Moving device for ascending / descending step

Abstract

To provide a moving device for ascending / descending a step that is able to further stabilize the posture of the moving device when ascending / descending the step.SOLUTION: A moving device 100 for ascending / descending a step includes: a moving-device main body 10; a traveling unit 20 disposed in the moving-device main body 10 and configured to travel so as to ascend / descend the step 110; an arm portion 30 disposed in the moving-device main body 10; and an engaging unit 40 disposed at a distal end of the arm portion 30 and configured to engage with a handrail 111, disposed along an inclination of the step 110, when the traveling unit 20 ascends / descends the step 110.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a step-climbing mobile device. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a moving device that travels over steps is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] The above-mentioned Patent Document 1 discloses a moving device that moves on a moving surface having steps such as stairs. This moving device includes a main body and a pair of crawlers arranged on both the left and right sides of the main body. A moving auxiliary arm is arranged between the pair of crawlers at one end of the main body so as to protrude from the one end of the main body. When the moving device moves on a moving surface having steps, the moving auxiliary arm comes into contact with the moving surface to stabilize the movement of the moving device. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2009 / 110592 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in the moving device described in Patent Document 1, the movement auxiliary arm simply comes into contact with the moving surface, so the posture of the moving device is insufficient when ascending or descending a step. For this reason, it is desired to make the posture of the step-climbing moving device more stable when ascending or descending a step.

[0006] This disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a step-climbing mobile device that can more stabilize the posture of the step-climbing mobile device when ascending or descending a step. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A mobile device for climbing up and down steps according to one aspect of this disclosure comprises a mobile device main body, a running section arranged on the mobile device main body and running to climb up and down the steps, an arm section arranged on the mobile device main body, and an engagement section arranged at the tip of the arm section and engaging with a handrail arranged along the slope of the step when the step is climbed or descended by the running section.

[0008] As described above, the step-climbing mobile device according to one aspect of the disclosure includes an arm portion disposed on the mobile device body, and an engagement portion disposed at the tip of the arm portion and engaging with a handrail disposed along the slope of the step when the step is ascended or descended by the running portion. This allows the engagement portion that engages with the handrail disposed along the slope of the step to maintain balance in the posture of the step-climbing mobile device when ascending or descending the step. As a result, the posture of the step-climbing mobile device when ascending or descending the step can be made more stable than when the arm is simply brought into contact with the step. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present disclosure, as described above, the attitude of the step-climbing mobile device when ascending or descending a step can be made more stable. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a step-climbing moving device according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] 1 is a block diagram showing a step-climbing moving device according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which a step-climbing moving device according to a first embodiment travels over a step. [Figure 4] 3A to 3C are diagrams illustrating the operation of the step-climbing moving device according to the first embodiment climbing up a step. [Diagram 5] 5A to 5C are diagrams illustrating the operation of the step-climbing moving device according to the first embodiment descending a step. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a side view showing an engagement portion according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7]5A to 5C are diagrams for explaining a control process for moving over steps by the step-climbing moving device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a step-climbing moving device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a step-climbing moving device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a step-climbing moving device according to a third embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a step-climbing moving device according to a third embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a state in which a step-climbing mobile device according to a third embodiment travels up stairs. [Figure 13] 13 is a diagram for explaining a support portion of a handrail. FIG. [Figure 14] FIG. 11 is a side view showing an arm portion according to a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0012] [First embodiment] The configuration of the step-climbing moving device 100 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 7. In the drawings, arrow X indicates the front-rear direction of the step-climbing moving device 100, and arrows X1 and X2 indicate the front and rear of the step-climbing moving device 100, respectively. Arrow Y indicates the left-right direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction of the step-climbing moving device 100, and arrows Y1 and Y2 indicate the right and left directions when the front is the front. Arrow Z indicates the up-down direction perpendicular to the front-rear and left-right directions of the step-climbing moving device 100, and arrows Z1 and Z2 indicate the up and down directions, respectively.

[0013] (Overall configuration of the step climbing / descending moving device) As shown in Fig. 1, the step-climbing mobile device 100 is a device capable of moving up and down steps such as stairs. The step-climbing mobile device 100 is configured to be capable of moving not only over steps, but also on flat roads without steps. The step-climbing mobile device 100 moves over steps and flat roads to deliver goods. The step-climbing mobile device 100 is a step-climbing robot that moves autonomously from a starting point to a destination.

[0014] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the step-climbing mobile device 100 includes a mobile device body 10, a running section 20, an arm section 30, an engagement section 40, a detection section 50, a control section 60, and a battery 70.

[0015] The mobile device body 10 is the main body of the step-climbing mobile device 100 including the exterior. The mobile device body 10 has a box shape. The mobile device body 10 also includes a storage section 11 and a door section 12. The storage section 11 is disposed inside the mobile device body 10 and stores items. The storage section 11 has a space for storing items. The door section 12 is disposed with respect to an opening connected to the storage section 11. The door section 12 opens and closes the opening connected to the storage section 11. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the door section 12 is disposed on the rear side surface of the mobile device body 10. However, the door section 12 may be disposed on the top surface of the mobile device body 10 or on a side surface other than the rear side surface of the mobile device body 10.

[0016] The running unit 20 is disposed on the mobile device body 10 and runs up and down steps. The running unit 20 is configured to be capable of running not only on steps but also on flat roads without steps. The running unit 20 is also configured to be capable of moving straight forward in the front-rear direction and turning around in the up-down direction. The running unit 20 also includes a pair of crawlers 21 and a crawler drive unit 22. The pair of crawlers 21 are disposed at the bottom of the mobile device body 10 and spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction. The crawler drive unit 22 is a motor and drives the pair of crawlers 21.

[0017] The arm unit 30 is disposed on the mobile device body 10 and assists in the movement of the step-climbing mobile device 100. In the example shown in Fig. 1, the arm unit 30 is disposed on the right side surface of the mobile device body 10. However, the arm unit 30 may be disposed on the top surface of the mobile device body 10 or on a side surface other than the right side surface of the mobile device body 10.

[0018] The arm unit 30 is a multi-joint robot arm. The arm unit 30 includes link units 31a, 31b, and 31c, and joint units 32a, 32b, and 32c. The link units 31a, 31b, and 31c are arranged in this order from the base end side, which is the mobile device main body 10 side, to the tip end side, which is the engagement unit 40 side. The joint units 32a, 32b, and 32c are arranged in this order from the base end side, which is the mobile device main body 10 side, to the tip end side, which is the engagement unit 40 side. The joint units 32a and 32b are an example of a position adjustment mechanism. The joint unit 32c is an example of a posture adjustment mechanism.

[0019] One end of the link portion 31a is connected to the moving device main body 10, and the other end is connected to the link portion 31b. One end of the link portion 31b is connected to the link portion 31a, and the other end is connected to the link portion 31c. One end of the link portion 31c is connected to the link portion 31b, and the other end is connected to the engagement portion 40.

[0020] The joints 32a, 32b, and 32c include joint drivers 33a, 33b, and 33c, respectively. Each of the joint drivers 33a, 33b, and 33c is a motor.

[0021] The joint 32a is disposed at a connection between the moving device main body 10 and the link 31a. The joint 32a rotates the link 31a relative to the moving device main body 10 around a rotation axis A1 in the left-right direction by the joint drive unit 33a. The joint 32b is disposed at a connection between the link 31a and the link 31b. The joint 32b rotates the link 31b relative to the link 31a around a rotation axis A2 perpendicular to the rotation axis A1 by the joint drive unit 33b. The joint 32c is disposed at a connection between the link 31b and the link 31c. The joint 32c rotates the link 31c relative to the link 31b around a rotation axis A3 perpendicular to the rotation axis A2 by the joint drive unit 33c. As a result, the joint portion 32c rotates the engagement portion 40 relative to the link portion 31b about the rotation axis A3.

[0022] The engagement part 40 is disposed at the tip of the arm part 30, and assists the movement of the step-climbing moving device 100 together with the arm part 30. The engagement part 40 is formed in a shape having a longitudinal direction in the extension direction of a handrail 111 (see FIG. 3), which will be described later. In the first embodiment, the engagement part 40 is a hand part. The engagement part 40 includes a pair of hand members 41a and 41b, a hand driving part 42, and a force detection part 43.

[0023] The pair of hand members 41a and 41b are disposed at positions facing each other and open and close. The pair of hand members 41a and 41b grasp an object by opening and closing. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the hand member 41a has a convexly curved arc shape, and the hand member 41b has a convexly curved arc shape on the opposite side to the hand member 41a. However, the shapes of the hand members 41a and 41b are not particularly limited as long as they are capable of grasping an object.

[0024] The hand driving unit 42 drives at least one of the pair of hand members 41a and 41b. Specifically, the hand driving unit 42 opens and closes the pair of hand members 41a and 41b by rotating one or both of the pair of hand members 41a and 41b about a rotation axis A4 that is parallel to the longitudinal direction of the engagement unit 40. The hand driving unit 42 is a motor.

[0025] The force detection unit 43 detects an engagement force of the pair of hand members 41a and 41b on an object. The force detection unit 43 is a force sensor.

[0026] The detection unit 50 detects an object to assist the movement of the step-climbing mobile device 100. In the first embodiment, the detection unit 50 is an imaging unit serving as a camera that captures an image of the object. The detection unit 50 may be disposed at any position of the step-climbing mobile device 100 as long as it is capable of detecting the object. For example, the detection unit 50 is disposed in either the mobile device main body 10 or the engagement unit 40.

[0027] The control unit 60 controls the operation of each unit of the step-climbing moving device 100. The control unit 60 is a control circuit including a processor and a memory that stores a program executed by the processor. For example, the control unit 60 controls the operation of the running unit 20 for moving the step-climbing moving device 100. Also, for example, the control unit 60 controls the operation of the arm unit 30, the engagement unit 40, and the detection unit 50 for assisting the movement of the step-climbing moving device 100.

[0028] The battery 70 supplies power to each part of the step-climbing moving device 100. For example, the battery 70 supplies power for operation to the traveling unit 20, the arm unit 30, the engagement unit 40, the detection unit 50, and the control unit 60. The battery 70 is a secondary battery that can be charged and discharged.

[0029] (Configuration for moving over steps) As shown in Fig. 3, when a step 110 is present on the travel route from a starting point to a destination, the step-climbing mobile device 100 travels up and down the step 110 using the traveling unit 20. The step-climbing mobile device 100 travels over the corners of the step 110 using the pair of crawlers 21 of the traveling unit 20 with the mobile device main body 10 tilted along the slope of the step 110. In the example shown in Fig. 3, the step 110 is a staircase.

[0030] Here, in the first embodiment, as shown in Fig. 3, when the traveling part 20 ascends or descends the step 110, the engaging part 40 engages with a handrail 111 arranged along the slope of the step 110. The handrail 111 is an existing handrail that is arranged in advance on the step 110. In the first embodiment, the engaging part 40 grips the handrail 111. Specifically, the engaging part 40 grips the handrail 111 by clamping the handrail 111 with a pair of hand members 41a and 41b.

[0031] In the first embodiment, the joints 32a and 32b constitute a position adjustment mechanism that adjusts the position of the engagement part 40 according to the position of the handrail 111. Specifically, the joints 32a and 32b cooperate with each other to adjust the position of the engagement part 40 in the up-down direction, the left-right direction, and the front-rear direction according to the position of the handrail 111. Specifically, the joint 32a can adjust the position of the engagement part 40 in the up-down direction and the front-rear direction by rotating the link part 31a. Also, the joint 32b can adjust the position of the engagement part 40 in the up-down direction and the left-right direction by rotating the link part 31b. The joints 32a and 32b cooperate with each other to adjust the position of the engagement part 40 in the up-down direction, the left-right direction, and the front-rear direction so that the engagement part 40 is disposed at a position corresponding to the handrail 111 in the up-down direction, the left-right direction, and the front-rear direction.

[0032] In the first embodiment, the joint 32c constitutes a posture adjustment mechanism that adjusts the posture of the engagement part 40 according to the inclination angle of the handrail 111. Specifically, the joint 32c rotates the link part 31c according to the inclination angle of the handrail 111, thereby adjusting the posture of the engagement part 40 so that the engagement part 40 has an inclination angle corresponding to the handrail 111. At this time, the joint 32c adjusts the posture of the engagement part 40 so that the longitudinal direction of the engagement part 40 is parallel to the extension direction of the handrail 111.

[0033] The position and posture of the engagement unit 40 are adjusted when the engagement unit 40 engages with the handrail 111. At this time, the detection unit 50 detects the handrail 111. The control unit 60 recognizes the state of the handrail 111 based on the handrail 111 detected by the detection unit 50. That is, the control unit 60 recognizes the state of the handrail 111 by performing a predetermined image recognition process based on the image of the handrail 111 captured by the detection unit 50 as an imaging unit. The control unit 60 then controls the joints 32a, 32b, and 32c to adjust the position and posture of the engagement unit 40 based on the recognized state of the handrail 111. Specifically, the control unit 60 acquires the drive amount of each of the joint drive units 33a, 33b, and 33c such that the engagement unit 40 is in a position and posture corresponding to the handrail 111, and controls each of the joint drive units 33a, 33b, and 33c based on the acquired drive amount.

[0034] In the first embodiment, when the engaging portion 40 engages with the handrail 111, the engaging force of the engaging portion 40 with respect to the handrail 111 is adjusted. Specifically, the force detection portion 43 detects the engaging force of the engaging portion 40 with respect to the handrail 111. The control portion 60 then performs control to adjust the engaging force based on the engaging force detected by the force detection portion 43. Specifically, the control portion 60 performs control to adjust the engaging force by adjusting the driving amount of the hand driving portion 42 so that the detected engaging force becomes a predetermined engaging force. Note that in the first embodiment, the engaging force can be rephrased as the gripping force of the pair of hand members 41a and 41b with respect to the handrail 111.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, when the step-climbing mobile device 100 ascends the step 110, the engagement portion 40 engages with the handrail 111 at a position forward of the center of the mobile device body 10 in the front-rear direction. This makes it easier to maintain the balance of the posture of the step-climbing mobile device 100 when the step-climbing mobile device 100 ascends the step 110, so that it is possible to prevent the step-climbing mobile device 100 from tipping over backward. Also, when the step-climbing mobile device 100 descends the step 110, the engagement portion 40 engages with the handrail 111 at a position backward of the center of the mobile device body 10 in the front-rear direction. This makes it easier to maintain the balance of the posture of the step-climbing mobile device 100 when the step-climbing mobile device 100 descends the step 110, so that it is possible to prevent the step-climbing mobile device 100 from tipping over forward.

[0036] In the first embodiment, when the traveling unit 20 travels over the step 110 while engaged with the handrail 111, the engaging unit 40 slides on the handrail 111. That is, the step-climbing mobile device 100 travels over the step 110 by the traveling unit 20 while sliding the engaging unit 40 on the handrail 111 without changing the relative position of the engaging unit 40 with respect to the mobile device body 10.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 6, the engaging portion 40 includes rollers 44 that can rotate in contact with the handrail 111 on inner surfaces 41c and 41d that engage with the handrail 111. The rollers 44 can rotate due to friction between the engaging portion 40 and the handrail 111 when the engaging portion 40 slides on the handrail 111. Here, the inner surfaces 41c and 41d are the inner surfaces of the hand members 41a and 41b, respectively. A plurality of rollers 44 are arranged along the inner surface 41c of the hand member 41a, and a plurality of rollers 44 are arranged along the inner surface 41d of the hand member 41b. In addition, a plurality of rollers 44 are arranged along the longitudinal direction of the engaging portion 40 on both the inner surface 41c of the hand member 41a and the inner surface 41d of the hand member 41b. In addition, a cushioning material such as rubber may be arranged on the rollers 44 to prevent the handrail 111 from being damaged.

[0038] In the first embodiment, the engagement unit 40 includes a roller drive unit 45 (see FIG. 2) that drives the roller 44. The roller drive unit 45 is a motor. The roller drive unit 45 drives the roller 44 to assist the step-climbing moving device 100 in moving up the step 110. Specifically, when the step-climbing moving device 100 climbs the step 110, the control unit 60 rotates the roller 44 by the roller drive unit 45 so as to assist the step-climbing moving device 100 in moving forward. When the step-climbing moving device 100 descends the step 110, the control unit 60 rotates the roller 44 by the roller drive unit 45 so as to brake the step-climbing moving device 100 from moving forward. Note that the braking force of the roller 44 is smaller than the force of the running unit 20 that moves the step-climbing moving device 100 forward.

[0039] (Control process for moving over steps) Referring to FIG. 7, a control process for the step-climbing moving device 100 moving over the step 110 will be described based on a flowchart.

[0040] When the step-climbing mobile device 100 moves to the vicinity of the step 110, first, in step S1, the handrail 111 is detected by the detection unit 50. That is, the detection unit 50 captures an image of the handrail 111.

[0041] Then, in step S2, the engaging portion 40 engages with the handrail 111. That is, first, the control unit 60 recognizes the state of the handrail 111 based on the image of the handrail 111 acquired in step S1. Then, based on the recognized state of the handrail 111, the control unit 60 controls the joints 32a, 32b, and 32c to adjust the position and posture of the engaging portion 40. At this time, the engaging portion 40 engages with the handrail 111 while adjusting the position and posture of the engaging portion 40. Specifically, the engaging portion 40 is brought closer to the handrail 111 with the pair of hand members 41a and 41b opened by the hand driving unit 42. Then, the pair of hand members 41a and 41b are closed by the hand driving unit 42, so that the engaging portion 40 grips the handrail 111. At this time, the engaging force is adjusted based on the engaging force detected by the force detection unit 43.

[0042] Then, in step S3, the traveling unit 20 travels over the step 110. That is, the traveling unit 20 travels over the step 110 while the engagement unit 40 slides on the handrail 111. When the step-climbing mobile device 100 ascends the step 110, assistance is provided using the roller drive unit 45 and the rollers 44. When the step-climbing mobile device 100 descends the step 110, braking is provided using the roller drive unit 45 and the rollers 44.

[0043] (Effects of the first embodiment) As described above, in the first embodiment, the arm unit 30 is disposed on the mobile device main body 10, and the engaging unit 40 is disposed at the tip of the arm unit 30 and engages with the handrail 111 disposed along the slope of the step 110 when the step 110 is ascended or descended by the traveling unit 20. This makes it possible to maintain balance in the posture of the step-climbing mobile device 100 when ascending or descending the step 110 by the engaging unit 40 that engages with the handrail 111 disposed along the slope of the step 110. As a result, the posture of the step-climbing mobile device 100 when ascending or descending the step 110 can be made more stable than when the arm is simply brought into contact with the step 110.

[0044] Furthermore, since the posture of the step-climbing mobile device 100 is stabilized, the moving speed of the step-climbing mobile device 100 when ascending or descending the step 110 can be improved accordingly.

[0045] In addition, there is no need for additional equipment construction because the existing handrail 111 is effectively used. Therefore, the posture of the step-climbing mobile device 100 when ascending or descending the step 110 can be made more stable without additional equipment construction.

[0046] In the first embodiment, as described above, the joints 32a and 32b are provided as a position adjustment mechanism that adjusts the position of the engaging part 40 according to the position of the handrail 111. As a result, although the position of the handrail 111 usually differs depending on the location to which the step-climbing mobile device 100 moves, even if the handrail 111 is in a different position, the position of the engaging part 40 can be adjusted by the joints 32a and 32b as a position adjustment mechanism, so that the engaging part 40 can be appropriately engaged.

[0047] In the first embodiment, as described above, the joint 32c is provided as a posture adjustment mechanism that adjusts the posture of the engaging portion 40 according to the inclination angle of the handrail 111. As a result, although the inclination angle of the handrail 111 usually differs depending on the location to which the step-climbing mobile device 100 moves, even for handrails 111 with different inclination angles, the posture of the engaging portion 40 is adjusted by the joint 32c as a posture adjustment mechanism, so that the engaging portion 40 can be appropriately engaged.

[0048] In the first embodiment, as described above, the joints 32a and 32b as a position adjustment mechanism that adjusts the position of the engagement part 40 according to the position of the handrail 111, the joint 32c as a posture adjustment mechanism that adjusts the posture of the engagement part 40 according to the inclination angle of the handrail 111, the detection unit 50 that detects the handrail 111, and the control unit 60 that controls the joints 32a and 32b as the position adjustment mechanism and the joint 32c as the posture adjustment mechanism so as to recognize the state of the handrail 111 based on the handrail 111 detected by the detection unit 50 and adjust the position and posture of the engagement part 40 based on the recognized state of the handrail 111 are provided. This allows the control unit 60 to automatically adjust the position and posture of the engagement part 40 according to the position and inclination angle of the handrail 111. As a result, the engagement part 40 can be easily and appropriately engaged with various handrails 111 with different positions or inclination angles.

[0049] In the first embodiment, as described above, a force detection unit 43 that detects the engagement force of the engagement unit 40 with the handrail 111 and a control unit 60 that performs control to adjust the engagement force based on the engagement force detected by the force detection unit 43 are provided. This allows the engagement force to be appropriately adjusted, making it possible to avoid an excessive or insufficient engagement force. As a result, it is possible to avoid a decrease in the stability of the posture of the step-climbing mobile device 100 when ascending or descending the step 110, which would be caused by a lack of engagement force. In addition, it is possible to avoid an excessive load being applied to the handrail 111, which would be caused by an excessive engagement force.

[0050] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, as described above, when the traveling unit 20 travels over the step 110 while engaged with the handrail 111, the engaging unit 40 slides on the handrail 111. This allows the step-climbing mobile device 100 to move over the step 110 while maintaining the state in which the engaging unit 40 is engaged with the handrail 111, so that the posture of the step-climbing mobile device 100 when ascending or descending the step 110 can be effectively stabilized.

[0051] Also, in the first embodiment, as described above, the engaging portion 40 includes rollers 44, which are rotatable in contact with the handrail 111, on the inner surface that engages with the handrail 111. This allows the rollers 44 to reduce frictional resistance between the engaging portion 40 and the handrail 111, so that the engaging portion 40 can slide smoothly on the handrail 111 when ascending or descending the step 110.

[0052] In the first embodiment, as described above, the engaging portion 40 is a hand portion that grips the handrail 111. This allows the handrail 111 to be firmly gripped by the hand portion serving as the engaging portion 40, so that the posture of the step-climbing mobile device 100 when ascending or descending the step 110 can be reliably stabilized.

[0053] [Second embodiment] A step-climbing moving device 200 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 8 and 9. Note that the same components as those in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0054] As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the step-climbing mobile device 200 includes a mobile device body 10, a running section 20, an arm section 230, an engagement section 40, a detection section 50, a control section 260, and a battery 70.

[0055] The arm unit 230 is disposed on the moving device body 10 and assists the movement of the step-climbing moving device 200. In the example shown in Fig. 8, the arm unit 230 is disposed on the upper surface of the moving device body 10. However, the arm unit 230 may also be disposed on the side surface of the moving device body 10.

[0056] The arm unit 230 is a multi-joint robot arm. The arm unit 230 includes link units 231a, 31b, and 31c, and joint units 232a, 32b, and 32c. One end of the link unit 231a is connected to the moving device main body 10, and the other end is connected to the link unit 31b. The joint unit 232a has a joint driving unit 233a. The joint driving unit 233a is a motor. The joint unit 232a is an example of a position adjustment mechanism and a rotation mechanism.

[0057] The joint portion 232a is disposed at a connection portion between the moving device main body 10 and the link portion 231a. The joint portion 232a rotates the link portion 231a relatively to the moving device main body 10 about a rotation axis A201 in the up-down direction by a joint driving portion 233a.

[0058] In the second embodiment, the joints 232a and 32b constitute a position adjustment mechanism that adjusts the position of the engagement part 40 according to the position of the handrail 111 (see FIG. 3). Specifically, the joints 232a and 32b cooperate with each other to adjust the position of the engagement part 40 in the up-down, left-right, and front-back directions according to the position of the handrail 111. Specifically, the joint 232a can adjust the position of the engagement part 40 in the left-right and front-back directions by rotating the link part 231a. Also, as described in the first embodiment, the joint 32b can adjust the position of the engagement part 40 in the up-down and left-right directions by rotating the link part 31b. The joints 232a and 32b cooperate with each other to adjust the position of the engagement part 40 in the up-down, left-right, and front-back directions so that the engagement part 40 is disposed at a position corresponding to the handrail 111 in the up-down, left-right, and front-back directions.

[0059] In the second embodiment, the joint 232a constitutes a rotation mechanism that rotates the arm 30 so that the engagement part 40 can move to both the left and right sides of the moving device main body 10. The joint 232a is capable of rotating the engagement part 40 from a right position to a left position of the moving device main body 10 by rotating the link part 231a. In addition, the joint 232a is capable of rotating the engagement part 40 from a left position to a right position of the moving device main body 10 by rotating the link part 231a.

[0060] As in the first embodiment, the control unit 260 controls the joints 232a, 32b, and 32c to adjust the position and posture of the engagement unit 40 based on the recognized state of the handrail 111. Specifically, the control unit 260 acquires the drive amounts of the joint drive units 233a, 33b, and 33c such that the engagement unit 40 is in a position and posture corresponding to the handrail 111, and controls the joint drive units 233a, 33b, and 33c according to the acquired drive amounts.

[0061] At this time, the control unit 260 of the second embodiment controls the joint driving unit 233a of the joint unit 232a depending on whether the handrail 111 is located to the right or to the left with respect to the mobile device body 10. That is, when the control unit 260 recognizes that the handrail 111 is located to the right with respect to the mobile device body 10, it controls the joint driving unit 233a of the joint unit 232a so that the engagement unit 40 is located to the right with respect to the mobile device body 10. Also, when the control unit 260 recognizes that the handrail 111 is located to the left with respect to the mobile device body 10, it controls the joint driving unit 233a of the joint unit 232a so that the engagement unit 40 is located to the left with respect to the mobile device body 10.

[0062] (Effects of the second embodiment) As described above, in the second embodiment, the arm portion 230 and the engagement portion 40 are provided. As a result, similar to the first embodiment, the posture of the step-climbing moving device 200 when ascending or descending the step 110 can be made more stable than when the arm is simply brought into contact with the step 110.

[0063] Furthermore, in the second embodiment, as described above, the position adjustment mechanism includes the joint portion 232a as a rotation mechanism that rotates the arm portion 230 so that the engagement portion 240 can move to both the left and right sides of the movement device main body 10. As a result, although the handrail 111 is usually disposed on either the left or right side depending on the location to which the step-climbing movement device 200 moves, regardless of whether the handrail 111 is disposed on the left or right side, the engagement portion 240 can be appropriately engaged with the handrail 111 by adjusting the left and right position of the engagement portion 240 using the joint portion 232a as a rotation mechanism.

[0064] [Third embodiment] A step-climbing moving device 300 according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 10 to 12. Note that the same components as those in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0065] As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the step-climbing mobile device 300 includes a mobile device body 10, a running section 20, an arm section 330, an engagement section 340, a detection section 50, a control section 360, and a battery 70.

[0066] The arm unit 330 is disposed on the mobile device body 10 and assists the movement of the step-climbing mobile device 300. In the example shown in Fig. 10, the arm unit 330 is disposed on the right side surface of the mobile device body 10. However, the arm unit 330 may be disposed on the top surface of the mobile device body 10 or on a side surface other than the right side surface of the mobile device body 10.

[0067] The arm unit 330 includes link units 331a and 331b, a vertical movement unit 332a, and a joint unit 332b. One end of the link unit 331a is connected to the moving device main body 10, and the other end is connected to the link unit 331b. One end of the link unit 331b is connected to the link unit 331a, and the other end is connected to the engagement unit 340. The link unit 331b has a plate shape extending along the vertical direction. The vertical movement unit 332a and the joint unit 332b have a vertical drive unit 333a and a joint drive unit 333b, respectively. Each of the vertical drive unit 333a and the joint drive unit 333b is a motor. The vertical movement unit 332 is an example of a position adjustment mechanism. The joint unit 332b is an example of a posture adjustment mechanism.

[0068] The vertical movement unit 332a is, for example, a linear motion mechanism such as a ball screw mechanism. The vertical movement unit 332a moves the link unit 331a in the vertical direction relative to the movement device main body 10. The joint unit 332b is disposed at a connection between the link unit 331a and the link unit 331b. The joint unit 332b rotates the link unit 331b relative to the link unit 331a around the rotation axis A301 in the left-right direction by the joint drive unit 333b.

[0069] The engaging portion 340 is disposed at the tip of the arm portion 330, and assists the movement of the step-climbing moving device 300 together with the arm portion 330. The engaging portion 340 is formed in a shape having a longitudinal direction in the extension direction of the handrail 111 (see FIG. 12). The longitudinal direction of the engaging portion 340 in the third embodiment is the front-rear direction. In the third embodiment, the engaging portion 340 is a hook portion. The engaging portion 340 includes a hook member 341, a force detection portion 43, a roller 44, and a roller drive portion 45.

[0070] The hook member 341 is hooked onto the handrail 111. The hook member 341 has a C-shape and opens towards the handrail 111. Unlike the pair of hand members 41a and 41b in the first and second embodiments, the hook member 341 is not provided with a drive unit that directly drives the hook member 341.

[0071] 12, in the third embodiment, the engagement portion 340 engages with the handrail 111 when the traveling portion 20 ascends or descends the step 110. In the third embodiment, the engagement portion 340 is hooked onto the handrail 111. Specifically, the engagement portion 340 is hooked onto the handrail 111 so as to cover the handrail 111 with the hook member 341.

[0072] Moreover, in the third embodiment, the vertical movement unit 332 constitutes a position adjustment mechanism that adjusts the position of the engagement unit 340 according to the position of the handrail 111. Specifically, the vertical movement unit 332 adjusts the vertical position of the engagement unit 340 according to the position of the handrail 111. The vertical movement unit 332 can adjust the vertical position of the engagement unit 340 by moving the link unit 331 in the vertical direction. The vertical movement unit 332 adjusts the vertical position of the engagement unit 340 so that the engagement unit 340 is disposed at a vertical position corresponding to the handrail 111.

[0073] Moreover, in the third embodiment, the joint portion 332b constitutes a posture adjustment mechanism that adjusts the posture of the engagement portion 340 according to the inclination angle of the handrail 111. Specifically, the joint portion 332b adjusts the posture of the engagement portion 340 by rotating the link portion 331b according to the inclination angle of the handrail 111 so that the engagement portion 340 has an inclination angle corresponding to the handrail 111. At this time, the joint portion 332b adjusts the posture of the engagement portion 340 so that the longitudinal direction of the engagement portion 340 is parallel to the extension direction of the handrail 111.

[0074] The control unit 360 controls the vertical movement unit 332 and the joint unit 332b to adjust the position and posture of the engagement unit 340 based on the state of the handrail 111 recognized from the detection result of the handrail 111 by the detection unit 50. Specifically, the control unit 360 acquires the drive amount of each of the vertical drive unit 333a and the joint drive unit 333b such that the engagement unit 340 is in a position and posture corresponding to the handrail 111, and controls each of the vertical drive unit 333a and the joint drive unit 333b according to the acquired drive amount.

[0075] Furthermore, the control unit 360 performs control to adjust the engagement force based on the engagement force detected by the force detection unit 43. Specifically, the control unit 360 performs control to adjust the engagement force by adjusting the drive amount of the vertical drive unit 333a so that the detected engagement force becomes a predetermined engagement force. Note that, in the third embodiment, the engagement force can be rephrased as a hooking force of the hook member 341 on the handrail 111.

[0076] Furthermore, when the traveling unit 20 travels over the step 110 while engaged with the handrail 111, the engaging unit 340 slides on the handrail 111. That is, the step-climbing mobile device 300 travels over the step 110 using the traveling unit 20 while sliding the engaging unit 340 on the handrail 111 without changing the relative position of the engaging unit 340 with respect to the mobile device body 10.

[0077] In the third embodiment, the rollers 44 are disposed on an inner surface 341a of the engagement portion 340 that engages with the handrail 111. The inner surface 341a is an inner surface of the hook member 341. A plurality of rollers 44 are disposed along the inner surface 341a of the hook member 341, and a plurality of rollers 44 are disposed along the longitudinal direction of the engagement portion 340.

[0078] Also in the third embodiment, when the step-climbing moving device 300 ascends the step 110, the control unit 360 causes the roller drive unit 45 to rotate the rollers 44 so as to assist the step-climbing moving device 300 in moving forward. When the step-climbing moving device 300 descends the step 110, the control unit 360 causes the roller drive unit 45 to rotate the rollers 44 so as to brake the step-climbing moving device 300 from moving forward.

[0079] (Effects of the third embodiment) As described above, in the third embodiment, the arm portion 330 and the engagement portion 340 are provided. As a result, similarly to the first embodiment, the posture of the step-climbing moving device 300 when ascending or descending the step 110 can be made more stable than when the arm is simply brought into contact with the step 110.

[0080] In the third embodiment, as described above, the engagement portion 340 is a hook portion that hooks onto the handrail 111. By using a hook portion as the engagement portion 340, the structure of the engagement portion 340 can be simplified. As a result, the posture of the step-climbing mobile device 300 when ascending or descending the step 110 can be stabilized while simplifying the structure of the engagement portion 340.

[0081] (Modification) It should be noted that the embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative and not restrictive in all respects. The scope of the present disclosure is indicated by the claims, not by the description of the embodiments above, and further includes all modifications (variations) within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims.

[0082] For example, in the above first to third embodiments, an example has been shown in which the step-climbing mobile device delivers an item, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In the present disclosure, the step-climbing mobile device may be a device other than a device that delivers an item. For example, the step-climbing mobile device may be a device that patrols a facility or a device that cleans the facility.

[0083] In the above first to third embodiments, the step-climbing mobile device is described as moving not only over steps but also over flat roads, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In the present disclosure, the step-climbing mobile device may be a device that moves only over steps.

[0084] In the above first to third embodiments, the traveling unit is a crawler type, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. In the present disclosure, the traveling unit may be a type other than a crawler type. For example, the traveling unit may be a wheel type, or may be a type that travels over steps using a type other than a crawler or wheels.

[0085] In addition, in the above first to third embodiments, an example in which the number of arm parts is one has been shown, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. In the present disclosure, the number of arm parts may be two or more.

[0086] In the above first and second embodiments, an example has been described in which the arm unit is a robot arm including three joints, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. In the present disclosure, the arm unit may be a robot arm including a number of joints other than three.

[0087] 13, the handrail 111 may be supported laterally by a horizontally extending support portion 111a, or may be supported vertically below by a vertically extending support portion 111b. In the configurations of the first and second embodiments, when the handrail 111 is supported by the support portion 111a, the engaging portion 40 can be easily slid on the handrail 111, whereas when the handrail 111 is supported by the support portion 111b, it may be difficult to slide the engaging portion 40 on the handrail 111.

[0088] 14, a link portion 431 and a joint portion 432 may be further provided between the link portion 31b and the link portion 31c. The joint portion 432 can adjust the position of the engagement portion 40 to a position where the handrail 110 can be engaged from the horizontal direction and a position where the handrail 110 can be engaged from vertically above by rotating the link portion 431. This allows the engagement portion 40 to be appropriately engaged even when the position of the support portion that supports the handrail 111 is different.

[0089] In the above first and second embodiments, an example is shown in which the position adjustment mechanism is configured by a joint portion as a rotation mechanism, and in the above third embodiment, an example is shown in which the position adjustment mechanism is configured by a vertical moving portion as a linear motion mechanism, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. In the present disclosure, the position adjustment mechanism may be configured by only one of a rotation mechanism and a linear motion mechanism, or may be configured by a combination of a rotation mechanism and a linear motion mechanism.

[0090] In the above first and second embodiments, an example is shown in which the position adjustment mechanism adjusts the vertical, left-right, and front-rear positions of the engagement part, and in the above third embodiment, an example is shown in which the position adjustment mechanism adjusts the vertical position of the engagement part, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. In the present disclosure, as long as the position adjustment mechanism can adjust the vertical position of the engagement part, it does not have to be able to adjust the left-right and front-rear positions of the engagement part.

[0091] In addition, in the above first to third embodiments, an example was shown in which a posture adjustment mechanism was provided, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. In the present disclosure, in cases where it is not necessary to adjust the posture of the engagement part, such as when the posture of the engagement part matches the inclination angle of the handrail when the step-climbing moving device is inclined on the step, the posture adjustment mechanism does not need to be provided.

[0092] In addition, in the above first to third embodiments, an example was shown in which the detection unit was an imaging unit, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. In the present disclosure, the detection unit may be something other than an imaging unit. For example, the detection unit may be a detection unit capable of detecting the state of a target, such as LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging).

[0093] In addition, in the above first to third embodiments, an example was shown in which the engagement part slides on the handrail, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In the present disclosure, the engagement part does not have to slide on the handrail. For example, in the above first and second embodiments, the engagement part as the handrail may be controlled by the control part so as to repeatedly engage with the handrail, release the engagement with the handrail, and change the position where it engages with the handrail forward in response to the running part traveling over a step.

[0094] In addition, in the above first to third embodiments, examples have been shown in which rollers are provided in the engagement portion, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. In the present disclosure, rollers do not necessarily have to be provided in the engagement portion.

[0095] In the above first to third embodiments, the roller is provided with a roller drive unit, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. In the present disclosure, the roller does not have to be provided with a roller drive unit. In this case, the roller may have a free mechanism that rotates the roller only in one direction and does not rotate the roller in the other direction.

[0096] Further, in the above first to third embodiments, an example in which a force detection unit is provided has been shown, but the present disclosure is not limited to this.In the present disclosure, a force detection unit does not necessarily have to be provided.

[0097] In the first and second embodiments, the arm and the engagement part may be configured not only to engage with the handrail but also to store an item in the storage part and to remove the item from the storage part. Also, the arm and the engagement part may be configured not only to engage with the handrail but also to open and close doors along the travel route from the starting point to the destination. This configuration can improve the convenience of the step-climbing mobile device.

[0098] The functions of the elements disclosed herein can be performed using circuits or processing circuits, including general purpose processors, special purpose processors, integrated circuits, Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), conventional circuits, and / or combinations thereof, configured or programmed to perform the disclosed functions. Processors are considered processing circuits or circuits because they include transistors and other circuits. In this disclosure, a circuit, unit, or means is hardware that performs the recited functions or hardware that is programmed to perform the recited functions. The hardware may be hardware disclosed herein or other known hardware that is programmed or configured to perform the recited functions. Where the hardware is a processor, which is considered a type of circuit, the circuit, means, or unit is a combination of hardware and software, and the software is used to configure the hardware and / or the processor.

[0099] [Aspects] The above-described embodiment is a specific example of the following aspects.

[0100] (Aspect 1) A mobile device body; A traveling unit is disposed on the moving device body and travels to ascend and descend steps; an arm portion disposed on the moving device body; A step-climbing mobile device comprising: an engagement portion disposed at the tip of the arm portion that engages with a handrail disposed along the slope of the step when the step is ascended or descended by the running portion.

[0101] (Aspect 2) The step-climbing mobile device according to aspect 1, further comprising a position adjustment mechanism that adjusts a position of the engagement portion in accordance with a position of the handrail.

[0102] (Aspect 3) 3. The step-climbing mobile device according to aspect 1 or 2, further comprising a posture adjustment mechanism that adjusts a posture of the engagement portion in accordance with an inclination angle of the handrail.

[0103] (Aspect 4) A position adjustment mechanism that adjusts the position of the engagement portion according to the position of the handrail; an attitude adjustment mechanism that adjusts the attitude of the engagement portion according to the inclination angle of the handrail; A detection unit that detects the handrail; A step-climbing mobile device as described in any one of aspects 1 to 3, further comprising a control unit that controls the position adjustment mechanism and the attitude adjustment mechanism to recognize a state of the handrail based on the handrail detected by the detection unit, and to adjust the position and attitude of the engagement part based on the recognized state of the handrail.

[0104] (Aspect 5) a force detection unit that detects an engagement force of the engagement portion with respect to the handrail; The step-climbing moving device according to any one of Aspects 1 to 4, further comprising: a control unit that performs control to adjust the engagement force based on the engagement force detected by the force detection unit.

[0105] (Aspect 6) The step-climbing mobile device according to any one of aspects 1 to 5, wherein the engaging portion slides on the handrail when the traveling portion travels over the step in a state where the engaging portion is engaged with the handrail.

[0106] (Aspect 7) 7. The step-climbing transport device of claim 6, wherein the engagement portion includes a roller on an inner surface that engages with the handrail and is rotatable in contact with the handrail.

[0107] (Aspect 8) The step-climbing mobile device according to any one of Aspects 1 to 7, wherein the engagement portion is a hand portion that grips the handrail.

[0108] (Aspect 9) The step-climbing mobile device according to any one of Aspects 1 to 7, wherein the engagement portion is a hook portion that is hooked onto the handrail.

[0109] (Aspect 10) The step-climbing mobile device according to aspect 2, wherein the position adjustment mechanism includes a rotation mechanism that rotates the arm portion so that the engagement portion can move to both left and right sides of the mobile device body.

[0110] (Aspect 11) The step-climbing mobile device according to any one of the first to tenth aspects, which is a step-climbing robot. [Explanation of symbols]

[0111] 10. Mobile device body 20 Running part 30, 230, 330 Arm section 32a, 32b Joint (position adjustment mechanism) 32c, 332b Joint (attitude adjustment mechanism) 40, 340 Engagement part 41c, 41d, 341a Inner surface of engagement part 43 Force detection unit 44 Lola 50 Detection unit 60, 260, 360 Control unit 100, 200, 300 Step climbing and lowering device 110 Steps 111 Handrail 232a Joints (position adjustment mechanism, rotation mechanism) 332a Vertical moving part (position adjustment mechanism)

Claims

1. A mobile device body; A traveling unit is disposed on the moving device body and travels to ascend and descend steps; an arm portion disposed on the moving device body; A step-climbing mobile device comprising: an engagement portion disposed at the tip of the arm portion that engages with a handrail disposed along the slope of the step when the step is ascended or descended by the running portion.

2. The step-climbing mobile device according to claim 1 , further comprising a position adjustment mechanism that adjusts the position of the engagement portion in accordance with the position of the handrail.

3. The step-climbing mobile device according to claim 1 , further comprising a posture adjustment mechanism that adjusts the posture of the engagement portion in accordance with an inclination angle of the handrail.

4. A position adjustment mechanism that adjusts the position of the engagement portion according to the position of the handrail; an attitude adjustment mechanism that adjusts the attitude of the engagement portion according to the inclination angle of the handrail; A detection unit that detects the handrail; The step-climbing mobile device of claim 1, further comprising a control unit that controls the position adjustment mechanism and the attitude adjustment mechanism to recognize the state of the handrail based on the handrail detected by the detection unit, and to adjust the position and attitude of the engagement portion based on the recognized state of the handrail.

5. a force detection unit that detects an engagement force of the engagement portion with respect to the handrail; The step-climbing mobile device according to claim 1 , further comprising: a control unit that performs control to adjust the engagement force based on the engagement force detected by the force detection unit.

6. The step-climbing mobile device according to claim 1 , wherein the engaging portion slides on the handrail when the traveling portion travels over the step in a state where the engaging portion is engaged with the handrail.

7. The step-climbing transport device according to claim 6 , wherein the engaging portion includes a roller on an inner surface that engages with the handrail and is rotatable in contact with the handrail.

8. The step-climbing mobile device according to claim 1 , wherein the engaging portion is a hand portion that grips the handrail.

9. The step-climbing mobile device according to claim 1 , wherein the engaging portion is a hook portion that is hooked onto the handrail.

10. 3. The step-climbing mobile device according to claim 2, wherein the position adjustment mechanism includes a rotation mechanism that rotates the arm portion so that the engagement portion is movable to both left and right sides of the mobile device body.

11. 2. The step-climbing mobile device according to claim 1, which is a step-climbing robot.

Images