transport vehicle. In this case, loading and unloading can be completed by the operator 400.

[0097] Symbol Explanation:

[0098] 10 Overhead Camera

[0099] 20 Driving Control Device

[0100] 21 Detection Unit

[0101] 22 Position Control Unit

[0102] 23 Orientation Control Unit

[0103] 24 Control Unit

[0104] 25 Storage Unit Instruction Manual 10 / 11 Pages 14 CN 121115747 A

[0105] 50 Site

[0106] 51 Marking

[0107] 52 Manufacturing Equipment

[0108] 53 Heavy Object

[0109] 210 Activity Route

[0110] 300 Unmanned Transport Vehicle

[0111] 301 Driving Control Unit

[0112] 302 Elevator Control Unit

[0113] 304 Emergency Stop Handling Unit

[0114] 305 Judgment Unit

[0115] 306 Autonomous Driving Processing Unit

[0116] 307 Operation Unit

[0117] 308 Driving Drive Unit

[0118] 309 Elevator Drive Unit

[0119] 310 Vehicle-mounted Camera

[0120] 311 Receiver

[0121] 330 Forklift

[0122] 350 Marker

[0123] 370 Identification Information Marker

[0124] 400 Operator. Instruction manual 11 / 11 page 15 CN 121115747 A Figure 1 Instruction manual Figure 1 / 6 page 16 CN 121115747 A Figure 2 Instruction manual Figure 2 / 6 page 17 CN 121115747 A Figure 3 Instruction manual Figure 3 / 6 page 18 CN 121115747 A Figure 4 Instruction manual Figure 4 / 6 page 19 CN 121115747 A Figure 5(A) Figure 5(B) Instruction manual Figure 5 / 6 page 20 CN 121115747 A Figure 6 Instruction manual Figure 6 / 6 page 21 CN 121115747 A Unmanned transport system This invention provides a novel unmanned transport system for transporting heavy objects to a destination, based on the premise of traveling on a designated activity route. The unmanned transport system (100) is an unmanned transport system (100) that moves heavy objects (53) toward a designated destination by traveling on a designated hypothetical activity route (210) and includes: an unmanned transport vehicle (300) that travels in an unmanned manner according to control signals; one or more cameras (10) that capture images of the site (50) where the unmanned transport vehicle (300) travels from above the site (50) and generate still images or moving images; and a driving control mechanism (20) that generates control signals for controlling the unmanned transport vehicle (300) to travel on the hypothetical activity route (210) based on the still images or moving images. The driving control device (20) includes: a detection unit (21) that detects the unmanned transport vehicle (300) based on still or moving images; a position control unit (22) that uses the detection results of the detection unit (21) to determine the position of the unmanned transport vehicle (300) in the site (50) without relying on sensors mounted on the unmanned transport vehicle (300); and a control unit (24) that generates control signals based on the position of the unmanned transport vehicle (300) determined by the position control unit (22). The UNMANNED CONVEYING SYSTEM Provided is a novel unmanned conveying system for conveying a heavy object toward a destination on the premise.that the unmanned conveying system travels along a specified traffic line. An unmanned conveying system (100) for conveying a heavy object (53) by traveling along a specified virtual traffic line (210) toward a specified destination comprises: an unmanned conveying vehicle (300) which travels unmanned in accordance with a control signal; one or a plurality of cameras (10) for creating a still image or a moving image by imaging a field (50) through which the unmanned conveying vehicle (300) travels, from above the field (50); and a drive control means (20) for creating, on the basis of the still image or the moving image, a control signal for controlling the unmanned conveying vehicle (300) to travel along the virtual traffic line (210). The drive control means (20) comprises: a detecting unit (21) for detecting the unmanned conveying vehicle (300) from the still image or the moving image; a position ascertaining unit (22) for using the result of the detection performed by the detectingunit (21) to ascertain the position of the unmanned conveying vehicle (300) in the field (50), without relying on a sensor installed in the unmanned conveying vehicle (300); and a control unit (24) for creating the control signal on the basis of the position of the unmanned conveying vehicle (300) ascertained by the position ascertaining unit (22). Abstract

Claims

1. An unmanned transport system, which is an unmanned transport system that moves heavy objects toward a designated destination by traveling along a designated hypothetical activity route, and includes: Automated guided vehicles (AGVs) operate autonomously based on control signals. One or more cameras capture images of the area where the unmanned transport vehicle is traveling from above, and generate still or moving images. as well as The driving control mechanism generates control signals based on the still or moving images to control the unmanned transport vehicle to travel along the hypothetical route. The driving control mechanism includes: The detection unit detects the unmanned transport vehicle based on the still image or the moving image; The position control unit uses the detection results of the detection unit to determine the position of the unmanned transport vehicle in the site, without relying on the sensors mounted on the unmanned transport vehicle; as well as The control unit generates the control signal based on the position of the unmanned transport vehicle as determined by the position control unit.

2. The unmanned handling system according to claim 1, wherein, The unmanned transport vehicle is a forklift vehicle that lifts and transports the heavy object placed on the pallet together with the pallet.

3. The unmanned handling system according to claim 1, wherein, The venue is indoors. One or more cameras are mounted on the ceiling or wall to film the site from above.

4. The unmanned handling system according to claim 1, wherein, The venue is outdoors. One or more cameras are installed on an outdoor structure to film the site from above.

5. The unmanned handling system according to claim 1, wherein, The driving control mechanism also includes an orientation control unit that determines the orientation of the unmanned transport vehicle based on the still or dynamic images. The control unit also generates the control signal based on the orientation grasped by the orientation grasping unit.

6. The unmanned handling system according to claim 1, wherein, The unmanned transport vehicle performs autonomous driving for loading or unloading the heavy object at the destination.

7. The unmanned handling system according to claim 1, wherein, The detection unit of the driving control mechanism also detects obstacles based on the still image or the moving image. The control unit of the driving control mechanism also generates the control signal based on the detection result of the detection unit.

8. The unmanned handling system according to claim 1, wherein, The unmanned transport vehicle also includes an operating unit for user operation to initiate travel along the activity route. The control unit of the driving control mechanism begins to generate the control signal in response to the operation of the operating unit.

9. The unmanned handling system according to claim 1, wherein, The system comprises multiple unmanned transport vehicles, each designated with its own destination and hypothetical route. The detection unit of the driving control mechanism detects multiple unmanned transport vehicles based on the still image or the moving image. The position control unit of the driving control mechanism controls the respective positions of the multiple unmanned transport vehicles in the site. The control unit of the driving control mechanism generates control signals for each of the multiple unmanned transport vehicles based on multiple positions grasped by the position grasping unit.

10. The unmanned handling system according to claim 1, wherein, It has multiple cameras with different fields of view. The location control unit determines the position of the unmanned transport vehicle in the site by integrating multiple still or moving images generated by the multiple cameras.

11. The unmanned handling system according to claim 1, wherein, The detection unit uses a neural network to detect the unmanned transport vehicle.

12. The unmanned handling system according to claim 1, wherein, The upper surface of the unmanned transport vehicle has designated markings. The detection unit detects the unmanned transport vehicle by detecting the specified markings.

13. The unmanned handling system according to claim 1, wherein, The driving control unit stores a map of the site, which defines the activity route. The location tracking unit determines the location of the unmanned transport vehicle by mapping the unmanned transport vehicle detected by the detection unit onto the map.

14. The unmanned handling system according to claim 1, wherein, The designated locations of the site are marked with specific markings. The detection unit detects the specified mark. The location control unit determines the location of the unmanned transport vehicle based on the specified marker detected by the detection unit.

15. The unmanned handling system according to claim 1, wherein, The detection unit of the driving control mechanism also detects the heavy object being transported by the unmanned transport vehicle.

16. The unmanned handling system according to claim 1, wherein, The unmanned transport vehicle has the following features: The vehicle-mounted detection unit is used to detect surrounding obstacles; and The emergency stop processing unit performs emergency stop processing on the unmanned transport vehicle based on the obstacle detection by the on-board detection unit.

17. The unmanned handling system according to claim 1, wherein, It also has a derailment detection mechanism, which determines whether the unmanned transport vehicle has deviated from the activity route. If the derailment determination mechanism determines that the unmanned transport vehicle has deviated from the activity route, the driving control mechanism generates the control signal to stop the unmanned transport vehicle or to return the unmanned transport vehicle to the activity route.

18. The unmanned handling system according to claim 17, wherein, The derailment detection mechanism has the following features: A vehicle-mounted camera, mounted on the unmanned transport vehicle, captures images of the surroundings of the unmanned transport vehicle and generates still or moving images; and The determination unit determines whether the unmanned transport vehicle has deviated from the activity route based on the still or moving images generated by the vehicle-mounted camera.

19. The unmanned handling system according to claim 17, wherein, The derailment detection mechanism has the following features: Receiver, which receives positioning signals; and The determination unit determines whether the unmanned transport vehicle has deviated from the activity route based on the positioning signal received by the receiver.

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