Article transport system, article transport method and article transport program

Abstract

To realize article transport with reduced traveling energy consumption without requiring complicated control.SOLUTION: A processing circuit determines, for each UGV corresponding to a plurality of UGV schedule route, a relay point where the UAV is assumed to deliver an article to the UGV; calculates the total cost including the UGV movement cost from the current place of the UGV on the UGV schedule route to the relay point and the UAV movement cost from the current place of the UAV on the UAV schedule route to the relay point for each of the plurality of UGV respectively corresponding to the UGV schedule routes; and selects the UGV whose total cost is the lowest from among the plurality of UGV respectively corresponding to the UGV schedule routes.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an item transport system, an item transport method, and an item transport program. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a system for transferring goods between an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and an unmanned ground vehicle (UGV). The system selects a goods transfer candidate based on first sensing information obtained by sensing performed by the unmanned aerial vehicle during flight, executes movement control of the unmanned ground vehicle based on position information of the selected goods transfer candidate, and determines a goods transfer location based on the selected goods transfer candidate based on second sensing information obtained by sensing performed by the unmanned ground vehicle. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6527299 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the above system, the movement control of the unmanned aerial vehicle and the unmanned ground vehicle becomes complicated, and the amount of energy consumed for movement can be large because the movement distance of the unmanned aerial vehicle and the unmanned ground vehicle is not taken into consideration.

[0005] One aspect of the present disclosure aims to realize goods transportation with reduced energy consumption for movement without requiring complex movement control, even in a goods transportation system with a small number of UAVs and UGVs. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] An article transport system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is an article transport system configured to connect to a database storing: a UAV journey including a plurality of first nodes indicating points in three dimensions including the air, and a plurality of first links connecting the first nodes to each other; a first link cost associated with each of the first links and required to pass through each of the plurality of first links; a UAV planned route which is a planned route of the UAV on the UAV journey; a UGV journey including a plurality of second nodes indicating points on the ground, and a plurality of second links connecting the second nodes to each other; a second link cost associated with each of the second links and required to pass through each of the plurality of second links; and a plurality of UGV planned routes which are planned routes of the plurality of UGVs on the UGV journey; and the article transport system uses at least one UAV that is an unmanned aerial vehicle and a plurality of UGVs that are unmanned ground vehicles, The system is provided with a processing circuit configured to: determine, for each of the plurality of UGVs corresponding to each of the plurality of UGV planned routes, a relay point where the UAV carrying an item is assumed to hand over the item to the UGV; calculate, for each of the plurality of UGVs corresponding to each of the plurality of UGV planned routes, a total cost including a UGV movement cost from the current location of the UGV to the relay point on the UGV planned route and a UAV movement cost from the current location of the UAV to the relay point on the UAV planned route based on the first and second link costs; select the UGV having the smallest total cost from the plurality of UGVs corresponding to each of the plurality of UGV planned routes; and instruct the UAV and the selected UGV to hand over the item from the UAV to the selected UGV at the relay point corresponding to the selected UGV.

[0007] An item transport method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is a method of transporting items using at least one UAV, which is an unmanned aerial vehicle capable of traversing a UAV route including a plurality of first nodes indicating points in three dimensions including the air and a plurality of first links respectively connecting the first nodes, and a plurality of UGVs, which are unmanned ground vehicles capable of traversing a UGV route including a plurality of second nodes indicating points on the ground and a plurality of second links respectively connecting the second nodes, the method comprising the steps of: determining, for each of the plurality of UGVs corresponding to each of the plurality of UGV planned routes, a relay point at which the UAV carrying an item is assumed to hand over the item to the UGV; calculating a total cost including a UGV movement cost from the current location of the UGV to the relay point on the UGV planned route and a UAV movement cost from the current location of the UAV to the relay point on a UAV planned route that is the planned route of the UAV; selecting the UGV having the smallest total cost from the multiple UGVs corresponding to the multiple UGV planned routes; and instructing the UAV and the selected UGV to hand over the item from the UAV to the selected UGV at the relay point corresponding to the selected UGV.

[0008] An article transport program according to an embodiment of the present disclosure causes at least one processor to execute the method. The program may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. The storage medium is a non-transitory and tangible medium. The storage medium may be built into or external to a computer (e.g., a mobile information terminal, a personal computer, a server, etc.). The storage medium may include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, storage, etc., and may be, for example, a hard disk, a flash memory, an optical disk, etc. The program stored in the storage medium may be executed in a computer to which the storage medium is directly connected, or may be executed in a computer connected to the storage medium via a network (e.g., the Internet). Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, one UGV is selected from multiple UGVs taking into account the travel costs of both the UAV and the UGV to a relay point where the UAV hands over the goods to the UGV, thereby preventing the UAV and UGV from making unnecessary and unplanned movements. Therefore, even in a goods transport system with a small number of UAVs and UGVs, it is possible to realize goods transport with reduced consumption of energy for UAV and UGV movement without requiring complex movement control. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of an article transport system according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the server of FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a table showing UAV route link costs and UGV route link costs in the database of FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating the process of the server of FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a plan view showing the UAV route and the UGV route of FIG. 1 superimposed on each other. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a plan view corresponding to FIG. 5 in the second embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a plan view showing a change in the planned route of the UAV in FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a plan view corresponding to FIG. 5 in the third embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a plan view corresponding to FIG. 5 in the fourth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Hereinafter, an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0012] (First embodiment) FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of an article transport system 1 according to a first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the article transport system 1 uses a plurality of UAVs 10, which are unmanned aerial vehicles such as drones, and a plurality of UGVs 20, which are unmanned ground vehicles. The number of UAVs 10 may be less than the number of UGVs 20. A planned route is set for each of the UAVs 10 and the UGVs 20. The UAV 10, which is loaded with an article 6 at a predetermined point such as a logistics base, flies through the air to a relay point and delivers the article 6 to the UGV 20 at the relay point. The UGV 20, which has received the article 6, travels on the ground to a delivery destination.

[0013] The goods transport system 1 includes a server 2 connected to a communication network N such as the Internet. A UAV-UGV database 3 is connected to the server 2. The UAV-UGV database 3 stores a UAV route 11 along which a UAV 10 may fly and a UGV route 21 along which a UGV 20 may travel. The UAV route 11 includes a plurality of first nodes 12 indicating points in a three-dimensional space including the air, and a plurality of first links 13 connecting the first nodes 12 to each other. If the UAV 10 also passes through a drone port or the like on the ground, the first nodes 12 may include points on the ground.

[0014] The UGV path 21 includes a plurality of second nodes 22 indicating points on the ground, and a plurality of second links 23 connecting the second nodes 22 together. The UAV-UGV database 3 stores the longitude and latitude of each of the first node 12 and the second node 22 as position coordinates, and stores the lengths of each of the first link 13 and the second link 23. The UAV-UGV database 3 stores UAV planned paths which are planned paths of each of the multiple UAVs 10, and UGV planned paths which are planned paths of each of the multiple UGVs 20. The UAV planned paths include paths which are different from one another, and the UGV planned paths include paths which are different from one another.

[0015] The server 2 can access the external database 4 via the communication network N. The external database 4 can be at least one database selected from the group consisting of a database storing meteorological information, a database storing traffic congestion information, a database storing traffic regulation information, and a database storing road details (e.g., road gradient, road width, or road surface information).

[0016] A wireless base station 5 is connected to the communication network N. The wireless base station 5 is a base station for wireless communication with the UAV 10 and the UGV 20, and is a base station that connects the UAV 10 and the UGV 20 to the communication network N. The wireless data communication network used by the wireless base station 5 may be, for example, a mobile phone network. The UAV 10 and the UGV 20 may be connected to the communication network N via a wireless data communication network such as a satellite communication network.

[0017] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the server 2 in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 2, the server 2 includes a processing circuit 31 and a communication interface 32. The processing circuit 31 includes a processor 35, a system memory 36, and a storage memory 37. The communication interface 32 includes an interface for connecting to the communication network N by wire or wirelessly, and an interface for connecting to the database 3 by wire or wirelessly. The processor 35 may include a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The system memory 36 may include a RAM. The storage memory 37 may include a hard disk, a flash memory, or a combination thereof. The storage memory 37 stores an item transport program 38. A configuration in which the processor 35 executes the item transport program 38 read from the storage memory 37 to the system memory 36 is an example of a processing circuit.

[0018] FIG. 3 is a table 41, 42 showing the UAV journey link cost and the UGV journey link cost of the database 3 of FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 3, the UAV-UGV database 3 stores a UAV journey link cost table 41. The UAV journey link cost table 41 defines the first link cost required to pass through each of the multiple first links 13 in association with each first link 13. For example, the UAV journey link cost table 41 defines a first link ID for identifying each first link 13 and a first link cost corresponding to the first link ID. The first link cost is composed of a fixed cost determined based on fixed information including the length of the first link 13 and a variable cost determined based on variable information including weather information in the first link 13. The server 2 may acquire the weather information from the external database 4 and determine the variable cost based on the acquired weather information.

[0019] The UAV-UGV database 3 stores a UGV journey link cost table 42. The UGV journey link cost table 42 defines a second link cost required to pass through each of the multiple second links 23 in association with each second link 23. For example, the UGV journey link cost table 42 defines a second link ID for identifying each second link 23 and a second link cost corresponding to the second link ID. The second link cost is determined based on a fixed cost determined based on fixed information including the length of the second link 23 and variable information including at least one of congestion information of the second link 23, road information of the second link 23, traffic regulation information of the second link 23, weather information of the second link 23, or time zone information.

[0020] The server 2 accesses an external database 4 to acquire at least one of weather information, traffic congestion information, road information, and traffic regulation information. The server 2 acquires the current time from a digital clock built into the server 2 or a digital clock accessible via a communication network N, and determines the current time zone. The server 2 can determine the variable cost based on the acquired information.

[0021] FIG. 4 is a flow chart for explaining the processing of the server 2 in FIG. 2. FIG. 5 is a plan view showing the UAV route 11 and the UGV route 21 in FIG. 1 superimposed on each other. Below, the flow of FIG. 4 will be explained with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3 and 5 as appropriate. The processing of the server 2 is executed by the processing circuit 31. When a transportation request is generated for transporting an item 6 to a delivery destination, the server 2 extracts several planned routes as candidates from the multiple UGV planned routes stored in the database 3 (step S1). The number of UGV planned routes extracted as candidates is less than the number of all UGV planned routes as options stored in the database 3.

[0022] Specifically, the server 2 acquires item information including the weight, size, or type of the item 6, and selects a UGV 20 that matches the item information from among the multiple UGVs 20. The server 2 calculates the distance between the planned route of each of the selected UGVs 20 and the planned route of one UAV 10 carrying the item 6. The server 2 extracts several UGV planned routes as candidates from the planned routes of the selected multiple UGVs 20 based on each of the calculated distances. Note that in step S1, instead of extraction, all of the planned routes of the UGVs 20 present in a predetermined area may be selected.

[0023] Specifically, the server 2 extracts a plurality of planned routes as candidates, including the one with the smallest distance. For example, as shown in Fig. 5, the server 2 calculates the distance between the planned route X of one UAV 10 carrying an article 6 and a plurality of UGV planned routes, which are the respective planned routes of a plurality of UGVs 20, in a plan view in which the UAV route 11 and the UGV route 21 are displayed in an overlapping manner. Note that, although only two UGV planned routes are shown in Fig. 5, other UGV planned routes not shown in Fig. 5 are also included in the calculation of the distance.

[0024] Then, the server 2 extracts multiple UGV planned routes Y1, Y2 whose distance is zero in planar view. In other words, the server 2 extracts UGV planned routes Y1, Y2 whose longitude and latitude overlap with one UAV planned route X. The server 2 may extract a predetermined number of UGV planned routes in order from the one with the shortest distance. Here, the number of UGV planned routes extracted by the server 2 is two, but is not limited to this. The number of routes to be extracted may not be determined, and UGV planned routes whose distance is less than a threshold value may be extracted.

[0025] Next, the server 2 determines a relay point P1 where the UAV 10 is assumed to deliver the item 6 to the first UGV 20A corresponding to the extracted first UGV planned route Y1, and a relay point P2 where the UAV 10 is assumed to deliver the item 6 to the second UGV 20B corresponding to the extracted second UGV planned route Y2 (step S2). Here, the relay point P1 is a point where the UAV planned route X and the first UGV planned route Y1 overlap in a planar view. The relay point P2 is a point where the UAV planned route X and the second UGV planned route Y2 overlap in a planar view.

[0026] Next, the server 2 calculates the total cost required for the UAV 10 and the first UGV 20A to travel to the relay point P1 as a first candidate, and calculates the total cost required for the UAV 10 and the second UGV 20B to travel to the relay point P2 as a second candidate (step S3).

[0027] With respect to the first candidate, the server 2 refers to the first link cost defined in the UAV journey link cost table 41 and calculates the UAV movement cost from the current location of the UAV 10 to the relay point P1 on the UAV planned route X. In the example of FIG. 5, this UAV movement cost is "2". In addition, the server 2 refers to the second link cost defined in the UGV journey link cost table 42 and calculates the UGV movement cost from the current location of the first UGV 20A to the relay point P1 on the first UGV planned route Y1. In the example of FIG. 5, this UGV movement cost is "5". Then, the server 2 calculates a total cost by adding up these calculated UAV movement costs and UGV movement costs. In the example of FIG. 5, the total cost for the movement of the UAV 10 and the first UGV 20A to the relay point P1 is "7".

[0028] With respect to the second candidate, the server 2 refers to the first link cost defined in the UAV journey link cost table 41 and calculates the UAV movement cost from the current location of the UAV 10 to the relay point P2 on the UAV planned route X. In the example of FIG. 5, this UAV movement cost is "5". The server 2 also refers to the second link cost defined in the UGV journey link cost table 42 and calculates the UGV movement cost from the current location of the second UGV 20B to the relay point P2 on the second UGV planned route Y2. In the example of FIG. 5, this UGV movement cost is "1". Then, the server 2 calculates a total cost by adding up these calculated UAV movement costs and UGV movement costs. In the example of FIG. 5, the total cost for the movement of the UAV 10 and the second UGV 20B to the relay point P2 is "6".

[0029] Next, the server 2 selects the UAV with the smallest total cost from these candidates (step S4). In the example of Fig. 5, the total cost when the second UGV 20B is used is smaller than the total cost when the first UGV 20A is used, so the server 2 selects the second UGV 20B as the UGV with the smallest total cost.

[0030] Next, the server 2 instructs the UAV 10 and the second UGV 20B via the communication network N and the wireless base station 5 to hand over the item 6 from the UAV 10 to the second UGV 20B at the relay point P2 corresponding to the selected second UGV 20B (step S5).

[0031] The UAV 10 that has received this command flies along the UAV planned route X toward the relay point P2 according to its own autonomous flight program. Similarly, the second UGV 20B that has received this command travels along the second UGV planned route Y2 toward the relay point P2 according to its own autonomous driving program. Then, the item 6 is handed over from the UAV 10 to the second UGV 20B at the relay point P2, and the second UGV 20B that has received the item 6 travels toward the delivery destination instructed by the server 2.

[0032] According to the above-described configuration, one UGV 20B is selected from the multiple UGVs 20A and 20B by taking into consideration the movement costs of both the UAV 10 and the first UGV 20A to the relay point P1 where the UAV 10 hands over the goods to the first UGV 20A and the movement costs of both the UAV 10 and the second UGV 20B to the relay point P2 where the UAV 10 hands over the goods to the second UGV 20B. This prevents the UAV 10 and the UGV 20B from moving unscheduledly. Therefore, even in an item transport system with a small number of UAVs 10 and UGVs 20A and 20B, it is possible to realize item transport with reduced energy consumption for the movement of the UAV 10 and the UGVs 20A and 20B without requiring complex movement control.

[0033] The UGV travel cost from the relay points P1, P2 to the delivery destination may also be calculated by referring to the UGV route link cost table 42. The total cost may further include the UGV travel cost from the relay points P1, P2 of the UGVs 20A, 20B to the delivery destination on the UGV route 21. The route from the relay points P1, P2 to the delivery destination may be a predetermined planned route, or may be determined according to the Dijkstra algorithm in the same manner as the route guidance of a navigation system.

[0034] Second embodiment Fig. 6 is a plan view of the second embodiment corresponding to Fig. 5. As shown in Fig. 6, in the goods transport system of the second embodiment, even if there is a UGV planned route that overlaps with the UAV planned route in a plan view, if the total cost of movement of the UAV and the UGV is equal to or greater than a threshold, the UGV planned route is excluded from the candidates.

[0035] First, the server 2 extracts the first UGV planned route Y1 and the third UGV planned route Y3, which have overlapping portions in longitude and latitude for one UAV planned route X. Next, the server 2 determines the point where the UAV planned route X and the first UGV planned route Y1 overlap in a planar view as the relay point P1, and determines the point where the UAV planned route X and the third UGV planned route Y3 overlap in a planar view as the relay point P3. Next, the server 2 calculates the total cost of the UAV 10 and the first UGV 20A to travel to the relay point P1 as a first candidate, and calculates the total cost of the UAV 10 and the third UGV 20C to travel to the relay point P3 as a second candidate.

[0036] Assume that the server 2 sets the threshold value of the total cost to "5", for example. In the example of FIG. 6, the total cost of the UAV 10 and the first UGV 20A to travel to the relay point P1 is "8", which is greater than or equal to the threshold. The total cost of the UAV 10 and the third UGV 20C to travel to the relay point P3 is "6", which is greater than or equal to the threshold. Therefore, the server 2 extracts multiple UGV planned routes that have no overlapping portion with the UAV planned route in a planar view and that are in order of the shortest distance from the UAV planned route X.

[0037] For example, the server 2 extracts a second UGV planned route Y2 whose distance from the UAV planned route X on the UGV route 21 is L2, and a fourth UGV planned route Y4 whose distance from the UAV planned route X on the UGV route 21 is L4. The server 2 determines the point on the second UGV planned route Y2 that is closest to the UAV planned route X on the UGV route 21 as the relay point P2. The server 2 determines the point on the fourth UGV planned route Y4 that is closest to the UAV planned route X on the UGV route 21 as the relay point P4.

[0038] The server 2 calculates a total cost by adding up the UAV movement cost from the current location of the UAV 10 to the relay point P2 on the UAV planned route X and the UGV movement cost from the current location of the second UGV 20B to the relay point P2 on the second UGV planned route Y2. Similarly, the server 2 calculates a total cost by adding up the UAV movement cost from the current location of the UAV 10 to the relay point P4 on the UAV planned route X and the UGV movement cost from the current location of the fourth UGV 20D to the relay point P4 on the fourth UGV planned route Y4.

[0039] The server 2 determines whether these total costs are less than the threshold. In this embodiment, it is assumed that the total costs of both the second UGV 20B and the fourth UGV 20D are less than the threshold. Then, the server 2 selects the UAV with the smaller total cost between the second UGV 20B and the fourth UGV 20D. In the example of FIG. 6, the server 2 selects the fourth UGV 20D, which has a smaller total cost than the second UGV 20B. Note that, when the total cost of the second UGV 20B and the total cost of the fourth UGV 20D are the same, the server 2 may select the fourth UGV planned route Y4, the distance between which is shorter than the second UGV planned route Y2 on the UGV route 21 and the UAV planned route X.

[0040] FIG. 7 is a plan view showing a change in the planned route of the UAV 10 in FIG. 6. As shown in FIG. 7, the server 2 instructs the UAV 10 and the fourth UGV 20D via the communication network N and the wireless base station 5 to deliver the item 6 from the UAV 10 to the fourth UGV 20D at the relay point P4 corresponding to the selected fourth UGV 20D. However, the relay point P4 does not exist on the UAV planned route X. Therefore, the server 2 changes the UAV planned route X on the UAV course 11 so that the UAV 10 can reach the relay point P4, and instructs the UAV 10 to follow the changed UAV planned route X. Alternatively, the UAV 10 may head to the relay point P4 according to its own autonomous flight program.

[0041] The fourth UGV 20D travels along the fourth UGV planned route Y4 toward the relay point P4 according to its own autonomous travel program. Then, the UAV 10 delivers the item 6 to the fourth UGV 20D at the relay point P4, and the fourth UGV 20D, having received the item 6, travels toward the delivery destination instructed by the server 2. Note that other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment described above, and therefore will not be described.

[0042] Third embodiment Fig. 8 is a plan view corresponding to Fig. 5 in the third embodiment. As shown in Fig. 8, in the goods transport system of the third embodiment, a relay point for transferring goods 6 from UAV 10 to UGV 20A or 20B is drone port P1 or P2. Drone port P1 or P2 is a type of first node 12 (see Fig. 1) of UAV route 11.

[0043] The server 2 extracts UGVs that have drone ports on the planned UGV route as UGVs to be calculated as costs. The server 2 may extract only UGVs approaching drone ports on the planned UGV route as UGVs to be calculated as costs, or may extract UGVs whose distance to any of the drone ports is less than a threshold, or may extract all UGVs.

[0044] The server 2 refers to the second link cost in the UGV journey link cost table 42, and calculates a subtotal UGV movement cost including the first UGV movement cost from the current location of the first UGV 20A to the nearest drone port P1 on the first UGV planned route Y1 of the first UGV 20A, and the second UGV movement cost from the drone port P1 of the first UGV 20A to the delivery destination of the item 6 on the UGV journey 21, as a first candidate. The route from the drone port P1 to the delivery destination may be a predetermined planned route, or may be determined according to the Dijkstra algorithm in the same manner as the route guidance of the navigation system.

[0045] In the example of Fig. 8, the first UAV movement cost from the current location of the first UGV 20A to the drone port P1 is "3", and the second UGV movement cost from the drone port P1 of the first UGV 20A to the delivery destination is "9". In other words, the subtotal UGV movement cost for the movement from the current location of the first UGV 20A to the delivery destination via the drone port P1 is "12".

[0046] The server 2 refers to the first link cost in the UAV route link cost table 41 and calculates the UAV movement cost of the UAV 10 to the drone port P1. In the example of FIG. 8, this UAV movement cost is "3.2". Therefore, when the item 6 is handed over from the UAV 10 to the first UGV 20A at the drone port P1, the total cost is "14.2".

[0047] Similarly, the server 2 refers to the second link cost in the UGV journey link cost table 42, and calculates a subtotal UGV travel cost including the first UGV travel cost from the current location of the second UGV 20B to the nearest drone port P2 on the second UGV planned route Y2 of the second UGV 20B, and the second UGV travel cost from the drone port P2 of the second UGV 20B to the delivery destination of the item 6 on the UGV journey 21 as a second candidate. In the example of FIG. 8, the first UAV travel cost from the current location of the second UGV 20B to the drone port P2 is "1", and the second UGV travel cost from the drone port P2 of the second UGV 20B to the delivery destination is "5". That is, the subtotal UGV travel cost for travel from the current location of the second UGV 20B to the delivery destination via the drone port P2 is "6".

[0048] The server 2 refers to the first link cost in the UAV route link cost table 41 and calculates the UAV movement cost of the UAV 10 to the drone port P2. In the example of FIG. 8, this UAV movement cost is "5.7". Therefore, when the item 6 is handed over from the UAV 10 to the second UGV 20B at the drone port P2, the total cost is "11.7".

[0049] As a result of the above calculations, the server 2 selects the second UGV 20B from these candidates as the UGV with the smallest total cost. Then, the server 2 instructs the UAV 10 and the second UGV 20B via the communication network N and the wireless base station 5 to transfer the item 6 from the UAV 10 to the second UGV 20B at the drone port P2 corresponding to the selected second UGV 20B.

[0050] The UAV 10 that has received the command flies along the UAV planned route X toward the drone port P2 according to its own autonomous flight program. Similarly, the second UGV 20B that has received the command heads toward the drone port P2 according to its own autonomous driving program. Then, the UAV 10 delivers the item 6 to the second UGV 20B at the drone port P2, and the second UGV 20B that has received the item 6 travels toward the delivery destination instructed by the server 2. Note that other configurations are the same as any of the above-mentioned embodiments, and therefore description thereof will be omitted.

[0051] (Fourth embodiment) Fig. 9 is a plan view of the fourth embodiment corresponding to Fig. 5. As shown in Fig. 9, in the goods transport system of the fourth embodiment, the UAV route 11 and the UGV route 21 are set for each of a plurality of jurisdictions including a first jurisdiction and a second jurisdiction.

[0052] The planned routes of the multiple UAVs 10 include a first planned route that falls within a first jurisdiction and a second planned route that falls within the second jurisdiction. The planned routes of the multiple UGVs 20 include a first planned route that falls within a first jurisdiction and a second planned route that falls within a second jurisdiction. In the example of FIG. 9, attention is focused only on the UAVs 10 corresponding to the UAV planned route X that falls within the first jurisdiction.

[0053] For example, the server 2 selects the first UGV 20A and the second UGV 20B as candidates to which the UAV 10 will hand over an item in the first jurisdiction. The server 2 determines that both the total cost (e.g., "10") related to the UAV 10 and the first UGV 20A and the total cost (e.g., "15") related to the UAV 10 and the second UGV 20B are equal to or greater than a threshold (e.g., "8"). In this case, the server 2 extracts a second planned route for the third UGV 20C in the second jurisdiction, which is another adjacent jurisdiction.

[0054] The server 2, for example, determines a corrected planned route Y3 by correcting the extracted second planned route of the third UGV 20C so that the third UGV 20C travels to a delivery destination in the first jurisdiction, according to Dijkstra's algorithm. The server 2 determines a relay point P3 on the way of the corrected planned route in the first jurisdiction. This relay point P3 is determined, for example, at a position on the UGV route 21 in the first jurisdiction where the distance to the UAV planned route X is the shortest. Then, the server 2 calculates the above-mentioned total cost related to the UAV 10 and the third UGV 20C.

[0055] If the total cost (e.g., "7") related to the UAV10 and the third UGV20C is smaller than both the total cost related to the UAV10 and the first UGV20A and the total cost related to the UAV10 and the second UGV20B, the server 2 selects the third UGV20C as the party to which the UAV10 will transfer the item 6. If the total cost (e.g., "7") related to the UAV10 and the third UGV20C is less than a threshold (e.g., "8"), the server 2 may select the third UGV20C as the party to which the UAV10 will transfer the item 6. In this way, when multiple jurisdictions are set, the UAV10 and the UGVs 20A to 20C can be moved efficiently as a whole. Note that other configurations are similar to any of the above-mentioned embodiments, and therefore will not be described.

[0056] The technology of the present disclosure is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment. For example, the UAV-UGV database 3 may be directly connected to the server 2, may be connected via a communication network N, or may be built into the server 2. The processor 31 may be distributed among multiple processors. The programs may be distributed among multiple servers. The server 2 may use a three-dimensional distance as a distance between the planned route X of the UAV 10 and each of the planned routes of the multiple UGVs 20 instead of a distance in a planar view.

[0057] As described above, the above embodiment has been described as an example of the technology disclosed in this application. However, the technology in this disclosure is not limited to this, and can be applied to embodiments in which modifications, replacements, additions, omissions, etc. have been made as appropriate. In addition, it is also possible to combine the components described in the above embodiment to create a new embodiment. For example, a part of the configuration or method in one embodiment may be applied to another embodiment, and a part of the configuration in an embodiment can be separated from other configurations in that embodiment and arbitrarily extracted. In addition, the components described in the attached drawings and detailed description include not only components essential for solving the problem, but also components that are not essential for solving the problem in order to exemplify the technology.

[0058] The functions of the elements disclosed herein can be performed using circuits or processing circuits, including general purpose processors, special purpose processors, integrated circuits, application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), graphics processing units (GPUs), conventional circuits, and / or combinations thereof, configured or programmed to perform the disclosed functions. Processors are considered processing circuits or circuits because they include transistors and other circuits. In this disclosure, a circuit, unit, or means is hardware that performs the recited functions or hardware that is programmed to perform the recited functions. The hardware may be hardware disclosed herein or other known hardware that is programmed or configured to perform the recited functions. In the case where the hardware is a processor, which is considered a type of circuit, the circuit, means, or unit is a combination of hardware and software, and the software is used to configure the hardware and / or the processor.

[0059] Each of the following sections is a disclosure of a preferred embodiment.

[0060] [Item 1] 1. An article transport system using at least one UAV that is an unmanned aerial vehicle and a plurality of UGVs that are unmanned ground vehicles, the system being configured to connect to a database that stores: a UAV journey including a plurality of first nodes that indicate points in a three-dimensional space including the air, and a plurality of first links that respectively connect the first nodes; a first link cost associated with each of the first links and required to pass through each of the plurality of first links; a UAV planned route that is a planned route of the UAV on the UAV journey; a UGV journey including a plurality of second nodes that indicate points on the ground, and a plurality of second links that respectively connect the second nodes; a second link cost associated with each of the second links and required to pass through each of the plurality of second links; and a plurality of UGV planned routes that are planned routes of the plurality of UGVs on the UGV journey; determining, for each of the plurality of UGVs corresponding to each of the plurality of UGV planned routes, a relay point at which the UAV carrying an item is assumed to hand over the item to the UGV; Calculating a total cost including a UGV movement cost from the current location of the UGV to the relay point on the UGV planned route and a UAV movement cost from the current location of the UAV to the relay point on the UAV planned route based on the first and second link costs for each of the multiple UGVs corresponding to the multiple UGV planned routes; Selecting the UGV having the smallest total cost from the plurality of UGVs corresponding to the plurality of UGV planned routes, respectively; Instructing the UAV and the selected UGV to transfer the item from the UAV to the selected UGV at the relay point corresponding to the selected UGV; 16. An article transport system comprising: a processing circuit configured to:

[0061] According to this configuration, one UGV is selected from multiple UGVs, taking into account the travel costs of both the UAV and the UGV to the relay point where the UAV hands over the goods to the UGV, thereby preventing unnecessary unplanned travel of the UAV and UGV. Therefore, even in a goods transport system with a small number of UAVs and UGVs, it is possible to realize goods transport with reduced consumption of UAV and UGV travel energy without requiring complex movement control.

[0062] [Item 2] The item transportation system of item 1, wherein selecting the multiple UGV planned routes includes extracting the multiple UGV planned routes from the multiple UGV planned routes based on respective distances between the UAV planned route and the multiple UGV planned routes.

[0063] [Item 3] The item transportation system described in item 2, wherein extracting the multiple UGV planned routes includes extracting the UGV planned route in which the distance in a planar view is zero and which has a longitude and latitude overlap with the UAV planned route.

[0064] According to this configuration, a UGV corresponding to the planned route of the UGV that has a portion overlapping the longitude and latitude of the planned route of the UAV is selected, so that the goods can be handed over from the UAV to the UGV without basically changing the planned routes of the UAV and the UGV. Therefore, the control of the UAV and the UGV can be simplified.

[0065] [Item 4] the distance between the UGV planned path and the UAV planned path corresponding to the selected UGV is greater than zero; The item transport system of item 1 or 2, wherein determining the relay point includes determining the relay point on the planned route of the UGV.

[0066] [Item 5] The item transport system of any one of items 1 to 4, wherein the relay point is a drone port.

[0067] With this configuration, items can be handed over from a UAV to a UGV at the drone port without being affected by the surrounding conditions.

[0068] [Item 6] The UAV route and the UGV route are set for each of a plurality of jurisdictions including a first jurisdiction and a second jurisdiction, The at least one UAV includes a plurality of UAVs; The plurality of UAV planned routes include a first planned route that falls within the first jurisdiction and a second planned route that falls within the second jurisdiction; The planned routes of the plurality of UGVs include a first planned route that falls within the first jurisdiction and a second planned route that falls within the second jurisdiction; The processing circuitry includes: selecting the first proposed route in the first jurisdiction from a database; selecting the second planned route in the second jurisdiction from a database when the total cost for the UGV corresponding to the first planned route is equal to or greater than a threshold; configured to perform the steps of: Determining the relay point includes determining a relay point in the first jurisdiction where the UAV corresponding to the first planned route is assumed to pass to the UGV corresponding to the second planned route; An item transportation system described in any one of items 1 to 5, wherein selecting the UGV with the smallest total cost includes selecting the UGV corresponding to the second planned route when the total cost for the UGV corresponding to the second planned route is smaller than the total cost for the UGV corresponding to the first planned route.

[0069] According to this configuration, when multiple jurisdictions are set, UAVs and UGVs can be moved efficiently as a whole.

[0070] [Item 7] The item transportation system of any one of items 1 to 6, wherein the total cost further includes a UGV travel cost from the relay point of the UGV on the UGV route to a delivery destination of the item.

[0071] With this configuration, when the UAV selects a UGV to deliver an item, the travel cost from the relay point to the delivery destination is taken into account, enabling efficient selection of the UGV.

[0072] [Item 8] The second link cost is a fixed cost determined based on fixed information including the length of the second link; A variable cost determined based on variable information including at least one of congestion information of the second link, road information of the second link, traffic regulation information of the second link, weather information of the second link, or time zone information.

[0073] This configuration allows the travel cost of the UGV to be appropriately estimated.

[0074] [Item 9] The first link cost is a fixed cost determined based on fixed information including the length of the first link; A variable cost determined based on variable information including weather at the first link.

[0075] This configuration allows the travel costs of a UAV to be appropriately estimated.

[0076] [Item 10] The processing circuitry includes: Obtaining item information including a weight, size, or type of the item; Selecting a plurality of UGVs that match the item information from the plurality of UGVs, and extracting the plurality of UGV planned routes corresponding to the selected plurality of UGVs from the database;

[0023] An item transportation system described in any one of items 1 to 9, wherein determining the relay point includes determining the relay point assumed to be handed over to the selected UGV on the multiple UGV planned routes corresponding to the selected multiple UGVs.

[0077] This configuration makes it possible to realize efficient UGV selection taking into account item information.

[0078] [Item 11] A method for transporting goods using at least one UAV, which is an unmanned aerial vehicle capable of traveling along a UAV route including a plurality of first nodes representing points in a three-dimensional space including the air and a plurality of first links each connecting the first nodes to each other, and a plurality of unmanned ground vehicles, which are unmanned ground vehicles capable of traveling along a UGV route including a plurality of second nodes representing points on the ground and a plurality of second links each connecting the second nodes to each other, determining, for each of the plurality of UGVs corresponding to each of the plurality of UGV planned routes, a relay point at which the UAV carrying an item is assumed to hand over the item to the UGV; Calculating a total cost including a UGV movement cost from the current location of the UGV to the relay point on the UGV planned route, and a UAV movement cost from the current location of the UAV to the relay point on a UAV planned route, which is a planned route of the UAV; Selecting the UGV having the smallest total cost from the plurality of UGVs corresponding to the plurality of UGV planned routes, respectively; Instructing the UAV and the selected UGV to transfer the item from the UAV to the selected UGV at the relay point corresponding to the selected UGV; 23. A method for transporting goods, comprising:

[0079] [Item 12] 12. An article transport program that causes at least one processor to execute the method according to item 11. [Explanation of symbols]

[0080] 1. Goods Transportation System 2 Server 3 UAV-UGV database 6 Goods 10 UAV 11 UAV route 12 First Node 13 First link 20 UGV 21 UGV route 22 2nd Node 23 Second Link 31 Processing circuit P1, P2 relay point X UAV planned route Y1, Y2 UGV planned route

Claims

1. 1. An article transport system using at least one UAV that is an unmanned aerial vehicle and a plurality of UGVs that are unmanned ground vehicles, the system being configured to connect to a database that stores: a UAV journey including a plurality of first nodes that indicate points in three dimensions including the air, and a plurality of first links that respectively connect the first nodes; a first link cost associated with each of the first links and required to pass through each of the plurality of first links; a UAV planned route that is a planned route of the UAV on the UAV journey; a UGV journey including a plurality of second nodes that indicate points on the ground, and a plurality of second links that respectively connect the second nodes; a second link cost associated with each of the second links and required to pass through each of the plurality of second links; and a plurality of UGV planned routes that are planned routes of the plurality of UGVs on the UGV journey, determining, for each of the plurality of UGVs corresponding to each of the plurality of UGV planned routes, a relay point at which the UAV carrying an item is assumed to hand over the item to the UGV; Calculating a total cost including a UGV movement cost from the current location of the UGV to the relay point on the UGV planned route and a UAV movement cost from the current location of the UAV to the relay point on the UAV planned route based on the first and second link costs for each of the multiple UGVs corresponding to the multiple UGV planned routes; selecting a UGV having a minimum total cost from the plurality of UGVs corresponding to the plurality of UGV planned routes; instructing the UAV and the selected UGV to transfer the item from the UAV to the selected UGV at the relay point corresponding to the selected UGV; 16. An article transport system comprising: a processing circuit configured to:

2. 2. The item transport system of claim 1, wherein selecting the plurality of UGV planned routes includes extracting the plurality of UGV planned routes from the plurality of UGV planned routes based on respective distances between the UAV planned route and the plurality of UGV planned routes.

3. The item transportation system of claim 2 , wherein extracting the multiple UGV planned routes includes extracting the UGV planned route in which the distance in a planar view is zero and which has a longitude and latitude overlap with the UAV planned route.

4. a distance between the UGV planned path and the UAV planned path corresponding to the selected UGV is greater than zero; The article transport system of claim 1 , wherein determining the waypoint comprises determining the waypoint on the UGV planned route.

5. The article transport system of claim 1 , wherein the relay point is a drone port.

6. The UAV route and the UGV route are set for each of a plurality of jurisdictions including a first jurisdiction and a second jurisdiction, The at least one UAV includes a plurality of UAVs; The plurality of UAV planned routes include a first planned route that falls within the first jurisdiction and a second planned route that falls within the second jurisdiction; the planned routes of the plurality of UGVs include a first planned route that falls within the first jurisdiction and a second planned route that falls within the second jurisdiction; The processing circuitry includes: selecting the first planned route in the first jurisdiction from the database; selecting the second planned route in the second jurisdiction from the database when the total cost for the UGV corresponding to the first planned route is equal to or greater than a threshold; Determining the relay point includes determining a relay point in the first jurisdiction where the UAV corresponding to the first planned route is assumed to hand over to the UGV corresponding to the second planned route; 2. The item transport system of claim 1, wherein selecting the UGV with the smallest total cost includes selecting the UGV corresponding to the second planned route when the total cost for the UGV corresponding to the second planned route is less than the total cost for the UGV corresponding to the first planned route.

7. The goods transport system of claim 1 , wherein the total cost further includes a cost of moving the UGV from the relay point of the UGV on the UGV's journey to a delivery destination of the goods.

8. The second link cost is a fixed cost determined based on fixed information including the length of the second link; and a variable cost determined based on variable information including at least one of congestion information of the second link, road information of the second link, traffic regulation information of the second link, weather information of the second link, or time zone information.

9. The first link cost is a fixed cost determined based on fixed information including the length of the first link; The goods transport system according to claim 1 , further comprising: a variable cost determined based on variable information including weather at the first link.

10. The processing circuitry includes: Obtaining item information including a weight, size, or type of the item; selecting a plurality of UGVs that match the item information from the plurality of UGVs, and extracting the plurality of UGV planned routes corresponding to the selected plurality of UGVs from the database; configured to: The item transport system of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein determining the relay point includes determining the relay point assumed to be handed over to the selected UGV on the multiple UGV planned routes corresponding to the selected multiple UGVs.

11. A method for transporting goods using at least one UAV, which is an unmanned aerial vehicle capable of traveling along a UAV route including a plurality of first nodes representing points in three dimensions including the air and a plurality of first links each connecting the first nodes to each other, and a plurality of unmanned ground vehicles, which are unmanned ground vehicles capable of traveling along a UGV route including a plurality of second nodes representing points on the ground and a plurality of second links each connecting the second nodes to each other, determining, for each of the plurality of UGVs corresponding to each of the plurality of UGV planned routes, a relay point at which the UAV carrying an item is assumed to hand over the item to the UGV; Calculating a total cost including, for each of the plurality of UGVs corresponding to the plurality of UGV planned routes, a UGV movement cost from the current location of the UGV to the relay point on the UGV planned route, and a UAV movement cost from the current location of the UAV to the relay point on a UAV planned route, which is the planned route of the UAV; selecting a UGV having a minimum total cost from the plurality of UGVs corresponding to the plurality of UGV planned routes; instructing the UAV and the selected UGV to transfer the item from the UAV to the selected UGV at the relay point corresponding to the selected UGV; 23. A method for transporting goods, comprising:

12. An article transport program causing at least one processor to carry out the method of claim 11.

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