Control device for mobile body, control method for mobile body, and program

Abstract

The control device for a mobile body according to the embodiment includes: an identification unit that identifies the surrounding conditions of the mobile body and a group consisting of at least one or more following objects based on an image obtained by capturing the surrounding conditions of the mobile body; and a control unit that performs following control of the mobile body to move in accordance with at least the group based on the surrounding conditions, wherein the control unit sets a following reference position based on the position of each of the following objects constituting the group and causes the mobile body to follow the set following reference position.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a control device for a moving body, a control method for a moving body, and a control program for a moving body. Background Technology

[0002] In recent years, various technologies related to autonomously moving mobile bodies have been studied. In this regard, a technology has been disclosed in which multiple vehicles communicate with each other and are controlled to follow a lead vehicle selected from among the multiple vehicles (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] Prior art literature

[0004] Patent documents

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2021-28747 Summary of the Invention

[0006] The problem that the invention aims to solve

[0007] However, control of moving objects such as vehicles following multiple objects has not been considered. Therefore, when a moving object follows at least one object, the movement of the moving object may not be properly controlled.

[0008] The present invention was made in consideration of such circumstances, and one of its objectives is to provide a control device, control method and program for a moving body capable of more appropriately controlling the movement of a moving body following at least one following object.

[0009] Methods for solving problems

[0010] The control device, control method and program for the moving body involved in this invention adopt the following structure.

[0011] (1): One aspect of the present invention relates to a control device for a mobile body, wherein the control device for the mobile body comprises: an identification unit that identifies the surrounding conditions of the mobile body and a group consisting of at least one or more following objects based on an image obtained by capturing the surrounding conditions of the mobile body; and a control unit that performs following control of the mobile body to follow the group based on the surrounding conditions, wherein the control unit sets a following reference position based on the position of each of the following objects constituting the group and causes the mobile body to follow the set following reference position.

[0012] (2): In the above scheme (1), the following reference position is set based on the position of each of the following objects constituting the group and the weight corresponding to the following object.

[0013] (3): In the above (2) scheme, the control unit increases the weight of the object that is easier to identify or follow based on the identification result identified by the identification unit.

[0014] (4): In the above scheme (3), the following reference position is the position of the easily identifiable or easily followed object.

[0015] (5): In the above scheme (4), if the control unit is no longer able to identify the target to be followed as the reference for the following reference position by the identification unit, the control unit determines the next target to be followed within the group.

[0016] (6): In the above scheme (5), the next follower is the follower closest to the follower so far among the multiple followers constituting the group.

[0017] (7): In the above scheme (5), the next follower is the person with the largest feature quantity among the multiple followers constituting the group, which is identified by the identification unit.

[0018] (8): In the above scheme (1), the identification unit identifies the group based on the identification result identified by the identification unit or the pre-registered group information.

[0019] (9): In the above (1) scheme, the control unit sets the offset distance from the following reference position based on the condition of the group.

[0020] (10): In the above scheme (1), the control unit controls the group to follow the group at the location of a person whose risk value is above a threshold obtained from the amount of movement based on a predetermined time in the group.

[0021] (11): In the above scheme (1), the control unit controls the following objects in the group to follow the group at a location where the risk value obtained from the movement amount based on a predetermined time in the following objects is above a threshold and the following objects are easily identified by the identification unit.

[0022] (12): Another aspect of the present invention relates to a control method for a mobile body, wherein the control method for the mobile body causes the computer of the mobile body to perform the following processing: identify the surrounding conditions of the mobile body and a group consisting of at least one or more following objects based on an image obtained by taking pictures of the surrounding conditions of the mobile body; perform following control based on the surrounding conditions to at least the mobile body following the group; set a following reference position based on the position of each of the following objects constituting the group, and cause the mobile body to follow the set following reference position.

[0023] (13): Another aspect of the present invention relates to a program in which a computer of a mobile body performs the following processing: based on an image obtained by taking pictures of the surrounding conditions of the mobile body, identifying the surrounding conditions of the mobile body and a group consisting of at least one or more following objects; performing following control based on the surrounding conditions to at least move the mobile body to follow the group; setting a following reference position based on the position of each of the following objects constituting the group, and causing the mobile body to follow the set following reference position.

[0024] Invention Effects

[0025] According to the schemes (1) to (13) above, the actions of moving bodies that follow at least one or more following objects can be controlled more appropriately. Attached Figure Description

[0026] Figure 1 This is a diagram illustrating an example of the structure of a mobile body system 1 including the mobile body M in the first embodiment.

[0027] Figure 2 This is a diagram illustrating an example of how a moving body M follows a user U.

[0028] Figure 3 This is a perspective view showing an example of the external structure of the moving body M.

[0029] Figure 4 This is a diagram illustrating an example of the functional structure of a moving body M.

[0030] Figure 5 This is a diagram illustrating the group following control of the moving body M in the first embodiment.

[0031] Figure 6 This is a diagram representing an example of the content of group information 226.

[0032] Figure 7 This is a diagram used to illustrate the setup of hypothetical obstacles when multiple people in a group use moving objects.

[0033] Figure 8 This diagram illustrates the adjustment of imaginary obstacles when a group moves.

[0034] Figure 9 It is a diagram used to illustrate the situation of the next follower in the follower group.

[0035] Figure 10 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the follow-up processing in the first embodiment.

[0036] Figure 11This is a diagram illustrating an example of the control device 200A for the moving body M in the second embodiment.

[0037] Figure 12 This is a diagram used to illustrate the setting of the reference position.

[0038] Figure 13 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the follow-up processing in the second embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0039] Hereinafter, embodiments of the control device, control method and program for the mobile body of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0040] [First Implementation]

[0041] Figure 1 This diagram illustrates an example of the structure of a mobile system 1 including the mobile body M in the first embodiment. The mobile system 1 includes, for example, a terminal device 2, a management device 10, an information providing device 20, and the mobile body M. They communicate, for example, via a network NW. The network NW can be any network such as a LAN (Local Area Network), WAN (Wide Area Network), or Internet connection.

[0042] [Terminal Device]

[0043] Terminal device 2 is, for example, a computer device such as a smartphone or tablet. Terminal device 2 is used by a user utilizing mobile system 1 and requests access to mobile body M from management device 10 based on the user's actions, or obtains information from management device 10 indicating that access to mobile body M has been permitted. The user may also be, for example, a representative of a group consisting of at least one person. A person is an example of a "follower object." In embodiments, the follower object may include, in addition to people, other mobile bodies (e.g., micro-mobile bodies), remotely operated avatar robots, pets carried by people, etc. The following mainly describes the case where the follower object is a person.

[0044] [Management Device]

[0045] The management device 10 manages the usage status and usage reservations of mobile devices M within the mobile device system 1. Based on requests received from the terminal device 2, the management device 10 sets usage permissions for mobile devices M that a user can use, and sends information indicating that the usage of the set mobile devices M is permitted to the terminal device 2, thus providing this information to the user. Furthermore, the management device 10 generates and manages, for example, schedule information that establishes a correspondence between pre-registered user identification information and the date and time of mobile device M usage reservations. Additionally, the management device 10 can also manage the usage status and usage reservations of groups consisting of at least one person, including a user.

[0046] [Information Providing Device]

[0047] The information providing device 20 provides the location of the mobile body M, the area where the mobile body M is moving, and map information of the surrounding area to the mobile body M and the terminal device 2. Additionally, the information providing device 20 can generate a path from the current location of the mobile body M to its destination based on a request from the mobile body M, and provide the generated path to the mobile body M. The management device 10 and the information providing device 20 can be, for example, server devices, or cloud computing devices comprising one or more information processing devices.

[0048] [Moving entity]

[0049] The mobile body M is, for example, a mobile body capable of autonomous movement. Autonomous movement means that the mobile body M moves without relying on one or both of its speed control and rotation control performed by a user. Rotation control includes, for example, changing the orientation of the mobile body M through rotation and turning, and steering control in the case of a steering wheel. The mobile body M is, for example, a vehicle, but may also include other mobile bodies capable of autonomous movement (such as walking robots). Vehicles include not only four-wheeled vehicles, but also all vehicles capable of movement via three wheels, two wheels, etc. The mobile body M may have a structure for loading and transporting objects such as luggage. These objects may include people such as users.

[0050] Mobile body M is used by users or groups based on access permissions set by management device 10. For example, users or groups may load luggage onto mobile body M, which then follows the user or group's movements and guides them to their destination. The location information, usage status, and usage reservation status of mobile body M are managed by management device 10. In addition, mobile body M receives information from management device 10 and information providing device 20, and performs movement control based on access permissions and the provided information.

[0051] The mobile system 1 of the first embodiment may also include at least one of the terminal device 2, management device 10, information providing device 20, and mobile body M. Alternatively, the mobile system 1 of the embodiment may integrate the management device 10 and the information providing device 20. Furthermore, the mobile system 1 may also have a structure without a management device 10. In this case, at least a portion of the functions of the management device 10 are provided in the mobile body M, and the terminal device 2 communicates with the mobile body M via the network NW, thereby managing access permissions, etc.

[0052] The following describes the details of the mobile body M. It should be noted that the following explanation focuses primarily on the scenario where the mobile body M is used to move in accordance with the movement of a user or group. The same applies to the second embodiment described later. Figure 2 This diagram illustrates an example of how a mobile body M follows a user U. The mobile body M is, for example, positioned at a designated location in a facility or street. When the user U wants to use the mobile body M, they operate the mobile body M's control unit to set usage permissions and begin using it. Alternatively, the user U can operate the terminal device 2 to send a usage request to the management device 10 to be able to use the mobile body M, and begin using the mobile body M based on the usage permissions set by the management device 10.

[0053] For example, if user U goes out shopping and wants to lighten the burden of carrying their purchases, they can store the luggage in mobile device M. They can then use terminal device 2 or the operating unit of mobile device M to set usage permissions for mobile device M and begin using it. Upon initiation of usage, mobile device M performs user authentication (e.g., vein authentication using user U's palm information). If the authentication result determines that the user has usage permissions (a user authorized to use the service), mobile device M stores user U's luggage and performs personalized tracking control that autonomously follows user U's movements. Thus, user U can continue shopping or proceed to their next destination with ease without carrying luggage.

[0054] It should be noted that the mobile body M is not limited to moving on roads (driveways, sidewalks), but can also move within indoor or outdoor facilities and private lands such as shopping malls, airports, parks, and theme parks. Furthermore, in addition to following control as described above, the mobile body M can also perform action control such as guidance control, retreat control, and emergency control. Guidance control, for example, is used to guide user U to a specified destination, such as autonomously moving in front of user U in accordance with user U's movement speed to guide user U. Alternatively, guidance control may not require user U to set a destination; for example, it can predict user U's direction of movement based on user U's orientation and movement trajectory since a predetermined time, and then autonomously move in front of user U in accordance with user U's movement speed. Retreat control refers to, for example, in situations where user U moves into a prohibited area that the mobile body M cannot enter during the execution of follow control or guidance control, moving to a pre-set retreat area and waiting. Emergency control refers to the control that enables user U to move autonomously to seek help from nearby people or facilities, for example, when user U encounters an abnormal situation (such as falling) during movement.

[0055] In addition, if there are at least one other person around user U and the other person meets the specified conditions, the mobile body M determines that user U and the other person constitute a group and performs group following control of the following group.

[0056] [Appearance and structure of the moving object]

[0057] Figure 3 This is a perspective view showing an example of the external structure of the moving body M. It should be noted that... Figure 3 In the description, the forward direction of the moving body M is defined as the positive x direction, the backward direction of the moving body M is defined as the negative x direction, the left direction of the width direction of the moving body M with the positive x direction as the reference is defined as the positive y direction, the right direction of the width direction of the moving body M with the positive x direction as the reference is defined as the negative y direction, and the direction orthogonal to the x and y directions and which is the height direction of the moving body M is defined as the positive z direction.

[0058] exist Figure 3In this example, the mobile body M includes a base 110, a door 112 provided on the base 110, and wheels (first wheel 120, second wheel 130, and third wheel 140) assembled on the base 110. For example, user U can open and close the door 112 to put luggage into or take luggage out of the storage compartment provided on the base 110. The first wheel 120 and the second wheel 130 are drive wheels, rotating by power from a motor or the like. The third wheel 140 is an auxiliary wheel (driven wheel). It should be noted that the mobile body M can also move using structures other than wheels, such as tracks.

[0059] A cylindrical support 150 extending in the positive z-direction is provided on the surface of the base 110. A camera 180 is provided at the end of the support 150 in the positive z-direction for capturing wide-angle (e.g., 360-degree) images of the moving body M. The position of the camera 180 can also be any position different from the one described above. It should be noted that the camera 180 may also include multiple cameras for capturing images of a defined area. Figure 3 The movable body M shown is one example, but it can also be a structure with other structures or without a part of it (such as door 112).

[0060] [Functional Structure of Moving Bodies]

[0061] Figure 4 This is a diagram illustrating an example of the functional structure of a moving body M. Besides, the moving body M... Figure 3 In addition to the structure shown, it also includes, for example, a first motor 122, a second motor 132, a battery 134, a braking device 136, a steering device 138, an operation unit 160, an information output unit 170, a communication unit 190, and a control unit 200. The first motor 122 and the second motor 132 operate using power supplied to the battery 134. The first motor 122 drives the first wheel 120, and the second motor 132 drives the second wheel 130. Alternatively, the first motor 122 may be an in-wheel motor located in the wheel portion of the first wheel 120, and the second motor 132 may be an in-wheel motor located in the wheel portion of the second wheel 130.

[0062] The braking device 136 outputs braking torque to each wheel based on the instruction of the control device 200. The steering device 138 is equipped with an electric motor. The electric motor, for example, applies force to a rack and pinion mechanism based on the instruction of the control device 200 to change the orientation of the first wheel 120 or the second wheel 130, thereby changing the forward path of the moving body M.

[0063] The operation unit 160 accepts input operations performed by the user U. The operation unit 160 includes at least one of the following: a touch panel, a switch, a button, etc. Alternatively, the operation unit 160 may also have a voice input unit (microphone, etc.) to accept input operations from the user U or to accept the voices of people in the vicinity.

[0064] The information output unit 170 outputs prescribed information to the user U or the surroundings of the mobile body M. The information output unit 170 includes, for example, a display unit 172 and a sound output unit 174. The display unit 172 is, for example, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display. Alternatively, the display unit 172 may be integrated with the operation unit 160 as a touch panel. The display unit 172 displays images corresponding to various information in the implementation method. Furthermore, the display unit 172 may include a light-emitting unit such as an LED (Light Emitting Diode) that emits light of a prescribed color. The sound output unit 174 outputs sound corresponding to the movement of the mobile body M and sound corresponding to the images output by the display unit 172. The information output unit 170 is, for example, an example of a reporting unit for reporting prescribed information to the surroundings of the mobile body M.

[0065] The communication unit 190 is a communication interface used to communicate with the terminal device 2, the management device 10, or the information providing device 20 via the network NW. Additionally, the communication unit 190 can also communicate with other mobile devices.

[0066] The control device 200 is stored within the base 110. The control device 200 includes, for example, a position determination unit 202, an information processing unit 204, an identification unit 206, a hypothetical obstacle setting unit 208, a track generation unit 210, a first control unit 212, a second control unit 214, and a storage unit 220. The position determination unit 202, information processing unit 204, identification unit 206, hypothetical obstacle setting unit 208, track generation unit 210, first control unit 212, and second control unit 214 are implemented, for example, by executing a program (software) using a hardware processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit). Some or all of these components can be implemented using hardware (including the circuitry) such as LSI (Large Scale Integration), ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), and GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or through the coordinated use of software and hardware. The program can be pre-saved on storage devices such as HDDs (Hard Disk Drives) and flash memory (storage devices with non-transitory storage media), or on removable storage media such as DVDs and CD-ROMs (non-transitory storage media), and installed by mounting the storage media onto the drive device. Some or all of the information processing unit 204, the imaginary obstacle setting unit 208, the track generation unit 210, the first control unit 212, and the second control unit 214 are examples of a "control unit". Some or all of the functional structures included in the control device 200 may also be included in other devices. For example, other devices may communicate with the mobile body M and cooperate to control the mobile body M.

[0067] The storage unit 220 is implemented using storage devices such as HDD, flash memory, and RAM (Random Access Memory). The storage unit 220 stores control information 222, map information 224, and group information 226, which are included in the control program for controlling the movement of the mobile body M and are referenced by the first control unit 212 and the second control unit 214. The map information 224 includes, for example, map information provided by the information providing device 20, such as the location of the mobile body M, the area the mobile body M is moving in, and the surrounding area. The map information 224 can be correlated with location information (e.g., latitude and longitude) on a map to include information such as floor plans of facilities such as shopping malls, stores, shopping centers, art galleries, and museums. Furthermore, the map information 224 may also include detailed map information, such as the width, slope, and curvature of roads and pathways.

[0068] Group information 226 refers to information about a group consisting of at least one or more persons (an example of at least one follower). Group information 226 can be obtained, for example, via terminal device 2 or management device 10, or based on the analysis results of an image captured by camera 180 or the recognition results identified by recognition unit 206. Details regarding group information 226 will be described later. Additionally, storage unit 220 may store information representing the characteristics of user U, the characteristics of specific objects (e.g., characteristics based on shape, size, color, etc.), and the correspondence between user U's actions (gestures) and the actions (motion control) of the moving body M. At least a portion of the information stored in storage unit 220 can be updated at any time through communication with other devices such as management device 10 or information providing device 20 via communication unit 190.

[0069] The location determination unit 202 determines the position of the mobile body M. The location determination unit 202 obtains the position information of the mobile body M from a GPS (Global Positioning System) device (not shown) built into the mobile body M. The position information can be, for example, two-dimensional map coordinates or latitude and longitude information. Alternatively, the location determination unit 202 can communicate with a communication device within a specified distance via the communication unit 190 through a short-range wireless communication method such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) and obtain the location information of the communication device, thereby estimating the position information of the mobile body M. Furthermore, the location determination unit 202 can also estimate the position of the mobile body M based on specific structures (landmarks, signs, markers, etc.) included in camera images captured by the camera 180. Additionally, the location determination unit 202 can simultaneously estimate the position of the mobile body M by using camera images captured by the camera 180, methods such as SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) using sensors such as LiDAR, and environmental map creation.

[0070] The information processing unit 204 manages, for example, information obtained from the terminal device 2, the management device 10, or the information providing device 20. Furthermore, the information processing unit 204 sends information to the terminal device 2, the management device 10, or the information providing device 20 based on information received by the operation unit 160, or outputs information received from each device (e.g., control information 222, map information 224, group information 226, user U, feature information of a specific object) to various structures of the control device 200, or stores it in the storage unit 220.

[0071] Furthermore, the information processing unit 204 causes the information output unit 170 to output prescribed information. Prescribed information includes, for example, images (including color images and patterns), sounds, alarms, etc., corresponding to the type of motion control performed by the mobile body M; information indicating that the user U can be identified; information indicating that the user or group is being followed; and information indicating forward, backward, or rotation directions. The output images, sounds, and other information can be stored in the storage unit 220 or sent from the management device 10 or the information providing device 20.

[0072] In addition, the information processing unit 204 performs the following processes: registering the characteristic information of the user U using the mobile body M; registering group information (e.g., characteristic information of each person in at least one or more persons constituting the group); and authenticating the user U. For example, when registering the characteristic information of the user U, the information processing unit 204 generates characteristic information related to face, body shape (figure), hair color, skin color, and clothing color based on facial images and full-body images of the user U captured by the camera 180 before the user U begins using the mobile body M. Furthermore, the information processing unit 204 can also generate characteristic information related to the user U's posture and movements (walking movements). Additionally, the information processing unit 204 can obtain user U's voice data and palm images to generate characteristic information related to fingerprints, veins, and voice. Furthermore, the information processing unit 204 can also generate information related to the movements of the mobile body M corresponding to the user U's gestures and register the generated information in the storage unit 220. Furthermore, the information processing unit 204 can also generate and register characteristic information for each person in the group, just like the user U.

[0073] Furthermore, during user authentication, the information processing unit 204 generates feature information based on an image captured of user U and sound obtained from a microphone. Based on this generated feature information and referring to feature information pre-stored in the storage unit 220, if matching feature information (feature information with a similarity threshold or higher) is found, the information processing unit 204 grants user U permission to use the mobile body M. Conversely, if matching feature information is not found in the storage unit 220, the information processing unit 204 denies permission and outputs an error message and a message urging the registration of the feature information to the information output unit 170.

[0074] The recognition unit 206 identifies the surrounding conditions of the moving body M based, for example, on camera images captured by the camera 180. For instance, the recognition unit 206 identifies the positions (distance from the moving body M and direction relative to the moving body M) and states such as speed and acceleration of objects surrounding the moving body M. Objects include pedestrians, road users such as bicycles, obstacles within facilities, and roads. Furthermore, the recognition unit 206 can also identify the characteristic information of each person in the surrounding area, or identify the orientation of each person's face, movement speed, and direction of movement. Characteristic information refers to information obtainable from the analysis results of the camera images, specifically including a person's body shape, height, facial features, color information, and information related to clothing such as Western-style clothing and hats. Additionally, characteristic information can include information related to feature quantities. Feature quantities refer to the amount of information used to distinguish a person from others; the more distinguishable features, the larger the value.

[0075] Furthermore, the identification unit 206 identifies, for example, the user U using the mobile body M and tracks (follows) the identified user U. For instance, the identification unit 206 performs a matching process between the user's feature information identified from camera images captured by camera 180 and the user U's feature information pre-registered when the user U uses the mobile body M, or the user U's feature information provided by terminal device 2 or management device 10, to determine the user U using the mobile body M from among the people present in the vicinity. Alternatively, the identification unit 206 may use AI (Artificial Intelligence) technologies such as machine learning to determine the user U. Furthermore, when tracking the moving user U, the identification unit 206, for example, sets a future predicted trajectory based on the user U's past movement trajectory, further compares it with predicted trajectories for other people present in the vicinity, and identifies the person moving on the smoother trajectory as user U.

[0076] In addition, the recognition unit 206 can also recognize gestures made by the user U. Gestures include, for example, pointing to a specific location in the vicinity, calling upon the mobile entity M, and switching between action controls (personal follow control, group follow control, induced control, retreat control, emergency control) performed by the mobile entity M. Furthermore, the recognition unit 206 can also recognize specific actions of the user U (e.g., the action of the user U falling) based on camera images captured by the camera 180, and can also identify an anomaly in the user U if a specific action is recognized.

[0077] It should be noted that the moving body M may also be equipped with a detection unit different from the camera 180, such as a radar device or a LIDAR (Light Detection and Range) device. In this case, the recognition unit 206 uses the detection results of the radar device or LIDAR instead of the image to recognize the surrounding conditions of the moving body M.

[0078] In addition, the identification unit 206 identifies groups consisting of at least one person, including user U. Details regarding the function of the identification unit 206 in identifying groups are described later.

[0079] The imaginary obstacle setting unit 208 sets imaginary obstacles around the group identified by the recognition unit 206. Details regarding the function of the imaginary obstacle setting unit 208 will be described later.

[0080] The trajectory generation unit 210 generates a target trajectory that the mobile body M should travel on, for example, based on the location of the user U or group, surrounding objects, etc. For example, the trajectory generation unit 210 generates a target trajectory that allows the mobile body M to move smoothly to the target location based on actions obtained from pre-set motion control (e.g., individual follow control, group follow control, guidance control, retreat control, emergency control).

[0081] For example, in the case of individual following control for a specific person (user U), the track generation unit 210 generates a target track by setting the target location as the distance (offset distance) from user U within a predetermined distance range and the area behind user U (not limited to directly behind user U, but also as obliquely behind within a predetermined angle based on the direction directly behind). Furthermore, in the case of group following control for a group consisting of at least one person, the track generation unit 210 generates a target track that moves in a manner that avoids contact with imaginary obstacles around the group set by the imaginary obstacle setting unit 208. Additionally, the track generation unit 210 can also select a follower from within the group and generate a target track by setting the distance from the selected follower within a predetermined distance range and the area behind the follower as the target location.

[0082] In the case of guided control, the track generation unit 210 generates a target track by setting the target location as a point within a predetermined distance from the user U and in front of the user U (not limited to the front of the user U, but also diagonally in front of the user U at a predetermined angle based on the frontal direction). In the case of retreat control, the track generation unit 210 generates a target track by setting a pre-set retreat area as the target location. In the case of emergency control, the track generation unit 210 generates a track for autonomous movement to seek rescue from nearby people or facilities.

[0083] Furthermore, the trajectory generation unit 210 generates, for example, a target trajectory corresponding to the action (or motion control) of the mobile body M corresponding to the gesture based on a pre-set correspondence between the user U's gesture and action, or generates a target trajectory (or modifies the generated target trajectory) for traveling to the destination while avoiding surrounding objects. For example, when the recognition unit 206 recognizes a gesture such as the user U waving at the mobile body M, the trajectory generation unit 210 generates a target trajectory for the mobile body M in a way that makes the distance between the mobile body M and the user U closer than a reference distance (e.g., about 1 to 3 [m]) (e.g., making the distance between the mobile body M and the user U within 30 [cm]). In addition, when the motion control is switched according to the user U's gesture, a future trajectory corresponding to the switched motion control is generated.

[0084] Furthermore, the track generation unit 210 can also generate a target track for the mobile body to travel on based on the destination set by the user U or the user U's next destination estimated by the second control unit 214 (described later). It should be noted that the track generation unit 210 can, for example, generate multiple tracks corresponding to the actions of the mobile body M, calculate the risk of each track, and, if the total value of the calculated risks and the risks of each track point meet a preset benchmark (for example, if the total value is below a first threshold Th1 and the risk of each track point is below a second threshold Th2), use the track that meets the benchmark as the target track for the mobile body M to travel on. For example, the risk tends to be higher when the distance between an obstacle and the track (a track point) is smaller, and lower when the distance between an obstacle and the track is larger.

[0085] The first control unit 212 controls the motors (first motor 122, second motor 132), the braking device 136, and the steering device 138 to make the moving body M travel along the track generated by the track generation unit 210.

[0086] When the mobile body M travels along the generated track, the second control unit 214 controls the mobile body M based on the recognition result of the recognition unit 206 to ensure that the mobile body M does not come into contact with surrounding objects and that the distance between the user U and the mobile body M remains within a predetermined distance range. The predetermined distance range refers to the distance range between a pre-set shortest distance Dmin and a longest distance Dmax. The shortest distance Dmin and the longest distance Dmax can be, for example, variable distances corresponding to the type of motion control (personal follow control, guidance control, etc.) and surrounding conditions (shape of the moving path, degree of crowding), or they can be fixed distances.

[0087] In addition, the second control unit 214 performs motion control of the moving body M in the case where a hypothetical obstacle is set by the hypothetical obstacle setting unit 208 during group follow control, so as to prevent the moving body M from contacting the hypothetical obstacle.

[0088] [Motion control of moving objects]

[0089] Next, the motion control of the mobile body M according to the first embodiment will be described in detail. It should be noted that the following description relates to motion control of the mobile body M following a group consisting of multiple persons, including user U. Persons include, for example, pedestrians (adults, children, the elderly, etc.) and persons who can move by means of a mobile body such as a wheelchair (which can be manual or electric).

[0090] Figure 5 This is a diagram illustrating the group following control of the moving body M in the first embodiment. Figure 5 In this example, the moving body M is assumed to follow the user U from behind at an offset distance D1. Here, the identification unit 206 determines whether a person (other than the user) exists within a predetermined distance from the user U and has been present for a predetermined time based on the surrounding identification results. Furthermore, if the identification unit 206 determines that a person exists within a predetermined distance from the user U and has been present for a predetermined time, it identifies that the person and the user U constitute a group.

[0091] Furthermore, the recognition unit 206 can also calculate the average distance and speed difference between user U and other persons in a time series, and identify persons whose average value is within a threshold as members of a group. Additionally, the recognition unit 206 can identify the gaze direction of persons within a predetermined distance of user U, and if the gaze direction is towards user U for a predetermined time or more, identify that person and user U as forming a group. Furthermore, the recognition unit 206 can analyze camera images captured by camera 180 to analyze the mouth movements of persons, and if it identifies a person currently conversing with user U, identify that person and user U as forming a group. Additionally, the recognition unit 206 can also identify a person currently conversing with user U by sound input from the microphone of operation unit 160, and identify that person and user U as forming a group. Therefore, group identification can be more accurate.

[0092] Alternatively, the identification unit 206 may identify a group based on the registered group information 226, for example, if group-related information is pre-registered in the group information 226.

[0093] Figure 6This is a diagram illustrating an example of the content of group information 226. Group information 226 is, for example, identification information that establishes a correspondence between group ID and number of people, characteristic information, and user information. Number of people refers to the number of people in the group, including user U. Characteristic information can be information representing the characteristics of each person in the group (e.g., body shape, height), or information representing the characteristics of the group as a whole (e.g., all members are female, or all members wear the same uniform, hats, etc.). Characteristic information can also include quantitative features. Furthermore, characteristic information can include billing information, payee information, and personal information for each person in the group. User information can be information about users U who have registered in the group, or information about representatives within the group. Additionally, user information can include information about one or more users using mobile device M.

[0094] The information processing unit 204 receives registration and modification of group information 226 from, for example, the terminal device 2, the management device 10, or the operation unit 160, and stores the received group information in the storage unit 220. It should be noted that the registration and modification of group information 226 can be performed at any time.

[0095] For example, if user U is pre-registered with group ID "GR100", then... Figure 5 When five people, including user U, are within a specified distance and for a specified time, as shown, the identification unit 206 identifies user U and persons P1 to P4 as forming a group. On the other hand, if user U has previously registered with group ID "GR200", then... Figure 5 In the example, the requirement of 8 people is not met, therefore user U and personnel P1~P4 are identified as not forming a group.

[0096] exist Figure 5 In the example, the identification unit 206 identifies user U as a group consisting of personnel P1~P4. Additionally, in... Figure 5 In the example, user U and personnel P1~P4 are assumed to be stationary (the distance they move within a specified time is less than a specified distance).

[0097] The hypothetical obstacle setting unit 208 sets the hypothetical obstacle VOB1 to surround the group. The hypothetical obstacle VOB1 refers to, for example, an imaginary object that is assumed to exist even though there is no actual obstacle. For instance, the hypothetical obstacle setting unit 208 sets the hypothetical obstacle VOB1 to surround all the personnel (user U and personnel P1~P4) of the group (possibly including a predetermined margin). Alternatively, the hypothetical obstacle setting unit 208 may set the hypothetical obstacle VOB1 to surround all personnel and moving bodies M within the group.

[0098] The shape of the area surrounded by the imaginary obstacle VOB1 can also be like... Figure 5 As shown, it is a rectangle with a length (frontal direction of the moving body M) W10 × a width (horizontal direction of the moving body M) W20. It can also be a circle with a radius R centered on the user U or the moving body M, or other shapes such as polygons or ellipses. For example, the shape of the area can be set to be variable according to the number of people in the group, their positions, the shape of the movement path, etc.

[0099] Furthermore, the imaginary obstacle setting unit 208 can also adjust the size of the area surrounded by the imaginary obstacle VOB1 based on the state of the people constituting the group (e.g., the number of people in the group, the distance between people, their actions, etc.). For example, the more people in the group, the larger the area of ​​the imaginary obstacle setting unit 208 will be, and the shorter the distance between multiple people (i.e., the closer the people are to each other), the smaller the area of ​​the imaginary obstacle setting unit 208 will be.

[0100] In addition, when multiple members of the group use a mobile body M, the imaginary obstacle setting unit 208 sets an imaginary obstacle that surrounds all members of the group and all the mobile bodies used by those members. Figure 7 This is a diagram used to illustrate the setup of hypothetical obstacles when multiple people in a group use moving objects.

[0101] exist Figure 7 In the example, it is shown that among the personnel constituting the group (user U, personnel P1~P4), user U uses mobile body M1 and personnel P4 uses mobile body M2. Additionally, in Figure 7 In the example, mobile body M1 follows behind user U with an offset distance D1, and mobile body M2 follows behind person P4 with an offset distance D1. In this case, when the identification unit 206 identifies that the group consists of user U and persons P1 to P4, the imaginary obstacle setting unit 208 of mobile body M1 sets an imaginary obstacle VOB2 that surrounds mobile bodies M1, M2 and the persons forming the group.

[0102] It should be noted that when the moving body M is following, the information processing unit 204 causes the information output unit 170 to output information indicating that follow control is in progress. Furthermore, in situations such as... Figure 7In the case where multiple mobile units exist within the group as shown, the information processing unit 204 can also output the same information from the information output units 170 of multiple mobile units M. In this case, the information processing unit 204 emits light of the same color from the display units 172 of each mobile unit M1 and M2, or displays an image of the same pattern. For example, the information processing unit 204 can also emit light of the same color by communicating with other mobile units in the group via the communication unit 190, or it can emit light by receiving control information (color information) from the management device 10 when the management device 10 is performing group management. In addition, the information processing unit 204 can also output sound of the same color instead of emitting light of the same color and displaying an image of the same pattern (or in addition to that), or it can display text information indicating that the group is being followed.

[0103] This makes it easy for those nearby to detect multiple moving objects following the same group. Therefore, it is easier for those in the vicinity to predict the path of moving object M and to search for and avoid paths that would lead to contact with it.

[0104] In addition, the imaginary obstacle setting unit 208 can also adjust the size of the area surrounded by the imaginary obstacle according to the movement status of the group (e.g., movement direction, movement speed). Figure 8 This diagram illustrates the adjustment of imaginary obstacles during group movement. Figure 8 In the example, let's say user U moves along the arrow direction at speed UV, and personnel P1~P4 move along the arrow direction at their respective speeds PV1~PV4.

[0105] In this case, the imaginary obstacle setting unit 208 adjusts the length W11 and width W21 of the imaginary obstacle based on the positional information between the user U and the personnel P1~P4, as well as their respective movement speeds and directions. For example, the imaginary obstacle setting unit 208 sets the imaginary obstacle VOB3 in a manner that completely surrounds the moving body M, the user U, and the personnel P1~P4. Furthermore, the imaginary obstacle setting unit 208 extends the imaginary obstacle VOB3 in the movement direction according to the movement speed PV3, starting from the position of the leading personnel P3 within the group. Figure 8 In the example, the length of the imaginary obstacle VOB3 is increased by W11. This prevents members of the group from crossing the imaginary obstacle VOB3. Furthermore, when the members of the group are moving in the same direction (within a prescribed allowable range), the imaginary obstacle setting unit 208 sets the direction orthogonal to the direction of movement of the members of the group (in... Figure 8 In the example, the width (in the W21 direction) is narrower than the width when the people are stationary. For the direction orthogonal to the direction of travel (lateral direction), the possibility of people moving within the group is low, so the width is narrowed, thereby enabling proper group following within the hypothetical obstacle VOB3.

[0106] Furthermore, when following a moving group, the offset distance D2 between the user and U can be set to a different distance than the offset distance D1 when the user U is stationary. In this case, the track generation unit 210 sets the offset distance D2 between the user and U when following a moving group to be shorter than the offset distance D1 when the user U is stationary. By making the offset distance D2 shorter when moving than when stationary, it is less likely to lose sight of the user U.

[0107] In addition, when the group is moving, the moving body M follows behind the user U identified by the identification unit 206. However, if the user U can no longer be identified by the identification unit 206 due to the movement of the user U's position within the group, the second control unit 214 determines the next follower within the group and continues the group following control.

[0108] Figure 9 This diagram illustrates the process of identifying the next person to be followed within a group. When the identification unit 206 can no longer identify the current person to be followed (e.g., user U), the second control unit 214 determines the next person to be followed from among the other people in the group. For example, based on the identification result of the identification unit 206, the second control unit 214 determines the person with the highest characteristic value among the people P1 to P4 (other than user U) in the group as the person to be followed. Therefore, it is possible to set the person who is easily distinguishable from others (easier to identify) as the person to be followed, thus making following easier.

[0109] Additionally, the second control unit 214 can also determine the person closest to the moving body M as the next target to be followed. Figure 9 In the example, user U is not easily recognized by the recognition unit 206 because he has moved forward, and person P1 is in the position closest to the moving body M. Therefore, person P1 is determined to be the next target to be followed.

[0110] Furthermore, the second control unit 214 can also determine the person closest to the user U (the currently being followed) as the next person to be followed based on the identification result. This suppresses changes in the motion control of the moving body M when the following target changes from the user U to another person, ensuring smooth following control even after the following target is changed. Additionally, the second control unit 214 can also determine the person designated by the user U via the terminal device 2 and the operation unit 160 as the next person to be followed.

[0111] Alternatively, the second control unit 214 can also control the moving body M in a group-following control manner by following the group to a location where the risk value obtained from the movement amount based on a predetermined time, which is higher than a threshold value, away from at least one of the persons included in the group. It should be noted that when there are multiple persons constituting a group, the risk value for each person is set based on the movement amount of each person over a predetermined time. The risk value, for example, refers to an indicator value indicating that approach is not recommended (a non-recommended approach indicator value).

[0112] For example, if the group includes children, the children are more likely to move in various directions and come into contact with the moving object M. Therefore, the second control unit 214 increases the risk value based on the amount of movement within a specified time and follows the object within the group from a distance greater than the risk value. In this case, since the distance is greater than the specified distance, the imaginary obstacle setting unit 208 can also increase the area surrounded by the imaginary obstacle VOB3. Thus, it is possible to suppress contact between the moving object M and the people in the group based on the risk of each person in the group.

[0113] Furthermore, the second control unit 214 can also be controlled to follow personnel whose risk value exceeds the threshold and who are easily identified by the identification unit 206 (e.g., directly behind the personnel). This allows for group following at a more appropriate location while simultaneously identifying the positions of personnel with high mobility.

[0114] [First Implementation Method: Processing Flow]

[0115] Figure 10 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the follow-up processing in the first embodiment. Figure 10 The process shown can be repeated at specified intervals or at specified times. Figure 10 In the example, when the mobile body M performs follow control, the identification unit 206 of the mobile body M identifies the surrounding conditions of the user U (step S100). Next, the information processing unit 204 determines whether group follow control is to be performed due to the presence of at least one person in the vicinity of the user U (step S110). If it is determined that group follow control is to be performed, the identification unit 206 sets a group including at least one person present in the vicinity of the user U (step S120). Next, the hypothetical obstacle setting unit 208 sets hypothetical obstacles surrounding the group and the mobile body (step S130).

[0116] Next, the track generation unit 210 generates a track that follows the group without contacting the imaginary obstacles (step S140). Alternatively, if it is determined in step S110 that group following control is not required, individual following control is performed. In this case, the identification unit 206 identifies user U (step S150) and generates a track to follow the identified user U (step S160). After the processing of steps S140 and S160, the first control unit 212 and the second control unit 214 execute following control based on the generated track (step S170). Thus, the processing of this flowchart ends.

[0117] According to the first embodiment described above, the control device 200 for the mobile body M includes: an identification unit 206 that identifies the surrounding conditions of the mobile body M and a group consisting of at least one follower based on an image obtained by capturing the surrounding conditions; and a control unit that performs follow control based on the surrounding conditions, enabling the mobile body M to move by following at least one group. The control unit sets imaginary obstacles around the group and performs follow control in a manner that avoids contact with the set imaginary obstacles, thereby enabling more appropriate control of the movement of the mobile body following at least one follower. Furthermore, according to the first embodiment, by setting imaginary obstacles around the group, it is easier to follow the group and move the mobile body M as a unit within the group.

[0118] [Second Implementation]

[0119] Next, a second implementation of the following control will be described. In the second implementation, when performing group following control, no hypothetical obstacles are set. A following reference position is set based on the position information of at least one or more persons identified as a group, and the moving body M follows based on the set following reference position, thereby performing group following control. The implementation based on the above will be described below. It should be noted that in the second implementation, compared with... Figure 4 The functional structure of the mobile body M in the first embodiment differs from that of the first embodiment in that it is equipped with a control device 200A instead of a control device 200. Therefore, the structure of the control device 200A will be described in detail below. In addition, for functional structures that are the same as those in the first embodiment, the same names and the same reference numerals will be used, and detailed descriptions will be omitted here.

[0120] Figure 11This diagram illustrates an example of a control device 200A for the mobile body M in the second embodiment. The control device 200A includes a position determination unit 202, an information processing unit 204, an identification unit 206, a tracking reference position setting unit 209, a track generation unit 210, a first control unit 212, a second control unit 214, and a storage unit 220. The position determination unit 202, information processing unit 204, identification unit 206, tracking reference position setting unit 209, track generation unit 210, first control unit 212, and second control unit 214 are implemented, for example, by executing a program (software) using a hardware processor such as a CPU. Some or all of these components can be implemented by hardware (including the circuitry) such as LSI, ASIC, FPGA, and GPU, or through the coordinated operation of software and hardware. The program can be pre-saved in a storage device such as an HDD or flash memory (a storage device with a non-transitory storage medium), or it can be saved in a removable storage medium such as a DVD or CD-ROM (a non-transitory storage medium), and installed by mounting the storage medium onto a drive device. Some or all of the information processing unit 204, the following reference position setting unit 209, the track generation unit 210, the first control unit 212, and the second control unit 214 are examples of "control units".

[0121] exist Figure 11 In this example, the difference from the control device 200 of the first embodiment is that a following reference position setting unit 209 is provided instead of the hypothetical obstacle setting unit 208. Therefore, the following description will focus on the aforementioned differences. The following following reference position setting unit 209 sets the center position of the group identified by the identification unit 206 as the following reference position.

[0122] Figure 12 This is a diagram used to illustrate the setting of the reference position for following. It is identified by the recognition unit 206 as being based on... Figure 12 In the case where user U and personnel P1 to P4 form a group, the following reference position setting unit 209 derives the center position of the group based on the average position information of each person in the group, and sets the derived center position as the following reference position FP. Alternatively, the following reference position setting unit 209 can also increase the weight of user U's position among the positions of each person in the group compared to the positions of other people in the group. Therefore, the following reference position FP is set to a position closer to user U than the position information based on the position information of each person in the group.

[0123] Furthermore, the following reference position setting unit 209 can also adjust the position based on the recognition results identified by the recognition unit 206, increasing the weight of individuals who are easier to identify or follow, and making the following reference position FP closer to the position of the individual with the higher weight. For example, based on the recognition results identified by the recognition unit 206, the following reference position setting unit 209 can increase the weight of individuals with greater feature quantity compared to other individuals (such as those who are easy to identify or follow). This allows the following reference position FP to be set near individuals with more distinctive features.

[0124] Furthermore, the following reference position setting unit 209 can adjust the following reference position FP based on the number of people in the group, the relative distance between people, and the relative speed. Additionally, the following reference position setting unit 209 can set the risk of each person in the group based on the amount of movement over a specified time, and set a lower weight for those with high risk so that the following reference position is set away from those with high risk. Risk refers to an indicator value that indicates that approach is not recommended (non-recommended approach indicator value).

[0125] For example, if the group includes children, the children are more likely to move in various directions and come into contact with the moving body M. Therefore, the following reference position setting unit 209 increases the risk value based on the amount of movement within a specified time and sets the following reference position FP at a distance above the risk value. Thus, it is possible to suppress contact between the moving body M and the people in the group based on the risk of each person in the group.

[0126] Furthermore, the tracking reference position setting unit 209 can also set a tracking reference position FP at a location where personnel with a risk value above the threshold can be easily identified by the identification unit 206. This allows for group tracking at a more appropriate location while simultaneously identifying the positions of personnel with high mobility.

[0127] Alternatively, the following reference position setting unit 209 can also determine the most easily identifiable or most easily followed person among at least one person constituting the group, and set the position of the determined person as the following reference position FP. In this case, the following reference position FP may be set, for example, as the position of the person closest to the moving body M, or the position of the person with the largest feature value.

[0128] Furthermore, the identification unit 206 can also disengage the group and terminate group following control if the group splits when the distance between the members exceeds a predetermined distance. Additionally, when a group split is detected, the identification unit 206 can predict the future (after a predetermined time) movement direction and amount based on the past movement history of each member and the surrounding conditions. Moreover, if the prediction indicates that the group split is temporarily to avoid an obstacle and will subsequently be resolved (the distance between members is less than the predetermined distance), the following reference position setting unit 209 sets the future following reference position after the split is resolved. Therefore, even if the group splits, group following can continue based on the predicted future movement direction and amount.

[0129] In the second embodiment, the track generation unit 210 generates a target track, for example, by setting the distance from a following reference position set by the following reference position setting unit 209 to a predetermined distance range and setting the location behind the following reference position as the target location. The first control unit 212 and the second control unit 214 move the moving body M along the generated target track.

[0130] [Second Implementation Method: Processing Flow]

[0131] Figure 13 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the following process in the second embodiment. The following process in the second embodiment and Figure 10 The difference between the following process (steps S100 to S170) in the first embodiment shown is that steps S230 and S240 are included instead of steps S130 and S140. Therefore, the following description will focus on the processes of steps S230 and S240.

[0132] exist Figure 13 In the example, after determining that group following control is to be performed and setting the group, the following reference position setting unit 209 sets the following reference position based on the position information of at least one person belonging to the group (step S230). Next, the track generation unit 210 generates a track for following the group based on the set following reference position (step S240). In the process of step S240, the track is generated in a way that the moving body M will not come into contact with surrounding objects and the distance between the following reference position FP and the moving body M is within a specified distance range. The specified distance range refers to the distance range between the preset shortest distance Dmin and the longest distance Dmax. The shortest distance Dmin and the longest distance Dmax can be, for example, variable distances corresponding to the surrounding conditions (shape of the moving path, degree of crowding), or fixed distances.

[0133] According to the second embodiment described above, the control device 200A for the mobile body M includes: an identification unit 206 that identifies the surrounding conditions of the mobile body M and a group consisting of at least one follower based on an image obtained by capturing the surrounding conditions; and a control unit that performs follow control of the mobile body M following the group based on the surrounding conditions. The control unit sets a follow reference position based on the position of each person in the group and causes the mobile body to follow the set follow reference position, thereby enabling more appropriate control of the movement of the mobile body following at least one follower. Furthermore, according to the second embodiment, by setting a follow reference position corresponding to the group's conditions, group following can be performed more appropriately.

[0134] [Variation Example]

[0135] The first and second embodiments described above can also be combined with a part or all of the other embodiment. For example, the imaginary obstacle setting unit 208 in the first embodiment may set the imaginary obstacle with the following reference position FP set in the second embodiment as the center.

[0136] Furthermore, in both the first and second embodiments, the user U can switch between group following and individual following via instruction from terminal device 2. Additionally, in one embodiment, when the user switches from an individual to a group, a usage fee system corresponding to the number of people in the group can be used to charge each person in the group. In this case, the fee is charged to each person based on the personal information registered in group information 226.

[0137] Alternatively, in group following control, if at least one or more objects forming a group each utilize mobile bodies, these mobile bodies communicate with each other and form a queue to follow the group. In this case, control is executed such that the mobile body at the head of the queue follows the object being followed (either the object within the group or the reference position), and the mobile bodies following behind follow the mobile body that is already in motion.

[0138] Alternatively, the mobile body M in the first and second embodiments can also be a mobile body that the user U can ride on. In this case, the mobile body M can also be equipped with driving control components such as a steering wheel, accelerator pedal, and brake pedal so that the user U can drive it. In addition, the mobile body M can be controlled by the user's operation (driving operation) to control at least a portion of speed control and rotation control.

[0139] In addition, in the first to second embodiments, group following control in following control was mainly described, but group induction control can also be performed in addition to following control (or instead of following control) when the moving body M is being guided.

[0140] The implementation methods described above can be performed as follows.

[0141] A control device for a moving body, comprising:

[0142] A storage medium that stores computer-readable instructions; and

[0143] The processor connected to the storage medium,

[0144] The processor performs the following processing by executing computer-readable instructions:

[0145] The surrounding conditions of the moving object and a group consisting of at least one or more following objects are identified based on images obtained by taking pictures of the surrounding conditions of the moving object.

[0146] Based on the surrounding conditions, at least the following control is performed to allow the moving body to follow the group.

[0147] Imagined obstacles are set around the group, and the following control is performed in a manner that avoids contact with the set imaginary obstacles.

[0148] In addition, the implementation methods described above can also be implemented as follows.

[0149] A control device for a moving body, comprising:

[0150] A storage medium that stores computer-readable instructions; and

[0151] The processor connected to the storage medium,

[0152] The processor performs the following processing by executing computer-readable instructions:

[0153] The surrounding conditions of the moving object and a group consisting of at least one or more following objects are identified based on images obtained by capturing images of the surrounding conditions of the moving object.

[0154] Based on the surrounding conditions, at least the following control is performed to allow the moving body to follow the group.

[0155] A following reference position is set based on the position of each of the following objects constituting the group, and the moving body follows the set following reference position.

[0156] The above description uses the embodiments described in relation to the specific implementation, but the present invention is not limited to such embodiments in any way, and various modifications and substitutions can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0157] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0158] 1. Mobile system

[0159] 2. Terminal device

[0160] 10 Management Device

[0161] 20 Information providing devices

[0162] 110 matrix

[0163] 160 Operations Department

[0164] 170 Information Output Department

[0165] 180 camera

[0166] 190 Ministry of Communications

[0167] 200, 200A control devices

[0168] 202 Location Determination Department

[0169] 204 Information Processing Department

[0170] 206 Identification Department

[0171] 208 Imaginary Obstacle Setting Department

[0172] 209 Following reference position setting unit

[0173] 210 Orbit Generation Department

[0174] 212 First Control Department

[0175] 214 Second Control Unit

[0176] 220 Storage Department

[0177] M is a moving body.

Claims

1. A control device for a moving body, wherein, The control device for the moving body includes: The identification unit identifies the surrounding conditions of the moving object and a group consisting of at least one or more following objects based on images captured from the surrounding environment of the moving object; and The control unit, based on the surrounding conditions, performs at least the following control to ensure the mobile body moves in accordance with the group. The control unit sets a following reference position based on the position of each of the following objects constituting the group, and causes the moving body to follow the set following reference position.

2. The control device for the moving body according to claim 1, wherein, The following reference position is set based on the position of each of the following objects constituting the group, and the weight corresponding to the following object.

3. The control device for the moving body according to claim 2, wherein, The control unit increases the weight of objects that are easier to identify or follow, based on the identification results obtained by the identification unit.

4. The control device for the moving body according to claim 3, wherein, The reference position for following is the position of the easily identifiable or easily followed object.

5. The control device for the moving body according to claim 4, wherein, If the control unit is no longer able to identify a target that serves as a reference for the target position, the control unit determines the next target to follow within the group.

6. The control device for the moving body according to claim 5, wherein, The next follower is the closest follower to the current follower among the multiple followers that make up the group.

7. The control device for a moving body according to claim 5, wherein, The next target to be followed is the person with the largest number of features among the multiple targets that make up the group, as identified by the identification unit.

8. The control device for a moving body according to claim 1, wherein, The identification unit identifies the group based on the identification result identified by the identification unit or pre-registered group information.

9. The control device for a moving body according to claim 1, wherein, The control unit sets the offset distance from the following reference position based on the condition of the group.

10. The control device for a moving body according to claim 1, wherein, The control unit controls the following of the group to the location of individuals whose risk value, obtained from a predetermined amount of movement over a specified time, exceeds a threshold.

11. The control device for a moving body according to claim 1, wherein, The control unit controls the following objects in the group to follow the group at positions where the risk value obtained from the amount of movement based on a predetermined time among the following objects is above a threshold, and where the following objects are easily identified by the identification unit.

12. A method for controlling a moving body, wherein, The control method for the mobile body causes the computer of the mobile body to perform the following processing: The surrounding conditions of the moving object and a group consisting of at least one or more following objects are identified based on images obtained by taking pictures of the surrounding conditions of the moving object. Based on the surrounding conditions, at least one follow control is performed to allow the moving body to follow the group. A following reference position is set based on the position of each of the following objects constituting the group, and the moving body follows the set following reference position.

13. A program in which, The program causes the mobile computer to perform the following processing: The surrounding conditions of the moving object and a group consisting of at least one or more following objects are identified based on images obtained by taking pictures of the surrounding conditions of the moving object. Based on the surrounding conditions, at least one follow control is performed to allow the moving body to follow the group. A following reference position is set based on the position of each of the following objects constituting the group, and the moving body follows the set following reference position.

Images