Automated handling system

Abstract

This invention provides an automated handling system that enables an autonomous mobile robot with a width greater than the spacing between the legs of a shelf to enter the shelf. The automated handling system transports the shelf by the autonomous mobile robot entering under the shelf, which has multiple legs on the side of its bottom surface. At least one of the multiple legs has a U-shaped member, wherein the two ends of the U-shaped member on the open side are arranged in the vertical direction.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to automated handling systems, and more particularly to handling performed by autonomous mobile robots. Background Technology

[0002] In recent years, technologies for moving goods using autonomous mobile robots have been developed in factories, warehouses, and other facilities. For example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-148871 discloses a technology for an AGV to crawl under a shelf and move the shelf, wherein the AGV is equipped with external sensors for sensing the surrounding space and acquiring sensor data. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Generally speaking, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-148871, when a robot needs to be inserted under a shelf for moving it, a robot with a width narrower than the spacing between the legs of the shelf is required.

[0004] This disclosure was made against the backdrop of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to provide an automated handling system that enables an autonomous mobile robot having a width greater than the spacing between the legs of the shelf to enter the shelf.

[0005] One aspect of this disclosure for achieving the above objectives is an automated handling system that uses an autonomous mobile robot to move the shelf beneath it, the shelf having a plurality of legs on the side of its bottom surface, at least one of the plurality of legs having a U-shaped member, the U-shaped member being configured such that the two ends of the open side of the U-shaped member are arranged in the vertical direction.

[0006] According to this automated handling system, the presence of U-shaped components on the shelves allows autonomous mobile robots with a width greater than the spacing between the shelf legs to maneuver into the shelves. Therefore, the freedom of choice in selecting the robot used is increased.

[0007] In one of the above embodiments, the legs having the U-shaped member may be respectively disposed on both sides of the bottom surface.

[0008] With this structure, autonomous mobile robots can protrude from the shelves on both sides, thus enabling autonomous mobile robots with greater width to penetrate the shelves.

[0009] In one of the above methods, the two U-shaped members on both sides of the bottom surface may be configured to have openings in the same direction.

[0010] With this structure, because the openings face the same direction, the autonomous mobile robot can easily slip into the shelf compared to cases where the openings face different directions.

[0011] In one of the above embodiments, the two U-shaped members on either side of the bottom surface may be configured to have openings in opposite directions.

[0012] Based on this structure, autonomous mobile robots can enter the shelves from two directions.

[0013] In one of the above embodiments, a leg with the U-shaped member may be provided on one side of the bottom surface, and a leg with a ring-shaped member may be provided on the other side of the bottom surface.

[0014] With this structure, autonomous mobile robots can protrude from the shelves on both sides, thus enabling autonomous mobile robots with greater width to penetrate the shelves.

[0015] In one of the above embodiments, the autonomous mobile robot may have a plate into which the U-shaped component is inserted, and a sensor is provided at the end of the plate.

[0016] This structure allows the sensor to be positioned on the outside of the shelf. Therefore, it can suppress blind spots for the sensor caused by the shelf.

[0017] In one of the above embodiments, the autonomous mobile robot may have a first plate inserted into the U-shaped component and a second plate erected at the end of the first plate.

[0018] With this structure, since the sensor can be placed on the second plate, it is possible to place the sensor at a high position and detect a wide range.

[0019] In one of the above embodiments, the autonomous mobile robot may have a plate inserted into the U-shaped component, with wheels of the autonomous mobile robot disposed below the end of the plate.

[0020] With this structure, when the plate of the autonomous mobile robot is inserted into the U-shaped component, the wheels of the autonomous mobile robot can be positioned on the outside of the U-shaped component. Therefore, an autonomous mobile robot with a large wheel spacing can be used to move and transport goods.

[0021] According to the present invention, an automated handling system is provided that enables an autonomous mobile robot having a width greater than the spacing between the legs of the shelf to enter the shelf.

[0022] The above and other objects, features and advantages of this disclosure will become more fully understood from the detailed description and accompanying drawings given below, which are given by way of illustration only and should not be considered as limiting the disclosure. Attached Figure Description

[0023] Figure 1 This is a schematic perspective view of the shelf according to Embodiment 1.

[0024] Figure 2 This is a schematic perspective view of the autonomous mobile robot according to Embodiment 1.

[0025] Figure 3 This is a block diagram illustrating the general system structure of the autonomous mobile robot in Implementation Method 1.

[0026] Figure 4 It is a schematic 3D diagram showing an autonomous mobile robot that has penetrated under a shelf and is connected to the shelf.

[0027] Figure 5 Based on Figure 4 The diagram shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the autonomous mobile robot VV and the shelving.

[0028] Figure 6 This is a schematic perspective view of the shelf in Implementation Method 2.

[0029] Figure 7 It is a schematic 3D diagram showing an autonomous mobile robot that has penetrated under a shelf and is connected to the shelf.

[0030] Figure 8 This is a schematic perspective view of the shelf in embodiment 3.

[0031] Figure 9 This is a schematic perspective view of the autonomous mobile robot according to embodiment 4.

[0032] Figure 10 It is a schematic 3D diagram showing an autonomous mobile robot that has penetrated under a shelf and is connected to the shelf.

[0033] Figure 11 This is a schematic perspective view of the autonomous mobile robot according to embodiment 5.

[0034] Figure 12 It is a schematic 3D diagram showing an autonomous mobile robot that has crawled under a shelf and is connected to the shelf. Detailed Implementation

[0035] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0036] <Implementation Method 1>

[0037] The automated handling system of this embodiment includes a shelf 10 and an autonomous mobile robot 20. The autonomous mobile robot 20 enters below the shelf 10 to move goods from the shelf 10. Hereinafter, the shelf 10 and the autonomous mobile robot 20 will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0038] First, let's explain shelf 10. Figure 1 This is a schematic perspective view of the shelf 10 according to embodiment 1. Figure 1 As shown, the shelf 10 has a mounting section 100. Furthermore, the shelf 10 has multiple legs on the side of its bottom surface that support the shelf 10 (mounting section 100). Figure 1 In the example shown, shelf 10 has two legs, each with a U-shaped member 110. That is, in Figure 1 In the example shown, shelf 10 has two U-shaped members 110 as legs. Additionally, in Figure 1 In the example shown, wheels 120 are also provided below the U-shaped member 110 as part of the leg structure. The loading section 100 is the part of the shelf 10 that carries goods. In the example shown, the loading section 100 is composed of horizontally arranged rectangular plates.

[0039] As shown in the figure, on the bottom surface of the shelf 10, i.e., the bottom surface of the mounting portion 100, two U-shaped members 110 are provided as legs at predetermined intervals in the width direction of the bottom surface. Specifically, the U-shaped members 110 (i.e., the legs having U-shaped members 110) are respectively provided on both sides of the bottom surface of the shelf 10 (the left and right sides of the shelf 10 in the figure). Specifically, the illustrated U-shaped member 110 is composed of a first rod 111a and a second rod 111b extending in the horizontal direction, and a rod 112 connecting the first rod 111a and the second rod 111b so that they are arranged parallel to each other at intervals. Each U-shaped member 110 is configured such that the two ends of the opening side of the U-shaped member (the end of the first rod 111a and the end of the second rod 111b) are arranged in the vertical direction. That is, the U-shaped members 110 are set vertically. Thus, each U-shaped member 110 opens in the horizontal direction. In other words, the U-shaped members 110 open outwards in the horizontal direction of the shelf 10. In particular, in this embodiment, the two U-shaped members 110 on both sides of the bottom surface of the shelf 10 are arranged with the same opening direction. That is, the opening ends of the two U-shaped members 110 face the same direction.

[0040] Here, the configuration of the U-shaped member 110 in this embodiment will be described in more detail. As shown in the figure, the U-shaped member 110 is arranged along a portion of the outer periphery of the bottom surface of the shelf 10 (one side of the bottom surface of the rectangle). In other words, the U-shaped member 110 is arranged along the depth direction of the shelf 10. That is, the U-shaped member 110 is configured to form the side surface of the shelf 10. In this embodiment, a first U-shaped member 110 is arranged along one side of the shelf 10, and a second U-shaped member 110 is arranged along the opposite side, i.e., the other side. In this way, the two U-shaped members 110 are arranged parallel to each other on the bottom surface of the shelf 10.

[0041] At least one of the plurality of wheels 120 of the shelf 10 is provided on each U-shaped member 110. In the example shown in the figure, each U-shaped member 110 is provided with two wheels 120. In this embodiment, the wheels 120 are, for example, small casters, and the horizontal orientation of the wheels can be freely changed. Therefore, the shelf 10 can move in any direction. However, the orientation of the wheels 120 may not be changed. In this case, the shelf 10 moves only in a straight line along the orientation of the wheels 120. Alternatively, the wheels 120 may be omitted, and any structure for contacting the shelf 10 with the ground or floor surface may be provided instead of the wheels 120. That is, the shelf 10 may not necessarily be able to walk. In this case, for example, the autonomous mobile robot 20 described later lifts the shelf 10 from below, causing the shelf 10 to float, thereby transporting the shelf 10.

[0042] Wheels 120 are provided on the lower side of the U-shaped member 110, specifically, on the lower of the two rods constituting the U-shaped member 110, namely the second rod 111b. In the structure shown in the attached figure, two wheels 120 are provided on the U-shaped member 110. Specifically, wheels 120 are provided near the end on the open side of the U-shaped member 110 and near the end on the opposite side (corresponding to the end of the folded portion of the U). Alternatively, it is not necessary for all U-shaped members 110 to have two wheels 120. For example, when the shelf 10 is supported by three points, there may be a U-shaped member 110 with only one wheel 120.

[0043] Next, the autonomous mobile robot 20 will be described. Figure 2 This is a schematic perspective view of the autonomous mobile robot 20 according to this embodiment. Furthermore, Figure 3This is a block diagram illustrating the general system structure of the autonomous mobile robot 20 according to this embodiment. The autonomous mobile robot 20 is a robot that moves autonomously in mobile environments such as residences, facilities, warehouses, factories, and outdoors. Specifically, the autonomous mobile robot 20 enters under the shelf 10 (i.e., hides under the shelf 10) and moves along with the shelf 10, thereby transporting the shelf 10. In this embodiment, the autonomous mobile robot 20 has a main body 200 and a plate 210. The main body 200 is a frame that houses the equipment required for the autonomous mobile robot 20. For example, the control unit 250, drive unit 230, and wireless communication unit 260 (described later) are mounted in the main body 200, but at least some of these may be mounted outside the main body 200. In the structure shown in the figures, the main body 200 is rectangular, but its shape is not limited to a cuboid and can be any shape. Furthermore, in the structure shown in the figures, the plate 210 is provided on the main body 200 and its shape is a rectangle corresponding to the shape of the shelf 10, but its shape is not limited to a rectangle and can be circular (elliptical), etc. Alternatively, the plate 210 can be integrally formed with the main body 200. The plate 210 is horizontally positioned, and the position of the plate 210 above the ground or floor surface in the autonomous mobile robot 20 corresponds to the position of the gap between the first bar 111a and the second bar 111b of the U-shaped member 110 of the shelf 10. Furthermore, in the following description, the gap between the first bar 111a and the second bar 111b of the U-shaped member 110 will be referred to as the gap of the U-shaped member 110.

[0044] In addition, the autonomous mobile robot 20 also includes: wheels 220, drive unit 230, sensor 240, control unit 250 for controlling the autonomous mobile robot 20, and wireless communication unit 260.

[0045] In this embodiment, the wheel 220 is, for example, a Mecanum wheel, but the autonomous mobile robot 20 is not limited to this, and can use wheels with any structure as the wheel 220. Furthermore, in the structure shown in the figures, the autonomous mobile robot 20 has two wheels 220 at the front and two at the rear, but the mounting position and number of the wheels 220 are not limited to the structure shown in the figures. The drive unit 230 has an actuator such as a motor, and rotates the wheels 220 according to control signals from the control unit 250, thereby allowing the autonomous mobile robot 20 to move and rotate in any direction. Thus, the autonomous mobile robot 20 can move to any position. Furthermore, when the plate 210 can rise and fall, the drive unit 230 can further drive the plate 210 to rise and fall according to control signals from the control unit 250.

[0046] Sensor 240 is a sensor that detects information about the moving environment of the autonomous mobile robot 20, i.e., environmental information (such as distance information, image information, etc. of any object around the autonomous mobile robot 20). Sensor 240 is, for example, a LiDAR (light detection and ranging) sensor, but it can also be a camera (RGB-D camera, stereo camera, etc.). Sensor 240 detects the environmental information required for the autonomous mobile robot 20 to move and outputs the detected environmental information to the control unit 250. The control unit 250 generates control signals based on the environmental information detected by sensor 240, map information of the moving environment, etc., to enable the autonomous mobile robot 20 to move autonomously. In this embodiment, sensor 240 is disposed at the end of plate 210. Furthermore, as described later, to prevent the field of view of sensor 240 from being obstructed by shelf 10, it is preferable to dispose of sensor 240 at the end of plate 210, but it can also be disposed at other locations on the autonomous mobile robot 20. In the structure shown in the figure, sensor 240 is disposed on the side of the front end of plate 210, but it can also be disposed on the top or bottom of the plate.

[0047] The wireless communication unit 260 is a circuit that performs wireless communication to communicate with servers or other robots as needed, and includes, for example, wireless transceiver circuitry and an antenna. Furthermore, if the autonomous mobile robot 20 does not communicate with other devices, the wireless communication unit 260 can be omitted.

[0048] The control unit 250 is a device for controlling the autonomous mobile robot 20, and includes a processor 251, a memory 252, and an interface 253. The processor 251, the memory 252, and the interface 253 are interconnected via a data bus or the like.

[0049] Interface 253 is an input / output circuit used for communication with other devices such as sensor 240, driver 230 and wireless communication unit 260.

[0050] The memory 252 is composed, for example, of a combination of volatile and non-volatile memory. The memory 252 is used to store software (computer programs) including one or more commands executed by the processor 251, as well as data for various processing of the autonomous mobile robot 20.

[0051] The processor 251 performs the processing described later in the control unit 250 by reading software (computer program) from memory 252 and executing it.

[0052] Processor 251 may be, for example, a microprocessor, an MPU (Micro Processor Unit), or a CPU (Central Processing Unit). Processor 251 may include multiple processors.

[0053] Thus, the control unit 250 functions as a computer.

[0054] The program comprises a group of commands (or software code) that, when read into a computer, cause the computer to perform one or more functions described in the implementation. The program may be stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium or tangible storage medium. By way of example, not as a limitation, computer-readable media or tangible storage media include random-access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, solid-state drive (SSD) or other memory technologies, CD-ROM, digital versatile disc (DVD), Blu-ray disc or other optical disc storage, cassette tape, magnetic tape, disk storage, or other magnetic storage devices. The program may be transmitted on a temporary computer-readable medium or communication medium. By way of example, not as a limitation, temporary computer-readable media or communication media include electrical, optical, acoustic, or other forms of propagation signals.

[0055] Here, the plate 210 of the autonomous mobile robot 20 will be described in detail. The plate 210 has a width longer than the width of the shelf 10. In other words, the width of the plate 210 is longer than the distance between the legs of the shelf 10 (the distance between the U-shaped members 110 on one side of the shelf 10 and the U-shaped members 110 on the opposite side). Furthermore, the portion of the plate 210 that protrudes horizontally outward from the main body 200 can also be called a protrusion. Additionally, the thickness of the plate 210 is thinner than the gap between the U-shaped members 110. Therefore, the plate 210 can be inserted into the gap between the U-shaped members 110. That is, the plate 210 is inserted into the U-shaped members 110 by the movement of the autonomous mobile robot 20. In this case, the control unit 250 controls the autonomous mobile robot 20 to enter from the opening side of the U-shaped member 110 in the extending direction of the U-shaped member 110. Alternatively, the autonomous mobile robot 20 can also be inserted under the shelf 10 by a person moving the shelf 10.

[0056] Figure 4 This is a schematic perspective view showing the autonomous mobile robot 20 hiding under the shelf 10 and connected to the shelf 10. Additionally, Figure 5yes Figure 4 A schematic cross-sectional view of the autonomous mobile robot 20 and the shelf 10, with section line VV in the figure. Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the end (i.e., the protrusion) of the plate 210 is inserted into the gap of the U-shaped member 110, and the front end of the plate 210 in the width direction can protrude outwards from the shelf 10. Thus, according to this embodiment, since the U-shaped member 110 is provided on the shelf 10, an autonomous mobile robot 20 with a width greater than the distance between the legs of the shelf 10 can be inserted into the shelf 10. Therefore, the shelf 10 can be supported by the large plate 210. In particular, in this embodiment, the U-shaped member 110 is provided on both sides of the shelf 10. Therefore, since the autonomous mobile robot 20 can protrude from the shelf 10 on both sides, an autonomous mobile robot 20 with a greater width can be inserted into the shelf.

[0057] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described above, the sensor 240 is disposed at the end of the plate 210, which extends horizontally outward from the U-shaped member 110. Therefore, even when the autonomous mobile robot 20 is submerged under the shelf 10, the sensor 240's field of view can be prevented from being obstructed by the shelf 10. That is, since the sensor 240 can be positioned on the outside of the shelf 10, blind spots caused by the shelf 10 can be suppressed. Therefore, even when the autonomous mobile robot 20 is submerged under the shelf 10, the sensor 240 can appropriately acquire information about its surroundings.

[0058] Furthermore, the autonomous mobile robot 20 connects to the shelf 10 after it descends beneath the shelf 10. That is, the relative positional relationship between the autonomous mobile robot 20 and the shelf 10 is fixed so that the shelf 10 moves as the autonomous mobile robot 20 moves. This connection can be made in any way. For example, the connection can be made by mechanically connecting the locking member of the autonomous mobile robot 20 to the locking member of the shelf 10, by raising the shelf 10 by the control unit 250 raising the plate 210, or by generating magnetic force under the control of the control unit 250.

[0059] <Implementation Method 2>

[0060] Next, Embodiment 2 will be described. In Embodiment 1, the two U-shaped members 110 of the shelf 10 are configured to have the same opening direction. In contrast, in this embodiment, the difference from Embodiment 1 is that the two U-shaped members 110 have different opening directions. Hereinafter, the differences from the above embodiments will be described, and descriptions of repeated structures and functions will be omitted as appropriate.

[0061] Figure 6This is a schematic perspective view of the shelf 11 according to Embodiment 2. As described above, the shelf 11 differs from the shelf 10 of Embodiment 1 in that it has two U-shaped members 110 arranged with opposite opening directions. Furthermore, Figure 7 This is a schematic perspective view showing the autonomous mobile robot 20 hiding under the shelf 11 and connected to the shelf 11. (See diagram below.) Figure 7 As shown, even in such a structure, by inserting the plate 210 into the U-shaped member 110, the autonomous mobile robot 20, which has a width greater than the spacing between the legs of the shelf 11, can be inserted into the shelf 11. That is, with the autonomous mobile robot 20 located directly below the shelf 11, the front end of the plate 210 can protrude outward from the shelf 11.

[0062] In this embodiment, the control unit 250 controls the autonomous mobile robot 20 to enter from the opening side of one U-shaped member 110 in the extending direction of the U-shaped member 110, and after the autonomous mobile robot 20 has advanced to below the shelf 11, it controls the autonomous mobile robot 20 to move towards the other U-shaped member 110. That is, after the control unit 250 moves the autonomous mobile robot 20 in the extending direction of the U-shaped member 110, it moves the autonomous mobile robot 20 in a direction orthogonal to the extending direction of the U-shaped member 110. In this way, the control unit 250 controls the autonomous mobile robot 20 to move in an L-shape, so that both sides of the plate 210 are inserted into the U-shaped member 110. In addition, in this embodiment, such a two-stage movement is performed, but according to the shelf 10 shown in Embodiment 1, since the opening directions of the two U-shaped members 110 are the same, it is possible to insert both sides of the plate 210 into the U-shaped member 110 simply by moving the autonomous mobile robot 20 in the extending direction of the U-shaped member 110. Therefore, in Embodiment 1, compared to the case where the opening direction is different, the autonomous mobile robot 20 has the advantage of being able to easily slip under the shelf 10. Furthermore, in Embodiment 2, the autonomous mobile robot 20 can also slip under the shelf 10 by being moved by a person.

[0063] In Embodiment 1, the two U-shaped members 110 are configured with their openings facing the same direction, thus limiting the direction in which the autonomous mobile robot 20 can enter the shelf 10 to only one. In contrast, in this embodiment, since the two U-shaped members 110 on both sides of the bottom surface of the shelf 11 are configured with their openings facing opposite directions, the autonomous mobile robot 20 can enter the shelf 11 from two directions. Furthermore, by making the openings of the U-shaped members 110 face opposite directions, compared to Embodiment 1 where the two U-shaped members 110 face the same direction, the strength of the U-shaped members 110 relative to the load applied in the vertical direction can be improved. That is, deformation of the U-shaped members 110 (deformation such as the closure of the openings of the U-shaped members 110) when a vertical force is applied to the shelf can be suppressed.

[0064] <Implementation Method 3>

[0065] Next, Embodiment 3 will be described. In Embodiment 1, the shelf 10 has two U-shaped members 110. In contrast, in this embodiment, the difference from Embodiment 1 is that the shelf 12 has one U-shaped member 110 and one ring member 130. That is, the difference between Embodiment 3 and Embodiment 1 is that one of the two U-shaped members 110 is replaced by a ring member 130, while the rest is the same as Embodiment 1. Thus, in this embodiment, the shelf 12 has a leg with a U-shaped member 110 on one side of its bottom surface and a leg with a ring member 130 on the other side of the bottom surface. Hereinafter, the differences between the above embodiments will be described, and repeated structures and functions will be omitted as appropriate.

[0066] Figure 8This is a schematic perspective view of the shelf 12 according to Embodiment 3. As shown, on the bottom surface of the shelf 12, i.e., the bottom surface of the mounting portion 100, U-shaped members 110 and ring-shaped members 130 are provided at predetermined intervals in the width direction of the bottom surface. Specifically, the U-shaped members 110 are provided on one side of the bottom surface (the left side of the shelf 12 in the figure), and the ring-shaped members 130 are provided on the other side (the right side of the shelf 12 in the figure). Thus, in this embodiment, the shelf 12 has U-shaped members 110 and ring-shaped members 130 as legs. The ring-shaped members 130 shown in the figure are specifically rectangular ring-shaped members. The ring-shaped members 130 are provided vertically. More specifically, the plane formed by the closed curve of the inner side of the ring-shaped members 130 is parallel to the vertical direction. Thus, the ring-shaped members 130 are designed so that other objects can pass through in the horizontal direction. The vertical length of the space inside the ring-shaped members 130 is approximately the same as the size of the gap of the U-shaped members 110. Furthermore, the distance from the ground or floor surface to the inner space of the annular member 130 is approximately the same as the distance from the ground or floor surface to the gap of the U-shaped member 110. The inner space of the annular member 130 extends horizontally, and the length direction of the annular member 130 is consistent with the horizontal direction. Moreover, the depth length of the inner space of the annular member 130 is greater than the depth length of the plate 210. In the following description, the inner space of the annular member 130 will be referred to as the gap of the annular member 130.

[0067] In addition, in this embodiment, wheels 120 are also provided as leg structures. Specifically, at least one of the plurality of wheels 120 of the shelf 12 is provided on the U-shaped member 110 and the ring member 130. In the example shown in the figure, two wheels 120 are provided on both the U-shaped member 110 and the ring member 130. The wheels 120 of the ring member 130 are provided on the lower side of the ring member 130, specifically, on the bottom edge of the rectangular ring-shaped member constituting the ring member 130. Specifically, wheels 120 are provided near both ends of the bottom edge of the ring member 130.

[0068] The autonomous mobile robot 20 of this embodiment has the same structure as that of Embodiment 1, but has the following features: The thickness of the plate 210 is thinner than the gaps in the U-shaped member 110 and the annular member 130. Therefore, the plate 210 can be inserted into the gaps in the U-shaped member 110 and the annular member 130. That is, the plate 210 is inserted into the U-shaped member 110 and the annular member 130 by the movement of the autonomous mobile robot 20.

[0069] As described above, in the shelf 12 of this embodiment, a leg with a U-shaped member 110 is provided on one side of the bottom surface, and a leg with a ring-shaped member 130 is provided on the other side of the bottom surface. In this structure, by inserting the plate 210 into the U-shaped member 110 and the ring-shaped member 130, an autonomous mobile robot 20 with a width greater than the distance between the legs of the shelf 12 can be inserted into the shelf 12. That is, with the autonomous mobile robot 20 located directly below the shelf 12, the front end of the plate 210 can protrude outwards from the shelf 12. In particular, according to this embodiment, since the autonomous mobile robot 20 can protrude from the shelf 12 on both sides, an autonomous mobile robot 20 with a greater width can be inserted into the shelf 12.

[0070] In this embodiment, the control unit 250 controls the autonomous mobile robot 20 to enter from the opening side of the U-shaped member 110 in the extending direction of the U-shaped member 110, and after the autonomous mobile robot 20 has advanced under the shelf 12, it controls the autonomous mobile robot 20 to move towards the ring member 130. That is, after the control unit 250 moves the autonomous mobile robot 20 in the extending direction of the U-shaped member 110, it moves the autonomous mobile robot 20 in a direction orthogonal to the extending direction of the U-shaped member 110. In this way, the control unit 250 controls the autonomous mobile robot 20 to move in an L-shape, inserting the plate 210 into the U-shaped member 110 and the ring member 130. In addition, in this embodiment, the shelf 12 can also be moved by a person, thereby causing the autonomous mobile robot 20 to hide under the shelf 12.

[0071] In this embodiment, one of the two U-shaped members 110 is replaced with a ring-shaped member 130, thus providing greater strength against loads applied in the vertical direction compared to the case where two U-shaped members 110 are used as in Embodiment 1. That is, deformation of the U-shaped member 110 (such as the closure of the opening of the U-shaped member 110) when a vertical force is applied to the shelf can be suppressed.

[0072] <Implementation Method 4>

[0073] Next, embodiment 4 will be described. The difference between this embodiment and embodiment 1 is that the structure of the autonomous mobile robot is different. Figure 9 This is a schematic perspective view of the autonomous mobile robot 21 according to Embodiment 4. The autonomous mobile robot 21 of Embodiment 4 differs from the autonomous mobile robot 20 of Embodiment 1 in that a vertically erected plate 215 is added. Furthermore, while shelf 10 may be used for the autonomous mobile robot 21, shelf 11 or shelf 12 may also be used. The differences from the embodiments described above will be explained below; repeated structures and functions will be omitted as appropriate.

[0074] Plate 215 is vertically disposed at the end of plate 210. More specifically, plate 215 is disposed perpendicular to plate 210 at the end of plate 210. Additionally, a sensor 240 is disposed on the upper side of plate 215. Furthermore, in Figure 9 In the example shown, sensor 240 is disposed on the four sides of plate 215 (front, back, left, and right), but sensor 240 may be disposed on only a portion of these sides. Additionally, sensor 240 may be disposed on the upper front end of plate 215.

[0075] Figure 10 This is a schematic perspective view showing the autonomous mobile robot 21 hiding under the shelf 10 and connected to the shelf 10. (Example) Figure 10 As shown, even in this structure, by inserting the plate 210 into the U-shaped member 110, the autonomous mobile robot 21, which has a width greater than the spacing between the legs of the shelf 10, can be inserted into the shelf 10. Then, with the autonomous mobile robot 21 connected to the shelf 10, the plate 215 extends out from the upper side of the shelf 10. Therefore, even with the autonomous mobile robot 21 connected to the shelf 10, a wide area can be detected by the sensor 240 provided on the plate 215. Thus, since the autonomous mobile robot 21 has the plate 215 erected at the end of the plate 210, and the sensor 240 can be provided on the plate 215, the sensor 240 can be provided at a high position, enabling the detection of a wide range.

[0076] <Implementation Method 5>

[0077] Next, embodiment 5 will be described. The difference between this embodiment and embodiment 1 lies in the structure of the autonomous mobile robot. Figure 11 This is a schematic perspective view of the autonomous mobile robot 22 according to embodiment 5. Additionally, Figure 12 This is a schematic perspective view showing the autonomous mobile robot 22 hiding under the shelf 10 and connected to the shelf 10. The autonomous mobile robot 22 in Embodiment 5 differs from the autonomous mobile robot 20 in Embodiment 1 in that the position of the wheels 220 is different. Hereinafter, the differences from the above embodiments will be explained, and repeated structures and functions will be omitted as appropriate.

[0078] In this embodiment, the wheels 220 of the autonomous mobile robot 22 are disposed below the end of the plate 210. Specifically, the wheels 220 are disposed below the end of the U-shaped member 110 that extends horizontally outward when connected to the shelf 10. In the example shown in the figure, more specifically, the wheels 220 are disposed on the wheel connecting member 225, which is disposed below the end of the plate 210 and extends downward. Furthermore, in the structure shown in the figure, the autonomous mobile robot 22 has two wheels 220 at the front and two at the rear, but the mounting position and number of the wheels 220 are not limited to the structure shown. Additionally, as shown, a space (the space between the wheel connecting member 225 and the main body 200) is provided inside the wheels 220 disposed at the end of the plate 210 for the insertion of the second rod 111b of the U-shaped member 110. Figure 12 As shown, even in this structure, by inserting the plate 210 into the U-shaped member 110, the autonomous mobile robot 22, which has a width greater than the spacing between the legs of the shelf 10, can be inserted into the shelf 10. Furthermore, according to the structure of this embodiment, when the plate 210 of the autonomous mobile robot 22 is inserted into the U-shaped member 110, the position of the wheels 220 of the autonomous mobile robot 22 can be located on the outside of the U-shaped member 110. Therefore, the autonomous mobile robot 22 with a large wheel spacing can be used to move goods on the shelf. That is, since the wheel spacing of the autonomous mobile robot 22 can be lengthened, the support polygon can be increased. Therefore, the stability of the autonomous mobile robot 22 can be improved. That is, the possibility of the autonomous mobile robot 22 falling over can be suppressed.

[0079] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and appropriate modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, in the above example, the autonomous mobile robot 20 can be exposed on both sides of the shelf. However, the autonomous mobile robot 20 does not necessarily have to be exposed on both sides of the shelf. In this case, the U-shaped member 110 can be used only on one side of the shelf. That is, the shelf only needs to have a U-shaped member 110 on at least one side of the bottom surface.

[0080] As will be apparent from the above description, embodiments of this disclosure can be varied in many ways. These variations should not be considered a departure from the spirit and scope of this disclosure, and all such modifications that are obvious to those skilled in the art are included within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. An automated handling system, wherein an autonomous mobile robot enters beneath a shelf to move the shelf, wherein, The shelf has multiple legs on the side of its bottom surface. At least one of the plurality of legs has a U-shaped component. The U-shaped component is configured such that the two ends of the open side of the U-shaped component are arranged in the vertical direction. The autonomous mobile robot comprises: a main body; a first plate disposed above the main body and protruding horizontally outward from the main body, inserted into the U-shaped component; and a second plate erected at the end of the first plate. A sensor is provided at the end of the second plate.

2. The automated handling system according to claim 1, wherein, The legs, which have the U-shaped component, are respectively disposed on both sides of the bottom surface.

3. The automated handling system according to claim 2, wherein, The two U-shaped components on both sides of the bottom surface are configured to have openings in the same direction.

4. The automated handling system according to claim 2, wherein, The two U-shaped members on either side of the bottom surface are configured to have openings facing opposite directions.

5. The automated handling system according to claim 1, wherein, A leg with the U-shaped member is provided on one side of the bottom surface, and a leg with a ring-shaped member is provided on the other side of the bottom surface.

6. The automated handling system according to claim 3, wherein, The wheels of the autonomous mobile robot are provided below the end of the first plate.

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