System and method

Abstract

To provide a technique which can confirm the production state of a moving body regardless of operators and dedicated facilities.SOLUTION: A system comprises: a control unit for controlling a moving body movable by an automated system operation using sensor information acquired from a sensor; and an inspection unit for inspecting the production state of the moving body using at least one of the sensor information and electronic component information acquired from an electronic component attached to the moving body.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to systems and methods. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART In a vehicle manufacturing process, a technique for running a vehicle by remote control is known (for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 2017-538619 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In a manufacturing process of a moving body such as a vehicle, if the manufacturing status of the moving body is checked visually by a worker, it requires time and effort and cost to deploy the worker. If the inspection is done using dedicated equipment instead of a worker, it requires time and effort and cost to deploy the dedicated equipment. Therefore, there is a need for a technology that can check the manufacturing status of a moving body without relying on a worker or dedicated equipment. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The present disclosure can be realized in the following forms.

[0006] (1) According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a system including: a control unit that controls an unmanned mobile object using sensor information acquired from a sensor; and an inspection unit that inspects a manufacturing state of the mobile object using at least one of the sensor information and electronic component information acquired from electronic components attached to the mobile object. According to this type of system, the manufacturing state of a moving object can be inspected without relying on workers or dedicated equipment. (2) In the system of the above aspect, the control unit may change the destination of the moving object in accordance with the inspection result by the inspection unit. According to this type of system, the destination of the moving body can be changed depending on the inspection results. (3) In the system of the above aspect, the inspection unit may identify the progress of the manufacturing process of the moving body and inspect items according to the progress. According to this type of system, inspection can be carried out according to the progress of the manufacturing process. (4) In the system of the above form, the inspection unit may identify a part that should be attached to the moving body and inspect whether the part that should be attached to the moving body is attached to the moving body. According to the system of this embodiment, it is possible to prevent parts from being left unattached to the moving body. (5) According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a method for controlling an unmanned mobile object using sensor information acquired from a sensor, and inspecting a manufacturing state of the mobile object using at least one of the sensor information and component information acquired from electronic components attached to the mobile object. According to the method of this aspect, the manufacturing state of the moving body can be inspected without relying on workers or dedicated equipment. The present disclosure may be realized in various forms other than a system and a method, such as an apparatus, a computer program, or a recording medium on which a computer program is recorded. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a system according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which a vehicle is remotely controlled to travel in a factory. [Figure 3] 4 is a flowchart showing the contents of unmanned operation processing according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] 10 is a flowchart showing the contents of an inspection process. [Figure 5]FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an inspection state by the inspection process. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a system according to a second embodiment. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart showing the contents of an unmanned operation process according to a second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] A. First embodiment: FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a system 10 in a first embodiment. The system 10 is used to move mobile objects by unmanned operation in a factory that manufactures the mobile objects, and to inspect the mobile objects in the factory that manufactures the mobile objects. In this embodiment, the mobile object is a vehicle 100. More specifically, the mobile object is an electric vehicle (BEV: Battery Electric Vehicle). Note that the mobile object is not limited to an electric vehicle, and may be, for example, a gasoline-powered vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, or a fuel cell vehicle. The mobile object is not limited to the vehicle 100, and may be, for example, an electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft (a so-called flying car).

[0009] Here, "unmanned driving" means driving that is not performed by a passenger aboard the vehicle 100. "Driving operation" means an operation related to at least one of "driving," "turning," and "stopping" of the vehicle 100. Unmanned driving is achieved by automatic or manual remote control using a device located outside the vehicle 100, or by autonomous control of the vehicle 100. A passenger who does not perform driving operations may be on board the vehicle 100 that is traveling in an unmanned driving mode. Passengers who do not perform driving operations include, for example, a person who simply sits in a seat in the vehicle 100, or a person who is on board the vehicle 100 and performing an action other than driving operations. Actions other than driving operations include, for example, assembling parts to the vehicle 100, inspecting the vehicle 100, and operating switches installed on the vehicle 100. Note that driving performed by a passenger performing driving operations is sometimes referred to as "manned driving."

[0010] In this embodiment, the system 10 includes a vehicle 100 that can be moved by remote control, a server device 200 that remotely controls the vehicle 100, a group of external sensors 300 installed in a factory, a process control device 400 that manages the production of the vehicle 100 in the factory, and an alarm device 500 that notifies the occurrence of an abnormality in the factory.

[0011] The vehicle 100 includes a vehicle control device 110 for controlling each component of the vehicle 100, an actuator group 120 that operates under the control of the vehicle control device 110, a communication device 130 for communicating with a server device 200 via wireless communication, and electronic components 140. The actuator group 120 includes at least one actuator. In this embodiment, the actuator group 120 includes a drive unit actuator for accelerating the vehicle 100, a steering unit actuator for changing the direction of travel of the vehicle 100, and a braking unit actuator for decelerating the vehicle 100. The drive unit includes a battery, a traction motor powered by the battery, and wheels rotated by the traction motor. The actuator of the drive unit includes the traction motor. The electronic components 140 are, for example, measurement units for measuring the rotation speed of the wheels and the air pressure of rubber tires attached to the wheels. The electronic components 140 may also be measurement units for measuring physical quantities other than the rotation speed of the wheels and the air pressure of the rubber tires. The electronic component 140 is not limited to a measurement unit, but may be, for example, an in-vehicle camera, a car navigation device, or the like.

[0012] The vehicle control device 110 is configured by a computer including a processor 111, a memory 112, an input / output interface 113, and an internal bus 114. The processor 111, the memory 112, and the input / output interface 113 are connected via the internal bus 114 to enable bidirectional communication. The input / output interface 113 is connected to an actuator group 120, a communication device 130, and an electronic component 140.

[0013] The processor 111 functions as a driving control unit 115 by executing a computer program PG1 stored in advance in the memory 112. The driving control unit 115 controls the actuator group 120. When a passenger is on board the vehicle 100, the driving control unit 115 controls the actuator group 120 in accordance with the operation of the passenger, thereby causing the vehicle 100 to drive. Regardless of whether a passenger is on board the vehicle 100 or not, the driving control unit 115 controls the actuator group 120 in accordance with a driving control signal received from the server device 200, causing the vehicle 100 to drive.

[0014] The server device 200 is configured by a computer including a processor 201, a memory 202, an input / output interface 203, and an internal bus 204. The processor 201, the memory 202, and the input / output interface 203 are connected via the internal bus 204 to enable bidirectional communication. A communication device 205 is connected to the input / output interface 203 for communicating with the vehicle 100 via wireless communication. In this embodiment, the communication device 205 can communicate with the external sensor group 300, the process control device 400, and the alarm device 500 via wired communication or wireless communication.

[0015] The processor 201 functions as a remote control unit 210 and an inspection unit 220 by executing a computer program PG2 pre-stored in the memory 202. The remote control unit 210 performs remote control of the vehicle 100 using information output from the external sensor group 300. The inspection unit 220 inspects the manufacturing state of the vehicle 100 using at least one of the information output from the external sensor group 300 and the information output from the electronic components 140. The manufacturing state includes the state of the vehicle 100 and the state of the manufacturing process for the vehicle 100. The state of the vehicle 100 includes, for example, whether or not there are improperly installed parts and whether or not there are any external appearance defects. Installation defects include parts that have been forgotten to be installed, parts that have been installed in an insufficient state that may cause them to fall off, and parts that have been installed incorrectly. External appearance defects include scratches, uneven paint, and the like. The status of the manufacturing process of vehicle 100 includes, for example, whether work is being performed according to appropriate procedures and methods, whether work has not yet started, whether work is in progress, whether work has been completed, variations in work time, whether work is being performed by qualified personnel, etc. Inspection unit 220 inspects items according to the progress of the manufacturing process of vehicle 100, in other words, items according to how far the manufacturing of vehicle 100 has progressed.

[0016] The external sensor group 300 is composed of at least one external sensor. The external sensor is a sensor located outside the vehicle 100. In this embodiment, the external sensor is a camera installed in a factory. The external sensor is equipped with a communication device (not shown) and can communicate with the server device 200 via wired communication or wireless communication.

[0017] The process control device 400 manages the overall manufacturing process of the vehicle 100 in the factory. The process control device 400 is configured with at least one computer. The process control device 400 has a database in which various information about the vehicle 100 is recorded. The various information recorded in the database includes the identification number of the vehicle 100, the vehicle model, the content of each manufacturing process, the progress of the manufacturing process, and information about the parts installed in each manufacturing process. The process control device 400 is equipped with a communication device (not shown) and can communicate with the server device 200 and various equipment in the factory via wired or wireless communication.

[0018] The notification device 500 is a device for notifying a manager of the system 10 or a factory worker that an abnormality has occurred in the factory. In the following description, the manager of the system 10 and the factory worker are referred to as the manager, etc. The notification device 500 is, for example, an alarm buzzer or an alarm lamp provided in the factory. The notification device 500 may be a tablet terminal carried by the manager, etc. The notification device 500 is equipped with a communication device (not shown) and can communicate with the server device 200 via wired or wireless communication.

[0019] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing how the vehicle 100 travels under remote control in a factory KJ. FIG. 2 illustrates coordinate axes GA of a global coordinate system in the factory KJ and an ideal route TR along which the vehicle 100 should travel. In this embodiment, the factory KJ includes a first location PL1 and a second location PL2. The first location PL1 and the second location PL2 are connected by a travel path SR along which the vehicle 100 can travel. A plurality of external sensors 301 constituting an external sensor group 300 are installed around the travel path SR. In this embodiment, the first location PL1 is a location where the vehicle 100 is assembled, and the second location PL2 is a location where a final inspection of the vehicle 100 is performed. When the vehicle 100 is assembled at the first location PL1, it is equipped with at least a vehicle control device 110, an actuator group 120, and a communication device 130. Therefore, when the vehicle 100 is assembled at the first location PL1, it is ready to travel under remote control. The vehicle 100 assembled at the first location PL1 is moved from the first location PL1 to the second location PL2 by being remotely controlled by the server device 200. The vehicle 100 that passes the final inspection at the second location PL2 is shipped from the factory KJ.

[0020] 3 is a flowchart showing the details of the unmanned driving process in this embodiment. In this embodiment, the unmanned driving process is executed by the remote control unit 210 of the server device 200 and the driving control unit 115 of the vehicle 100. The unmanned driving process is started, for example, when a predetermined start operation is performed by an administrator or the like. Prior to the start of the unmanned driving process, the remote control unit 210 acquires the identification number of the vehicle 100 to be remotely controlled. For example, if a two-dimensional code recording the identification number of the vehicle 100 is affixed to the vehicle 100, and a worker at the factory KJ reads the two-dimensional code affixed to the vehicle 100 with a reading device, the identification number of the vehicle 100 is transmitted from the reading device to the server device 200.

[0021] When the unmanned driving process is started, in step S110, the remote control unit 210 acquires position information of the vehicle 100 using detection results output from an external sensor 301 located outside the vehicle 100. In this embodiment, the position information of the vehicle 100 includes the position and orientation of the vehicle 100 in the global coordinate system of the factory KJ. In this embodiment, the external sensor 301 is a camera installed in the factory KJ, and an image is output from the external sensor 301 as a detection result. The position and orientation of the external sensor 301 are adjusted in advance. The remote control unit 210 acquires the position and orientation of the vehicle 100 in the factory KJ using the image acquired from the external sensor 301.

[0022] Regarding a method for acquiring the position of the vehicle 100, the remote control unit 210 can acquire the position of the vehicle 100, for example, by detecting the vehicle's outline from an image, calculating the coordinates of the positioning point of the vehicle 100 in the image's coordinate system, and converting the calculated coordinates into coordinates in a global coordinate system. The outline of the vehicle 100 included in the image can be detected, for example, by inputting the image into a detection model using artificial intelligence. Examples of the detection model include a trained machine learning model trained to achieve either semantic segmentation or instance segmentation. This machine learning model can be, for example, a convolutional neural network trained by supervised learning using a training dataset. In the following description, the convolutional neural network is referred to as a CNN. The training dataset includes, for example, multiple training images including the vehicle 100 and correct answer labels indicating whether each region in the training image represents the vehicle 100 or a region other than the vehicle 100. During CNN training, it is preferable to update the CNN parameters by backpropagation (error backpropagation method) so as to reduce the error between the output result of the detection model and the correct label. Regarding the method of acquiring the orientation of the vehicle 100, the remote control unit 210 can acquire the orientation of the vehicle 100 by, for example, using an optical flow method to calculate a movement vector of the vehicle 100 from the positional changes of feature points of the vehicle 100 between image frames, and estimating the orientation of the vehicle 100 based on the orientation of the movement vector.

[0023] In step S120, the remote control unit 210 determines a target position to which the vehicle 100 should next head. In this embodiment, the target position is represented by X, Y, and Z coordinates in a global coordinate system. An ideal route to be traveled by the vehicle 100 is pre-stored in the memory 202. The route is represented by nodes indicating the departure point, nodes indicating passing points, nodes indicating the destination, and links connecting the nodes. The remote control unit 210 uses the position information of the vehicle 100 and the ideal route to determine a target position to which the vehicle 100 should next head. The remote control unit 210 determines a target position on the ideal route that is ahead of the current location of the vehicle 100.

[0024] In step S130, the remote control unit 210 generates a driving control signal for driving the vehicle 100 toward the determined target position. In this embodiment, the driving control signal includes the acceleration and steering angle of the vehicle 100 as parameters. The remote control unit 210 calculates the driving speed of the vehicle 100 from the change in the position of the vehicle 100 and compares the calculated driving speed with a predetermined target speed of the vehicle 100. If the driving speed is lower than the target speed, the remote control unit 210 determines the acceleration so that the vehicle 100 accelerates. If the driving speed is higher than the target speed, the remote control unit 210 determines the acceleration so that the vehicle 100 decelerates. If the vehicle 100 is located on the ideal route, the remote control unit 210 determines the steering angle so that the vehicle 100 does not deviate from the ideal route. If the vehicle 100 is not located on the ideal route, in other words, if the vehicle 100 has deviated from the ideal route, the remote control unit 210 determines the steering angle so that the vehicle 100 returns to the ideal route.

[0025] In step S140, the remote control unit 210 transmits the generated driving control signal to the vehicle 100. The remote control unit 210 repeats, at a predetermined cycle, obtaining position information of the vehicle 100, determining a target position, generating a driving control signal, and transmitting the driving control signal.

[0026] In step S150, the driving control unit 115 of the vehicle 100 receives a driving control signal from the server device 200. In step S160, the driving control unit 115 controls the actuator group 120 using the received driving control signal, thereby causing the vehicle 100 to drive at the acceleration and steering angle indicated in the driving control signal. The driving control unit 115 repeats receiving the driving control signal and controlling the actuator group 120 at a predetermined cycle. According to the system 10 of the present embodiment, the vehicle 100 can be driven by remote control, and therefore the vehicle 100 can be moved without using transportation equipment such as a crane or conveyor.

[0027] 4 is a flowchart showing the contents of the inspection process. The inspection process is executed by the inspection unit 220 of the server device 200. The inspection process is started, for example, when the vehicle 100 to be inspected arrives at a predetermined position. In the following description, the vehicle 100 to be inspected is referred to as the target vehicle 100. When the inspection process is started, in step S210, the inspection unit 220 acquires the identification number of the target vehicle 100. In this embodiment, the remote control unit 210 knows the identification number of the target vehicle 100 that has been moved to the position where the inspection process is to be executed, and the inspection unit 220 acquires the identification number of the target vehicle 100 from the remote control unit 210.

[0028] In step S220, the inspection unit 220 identifies the progress of the manufacturing process for the target vehicle 100. In this embodiment, it is predetermined which work will be performed on the target vehicle 100 at which location within the factory KJ, so the progress of the manufacturing process for the target vehicle 100 can be determined from the current location of the target vehicle 100. The remote control unit 210 sequentially transmits location information of the target vehicle 100 to the process management device 400. The process management device 400 determines the progress of the manufacturing process from the current location of the target vehicle 100 and updates the progress of the manufacturing process for the target vehicle 100 recorded in the database. The inspection unit 220 identifies the current progress of the manufacturing process for the target vehicle 100 by obtaining information from the process management device 400 using the identification number of the target vehicle 100.

[0029] In step S230, the inspection unit 220 identifies the parts that should currently be installed on the target vehicle 100. In this embodiment, the database of the process control device 400 stores information about the parts to be installed on the target vehicle 100 in each manufacturing process, associated with the identification number of the target vehicle 100. In other words, the process control device 400 knows which parts should be installed on the target vehicle 100 at which stage of the manufacturing process. The inspection unit 220 acquires information from the process control device 400 using the identification number of the target vehicle 100 and the progress of the manufacturing process, thereby identifying the parts that should currently be installed on the target vehicle 100.

[0030] In step S240, the inspection unit 220 inspects the manufacturing state of the target vehicle 100 using at least one of information acquired from the external sensor group 300 and information acquired from the electronic components 140. In the following description, the information acquired from the external sensor group 300 is referred to as sensor information, and the information acquired from the electronic components 140 is referred to as electronic component information. In this embodiment, the inspection unit 220 inspects the manufacturing state of the target vehicle 100 using the sensor information and the electronic component information. In this embodiment, the inspection unit 220 inspects whether components that should currently be installed on the target vehicle 100 are properly installed on the target vehicle 100. The inspection unit 220 acquires images from the external sensor group 300 as sensor information. The inspection unit 220 analyzes the images acquired from the external sensor group 300 to detect improper installation of components on the target vehicle 100. The inspection unit 220 acquires, from the target vehicle 100, electronic component information, a communication check result between the vehicle control device 110 and the electronic components 140. The inspection unit 220 detects improper installation of the electronic component 140 in the target vehicle 100 by analyzing the communication check result acquired from the target vehicle 100. Even if improper installation of the electronic component 140 cannot be detected from the image of the external sensor group 300, the inspection unit 220 can detect the improper installation of the electronic component 140 from the communication check result. Of course, if the inspection unit 220 can detect the improper installation of the electronic component 140 from the external sensor information, the inspection unit 220 may detect the improper installation of the electronic component 140 using the external sensor information.

[0031] In step S250, inspection unit 220 determines whether the inspection result is pass or fail. In this embodiment, inspection unit 220 determines the product as pass if no mounting improperness is detected in the inspection using the external sensor information and electronic component information, and determines the product as fail if mounting improperness is detected in the inspection using the external sensor information and electronic component information.

[0032] If the inspection is determined to be successful in step S250, then in step S260, inspection unit 220 generates part ordering data so that the same part as the part is replenished at the location where the part was installed on target vehicle 100, and transmits the ordering data to process control device 400. After that, inspection unit 220 ends the inspection process.

[0033] If the test result in step S250 is "fail," the inspection unit 220 determines in step S270 whether or not to halt the travel of the target vehicle 100. In this embodiment, the inspection unit 220 determines whether or not to halt the travel of the target vehicle 100, depending on the inspection result of the target vehicle 100. For example, the inspection unit 220 determines to halt the travel of the target vehicle 100 when improper installation of a specific part registered in a specific list is detected. The inspection unit 220 acquires the list from the process control device 400, for example.

[0034] If it is determined in step S270 that the target vehicle 100 should be stopped from traveling, the inspection unit 220 instructs the remote control unit 210 to stop the target vehicle 100 from traveling in step S280. Upon receiving the instruction from the inspection unit 220, the remote control unit 210 transmits to the target vehicle 100 a traveling control signal to stop the target vehicle 100, thereby stopping the target vehicle 100 from traveling. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the inspection unit 220 uses the alarm device 500 to notify a manager or the like that the target vehicle 100 has been stopped from traveling. Thereafter, the inspection unit 220 ends the inspection process.

[0035] If it is not determined in step S270 that the travel of the target vehicle 100 should be stopped, the inspection unit 220 instructs the remote control unit 210 to change the destination of the target vehicle 100 in step S290. For example, the inspection unit 220 instructs the remote control unit 210 to change the destination of the target vehicle 100 from a location where the next work will be performed to a location where repairs will be performed. Upon receiving the instruction from the inspection unit 220, the remote control unit 210 changes the destination of the target vehicle 100 and moves the target vehicle 100 to the changed destination. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the inspection unit 220 uses the alarm device 500 to notify a manager or the like that the destination of the target vehicle 100 has been changed. Thereafter, the inspection unit 220 ends the inspection process.

[0036] FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing the inspection process performed by the inspection unit 220. In this embodiment, an in-process inspection of the assembly process is performed at the first location PL1 by the inspection process executed by the inspection unit 220. The first location PL1 is provided with a first work area ZW1, a first inspection area ZD1, a second work area ZW2, and a second inspection area ZD2. Two vehicles 100A and 100B are illustrated in FIG. 5. When the two vehicles 100A and 100B are not particularly distinguished from each other, they are simply referred to as vehicle 100. Each vehicle 100A and 100B moves through the first work area ZW1, the first inspection area ZD1, the second work area ZW2, and the second inspection area ZD2 in that order under remote control by the remote control unit 210.

[0037] As shown in (A) of FIG. 5, when the vehicle 100A moves to the first work area ZW1, a worker or a robot arm attaches a measuring unit and wheel covers to the front and rear wheels of the vehicle 100A in the first work area ZW1. The measuring unit is an electronic component 140. In FIG. 5, the wheel covers are represented by hatching. Note that since it is difficult to attach the measuring unit and wheel covers if the front or rear wheels of the vehicle 100A are rotating, the vehicle 100A may be stopped in the first work area ZW1 for a predetermined period of time.

[0038] 5(B), when the vehicle 100A passes through the first inspection zone ZD1, the inspection unit 220 executes an inspection process to inspect the manufacturing state of the vehicle 100A. In the inspection in the first inspection zone ZD1, the vehicle 100A is inspected for improper installation of the measuring unit and wheel covers.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 5C, the vehicle 100A does not have wheel covers attached to its front wheels, so the vehicle 100A fails the inspection in the first inspection zone ZD1. In FIG. 5C, the movement of the vehicle 100A, which failed the inspection in the first inspection zone ZD1, is stopped. If the vehicle 100A passes the inspection in the first inspection zone ZD1, the vehicle 100A moves to the second work zone ZW2, where parts different from those attached in the first work zone ZW1 are attached to the vehicle 100A. Even when the vehicle 100A passes through the second inspection zone ZD2, the inspection unit 220 executes an inspection process to inspect the manufacturing state of the vehicle 100A. In the inspection in the second inspection zone ZD2, it is inspected whether parts that should be attached to the vehicle 100A in the second work zone ZW2 are attached.

[0040] According to the system 10 of the present embodiment described above, the inspection unit 220 inspects the manufacturing state of the vehicle 100 using at least one of the sensor information acquired from the external sensor group 300 and the electronic component information acquired from the vehicle 100. The external sensor group 300 is used for unmanned operation of the vehicle 100, and is therefore not equipment dedicated to inspecting the vehicle 100. Therefore, the manufacturing state of the moving body can be inspected without relying on workers or dedicated equipment.

[0041] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the remote control unit 210 stops the movement of or changes the movement destination of a vehicle 100 that has failed the inspection by the inspection unit 220. By stopping the movement of a vehicle 100 that has failed the inspection, it is possible to prevent the vehicle 100 that has failed the inspection from moving to the next work area. By changing the movement destination of a vehicle 100 that has failed the inspection, it is possible to move the vehicle 100 that has failed the inspection to a repair location without using transportation equipment such as a crane or conveyor.

[0042] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the inspection unit 220 identifies the progress of the manufacturing process of the vehicle 100 and inspects items according to the progress of the manufacturing process. Therefore, it is possible to carry out inspections according to the progress of the manufacturing process.

[0043] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the inspection unit 220 identifies parts that should be installed on the vehicle 100, and inspects whether or not the parts that should be installed on the vehicle 100 are installed on the vehicle 100. Therefore, it is possible to prevent parts from being left unattached to the vehicle 100.

[0044] B. Second embodiment: Fig. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a system 10b in the second embodiment. Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing the contents of the unmanned driving process in this embodiment. The system 10b in this embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that it does not include a server device 200, that the vehicle 100 runs by autonomous control rather than remote control, and that the inspection process is executed by the vehicle 100. The other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment unless otherwise specified.

[0045] 6, in this embodiment, the communication device 130 of the vehicle 100 can communicate with the external sensor group 300, the process control device 400, and the alarm device 500 via wireless communication. The processor 111 of the vehicle control device 110 functions as a traveling control unit 115 and an inspection unit 116 by executing a computer program PG1 stored in advance in the memory 112.

[0046] As shown in FIG. 7 , in this embodiment, the unmanned driving process is executed by the driving control unit 115. In step S310, the driving control unit 115 acquires position information of the vehicle 100 using detection results output from the external sensor 301. In step S320, the driving control unit 115 determines a target position to which the vehicle 100 should next head. In this embodiment, an ideal route is pre-stored in the memory 112. In step S230, the driving control unit 115 generates a driving control signal for driving the vehicle 100 toward the determined target position. In step S240, the driving control unit 115 controls the actuator group 120 using the generated driving control signal, thereby causing the vehicle 100 to drive at the acceleration and steering angle represented by the driving control signal. The driving control unit 115 repeats the acquisition of position information of the vehicle 100, determination of the target position, generation of the driving control signal, and control of the actuator group 120 at a predetermined cycle. According to the system 10b of this embodiment, the vehicle 100 can be driven by autonomous control of the vehicle 100 without external remote control of the vehicle 100.

[0047] The inspection process shown in FIG. 4 is executed by the inspection unit 116. In step S210, the inspection unit 116 acquires the identification number of the target vehicle 100. In this embodiment, the target vehicle 100 is the vehicle 100 itself. The inspection unit 116 acquires the identification number of the vehicle 100 itself, which is stored in advance in the memory 112. In step S220, the inspection unit 116 acquires information from the process management device 400 using the identification number of the target vehicle 100, thereby identifying the current progress of the manufacturing process of the target vehicle 100. In step S230, the inspection unit 116 acquires information from the process management device 400 using the identification number of the target vehicle 100 and the progress of the manufacturing process, thereby identifying the parts that should be installed on the target vehicle 100 at this time. In step S240, the inspection unit 116 inspects the manufacturing state of the target vehicle 100 using at least one of the sensor information acquired from the external sensor group 300 and the electronic component information acquired from the electronic component 140.

[0048] In step S250, inspection unit 116 determines whether the inspection result is pass or fail. If the inspection result is pass in step S250, inspection unit 116 generates parts order data in step S260, transmits the order data to process control device 400, and then ends the inspection process. On the other hand, if the inspection result is fail in step S250, inspection unit 116 determines whether to stop target vehicle 100 from traveling in step S270.

[0049] If it is determined in step S270 that the target vehicle 100 should be stopped from traveling, the inspection unit 116 instructs the traveling control unit 115 to stop the target vehicle 100 from traveling in step S280, and notifies the manager or the like using the notification device 500 that the target vehicle 100 has been stopped from traveling, and then ends the inspection process. On the other hand, if it is not determined in step S270 that the target vehicle 100 should be stopped from traveling, the inspection unit 116 instructs the traveling control unit 115 to change the destination of the target vehicle 100 in step S290, and notifies the manager or the like using the notification device 500 that the target vehicle 100 has been changed to traveling, and then ends the inspection process.

[0050] According to the system 10b in this embodiment described above, the inspection unit 116 performs the inspection process, so that the manufacturing state of the vehicle 100 can be inspected without relying on workers or dedicated equipment, as in the first embodiment.

[0051] C. Other Embodiments: (C1) In each of the above-described embodiments, in the inspection process, the inspection units 220, 116 use sensor information and electronic component information to inspect the manufacturing state of the vehicle 100. However, the inspection units 220, 116 may also inspect the manufacturing state of the vehicle 100 using either the sensor information or the electronic component information.

[0052] (C2) In each of the above-described embodiments, in the inspection process, the movement of a vehicle 100 that fails the inspection by the inspection unit 220, 116 is stopped or the movement destination is changed. In contrast, the movement of a vehicle 100 that fails the inspection by the inspection unit 220, 116 may not be stopped, but the movement destination may be changed. The movement of a vehicle 100 that fails the inspection by the inspection unit 220, 116 may be stopped, but the movement destination may not be changed.

[0053] (C3) In each of the above-described embodiments, in the inspection process, if the target vehicle 100 passes the inspection, the inspection unit 220, 116 generates part order data so that a part identical to the part in question is replenished at the location where the part was installed on the target vehicle 100. In contrast, the inspection unit 220, 116 may generate part order data so that a part identical to the part in question is replenished at a predetermined location in a factory different from the location where the part was installed on the target vehicle 100 when the target vehicle 100 passes the inspection. The inspection unit 220, 116 does not need to generate part order data when the target vehicle 100 passes the inspection.

[0054] (C4) In each of the above-described embodiments, in the inspection process, if the target vehicle 100 fails the inspection, the inspection unit 220, 116 issues a notification by the notification device 500. In contrast, if the target vehicle 100 fails the inspection, the inspection unit 220, 116 does not have to issue a notification by the notification device 500.

[0055] (C5) In each of the above-described embodiments, in the inspection process, the inspection units 220, 116 inspect the manufacturing state of the vehicle 100 multiple times during the manufacturing process of the vehicle 100, and the inspection items for each inspection are changed depending on the progress of the manufacturing process of the vehicle 100. In contrast, the inspection units 220, 116 do not need to change the inspection items depending on the progress of the manufacturing process. For example, if the inspection units 220, 116 inspect the manufacturing state of the vehicle 100 only once during the manufacturing process of the vehicle 100, the inspection units 220, 116 do not need to change the inspection items depending on the progress of the manufacturing process.

[0056] (C6) In each of the above-described embodiments, in the inspection process, the inspection unit 220, 116 inspects the installation state of parts on the vehicle 100. In contrast, the inspection unit 220, 116 may inspect, for example, the external appearance state of the vehicle 100, instead of the installation state of parts on the vehicle 100. For example, the inspection unit 220, 116 may inspect the presence or absence of scratches or uneven paint on the vehicle 100. The inspection unit 220, 116 may inspect the state of the manufacturing process of the vehicle 100, instead of the state of the vehicle 100. For example, the inspection unit 220, 116 may inspect whether or not work that is required to be performed by qualified personnel is being performed by qualified personnel in the final inspection process. For example, if there is a rule that a badge must be attached to the hat of a qualified worker and no badge must be attached to the hat of an unqualified worker, the inspection unit 220, 116 can inspect whether or not work that must be performed by a qualified person is being performed by a qualified person by detecting the badge from an image acquired from the external sensor 301. The inspection unit 220, 116 may be provided with a database in which the faces of qualified persons are registered, and inspect whether or not work that must be performed by a qualified person is being performed by a qualified person using face recognition technology.

[0057] (C7) In each of the above-described embodiments, the external sensor 301 is a camera, and the sensor information output from the external sensor 301 is an image. In contrast, the external sensor 301 may be a LiDAR. In this case, the sensor information is point cloud data instead of an image. The remote control unit 210 and the driving control unit 115 may acquire position information of the vehicle 100 using the point cloud data. The inspection units 220 and 116 may inspect the manufacturing state of the vehicle 100 using the point cloud data. In this case, the sensor information acquired from the external sensor 301 is point cloud data. Note that the sensor information is not limited to information acquired from the external sensor 301, and may be information used to drive the vehicle 100 in an unmanned driving mode. For example, when information acquired from an internal sensor mounted on the vehicle 100 is used to drive the vehicle 100 in an unmanned driving mode, the sensor information may be information acquired from the internal sensor. The internal sensor may include, for example, a camera, a LiDAR, an acceleration sensor, or a yaw rate sensor.

[0058] (C8) In the first embodiment described above, the server device 200 is provided with the remote control unit 210 and the inspection unit 220. Alternatively, the server device 200 may be provided with the remote control unit 210, and the vehicle 100 may be provided with the inspection unit 220. Also, in the first embodiment described above, the server device 200 and the process management device 400 may be integrated. Also, in the second embodiment described above, the vehicle 100 is provided with the travel control unit 115 and the inspection unit 116. Alternatively, the vehicle 100 may be provided with the travel control unit 115, and the inspection unit 116 may be provided on a computer located outside the vehicle 100.

[0059] (C9) In the first embodiment described above, the server device 200 executes the processes from acquiring the position information of the vehicle 100 to generating the driving control signal. However, at least a part of the processes from acquiring the position information of the vehicle 100 to generating the driving control signal may be executed by the vehicle 100. For example, the following forms (1) to (3) may be used.

[0060] (1) The server device 200 may acquire position information of the vehicle 100, determine a target position to which the vehicle 100 should next head, and generate a route from the current location of the vehicle 100 indicated in the acquired position information to the target position. The server device 200 may generate a route to a target position between the current location and the destination, or may generate a route to the destination. The server device 200 may transmit the generated route to the vehicle 100. The vehicle 100 may generate a driving control signal so that the vehicle 100 drives on the route received from the server device 200, and control the actuator group 120 using the generated driving control signal.

[0061] (2) The server device 200 may acquire location information of the vehicle 100 and transmit the acquired location information to the vehicle 100. The vehicle 100 may determine a target location to which the vehicle 100 should next head, generate a route from the current location of the vehicle 100 indicated in the received location information to the target location, generate a driving control signal so that the vehicle 100 travels along the generated route, and control the actuator group 120 using the generated driving control signal.

[0062] (3) In the above embodiments (1) and (2), the vehicle 100 may be equipped with an internal sensor, and detection results output from the internal sensor may be used for at least one of generating a route and generating a driving control signal. The internal sensor may include, for example, a camera, LiDAR, millimeter-wave radar, an ultrasonic sensor, a GPS sensor, an acceleration sensor, and a gyro sensor. For example, in the above embodiment (1), the server device 200 may acquire the detection results of the internal sensor and reflect the detection results of the internal sensor in the route when generating a route. In the above embodiment (1), the vehicle 100 may acquire the detection results of the internal sensor and reflect the detection results of the internal sensor in the driving control signal when generating a driving control signal. In the above embodiment (2), the vehicle 100 may acquire the detection results of the internal sensor and reflect the detection results of the internal sensor in the route when generating a route. In the above embodiment (2), the vehicle 100 may acquire the detection results of the internal sensor and reflect the detection results of the internal sensor in the route when generating a route.

[0063] (C10) In the second embodiment described above, the vehicle 100 may be equipped with an internal sensor, and the detection results output from the internal sensor may be used for at least one of generating a route and generating a driving control signal. For example, the vehicle 100 may acquire the detection results of the internal sensor and, when generating a route, reflect the detection results of the internal sensor in the route. The vehicle 100 may acquire the detection results of the internal sensor and, when generating a driving control signal, reflect the detection results of the internal sensor in the driving control signal.

[0064] (C11) In the second embodiment described above, the vehicle 100 acquires the position information of the vehicle 100 using the detection results of the external sensor 301. Alternatively, the vehicle 100 may be equipped with an internal sensor, and the vehicle 100 may acquire position information using the detection results of the internal sensor, determine a target position to which the vehicle 100 should next travel, generate a route from the current location of the vehicle 100 represented by the acquired position information to the target position, generate a driving control signal for traveling along the generated route, and control the actuator group 120 using the generated driving control signal. In this case, the vehicle 100 can travel without using any detection results of the external sensor 301. The vehicle 100 may acquire a target arrival time or traffic congestion information from outside the vehicle 100 and reflect the target arrival time or traffic congestion information in at least one of the route and the driving control signal. Furthermore, all of the functional configurations of the system 10 may be provided in the vehicle 100. In other words, the processing implemented by the system 10 described in the present disclosure may be implemented by the vehicle 100 alone.

[0065] (C12) In the first embodiment described above, the server device 200 automatically generates the driving control signal to be transmitted to the vehicle 100. In contrast, the server device 200 may generate the driving control signal to be transmitted to the vehicle 100 in accordance with manual operation by an operator located outside the vehicle 100. For example, the operator may operate a control device including a display that displays an image output from the external sensor 301, a steering wheel for remotely operating the vehicle 100, an accelerator pedal, a brake pedal, and a communication device for communicating with the server device 200 via wired or wireless communication, and the server device 200 may generate the driving control signal in accordance with the operation applied to the control device.

[0066] (C13) In each of the above-described embodiments, the vehicle 100 may be configured to be capable of moving by unmanned driving, and may be in the form of a platform having the configuration described below, for example. Specifically, the vehicle 100 may be equipped with at least a vehicle control device 110 and an actuator group 120 to perform the three functions of "running," "turning," and "stopping" by unmanned driving. When the vehicle 100 acquires information from the outside for unmanned driving, the vehicle 100 may further be equipped with a communication device 130. In other words, the vehicle 100 capable of moving by unmanned driving may not be equipped with at least some of its interior parts, such as seats and a dashboard, at least some of its exterior parts, such as bumpers and fenders, or a body shell. In this case, the remaining parts, such as the body shell, may be attached to the vehicle 100 before it is shipped from the factory KJ, or the remaining parts, such as the body shell, may be attached to the vehicle 100 after it is shipped from the factory KJ without the remaining parts, such as the body shell. Each component may be attached from any direction, such as above, below, front, rear, right side, or left side of the vehicle 100, and may be attached from the same direction or from different directions. Note that the position of the platform configuration may also be determined in the same manner as for the vehicle 100 in each of the above embodiments.

[0067] (C14) The vehicle 100 may be manufactured by combining multiple modules. A module refers to a unit composed of multiple parts grouped according to the location or function of the vehicle 100. For example, the platform of the vehicle 100 may be manufactured by combining a front module that forms the front part of the platform, a central module that forms the center part of the platform, and a rear module that forms the rear part of the platform. The number of modules that form the platform is not limited to three, and may be two or less, or four or more. In addition to or instead of the parts that form the platform, parts that form parts of the vehicle 100 that are not part of the platform may be modularized. The various modules may include any exterior parts such as a bumper or a grille, or any interior parts such as a seat or a console. In addition to the vehicle 100, any type of mobile object may be manufactured by combining multiple modules. Such a module may be manufactured, for example, by joining multiple parts by welding or fasteners, or by integrally molding at least some of the parts that form the module into a single part by casting. The molding method for integrally molding a single component, particularly a relatively large component, is also called gigacasting or megacasting. For example, the front module, center module, and rear module described above may be manufactured using gigacasting.

[0068] (C15) In each of the above-described embodiments, the vehicle 100 is not limited to a passenger car, and may be, for example, a truck, a bus, a construction vehicle, or the like. The vehicle 100 is not limited to a four-wheeled vehicle, and may be, for example, a two-wheeled vehicle. The vehicle 100 is not limited to a vehicle that runs on wheels, and may be a vehicle that runs on caterpillars.

[0069] (C16) Transporting the vehicle 100 by using the unmanned driving of the vehicle 100 is also called "self-propelled transport." The configuration for realizing self-propelled transport is also called a "vehicle remote-controlled autonomous transport system." The production method for producing the vehicle 100 by using self-propelled transport is also called "self-propelled production." In self-propelled production, for example, at a factory KJ where the vehicle 100 is manufactured, at least a portion of the transport of the vehicle 100 is realized by self-propelled transport.

[0070] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments and can be realized in various configurations without departing from the spirit thereof. For example, the technical features in the embodiments corresponding to the technical features in each aspect described in the Summary of the Invention section can be appropriately replaced or combined to solve some or all of the above-described problems or achieve some or all of the above-described effects. Furthermore, if a technical feature is not described as essential in this specification, it can be appropriately deleted. [Explanation of symbols]

[0071] 10, 10b...system, 100...vehicle, 110...vehicle control device, 111...processor, 112...memory, 113...input / output interface, 114...internal bus, 115...travel control device, 116...inspection unit, 120...actuator group, 130...communication device, 140...electronic component, 200...server device, 201...processor, 202...memory, 203...input / output interface, 204...internal bus, 205...communication device, 210...remote control device, 220...inspection unit, 300...external sensor group, 301...external sensor, 400...process control device, 500...alarm device

Claims

1. 1. A system comprising: A control unit that controls a moving body that can move by unmanned operation using sensor information acquired from the sensor; an inspection unit that inspects a manufacturing state of the mobile body using at least one of the sensor information and electronic component information acquired from electronic components attached to the mobile body; A system comprising:

2. 2. The system of claim 1, The control unit changes the destination of the moving object depending on the inspection result by the inspection unit.

3. 2. The system of claim 1, The inspection unit identifies a progress of a manufacturing process of the moving body, and inspects items according to the progress.

4. 2. The system of claim 1, The inspection unit identifies a part that should be attached to the moving body, and inspects whether the part that should be attached to the moving body is attached to the moving body.

5. 1. A method comprising: Using sensor information acquired from the sensors, a mobile object capable of moving by unmanned driving is controlled, inspecting a manufacturing state of the mobile body using at least one of the sensor information and component information acquired from electronic components mounted on the mobile body; method.

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