Control device and unmanned operation method

Abstract

To provide a technique for allowing an operator to easily conduct operation around a movable body moving by unmanned operation.SOLUTION: A control device includes: a process information acquisition unit configured to acquire process information related to work processes performed on a movable body movable through unmanned operation; an environmental information acquisition unit configured to acquire environmental information on a distance between an operator around the movable body and the movable body; and a control unit configured to move the movable body through unmanned operation within a range that does not exceed a predetermined maximum speed and maximum steering angle for each work process, wherein when the distance between the operator and the movable body is equal to or smaller than a predetermined distance, the control unit reduces at least one of the maximum speed and the maximum steering angle.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a control device and an unmanned operation method. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art In a vehicle manufacturing process, a technique for running a vehicle in an unmanned manner 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] The above literature does not take into consideration unmanned operation when workers are present near a moving object such as a vehicle. [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 control device comprising: a process information acquisition unit that acquires process information related to a work process to be performed on a mobile body that can move by unmanned operation; a surrounding information acquisition unit that acquires surrounding information related to a distance between the mobile body and a worker present around the mobile body; and a control unit that moves the mobile body by unmanned operation within a range not exceeding a maximum speed and a maximum steering angle that are predetermined for each work process, and that reduces at least one of the maximum speed and the maximum steering angle when the distance between the worker and the mobile body is equal to or less than the predetermined distance. According to this embodiment of the control device, when the distance between the moving body and a worker present around the moving body becomes equal to or less than a predetermined distance, at least one of the maximum speed and maximum steering angle of the moving body is reduced, so that the movement of the moving body can be made gentler, thereby making it easier for the worker to carry out work around the moving body. (2) In the control device of the above aspect, the surrounding information acquisition unit may acquire the distance between the worker and the moving body using at least one of a camera and a distance measuring device positioned outside the moving body. According to this type of control device, even if a camera or distance measuring device is not mounted on the moving body, it is possible to obtain the distance between the moving body and workers present around the moving body. (3) In the control device of the above aspect, the control unit may not need to reduce the maximum steering angle while the traveling direction of the moving body is being changed. According to the control device of this embodiment, it is possible to prevent the moving body from deviating from the target route. (4) In the control device of the above embodiment, the surrounding information acquisition unit further acquires clothing information regarding the worker's clothing, and the control unit may reduce at least one of the maximum speed and the maximum steering angle by a predetermined degree of reduction according to the worker's clothing when the distance between the worker and the moving body is equal to or less than a predetermined distance. According to the control device of this embodiment, the operation of the moving body can be adjusted according to the clothing of workers present around the moving body. (5) According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an unmanned driving method, which acquires process information relating to a work process to be performed on a moving body that can be moved by unmanned driving, acquires surrounding information relating to a distance between the moving body and a worker present around the moving body, moves the moving body by unmanned driving within a range not exceeding a maximum speed and a maximum steering angle predetermined for each work process, and reduces at least one of the maximum speed and the maximum steering angle when the distance between the worker and the moving body is equal to or less than the predetermined distance. According to this embodiment of the unmanned operation method, when the distance between the moving body and the workers around the moving body becomes equal to or less than a predetermined distance, at least one of the maximum speed and maximum steering angle of the moving body is reduced, so that the movement of the moving body can be made gentler, thereby making it easier for the workers to carry out work around the moving body. The present disclosure may be realized in various forms other than the control device and the unmanned driving method, for example, in the form of an unmanned driving system, a remote control system, a manufacturing method for a moving body, a manufacturing method for a vehicle, a computer program, and a recording medium on which a computer program is recorded. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of an unmanned driving system according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle control device according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which a vehicle moves by remote control in a factory. [Figure 4] 4 is a flowchart showing a procedure for vehicle travel control in the first embodiment. [Diagram 5] 4 is a flowchart showing the contents of an unmanned operation process according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing how a maximum speed and a maximum steering angle are adjusted. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of an unmanned driving system according to a second embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle control device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart showing a procedure for vehicle travel control according to a second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] A. First embodiment: 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of an unmanned driving system 10 equipped with a control device 200 in the first embodiment. The unmanned driving system 10 is used to move moving bodies by unmanned driving in a factory where moving bodies are manufactured.

[0009] In this disclosure, a "mobile body" refers to an object that can move, such as a vehicle or an electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft (a so-called flying car). The vehicle may be a vehicle that runs on wheels or a vehicle that runs on caterpillar tracks, such as a passenger car, a truck, a bus, a two-wheeled vehicle, a four-wheeled vehicle, a tank, a construction vehicle, etc. The vehicle includes an electric vehicle (BEV: Battery Electric Vehicle), a gasoline-powered vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, and a fuel cell vehicle. When the mobile body is something other than a vehicle, the expressions "vehicle" and "car" in this disclosure can be appropriately replaced with "mobile body", and the expression "running" can be appropriately replaced with "movement".

[0010] "Unmanned driving" means driving that is not performed by a passenger. Driving operation means at least one of the operations of "running," "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. The vehicle 100 that is traveling by unmanned driving may have a passenger who does not perform driving operation on board. Passengers who do not perform driving operation include, for example, a person who simply sits in the seat of the vehicle 100, and a person who performs work other than driving operation, such as assembly, inspection, and operation of switches, while riding in the vehicle 100. Note that driving by a passenger who performs driving operation is sometimes called "manned driving."

[0011] In this specification, "remote control" includes "full remote control" in which all of the operations of the vehicle 100 are completely determined from outside the vehicle 100, and "partial remote control" in which some of the operations of the vehicle 100 are determined from outside the vehicle 100. In addition, "autonomous control" includes "full autonomous control" in which the vehicle 100 autonomously controls its own operations without receiving any information from devices external to the vehicle 100, and "partial autonomous control" in which the vehicle 100 autonomously controls its own operations using information received from devices external to the vehicle 100.

[0012] In this embodiment, the unmanned driving system 10 includes a vehicle 100 which is a moving body, a remote control device 200 which is a control device for remotely controlling the vehicle 100, a group of external sensors 300 installed in a factory, and a process management device 400 for managing the manufacturing process of the vehicle 100 in the factory.

[0013] In this embodiment, the vehicle 100 is configured to be able to run by remote control. The vehicle 100 is configured as an electric vehicle. The vehicle 100 includes a drive device 110 for accelerating the vehicle 100, a steering device 120 for changing the traveling direction of the vehicle 100, a braking device 130 for decelerating the vehicle 100, a communication device 140 for communicating with a remote control device 200 by wireless communication, and a vehicle control device 150 for controlling each part of the vehicle 100. In this embodiment, the drive device 110 includes a battery, a running motor driven by the power of the battery, and a driving wheel rotated by the running motor.

[0014] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of the vehicle control device 150. The vehicle control device 150 is configured by a computer including a processor 151, a memory 152, an input / output interface 153, and an internal bus 154. The processor 151, the memory 152, and the input / output interface 153 are connected via the internal bus 154 so as to be able to communicate bidirectionally. The input / output interface 153 is connected to the drive device 110, the steering device 120, the braking device 130, and the communication device 140. The processor 151 functions as a driving control unit 155 that executes driving control of the vehicle 100 by executing a computer program PG1 stored in advance in the memory 152. The "driving control" means, for example, adjustment of the acceleration, speed, and steering angle of the vehicle 100. The driving control unit 155 executes the driving control, in other words, controls the drive device 110, the steering device 120, and the braking device 130, thereby causing the vehicle 100 to run. When a passenger is on board the vehicle 100, the traveling control unit 155 controls the various devices 110 to 130 in response to the operation of the passenger, thereby causing the vehicle 100 to travel. In this embodiment, the traveling control unit 155 controls the various devices 110 to 130 using a traveling control signal received from the remote control device 200, thereby causing the vehicle 100 to travel, regardless of whether a passenger is on board the vehicle 100 or not.

[0015] 1, the remote control 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 for communicating with the vehicle 100 by wireless communication is connected to the input / output interface 203. In this embodiment, the communication device 205 can communicate with the external sensor group 300 and the process management device 400 by wired communication or wireless communication.

[0016] The processor 201 executes a computer program PG2 stored in advance in the memory 202, thereby functioning as a process information acquisition unit 210, a surrounding information acquisition unit 220, and a remote control unit 230. The process information acquisition unit 210 acquires information on a work process performed on the vehicle 100. The surrounding information acquisition unit 220 acquires information on the distance between the vehicle 100 and the workers present around the vehicle 100. In the following description, information on a work process performed on the vehicle 100 is referred to as process information, and information on the distance between the vehicle 100 and the workers present around the vehicle 100 is referred to as surrounding information. The work process includes a manufacturing process of the vehicle 100. The remote control unit 230 generates a driving control signal for driving the vehicle 100. The remote control unit 230 drives the vehicle 100 by transmitting the driving control signal to the vehicle 100. In this embodiment, the remote control unit 230 drives the vehicle 100 so that the speed and steering angle of the vehicle 100 do not exceed a predetermined maximum speed and maximum steering angle. The remote control device 200 may be simply called a control device, and the remote control unit 230 may be simply called a control unit.

[0017] The external sensor group 300 is composed of a plurality of external sensors. The external sensors are sensors installed outside the vehicle 100. The external sensors are used to detect the position and orientation of the vehicle 100. In this embodiment, the external sensors are also used to detect the distance between the vehicle 100 and a worker present around the vehicle 100. In this embodiment, the external sensor group 300 is composed of a plurality of cameras installed in a factory. Each camera is a stereo camera. Each camera is equipped with a communication device (not shown) and can communicate with the remote control device 200 by wired communication or wireless communication.

[0018] The process management device 400 manages the entire manufacturing process of the vehicle 100 in the factory. The process management device 400 is composed of at least one computer. The process management device 400 is equipped with a communication device (not shown) and can communicate with the remote control device 200 by wired communication or wireless communication. When the remote control device 200 starts remote control of the vehicle 100, the process management device 400 transmits to the remote control device 200 the identification number of the vehicle 100 to be remotely controlled and information on the current manufacturing process of the vehicle 100 to be remotely controlled. When the remote control device 200 ends the remote control of the vehicle 100, the process management device 400 acquires from the remote control device 200 the identification number of the vehicle 100 to be remotely controlled and information on the current manufacturing process of the vehicle 100 to be remotely controlled.

[0019] FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the vehicle 100 moves by remote control in the factory KJ. In this embodiment, the factory KJ includes a first location PL1 for assembling the vehicle 100, a second location PL2 for inspecting the vehicle 100, and a third location PL3 for storing the vehicle 100 that has passed the inspection. The first location PL1, the second location PL2, and the third location PL3 are connected by a travel path SR on which the vehicle 100 can travel. The vehicle 100 assembled in the first location PL1 is equipped with a drive unit 110, a steering unit 120, a braking unit 130, a communication unit 140, and a vehicle control device 150. The vehicle 100 assembled in the first location PL1 travels from the first location PL1 to the second location PL2 by being remotely controlled by the remote control device 200. The vehicle 100 that has passed the inspection at the second location PL2 travels from the second location PL2 to the third location PL3 by being remotely controlled by the remote control device 200. The vehicle 100 that has arrived at the third location PL3 is then shipped from the factory KJ. In the following description, the process of assembling the vehicle 100 at the first location PL1 may be referred to as an assembly process, the process of moving the vehicle 100 from the first location PL1 to the second location PL2 may be referred to as a first movement process, the process of inspecting the vehicle 100 at the second location PL2 may be referred to as an inspection process, and the process of moving the vehicle 100 from the second location PL2 to the third location PL3 may be referred to as a second movement process. The assembly process, the first movement process, the inspection process, and the second movement process are included in the manufacturing process of the vehicle 100. The manufacturing process may be referred to as a work process.

[0020] With reference to FIG. 3, a method in which the remote control device 200 drives the vehicle 100 by remote control will be briefly described. The remote control device 200 determines a target route for the vehicle 100 to drive to the destination along the driving path SR. In this embodiment, the target route is a reference route RR described later. A plurality of cameras 301 that capture the driving path SR are installed in the factory KJ. The plurality of cameras 301 are included in an external sensor group 300. The remote control device 200 can obtain the relative position and orientation of the vehicle 100 with respect to the target route in real time by analyzing the images captured by each camera 301. The remote control device 200 generates a control command for driving the vehicle 100 along the target route and transmits the control command to the vehicle 100. In this embodiment, the control command is a driving control signal described later. The vehicle control device 150 mounted on the vehicle 100 drives the vehicle 100 by controlling the drive device 110, the steering device 120, and the braking device 130 according to the received control command. Therefore, the vehicle 100 can be moved without using a transport device such as a crane or a conveyor.

[0021] FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a procedure of the travel control of the vehicle 100 in the first embodiment. With reference to FIG. 4, a method in which the remote control device 200 travels the vehicle 100 by remote control will be described in more detail. In step S1, the remote control unit 230 acquires vehicle position information of the vehicle 100 using a detection result output from an external sensor that is a sensor located outside the vehicle 100. The vehicle position information is position information that is the basis for generating a travel control signal. In this embodiment, the vehicle position information includes the position and orientation of the vehicle 100 in the reference coordinate system of the factory KJ. In this embodiment, the reference coordinate system of the factory KJ is a global coordinate system, and any position in the factory KJ is expressed by X, Y, and Z coordinates in the global coordinate system. In this embodiment, the external sensor is the camera 301, and a captured image is output from the external sensor as a detection result. That is, in step S1, the remote control unit 230 acquires vehicle position information using a captured image acquired from the camera 301 that is an external sensor.

[0022] In detail, in step S1, the remote control unit 230, for example, detects the outer shape of the vehicle 100 from the captured image, calculates the coordinates of the positioning point of the vehicle 100 in the coordinate system of the captured image, i.e., the local coordinate system, and converts the calculated coordinates into coordinates in the global coordinate system, thereby acquiring the position of the vehicle 100. The outer shape of the vehicle 100 included in the captured image can be detected, for example, by inputting the captured image into a detection model DM that utilizes artificial intelligence. The detection model DM is prepared, for example, inside or outside the unmanned driving system 10, and is stored in advance in the memory 202 of the remote control device 200. As the detection model DM, for example, a trained machine learning model that has been trained to realize either semantic segmentation or instance segmentation can be mentioned. As this machine learning model, for example, a convolutional neural network (hereinafter, CNN) trained by supervised learning using a learning dataset can be used. The learning dataset has, for example, a plurality of training images including the vehicle 100, and labels indicating whether each region in the training images is a region indicating the vehicle 100 or a region indicating something other than the vehicle 100. During CNN learning, it is preferable to update the parameters of the CNN by backpropagation (backpropagation method) so as to reduce an error between the output result of the detection model DM and the label. In addition, the processor 201 can acquire the orientation of the vehicle 100 by estimating based on the orientation of the movement vector of the vehicle 100 calculated from the positional change of the feature points of the vehicle 100 between frames of the captured image using, for example, an optical flow method.

[0023] In step S2, the remote control unit 230 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. A reference route RR, which is a route along which the vehicle 100 should travel, is stored in advance in the memory 202 of the remote control device 200. 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 230 uses the vehicle position information and the reference route RR to determine a target position to which the vehicle 100 should next head. The remote control unit 230 determines a target position on the reference route RR that is ahead of the current location of the vehicle 100.

[0024] In step S3, the remote control unit 230 generates a travel control signal for driving the vehicle 100 toward the determined target position. In this embodiment, the travel control signal includes the acceleration and steering angle of the vehicle 100 as parameters. Instead of or in addition to the acceleration of the vehicle 100, the travel control signal may include the speed of the vehicle 100 as a parameter. The remote control unit 230 calculates the travel speed of the vehicle 100 from the transition of the position of the vehicle 100, and compares the calculated travel speed with the target speed. When the travel speed is lower than the target speed as a whole, the remote control unit 230 determines the acceleration so that the vehicle 100 accelerates, and when the travel speed is higher than the target speed, determines the acceleration so that the vehicle 100 decelerates. In addition, when the vehicle 100 is located on the reference route RR, the remote control unit 230 determines the steering angle and acceleration so that the vehicle 100 does not deviate from the reference route RR, and when the vehicle 100 is not located on the reference route RR, in other words, when the vehicle 100 has deviated from the reference route RR, the remote control unit 230 determines the steering angle and acceleration so that the vehicle 100 returns to the reference route RR.

[0025] In step S4, the remote control unit 230 transmits the generated driving control signal to the vehicle 100. The remote control unit 230 repeats, at a predetermined cycle, obtaining the position of the vehicle 100, determining the target position, generating the driving control signal, and transmitting the driving control signal.

[0026] In step S5, the vehicle control device 150 mounted on the vehicle 100 receives the traveling control signal transmitted from the remote control device 200. In step S6, the vehicle control device 150 uses the received traveling control signal to control the drive device 110, the steering device 120, and the braking device 130, thereby causing the vehicle 100 to travel at the acceleration and steering angle represented by the traveling control signal. The vehicle control device 150 repeats receiving the traveling control signal and controlling the various devices 110 to 130 at a predetermined cycle.

[0027] 5 is a flowchart showing the contents of the unmanned driving process in the first embodiment. The unmanned driving process is repeatedly executed by the processor 201 of the remote control device 200 when the remote control device 200 receives a predetermined start command. In the following description, the vehicle 100 that the remote control device 200 drives by the unmanned driving process is called the target vehicle 100. When the unmanned driving process is started, in step S110, the process information acquisition unit 210 acquires process information indicating the current manufacturing process of the target vehicle 100 from the process management device 400.

[0028] In step S120, the surrounding information acquisition unit 220 acquires distance information indicating the distance between the target vehicle 100 and a worker present around the target vehicle 100, and transmits the distance information to the remote control unit 230. In this embodiment, the surrounding information acquisition unit 220 analyzes the image of the camera 301 to acquire the distance between the target vehicle 100 and the worker.

[0029] In step S130, the remote control unit 230 uses the distance information to determine whether the distance between the target vehicle 100 and the worker is equal to or shorter than a predetermined distance. If it is determined in step S130 that the distance between the target vehicle 100 and the worker exceeds the predetermined distance, the remote control unit 230 determines in step S140 the maximum speed and maximum steering angle of the target vehicle 100 to be the maximum speed and maximum steering angle predetermined for each manufacturing process. In this embodiment, the memory 202 stores a database DB indicating the maximum speed and maximum steering angle predetermined for each manufacturing process. The remote control unit 230 determines the maximum speed and maximum steering angle of the target vehicle 100 by referring to the database DB. The maximum speed in the assembly process and the inspection process can be set to, for example, 4 km per hour, which is approximately the same as the walking speed of the worker, so that the worker can easily perform work around the target vehicle 100, and the maximum speed in the first movement process and the second movement process can be set to, for example, 40 km per hour so that the target vehicle 100 can be moved in a short time. The maximum speed may be different between the assembly process and the inspection process, and may be different between the first movement process and the second movement process. The maximum steering angle in the assembly process and the inspection process may be, for example, 30 degrees to allow for small turning radius, and the maximum steering angle in the first movement process and the second movement process may be, for example, 20 degrees to increase stability during running. The maximum steering angle may be different between the assembly process and the inspection process, and may be different between the first movement process and the second movement process.

[0030] If it is determined in step S130 that the distance between the target vehicle 100 and the worker is equal to or shorter than the predetermined distance, the remote control unit 230 determines in step S145 that the maximum speed and maximum steering angle of the target vehicle 100 are smaller than the maximum speed and maximum steering angle predetermined for each manufacturing process. In this embodiment, the remote control unit 230 determines the maximum speed and maximum steering angle of the target vehicle 100 by multiplying the maximum speed and maximum steering angle shown in the database DB by a predetermined coefficient. The coefficient can be, for example, 0.5 regardless of the distance between the target vehicle 100 and the worker. The coefficient does not have to always be the same value. For example, the coefficient can be smaller as the distance between the target vehicle 100 and the worker becomes closer.

[0031] In step S150, the remote control unit 230 generates a driving control signal so that the target vehicle 100 drives within the range of the maximum speed and maximum steering angle determined in step S140 or step S145. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the remote control unit 230 acquires vehicle position information of the vehicle 100 using the detection result output from the external sensor, determines a target position to which the vehicle 100 should next head using the vehicle position information and the reference route RR, and generates a driving control signal for driving the vehicle 100 toward the determined target position. The remote control unit 230 transmits the generated driving control signal to the target vehicle 100. Thereafter, the remote control unit 230 ends the unmanned driving process. The remote control unit 230 repeats the unmanned driving process until the target vehicle 100 arrives at the destination. Note that the method realized by the unmanned driving process may be called an unmanned driving method.

[0032] FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing how the maximum speed and maximum steering angle of the target vehicle 100 are adjusted. In FIG. 6, in addition to the target vehicle 100 and the worker WK, the steering wheel 125 of the target vehicle 100 is illustrated. When the distance between the target vehicle 100 and the worker WK exceeds a predetermined distance, the remote control unit 230 determines the maximum speed V1 and maximum steering angle Φ1, which are predetermined for each manufacturing process, as the maximum speed and maximum steering angle of the target vehicle 100. That is, the remote control unit 230 does not adjust the maximum speed and maximum steering angle. On the other hand, when the distance between the target vehicle 100 and the worker WK is equal to or less than a predetermined distance, the speed V2 and steering angle Φ2, which are smaller than the maximum speed V1 and maximum steering angle Φ1, which are predetermined for each manufacturing process, are determined as the maximum speed and maximum steering angle of the target vehicle 100. That is, the remote control unit 230 adjusts the maximum speed and maximum steering angle of the target vehicle 100 so that they are smaller than the maximum speed V1 and maximum steering angle Φ1, which are predetermined.

[0033] According to the remote control device 200 in this embodiment described above, when the distance between the target vehicle 100 and the worker WK becomes equal to or less than a predetermined distance, the remote control unit 230 reduces the maximum speed and maximum steering angle of the target vehicle 100. Therefore, when the distance between the target vehicle 100 and the worker WK is equal to or less than the predetermined distance, the movement of the target vehicle 100 becomes gentler than when the distance between the target vehicle 100 and the worker WK exceeds the predetermined distance. Therefore, it is possible to make it easier for the worker WK to carry out work around the target vehicle 100.

[0034] In addition, in this embodiment, the surrounding information acquisition unit 220 acquires the distance between the target vehicle 100 and the worker WK using the camera 301 installed in the factory KJ, so that even if the target vehicle 100 is not equipped with a camera, the distance between the target vehicle 100 and the worker WK can be acquired. In addition, the camera 301 used to acquire the position and orientation of the target vehicle 100 is used to acquire the distance between the target vehicle 100 and the worker WK, so that equipment only for acquiring the distance between the target vehicle 100 and the worker WK is not required. Note that, when a distance measuring device such as LiDAR or millimeter wave radar for acquiring the distance between the target vehicle 100 and the worker WK is installed in the factory KJ, the surrounding information acquisition unit 220 may acquire the distance between the target vehicle 100 and the worker WK using the distance measuring device.

[0035] B. Second embodiment: Fig. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of an unmanned driving system 10b in the second embodiment. Fig. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle control device 150b in the second embodiment. As shown in Fig. 7, the second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the unmanned driving system 10b does not include a remote control device 200, and the vehicle 100 runs by autonomous control rather than remote control. The other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment unless otherwise specified.

[0036] In this embodiment, the vehicle 100 is configured to be capable of traveling by autonomous control. The vehicle 100 can communicate with the external sensor group 300 and the process management device 400 by wireless communication using the communication device 140. As shown in FIG. 8, in this embodiment, the processor 151 of the vehicle control device 150b executes a computer program PG1 stored in advance in the memory 152 to function as a traveling control unit 155b, a process information acquisition unit 156, and a surrounding information acquisition unit 157. The traveling control unit 155b generates a traveling control signal by itself, and controls the drive unit 110, the steering device 120, and the braking device 130 using the generated traveling control signal to travel the host vehicle. The memory 152 stores a database DB, a reference route RR, and a detection model DM in advance. The process information acquisition unit 156 acquires information on a work process to be performed on the host vehicle. The process information acquisition unit 156 acquires process information indicating a current manufacturing process of the host vehicle from, for example, the process management device 400. The surrounding information acquisition unit 157 acquires information regarding the distance between the vehicle and workers present around the vehicle. The surrounding information acquisition unit 157 acquires the distance between the vehicle and the workers by, for example, analyzing the video of the camera 301. Note that the vehicle control device 150b may be simply called a control device, and the traveling control unit 155b may be simply called a control unit.

[0037] FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a procedure of the traveling control of the vehicle 100 in the second embodiment. In step S11, the traveling control unit 155b of the vehicle control device 150b acquires vehicle position information using a detection result output from the camera 301, which is an external sensor. In step S21, the traveling control unit 155b determines a target position to which the vehicle 100 should next head. In step S31, the traveling control unit 155b generates a traveling control signal for driving the vehicle 100 toward the determined target position. In step S41, the traveling control unit 155b controls the drive device 110, the steering device 120, and the braking device 130 using the generated traveling control signal, thereby causing the vehicle 100 to travel according to parameters represented in the traveling control signal. The traveling control unit 155b repeats the acquisition of vehicle position information, the determination of the target position, the generation of the traveling control signal, and the control of the various devices 110 to 130 at a predetermined cycle.

[0038] In this embodiment, the unmanned driving process shown in Fig. 5 is executed by the vehicle control device 150b. In step S150 in Fig. 5, the driving control unit 155b generates a driving control signal so that the target vehicle 100 drives within the range of the maximum speed and maximum steering angle determined in step S140 or step S145, and controls the drive unit 110, the steering unit 120, and the braking unit 130 using the generated driving control signal. As shown in Fig. 9, the driving control unit 155b acquires vehicle position information, determines a target position to which the vehicle 100 should next head, and generates a driving control signal for driving the vehicle 100 toward the determined target position.

[0039] According to the unmanned driving system 10b in this embodiment described above, the driving control unit 155b reduces the maximum speed and maximum steering angle of the vehicle when the distance between the vehicle and the worker WK becomes equal to or less than a predetermined distance. Therefore, as in the first embodiment, it is possible to make it easier for the worker WK to carry out work around the vehicle.

[0040] C. Other embodiments: (C1) In each of the above-described embodiments, the remote control unit 230 and the traveling control unit 155b are configured to reduce the maximum speed and maximum steering angle of the vehicle 100 when it is determined that the distance between the vehicle 100 and the worker WK is equal to or less than a predetermined distance. In contrast, the remote control unit 230 and the traveling control unit 155b may be configured to reduce the maximum steering angle of the vehicle 100 without reducing the maximum speed of the target vehicle 100 when it is determined that the distance between the vehicle 100 and the worker WK is equal to or less than a predetermined distance. The remote control unit 230 and the traveling control unit 155b may be configured to reduce the maximum speed of the vehicle 100 without reducing the maximum steering angle of the vehicle 100 when it is determined that the distance between the vehicle 100 and the worker WK is equal to or less than a predetermined distance.

[0041] (C2) In each of the above-described embodiments, the remote control unit 230 and the traveling control unit 155b are configured to reduce the maximum steering angle of the vehicle 100 when it is determined that the distance between the vehicle 100 and the worker WK is equal to or less than a predetermined distance. In contrast, when the current steering angle of the vehicle 100 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, in other words, when the vehicle 100 is changing its traveling direction, the remote control unit 230 and the traveling control unit 155b may be configured not to reduce the maximum steering angle of the vehicle 100 even when it is determined that the distance between the vehicle 100 and the worker WK is equal to or less than the predetermined distance. In this case, it is possible to prevent the vehicle 100 from deviating from the target route.

[0042] (C3) In each of the above-described embodiments, the surrounding information acquisition units 220, 157 may be configured to acquire, in addition to distance information, clothing information regarding the clothing of a worker WK present around the vehicle 100, and the remote control unit 230 and the driving control unit 155b may be configured to reduce the maximum speed and maximum steering angle of the vehicle 100 by a predetermined degree of reduction depending on the clothing of the worker WK when it is determined that the distance between the vehicle 100 and the worker WK is less than or equal to a predetermined distance. For example, in a case where the vehicle 100 is driven in an unmanned manner in a factory where a hat with a predetermined mark is worn by a less skilled worker WK and a hat without the mark is worn by a more skilled worker WK, the remote control unit 230 and the driving control unit 155b may be configured to reduce the maximum speed and the maximum steering angle when the distance between the vehicle 100 and the less skilled worker WK wearing the hat with the mark becomes equal to or less than a predetermined distance, compared to when the distance between the vehicle 100 and the more skilled worker WK wearing the hat without the mark becomes equal to or less than a predetermined distance. Also, in a case where the vehicle 100 is driven in an unmanned manner in a factory where the worker WK in charge of maintaining the manufacturing equipment wears an orange helmet, the remote control unit 230 and the driving control unit 155b may be configured to reduce the maximum speed of the vehicle 100 in the vicinity of the equipment, since there is a possibility that a malfunction has occurred in the equipment where a predetermined number or more of workers WK wearing orange helmets are gathered.

[0043] (C4) In each of the above-described embodiments, the surrounding information acquisition unit 220, 157 acquires the distance between the vehicle 100 and the worker WK using the camera 301 installed in the factory KJ. In contrast, if a distance measuring device such as LiDAR is installed in the factory KJ, the surrounding information acquisition unit 220, 157 may acquire the distance between the vehicle 100 and the worker WK using the distance measuring device instead of the camera 301. Alternatively, the surrounding information acquisition unit 220, 157 may acquire the distance between the vehicle 100 and the worker WK using the distance measuring device in addition to the camera 301. In this case, the camera 301 may be a mono camera instead of a stereo camera. In the case where the vehicle 100 is equipped with a camera, LiDAR, or the like, the surrounding information acquisition unit 220, 157 may acquire the distance between the vehicle 100 and the worker WK using the camera, LiDAR, or the like installed in the vehicle 100.

[0044] (C5) In each of the above embodiments, the external sensor is the camera 301. In contrast, the external sensor does not have to be the camera 301, and may be, for example, a LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging). In this case, the detection result output from the external sensor may be three-dimensional point cloud data representing the vehicle 100. In this case, the remote control unit 230 and the driving control unit 155b may acquire vehicle position information by template matching using the three-dimensional point cloud data as the detection result and reference point cloud data prepared in advance.

[0045] (C6) In the first embodiment, the processes from obtaining vehicle position information to generating a driving control signal are executed by the remote control device 200. In contrast, at least a part of the processes from obtaining vehicle position information to generating a driving control signal may be executed by the vehicle 100. For example, the following forms (1) to (3) may be used.

[0046] (1) The remote control device 200 may acquire vehicle position information, determine a target position to which the vehicle 100 should next head, and generate a route from the current location of the vehicle 100 represented in the acquired vehicle position information to the target position. The remote control 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 remote control device 200 may transmit the generated route to the vehicle 100. The vehicle 100 may generate a travel control signal so that the vehicle 100 travels on the route received from the remote control device 200, and use the generated travel control signal to control the drive device 110, the steering device 120, and the braking device 130.

[0047] (2) The remote control device 200 may acquire vehicle position information and transmit the acquired vehicle position information to the vehicle 100. The vehicle 100 may determine a target position to which the vehicle 100 should next head, generate a route from the current location of the vehicle 100 represented in the received vehicle position information to the target position, generate a travel control signal so that the vehicle 100 travels on the generated route, and control the drive device 110, the steering device 120, and the braking device 130 using the generated travel control signal.

[0048] (3) In the above-mentioned embodiments (1) and (2), an internal sensor may be mounted on the vehicle 100, and a detection result 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 is a sensor mounted on the vehicle 100. The internal sensor may include, for example, a sensor for detecting the motion state of the vehicle 100, a sensor for detecting the operating state of each part of the vehicle 100, and a sensor for detecting the environment around the vehicle 100. Specifically, the internal sensor may include, for example, a camera, a LiDAR, a millimeter wave radar, an ultrasonic sensor, a GPS sensor, an acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor, and the like. For example, in the above-mentioned embodiment (1), the remote control device 200 may acquire the detection result of the internal sensor, and when generating a route, may reflect the detection result of the internal sensor on the route. In the above-mentioned embodiment (1), the vehicle 100 may acquire the detection result of the internal sensor, and when generating a driving control signal, may reflect the detection result of the internal sensor on the driving control signal. In the above-mentioned embodiment (2), the vehicle 100 may acquire the detection result of the internal sensor, and when generating a route, may reflect the detection result of the internal sensor on the route. In the above embodiment (2), the vehicle 100 may acquire the detection result of the internal sensor, and may reflect the detection result of the internal sensor in the driving control signal when generating the driving control signal.

[0049] (C7) In the above second embodiment, an internal sensor may be mounted on the vehicle 100, and a detection result 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 result of the internal sensor, and when generating a route, may reflect the detection result of the internal sensor in the route. The vehicle 100 may acquire the detection result of the internal sensor, and when generating a driving control signal, may reflect the detection result of the internal sensor in the driving control signal.

[0050] (C8) In the second embodiment, the vehicle 100 acquires the vehicle position information using the detection result of the camera 301, which is an external sensor. In contrast, the vehicle 100 may be equipped with an internal sensor, and the vehicle 100 may acquire the vehicle position information using the detection result of the internal sensor, determine the target position to which the vehicle 100 should next head, generate a route from the current location of the vehicle 100 represented in the acquired vehicle position information to the target position, generate a travel control signal for traveling along the generated route, and control the drive device 110, the steering device 120, and the braking device 130 using the generated travel control signal. In this case, the vehicle 100 can travel without using any detection result of the external sensor. 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 travel control signal.

[0051] (C9) In the above first embodiment, the remote control device 200 automatically generates a driving control signal to be transmitted to the vehicle 100. In contrast, the remote control device 200 may generate a driving control signal to be transmitted to the vehicle 100 in accordance with the operation of an external operator located outside the vehicle 100. For example, the external operator may operate a control device including a display for displaying an image output from the camera 301, which is an external sensor, a steering wheel for remotely controlling the vehicle 100, an accelerator pedal, a brake pedal, and a communication device for communicating with the remote control device 200 by wired communication or wireless communication, and the remote control device 200 may generate a driving control signal in accordance with the operation applied to the control device.

[0052] (C10) In each of the above embodiments, the vehicle 100 may have a configuration 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 have at least the drive unit 110, the steering unit 120, the braking unit 130, and the vehicle control units 150 and 150b in order 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 have a communication unit 140. That is, the vehicle 100 capable of moving by unmanned driving may not have at least a part of interior parts such as a driver's seat or a dashboard, may not have at least a part of exterior parts such as a bumper or a fender, and may not have a body shell. In this case, the remaining parts such as the body shell may be attached to the vehicle 100 before the vehicle 100 is shipped from the factory KJ, or the remaining parts such as the body shell may be attached to the vehicle 100 after the vehicle 100 is shipped from the factory KJ without the remaining parts such as the body shell being attached to the vehicle 100. Each part may be attached from any direction such as the upper side, lower side, front side, rear side, 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 the first embodiment.

[0053] (C11) The vehicle 100 may be manufactured by combining a plurality of modules. The module means a unit composed of a plurality of parts grouped according to the part or function of the vehicle 100. For example, the platform of the vehicle 100 may be manufactured by combining a front module constituting the front part of the platform, a central module constituting the central part of the platform, and a rear module constituting the rear part of the platform. The number of modules constituting 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 constituting the platform, parts constituting parts of the vehicle 100 other than 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, not limited to the vehicle 100, any type of moving body may be manufactured by combining a plurality of modules. Such a module may be manufactured, for example, by joining a plurality of parts by welding or a fastener, or may be manufactured by integrally molding at least a part of the parts constituting the module as one part by casting. The molding method for integrally molding a single component, particularly a relatively large component, is also called gigacast or megacast. For example, the front module, the center module, and the rear module may be manufactured using gigacast.

[0054] (C12) Transporting the vehicle 100 by using the driving of the vehicle 100 through unmanned driving is also called "self-propelled transport." Also, the configuration for realizing self-propelled transport is also called a "vehicle remote-controlled autonomous driving transport system." Also, 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 the factory KJ where the vehicle 100 is manufactured, at least a part of the transportation of the vehicle 100 is realized by self-propelled transport.

[0055] (C13) In each of the above embodiments, some or all of the functions and processes implemented by software may be implemented by hardware. Also, some or all of the functions and processes implemented by hardware may be implemented by software. As hardware for implementing the various functions in each of the above embodiments, various circuits such as integrated circuits and discrete circuits may be used.

[0056] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and can be realized in various configurations without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure. For example, the technical features in the embodiments corresponding to the technical features in each aspect described in the Summary of the Invention column can be appropriately replaced or combined to solve some or all of the above-mentioned problems or to achieve some or all of the above-mentioned effects. Furthermore, if the technical feature is not described as essential in this specification, it can be appropriately deleted. [Explanation of symbols]

[0057] 10, 10b... unmanned driving system, 100... vehicle (mobile body), 110... drive unit, 120... steering unit, 125... steering wheel, 130... braking unit, 140... communication unit, 150, 150b... vehicle control unit, 151... processor, 152... memory, 153... input / output interface, 154... internal bus, 155, 155b... driving control unit, 156... process information acquisition unit, 157... surrounding information acquisition unit, 200... remote control unit, 201... processor, 202... memory, 203... input / output interface, 204... internal bus, 205... communication unit, 210... process information acquisition unit, 220... surrounding information acquisition unit, 230... remote control unit, 300... external sensor group, 301... camera, 400... process management device

Claims

1. A control device, a process information acquisition unit that acquires process information related to a work process to be performed on a mobile object that can be moved by unmanned operation; a surrounding information acquisition unit that acquires surrounding information regarding a distance between the moving body and a worker present around the moving body; a control unit that moves the moving body in an unmanned manner within a range not exceeding a maximum speed and a maximum steering angle that are predetermined for each work process, and that reduces at least one of the maximum speed and the maximum steering angle when a distance between the worker and the moving body is equal to or less than the predetermined distance; A control device comprising:

2. The control device according to claim 1 , A control device in which the surrounding information acquisition unit acquires the distance between the worker and the moving body using at least one of a camera and a distance measuring device located outside the moving body.

3. The control device according to claim 1 , The control unit does not reduce the maximum steering angle while the traveling direction of the moving body is being changed.

4. The control device according to claim 1 , The surrounding information acquisition unit further acquires clothing information regarding the clothing of the worker, The control unit is a control device that reduces at least one of the maximum speed and the maximum steering angle by a predetermined degree of reduction depending on the worker's clothing when the distance between the worker and the moving body is less than a predetermined distance.

5. An unmanned driving method, comprising: Acquire process information regarding a work process to be performed on a mobile object that can be moved by unmanned operation; Acquire surrounding information regarding a distance between the moving body and workers present around the moving body; moving the moving body in an unmanned manner within a range not exceeding a maximum speed and a maximum steering angle that are predetermined for each of the work processes; When the distance between the operator and the moving object is equal to or shorter than a predetermined distance, at least one of the maximum speed and the maximum steering angle is reduced. Unmanned driving method.

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