Picking method and program based on trolley robot, and picking system using trolley robot

Abstract

And goods can be efficiently picked. The trolley robot is provided with a first arm and a second arm, and sorts and transports goods. During travel of the dolly robot, the cargo is gripped by the first arm, after which the dolly robot is moved while the cargo is gripped with the first arm by the second arm.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a picking method and program based on a cart robot, and a picking system using the cart robot. Background Art

[0002] In Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2022-068557, a picking device using a cart robot is disclosed. The cart robot autonomously travels based on a predetermined goods collection plan and takes out goods from a shelf with an arm. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] When the cart robot autonomously travels to pick up goods in a warehouse and transport them to a predetermined position, if the cart robot stops every time goods are picked up, the picking efficiency of the goods will be reduced.

[0005] When the cart robot autonomously travels to pick up goods in a warehouse and transport them to a predetermined position, if the state of holding the goods with the arm is maintained at the position where the goods are picked up, the held goods may collide with other goods that have not been picked up.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and its object is to be able to pick up goods with high efficiency.

[0007] In addition, another object of the present disclosure is to prevent the picked goods from colliding with other goods.

[0008] Means for Solving the Problems

[0009] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a first picking method based on a cart robot. The cart robot is provided with a first arm and a second arm, and picks up and transports goods. In the above first picking method, during the travel of the cart robot, the goods are held by the first arm, and then, while moving the cart robot, the goods are held by the second arm together with the first arm.

[0010] It should be noted that, in the first picking method according to the present disclosure, the first arm may be installed on the front side of the cart robot, and the second arm may be installed on the rear side of the cart robot.

[0011] In addition, in the first picking method according to the present disclosure, it is also possible to make the above-mentioned trolley robot travel at a first speed and decelerate to a second speed smaller than the first speed when picking the above-mentioned goods. Based on at least one of the lengths of the above-mentioned first arm and the second arm, the moving speeds of the above-mentioned first arm and the second arm, the angles of the above-mentioned first arm and the second arm, the gripping capabilities of the above-mentioned first arm and the second arm, the distances from the above-mentioned first arm and the second arm to the above-mentioned goods, the weight of the above-mentioned goods, and the quantity of the above-mentioned goods, the above-mentioned second speed is derived.

[0012] In addition, in the first picking method according to the present disclosure, it is also possible to use a learned model to derive the above-mentioned second speed. The learned model is constructed such that when it is input with at least one of the lengths of the above-mentioned first arm and the second arm, the moving speeds of the above-mentioned first arm and the second arm, the angles of the above-mentioned first arm and the second arm, the gripping capabilities of the above-mentioned first arm and the second arm, the distances from the above-mentioned first arm and the second arm to the above-mentioned goods, the weight of the above-mentioned goods, and the quantity of the above-mentioned goods, it outputs the above-mentioned second speed.

[0013] In addition, in the first picking method according to the present disclosure, it is also possible that the above-mentioned trolley robot is provided with the above-mentioned first arm and the second arm on the left and right sides in the traveling direction respectively, and each of the above-mentioned first arm and the second arm on the left side and the above-mentioned first arm and the second arm on the right side grips the goods respectively.

[0014] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a program for causing a computer to execute the first picking method according to the present disclosure.

[0015] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a first picking system including: a trolley robot having a first arm and a second arm for picking and transporting goods; a turntable that moves in a certain direction while loaded with goods; and an information processing device. The information processing device controls the trolley robot to make the trolley robot travel at a first speed, and when picking the goods placed on the turntable, makes the trolley robot decelerate to a second speed. While making the trolley robot travel at the second speed, the goods are gripped by the first arm and the second arm. The second speed is greater than or equal to the moving speed of the turntable and less than the first speed.

[0016] In addition, in the first picking system according to the present disclosure, it is also possible that the information processing device controls the trolley robot to make the trolley robot travel at a second speed greater than the moving speed of the turntable, grip the goods by the first arm, and then, while making the trolley robot travel, grip the goods together with the first arm by the second arm.

[0017] In addition, in the first picking system according to the present disclosure, it is also possible that the information processing device controls the cart robot so that the cart robot travels at the second speed that is the same as the moving speed of the turntable, and holds the goods simultaneously by the first arm and the second arm.

[0018] In addition, in the first picking system according to the present disclosure, it is also possible that the first arm is installed on the front side of the cart robot, and the second arm is installed on the rear side of the cart robot.

[0019] Further, in the first picking system according to the present disclosure, it is also possible that the second speed is derived based on at least one of the lengths of the first arm and the second arm, the moving speeds of the first arm and the second arm, the angles of the first arm and the second arm, the gripping capabilities of the first arm and the second arm, the distances from the first arm and the second arm to the goods, the weight of the goods, and the quantity of the goods.

[0020] According to one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a program for causing a computer to function as an information processing device of the first picking system according to the present disclosure.

[0021] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a second picking method based on a cart robot, the cart robot including a traveling vehicle body, and a first arm and a second arm mounted on the traveling vehicle body, and picking and transporting a plurality of stored goods while traveling. In the second picking method, after gripping the goods by the first arm and the second arm, before at least one of the first arm and the second arm interferes with other goods other than the gripped goods, the goods are pulled toward the traveling vehicle body side by the first arm and the second arm.

[0022] It should be noted that, in the second picking method according to the present disclosure, it is also possible that after pulling the gripped goods toward the traveling vehicle body side by the first arm and the second arm, the goods are placed on the traveling vehicle body.

[0023] In addition, in the second picking method according to the present disclosure, the traveling vehicle body may have a cart or a mounting table capable of mounting a plurality of the goods.

[0024] Further, in the second picking method according to the present disclosure, it is also possible that during the traveling of the cart robot, the goods are gripped by the first arm, and then, while moving the cart robot, the goods are gripped together with the first arm by the second arm.

[0025] In addition, in the second picking method according to the present disclosure, it is also possible that the first arm is mounted on the front side of the cart robot, and the second arm is mounted on the rear side of the cart robot.

[0026] In addition, in the second picking method according to the present disclosure, it is also possible that the cart robot travels at a first speed and decelerates to a second speed smaller than the first speed when picking the goods, and the second speed is derived based on at least one of the lengths of the first arm and the second arm, the moving speeds of the first arm and the second arm, the angles of the first arm and the second arm, the gripping capabilities of the first arm and the second arm, the distances from the first arm and the second arm to the goods, the weight of the goods, and the quantity of the goods.

[0027] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a program for causing a computer to execute the second picking method according to the present disclosure.

[0028] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a second picking system including a cart robot that picks up goods with an arm and transports them along a travel lane. In the second picking system, between the entry point and the exit point of a curved lane formed by a specified turning radius in the travel lane, the cart robot is connected to the center of the turning radius of the curved lane.

[0029] Thereby, the cart robot can travel on the curved lane without reducing the travel speed, and can efficiently perform the goods picking operation.

[0030] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a third picking system including a cart robot that picks up goods with an arm and transports them along a travel lane. The third picking system includes: a locking mechanism unit that is rotatably provided about the center of the turning radius of a curved lane formed by a specified turning radius in the travel lane and includes a locking portion capable of locking with the arm of the cart robot; and a locking control unit that controls to lock the locking portion of the locking mechanism unit, which has been standby at the entry point, with the arm of the cart robot when the cart robot reaches the entry point of the curved lane, and releases the locked state between the locking portion and the arm when the cart robot reaches a predetermined exit point of the curved lane.

[0031] According to the third picking system related to the present disclosure, the clamping control unit controls so that when the trolley robot reaches the entry point of the curved lane, the clamping part of the clamping mechanism unit that has been waiting at the entry point is clamped with the arm of the trolley robot, and when the trolley robot reaches a predetermined exit point of the curved lane, the clamping state between the clamping part and the arm is released.

[0032] Thereby, the trolley robot can travel on the curved lane without reducing the traveling speed, and can efficiently perform the picking operation of goods.

[0033] In addition, in the third picking system related to the present disclosure, the clamping control unit can also make the clamping part of the clamping mechanism unit return to the entry point to be in a standby state after the clamping state at the exit point is released. By always making the clamping part wait at the entry point, it is possible to cope with the entry of multiple trolley robots into the curved lane.

[0034] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a fourth picking system including a trolley robot is provided. The trolley robot picks up goods with an arm and transports them along a traveling lane. The fourth picking system includes: a buffer mechanism unit that is provided between a wheel that moves along the traveling lane and a vehicle body that houses the picked goods, supports the vehicle body, and can tilt in such a way that the outer wheel side is at a higher position than the inner wheel side when traveling on a curved lane; and a tilt control unit that controls the buffer mechanism unit to tilt the vehicle body during a tilt period determined based on the entry point of the curved lane of the trolley robot, and controls the buffer mechanism unit to release the tilt of the vehicle body during a tilt release period determined based on the exit point of the curved lane of the trolley robot.

[0035] In the fourth picking system related to the present disclosure, the tilt control unit controls the buffer mechanism unit to tilt the vehicle body during a tilt period determined based on the entry point of the curved lane of the trolley robot, and controls the buffer mechanism unit to release the tilt of the vehicle body during a tilt release period determined based on the exit point of the curved lane of the trolley robot.

[0036] Thereby, the trolley robot can travel on the curved lane without reducing the traveling speed, and at the same time avoid the movement (tipping over, scattering, etc.) of the carried goods, and can efficiently perform the picking operation of goods.

[0037] In addition, in the fourth picking system according to the present disclosure, it may also be that the tilting period of the vehicle body is the period when the trolley robot reaches an entry recognition point at a predetermined distance near the entry point, and the tilting release period of the vehicle body is the period when the trolley robot reaches an exit recognition point at a predetermined distance near the exit point. By setting the tilting period of the vehicle body to the entry recognition point at a predetermined distance near the entry point and the tilting release period of the vehicle body to the exit recognition point at a predetermined distance near the exit point, the tilting period can be implemented with high precision.

[0038] In addition, in the fourth picking system according to the present disclosure, it may also be that the tilting angle when the vehicle body is tilted by the tilting control unit is calculated based on the traveling speed of the trolley robot and the turning radius of the curved lane. Thereby, it is possible to set a tilting angle that avoids the movement (tipping over, scattering, etc.) of the goods and is suitable for stable traveling on the curved lane.

[0039] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a fifth picking system including a trolley robot that picks up goods by an arm and transports them along a traveling lane. The fifth picking system includes: a locking mechanism unit that is rotatably provided about the center of the turning radius of a curved lane formed by a predetermined turning radius in the traveling lane and includes a locking portion capable of locking with the arm of the trolley robot; a locking control unit that controls to lock the locking portion of the locking mechanism unit that has been waiting at the entry point with the arm of the trolley robot when the trolley robot reaches the entry point of the curved lane, and releases the locking state between the locking portion and the arm when the trolley robot reaches a predetermined exit point of the curved lane; a buffer mechanism unit that is provided between a wheel that moves along the traveling lane and a vehicle body that houses the picked goods, supports the vehicle body, and is capable of tilting in such a manner that the outer wheel side is higher than the inner wheel side when traveling on the curved lane; and a tilting control unit that controls the buffer mechanism unit to tilt the vehicle body during a tilting period determined based on the entry point of the curved lane by the trolley robot, and controls the buffer mechanism unit to release the tilting of the vehicle body during a tilting release period determined based on the exit point of the curved lane by the trolley robot.

[0040] According to the fifth picking system according to the present disclosure, by using the locking control and the tilting control in combination, it is possible to utilize the respective characteristics and perform the picking operation of the goods more efficiently.

[0041] The program according to the present disclosure is characterized in that it causes a computer to function as the tilting control unit of the second picking system to the fifth picking system according to the present disclosure.

[0042] It should be noted that the above summary of the invention does not list all the necessary features of the present disclosure. In addition, sub-combinations of these feature groups can also be the content of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0043] Figure 1 is a top view of the floor of a warehouse implementing a picking method based on a cart robot according to the first embodiment.

[0044] Figure 2 is a perspective view of the cart robot according to the first embodiment.

[0045] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the actions of the first arm and the second arm when picking goods.

[0046] Figure 4 is a diagram schematically showing an example of the computer hardware that functions as an information processing device of the cart robot according to the first embodiment.

[0047] Figure 5 is a diagram for explaining the learned model used in the first embodiment.

[0048] Figure 6 is a flowchart for explaining the action processing of the cart robot according to the first embodiment.

[0049] Figure 7 is a perspective view showing another example of the cart robot according to the first embodiment.

[0050] Figure 8 is for implementing the use of Figure 7 a top view of the floor of a warehouse of the picking method using the cart robot shown.

[0051] Figure 9 is a top view of the floor of a warehouse implementing a picking system using a cart robot according to the second embodiment.

[0052] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the actions of the first arm and the second arm when picking goods in the second embodiment.

[0053] Figure 11 is a top view showing the actions of the first arm and the second arm when picking goods in the third embodiment.

[0054] Figure 12 is a flowchart for explaining the action processing of the cart robot according to the third embodiment.

[0055] Figure 13 is a perspective view showing another example of the cart robot according to the third embodiment.

[0056] Figure 14 It is a top view of the floor of a warehouse implementing a picking system using a cart robot according to the fourth embodiment.

[0057] Figure 15 It is a top view magnifying the position of the curved lane of the cart robot in the warehouse according to the fourth embodiment.

[0058] Figure 16 It is a control flowchart showing the steps of the locking operation of the locking mechanism unit according to the fourth embodiment.

[0059] Figure 17 It is a front view of the cart robot according to the fifth embodiment, where (A) shows the process of tilt release and (B) shows the process of tilt execution.

[0060] Figure 18 It is a functional block diagram of an information processing device dedicated to the curved lane driving control according to the fifth embodiment.

[0061] Figure 19 It is a flowchart showing a curved lane driving control routine according to the fifth embodiment.

[0062] Figure 20 It is a timing chart showing the curved lane and the tilt state of the cart robot during the curved lane driving control according to the fifth embodiment.

[0063] Figure 21 It is a diagram schematically showing an example of the computer hardware configuration that functions as an information processing device. Detailed Embodiments

[0064] Hereinafter, the present disclosure will be described by way of embodiments of the present invention. However, the following embodiments do not limit the invention described in the claims. In addition, not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are essential for the solution of the invention.

[0065] Figure 1 It is a top view of the floor 50 of a warehouse for implementing the picking method according to the first embodiment.

[0066] The picking operation refers to the work of collecting (picking up) required goods. The cart robot 52 has an indispensable role in shipping the items in the warehouse, and thus is configured in all types of warehouses.

[0067] For example, the main task is to collect specified items based on a pre-indicated list or order, and hand over the aggregated items to the inspection or packaging personnel. The larger the warehouse, the greater the variety and quantity of items stored. Therefore, multiple trolley robots 52 move within the floor 50.

[0068] On Figure 1 As shown in the floor 50, there is a storage section (warehouse, shelves, etc.) 54 storing multiple goods 56. The trolley robots 52 move around this storage section 54. The main function of the trolley robots 52 is to deliver and receive goods 56 and move along a pre-determined lane 60. It should be noted that the goods 56 are, for example, baskets containing one or more items.

[0069] The lane 60 is a lane set outside the storage section 54 within the floor 50. The trolley robots 52 meander in a way that approaches or moves away from the storage section 54, and temporarily decelerate when picking goods 56 to pick the goods 56 from the storage section 54.

[0070] In addition, in the floor 50, multiple in-warehouse sensors 53 are provided on the ceiling or walls.

[0071] Figure 2 is a perspective view of the trolley robot. As Figure 2 shown, the trolley robot 52 includes a traveling vehicle body 10, a first arm 11A, a second arm 11B, a sensor 12, a fixed frame 20 (a support frame 20a, 20b as feet, and a mounting frame 20c, 20d as arm bases), and an information processing device 15 (see Figure 4 ). The first arm 11A is installed on the front side of the trolley robot 52, and the second arm 11B is installed on the rear side of the trolley robot 52. Thus, the trolley robot 52 is a dual-arm robot with two arms 11. The traveling vehicle body 10 has, for example, a box-shaped trolley 10b with an open top. The trolley 10b can be sized to carry multiple goods 56. A plurality of drive wheels 10a are provided on the traveling vehicle body 10. Motors are respectively provided on each drive wheel 10a. The rotational speed of each drive wheel 10a is adjusted by the motor. By adjusting the rotational speed of each drive wheel 10a, the traveling vehicle body 10 can travel in the front-rear direction, left-right direction, and tilt direction. In addition, by adjusting the rotational speed of each drive wheel 10a of the traveling vehicle body 10, it can rotate 360 degrees.

[0072] The first arm 11A and the second arm 11B pick up the goods 56. The first arm 11A and the second arm 11B have a plurality of rod portions 11a and a plurality of joint portions 11b. The joint portions 11b are provided, for example, between two rod portions 11a so that the two rod portions 11a can rotate relative to each other. Each joint portion 11b has an actuator such as a motor. By rotating the rod portions 11a relative to each other through each joint portion 11b, the first arm 11A and the second arm 11B can extend and retract and can rotate 360 degrees.

[0073] A gripping portion 11c for gripping the goods is provided at the front end portions of the first arm 11A and the second arm 11B. The gripping portion 11c is, for example, a suction cup and grips the goods 56 by suction of a compressor (not shown). It should be noted that the gripping portion 11c can also be a so-called robotic hand.

[0074] The trolley robot 52 grips the goods 56 by the gripping portions 11c provided on the first arm 11A and the second arm 11B respectively. That is, the trolley robot 52 can stably pick up the goods 56 by gripping the goods 56 at two points.

[0075] The sensor 12 is installed on the traveling vehicle body 10. The sensor 12 is provided on the front side of the traveling vehicle body 10. For example, the sensor 12 is provided at the front end of the traveling vehicle body 10. The sensor 12 is provided at the upper end of the traveling vehicle body 10. The sensor 12 can also be provided to protrude more upward than the traveling vehicle body 10. The sensor 12 is installed near the center in the left-right direction of the traveling vehicle body 10.

[0076] The sensor 12 and the in-warehouse sensor 53 include at least one of the highest-performance cameras, solid-state lidars (light detection and ranging), multi-color laser coaxial displacement gauges, or various other sensors. In addition, the sensor 12 and the in-warehouse sensor 53 can include vibration meters, thermal cameras, hardness meters, radars, lidars, high-pixel / long-focus / ultra-wide-angle / 360-degree / high-performance cameras, visual recognition, faint sounds, ultrasounds, vibrations, infrared rays, ultraviolet rays, electromagnetic waves, temperature, humidity, Spot AI weather forecasts, high-precision multi-channel Global Positioning Systems (GPSs), low-altitude satellite information, long-tail event AI data, etc. The sensor 12 and the in-warehouse sensor 53 can include multiple sensors.

[0077] In addition to the above information, the sensor 12 and the in-warehouse sensor 53 can also detect images, distances, vibrations, heat, odors, colors, sounds, ultrasonic waves, ultraviolet rays, infrared rays, etc. Additionally, as the information detected by the sensor 12, examples include the movement of the center of gravity of the cart robot 52, the detection of the material of the floor on which the cart robot 52 is installed, the detection of the external air temperature, the detection of the external air humidity, the detection of the vertical, horizontal, and diagonal inclination angles of the floor, the detection of the moisture content, etc. The sensor 12 and the in-warehouse sensor 53 perform these detections, for example, every nanosecond. The measured information is used as information for controlling the cart robot 52.

[0078] Next, the operations of the first arm 11A and the second arm 11B for picking up the goods 56 will be described. Figure 3 This is a diagram for explaining the operations of the first arm 11A and the second arm 11B for picking up the goods 56. It should be noted that in Figure 3 , the cart robot 52 travels in the direction of arrow A. First, while the cart robot 52 is traveling, the first arm 11A installed on the front side holds the goods 56. The cart robot 52 continues to travel, but the position of the goods 56 remains unchanged. Therefore, the first arm 11A expands and contracts according to the travel of the cart robot 52 to maintain the holding of the goods 56. In addition, the second arm 11B installed on the rear side of the cart robot 52 approaches the goods 56 according to the travel of the cart robot 52. At this time, the degree of expansion and contraction of the first arm 11A, and the position and the degree of expansion and contraction of the second arm 11B are appropriately changed according to the change in position caused by the travel of the cart robot 52. Then, when the second arm 11B reaches a position where it can hold the goods 56, the second arm 11B holds the goods 56. Thus, the cart robot 52 can pick up the goods 56 while moving, using the first arm 11A and the second arm 11B.

[0079] Next, the Figure 4 will be used to explain a structural example of the information processing device 15 (control device). As Figure 4 shown, the information processing device 15 (control device) includes an information acquisition unit 150, a control unit 152, and an information storage unit 154. Figure 4 This is a control system block diagram of the information processing device 15 according to the embodiment.

[0080] The information acquisition unit 150 acquires the information detected by the sensor 12 and the in-warehouse sensor 53. The information acquisition unit 150 acquires the signals sent from an instruction device or the like that indicates the operations of the cart robot 52.

[0081] Based on the signals sent from the instruction device or the like and acquired by the information acquisition unit 150, the control unit 152 controls the operations of the first arm 11A, the second arm 11B, and the traveling vehicle body 10.

[0082] The control unit 152 controls the operations of the first arm 11A and the second arm 11B by using the information acquired by the information acquisition unit 150 and artificial intelligence (AI). The control unit 152 controls the motors of the respective joint portions 11b of the first arm 11A and the second arm 11B. The control unit 152 controls the operations of the first arm 11A and the second arm 11B by using the information detected by the sensors 12 and the in-warehouse sensors 53.

[0083] In addition, the control unit 152 controls the operation of the traveling vehicle body 10 by using the information acquired by the information acquisition unit 150 and AI. The control unit 152 controls the motors of the respective drive wheels 10a of the traveling vehicle body 10. The control unit 152 controls the operation of the traveling vehicle body 10 by using the information detected by the sensors 12 and the in-warehouse sensors 53.

[0084] The information storage unit 154 is implemented by a storage medium such as a semiconductor storage element such as a random access memory (RAM), a flash memory, etc. The information storage unit 154 stores various programs executed by the control unit 152. The information storage unit 154 stores the information acquired by the information acquisition unit 150.

[0085] It should be noted that, as described above, the cart robot 52 meanders while approaching or moving away from the storage unit 54, and temporarily decelerates to pick up the basket 56 from the storage unit 54. For example, the cart robot 52 travels at a first speed of 40 km / h and decelerates to a second speed smaller than the first speed when picking up the goods 56. The second speed is, for example, about 5 km / h. At this time, based on at least one of the moving speeds of the first arm 11A and the second arm 11B, the angles (extension degrees) of the first arm 11A and the second arm 11B, the gripping ability (adsorption ability) of the first arm 11A and the second arm 11B, the distance from the first arm 11A and the second arm 11B to the goods 56, the weight of the goods 56, and the quantity of the goods 56, the second speed is derived. This information is acquired by the information acquisition unit 150 from the sensors 12, the in-warehouse sensors 53, or a previously indicated list or order. The control unit 152 derives the second speed based on this information acquired by the information acquisition unit 150.

[0086] In the first embodiment, the control unit 152 performs the following respective processes, for example.

[0087] (1) Move the cart robot 52 to the position of the goods 56 to be picked up.

[0088] (2) Derive the second speed of the cart robot 52 when picking up the goods 56.

[0089] (3) When picking up the goods 56, decelerate the cart robot 52 to the second speed.

[0090] (4) While moving the cart robot 52, operate the first arm 11A and the second arm 11B to pick up the goods 56.

[0091] In the first embodiment, the learned model is used when deriving the second speed. Figure 5 It is a diagram for explaining the learned model used in the first embodiment. Figure 5 The shown learned model 70 is constructed by performing machine learning on a neural network such as a convolutional neural network. During machine learning, a large amount of supervised data including learning data and correct solution data of the second speed is used. The learning data includes at least one of the moving speeds of the first arm 11A and the second arm 11B, the angles (extension degrees) of the first arm 11A and the second arm 11B, the gripping capabilities (adsorption capabilities) of the first arm 11A and the second arm 11B, the distances from the first arm 11A and the second arm 11B to the goods 56, the weight of the goods 56, and the quantity of the goods 56.

[0092] When the learned model 70 is input with at least one of the moving speeds of the first arm 11A and the second arm 11B, the angles (extension degrees) of the first arm 11A and the second arm 11B, the gripping capabilities (adsorption capabilities) of the first arm 11A and the second arm 11B, the distances from the first arm 11A and the second arm 11B to the goods 56, the weight of the goods 56, and the quantity of the goods 56 that are actually used, the learned model outputs the second speed. The control unit 152 uses such a learned model 70 to derive the second speed.

[0093] Hereinafter, according to Figure 6 the flowchart of, the operation of the first embodiment will be described. The information processing device 15 acquires the information detected by the sensor 12 and the in-warehouse sensor 53 (S100). The information processing device 15 derives the second speed when picking up the goods 56 based on the acquired various information (S102). In addition, the information processing device 15 decelerates the cart robot 52 approaching the position of the goods 56 to the second speed (S104). Then, the information processing device 15 operates the first arm 11A and the second arm 11B to pick up the goods 56 while moving the cart robot 52 at the second speed (S106). After picking up the goods 56, the cart robot 52 accelerates to the first speed and continues to move to transport the goods 56 to a specified position.

[0094] Thus, according to the first embodiment, during the travel of the cart robot 52, the first arm 11A holds the goods 56. After that, while moving the cart robot 52, the second arm 11B holds the goods 56 together with the first arm 11A. Therefore, it is not necessary to stop the cart robot 52 every time the goods 56 are picked, and as a result, the goods can be picked efficiently.

[0095] In addition, since the second speed for decelerating the cart robot 52 is derived based on at least one of the moving speeds of the first arm 11A and the second arm 11B, the angles of the first arm 11A and the second arm 11B, the gripping capabilities (adsorption capabilities) of the first arm 11A and the second arm 11B, the distances from the first arm 11A and the second arm 11B to the goods 56, the weight of the goods 56, and the quantity of the goods 56, the cart robot 52 is appropriately decelerated when picking the goods 56, so that the goods 56 can be picked.

[0096] It should be noted that the cart robot according to the first embodiment is not limited to the Figure 2 cart robot shown above. Figure 7 is a perspective view showing another example of the cart robot according to the first embodiment. As Figure 7 shown, the cart robot 59 is provided with a first arm 11LA, a first arm 11RA, a second arm 11LB, and a second arm 11RB on the left and right sides in the traveling direction, respectively. Moreover, each of the left first arm 11LA and the second arm 11LB, and the right first arm 11RA and the second arm 11RB is configured to hold the goods 56, respectively. It should be noted that the first arm 11LA, the first arm 11RA, the second arm 11LB, and the second arm 11RB have the same structure as the first arm 11A and the second arm 11B of the Figure 2 cart robot 52 shown, but are directly fixed to the cart 10b without passing through the fixed frame 20.

[0097] Figure 8 is a top view of the floor of a warehouse for implementing the picking method using the Figure 7 cart robot 59 shown. In the Figure 8 floor 50A shown, storage units 54 are arranged in parallel, storing a plurality of goods 56, and the cart robot 59 moves between the two storage units 54 along the lane 60. It should be noted that the interval between the two storage units 54 is such that the goods 56 can be picked by the first arm 11LA, the first arm 11RA, the second arm 11LB, and the second arm 11RB of the cart robot 59 even if the cart robot 59 does not approach the storage unit 54.

[0098] The cart robot 59 is provided with a first arm 11LA, a first arm 11RA, a second arm 11LB, and a second arm 11RB on its left and right sides. Also, in the cart robot 59, the control unit 152 controls the first arm 11LA and the second arm 11LB on the left side, and the first arm 11RA and the second arm 11RB on the right side, respectively. Therefore, the cart robot 59 can pick up the goods 56 from the storage units 54 located on its left and right sides simultaneously or separately.

[0099] For example, for Figure 8 the goods 56A and the goods 56B shown, the cart robot 59 picks up the goods 56B with the first arm 11LA and the second arm 11LB on the left side, and picks up the goods 56A with the first arm 11RA and the second arm 11RB on the right side. In addition, after picking up the goods 56A and the goods 56B, the cart robot picks up the goods 56C with the first arm 11LA and the second arm 11LB on the left side. When picking up the goods, similar to the above-mentioned cart robot 52, the speed of the cart robot 59 decelerates from the first speed to the second speed.

[0100] In this way, by providing the cart robot 59 with the first arm 11LA, the first arm 11RA, the second arm 11LB, and the second arm 11RB on the left and right sides in the traveling direction, the goods can be picked up more efficiently.

[0101] It should be noted that, as Figure 7 shown, when using the cart robot 59 provided with the first arm 11LA, the first arm 11RA, the second arm 11LB, and the second arm 11RB on the left and right sides in the traveling direction, a situation may occur where the goods must be picked up by the left and right arms simultaneously. In this case, if the weights of the left and right goods are different, different second speeds corresponding to the weights of the goods are derived. In the case of deriving different second speeds in this way, it is only necessary to decelerate to the slower second speed to pick up the goods on the left and right simultaneously.

[0102] Next, the picking system according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. Figure 9 It is a top view of the floor of a warehouse of a picking system using a cart robot according to the second embodiment. It should be noted that in Figure 9 , the same structures as Figure 1 are given the same reference numerals, and the detailed description thereof is omitted here.

[0103] In the second embodiment, in Figure 9In the floor 50B shown, a turntable 254 is provided in place of the storage unit 54. The turntable 254 moves in a circular motion along a path in a certain direction indicated by the arrow b while carrying a plurality of goods 56 carried out from the storage unit of the goods in the warehouse. The moving speed of the turntable 254 can be constant or can vary, for example, according to the quantity of the goods 56. In the second embodiment, the cart robot 52 moves around the turntable 254.

[0104] The lane 260 is a lane set outside the turntable 2544 in the floor 50B. The cart robot 52 meanders while approaching or moving away from the turntable 254, and temporarily decelerates when picking the goods 56 to pick the goods 56 from the turntable 254.

[0105] In the second embodiment, as described above, the cart robot 52 meanders while approaching or moving away from the turntable 254, and temporarily decelerates when picking the goods 56 to pick the goods 56 from the turntable 254. For example, the cart robot 52 travels at a first speed of 40 km / h and decelerates to a second speed smaller than the first speed when picking the goods 56. In addition, the second speed is greater than or equal to the moving speed of the turntable 254. For example, when the moving speed of the turntable 254 is about 4 km / h, the second speed is 4 km / h or more, for example, about 5 km / h. At this time, the second speed is derived based on at least one of the moving speeds of the first arm 11A and the second arm 11B, the angles (extending and contracting degrees) of the first arm 11A and the second arm 11B, the gripping ability (adsorbing ability) of the first arm 11A and the second arm 11B, the distance from the first arm 11A and the second arm 11B to the goods 56, the weight of the goods 56, and the quantity of the goods 56. This information is the same as that in the first embodiment and is obtained by the information acquisition unit 150 from the sensors 12 and the in-warehouse sensors 53 or a pre-indicated list or order. The control unit 152 derives the second speed based on this information obtained by the information acquisition unit 150.

[0106] In the second embodiment, when the second speed when the cart robot 52 picks the goods 56 is greater than the moving speed of the turntable 254, the same as in the above first embodiment is used Figure 4In the same situation as described, the cart robot 52 picks up the goods 56 from the turntable 254. That is, while the cart robot 52 is traveling, it holds the goods 56 by the first arm 11A installed on the front side. The cart robot 52 continues to travel, but since the second speed is greater than the moving speed of the turntable 254, the position of the goods 56 moves relatively backward with respect to the cart robot 52. Therefore, the first arm 11A expands and contracts according to the travel of the cart robot 52 to maintain the holding of the goods 56. In addition, the second arm 11B installed on the rear side of the cart robot 52 approaches the goods 56 according to the travel of the cart robot 52. At this time, the expansion and contraction degree of the first arm 11A, and the position and expansion and contraction degree of the second arm 11B are appropriately changed according to the change in position caused by the travel of the cart robot 52. Moreover, when the second arm 11B reaches a position where it can hold the goods 56, the goods 56 are held by the second arm 11B. Thus, the cart robot 52 can pick up the goods 56 while moving by the first arm 11A and the second arm 11B.

[0107] It should be noted that when the second speed is the same as the moving speed of the turntable 254, the relative position between the cart robot 52 and the goods 56 remains unchanged. Therefore, as Figure 10 shown, the goods 56 can be picked up by the first arm 11A and the second arm 11B simultaneously.

[0108] In this way, according to the second embodiment, when picking up the goods 56, the cart robot 52 is decelerated to a second speed that is less than the first speed and greater than or equal to the moving speed of the turntable 254. Therefore, it is possible to easily pick up the goods 56 by the first arm 11A and the second arm 11B of the cart robot 52. In addition, it is possible to reduce the impact on the goods 56 when the first arm 11A and the second arm 11B pick up the goods 56.

[0109] Next, the picking method according to the third embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. It should be noted that since the top view of the floor of the warehouse and the structure of the cart robot 52 in the third embodiment are the same as those in the first embodiment described above, the detailed description thereof is omitted here. In the third embodiment, the way the cart robot 52 picks up the goods 56 is different from that in the first embodiment described above. Hereinafter, the picking operation in the third embodiment will be described.

[0110] In the third embodiment, the operations of the first arm 11A and the second arm 11B for picking up the goods 56 are the same as those in the first embodiment described using Figure 3 In the third embodiment, after picking up the goods 56, before at least one of the first arm 11A and the second arm 11B (in this embodiment, the first arm 11A located on the front side in the traveling direction of the cart robot 52) interferes with other goods other than the goods 56 picked up in the storage unit 54, as Figure 11As shown, the first arm 11A and the second arm 11B pull the picked goods 56 toward the traveling vehicle body 10 side. It should be noted that, as goods other than the picked goods 56, for example, goods stored adjacent to the picked goods 56 in the storage unit 54, but it is not limited thereto. Then, the first arm 11A and the second arm 11B place the picked goods 56 on the cart 10b.

[0111] It should be noted that when a plurality of goods 56 are stored in the storage unit 54, the cart robot 52 repeatedly picks up using the first arm 11A and the second arm 11B while traveling, so as to place the plurality of goods 56 on the cart 10b of the traveling vehicle body 10. Thus, the cart robot 52 can carry a plurality of goods 56.

[0112] In the third embodiment, the information processing device 15 performs the same control as in the above-described first embodiment, and in the third embodiment, the control unit 152 performs the following control. That is, in the third embodiment, the control unit 152 uses the information acquired by the information acquisition unit 150 and AI to control the timing at which the first arm 11A and the second arm 11B pull the picked goods 56 toward the traveling vehicle body 10 side. For example, the control unit 152 acquires information indicating the intervals at which a plurality of goods 56 are placed in the storage unit 54, which is acquired by the information acquisition unit 150 through the in-warehouse sensor 53. Then, the control unit 152 calculates the time from when the first arm 11A and the second arm 11B pick up the goods 56 until at least one of the first arm 11A and the second arm 11B interferes with other goods other than the picked goods 56, based on the moving speed and moving trajectory of the cart robot 52, the moving ranges of the first arm 11A and the second arm 11B, and the acquired information indicating the intervals at which a plurality of goods 56 are placed. And, before the calculated time elapses, the first arm 11A and the second arm 11B are operated to pull the picked goods 56 toward the traveling vehicle body 10 side.

[0113] That is, in the third embodiment, the control unit 152 executes the following respective processes. It should be noted that the processes (1) to (4) are the same as those in the first embodiment.

[0114] (1) Move the cart robot 52 to the position of the goods 56 to be picked.

[0115] (2) Derive the second speed of the cart robot 52 when picking up the goods 56.

[0116] (3) When picking up the goods 56, decelerate the cart robot 52 to the second speed.

[0117] (4) While moving the cart robot 52, operate the first arm 11A and the second arm 11B to pick up the goods 56.

[0118] (5) Before at least one of the first arm 11A and the second arm 11B interferes with other goods other than the picked goods 56, operate the first arm 11A and the second arm 11B to pull the picked goods 56 toward the traveling vehicle body 10 side, and place the goods 56 on the carriage 10b of the traveling vehicle body 10.

[0119] Hereinafter, the operation of the third embodiment will be described according to Figure 12 the flowchart. The information processing device 15 acquires the information detected by the sensor 12 and the in-warehouse sensor 53 (S200). The information processing device 15 derives the second speed when picking the goods 56 based on the acquired various information (S202). In addition, the information processing device 15 decelerates the carriage robot 52 approaching the position of the goods 56 to the second speed (S204). Then, the information processing device 15 operates the first arm 11A and the second arm 11B to pick the goods 56 while the carriage robot 52 travels at the second speed (S206).

[0120] Before at least one of the first arm 11A and the second arm 11B interferes with other goods other than the picked goods 56, the information processing device 15 operates the first arm 11A and the second arm 11B to pull the picked goods 56 toward the traveling vehicle body 10 side (S208). In addition, the information processing device 15 operates the first arm 11A and the second arm 11B to place the goods 56 on the carriage 10b of the traveling vehicle body 10 (S210). After placing the goods 56 on the carriage 10b, the carriage robot 52 accelerates to the first speed and continues to travel to transport the goods 56 to a specified position.

[0121] As described above, according to the third embodiment, after picking the goods 56 by the first arm 11A and the second arm 11B, before at least one of the first arm 11A and the second arm 11B interferes with other goods other than the picked goods 56, the goods 56 are pulled toward the traveling vehicle body 10 side by the first arm 11A and the second arm 11B. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the goods 56 picked by the first arm 11A and the second arm 11B from colliding with other goods stored in the storage unit 54.

[0122] In addition, after pulling the goods 56 toward the traveling vehicle body 10 side by the first arm 11A and the second arm 11B, the goods 56 are placed on the carriage 10b of the traveling vehicle body 10. Therefore, compared with the case of carrying the goods 56 while holding them by the first arm 11A and the second arm 11B, the goods 56 can be transported stably.

[0123] In addition, since the carriage 10b of the traveling vehicle body 10 has a size capable of placing a plurality of goods 56, a plurality of goods can be transported.

[0124] It should be noted that the trolley robot involved in the third embodiment is not limited to the above-mentioned Figure 2 trolley robot shown. Figure 13 Fig. is a perspective view showing another example of the trolley robot according to the third embodiment. As Figure 13 shown, the difference between the trolley robot 59 and the Figure 2 embodiment shown is that instead of the trolley 10b, the traveling vehicle body 10 is provided with a mounting table 10c, and the first arm 11A and the second arm 11B are fixed to the mounting table 10c without passing through the fixed frame 20. Here, the mounting table 10c has a size capable of mounting a plurality of goods 56.

[0125] In Figure 13 the shown trolley robot 59, the goods 56 picked up by the first arm 11A and the second arm 11B are placed on the mounting table 10c and carried.

[0126] Next, a fourth embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. Figure 14 Fig. is a top view of a floor of a warehouse of a picking system using a trolley robot according to the fourth embodiment. It should be noted that in Figure 14 , the same reference numerals are given to the same structures as those in Figure 1 , and detailed descriptions thereof are omitted here.

[0127] As Figure 14 shown, in the lane 60, it is roughly classified into a straight lane 60A and a curved lane 60B. By combining the straight lane 60A and the curved lane 60B, the trolley robot 52 can rotate around the storage unit 54.

[0128] Moreover, one of the purposes of using the trolley robot 52 to pick the goods 56 is to improve the efficiency of the picking operation.

[0129] In the fourth embodiment, while traveling at a prescribed traveling speed (for example, 20 km / h) on the lane 60, deceleration (for example, traveling speed 5 km / h) is performed when picking the goods 56, so as to prioritize the reliability of the picking operation.

[0130] At this time, in order to improve the efficiency of the picking operation, it is important to maintain the prescribed traveling speed (20 km / h) on the lane 60. However, in the curved lane 60B, an inertial force acts on the trolley robot 52. If an inertial force acts on the trolley robot 52, traveling chaos may occur due to slipping of the drive wheels 10a or the like, or the loaded goods 56 may fall. Therefore, in the curved lane 60B, it is necessary to decelerate to a traveling speed (for example, 5 to 10 km / h) slower than the traveling speed (20 km / h) when traveling on the straight lane 60A.

[0131] Therefore, in the fourth embodiment, a chuck mechanism portion 62 for chucking the trolley robot 52 is provided in the storage portion 54 corresponding to the curved lane 60B.

[0132] As Figure 15 shown, the chuck mechanism portion 62 is composed of an annular base portion 62A, a rotating rod 62B extending in the radial direction from the base portion 62A, and a chucking portion 62C mounted at the front end of the rotating rod 62B.

[0133] A rotating shaft 63 is mounted on the upper surface of the storage portion 54, and the base portion 62A of the chuck mechanism portion 62 is rotatably mounted on the rotating shaft 63.

[0134] The rotating shaft 63 can rotate freely. By the rotation of the rotating shaft 63, the rotating rod 62B rotates around the rotating shaft 63 like the hand of a clock.

[0135] In addition, the rotating shaft 63 can be rotated by a driving mechanism (not shown). By the driving force of the driving mechanism, it can be positioned at the entry point P1 of the curved lane 60B (for example, the rotating rod 62B is in the Figure 15 12 o'clock position).

[0136] It should be noted that in the fourth embodiment, the driving mechanism is set to rotate in one-way clockwise and is positioned at the entry point P1. However, it can also be a reciprocating rotation structure that rotates a specified angle (for example, 180°) relative to the above-mentioned entry point P1 and then rotates back in reverse.

[0137] Due to the length of the rotating rod 62B, the chucking portion 62C is located opposite to the side surface of the trolley robot 52 traveling on the curved lane 60B. This position is the position to reach the gripping portions 11c of the first arm 11A and the second arm 11B mounted on the trolley robot 52.

[0138] Here, in the fourth embodiment, during the travel of the trolley robot 52 on the lane 60, when approaching a specified position (the chucking determination point P2) on the straight lane 60A that is a specified distance ahead of the entry point P1 of the curved lane 60B, the gripping portion 11c (here, the gripping portion 11c of the first arm 11A) operates to be in a position interfering with the chucking portion 62C of the rotating rod 62B (reaching the position of the chucking portion 62C). It should be noted that when the rotating rod 62B is not at the entry point P1, this chucking operation is canceled, and the control to travel on the curved lane 60B at a low speed is executed.

[0139] When the trolley robot 52 reaches the entry point P1 of the curved lane 60B ( Figure 15 12 o'clock direction), the chucking portion 62C of the rotating rod 62B pre-positioned at the entry point P1 and the gripping portion 11c are chucked by the operation of the chucking mechanism.

[0140] The locking mechanism between the holding part 11c and the locking part 62C can preferably rotate relative to each other after being locked, such as in a ball-and-socket joint.

[0141] The cart robot 52 travels on the curved lane 60B in a state where the holding part 11c and the locking part 62C are locked. That is, the so-called centrifugal force acting on the cart robot 52 is offset by the centripetal force generated through the connection with the rotating rod 62B.

[0142] Therefore, even when the cart robot 52 travels at the same speed as on the straight lane 60A (for example, a traveling speed of 20 km / h), it will not deviate from the curved lane 60B and travel.

[0143] On the other hand, in the fourth embodiment, when the cart robot 52 is traveling on the lane 60 and reaches the exit point P3 of the curved lane 60B ( Figure 15 at the 6 o'clock direction), the locked state between the holding part 11c and the locking part 62C by the locking mechanism is released.

[0144] When the locked state between the holding part 11c and the locking part 62C is released, the cart robot 52 freely travels from the curved lane 60B to the straight lane 60A.

[0145] On the other hand, when the rotating rod 62B is released from the locked state with the holding part 11c, it is positioned at the entry point P1 ( Figure 15 at the 12 o'clock direction) by the rotation of the rotating shaft 63 by the drive mechanism part, and stands by to prepare for the next cart robot 52 to enter the curved lane 60B.

[0146] The position of the rotating rod 62B is sequentially notified to the cart robot 52 through communication, and the cart robot 52 determines whether locking can be performed by grasping the position of the rotating rod 62B when approaching the curved lane 60B.

[0147] Next, the locking control during travel on the curved lane will be described. Figure 16 It is a flowchart showing the locking and unlocking steps of the locking mechanism part 62 when the cart robot 52 approaches the curved lane 60B, which is executed by the information processing device 15 in the fourth embodiment.

[0148] In step S300, the information processing device 15 acquires the position information of the rotating rod 62B provided on the curved lane 60B that the cart robot 52 (itself) will reach next, and updates and holds it.

[0149] In the next step S302, the information processing device 15 determines whether the cart robot 52 (itself) has reached the lockable determination point P2 (see Figure 15) In the case of a negative determination, return to step S300.

[0150] If the determination in step S302 is affirmative, transfer to step S304, where the information processing device 15 determines whether the rotating rod 62B is on standby at the entry point P1 (see Figure 15 ).

[0151] In the case of a negative determination in this step S304, the information processing device 15 determines that the locking portion 62C of the locking mechanism portion 62 is not in a position where it can be locked, and transfers to step S306, thereby executing control to travel through the curved lane 60B at a low speed (for example, a traveling speed of 5 km / h), and transfers to step S318.

[0152] Furthermore, in the case of an affirmative determination in step S304, the information processing device 15 determines that the locking portion 62C of the locking mechanism portion 62 is in a position where it can be locked (determines that the rotating rod 62B is in the Figure 15 12 o'clock direction), and transfers to step S308, thereby moving the arm 11A (it can also be the arm 11B) to the locking position of the locking portion 62C, and transfers to step S310. At this time, the traveling speed of the cart robot 52 is maintained at the traveling speed of the straight lane 60A (for example, 20 km / h).

[0153] In step S310, the information processing device 15 determines whether the cart robot 52 (itself) has reached the entry point P1 (see Figure 15 ). If the determination is affirmative, transfer to step S312 and execute the locking action process. As a result, the arm 11A and the locking portion 62C are locked, and in this locked state, the cart robot 52 travels on the curved lane 60B.

[0154] In the next step S314, the information processing device 15 determines whether the cart robot (itself) has reached the exit point P3 (see Figure 7 ). If the determination is affirmative, transfer to step S316 and execute the unlocking action process. As a result, the locking between the arm 11A and the locking portion 62C is released, and transfer to step S318.

[0155] In step S318, the information processing device 15 determines whether the operation has ended. In the case of a negative determination, return to step S300 and repeat the above process. Furthermore, if the determination in step S318 is affirmative, this routine ends.

[0156] Note that, in the fourth embodiment, a rotating rod 62B (with a locking portion 62C at the front end) is installed on the rotating shaft 63 of the storage unit 54. However, since the above-mentioned locking control is executed by multiple trolley robots 52 respectively, for example, multiple rotating rods 62B can also be installed around the annular base portion 62A. Thus, it is easy to correspond to multiple trolley robots 52 that continuously reach the curved lane 60B.

[0157] In addition, in the fourth embodiment, the locking mechanism portion 62 is provided on the storage unit 54 side. However, a pole or track concentric with the curved lane can also be provided on the storage unit 54 side, and the first arm 11A or the arm 11B can directly grasp the pole or track to travel on the curved lane 60B. In addition, a dedicated arm for grasping the pole or track can also be newly provided on the trolley robot 52.

[0158] As described above, in the locking operation of the fourth embodiment, when the trolley robot 52 travels on the straight lane 60A and approaches the lockable determination point P2, the gripping portion 11c operates to be in a position interfering with the locking portion 62C of the rotating rod 62B. When the trolley robot 52 reaches the entry point P1 of the curved lane 60B, the gripping portion 11c is locked with the locking portion 62C. In the locked state, even if the trolley robot 52 travels on the curved lane 60B at the same traveling speed as the straight lane 60A (traveling speed: 20 km / h), the trolley robot 52 will not deviate from the curved lane 60B and travel. When the trolley robot 52 travels on the curved lane 60B and reaches the exit point P3 of the curved lane 60B, the locked state between the gripping portion 11c and the locking portion 62C by the locking mechanism is released.

[0159] Next, a fifth embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. Note that, in the fifth embodiment, the same reference numerals are given to the same structural parts as those in the fourth embodiment, and detailed descriptions thereof are omitted.

[0160] The feature of the fifth embodiment is that by tilting the trolley robot 52 itself during turning travel, in addition to improving the traveling stability during high-speed travel, it also eliminates the adverse situations where the carried goods 56 tip over or slip due to inertial force, and improves the stability of the goods 56. Figure 17 It is a front view of the trolley robot according to the fifth embodiment.

[0161] As Figure 17 shown, in the fifth embodiment, a damper mechanism portion 64 is provided between the traveling vehicle body 10 of the trolley robot 52 and the drive wheel 10a.

[0162] The buffer mechanism unit 64 is composed of a mount 64A that supports the axle of the drive wheel 10a, and a plurality of buffer units 64B interposed between the mount 64A and the traveling vehicle body 10. It should be noted that by providing a pair (a total of 4) of buffer units 64B on each of the left and right sides in the traveling direction, the traveling vehicle body 10 can be stably supported. However, one buffer unit 64B can also be provided on each of the left and right sides, and a guiding unit for stabilizing the traveling vehicle body 10 can be additionally provided.

[0163] The buffer unit 64B is formed in a bellows shape and can expand and contract by the internal pressure, so that the supporting height of the traveling vehicle body 10 can be adjusted. The internal pressure can be air pressure or oil pressure.

[0164] In the fifth embodiment, the internal pressure of the buffer unit 64B is adjusted so that when traveling on the curved lane 60B, the supporting height is different by making the outer wheel side higher than the inner wheel side.

[0165] More specifically, as shown in (A) of Figure 17 , when traveling on the straight lane 60A, the pressures of the buffer units 64B on the left and right in the traveling direction are made the same, so that the traveling vehicle body 10 maintains traveling in a substantially horizontal state.

[0166] On the other hand, as shown in (B) of Figure 17 , when traveling on the curved lane 60B, the buffer unit 64B on the outer wheel side in the traveling direction is pressurized, and the inner wheel side maintains the state of Figure 17 (A). Thus, the traveling vehicle body 10 is inclined in such a way that the outer side of the curved lane 60B is at a higher position. With this inclination angle θ, even if the small car robot 52 travels at the same traveling speed as that on the straight lane 60A (for example, 20 km / h), it will not deviate from the curved lane 60B. In addition, by the inclination, the movement (tipping over, scattering, etc.) of the loaded cargo 56 can also be avoided.

[0167] In addition, in the fifth embodiment, by using the locking mechanism unit 62 applied in the fourth embodiment, the inclination angle θ can be specifically set to avoid the scattering of the cargo 56.

[0168] Figure 18 It is a functional block diagram dedicated to turning travel control in the information processing device 15 (the information acquisition unit 150, the control unit 152, and the information storage unit 154) mounted on the small car robot 52 ( Figure 4 ).

[0169] The information acquisition unit 150 includes a travel position information acquisition unit 150A that acquires the position information of itself on the lane 60.

[0170] The information storage unit 154 includes a turning information storage unit 154A. The turning information storage unit 154A stores the entry recognition point as the start period of the inclination caused by the buffer mechanism unit 64, and the exit recognition point as the end period of the inclination.

[0171] The entry recognition point refers to a position at a specified distance near the entry point of the curved lane 60B, which is approximately the same as the allowable engagement determination point P2 shown in the fourth embodiment. Triggered by passing through this entry recognition point (see Figure 20 ), the tilt control of the traveling vehicle body 10 is executed.

[0172] In addition, the exit recognition point refers to a position at a specified distance near the curved lane 60B. Triggered by passing through this exit point (see Figure 20 ), the tilt release control of the traveling vehicle body 10 is executed.

[0173] The control unit 152 includes an entry / exit recognition unit 152A, a tilt angle calculation unit 152B, and a tilt instruction unit 152C.

[0174] The entry / exit recognition unit 152A identifies the entry or exit of the small car robot 52 into the curved lane 60B by comparing its own position acquired by the traveling position information acquisition unit 150A with the entry recognition point or the exit recognition point stored in the turning information storage unit 154A, and sends the recognition result to the tilt angle calculation unit 152B.

[0175] When the small car robot 52 reaches the entry recognition point, for example, the tilt angle calculation unit 152B calculates the tilt angle θ based on elements such as the traveling speed and the radius of the curved lane 60B, and sends the calculated tilt angle θ to the tilt instruction unit 152C.

[0176] Based on the tilt angle θ, the tilt instruction unit 152C obtains the pressure increase / decrease amount of the buffer unit 64B, and for example, instructs the pressure adjustment mechanism unit 156 composed of a compression mechanism to pressurize or depressurize the buffer unit 64B.

[0177] Figure 19 It is a flowchart showing an example of a curved lane traveling control routine started at the start of the travel of the small car robot 52.

[0178] In step S400, the information processing device 15 reads the information of the entry recognition point and the exit recognition point, and then transfers to step S402 to obtain the current travel position information of the small car robot 52 (itself), and transfers to step S404.

[0179] In step S404, the information processing device 15 determines whether the small car robot 52 (itself) has reached the entry recognition point. If the determination is negative, it returns to step S400. In addition, if the determination in step S404 is positive (seeFigure 20 If the “tilt indication starts when entering” shown, it transfers to step S406. The information processing device 15 calculates the tilt angle θ of the traveling vehicle body 10 based on factors such as the traveling speed of the cart robot 52 (itself) and the radius of the curved lane 60B, and transfers to step S408.

[0180] In step S408, the information processing device 15 instructs the pressure adjustment mechanism unit 156 to apply pressure corresponding to the tilt angle θ (see Figure 20 “pressure application start” shown). Thus, the cart robot 52 (itself) travels on the curved lane 60B with a tilt (tilt angle θ) where the outer wheel is at a higher position than the inner wheel, so that the movement (scattering, tipping, etc.) of the cargo 56 can be avoided. In addition, deviation from the curved lane 60B can also be avoided. Also, by using the locking mechanism unit 62 together (see Figure 14 ), the tilt angle θ can be set specifically to avoid the scattering of the cargo 56.

[0181] In the next step S410, the information processing device 15 acquires the current traveling position information, and then transfers to step S412 to determine whether the cart robot 52 (itself) has reached the exit recognition point. If the determination in this step S412 is negative, it returns to step S410. In addition, if the determination in step S412 is positive (see Figure 20 “tilt indication release when exiting”), the information processing device 15 determines that the cart robot 52 has completed traveling on the curved lane 60B, and transfers to step S414, thereby instructing the pressure adjustment mechanism unit 156 to reduce pressure (see Figure 20 “pressure reduction start” shown), sets the pressure in the buffer unit 64B to the pressure when the traveling vehicle body 10 is in a horizontal state, and transfers to step S416.

[0182] In step S416, the information processing device 15 determines whether the traveling has ended. If the determination is negative, it returns to step S400 and repeats the above process. In addition, if the determination in step S416 is positive, this routine ends.

[0183] It should be noted that the tilt control of the cart robot 52 during turning travel in the fifth embodiment is performed together with the locking control described in the fourth embodiment, but the tilt control can also be performed independently. For example, a threshold is set for the turning radius. In a turning radius below the threshold (sharp turn), the tilt control and the locking control are used together, and in a turning radius above the threshold (gentle turn), only the tilt control is performed. Thereby, the structural burden of the locking control (ensuring the installation location, the number of components, the assembly man-hours, etc.) can be reduced.

[0184] Figure 21An example of the hardware configuration of a computer 1200 that functions as an information processing device 15 is schematically shown. The programs installed in the computer 1200 can cause the computer 1200 to function as one or more "units" of the device according to the present embodiment, or cause the computer 1200 to perform operations associated with the device according to the present embodiment or the one or more "units", and / or can cause the computer 1200 to execute the process according to the present embodiment or a stage of the process. Such a program can be executed by the CPU 1212 to cause the computer 1200 to perform specific operations associated with some or all of the blocks in the flowcharts and block diagrams described in this specification.

[0185] The computer 1200 according to the present embodiment includes a CPU 1212, a RAM 1214, and a graphics controller 1216 that are interconnected via a host controller 1210. The computer 1200 also includes input / output units such as a communication interface 1222, a storage device 1224, a DVD drive, and an IC card drive, which are connected to the host controller 1210 via an input / output controller 1220. The DVD drive can be a DVD-ROM drive, a DVD-RAM drive, etc. The storage device 1224 can be a hard disk drive, a solid state drive, etc. The computer 1200 also includes input / output units such as a ROM 1230 and a keyboard, which are connected to the input / output controller 1220 via an input / output chip 1240.

[0186] The CPU 1212 operates in accordance with programs stored in the ROM 1230 and the RAM 1214, thereby controlling each unit. The graphics controller 1216 acquires image data generated by the CPU 1212 from a frame buffer or the like provided in the RAM 1214 or within itself, and causes the image data to be displayed on the display device 1218.

[0187] The communication interface 1222 communicates with other electronic devices via a network. The storage device 1224 stores programs and data used by the CPU 1212 within the computer 1200. The DVD drive reads programs or data from a DVD-ROM or the like and provides them to the storage device 1224. The IC card drive reads programs and data from an IC card and / or writes programs and data to the IC card.

[0188] The ROM 1230 stores therein a boot program executed by the computer 1200 at startup, etc., and / or programs dependent on the hardware of the computer 1200. The input / output chip 1240 can also connect various input / output units to the input / output controller 1220 via a USB port, a parallel port, a serial port, a keyboard port, a mouse port, etc.

[0189] The program is provided by a computer-readable storage medium such as a DVD-ROM or an IC card. The program is read from the computer-readable storage medium, installed in the storage device 1224, the RAM 1214, or the ROM 1230, which are also examples of computer-readable storage media, and executed by the CPU 1212. The information processing described in these programs is read by the computer 1200, enabling cooperation between the programs and the various types of hardware resources described above. The apparatus or method may be configured by performing operations or processing of information in accordance with the use of the computer 1200.

[0190] For example, when communication is performed between the computer 1200 and an external device, the CPU 1212 may execute a communication program loaded into the RAM 1214 and, based on the processing described in the communication program, command the communication interface 1222 to perform communication processing. Under the control of the CPU 1212, the communication interface 1222 reads the transmission data stored in the transmission buffer provided in a recording medium such as the RAM 1214, the storage device 1224, the DVD-ROM, or the IC card, and transmits the read transmission data to the network, or writes the received data received from the network to the reception buffer provided on the recording medium.

[0191] In addition, the CPU 1212 may cause all or a necessary part of a file or database stored in an external recording medium such as the storage device 1224, a DVD drive (DVD-ROM), an IC card, etc. to be read into the RAM 1214, and perform various types of processing on the data on the RAM 1214. Next, the CPU 1212 may write the processed data back to the external recording medium.

[0192] Various types of information such as various types of programs, data, tables, and databases can be stored in the recording medium to undergo information processing. The CPU 1212 may perform various types of processing on the data read from the RAM 1214 and write the results back to the RAM 1214. The various types of processing include various types of operations, information processing, conditional judgments, conditional branches, unconditional branches, information retrieval / replacement, etc. described throughout this disclosure and specified by the instruction sequences of the programs. In addition, the CPU 1212 may retrieve information in files, databases, etc. within the recording medium. For example, in a case where a plurality of entries each having an attribute value of a first attribute associated with an attribute value of a second attribute are stored in the recording medium, the CPU 1212 may retrieve an entry that matches the condition specifying the attribute value of the first attribute from the plurality of entries, and read the attribute value of the second attribute stored in the entry, thereby obtaining the attribute value of the second attribute associated with the first attribute that satisfies a predetermined condition.

[0193] The programs or software modules described above can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium on or near the computer 1200. In addition, a recording medium such as a hard disk or RAM provided in a server system connected to a dedicated communication network or the Internet can be used as the computer-readable storage medium, and thus the program can be provided to the computer 1200 via the network.

[0194] In the flowchart and block diagram in this embodiment, the blocks can represent stages of a process of performing operations or "parts" of a device having the function of performing operations. Specific stages and "parts" can be implemented by dedicated circuits, programmable circuits supplied together with computer-readable instructions stored on a computer-readable storage medium, and / or processors supplied together with computer-readable instructions stored on a computer-readable storage medium. The dedicated circuit can include digital and / or analog hardware circuits, and can also include an integrated circuit (IC) and / or discrete circuits. The programmable circuit can include, for example, reconfigurable hardware circuits such as a field programmable gate array (FPGA) and a programmable logic array (PLA). The reconfigurable hardware circuit includes logical AND, logical OR, logical exclusive OR, logical NAND, logical NOR, and other logical operations, flip-flops, registers, and storage elements.

[0195] A computer-readable storage medium may include any tangible device that can store instructions executable by a suitable device. As a result, a computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored in the tangible device embodies a product comprising instructions that can be executed to generate units for performing the operations specified in a flowchart or block diagram. Examples of computer-readable storage media may include electronic storage media, magnetic storage media, optical storage media, electromagnetic storage media, semiconductor storage media, etc. More specific examples of computer-readable storage media may include floppy disks (Floppy (registered trademark) Disk), magnetic disks, hard disks, random access memory (Random Access Memory, RAM), read-only memory (Read-Only Memory, ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory, EPROM or flash memory), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (Electrically Erasable Programmable read only memory, EEPROM), static random access memory (Static Random-Access Memory, SRAM), compact disc read-only memory (Compact Disc Read-Only Memory, CD-ROM), digital versatile disc (Digital versatile disc, DVD), Blu-ray disc (Blu-ray (registered trademark) Disk), memory sticks, integrated circuit cards, etc.

[0196] Computer-readable instructions may include any one of assembly instructions, instruction set architecture (Instruction Set Architecture, ISA) instructions, machine instructions, machine-dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions, state-setting data, or source code or object code described in any combination of one or more programming languages, the one or more programming languages including object-oriented programming languages such as Smalltalk (registered trademark), JAVA (registered trademark), C++, etc. and traditional procedural programming languages such as the "C" programming language or similar programming languages.

[0197] Computer-readable instructions can be provided to a processor or programmable circuit of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing devices locally or via a local area network (LAN) such as a local LAN or a wide area network (WAN) such as the Internet, causing the processor or programmable circuit of the general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing devices to execute the computer-readable instructions to generate units for performing the operations specified in the flowchart or block diagram. Examples of the processor include a computer processor, a processing unit, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor, a controller, a microcontroller, and the like.

[0198] As described above, the technology of the present disclosure has been described using embodiments, but the technical scope of the present disclosure is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments. Those skilled in the art should understand that various changes or improvements can be made to the above embodiments. As can be seen from the claims, embodiments with such changes or improvements can also be included in the technical scope of the present disclosure.

[0199] It should be noted that the execution order of each process such as the actions, sequences, steps, and stages in the devices, systems, programs, and methods shown in the claims, the specification, and the drawings is not particularly specified as "before...", "earlier than...", etc., or as long as the output of the previous process is not used in the subsequent process, it can be implemented in any order. Regarding the action flowcharts in the claims, the specification, and the drawings, even if they are described using "first", "then", etc. for convenience, it does not mean that they must be implemented in that order.

[0200] The entire contents of the disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-177938 filed on November 7, 2022, the disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-196681 filed on December 8, 2022, the disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-203355 filed on December 20, 2022, the disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-206852 filed on December 23, 2022, and the disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-007930 filed on January 23, 2023 are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[0201] Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0202] 10 Traveling vehicle body, 10a Driving wheel, 10b Trolley, 10c Pneumatic buffer, 11A, 11LA, 11RA First arm, 11B, 11LB, 11RB Second arm, 12 Sensor, 15 Information processing device, 50, 50A, 50B Floor, 52, 59, 259 Trolley robot, 54 Storage unit, 56 Goods, 60, 260 Lane, 60A Straight lane, 60B Curved lane, 62 Clamping mechanism unit, 62A Base, 62B Rotating rod, 62C Clamping part, 63 Rotation axis, 64 Buffer mechanism unit, 64A Stand, 64B Buffer part, 70 Learned model, 150A Traveling position information acquisition unit, 152A Entry / exit recognition unit, 152B Tilt angle calculation unit, 152C Tilt indication unit, 154A Turning information storage unit, 156 Pressure adjustment mechanism unit, 254 Turntable, 1200 Computer, 1210 Host controller, 1212 CPU, 1214 RAM, 1216 Graphics controller, 1218 Display device, 1220 Input / output controller, 1222 Communication interface, 1224 Storage device, 1230 ROM, 1240 Input / output chip.

Claims

1. A picking method, wherein, the picking method is a method based on a trolley robot, the trolley robot has a first arm and a second arm, picks and transports goods, and in the picking method, during the travel of the trolley robot, the goods are held by the first arm, and then, while moving the trolley robot, the goods are held by the second arm together with the first arm.

2. The picking method according to claim 1, wherein, the first arm is installed on the front side of the trolley robot, and the second arm is installed on the rear side of the trolley robot.

3. The picking method according to claim 1, wherein, the trolley robot travels at a first speed and decelerates to a second speed smaller than the first speed when picking the goods, the second speed is derived based on at least one of the lengths of the first arm and the second arm, the moving speeds of the first arm and the second arm, the angles of the first arm and the second arm, the gripping capabilities of the first arm and the second arm, the distances from the first arm and the second arm to the goods, the weight of the goods, and the quantity of the goods.

4. The picking method according to claim 3, wherein, a learned model is used to derive the second speed, and the learned model is constructed to output the second speed when input with at least one of the lengths of the first arm and the second arm, the moving speeds of the first arm and the second arm, the angles of the first arm and the second arm, the gripping capabilities of the first arm and the second arm, the distances from the first arm and the second arm to the goods, the weight of the goods, and the quantity of the goods.

5. The picking method according to claim 1, wherein, the trolley robot has the first arm and the second arm on the left and right sides in the traveling direction respectively, and each of the first arm and the second arm on the left side and the first arm and the second arm on the right side holds the goods respectively.

6. A program, wherein, the program is used to cause a computer to execute the picking method according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. A picking system, wherein, the picking system includes: a trolley robot having a first arm and a second arm, which picks and transports goods; a turntable that moves in a certain direction with goods loaded thereon; and an information processing device, the information processing device controls the trolley robot to travel at a first speed, and when picking the goods placed on the turntable, causes the trolley robot to decelerate to a second speed, and while the trolley robot travels at the second speed, holds the goods by the first arm and the second arm, and the second speed is greater than or equal to the moving speed of the turntable and less than the first speed.

8. The picking system according to claim 7, wherein, The information processing device controls the cart robot to make the cart robot travel at the second speed which is greater than the moving speed of the turntable, hold the goods by the first arm, and then, while making the cart robot travel, hold the goods together with the second arm and the first arm.

9. The picking system according to claim 7, wherein, the information processing device controls the cart robot to make the cart robot travel at the second speed which is the same as the moving speed of the turntable, and hold the goods simultaneously by the first arm and the second arm.

10. The picking system according to claim 7, wherein, the first arm is installed on the front side of the cart robot, and the second arm is installed on the rear side of the cart robot.

11. The picking system according to claim 7, wherein, the information processing device derives the second speed based on at least one of the lengths of the first arm and the second arm, the moving speeds of the first arm and the second arm, the angles of the first arm and the second arm, the gripping capabilities of the first arm and the second arm, the distances from the first arm and the second arm to the goods, the weight of the goods, and the quantity of the goods.

12. A program, wherein, the program is used to make a computer function as the information processing device of the picking system according to any one of claims 7 to 11.

13. A picking method, wherein, the picking method is a method based on a cart robot which includes a traveling vehicle body, and a first arm and a second arm installed on the traveling vehicle body, and picks and transports a plurality of stored goods while traveling. In the picking method, after holding the goods by the first arm and the second arm, before at least one of the first arm and the second arm interferes with other goods other than the held goods, pull the goods toward the traveling vehicle body side by the first arm and the second arm.

14. The picking method according to claim 13, wherein, after pulling the held goods toward the traveling vehicle body side by the first arm and the second arm, place the goods on the traveling vehicle body.

15. The picking method according to claim 13, wherein, the traveling vehicle body has a cart or a mounting table capable of mounting a plurality of the goods.

16. The picking method according to claim 13, wherein, during the traveling of the cart robot, hold the goods by the first arm, and then, while moving the cart robot, hold the goods together with the second arm and the first arm.

17. The picking method according to claim 13, wherein, the first arm is installed on the front side of the cart robot, and the second arm is installed on the rear side of the cart robot.

18. The picking method according to claim 13, wherein, make the cart robot travel at a first speed, and decelerate to a second speed which is smaller than the first speed when picking the goods; Derive the second speed based on at least one of the lengths of the first arm and the second arm, the moving speeds of the first arm and the second arm, the angles of the first arm and the second arm, the gripping capabilities of the first arm and the second arm, the distances from the first arm and the second arm to the goods, the weight of the goods, and the quantity of the goods.

19. A program, wherein, the program is for causing a computer to execute the picking method according to any one of claims 13 to 18.

20. A picking system, wherein, the picking system includes a cart robot that picks goods by an arm and transports them along a travel lane. In the picking system, connect the cart robot to the center of the turning radius of the curved lane between the entry point and the exit point of the curved lane formed by a prescribed turning radius in the travel lane.

21. A picking system, wherein, the picking system includes a cart robot that picks goods by an arm and transports them along a travel lane. The picking system has: a locking mechanism portion that is rotatably provided about the center of the turning radius of a curved lane formed by a prescribed turning radius in the travel lane and includes a locking portion capable of locking with the arm of the cart robot; and a locking control portion that controls to lock the locking portion of the locking mechanism portion, which has been standing by at the entry point in advance, with the arm of the cart robot when the cart robot reaches the entry point of the curved lane, and to release the locked state between the locking portion and the arm when the cart robot reaches a predetermined exit point of the curved lane.

22. The picking system according to claim 21, wherein, after the locked state at the exit point is released, the locking control portion causes the locking portion of the locking mechanism portion to return to the entry point and become a standby state.

23. A picking system, wherein, the picking system includes a cart robot that picks goods by an arm and transports them along a travel lane. The picking system has: a buffer mechanism portion that is provided between a wheel moving along the travel lane and a vehicle body for storing the picked goods, supports the vehicle body, and is capable of tilting in such a manner that the outer wheel side is higher than the inner wheel side when traveling on a curved lane; and a tilting control portion that controls the buffer mechanism portion to tilt the vehicle body during a tilting period determined based on the entry point of the curved lane of the cart robot, and controls the buffer mechanism portion to release the tilting of the vehicle body during a tilting release period determined based on the exit point of the curved lane of the cart robot.

24. The picking system according to claim 23, wherein, the tilting period of the vehicle body is the period of an entry recognition point at a prescribed distance near the entry point where the cart robot arrives, and the tilting release period of the vehicle body is the period of an exit recognition point at a prescribed distance near the exit point where the cart robot arrives.

25. The picking system according to claim 23, wherein, the tilt angle when the vehicle body is tilted by the tilt control unit is calculated based on the traveling speed of the cart robot and the turning radius of the curved lane.

26. A picking system, wherein, the picking system includes a cart robot that picks up goods by an arm and transports them along a traveling lane, and the picking system has: a locking mechanism unit that is rotatably provided about the center of the turning radius of a curved lane formed with a prescribed turning radius in the traveling lane, and includes a locking portion capable of locking with the arm of the cart robot; and a locking control unit that controls to lock the locking portion of the locking mechanism unit that has been waiting at the entry point with the arm of the cart robot when the cart robot reaches the entry point of the curved lane, and to release the locked state between the locking portion and the arm when the cart robot reaches a predetermined exit point of the curved lane; a buffer mechanism unit that is provided between the wheels moving along the traveling lane and the vehicle body that stores the goods picked up, supports the vehicle body, and is capable of tilting such that the outer wheel side is at a higher position than the inner wheel side when traveling on the curved lane; and a tilt control unit that controls the buffer mechanism unit to tilt the vehicle body during a tilt period determined based on the entry point of the curved lane of the cart robot, and controls the buffer mechanism unit to release the tilt of the vehicle body during a tilt release period determined based on the exit point of the curved lane of the cart robot.

27. A program, wherein, the program causes a computer to function as the tilt control unit of the picking system according to any one of claims 23 to 26.

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