Trolley and method of controlling a trolley

Abstract

The present application utilizes the use characteristics of a transport cart and more efficiently performs control related to a travel mode switching of the transport cart as a technical problem. A structure of the present application for solving the above technical problem is a transport cart that transports a load by a manual travel mode and an autonomous travel mode operated by a user, and has a handle for pushing operated by the user, a load carrying portion, a wheel for travel, a main body portion that connects the handle for pushing, the load carrying portion, and the wheel, and a control portion that controls travel of the transport cart in the autonomous travel mode, and the control portion performs control related to a transition to the autonomous travel mode according to a situation of transport of the transport cart.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to flatbed carts or transport trolleys (hereinafter referred to as transport trolleys) for loading luggage or goods, and the technology for controlling their operation. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, trolleys are used in supermarkets, factories, buildings, and other facilities to move luggage, goods, and other items (goods). These trolleys sometimes have both autonomous and manual driving modes. Patent Document 1 discloses a technology for a vehicle that, while not a trolley, has both autonomous and manual driving modes.

[0003] Patent Document 1 addresses the technical problem of "application and deactivation of autonomous driving." To solve this problem, Patent Document 1 describes a system where the vehicle's computer 110 performs a series of checks on the environment, system, and driver to identify specific states in order to switch between autonomous driving mode and manual driving mode. The computer can correct several of these states and provide the driver with a checklist of tasks 810 to 850 and 910 to 940 to be completed. Once the tasks are completed and the state changes, the computer 110 allows the driver to switch from manual driving mode to autonomous driving mode. Furthermore, it is described that "the computer 110 can determine that switching from autonomous driving mode to manual driving mode is detrimental to the driver's safety and comfort under certain conditions."

[0004] Existing technical documents

[0005] Patent documents

[0006] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2016-212905 Summary of the Invention

[0007] The technical problem that the invention aims to solve

[0008] In Patent Document 1, when a request to switch from manual driving mode to autonomous driving mode is received, the switch is performed based on the driving status. Therefore, although Patent Document 1 switches based on the switch request or the driving status, it takes time to make the request, and the judgment and processing of the driving status (task) will generate a load.

[0009] Therefore, in this invention, the technical problem is to utilize this feature to more efficiently control the switching of the transport trolley's driving mode.

[0010] Technical means for solving technical problems

[0011] In this invention, in view of the above-mentioned technical problems, for a manual driving mode transport trolley, control related to switching to an autonomous driving mode is performed according to the transport status. More specifically, the transport trolley has a manual driving mode and an autonomous driving mode for transporting goods, and it has a push handle operated by the user;

[0012] The trolley includes a loading section for loading goods; wheels for driving; a main body connecting the push handle, the loading section, and the wheels; and a control section for controlling the movement of the trolley in the autonomous driving mode, wherein the control section performs control related to the transition to the autonomous driving mode based on the transport status of the trolley.

[0013] Furthermore, the present invention also includes a control method for the transport trolley.

[0014] Invention Effects

[0015] According to the present invention, control related to the switching of the driving mode of the transport trolley can be performed more effectively. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a diagram showing the appearance of a transport cart according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 2 This is a side view of a transport cart according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 3 This is a functional block diagram of a system including a transport cart according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating the control process of a transport cart according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating the detailed process of automatic driving mode processing according to an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0021] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this embodiment, a transport trolley 1 capable of autonomous movement will be used as an example, but the present invention is not limited thereto. Any transport trolley that utilizes driving force is acceptable; for example, the present invention is also applicable to transport trolleys with auxiliary manual movement functions. Furthermore, the transport trolley 1 is a device that also has the function of manually moving goods, including shopping carts and various flatbed carts of various shapes. In addition, in this embodiment, the transport trolley 1 is controlled for autonomous movement.

[0022] First, the structure of the transport cart 1 in this embodiment will be described. Figure 1 This is a diagram showing the appearance of the transport trolley 1 in this embodiment. Furthermore, Figure 2 This is a view showing the side of the transport trolley 1 in this embodiment. Figure 1 and Figure 2 In the process, the transport trolley 1 has a carriage section 11, a push handle 12, a main body section 13, a free-rotating slave wheel 14, a drive wheel 15, and a drive mechanism 16.

[0023] In this embodiment, the transport trolley 1 is connected to other compartment sections 11, a push handle 12, a freewheeling slave wheel 14, a drive mechanism 16, and a drive wheel 15 via a main body 13. Alternatively, either the drive wheel 15 or the drive mechanism 16 can be connected to the main body 13. Therefore, the main body 13 can be implemented using a so-called frame.

[0024] Furthermore, the carriage section 11 is a type of loading section for loading goods. Additionally, the loading section only needs to be able to load goods, and can be implemented using a platform or the like other than the carriage section 11. Here, the carriage section 11 has a weight sensor 19 for detecting the presence or absence of goods. This weight sensor 19 detects the load on the carriage section 11. More preferably, the weight sensor 19 detects whether the load on the carriage section 11 is below a predetermined amount. This predetermined amount includes the case where the load is 0. Furthermore, while a weight sensor 19 is used in this embodiment, any sensor other than the weight sensor 19 can be used as long as it can determine whether goods are present. For example, a camera, ultrasonic sensor, LiDAR, etc., can also be used to detect whether an object, including goods, exists in the carriage section 11. Furthermore, multiple sensors can be combined to determine whether goods are present. For example, goods can be determined to be present if at least one of the weight sensor 19 and the camera determines that goods are present. Therefore, in this embodiment, a goods detection unit is provided to detect the presence of goods. This goods detection unit only needs to detect whether the load is below a predetermined amount and whether goods are present at least one of them.

[0025] Furthermore, the push handle 12 is operated by the user. That is, the user grasps the push handle 12 and presses it to manually move the trolley 1. Additionally, as... Figure 1 As shown, the push handle 12 is composed of a push handle 12-1 for the right hand and a push handle 12-2 for the left hand, but is not limited to this.

[0026] Furthermore, a display unit 18 and an input unit 17 are provided on the manual steering wheel 12. Here, the display unit 18 displays information related to autonomous driving, etc. Additionally, the input unit 17 receives input from the user's operation or terminal device 2 (see reference 12). Figure 4The system receives instructions related to autonomous driving. Operations related to autonomous driving include starting or ending autonomous driving, setting speed and destination, etc. Furthermore, the display unit 18 or the input unit 17 may be located in the carriage section 11 or the main body section 13. Further, the display unit 18 and the input unit 17 may be integrated like a touch panel. Moreover, the display unit 18 and the input unit 17 can communicate directly or indirectly with the transport trolley 1, and may also be an information terminal such as a user-owned computer.

[0027] Furthermore, the freewheel rotating slave wheel 14 is a rotating slave wheel that rotates according to the user's push or the drive wheel 15. The freewheel rotating slave wheel 14 can be implemented by a rotating slave wheel that rotates according to the drive of other devices. Additionally, as... Figure 1 As shown, the freewheel rotating slave wheel 14 consists of two wheels (14-1, 14-2). However, the number of freewheel rotating slave wheels 14 is not limited to two wheels. In addition, in this embodiment, the freewheel rotating slave wheel 14 represents a so-called free flywheel.

[0028] Furthermore, the drive wheel 15 is positioned behind the free-rotating slave wheel 14, enabling the transport trolley 1 to move autonomously based on the driving force. In this embodiment, the drive wheel 15 is positioned behind the free-rotating slave wheel 14, but it is not limited to this. Additionally, it will be used later... Figure 3 The drive mechanism 16 is described below. Furthermore, as described above, a freewheel rotating slave wheel 14 and a drive wheel 15 are used as wheels. Moreover, a wheel is a concept encompassing rolling elements (including spherical rolling elements), tracks, and other parts used for movement and travel.

[0029] The above describes the structure of the transport cart 1 in this embodiment. Next, the autonomous driving function will be described. In this embodiment, the user uses the transport cart 1 in manual driving mode to transport goods to the destination, and uses the autonomous driving mode to return the transport cart 1 to the return location. That is, in this embodiment, the user switches between manual driving mode and autonomous driving mode.

[0030] Furthermore, the structure of the drive mechanism 16 will be described here. Figure 3 The structure used to achieve autonomous driving is shown. Figure 3 This is a functional block diagram of a system including the transport trolley 1 in this embodiment. Figure 3In this system, the transport cart 1 is connected to the terminal device 2 and the computer device 3. The terminal device 2 is connected to the input unit 17 via short-range wireless communication. Furthermore, the computer device 3 communicates with the communication unit 161 via a network 4 such as the Internet. The terminal device 2 and the computer device 3 output instructions related to the autonomous movement of the transport cart 1. The terminal device 2 and the computer device 3 can be implemented using a smartphone, tablet computer, PC, or similar information processing device (computer). The instructions will be described in sequence.

[0031] First, the drive mechanism 16 will be explained. For example... Figure 3 As shown, the drive mechanism 16 includes a communication unit 161, a control unit 162, a motor 163, and a variable suspension 164. The communication unit 161 and the control unit 162 are connected to the input unit 17 and the motor 163 via communication lines. Furthermore, although not shown, the display unit 18 is also connected to the communication lines. Figure 1 , Figure 2 The weight sensor 19 shown is also connected to the communication line.

[0032] Furthermore, the communication unit 161 can be connected to the control devices of other equipment such as elevators, safety doors, and mechanical parking systems via the network 4. This allows the status of other equipment to be displayed on the display unit 18 of the transport cart 1. Additionally, the input unit 17 can execute inputs for controlling other equipment. For example, the elevator car position or congestion status can be displayed on the display unit 18. Furthermore, elevator car calls can be made from the input unit 17. Moreover, operational instructions for other equipment, such as elevator car calls, can be executed not only manually through the input unit 17 but also by the control unit 162 based on a control program. Furthermore, the control of other equipment can also incorporate processing based on position information obtained from the device for obtaining the position information of the transport cart 1 (described later) to determine whether control is possible. For example, elevator car calls can be made from the input unit 17 only when the elevator is within a certain distance of its installation position. In other words, the control unit 162 can be configured to change the displayable or controllable device according to the position of the transport cart 1.

[0033] Here, the control unit 162 generates a control signal for autonomous driving according to the aforementioned instructions, instructions from the user, etc., and outputs it to the motor 163 according to its own control program.

[0034] Furthermore, the electric motor 163 outputs power according to the control signal from the control unit 162. As a result, the drive wheels 15 or the variable suspension 164 perform actions corresponding to the control signal. The variable suspension 164 is a suspension that actively functions based on the electric motor 163. Alternatively, the variable suspension 164 can be a conventional suspension or omitted entirely. In this embodiment, the electric motor 163 is provided on each of the left and right drive wheels 15. However, the electric motor 163 may not be provided on each of the left and right drive wheels 15, as long as different drives can be generated.

[0035] Next, the details of the autonomous driving control of the transport trolley 1 will be explained. Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating the control flow of the transport cart 1 in this embodiment. This flowchart shows the process of executing autonomous driving mode when certain conditions are met. Hereinafter, according to... Figure 4 This will provide a detailed explanation of the situation.

[0036] First, in step S1, the control unit 162 determines whether the transport cart 1 is in autonomous driving mode. That is, it determines whether it is in manual driving mode or autonomous driving mode. Therefore, the control unit 162 can determine whether it has received an autonomous driving instruction from the terminal device 2 or the user. As a result, if autonomous driving is being performed (yes), the process ends. Otherwise, if it is in manual driving mode (no), the process proceeds to step S2.

[0037] Next, in step S2, the control unit 162 determines whether there is cargo. Therefore, the control unit 162 uses the measurement result from the weight sensor 19. As a result, if there is cargo, the process proceeds to step S3. Otherwise, if there is no cargo, the process proceeds to step S5.

[0038] Next, in step S3, the control unit 162 determines whether the goods detected in step S2 have been unloaded. Therefore, the goods detection unit detects whether the goods have been removed, i.e., whether goods exist. Then, the control unit 162 accepts and uses this detection result. As a result, if the goods have been unloaded (no goods), the process proceeds to step S4. Alternatively, if goods remain (goods exist), the process proceeds to step S5. Therefore, the control unit 162 preferably uses the weight sensor 19. In this step, since the goods on the transport cart 1 have been unloaded, it is determined that the cart can be returned.

[0039] Here, in step S3, the following processing can also be performed: First, a motion detection unit, such as a gyroscope sensor or a GPS device, detects at least one of the position and orientation (direction) of the transport cart 1. Then, the control unit 162 uses the detection result of the motion detection unit (at least one of the position and orientation) to determine whether the transport cart 1 can move autonomously. As a result, if there is no cargo and it can move autonomously, the process proceeds to step S4. Otherwise, the process proceeds to step S5. Details of this structure will be explained in steps S65 and S66 later. Furthermore, when this structure is adopted, the processing in steps S65 and S66 can utilize the results of this step.

[0040] Next, in step S4, the control unit 162 determines whether the transport cart 1 has changed direction. This determines whether the user changed direction in order to move the goods to their room or other destination and return the transport cart 1 autonomously.

[0041] Therefore, the control unit 162 can use a travel direction detection unit such as a gyroscope sensor installed on the transport cart 1. That is, the direction detection unit detects the direction change of the transport cart 1. Then, the control unit 162 receives the detection result from the direction detection unit. As a result, if a direction change that meets the specified conditions has been performed (yes), the process proceeds to step S6. Furthermore, if a direction change that does not meet the specified conditions has not been performed (no), the process proceeds to step S5. In addition, the specified conditions include changes at a specified speed, acceleration or greater, or travel changes at a specified angle or greater. Furthermore, position information can also be used to determine whether a direction change has been performed at a specified position.

[0042] Furthermore, in step S5, the control unit 162 determines whether the transport cart 1 has been properly placed. For this purpose, the control unit 162 has map information and determines whether the transport cart 1 has remained at a designated location for a certain period of time. If it is determined that the cart has remained at the designated location for a certain period of time, it determines that the transport cart 1 has been properly placed. Therefore, the transport cart 1 may also be equipped with a LiDAR or other sensor that scans the surrounding environment. After determining that there are no more users within a certain range using the sensor, it measures the time used to determine whether it has been properly placed. That is, in this step, the dwell time detection unit, which includes a sensor, detects whether the cart has remained at the designated location for a certain period of time. Then, the control unit 162 receives the detection result from the dwell time detection unit. The designated location includes locations other than the return location and the temporary storage location (temporary preservation location). Additionally, in this step, it is determined that the transport cart 1 needs to be moved to the return location.

[0043] Then, the automatic driving mode processing in step S6 is executed. As described above, the status of the transport trolley 1 in steps S3 to S5 is detected, and the automatic driving mode processing is executed based on the status. That is, it is determined whether the transport trolley 1 can or needs to be returned, and if it can or needs to be returned, the automatic driving mode is switched to achieve the return. Here, the status of the transport trolley 1 can also be a status other than the return of the transport trolley 1.

[0044] Furthermore, although the determination is performed in the order of steps S3 to S5 in this embodiment, only one or a combination of each step can be executed, or the processes can be parallelized. When step S6 is executed, the processing flow ends.

[0045] Here, the details of the automatic driving mode processing in step S6 are explained. Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating the detailed process of the automatic driving mode in this embodiment.

[0046] First, in step S61, the control unit 162 determines whether to issue a notification or switch to automatic driving mode and process it as automatic driving mode. The control unit 162 can choose a predetermined process or be configured to execute only one of them.

[0047] As a result, upon notification, the process proceeds to step S62. Furthermore, upon switching to automatic driving mode, the process proceeds to step S64.

[0048] Next, in step S62, the control unit 162 sends a notification on the display unit 18 to confirm whether to switch to automatic driving mode. After receiving the notification, the user inputs whether to allow the switch to automatic driving mode on the input unit 17. Furthermore, if there are goods on the transport cart 1, the user can be notified that there are remaining goods and then asked to input whether to switch to automatic driving mode.

[0049] Then, in step S63, the control unit 162 determines whether a transition to automatic driving mode is permitted. If not permitted, the process ends. If permitted, the process proceeds to step S64.

[0050] Furthermore, steps S61 to S63 can be controlled as follows. First, in step S61, the control unit 162 determines whether autonomous driving is possible based on whether predetermined conditions are met. If not, the process proceeds to step S62. These conditions include unloading of goods, changing the direction of the transport trolley 1, etc.

[0051] Next, in step S62, the control unit 162 uses the display unit 18 to notify that the conditions for autonomous driving have been met.

[0052] Then, in step S63, if the user has met the requirements, the control unit 162 allows the transition to autonomous driving mode (transition to step S64). Furthermore, in step S63, if the user has met the corresponding requirements, the input unit 17 can also receive a manual instruction from the user to transition to autonomous driving mode.

[0053] Next, in step S64, the control unit 162 starts the automatic driving mode, that is, it switches to automatic driving mode. Furthermore, in this embodiment, permission to receive the notification is a condition, but the notification itself can be used as a condition to execute step S64.

[0054] Next, in step S65, the control unit 162 acquires the position and orientation of the transport cart 1. Therefore, the control unit 162 uses a gyroscope sensor or a GPS device installed on the transport cart 1. That is, the control unit detects at least one of the position and orientation (direction) of the transport cart 1 through a motion detection unit, represented by a gyroscope sensor and a GPS device.

[0055] Next, in step S66, the control unit 162 uses its own map information and at least one of the position and orientation (direction) obtained in step S65, namely the detection result of the driving detection unit, to determine whether it can move to the return location of the transport cart 1. Furthermore, as a condition for being able to move, it is also determined whether the weight of the goods is within the weight that can be transported in automatic driving mode. As a result, if it cannot move, the process proceeds to step S67; if it can move, the process proceeds to step S68.

[0056] Furthermore, the control unit 162 determines that the transport cart 1 can be moved to the return location through the following process: When the driving detection unit detects that the posture (direction) of the transport cart 1 is in a predetermined direction and / or the driving detection unit detects that the transport cart 1 is in a predetermined position, the control unit 162 determines that it can switch to autonomous driving mode and executes the switch. In this case, if it cannot switch to autonomous driving mode, the notification process of step S62 is executed.

[0057] Furthermore, the determination of whether the vehicle can move to its return location includes a determination of whether the orientation of the transport cart 1 can be changed. In this case, the position of the transport cart 1 may be near an obstacle such as a wall. In addition, this determination may also include whether the vehicle can move autonomously.

[0058] In step S67, the control unit 162 notifies the display unit 18 or terminal device 2 and computer device 3 that the vehicle cannot be moved to the return location. Furthermore, the control unit 162 outputs a control signal to a temporary storage location storing its own map information, causing the transport cart 1 to move. These processes can be performed simultaneously or individually. Additionally, based on the aforementioned notification, the user or manager of the transport cart 1 can determine the necessity of returning it. In this case, it is preferable for the user or manager to manually return the transport cart 1. Alternatively, a condition preventing movement in automatic driving mode can be notified, and after the condition is eliminated, the process proceeds to step S68 to return in automatic driving mode. Elimination of this condition could refer to, for example, unloading of goods or moving the vehicle's direction or position to a specific state. Furthermore, the temporary storage location is equivalent to a storage area located near the transport cart 1 (e.g., on the same floor).

[0059] Furthermore, in step S68, the control unit 162 uses its own map information to move the transport cart 1 to a predetermined return location via autonomous driving mode. In this embodiment above, in step S3, at least one of the following is used to determine whether to proceed with autonomous driving mode processing: whether the transport cart 1 has goods, the position of the transport cart 1, or its posture.

[0060] This concludes the description of this embodiment. However, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment and includes various variations, such as those described below.

[0061] (1) The transport trolley 1 may also be equipped with lights, displays, or sounds to notify the surroundings that autonomous driving is in progress during autonomous driving. Furthermore, the display device may also display information indicating whether autonomous driving is in progress. Additionally, the display device may also be implemented as the aforementioned display unit 18.

[0062] (2) As a user interface, it can be set to issue voice commands, and the user's input can also be made through voice instructions. It can also have a mechanism to stop the vehicle in an emergency when a loud "stop" instruction is given while it is in motion.

[0063] (3) The function of calling the elevator from the user interface installed near the push handle 12 can also be set. This function is preferably used when pushing, i.e., when moving manually.

[0064] Furthermore, in the transport cart 1 of the above embodiments, it is conceivable that it can be used, for example, to manually transport goods, items, parts, etc., and then return them to the return location via autonomous driving. In addition, in this example, it may sometimes be necessary to change the direction of travel of the transport cart 1 towards the return location. Therefore, in this embodiment, by utilizing the operating characteristics of the transport cart 1 as described above, control of the transport cart 1 can be achieved in accordance with transport-related conditions.

[0065] Label Explanation

[0066] 1. Transport trolley, 11. Carriage section, 12. Hand handle, 13. Main body, 14. Freewheel rotating slave wheel, 15. Drive unit, 16. Drive mechanism, 161. Communication unit, 162. Control unit, 163. Electric motor, 164. Variable suspension, 17. Input unit, 18. Display unit, 19. Weight sensor, 2. Terminal device, 3. Computer device, 4. Network.

Claims

1. A transport trolley, having a user-operated manual driving mode and an autonomous driving mode, for transporting goods, characterized in that, include: A push handle operated by the user; Loading section for loading goods; Wheels used for driving; The main body connecting the push handle, the loading section, and the wheel; A control unit that controls the movement of the transport trolley in the autonomous driving mode; The cargo inspection department that inspects the cargo; as well as A travel detection unit that detects at least one of the position and orientation of the transport trolley. When the transport trolley is in the manual driving mode, and the detection result of the cargo detection unit is that cargo has been detected and the cargo has been unloaded, and the detection result of the driving detection unit is that the transport trolley has made a directional change that meets the prescribed conditions, the control unit performs control related to the transition to the autonomous driving mode.

2. The transport trolley as described in claim 1, characterized in that, As part of the control related to the transition to the autonomous driving mode, the control unit performs control to output either the situation of the transition to the autonomous driving mode itself or to output a notification of the transition to the autonomous driving mode.

3. The transport trolley as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The cargo inspection unit detects whether the load capacity of the loading unit is below a specified amount, and whether at least one of the cargoes is present in the loading unit.

4. The transport trolley as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The specified conditions are that the driving detection unit detects that the direction of the transport trolley is a specified direction and / or the driving detection unit detects that the transport trolley is located in a specified position.

5. The transport trolley as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The notification indicates that a switch to the autonomous driving mode has been initiated or urges a switch to the autonomous driving mode.

6. The transport trolley as described in claim 2, characterized in that, It also includes a detection unit to detect when the transport trolley remains in a designated location for a specified period of time or longer. When the control unit detects that the transport trolley has remained stationary for a specified period of time, it performs control related to the transition to autonomous driving mode.

7. The transport trolley as described in claim 1, characterized in that, As part of the control related to the transition to the autonomous driving mode, the control unit performs the transition to the autonomous driving mode and returns the transport trolley to the predetermined return location.

8. The transport trolley as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: An input section that receives input from the user; A communications unit that communicates with control devices of other equipment; as well as The display section shows information about the other devices. The communication unit communicates operation instructions for the other devices based on input from the input unit.

9. The transport trolley as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The other equipment mentioned is an elevator. The display unit shows the elevator's operating information. The input unit receives the elevator car call.

10. The transport trolley as described in claim 8, characterized in that, Based on the position information of the transport trolley, the control unit changes other devices that can be displayed and controlled on the display unit.

11. A control method for a transport trolley, the transport trolley having a manual driving mode operated by a user and an autonomous driving mode, used for transporting goods, characterized in that, The transport trolley includes: a push handle operated by the user; a loading section for loading goods; wheels for driving; a main body connecting the push handle, the loading section, and the wheels; a control section for controlling the movement of the transport trolley in the autonomous driving mode; a goods detection section for detecting the goods; and a driving detection section for detecting at least one of the position and direction of the transport trolley. Through the control unit, When the transport trolley is in the manual driving mode, if the detection result of the cargo detection unit is that cargo has been detected and the cargo has been unloaded, and the detection result of the driving detection unit is that the transport trolley has made a directional change that meets the prescribed conditions, control related to the transition to the autonomous driving mode is performed.

12. The control method for the transport trolley as described in claim 11, characterized in that, Through the control unit. Controls are performed to output either the situation of switching to the autonomous driving mode or to output a notification of switching to the autonomous driving mode, as controls related to the switch to the autonomous driving mode.

13. The control method for the transport trolley as described in claim 12, characterized in that, The transport trolley also has a detection unit to detect if the trolley remains in a designated position for a specified period of time or longer. If the control unit detects that the transport trolley has remained in place for a specified period of time, it performs control related to switching to the autonomous driving mode.

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