Automatic driving work machine

Abstract

To acquire a pitch angle and a roll angle in a travel direction, and accurately and safely perform automatic driving on a narrow and severe traveling environment like a road surface of a forestry work road in a mountainous area that an obstacle exists.SOLUTION: An automatic driving work machine 1 includes first to fourth GNSS antennas 25 to 28 which are horizontally arranged, and first to fourth GNSS receivers 31 to 34 which are connected to the first to fourth GNSS antennas 25 to 28, wherein the first and second GNSS antennas 25 and 26 are arranged on a front side and a rear side of the automatic driving work machine 1, the third and fourth GNSS antennas 27 and 28 are arranged on a left side and a right side of the automatic driving work machine 1, and a straight line connecting the first and second GNSS antennas 25 and 26 and a straight line connecting the third and fourth GNSS antennas 27 and 28 are arranged so as to have T shapes or cross shapes in a travel direction in the automatic driving work machine 1.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an autonomous working machine, and in particular to an autonomous working machine that uses position coordinate data in a geographic coordinate system obtained from a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) to enable autonomous driving of working machines such as forwarders, timber collection vehicles, and tractors equipped with crawlers that enable autonomous driving on rough terrain and narrow road surfaces such as in mountainous areas. [Background technology]

[0002] In forest logging operations in mountainous areas, work machines such as forwarders are used to transport felled and processed timber from the logging site to a timber collection site (such as a logging yard).

[0003] The forest work roads used to transport lumber from logging sites to logging yards and other locations are in mountainous areas, making the conditions for traveling and transporting lumber extremely harsh, and creating a poor and dangerous working environment for the operators of the work machinery.

[0004] Specifically, for example, the environment is as follows. (1) The forestry work roads are narrow and narrow, and the forest makes it difficult to see. (2) There are steep slopes and sharp curves. (3) There are unevenness or depressions on the road surface. (4) The road surface has become soft and muddy due to precipitation, snow, etc. (5) Obstacles such as cliff collapses and fallen trees will occur on the work roads.

[0005] Moreover, in recent years, the population of workers involved in forestry work has been on the decline, and in order to use high-performance heavy forestry machinery such as forwarders, logging vehicles and logging tractors, academic training and practical skills are required to learn about the mobile logging machinery, how to drive and operate it, and there are not necessarily many people who can operate the machinery.

[0006] In this situation, the practical application of autonomous working machines, such as forwarders, logging vehicles, and tractors that can drive autonomously on roads in mountainous areas, has become an extremely important social requirement for the maintenance and development of Japan's forestry industry.

[0007] Conventionally, in a work machine such as a forwarder, a configuration is known in which two GNSS receiver position sensors are provided in front of and behind a sunshade to detect the position and orientation, obtain MAP information including the driving route that is stored in a storage device such as a server, and determine the driving route from this position and orientation and the MAP information (see paragraphs 0029, 0045-0047, 0065-0068, 0072, etc. of Patent Document 1).

[0008] In addition, a moving base system configuration is known in which a work machine having an upper rotating body attached on a lower running body is equipped with two GNSS antennas arranged on the upper surface of the upper rotating body with a gap between them in the fore-and-aft direction, and a radio that receives GNSS correction data transmitted from a reference station, and which calculates the position coordinates in a geographic coordinate system of at least one of the two GNSS antennas and the orientation between the two GNSS antennas based on multiple satellite signals received by the two GNSS antennas and the GNSS correction data received by the radio (see paragraphs 0018-0020, 0025, 0031-0032, etc. of Patent Document 2; see paragraphs 0021-0023, 0029-0031, etc. of Patent Document 3).

[0009] Furthermore, a logging machine equipped with a GNSS-based positioning sensor, a gradient sensor, and a control unit is known in which the positioning sensor detects the current location, the gradient sensor detects the road surface gradient of the logging path, and these detection results are output to the control unit, and accurate information about the road surface along the logging path is obtained using the positioning sensor and gradient sensor (see paragraphs 0023-0030, 0039-0041, 0051, etc. of Patent Document 3).

[0010] In addition, a configuration is known in which the rotating body is equipped with an attitude sensor for detecting the attitude, and the attitude sensor uses an inertial measurement unit (IMU) capable of detecting angle (or angular velocity) and acceleration (see paragraph 0017 of Patent Document 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0011] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-082902 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2021-148467 A [Patent Document 3] JP 2023-022762 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0012] Judging from the descriptions and drawings of the specifications and drawings of the working machines described in the above Patent Documents 1 to 3, all of them are designed to run on road surfaces in harsh environments such as forest work roads used to transport materials from the felling site to a sawmill or the like, and are not designed to be operated in a poor and dangerous working environment for the operator who drives the working machine.

[0013] Therefore, the configuration is not considered to be sufficient for avoiding obstacles and dangers during driving caused by pitching, rolling, etc. of the work machine that occur when driving on road surfaces in harsh environments.

[0014] The transport machine described in Patent Document 1 is configured with two GNSS receivers installed in front and behind the sunshade to detect its position and orientation, but this does not detect the pitching or rolling of the work machine, and is not sufficient for traveling on roads in harsh environments.

[0015] Patent Document 2 shows a configuration in which a radio set that receives GNSS correction data from a reference station and two GNSS antennas are installed on the rotating body of the work machine to calculate accurate position coordinates and orientation, enabling accurate construction on the target surface. However, this also only obtains the attitude and position of the work machine at the construction site, and is not a technology that improves driving on roads in harsh environments.

[0016] Patent document 3 describes a configuration in which a logging machine is equipped with a GNSS-based positioning sensor, a gradient sensor, and a control unit, and the positioning sensor detects the current location and the gradient of the logging path using the gradient sensor, thereby obtaining information on the logging path surface along which the machine is driven. However, this does not detect the pitching or rolling of the machine, and is not sufficient for driving on roads in harsh environments. [Means for solving the problem]

[0017] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides an autonomously driven work machine capable of autonomous driving, comprising a first and a second GNSS receiver connected to a first and a second GNSS antenna, respectively, a third and a fourth GNSS receiver connected to a third and a fourth GNSS antenna, respectively, and a control device, wherein the first to fourth GNSS antennas are arranged at the same height on the autonomously driven work machine so that they are horizontal to each other, the first and second GNSS antennas are respectively arranged at positions in front and behind the autonomously driven work machine in the direction of travel, and the third and fourth GNSS antennas are respectively arranged at positions on the left and right of the direction of travel on the autonomously driven work machine, and the straight line connecting the first GNSS antenna and the second GNSS antenna and the straight line connecting the third GNSS antenna and the fourth GNSS antenna are configured to be T-shaped or cross-shaped in a planar view toward the direction of travel of the autonomously driven work machine.

[0018] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides an autonomously driven work machine capable of autonomous driving, comprising first to fourth GNSS antennas, first to fourth GNSS receivers connected to the first to fourth GNSS antennas, respectively, a radio that receives an RTK correction signal from a GNSS reference station whose position coordinates in a geographic coordinate system are known, and a control device, wherein the first to fourth GNSS antennas are arranged at the same height on the autonomously driven work machine so as to be in a horizontal position relative to each other, the first and second GNSS antennas are respectively arranged at positions in front and behind the autonomously driven work machine in the direction of travel, and the third and fourth GNSS antennas are respectively arranged at positions on the left and right of the direction of travel on the autonomously driven work machine, and a straight line connecting the first GNSS antenna and the second GNSS antenna and a straight line connecting the third GNSS antenna and the fourth GNSS antenna are configured to form a T-shape or a cross shape in a plan view toward the direction of travel of the autonomously driven work machine, and the first GNSS receiver and the third GNSS receiver are each configured to receive an RTK correction signal from the radio, and the first and second GNSS antennas are each configured to receive an RTK correction signal from the radio. The receiver is configured to calculate position coordinates in a geographic coordinate system for the first and second GNSS antennas based on orientation signals from positioning satellites received by the first and second GNSS antennas, respectively, and to calculate the orientation and pitch angle of the autonomously driven work machine's direction of travel based on the relative position coordinates of the first GNSS antenna and the second GNSS antenna; at least the first GNSS receiver is configured to calculate corrected geographic coordinate system position coordinates of the first GNSS antenna obtained by correcting the geographic coordinate system position coordinates of the first GNSS antenna with an RTK correction signal from the radio; the third and fourth GNSS receivers are configured to calculate position coordinates in a geographic coordinate system for the third and fourth GNSS antennas based on orientation signals from positioning satellites received by the third and fourth GNSS antennas, respectively, and to calculate a roll angle with respect to the autonomously driven work machine's direction of travel based on the relative position coordinates of the third GNSS antenna and the fourth GNSS antenna; and at least the third GNSS receiver is configured to calculate the geographic coordinate system position coordinates of the third GNSS antenna,The present invention provides an autonomous working machine capable of autonomous driving, characterized in that it is configured to calculate position coordinates in a geographic coordinate system corrected by a third GNSS antenna using an RTK correction signal from a wireless device.

[0019] It is preferable that the first to third GNSS antennas are arranged on the roof of the driver's cab of the autonomously driven work machine, and the fourth GNSS antenna is arranged at the top of a pole that is erected on the autonomously driven work machine and is at the same height as the roof of the driver's cab.

[0020] The control device is equipped with an input section, an output section, a CPU, and a memory device, and it is preferable that the memory device is configured to be loaded with a program for implementing SLAM, a program for automatically driving an autonomous work machine, and a preventive safety program for ensuring driving safety. Effect of the Invention

[0021] According to the transport work machine of the present invention, a first GNSS antenna and a second GNSS antenna are provided at the front and rear of the machine in the direction of travel, and a first GNSS antenna and a second GNSS antenna are provided at the front and rear of the machine in the left and right width direction perpendicular to the direction of travel, and the first GNSS antenna is provided on a straight line connecting the third GNSS antenna and the fourth GNSS antenna, making it easy and accurate to calculate the position coordinates of the work machine in progress, as well as the pitch angle and roll angle of the work machine in its approximate position. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing the overall configuration of an embodiment of a transporting work machine according to the present invention, in which (a) is a plan view and (b) is a partial side view in the traveling direction. [Diagram 2] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing the embodiment, in which (a) is a front view seen from the direction of travel of a transport work machine, and (b) and (c) are diagrams for explaining the characteristic configurations of the present invention. [Diagram 3]FIG. 13 shows the state in which the transport work machine of the above embodiment is tilted in the direction of travel, i.e., in the pitch direction, while traveling along an uphill road surface, where (a) shows the inclination in the pitch direction relative to the horizontal plane, and (b) shows the inclination in the pitch direction relative to the horizontal plane when the transport work machine runs over a convex surface. [Figure 4] FIG. 13 shows the state in which the transport work machine of the above embodiment is tilted in the width direction, i.e., in the roll direction, while traveling on a shoulder-down road surface, where (a) shows the tilt in the roll direction relative to the horizontal plane, and (b) shows the tilt in the roll direction relative to the horizontal plane when the transport work machine runs over a convex surface. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the overall system configuration of the embodiment. BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THEINVENTION

[0023] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The best mode for carrying out an automatically operated working machine according to the present invention will be described below based on an embodiment with reference to the drawings. EXAMPLES

[0024] An embodiment of an autonomous working machine according to the present invention will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 5. The autonomous working machine according to the present invention is, for example, a working machine such as a forwarder that is equipped with crawlers and transports timber from a felling site in mountainous areas to a timber dumping site or the like via forest work roads in the mountainous areas.

[0025] Although application of the self-driving working machine to heavy machinery for civil engineering work such as roads in mountainous areas and dams is also conceivable, in this embodiment, a forwarder will be described as an example.

[0026] The overall configuration of an automatically driven work machine 1 according to the present invention, as shown in Figures 1 to 4, has a main body 3 equipped with crawlers 2 for traveling. On the front left side of the main body 3 in the direction of travel, a driver's operation room 7 equipped with a horizontal roof 6 is provided, and on the rear side of the main body 1, a loading platform 8 for loading lumber is provided.

[0027] As described above, the autonomous work machine 1 is a forwarder or the like that drives autonomously on a specified section, such as a forestry work road between a timber harvesting site and a timber collection site in mountainous areas. Conventionally, however, the autonomous vehicle driving device itself has been known to use GNSS technology to automatically drive a vehicle on roads on a specified map.

[0028] However, the forestry roads on which the automatic driving work machine 1 such as a forwarder travels are usually located in steep mountainous areas, surrounded by forests, and made up of narrow, steeply sloping road surfaces that are not shown on normal maps, making them a harsh environment for transporting and traveling timber. For this reason, the forestry roads on which the automatic driving work machine 1 travels are a harsh and dangerous work environment for the driver (operator) who operates the machine.

[0029] The characteristic configuration of the present invention is not the configuration of the system that enables the autonomous driving of the autonomously driving work machine 1, itself. However, since the present invention is based on the configuration of the system, an outline of the overall configuration will be explained here with reference to FIG. 5.

[0030] The autonomously driven work machine 1, which will be described in detail later, is equipped with a GNSS receiver device 11 having first to fourth GNSS receiving antennas 25-28 and first to fourth receivers 31-34, a radio 13 that receives an RTK correction signal from a GNSS reference station 18 whose position in the geographic coordinate system is known, and a control device 15.

[0031] Here, the known GNSS reference station 18 is installed at a location whose position coordinates in the geographic coordinate system (absolute coordinates of the position in the geographic coordinate system) are known, and is equipped with a GNSS antenna 10 and a GNSS receiver 20 that receive multiple positioning signals from multiple positioning satellites, and sends an RTK correction signal from the radio 22 of the reference station 18 to the GNSS receiver 11.

[0032] The GNSS receiver 11 is equipped with a first GNSS antenna 25 and a second GNSS antenna 26, which are respectively arranged in front and behind the autonomous work machine 1 in the direction of travel, and a third GNSS antenna 27 and a fourth GNSS antenna 28, which are respectively arranged on the left and right of the direction of travel.

[0033] Furthermore, the GNSS receiver 11 is equipped with a first GNSS receiver 31 and a second GNSS receiver 32 connected to the first GNSS antenna 25 and the second GNSS antenna 26, respectively, and a third GNSS receiver 33 and a fourth GNSS receiver 34 connected to the third GNSS antenna 27 and the fourth GNSS antenna 28, respectively.

[0034] Incidentally, a feature of the present invention is the configuration relating to the arrangement of the first to fourth GNSS antennas 25-28 in the autonomously driven work machine 1. That is, the first to fourth GNSS antennas 25-28 are arranged at the same height on the autonomously driven work machine 1 so that they are horizontal (in other words, within a horizontal plane) when the autonomously driven work machine 1 is placed horizontally.

[0035] Specifically, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the first to third GNSS antennas 25 to 27 are arranged on the roof 6 of the driver's cab 7 of the autonomously driven work machine 1, and the fourth GNSS antenna 28 is arranged upright on the front right side of the autonomously driven work machine 1 and is positioned on the top of a pole 50 at the same height as the roof 6 of the driver's cab 7 (see Figure 2(a)).

[0036] The first to fourth GNSS antennas 25 to 28 are arranged as follows in plan view: As shown in Figures 1(a) and 2(b), the first GNSS antenna 25 is arranged on a line connecting the third GNSS antenna 27 and the fourth GNSS antenna 28.

[0037] Furthermore, the line connecting the first GNSS antenna 25 and the second GNSS antenna 26, and the line connecting the third GNSS antenna 27 and the fourth GNSS antenna 28 are configured to be arranged horizontally in the autonomously driven work machine 1 so as to form a T-shape or a cross shape in a planar view.

[0038] In the case of the autonomous work machine 1, when the autonomous work machine 1 is heading in the ↑ direction in a planar view, the first GNSS antenna 25 and the second GNSS antenna 26 are positioned at the front and rear ends (front and rear of the autonomous work machine 1) of the I that forms a T-shape or a cross, respectively, and the third GNSS antenna 27 and the fourth GNSS antenna 28 are positioned at the left and right ends (left and right ends in the direction of travel of the autonomous work machine 1) of a T-shape (see Figures 1(a) and 2(b)) or a cross shape (see Figure 2(c)), respectively, and a configuration is adopted in which they are positioned horizontally on the roof 6 of the driver's cab 7.

[0039] In this way, the present invention employs a configuration in which the first and second GNSS antennas 25, 26 are disposed at the front and rear ends of an I forming a T-shape or a cross, respectively, and the third and fourth GNSS antennas 27, 28 are disposed at the left and right ends of one of the T-shapes or the cross, respectively, but the T-shape and the cross shape have substantially the same configuration in that the GNSS antennas are provided at the I and one end, respectively, and have the same effects. The reasons for employing such a configuration, its effects, etc. will be explained in detail in the operation section described later.

[0040] The first to fourth GNSS antennas 25-28 each receive a plurality of positioning signals from a plurality of positioning satellites, and the first to fourth GNSS receivers 31-34 each input the positioning signals received by the first to fourth GNSS antennas 25-28, respectively, and calculate the position coordinates of the first to fourth GNSS antennas 25-28 in the geographic coordinate system, as well as the azimuth angle of the direction of travel of the autonomously driven work machine 1, pitch angle p, roll angle r, etc. (see Figures 3 and 4), as described below.

[0041] In general, the configuration in which a GNSS receiver calculates position coordinates in a geographic coordinate system based on positioning signals from positioning satellites received by a GNSS antenna is well known (see Patent Document 2, etc.), so a description thereof will be omitted here.

[0042] 5, the control device 15 uses a computer equipped with an input unit 37, an output unit 38, a data bus 39, a CPU 40, and a storage device 41. The storage device 41 is loaded with a program for implementing SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping), an automatic driving program for automatically driving the automatic driving work machine 1, and a preventive safety program for ensuring safety, such as preventing tipping over, while driving.

[0043] SLAM is a technology in which a vehicle generally detects its surrounding environment using Lidar (a laser range scanner, a sensor technology that uses laser light) or similar to move around, creates a two-dimensional or three-dimensional environmental map, and simultaneously estimates its own position on that environmental map.

[0044] In the present invention, the control device 15 of the autonomous work machine 1 is equipped with a program for carrying out SLAM, and this program causes the control device 15 to function as a means for creating a three-dimensional environmental map of the forest work roads in mountainous areas along which the autonomous work machine 1 travels, as well as creating estimated data for its own position.

[0045] The technical elements required to realize SLAM include sensors that detect the physical conditions of the surrounding road surface, such as cliffs, valleys, trees, unevenness of the road surface, and obstacles such as rocks and collapses, and a data processing unit that creates an environmental map, such as the optimal route to travel, and estimated data for the vehicle's own position based on the data detected by the sensors.

[0046] A 3D LIDAR (not shown) may be installed as a sensor in the autonomously driven work machine 1, and the 3D LIDAR may be configured to send acquired detection data to the input unit 37 of the control device 15. In such a configuration, the SLAM program causes the control device 15 to perform signal processing based on the detection data, and causes the control device 15 to function as a means for processing the SLAM data.

[0047] In the present invention, the first GNSS receiver 31 and the third GNSS receiver 33 calculate the position coordinates (position coordinates before correction) of the first GNSS antenna 25 and the third GNSS antenna 27 in the geographic coordinate system based on the orientation signals received from the positioning satellites by the first GNSS antenna 25 and the third GNSS antenna 27, respectively.

[0048] Based on the RTK correction signal received by the radio 13, the first GNSS receiver 31 and the third GNSS receiver 33 correct the position coordinates in the geographic coordinate system of the first GNSS antenna 25 and the third GNSS antenna 27, respectively, and calculate position coordinates in a more accurate geographic coordinate system.

[0049] This technology of correcting the position coordinates of a GNSS antenna in a geographic coordinate system using an RTK correction signal from a known GNSS reference station and calculating more accurate position coordinates of the GNSS antenna is well known, so we will only provide an overview of it here.

[0050] 5 is installed at a location whose position coordinates in a geographic coordinate system are known. The GNSS antenna 10 installed at the known reference station 18 receives orientation signals from positioning satellites.

[0051] The GNSS receiver 20 of the reference station 18 calculates the position coordinates of the reference station 18 in the geographic coordinate system based on the orientation signal from the positioning satellite, and sends the position coordinate data to the radio 22 of the reference station 18 as RTK correction data, and then sends it from the radio 22 of the reference station 18 to the radio 13.

[0052] The first GNSS receiver 31 and the third GNSS receiver 33 are configured to calculate relative position coordinate data from the position coordinates (position coordinates before correction) of the first GNSS antenna 25 and the third GNSS antenna 27 in the geographic coordinate system, respectively, and the position coordinate RTK correction data of a known reference station 18.

[0053] Then, by using this relative position coordinate data and data related to the known position coordinates of the reference station 18, the first GNSS receiver 31 and the third GNSS receiver 33 are configured to be able to calculate highly accurate position coordinates (position coordinate data in the X, Y and Z directions) for the first GNSS antenna 25 and the third GNSS antenna 27, respectively.

[0054] The first GNSS antenna 25 and the second GNSS antenna 26 each receive an orientation signal from a positioning satellite, and based on this orientation signal, the first GNSS receiver 31 and the second GNSS receiver 32 are configured to calculate the position coordinates (not corrected by an RTK correction signal) of the first GNSS antenna 25 and the second GNSS antenna 26, respectively, in the geographic coordinate system.

[0055] The first GNSS receiver 31 is capable of calculating the orientation of a geographic coordinate system related to the direction of travel of the autonomously driven work machine 1 based on the relative position coordinate data of the first GNSS antenna 25 and the second GNSS antenna 26, and is also capable of calculating the pitch angle p (see Figure 3), which is the angle of inclination of the autonomously driven work machine 1 in the fore-and-aft direction relative to the horizontal plane.

[0056] The first GNSS receiver 31 includes a microcomputer and functions as a means for calculating the azimuth and pitch angle by a program installed therein.

[0057] Similarly, the third GNSS antenna 27 and the fourth GNSS antenna 28 each receive an orientation signal from a positioning satellite, and based on this orientation signal, the third GNSS receiver 33 and the fourth GNSS receiver 34 are configured to calculate the position coordinates (not corrected by an RTK correction signal) of the third GNSS antenna 27 and the fourth GNSS antenna 28, respectively, in the geographic coordinate system.

[0058] The third GNSS receiver 33 can calculate the roll angle r (see Figure 4), which is the angle of inclination of the autonomously driven work machine 1 in the lateral direction relative to the horizontal plane, based on the relative position coordinate data of the third GNSS antenna 27 and the fourth GNSS antenna 28.

[0059] The third GNSS receiver 33 includes a microcomputer, and functions as a means for calculating the roll angle by a program installed therein.

[0060] The position coordinates in the geographic coordinate system of the autonomously driven work machine 1 (hereinafter simply referred to as "position coordinates") are the highly accurate position coordinates of the first GNSS antenna 25 or the third GNSS antenna 27 corrected with the RTK correction signal as described above.

[0061] In this way, as the autonomous work machine 1 moves along a forest road, highly accurate position coordinates related to the first GNSS antenna 25 are obtained continuously from moment to moment, and from this position coordinate data, data on the geographical landmarks of the forest road, in other words, road map data, is obtained.

[0062] As shown in Fig. 5, data relating to the position coordinates of the first GNSS antenna 25 indicating the current position of the autonomously driven work machine 1, the orientation of the geographic landmark of the autonomously driven work machine 1, and the pitch angle p are sent from the first GNSS receiver 31 to the control device 15. In addition, data relating to the roll angle of the autonomously driven work machine 1 (see Figs. 3 and 4) is sent from the third GNSS receiver 33 to the control device 15.

[0063] The present invention is characterized by a configuration relating to the arrangement of the first to fourth GNSS antennas 25-28 in the autonomously driven work machine 1. Here, we will provide an overview of a configuration in which the control device 15 utilizes data relating to the position coordinates of the first GNSS antenna 25 (the position coordinates of the autonomously driven work machine 1) obtained by such a configuration, the direction of travel of the autonomously driven work machine 1, and the pitch angle p and roll angle r of the autonomously driven work machine 1 while traveling (see Figures 3 and 4).

[0064] As described above, the SLAM implemented in the control device 15 (the SLAM program is installed in the control device 15) creates a three-dimensional environmental map of the work area in the mountainous region and estimates the self-position.

[0065] In the slum, detailed map data for the work area in the mountainous region, including a more detailed three-dimensional environmental map, is generated by adding data relating to the position coordinates, direction, pitch angle p, and roll angle r of the autonomously driven work machine 1 inputted to the control device 15 to the environmental map and estimated data of the self-position.

[0066] In addition, for the SLAM, in addition to the three-dimensional environmental map and estimated data of the self-position, data on the pitch angle p based on the tilting of the autonomously driven work machine 1 in the direction of travel (see Figure 3), and data on the roll angle based on the tilting in the lateral direction perpendicular to the direction of travel of the autonomously driven work machine 1 (see Figure 4) are added.

[0067] As a result, the SRAM program adds detailed road surface information data such as the slope and unevenness of the forest work road surface in the direction of travel, as well as the slope of the road surface in the width direction, allowing the control device to function as a means of generating detailed road surface and highly accurate map data for the section of the forest work road that is being traveled.

[0068] Furthermore, based on the position coordinates and direction data of the autonomously driven work machine 1 generated by the first GNSS receiver 31 and sent to the control device 15, the autonomous driving program installed in the control device 15 causes the control device 15 to function as a means for generating driving operation instruction signals for the autonomously driven work machine 1 and sending them to a forwarder vehicle controller (in this embodiment, the forwarder, which is the autonomously driven work machine 1 (driving operation device: device that performs steering operations, starting and stopping operations, speed operations including acceleration and deceleration, etc.) 46).

[0069] Based on the data on pitch angle p and roll angle (see Figures 3 and 4) generated by the first GNSS receiver 31 and the third GNSS receiver 33 and sent to the control device 15, the preventive safety program installed in the control device 15 causes the control device 15 to function as a means for generating an instruction signal to control the inclination of the autonomously driven work machine 1 and sending it to the forwarder vehicle controller 46.

[0070] Furthermore, the preventive safety program installed in the control device functions as a means for generating control signals that enable safe and reliable automatic driving of the autonomous work machine 1 based on detailed road surface information data such as the slope and unevenness of the forest work road surface in the direction of travel, and the slope of the road surface in the width direction, and sending the control signals to the forwarder vehicle controller 46.

[0071] (action) The operation of the autonomously driven work machine 1 configured as above will now be described.

[0072] A characteristic configuration of the present invention is that in the autonomously driven work machine 1, first and second GNSS antennas 25, 26 are provided at the front and back, and third and fourth GNSS antennas 27, 28 are provided at the left and right, and the straight lines formed by the first and second GNSS antennas 25, 26 and the straight lines formed by the third and fourth GNSS antennas 27, 28 are arranged in a T-shape or a cross shape toward the direction of travel of the autonomously driven work machine 1.

[0073] Overview of the overall operation of the autonomous driving work machine 1: The operation of the above-mentioned characteristic configuration of the present invention will be described, together with an overview of the operation of the overall configuration of the autonomously driven work machine 1 on which it is based.

[0074] When the autonomous work machine 1 is in an unfamiliar work environment, it may be allowed to automatically travel on forest roads from the beginning, but it is preferable for the driver to initially operate the machine. While traveling on a forest road, the 3D lidar measures the distances to the cliffs, valleys, trees, unevenness of the road surface, and obstacles such as rocks and landslides on the road, and inputs the data into the automatic control device 15.

[0075] The automatic control device 15 uses the implemented SLAM to generate a three-dimensional environmental map of the work area based on distance information from a 3D lidar, and estimates the self-position of the autonomously driven work machine 1.

[0076] Regarding the generation of the environmental map, GIS map information may be input in advance into the memory device 41 of the control device 15, and the distance information from the 3D LIDAR may be overwritten on the GIS (geographical information) map to generate a three-dimensional environmental map.

[0077] As described above, the first GNSS receiver 31 corrects the position coordinates based on the orientation signal from the positioning satellite received by the first GNSS antenna 25 based on GNSS correction data from the reference station 18, thereby obtaining highly accurate position coordinates of the first GNSS antenna 25 (position coordinates of the autonomously driven work machine 1) and sending them to the control device 15.

[0078] The SRAM program causes the control device 15 to function as a means for obtaining more accurate map data including position coordinates by adding the highly accurate position coordinates of the first GNSS antenna 25 to the environmental map generated based on the 3D lidar.

[0079] Using this map data, the automatic driving program causes the control device 15 to function as a means for generating operation control signals for automatic driving. The generated operation control signals are sent from the control device 15 to the forwarder vehicle controller 46 of the automatic driving work machine 1 via CAN (Controller Area Network, one of the communication protocols), and the automatic driving work machine 1 travels by automatic driving on forest roads.

[0080] Although it is not the gist of the present invention, the driving status of the autonomously driven work machine 1 (driving statuses such as steering, starting and stopping, speed control, etc.) is fed back from the forwarder vehicle controller 46 of the autonomously driven work machine 1 to the control device 15, and the autonomous driving program also uses this data to generate operation control signals.

[0081] GNSS receiver functions: The first to fourth GNSS antennas 25-28 each receive positioning signals from a plurality of positioning satellites, and transmit the signals to the first to fourth GNSS receivers 31-34 via an SMA cable 47 (a coaxial cable with a connector used in the microwave band or the like).

[0082] The first to fourth GNSS receivers 31 to 34 calculate position coordinates (uncorrected, i.e., position coordinates not corrected by a correction signal from the reference station 18) of the first to fourth GNSS antennas 25 to 28, respectively, from the positioning signals. However, the accuracy of these uncorrected position coordinates is not necessarily high.

[0083] Therefore, the geographical position coordinates of at least the first GNSS antenna 25 and the third GNSS antenna 27 are made highly accurate using RTK correction signals from a known reference station 18 as follows.

[0084] The radio 13 receives GNSS-RTK correction signals from a known reference station 18 and sends them via SMA cables to a first GNSS receiver 31 and a third GNSS receiver 33.

[0085] The first GNSS receiver 31 uses the correction signal received by the radio 13 (coordinates calculated from the orientation signal of the positioning satellite received by the GNSS antenna at the known reference station 18) to determine the relative position coordinates between the known reference station 18 and the first GNSS antenna 25, and then determines the highly accurate position coordinates of the first GNSS antenna 25 from these relative position coordinates and the position coordinates of the known reference station 18.

[0086] In other words, the first GNSS receiver 31 corrects the uncorrected position coordinates of the first GNSS antenna 25 using the RTK correction signal received by the wireless device 13.

[0087] In addition, the position coordinates of the first GNSS antenna 25 and the position coordinates of the second receiving antenna 26 are compared, and the azimuth and pitch angle of the straight line connecting the first GNSS antenna 25 and the second GNSS antenna 26 are determined from the relative position coordinates, which are also the azimuth and pitch angle of the autonomously driven work machine 1 (see Figures 3(a) and (b)).

[0088] FIG. 3(a) shows a pitch angle p of the autonomously driven work machine 1 and an ascending road surface 51 relative to a horizontal plane 52 when the autonomously driven work machine 1 travels on an ascending road surface 51 (a road surface that slopes upward in the travel direction).

[0089] Fig. 3(b) shows a pitch angle p' of the autonomously driven work machine 1 with respect to the horizontal plane 52 when the autonomously driven work machine 1, from the state shown in Fig. 3(a), runs over a convex surface 54 or the like (a bump or stone on the road surface) and tilts upward while traveling along an uphill road surface 51. p'-p is the pitch angle indicating the tilt of the autonomously driven work machine 1 with respect to the uphill road surface 51 due to the convex surface 54 or the like.

[0090] As described above, the RTK correction signal from the reference station 18 is used to determine highly accurate position coordinates for the first GNSS antenna 25, and the azimuth and pitch angle p (see Figure 3) are calculated from the relative position coordinates in the uncorrected geographic coordinate system calculated by the first GNSS receiver 31 and the second GNSS receiver 32, respectively. However, as an alternative, the following configuration may be used to determine the azimuth and pitch angle p.

[0091] That is, as described above, in the first GNSS receiver 31, the RTK correction data received by the radio 13 is used to correct the position coordinates of the first GNSS antenna 25 to highly accurate position coordinates, as described above, and the RTK correction data is transmitted from the first GNSS receiver 31 to the second GNSS receiver 32.

[0092] This RTK correction data may then be used to correct the uncorrected position coordinates calculated by the second GNSS receiver 32 to obtain accurate geographically-based position coordinates of the second GNSS antenna 26 .

[0093] The highly accurate position coordinates of the first GNSS antenna 25 and the position coordinates of the second GNSS antenna 26 calculated in this manner are compared, and the azimuth and pitch angle p (see Figure 3) of the straight line connecting the first GNSS antenna 25 and the second GNSS antenna 26 are determined from the relative position coordinates.

[0094] The third GNSS receiver 33 uses the correction signal received by the radio 13 (coordinates calculated from the orientation signal of the positioning satellite received by the third GNSS antenna 27 at the known reference station 18) to determine the relative position coordinates between the known reference station 18 and the third GNSS antenna 27, and then determines the highly accurate position coordinates of the third GNSS antenna 27 from these relative position coordinates and the position coordinates of the known reference station 18.

[0095] In other words, the third GNSS receiver 33 corrects the uncorrected position coordinates of the third GNSS antenna 27 using the RTK correction signal received by the wireless device 13.

[0096] In addition, the position coordinates of the third GNSS antenna 27 and the position coordinates of the fourth GNSS antenna 28 are compared, and the roll angle r, which is the inclination of the straight line connecting the third GNSS antenna 27 and the fourth GNSS antenna 28 with respect to the horizontal plane 52, is calculated from the relative position coordinates (see Figures 4(a) and (b)).

[0097] Figure 4(a) shows the roll angle r of the autonomously driven work machine 1 and a shoulder-sloping road surface 56 relative to a horizontal plane 52 when the autonomously driven work machine 1 travels on a shoulder-sloping road surface 56 (a road surface that slopes in the direction of the road width (the width of the road surface)).

[0098] Fig. 4(b) shows the roll angle r' of the autonomously driven work machine 1 with respect to the horizontal plane 52 when, from the state shown in Fig. 4(a), the autonomously driven work machine 1 runs over a convex surface 57 or the like while traveling along a shoulder-sagging road surface 56 and further tilts in the width direction. r'-r is the roll angle indicating the tilt of the autonomously driven work machine 1 with respect to the shoulder-sagging road surface 56 due to the convex surface 57 or the like.

[0099] As described above, the RTK correction signal from the reference station 18 is used to determine highly accurate position coordinates for the third GNSS antenna 27, and the roll r (see Figure 4) is calculated from the uncorrected position coordinates calculated by the third GNSS receiver 33 and the fourth GNSS receiver 34, respectively. However, as an alternative, the roll r may be calculated as follows.

[0100] That is, as described above, in the third GNSS receiver 33, the position coordinates of the third GNSS antenna 27 are corrected to highly accurate position coordinates using the RTK correction data received by the radio 13, and the RTK correction data is transmitted from the third GNSS receiver 33 to the fourth GNSS receiver 34.

[0101] This RTK correction data may then be used to correct the uncorrected position coordinates calculated by the fourth GNSS receiver 33 to obtain highly accurate position coordinates of the fourth GNSS antenna 28.

[0102] The highly accurate position coordinates of the third GNSS antenna 27 and the position coordinates of the fourth GNSS antenna 28 calculated in this manner are compared, and the roll angle (see Figure 4) of the straight line connecting the third GNSS antenna 27 and the fourth GNSS antenna 28 with respect to the horizontal plane is determined from the relative position coordinates.

[0103] The highly accurate position coordinates of the first GNSS antenna 25 calculated by correcting with RTK correction data in the first GNSS receiver 31 and the pitch angle p calculated from the relative position coordinates of the first and second antennas 25, 26 are sent to the control device 15.

[0104] The position coordinate data of the first GNSS antenna 25 input to the control device 15 is used as position coordinates indicating the current position of the autonomously driven work machine 1, and as one of the execution data for the autonomous driving program in the control device 15.

[0105] In addition, since the position coordinate data of the first GNSS antenna 25 indicates the geographical position with high accuracy, it is used in slums to correct the position coordinates of a three-dimensional environmental map of the work area based on 3D lidar, thereby further improving the accuracy of the environmental map.

[0106] The pitch angle p (see Figure 3) indicates the magnitude of the forward / backward tilt of the autonomous work machine 1 as it moves forward, and is therefore used to form and display the gradient and unevenness of the road surface at each point on the forest road in a three-dimensional environmental map of the work area created based on the slam.

[0107] The data on the pitch angles p, p' is recorded as detailed content of the environmental map of the work area by SLAM, and is also used as part of the data for executing the automatic driving program and the preventive safety program in the control device 15.

[0108] Similarly, the roll angle r (see Figure 4) calculated from the relative position coordinates of the third and fourth GNSS antennas 33, 34 indicates the magnitude of inclination of the autonomous work machine 1 in the road width direction as the autonomous work machine 1 progresses, and is therefore used to form and display the inclination degree in the road width direction and unevenness state of the forest road at each point on a three-dimensional environmental map of the work area created based on the slam.

[0109] The data on the roll angles r and r' are recorded as detailed content of the environmental map of the work area by SLAM, and are also used as part of the data for executing the automatic driving program and the preventive safety program in the control device 15.

[0110] Effects of the characteristic configuration of the present invention: Incidentally, a characteristic feature of the present invention is that the first to fourth GNSS antennas 25 to 28 are arranged in the autonomously driven work machine 1 at a horizontal position, in other words at the same height, when the autonomously driven work machine 1 is in a horizontal state.

[0111] In the autonomously driven work machine 1, the first GNSS antenna 25 and the second GNSS antenna 26 are arranged at the front and rear, respectively, and the third GNSS antenna 27 and the fourth GNSS antenna 28 are arranged at the left and right, respectively, in relation to the direction of travel.

[0112] Furthermore, in the autonomously driven work machine 1, the first GNSS antenna 25 is arranged on a line connecting the third GNSS antenna 27 and the fourth GNSS antenna 28 in a planar view, and the line connecting the first GNSS antenna 25 and the second GNSS antenna 26 and the line connecting the third GNSS antenna 27 and the fourth GNSS antenna 28 are arranged so as to form a T-shape (see Figures 1(a) and 2(b)) or a cross shape (see Figure 2(c)) in a planar view.

[0113] In other words, in the case of the autonomous work machine 1, when the autonomous work machine 1 heads in the ↑ direction, the first GNSS antenna 25 and the second GNSS antenna 26 are respectively positioned at the front and rear ends of an I that forms a T-shape or a cross, and the third GNSS antenna 27 and the fourth GNSS antenna 28 are respectively positioned at the left and right ends of an I that forms a T-shape or a cross, and the first to fourth GNSS antennas 25 to 28 are configured to be positioned horizontally, for example on the roof 6 of the driver's cab 7.

[0114] The reasons, functions, and effects of arranging the first to fourth GNSS antennas 25-28 in this manner are as follows: Regarding the coordinate axes of the position coordinates, the east-west direction is the X-axis, the north-south direction is the Y-axis, and the height direction (vertical direction) is the Z-axis.

[0115] In order to calculate the heading direction and pitch angle p, which change from moment to moment as the autonomous work machine 1 advances, as described above, these are calculated from the relative position coordinates of the first GNSS antenna 25 and the second GNSS antenna 26, which are arranged front and rear along the direction of movement of the autonomous work machine 1 (see Figure 3).

[0116] However, when calculating the heading direction and pitch angle p, if the distance between the first GNSS antenna 25 and the second GNSS antenna 26 is short, the position coordinates of the two antennas are close to each other, so the difference in relative position coordinates is small, and in some cases this falls within the range of error in GNSS positioning.

[0117] Therefore, in order to accurately calculate the heading direction and pitch angle p, the distance between the first GNSS antenna 25 and the second GNSS antenna 26 needs to be as long as possible in both the forward and backward directions of movement of the autonomously driven work machine 1.

[0118] The location that satisfies the requirement of a horizontal position is on the horizontal roof 6 of the driver's cab 7. Moreover, in order to secure as long a distance as possible in the front-to-rear direction, it is the front and rear ends of the roof 6. Therefore, the first GNSS antenna 25 and the second receiving GNSS antenna 26 are specifically arranged at the front and rear ends on the roof 6 of the driver's cab 7 along the direction of movement.

[0119] In order to calculate the fluctuations in the roll angle, which change moment by moment in accordance with the direction of travel of the autonomously driven work machine 1, as described above, the calculation is performed from the relative position coordinates of the third GNSS antenna 27 and the fourth GNSS antenna 28, which are positioned to the left and right of the direction of movement of the autonomously driven work machine 1.

[0120] As with the calculation of the pitch angle p, when calculating the roll angle r (see Figure 4) relative to the direction of travel, if the distance between the third GNSS antenna 27 and the fourth GNSS antenna 28 is short, the position coordinates of the two antennas will be close to each other, and the difference in relative position coordinates will be small, which may fall within the range of error in GNSS positioning.

[0121] Therefore, in order to accurately calculate the roll angle r relative to the traveling direction, the distance between the third GNSS antenna 27 and the fourth GNSS antenna 28 needs to be as long as possible in the lateral direction of the movement of the autonomously driven work machine 1.

[0122] Therefore, the third GNSS antenna 27 is installed on the roof 6 of the driver's cab 7, at the left end in the direction of travel, and since the fourth GNSS antenna 28 is too short on the roof 6 to maintain the maximum possible distance from the third GNSS antenna 27, a pole 50 is erected at the right end in the direction of travel of the autonomous work machine 1, and the top of the pole is installed at the same height as the third GNSS antenna 27, as shown in Figure 2(a).

[0123] The pitch angle p (see FIG. 3) is calculated from the relative position coordinates of the second GNSS antenna 26 with respect to the position coordinates of the first GNSS antenna 25 (intersection 29 of I and I in the T-shape). Therefore, the calculated pitch angle p can be said to be data in the position coordinates of the intersection 29, i.e., the position coordinates of the autonomously driven work machine 1.

[0124] The roll angle r (see FIG. 4) is calculated based on the relative position coordinates of the fourth GNSS antenna 28 with respect to the position coordinates of the third GNSS antenna 27. The first GNSS antenna 25 is located on a straight line connecting the third GNSS antenna 27 and the fourth GNSS antenna 28. Therefore, the calculated roll angle r can also be said to be data in the position coordinates of the autonomously driven work machine 1.

[0125] Therefore, in the case of a T-shaped arrangement, the first GNSS antenna 25 is placed at the intersection 29 of the T, the second GNSS antenna 26 is placed behind the intersection 29 of the T, and the third GNSS antenna 27 and the fourth GNSS antenna 28 are placed on the left and right sides of the intersection 29 of the T, respectively (see Figures 1(a) and 2(a)).

[0126] In the case of a cross-shaped arrangement, the third GNSS antenna 27 and the fourth GNSS antenna 28 are arranged at the left and right ends of a straight line that intersects perpendicularly with the straight line connecting the first GNSS antenna 25 and the second GNSS antenna 26 at the T-shaped intersection 29 (see Figure 2 (c)).

[0127] If the first to fourth GNSS antennas 25 to are arranged at the front, rear, left and right ends of a T-shape or a cross, respectively, the relative positions of the first to fourth GNSS antennas 25 to are clear in advance.

[0128] That is, when the autonomously driven work machine 1 is in a horizontal position as an initial position, at least the height position coordinate (Z-axis position coordinate) of the position coordinates of the first to fourth GNSS antennas 25 to 28 is common.

[0129] In addition, the lengths of I and I that form the T shape or cross, and the lengths L1, L2 from the left and right ends of I to the intersection 29 of the T (in the case of a cross, the lengths from the left and right ends to the I that forms the T shape) are known and clear in advance, and the relative positions of the first to fourth GNSS antennas 25-28 on the horizontal plane (XY coordinate plane) are clear.

[0130] Therefore, if each of the above known lengths is stored in advance by installing memory means in the first to fourth receivers 31 to 34, the pitch angle p and roll angle r (see Figures 3 and 4), which indicate the attitude of the autonomously driven work machine 1, can be calculated easily and accurately.

[0131] For example, the pitch angle p can be calculated using the length L0 of I that forms a T-shape or cross if the difference in the current position coordinate in the Z-axis direction when the second GNSS antenna 26 is pitch oscillating relative to when it is horizontal, or the difference in the position coordinate in the Z-axis direction of the second GNSS antenna 26 relative to the first GNSS antenna 25 is known (see Figure 3).

[0132] The roll angle r can be calculated by knowing the difference in the current position coordinate in the Z-axis direction during roll oscillation relative to the horizontal position of the third GNSS antenna 27 (or the fourth GNSS antenna 28) using the length L1 (or L2) from the left end (or right end) of one that forms a T shape or cross to the I that forms the T shape or cross (see Figure 2).

[0133] In addition, the roll angle r can be calculated using the length L1+L2 of the distance between the third GNSS antenna 27 and the fourth GNSS antenna 28 if the difference in position coordinates in the Z-axis direction between the third GNSS antenna 27 and the fourth GNSS antenna 28 during roll oscillation is known (see Figure 2).

[0134] In addition, the length L0 of I and - that form the T-shape or cross, the lengths L1, L2 from the left and right ends of - to I, and the lengths L3, L4 from the front and rear ends of I to the point where it intersects with - in the case of a cross are known in advance, and therefore can be used, as necessary, for tasks such as calibration of the first to fourth GNSS antennas 25-28 and the GNSS receivers 31-34.

[0135] For example, when the autonomously driven work machine 1 is in a horizontal state, it calculates accurate position coordinates of the first to fourth GNSS antennas 25 to 28 based on orientation signals from positioning satellites received by the first to fourth GNSS antennas 25 to 28, respectively, and an RTK correction signal from a known reference station 18.

[0136] On the other hand, the position coordinates on the XY coordinate plane of each of the second to fourth antennas 26 to 28 are calculated from the data on the distance between the first GNSS antenna 25 and each of the second to fourth antennas 26 to 28, which is stored in advance as described above.

[0137] Then, by comparing the calculated position coordinates on the XY coordinate plane of each of the second to fourth antennas 26 to 28 with the position coordinates of the first to fourth GNSS antennas 25 to 28 calculated by the GNSS described above, the coordinates can be used for tasks such as calibration of the first to fourth GNSS antennas 25 to 28 and the GNSS receivers 31 to 34.

[0138] The above describes the form for implementing the autonomously driven work machine according to the present invention based on the examples. However, the present invention is not limited to such examples, and it goes without saying that there are various embodiments within the scope of the technical matters described in the claims. [Industrial Applicability]

[0139] Since the autonomous working machine of the present invention is configured as described above, it is applicable to forwarders used in the forestry industry that travel on harsh road surfaces in mountainous areas, heavy civil engineering machinery used in dam construction, and the like. [Explanation of symbols]

[0140] 1. Self-driving work machine 2. Crawler 3. Main unit 6. Roof 7. Driver's room 8 Cargo Bed 10 GNSS receiving antenna 11 GNSS receiver 13 Radio 15 Control device 18 Known GNSS Reference Stations 20 GNSS receiver 22 Reference station radio (transmitting radio) 25 First GNSS Antenna 26 Second GNSS Antenna 27 Third GNSS Antenna 28 4th GNSS Antenna 29 T-intersection 31 The first GNSS receiver 32 Second GNSS Receiver 33 Third GNSS Receiver 34 The fourth GNSS receiver 37 Input section 38 Output section 39 Data Bus 40 CPU 41 Storage device 46 Controller 47 SMA cable 50 Posts 51 Climbing Road 52 Horizontal plane 54 Convex 56 Shoulder-down road surface 57 Convex

Claims

1. A work machine tilt angle calculation system comprising first and second GNSS receivers connected to first and second GNSS antennas, respectively, and third and fourth GNSS receivers connected to third and fourth GNSS antennas, respectively, The first and second GNSS antennas are arranged so as to be separated in front of and behind the work machine in the direction of travel. The third and fourth GNSS antennas are arranged so as to be separated to the left and right with respect to the direction of travel. The first to fourth GNSS antennas are arranged such that the straight line connecting the first GNSS antenna and the second GNSS antenna, and the straight line connecting the third GNSS antenna and the fourth GNSS antenna, form a T-shape or a cross shape in a plan view of the work machine.

2. An automated driving work machine capable of autonomous driving, comprising: first and second GNSS receivers connected to first and second GNSS antennas, respectively; third and fourth GNSS receivers connected to third and fourth GNSS antennas, respectively; and a control device, The first to fourth GNSS antennas are positioned at the same height on the automated work machine so that they are horizontal to each other. The first and second GNSS antennas are positioned at the front and rear of the autonomous driving machine in the direction of travel. The third and fourth GNSS antennas are positioned on the left and right sides of the automated work machine in relation to the direction of travel. An automated work machine characterized in that the straight line connecting the first GNSS antenna and the second GNSS antenna, and the straight line connecting the third GNSS antenna and the fourth GNSS antenna are configured to form a T-shape or a cross shape in a plan view toward the direction of travel of the automated work machine.

3. An automated driving machine capable of autonomous driving, comprising: first to fourth GNSS antennas; first to fourth GNSS receivers connected to the first to fourth GNSS antennas, respectively; a radio that receives RTK correction signals from a GNSS reference station whose geographic coordinate system position coordinates are known; and a control device, The first to fourth GNSS antennas are positioned at the same height on the automated work machine so that they are horizontal to each other. The first and second GNSS antennas are positioned at the front and rear of the autonomous driving machine in the direction of travel. The third and fourth GNSS antennas are positioned on the left and right sides of the automated work machine in relation to the direction of travel. The straight line connecting the first GNSS antenna and the second GNSS antenna, and the straight line connecting the third GNSS antenna and the fourth GNSS antenna, are configured to form a T-shape or a cross shape in a plan view in the direction of travel of the automated work machine. The first GNSS receiver and the third GNSS receiver are configured to receive RTK correction signals from the radio. The first and second GNSS receivers are configured to calculate the position coordinates in their respective geographic coordinate systems for the first and second GNSS antennas based on the azimuth signals from positioning satellites received by the first and second GNSS antennas, and to calculate the azimuth and pitch angle of the direction of travel of the automated work machine based on the relative position coordinates of the first and second GNSS antennas. At least the first GNSS receiver is configured to calculate the corrected geographic coordinate system position coordinates of the first GNSS antenna by correcting the geographic coordinate system position coordinates of the first GNSS antenna with an RTK correction signal from the radio. The third and fourth GNSS receivers are configured to calculate the position coordinates in their respective geographic coordinate systems for the third and fourth GNSS antennas based on the azimuth signals received from positioning satellites by the third and fourth GNSS antennas, and to calculate the roll angle relative to the direction of travel of the automated work machine based on the relative position coordinates of the third and fourth GNSS antennas. An automated work machine capable of autonomous driving, characterized in that at least the third GNSS receiver is configured to calculate the corrected geographic coordinate system position coordinates of the third GNSS antenna, which are obtained by correcting the geographic coordinate system position coordinates of the third GNSS antenna with an RTK correction signal from a radio.

4. The automated work machine according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the first to third GNSS antennas are positioned on the roof of the control room of the automated work machine, and the fourth GNSS antenna is positioned on the top of a pole that is erect on the automated work machine and is at the same height as the roof of the control room.

5. The control device comprises an input unit, an output unit, a CPU, and a storage device, and the storage device is configured to include a program for performing Slam, a program for automatically operating the automated work machine, and a preventive safety program for ensuring safe driving, as described in claim 2 or 3.

6. The first to third GNSS antennas are positioned on the roof of the control room of the automated work machine, and the fourth GNSS antenna is positioned at the top of a pole that is erected on the automated work machine and is at the same height as the roof of the control room. The control device comprises an input unit, an output unit, a CPU, and a storage device, and the storage device is configured to include a program for performing Slam, a program for automatically operating the automated work machine, and a preventive safety program for ensuring safe driving, as described in claim 2 or 3.

Images