Device and method for controlling moving body and program

Abstract

To allow a robot to efficiently travel up to a destination by way of stopover points.SOLUTION: A device for controlling a moving body comprises a recognizing section that recognizes a surrounding situation of a moving body based at least on an image in which a surrounding situation of the moving body is taken, a generating section that generates a route from the moving body to the destination, the route being constituted by stopover points to be passed by the moving body, based on the surrounding situation recognized and a destination set up, and a control section that controls the moving body such that the moving body moves up to the destination by way of the stopover points along the route generated. If the moving body travels toward a first stopover point out of a plurality of the stopover points, the generating section sets up a temporary destination point between the first stopover point and a second stopover point given as a stopover point next to the first stopover point and allows the moving body to travel toward the temporary destination point by way of the first stopover point.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a control device for a moving body, a control method for a moving body, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, robots that guide a user to a desired location or transport luggage are known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The above robot refers to a moving speed database in which a maximum moving speed is associated with each area in the environment, and moves at a moving speed with the set maximum moving speed as an upper limit.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Generally, when generating a route toward a destination, a conventional robot generates a plurality of waypoints and generates a route by connecting these waypoints. Thereafter, the robot travels toward the destination while passing through these waypoints. However, in the prior art, when the robot passes through each waypoint, the waypoint is set as a provisional destination and is controlled to surely pass through the set destination, so the robot may be decelerated in front of the waypoint. As a result, the robot may not be able to efficiently travel through the waypoint to the destination.

[0005] One object of the present invention is to provide a control device for a moving body, a control method for a moving body, and a program that can cause a robot to efficiently travel through a waypoint to a destination in view of such circumstances.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0006] The control device for a moving body, the control method for a moving body, and the program according to this invention adopt the following configurations. (1): The control device for a moving body according to one aspect of this invention includes a recognition unit that recognizes the surrounding situation of the moving body based at least on an image in which the surrounding situation of the moving body is captured, a generation unit that generates a route from the moving body to the destination, which is composed of waypoints passed by the moving body, based on the recognized surrounding situation and the set destination, and a control unit that controls the moving body to move to the destination via the waypoints along the generated route. When the moving body travels toward a first waypoint among a plurality of the waypoints, the generation unit sets a temporary destination point between the first waypoint and a second waypoint that is the next waypoint after the first waypoint, and the control unit causes the moving body to travel toward the temporary destination point via the first waypoint.

[0007] (2): In the aspect of (1) above, when the moving body reaches the first waypoint, the generation unit deletes the temporary destination point, sets a next temporary destination point between the second waypoint and a third waypoint that is the next waypoint after the second waypoint, and the control unit repeats the process of causing the moving body to travel toward the next temporary destination point via the second waypoint.

[0008] (3): In the aspect of (1) above, the generation unit sets the temporary destination point when the distance between the moving body and the first waypoint becomes equal to or less than a threshold value.

[0009] (4): In the aspect of (1) above, the moving body operates in either a following mode in which it moves so as to follow the user or a guiding mode in which it moves in front of the user in accordance with the user's moving speed.

[0010] (5): In the aspect of (1) above, when the moving body operates in the follow-up mode, the destination is the user or a point within a predetermined range from the user.

[0011] (6): In the aspect of (4) above, when the moving body operates in the guidance mode, the destination is a point set by the user or a point within a predetermined range in front of the user.

[0012] (7): In the aspect of (4) above, when the moving body operates in the guidance mode, the destination is a provisional point temporarily set to reach the target point set by the user.

[0013] (8): In the aspect of (4) above, when the moving body operates in the guidance mode, the destination is a point estimated based on map information or the user's actions.

[0014] (9): In the aspect of (1) above, the second via point is the destination.

[0015] (10): A method for controlling a moving body according to another aspect of the present invention is that a computer recognizes the surrounding situation of the moving body based at least on an image in which the surrounding situation of the moving body is captured, and based on the recognized surrounding situation and the set destination, generates a route from the moving body to the destination, which is composed of via points passed by the moving body, and controls the moving body to move to the destination via the via points along the generated route. When the moving body travels toward a first via point among a plurality of the via points, a provisional destination is set between the first via point and a second via point that is the next via point after the first via point, and the moving body is made to travel toward the provisional destination via the first via point.

[0016] (11): A program according to another aspect of the present invention causes a computer to recognize the surrounding situation of a moving body based at least on an image in which the surrounding situation of the moving body is imaged, and based on the recognized surrounding situation and a set destination, generate a route from the moving body to the destination, the route being composed of waypoints through which the moving body passes, and control the moving body to move to the destination via the waypoints along the generated route. When the moving body travels toward a first waypoint among a plurality of the waypoints, a temporary destination is set between the first waypoint and a second waypoint which is the next waypoint after the first waypoint, and the moving body is caused to travel toward the temporary destination via the first waypoint.

Advantages of the Invention

[0017] According to the aspects (1) to (11), a robot can be efficiently made to travel to a destination via waypoints.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0018]

Figure 1

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Figure 12

[0019] Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, embodiments of the control device for a moving body, the control method for a moving body, and the program of the present invention will be described.

[0020] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a moving body system 1 including a moving body 100. The moving body system 1 includes, for example, one or more terminal devices 2, a management device 10, an information providing device 20, and one or more moving bodies 100. These communicate with each other via a network NW, for example. The network NW is an arbitrary network such as a LAN, a WAN, or an Internet line, for example.

[0021] [Terminal Device] The terminal device 2 is a computer device such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal, for example. The terminal device 2 requests, for example, the provision of the right to use the moving body 100 from the management device 10 based on the operation of the user, or acquires information indicating that the use has been permitted.

[0022] [Management Device] The management device 10 grants the right to use the moving body 100 to the user of the terminal device 2 in response to the request of the terminal device 2, or manages the reservation of the use of the moving body 100. The management device 10 generates and manages, for example, schedule information in which the identification information of a pre-registered user is associated with the date and time of the use reservation of the moving body 100.

[0023] [Information Providing Device] The information providing device 20 provides the mobile body 100 with the position where the mobile body 100 is located, the area where the mobile body 100 moves, and the map information around the area. The information providing device 20 may generate a route to the destination of the mobile body 100 in response to a request from the mobile body 100 and provide the generated route to the mobile body 100.

[0024] [Mobile body] The mobile body 100 is used by the user in the following usage modes. FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining an example of the usage mode of the mobile body 100. The mobile body 100 is arranged, for example, at a predetermined position in a facility or a town. When the user wants to use the mobile body 100, the user can start using it by operating an operation unit (not shown) of the mobile body 100 or can start using the mobile body 100 by operating the terminal device 2. For example, when the user goes shopping and has a lot of luggage, the user starts using the mobile body 100 and puts the luggage in the storage unit of the mobile body 100. Then, the mobile body 100 moves with the user so as to autonomously follow the user. The user can continue shopping with the luggage stored in the mobile body 100 or head to the next destination. For example, the mobile body 100 moves while moving with the user across a crosswalk on a sidewalk or a roadway. The mobile body 100 can move in an area where pedestrians can pass, such as a roadway and a sidewalk. For example, the mobile body 100 may be used indoors or outdoors in a facility such as a shopping center, an airport, a park, or a theme park, or within a private property, and can move in an area where pedestrians can pass.

[0025] In addition to (or instead of) the follow-up mode in which the mobile body 100 follows the user as described above, the mobile body 100 may be able to move autonomously in modes such as a guidance mode and an emergency mode.

[0026] FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the guidance mode. The guidance mode is a mode that guides the user to a destination specified by the user, and is a mode that autonomously moves in front of the user in accordance with the user's moving speed to guide the user. As shown in FIG. 3, in a shopping center, when the user is looking for a predetermined product, if the user requests the mobile body 100 to guide the user to the location of the predetermined product, the mobile body 100 guides the user to the location of the product. Thereby, the user can easily find the predetermined product. When the mobile body 100 is used in a shopping center, the mobile body 100 or the information providing device 20 holds information in which the location of the product, the location of the store, the location of the facilities in the shopping center, etc. are associated with the map information, and the map information of the shopping center. This map information includes detailed map information including the width of roads and passages. Further, the guidance mode may be a mode that guides the user to a destination estimated based on information such as map information and the user's actions (including direction, speed, behavior, etc.) even if the user does not specify a destination. For example, the mobile body 100 or the information providing device 20 may detect the direction of the user from an image captured by a camera 180 described later, set a straight line representing the detected direction of the user, and among the locations registered in the map information, the location where the straight line intersects or the closest location may be estimated as the destination. Further, for example, the mobile body 100 or the information providing device 20 may register a plurality of gestures (for example, a gesture of drinking a drink, a gesture of charging a mobile phone, etc.) in advance, collate the behavior of the user detected from the image with the registered gestures, and among the locations stored in the map information, a location that satisfies the requirement of the gesture (for example, a restaurant or a rechargeable facility, etc.) may be estimated as the destination. Further, for example, the mobile body 100 or the information providing device 20 may estimate, as the destination, the location with the highest setting frequency as the destination by past users among the facilities stored in the map information.

[0027] The emergency mode is a mode in which, when something abnormal happens to the user during movement (for example, when the user falls), the mobile unit autonomously moves to seek rescue from nearby people or facilities in order to assist the user. In addition, in addition to (or instead of) following and guiding as described above, the mobile unit 100 may move while maintaining a distance from the user without touching or leaving the user.

[0028] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the mobile unit 100. In the following description, the forward direction of the mobile unit 100 is the plus x direction, the rearward direction of the mobile unit 100 is the minus x direction, the width direction of the mobile unit 100, with the plus x direction as a reference, the left direction is the plus y direction, the right direction is the minus y direction, and the direction orthogonal to the x direction and the y direction, which is the height direction of the mobile unit 100, is described as the plus z direction.

[0029] The mobile unit 100 includes, for example, a base body 110, a door portion 112 provided on the base body 110, and wheels (a first wheel 120, a second wheel 130, and a third wheel 140) assembled to the base body 110. For example, the user can open the door portion 112 to put luggage into or take luggage out of a storage portion provided in the base body 110. The first wheel 120 and the second wheel 130 are drive wheels, and the third wheel 140 is an auxiliary wheel (a driven wheel). The mobile unit 100 may be movable using a configuration other than wheels such as an endless track.

[0030] On the plus z-direction surface of the base body 110, a columnar support body 150 extending in the plus z direction is provided. At the plus z-direction end of the support body 150, a camera 180 for imaging the periphery of the mobile unit 100 is provided. The position where the camera 180 is provided may be any position different from the above.

[0031] The camera 180 is, for example, a camera capable of imaging the periphery of the mobile unit 100 at a wide angle (for example, 360 degrees). The camera 180 may include a plurality of cameras. The camera 180 may be realized, for example, by combining a plurality of 120-degree cameras or a plurality of 60-degree cameras.

[0032] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the mobile body 100. In addition to the functional configuration shown in FIG. 4, the mobile body 100 further includes a first motor 122, a second motor 132, a battery 134, a brake device 136, a steering device 138, a communication unit 190, and a control device 200. The first motor 122 and the second motor 132 are operated by the electric power supplied from the battery 134. The first motor 122 drives the first wheel 120, and the second motor 132 drives the second wheel 130. The first motor 122 may be an in-wheel motor provided on the wheel of the first wheel 120, and the second motor 132 may be an in-wheel motor provided on the wheel of the second wheel 130.

[0033] The brake device 136 outputs a braking torque to each wheel based on an instruction from the control device 200. The steering device 138 includes an electric motor. The electric motor, for example, applies a force to a rack and pinion mechanism based on an instruction from the control device 200 to change the direction of the first wheel 120 or the second wheel 130, thereby changing the travel route of the mobile body 100.

[0034] The communication unit 190 is a communication interface for communicating with the terminal device 2, the management device 10, or the information providing device 20.

[0035] [Control Device] The control device 200 includes, for example, a recognition unit 202, a path generation unit 204, a drive control unit 206, and a storage unit 220. The recognition unit 202, the path generation unit 204, and the drive control unit 206 are realized, for example, by a hardware processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) executing a program (software). Some or all of these components may be realized by hardware (including a circuit unit; circuitry) such as an LSI (Large Scale Integration), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or may be realized by the cooperation of software and hardware. The program may be stored in advance in a storage device (a storage device having a non-transitory storage medium) such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or a flash memory, or may be stored in a removable storage medium (a non-transitory storage medium) such as a DVD or a CD-ROM, and may be installed by mounting the storage medium on a drive device. The storage unit 220 is realized by a storage device such as an HDD, a flash memory, or a RAM (Random Access Memory). Map information 222 referred to by the moving body 100 is stored in the storage unit 220. The map information 222 is, for example, map information such as the position where the moving body 100 exists, the area where the moving body 100 moves, and the periphery of the area, provided by the information providing device 20. Some or all of the functional configurations included in the control device 200 may be included in other devices. For example, another device and the moving body 100 may communicate and cooperate to control the moving body 100.

[0036] The recognition unit 202 recognizes, for example, the position (distance from the moving body 100 and direction with respect to the moving body 100), and states such as speed and acceleration of an object around the moving body 100 based on an image captured by the camera 180. The object includes traffic participants, obstacles existing in a facility or on a road, and the like. The recognition unit 202 recognizes and tracks the user of the moving body 100. For example, based on an image of the user captured when the user uses the moving body 100 (for example, the user's face image), or a face image of the user provided by the terminal device 2 or the management device 10 (or a feature amount obtained from the user face image), the recognition unit 202 tracks the user. The recognition unit 202 recognizes gestures made by the user. Note that the moving body 100 may be provided with a detection unit different from the camera, such as a radar device or LIDAR. In this case, the recognition unit 202 recognizes the situation around the moving body 100 using the detection results of the radar device or LIDAR instead of (or in addition to) the image.

[0037] The route generation unit 204 generates a route to the destination based on the situation around the mobile body 100 recognized by the recognition unit 202. Here, the destination, when the mobile body 100 is in the follow mode, represents the user himself / herself who is the object to be followed, or a point within a predetermined range from the user. For example, the route generation unit 204 may set a predetermined point diagonally behind the user as the destination so that the mobile body 100 follows the user and can be visually recognized by the user. Also, for example, the route generation unit 204 may determine the destination so as to maintain within a predetermined distance based on the walking speed of the user in order to prevent getting too far away from the user. When in the guidance mode, for example, it represents the point of a product or facility set by the user. In this case, the user designates the point of the product or facility, and the mobile body 100 collates the designated point of the product or facility with the map information 222, and sets the identified point of the product or facility as the destination as a result. Also, when in the guidance mode, if the point set by the user is far from the current location of the mobile body 100, the route generation unit 204 may set the point set by the user as the final destination, and set a point within a predetermined range from the current location as a provisional destination. Also, in the guidance mode, it is not always necessary for the user to set a destination, and the mobile body 100 may predict the direction in which the user moves and autonomously move in front of the user in accordance with the user's moving speed. At this time, the route generation unit 204 may set the destination of the mobile body 100 as a point within a predetermined range in front of the user.

[0038] The route is a route by which the moving body 100 can reasonably reach the destination, considering the forward direction of the moving body 100 (i.e., the x direction of the moving body 100). The route generation unit 204 generates a plurality of waypoints for reaching the destination from the current location, and generates a route by connecting these plurality of waypoints. The route generation unit 204, for example, obtains the risk for each waypoint, and when the obtained risk satisfies a preset criterion (for example, when the risk of each waypoint is equal to or less than the threshold Th1), or when the total value of the obtained risks satisfies a preset criterion (for example, when the total value of the risks is equal to or less than the threshold Th2), the route generation unit 204 adopts the route that satisfies the criterion as the target route for the moving body 100 to move along. Here, the risk indicates that the larger the value, the less the moving body 100 should enter or approach, and the closer the value is to zero, the more preferable it is for the moving body 100 to pass through. Therefore, generally, the closer the moving body 100 approaches the position of the recognized object, the larger the risk value becomes, while the farther the moving body 100 is from the position of the recognized object, the smaller the risk value becomes.

[0039] The drive control unit 206 controls the motors (the first motor 122 and the second motor 132), the brake device 136, and the steering device 138 so that the moving body 100 travels along the route generated by the route generation unit 204.

[0040] [Generation of Route] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a route generated by the route generation unit 204. In FIG. 6, the symbol TP indicates the route generated by the route generation unit 204, the symbols P1 and P2 indicate the waypoints constituting the generated route TP, and the symbol DP indicates the destination. In the scene shown in FIG. 6, since the moving body 100 is traveling in the follow mode, a predetermined point diagonally behind the user U is set as the destination DP of the moving body 100 as an example. When the moving body 100 is traveling in the guidance mode, as described above, for example, a point set by the user or a point within a predetermined range from the current location with the point set by the user as the final destination is set as the destination DP.

[0041] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the travel of a moving body 100 according to the prior art. FIG. 7 represents, as an example, a scene where the moving body 100 travels along the path TP generated in FIG. 6. As shown in FIG. 7, in the case of the moving body 100 according to the prior art, when approaching the nearest waypoint P1 on the path TP, in order to surely pass the waypoint P1 recognized as a temporary destination point, it may be controlled to decelerate before the waypoint P1. For this reason, the moving body 100 may not be able to travel efficiently via the waypoint to the destination.

[0042] [Setting of Temporary Destination Point] Against the background of the above circumstances, the present invention assumes that the moving body 100 is controlled to decelerate when passing the nearest waypoint recognized as a temporary destination point, and sets different temporary destination points in the traveling direction of the path after passing the nearest waypoint, and causes the moving body 100 to travel toward the set temporary destination point. Thereby, the moving body 100 does not recognize the waypoint as a temporary destination point, and it is possible to suppress the moving body 100 from decelerating before the waypoint. Hereinafter, the details of the processing of the present invention will be described.

[0043] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a temporary destination point set by the path generation unit 204. FIG. 8 represents, as an example, a scene where the moving body 100 travels along the path TP generated in FIG. 6. As shown in FIG. 8, the path generation unit 204 sets a temporary destination point P1' between the nearest waypoint P1 and the second waypoint P2 which is the next waypoint of the nearest waypoint P1, and the drive control unit 206 causes the moving body 100 to travel toward the temporary destination point P1'. The path generation unit 204 sets the temporary destination point P1' as, for example, the midpoint between the nearest waypoint P1 and the next second waypoint P2 on the path TP. The method of setting the temporary destination point P1' is not limited to such a method, and it may be set at least between the temporary destination point P1' and the destination point DP.

[0044] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a first scene in which the moving body 100 travels toward a provisional destination. FIG. 9 shows, as an example, a scene in which the moving body 100 travels toward the provisional destination P1' set in FIG. 8. Different from the case of FIG. 7 in which the moving body 100 approaches the waypoint P1 recognized as a provisional destination and deceleration control is performed, in the case shown in FIG. 9, since the moving body 100 travels toward the provisional destination P1' ahead of the waypoint P1, even when approaching the waypoint P1, the drive control unit 206 causes the moving body 100 to travel along the route TP without decelerating the moving body 100. In FIGS. 8 and 9, an example is shown in which there are waypoints P1 and P2 between the current location of the moving body 100 and the destination DP. However, for example, even when the waypoint P2 coincides with the destination DP, the route generation unit 204 sets a provisional destination P1' between the waypoint P1 and the destination DP, and the drive control unit 206 causes the moving body 100 to travel toward the provisional destination P1', thereby suppressing the moving body 100 from decelerating before the waypoint.

[0045] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a second scene in which the moving body 100 travels toward a provisional destination. FIG. 10 shows, as an example, a scene in which the moving body 100 travels along the route TP toward the provisional destination P1' set in FIG. 9 and reaches the waypoint P1. When the moving body 100 reaches the waypoint P1, the route generation unit 204 deletes the provisional destination P1' and sets a next provisional destination P2' between the next waypoint P2 and the third waypoint P3 (equal to the destination DP), which is the waypoint after the second waypoint. The drive control unit 206 causes the moving body 100 to travel toward the provisional destination P2'. In the case of FIG. 10, since the second waypoint is the last waypoint, in that case, the drive control unit 206 sets a next provisional destination P2' between the waypoint P2 and the destination DP. By deleting the provisional destination P1', the moving body 100 can travel without decelerating even when approaching the destination P1'.

[0046] In this way, the route generation unit 204 and the drive control unit 206 set a temporary target point between a certain waypoint and the next waypoint, cause the mobile body 100 to travel toward the temporary target point, delete the temporary target point when the mobile body 100 reaches the waypoint, and set a temporary target point between the next waypoint and the next waypoint after that, and repeat the process of causing the mobile body 100 to travel toward the temporary target point. Thereby, even when the mobile body 100 approaches each waypoint, it is not decelerated by the drive control unit 206, and can efficiently travel to the destination via the waypoint.

[0047] In the above-described embodiment, a temporary target point is set between the current waypoint and the next waypoint at the timing when the mobile body 100 heads toward the nearest waypoint. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration, and a temporary target point may be set at the timing when the mobile body 100 enters a predetermined range from the nearest waypoint.

[0048] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of another aspect in which the route generation unit 204 sets a temporary target point. As shown in FIG. 11, for example, when the distance between the mobile body 100 and the nearest waypoint P1 is within a predetermined distance d, the route generation unit 204 may set a temporary target point P1' between the waypoint P1 and the next waypoint P2. Even with such a configuration, it is possible to suppress the deceleration of the mobile body 100 caused by the mobile body 100 approaching the waypoint P1.

[0049] [Flow of processing] Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 12, the flow of processing executed by the control device 200 will be described. FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of processing executed by the control device 200. The processing shown in FIG. 12 is repeatedly executed while the mobile body 100 is traveling in the follow mode or the guidance mode.

[0050] First, the recognition unit 202 recognizes the surrounding situation of the moving body 100 based at least on an image in which the surrounding situation of the moving body 100 is captured (step S100). Next, the route generation unit 204 generates a route from the moving body 100 to the destination, including a plurality of waypoints, based on the recognized surrounding situation and the set destination (step S102).

[0051] Next, the route generation unit 204 sets a temporary destination point between the nearest waypoint and the next waypoint among the plurality of generated waypoints (step S104). Next, the drive control unit 206 causes the moving body 100 to travel along the route toward the set temporary destination point (step S106). Next, the route generation unit 204 determines whether the moving body 100 has passed the nearest waypoint (step S108).

[0052] When it is determined that the moving body 100 has passed the nearest waypoint, the route generation unit 204 deletes the temporary destination point (step S110). Next, the route generation unit 204 determines whether the moving body 100 has passed all of the plurality of waypoints (step S112). When it is determined that the moving body 100 has passed all of the plurality of waypoints, the drive control unit 206 causes the moving body 100 to travel from the last waypoint to the destination (step S114). On the other hand, when it is determined that the moving body 100 has not passed all of the plurality of waypoints, the control device 200 returns the process to step S104. Thereby, the processing of this flowchart ends.

[0053] According to the present embodiment described above, a temporary destination point is set between a certain waypoint and the next waypoint, the moving body is caused to travel toward the temporary destination point, the temporary destination point is deleted when the moving body reaches the waypoint, and the process of setting a temporary destination point between the next waypoint and the next next waypoint and causing the moving body 100 to travel toward the temporary destination point is repeated. Thereby, the moving body 100 can be efficiently caused to travel to the destination via the waypoints.

[0054] The above-described embodiment can be expressed as follows. A storage medium storing computer-readable instructions, and a processor connected to the storage medium, wherein the processor executes the computer-readable instructions to: recognize the surrounding situation of the moving body based at least on an image of the surrounding situation of the moving body, generate a route from the moving body to the destination based on the recognized surrounding situation and the set destination, the route being composed of waypoints through which the moving body passes, control the moving body to move to the destination via the waypoints along the generated route, when the moving body travels toward a first waypoint among a plurality of the waypoints, set a temporary destination between the first waypoint and a second waypoint that is the next waypoint after the first waypoint, and the control unit causes the moving body to travel toward the temporary destination via the first waypoint, A control device for a moving body configured as described above.

[0055] The embodiments for carrying out the present invention have been described above using embodiments. However, the present invention is not limited to such embodiments, and various modifications and substitutions can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0056] 100 Moving body 200 Control device 202 Recognition unit 204 Route generation unit 206 Drive control unit

Claims

1. A recognition unit that recognizes the surrounding situation of the moving body based at least on an image of the surrounding situation of the moving body; A generation unit that generates a route from the moving body to the destination, which is composed of waypoints passed by the moving body, based on the recognized surrounding situation and the set destination; A control unit that controls the moving body to move to the destination via the waypoints along the generated route, and When the moving body travels toward a first waypoint among a plurality of the waypoints, the generation unit sets a temporary destination point between the first waypoint and a second waypoint that is the next waypoint after the first waypoint, and the control unit causes the moving body to travel toward the temporary destination point via the first waypoint. A control device for a moving body.

2. When the moving body reaches the first waypoint, the generation unit deletes the temporary destination point, sets a next temporary destination point between the second waypoint and a third waypoint that is the next waypoint after the second waypoint, and the control unit repeats a process of causing the moving body to travel toward the next temporary destination point via the second waypoint. The control device for a moving body according to Claim 1.

3. The generation unit sets the temporary destination point when a distance between the moving body and the first waypoint becomes equal to or less than a threshold value. The control device for a moving body according to Claim 1.

4. The moving body operates in either a following mode in which the moving body moves so as to follow a user or a guiding mode in which the moving body moves in front of the user in accordance with a moving speed of the user. The control device for a moving body according to Claim 1.

5. When the moving body operates in the following mode, the destination is the user or a point within a predetermined range from the user. The control device for a moving body according to Claim 4.

6. When the moving body operates in the guiding mode, the destination is a point set by the user or a point within a predetermined range in front of the user. The control device for a moving body according to Claim 4.

7. When the moving body operates in the guiding mode, the destination is a temporary point temporarily set to reach a destination point set by the user. The control device for a moving body according to Claim 4.

8. When the moving body operates in the guidance mode, the destination is a point estimated based on map information or the user's operation. The control device for a moving body according to claim 4.

9. The second intermediate point is the destination. The control device for a moving body according to claim 1.

10. A computer recognizes the surrounding situation of the moving body based at least on an image in which the surrounding situation of the moving body is captured, generates a route from the moving body to the destination, which is composed of intermediate points passed by the moving body, based on the recognized surrounding situation and the set destination, controls the moving body to move to the destination via the intermediate points along the generated route, when the moving body travels toward a first intermediate point among a plurality of the intermediate points, sets a provisional destination between the first intermediate point and a second intermediate point that is the next intermediate point after the first intermediate point, and causes the moving body to travel toward the provisional destination via the first intermediate point. A method for controlling a moving body.

11. On a computer causes the surrounding situation of the moving body to be recognized based at least on an image in which the surrounding situation of the moving body is captured, causes a route from the moving body to the destination, which is composed of intermediate points passed by the moving body, to be generated based on the recognized surrounding situation and the set destination, causes the moving body to be controlled to move to the destination via the intermediate points along the generated route, when the moving body travels toward a first intermediate point among a plurality of the intermediate points, causes a provisional destination to be set between the first intermediate point and a second intermediate point that is the next intermediate point after the first intermediate point, and causes the moving body to travel toward the provisional destination via the first intermediate point. A program.

Images