Control device and control method

Abstract

To provide a control device that appropriately controls work equipment.SOLUTION: The control device includes: an acquisition unit that acquires individual information related to an attribute of a mobile object that moves to a work location through unmanned operation; and a generation unit that generates a control signal for controlling work equipment located at the work location, the generation unit generates a control signal according to the individual information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a control device and a control 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] When a moving body such as a vehicle moves to a work location by unmanned operation rather than being transported to the work location by a conveyor or the like, there has been insufficient consideration given to how to control the equipment located at the work location. [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: an acquisition unit that acquires individual information relating to attributes of a moving object that moves to a work location by unmanned operation; and a generation unit that generates a control signal for controlling work equipment disposed at the work location, the generation unit generating the control signal according to the individual information. According to the control device of this embodiment, it is possible to appropriately control the work equipment in accordance with the individual information of the moving object moving to the work location. (2) The control device of the above aspect may further include a transmission unit that transmits the control signal to the work equipment. According to the control device of this embodiment, the work equipment can be appropriately controlled by remote control in accordance with the individual information of the moving object moving to the work site. (3) In the control device of the above form, the work equipment includes an actuator, a receiving unit that receives the control signal transmitted from the transmitting unit, and a drive control unit that drives the actuator using the control signal received by the receiving unit. According to the control device of this embodiment, the work equipment can be appropriately controlled by remote control in accordance with the individual information of the moving object moving to the work site. (4) The control device of the above aspect may further include a drive control unit that drives an actuator of the work equipment using the control signal. According to the control device of this embodiment, it is possible to appropriately control the work equipment in accordance with the individual information of the moving object moving to the work location. (5) In the control device of the above form, the acquisition unit acquires the individual information of a plurality of moving bodies including a first moving body and a second moving body that moves to the work location after the first moving body, and when the content of the individual information differs between the first moving body and the second moving body, the generation unit generates a first control signal that is the control signal corresponding to the individual information of the first moving body and a second control signal that is the control signal corresponding to the individual information of the second moving body, and when the content of the individual information of the first moving body and the second moving body are the same, the generation unit may generate the first control signal and not generate the second control signal. According to the control device of this embodiment, it is possible to eliminate waste caused by generating the same control signal. (6) In the control device of the above form, the acquisition unit acquires the individual information of a plurality of moving bodies including a first moving body and a second moving body that moves to the work location after the first moving body, the generation unit generates a first control signal that is the control signal corresponding to the individual information of the first moving body and a second control signal that is the control signal corresponding to the individual information of the second moving body, and the transmission unit transmits the first control signal and the second control signal to the work equipment when the content of the individual information of the first moving body and the second moving body are different, and transmits the first control signal to the work equipment and does not need to transmit the second control signal to the work equipment when the content of the individual information of the first moving body and the second moving body are the same. According to the control device of this embodiment, it is possible to eliminate waste caused by transmitting the same control signal. (7) In the control device of the above form, the acquisition unit acquires the individual information of a plurality of moving bodies including a first moving body and a second moving body that moves to the work location after the first moving body, the generation unit generates a first control signal that is the control signal corresponding to the individual information of the first moving body and a second control signal that is the control signal corresponding to the individual information of the second moving body, the transmission unit transmits the first control signal and the second control signal to the work equipment, and the drive control unit, when the content of the individual information of the first moving body and the second moving body are different, drives the actuator using the first control signal and then drives the actuator using the second control signal, and when the content of the individual information of the first moving body and the second moving body are the same, drives the actuator using the first control signal and then does not drive the actuator using the second control signal. According to the control device of this embodiment, unnecessary driving of the actuator can be eliminated, thereby saving energy. (8) The control device of the above embodiment may further include a detection unit that detects the state of the work equipment, and an execution unit that, when the state of the work equipment does not change in response to the control signal, executes at least one of a process of decelerating the moving body, a process of changing the movement path of the moving body, and a process of notifying that an abnormality has occurred. According to the control device of this embodiment, it is possible to appropriately deal with a case where the state of the work equipment does not change even though it should. (9) In the control device of the above form, the work equipment is equipment having a pair of guide rails that adjust the direction of travel of the moving body, the individual information includes information regarding the width of the moving body, and the generation unit may generate the control signal for adjusting at least one of the spacing and angle of the pair of guide rails. According to the control device of this embodiment, the interval and angle of the guide rails can be adjusted according to the width of the moving body. (10) In the control device of the above embodiment, the work equipment is equipment that sprays liquid onto the moving body, and the generation unit may generate the control signal for adjusting a start position of spraying the liquid onto the moving body. According to the control device of this aspect, the ejection start position can be adjusted in accordance with individual information of the moving body. (11) In the control device of the above embodiment, the moving body may be a vehicle, the work equipment may be equipment for adjusting wheel alignment of the moving body, and the generation unit may generate the control signal for adjusting a waiting position of the work equipment. According to the control device of this aspect, the standby position of the work equipment can be adjusted in accordance with the individual information of the moving object. (12) In the control device of the above aspect, the work facility may be a facility that irradiates electromagnetic waves to the moving body, and the generation unit may generate the control signal for adjusting a wavelength of the electromagnetic waves. According to the control device of this aspect, it is possible to adjust the wavelength of the electromagnetic waves irradiated to the moving object in accordance with the individual information of the moving object. (13) According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a control method, which acquires individual information relating to attributes of a moving object moving to a work location by unmanned operation, generates a control signal for controlling work equipment arranged at the work location, the control signal being in accordance with the individual information, and controls the work equipment using the control signal. According to the control method of this aspect, the work equipment can be appropriately controlled in accordance with the individual information of the moving object moving to the work location. The present disclosure may be realized in various forms other than a control device and a control method, for example, a system, 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 a system according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration of a vehicle according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a server device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration of a work facility according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which a vehicle runs in a factory. [Figure 6] 4 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure for vehicle travel control in the first embodiment. [Figure 7] 4 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure for controlling the operation of the work equipment according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of the work equipment of the first embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a work facility according to a second embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a work facility according to a third embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a work facility according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a work facility according to a fifth embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a work facility according to a sixth embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of the work equipment of the sixth embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle according to a seventh embodiment. [Figure 16] 13 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure for vehicle travel control according to a seventh embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] A. First embodiment: 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a system 10 including a server device 200 which is a control device in the first embodiment. The system 10 is used, for example, in a factory which manufactures mobile objects capable of moving by unmanned operation. In this embodiment, the system 10 includes at least one vehicle 100 as a mobile object, the server device 200, at least one external sensor 250, a work facility 300, a process management device 400, and an alarm device 500.

[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] The vehicle 100 is configured to be capable of traveling by unmanned driving. "Unmanned driving" means driving without the driving operation of a passenger. Driving operation means at least one of the operations of "running", "turning" and "stopping" of the vehicle 100. Unmanned driving is realized 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 traveling by unmanned driving may have a passenger who does not perform driving operation on board. The passenger who does not perform driving operation includes, 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 on 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] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of the vehicle 100 in this embodiment. In this embodiment, the vehicle 100 is configured to be able to run by remote control. The vehicle 100 includes a vehicle control device 110 for controlling each part of the vehicle 100, an actuator group 120 including at least one actuator that is driven under the control of the vehicle control device 110, and a communication device 130 for communicating with the server device 200 by wireless communication. The actuator group 120 includes an actuator of a drive device for accelerating the vehicle 100, an actuator of a steering device for changing the traveling direction of the vehicle 100, and an actuator of a braking device for decelerating the vehicle 100. The drive device includes a battery, a running motor driven by the power of the battery, and wheels that are rotated by the running motor. The actuator of the drive device includes a running motor.

[0013] The vehicle control device 110 is configured by a computer including a processor 111, a memory 112, an input / output interface 113, and an internal bus 114. The processor 111, the memory 112, and the input / output interface 113 are connected to each other via the internal bus 114 so as to be able to communicate in both directions. The input / output interface 113 is connected to an actuator group 120 and a communication device 130.

[0014] The processor 111 functions as the driving control unit 115 by executing a computer program PG1 stored in advance in the memory 112. The driving control unit 115 controls the actuator group 120. When a passenger is on board the vehicle 100, the driving control unit 115 can drive the vehicle 100 by controlling the actuator group 120 in response to the operation of the passenger. Regardless of whether a passenger is on board the vehicle 100 or not, the driving control unit 115 can drive the vehicle 100 by controlling the actuator group 120 in response to a driving control signal received from the server device 200. The driving control signal is a control signal for driving the vehicle 100. In this embodiment, the driving control signal includes the acceleration and steering angle of the vehicle 100 as parameters. In other embodiments, the driving control signal may include the speed of the vehicle 100 as a parameter instead of or in addition to the acceleration of the vehicle 100.

[0015] 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of the server device 200 in this embodiment. The server device 200 is configured by a computer including a processor 201, a memory 202, an input / output interface 203, and an internal bus 204. The processor 201, the memory 202, and the input / output interface 203 are connected via the internal bus 204 so as to be able to communicate bidirectionally. A communication device 205 for communicating with the vehicle 100 and the work facility 300 by wireless communication is connected to the input / output interface 203. In this embodiment, the communication device 205 can communicate with the vehicle 100 and the work facility 300 by wireless communication, and can also communicate with the external sensor 250, the process management device 400, and the notification device 500 by wired communication or wireless communication.

[0016] The processor 201 executes a computer program PG2 pre-stored in the memory 202, thereby functioning as a remote control unit 210, an acquisition unit 221, a generation unit 222, a transmission unit 223, a detection unit 224, and an execution unit 225. The remote control unit 210 executes remote control of the vehicle 100. Specifically, the remote control unit 210 generates a driving control signal using the detection result of the external sensor 250, and transmits the driving control signal to the vehicle 100, thereby causing the vehicle 100 to drive by remote control.

[0017] The acquisition unit 221 acquires individual information of the vehicle 100 that moves to the work place WS by remote control. The work place WS is a place where work is performed on the vehicle 100. The work is, for example, part assembly, inspection, adjustment, repair, etc. The individual information includes information on the attributes of the vehicle 100. The attributes of the vehicle 100 are, for example, the vehicle type, model, color, and dimensions. In this embodiment, the attributes of the vehicle 100 are attributes that can be distinguished by the shape of the vehicle 100. Specifically, in this embodiment, the attribute of the vehicle 100 is the vehicle type. The shape of the vehicle 100 differs for each vehicle type. Therefore, the shape of the vehicle 100 can be distinguished depending on the vehicle type. The attributes that can be distinguished by the shape of the vehicle 100 may be, for example, the model and dimensions in addition to the vehicle type. The dimensions are, for example, the width of the vehicle 100, the height of the vehicle 100, and the length of the vehicle 100. The width, height, and length of the vehicle 100 may be the width, height, and length of the entire vehicle 100, or may be the width, height, and length from a predetermined position of the vehicle 100 to another predetermined position of the vehicle 100. For example, the width of the vehicle 100 may be the width from the left front wheel of the vehicle 100 to the right front wheel of the vehicle 100. The attribute of the vehicle 100 may be an attribute that can be distinguished by the color of the vehicle 100. The attribute that can be distinguished by the color of the vehicle 100 is, for example, the body color, the color of the mirror, or the color of the roof. The generation unit 222 generates an equipment control signal according to the individual information of the vehicle 100 moving to the work site WS. The equipment control signal is a control signal for controlling the work equipment. The transmission unit 223 transmits the equipment control signal to the work equipment 400.

[0018] Detection unit 224 detects the state of work equipment 300. When the state of work equipment 300 does not change in response to the equipment control signal, execution unit 225 executes at least one of a process of decelerating vehicle 100, a process of changing the travel route of vehicle 100, and a process of notifying the occurrence of an abnormality using notification device 500. Slowing down vehicle 100 includes stopping vehicle 100. Note that in other embodiments, server device 200 does not need to include detection unit 224 and execution unit 225.

[0019] 1 is a sensor located outside the vehicle 100. The external sensor 250 is used to detect the position and orientation of the vehicle 100. In this embodiment, the external sensor 250 is a camera installed in a factory FC. The external sensor 250 includes a communication device (not shown) and can communicate with the server device 200 by wired communication or wireless communication.

[0020] 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of the work facility 300 in this embodiment. The work facility 300 is placed in a work site WS. In this embodiment, the work facility 300 is a facility that adjusts the traveling direction of the vehicle 100. The work facility 300 includes an equipment control device 310, a pair of left and right guide rails 320, an actuator 330 that drives the guide rails 320, a sensor 340 for detecting the state of the guide rails 320, and a communication device 350 for communicating with the server device 200 via wireless communication.

[0021] The guide rail 320 is disposed on the floor surface of the work place WS. The floor surface of the work place WS on which the guide rail 320 is disposed is included in the track TR of the vehicle 100. The travel direction of the vehicle 100 is adjusted by the wheels of the vehicle 100 contacting the guide rail 320. The guide rail 320 is provided in a pair on the left and right. In this embodiment, the left and right guide rails 320 each include a first member 321 and a second member 322. An end of the second member 322 is rotatably connected to an end of the first member 321. The left and right first members 321 are disposed parallel to each other. The left and right second members 322 are disposed so that the distance between them becomes narrower from the front side to the back side in the travel direction of the vehicle 100. The actuator 330 changes the distance D between the left and right guide rails 320 and the angle θ between the left and right guide rails 320. The distance D of the guide rail 320 is the distance between the left and right first members 321, and the angle θ of the guide rail is the angle between the left and right second members 322. The sensor 340 detects the distance D of the guide rail 320 and the angle θ of the guide rail 320 as the state of the guide rail 320. For example, an encoder can be used as the sensor 340. In the following description, the value detected by the sensor 340 is called a sensor value. The sensor value is transmitted to the server device 200. Note that in other embodiments, the guide rail 320 does not need to be configured to be able to change the angle θ of the guide rail 320.

[0022] The equipment control device 310 is configured by a computer including a processor 311, a memory 312, an input / output interface 313, and an internal bus 314. The processor 311, the memory 312, and the input / output interface 313 are connected to each other via the internal bus 314 so as to be able to communicate in both directions. An actuator 330, a sensor 340, and a communication device 350 are connected to the input / output interface 313.

[0023] In this embodiment, the processor 311 executes a computer program PG3 prestored in the memory 312, thereby functioning as a receiving unit 315 and a drive control unit 316. The receiving unit 315 receives an equipment control signal from the server device 200. In this embodiment, the equipment control signal includes, as parameters, the interval D of the guide rails 320 and the angle θ of the guide rails 320. The drive control unit 316 adjusts the interval D of the guide rails 320 and the angle θ of the guide rails 320 by driving the actuator 330 using the equipment control signal.

[0024] As shown in Fig. 1, the process management device 400 manages the entire manufacturing process of the vehicle 100 in the factory FC. The process management device 400 is composed of at least one computer. The process management device 400 has a database in which various information about the vehicle 100 is recorded. The various information recorded in the database includes the identification number of the vehicle 100, the vehicle model, type, and body color, the contents of each manufacturing process, the progress of the manufacturing process, and information about parts to be installed in each manufacturing process. The process management device 400 is equipped with a communication device (not shown) and can communicate with the server device 200 and various facilities of the factory FC by wired communication or wireless communication.

[0025] The notification device 500 is a device for notifying a manager of the system 10 or a worker at the factory that an abnormality has occurred in the factory. In the following description, the manager of the system 10 and the worker at the factory are referred to as the manager, etc. The notification device 500 is, for example, an alarm buzzer or an alarm lamp provided in the factory. The notification device 500 may be a tablet terminal carried by the manager, etc. The notification device 500 is provided with a communication device (not shown) and can communicate with the server device 200 by wired communication or wireless communication.

[0026] FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the vehicle 100 runs by remote control in a factory FC. In this embodiment, the factory FC includes a first location PL1 and a second location PL2. The first location PL1 and the second location PL2 are connected by a track TR on which the vehicle 100 can run. In the factory FC, a plurality of external sensors 250 are installed along the track TR. The first location PL1 is a location where an operation for assembling the vehicle 100 is performed. The vehicle 100 assembled in the first location PL1 is in a state where it can run by remote control, in other words, it is in a state where it can perform three functions of "running", "turning" and "stopping" by remote control. The vehicle 100 moves from the first location PL1 to the second location PL2 by remote control. The second location PL2 is a location where an operation for inspecting the vehicle 100 is performed. In this embodiment, a work facility 300 is arranged in the second location PL2. The vehicle 100 that has passed the inspection in the second location PL2 is then shipped from the factory FC.

[0027] FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a procedure of the travel control of the vehicle 100 in the first embodiment. In step 1, the remote control unit 210 acquires vehicle position information of the vehicle 100 using the detection result output from the external sensor 250. 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 FC. In this embodiment, the reference coordinate system of the factory FC is a global coordinate system GC, and any position in the factory FC is expressed by X, Y, and Z coordinates in the global coordinate system GC. In this embodiment, the external sensor 250 is a camera, and a captured image is output from the external sensor 250 as a detection result. That is, in step 1, the remote control unit 210 acquires vehicle position information using the captured image acquired from the camera that is the external sensor 250.

[0028] In detail, in step 1, the remote control unit 210, 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 GC, 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 system 10, and is stored in advance in the memory 202 of the server 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 used. 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 data set includes, for example, a plurality of training images including the vehicle 100, and a label indicating whether each region in the training image 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 the error between the output result of the detection model DM and the label. In addition, the remote control unit 210 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.

[0029] In step 2, the remote control unit 210 determines a target position to which the vehicle 100 should next head. In this embodiment, the target position is represented by X, Y, and Z coordinates in the global coordinate system GC. 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 server device 200. The route is represented by nodes indicating the starting point, nodes indicating passing points, nodes indicating the destination, and links connecting the nodes. The remote control unit 210 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 210 determines a target position on the reference route RR that is ahead of the current location of the vehicle 100.

[0030] In step 3, the remote control unit 210 generates a driving control signal for driving the vehicle 100 toward the determined target position. In this embodiment, the driving control signal includes the acceleration and steering angle of the vehicle 100 as parameters. In other embodiments, the driving control signal may include the speed of the vehicle 100 as a parameter instead of or in addition to the acceleration of the vehicle 100. The remote control unit 210 calculates the driving speed of the vehicle 100 from the transition of the position of the vehicle 100, and compares the calculated driving speed with the target speed. When the driving speed is lower than the target speed as a whole, the remote control unit 210 determines the acceleration so that the vehicle 100 accelerates, and when the driving 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 210 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 210 determines the steering angle and acceleration so that the vehicle 100 returns to the reference route RR.

[0031] In step 4, the remote control unit 210 transmits the generated driving control signal to the vehicle 100. The remote control unit 210 repeats, at a predetermined cycle, obtaining the position of the vehicle 100, determining the target position, generating the driving control signal, and transmitting the driving control signal.

[0032] In step 5, the driving control unit 115 of the vehicle 100 receives the driving control signal transmitted from the server device 200. In step 6, the driving control unit 115 controls the actuator group 120 using the received driving control signal to cause the vehicle 100 to drive at the acceleration and steering angle represented by the driving control signal. The driving control unit 115 repeats receiving the driving control signal and controlling the actuator group 120 at a predetermined cycle.

[0033] FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure for controlling the operation of the work equipment 300. A method for controlling the work equipment 300 will be described with reference to FIG. 7. In step 110, the acquisition unit 221 acquires individual information of the vehicle 100 that will move to the work site WS next. In this embodiment, the vehicle 100 that will move to the work site WS next is the vehicle 100 that will enter the guide rail 320. In this embodiment, the acquisition unit 221 acquires the vehicle model of the vehicle 100 as the individual information. Since the width W of the vehicle 100 differs for each vehicle model, the vehicle model is related to the width of the vehicle 100. Specifically, the acquisition unit 221 acquires a captured image from an external sensor 250 that captures an image of the vehicle 100 that moves to the work site WS, and acquires the vehicle model of the vehicle 100 using the captured image. The vehicle model of the vehicle 100 included in the captured image can be acquired, for example, by inputting the captured image into a classification model CM that utilizes artificial intelligence. The classification model CM is prepared, for example, inside or outside the system 10, and is stored in advance in the memory 202 of the server device 200. The classification model CM may be, for example, a trained machine learning model that has been trained to identify the type of vehicle 100 included in a captured image. For example, a CNN trained by supervised learning using a training dataset may be used as this machine learning model. The training dataset has, for example, a plurality of training images including the vehicle 100 and a label indicating the type of vehicle 100 included in the training image. In another embodiment, the acquisition unit 221 may acquire the type of vehicle 100 that will next move to the work site WS from the process management device 400.

[0034] In step 120, the generation unit 222 determines whether the vehicle 100 that will next enter the guide rail 320 is different from the vehicle 100 that previously entered the guide rail 320. Here, the vehicle 100 that previously entered the guide rail 320 refers to the vehicle 100 that entered the guide rail 320 immediately before the vehicle 100 that will next enter the guide rail 320. In the following description, the vehicle 100 that will next enter the guide rail 320 is referred to as the following vehicle, and the vehicle 100 that previously entered the guide rail 320 is referred to as the preceding vehicle. Note that at the time of step 120, the preceding vehicle may not have yet exited the guide rail 320.

[0035] If it is determined in step 120 that the vehicle types of the preceding vehicle and the following vehicle are different, then in step 130, the generating unit 222 generates an equipment control signal according to the vehicle type of the following vehicle. A database in which vehicle types are associated with the interval D and angle θ of the guide rails 320 is stored in advance in the memory 202 of the server device 200. The generating unit 222 uses the database to generate an equipment control signal that drives the actuator 330 so that the interval D and angle θ of the guide rails 320 correspond to the vehicle type of the following vehicle. On the other hand, if it is determined in step 120 that the vehicle types of the preceding vehicle and the following vehicle are the same, the generating unit 222 does not generate an equipment control signal and ends this process.

[0036] In step 140, the transmission unit 223 determines whether or not the leading vehicle has exited the guide rail 320. In this embodiment, the transmission unit 223 acquires, for example, vehicle position information of the leading vehicle from the remote control unit 210, and determines whether or not the leading vehicle has exited the guide rail 320 using the vehicle position information. Note that, in other embodiments, the transmission unit 223 may determine whether or not the leading vehicle has exited the guide rail 320 using information acquired from the process management device 400. For example, the transmission unit 223 can determine that the leading vehicle has exited the guide rail 320 when work to be performed on the leading vehicle after it exits the guide rail 320 has started.

[0037] If it is not determined in step 140 that the leading vehicle has exited guide rail 320, transmission unit 223 repeats step 140 until it is determined that the leading vehicle has exited guide rail 320. On the other hand, if it is determined in step 140 that the leading vehicle has exited guide rail 320, transmission unit 223 transmits an equipment control signal to work equipment 300 in step 150. Drive control unit 316 of work equipment 300 changes interval W and angle θ of guide rail 320 by driving actuator 330 using the received equipment control signal. Drive control unit 316 acquires sensor values ​​from sensor 340 and transmits the sensor values ​​to server device 200.

[0038] In step 160, the detection unit 224 starts counting the time by the timer function, and in step 170, the detection unit 224 judges whether or not a sensor value has been received from the work equipment 300. In this embodiment, the sensor value includes the interval D of the guide rails 320 and the angle θ of the guide rails 320. If it is not judged that the sensor value has been received in step 170, the detection unit 224 judges in step 175 whether or not a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of counting. The above-mentioned predetermined time is set to a time shorter than the time from the start of counting until the vehicle 100 enters the guide rails 320. If it is not judged that the predetermined time has elapsed from the start of counting in step 175, the detection unit 224 returns to step 170 and judges again whether or not a sensor value has been received.

[0039] If it is determined in step 170 that the sensor value has been received, then in step 180, the detection unit 224 determines whether the sensor value is appropriate. If both the interval D and the angle θ of the guide rails 320 are within a predetermined range according to the type of vehicle of the following vehicle, the detection unit 224 determines that the sensor value is appropriate. If at least one of the interval D and the angle θ of the guide rails 320 is outside the above-mentioned predetermined range, the detection unit 224 determines that the sensor value is inappropriate. If it is determined in step 180 that the sensor value is appropriate, then in step 190, the detection unit 224 resets the count of time by the timer function and ends this process. In another embodiment, the equipment control unit 316 may transmit to the server device 200 a determination result of whether or not the actuator 330 has been driven in response to the equipment control signal, rather than transmitting the sensor value to the server device 200. In this case, the detection unit 224 may use the determination result to confirm that the guide rails 320 have been operated. In addition, the detection unit 224 may confirm that the guide rail 320 has operated in response to an equipment control signal using an external sensor 250, rather than confirming that the guide rail 320 has operated using a sensor value obtained from the equipment control unit 316.

[0040] If it is determined in step 175 that a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of counting, and if it is determined in step 180 that the sensor value is inappropriate, in step 185, the execution unit 225 executes a process of instructing the remote control unit 210 to stop the following vehicle and a process of notifying the administrator or the like of the occurrence of an abnormality using the notification device 500, and ends this process. The remote control unit 210 that has received the instruction from the execution unit 225 generates a travel control signal to stop the following vehicle and transmits it to the following vehicle. The notification device 500 that has received the instruction from the execution unit 225 executes the notification. Note that in another embodiment, the execution unit 225 may instruct the remote control unit 210 to decelerate the following vehicle to a range that does not stop it, rather than instructing the remote control unit 210 to stop the following vehicle in step 185. In step 185, the execution unit 225 may instruct the remote control unit 210 to cause the following vehicle to travel around the guide rail 320, rather than instructing the remote control unit 210 to stop or slow down the following vehicle.

[0041] FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of the work equipment 300. FIG. 8 illustrates a plurality of vehicles 100A and 100B. In the following description, the vehicle 100A is referred to as the first vehicle 100A, and the vehicle 100B is referred to as the second vehicle 100B. A control signal corresponding to the vehicle type of the first vehicle 100A is referred to as the first control signal, and a control signal corresponding to the vehicle type of the second vehicle 100B is referred to as the second control signal. When the first vehicle 100A and the second vehicle 100B are described without any particular distinction, they are simply referred to as vehicles 100. When the first control signal and the second control signal are described without any particular distinction, they are simply referred to as control signals. When the first vehicle 100A, which is the preceding vehicle, enters the guide rail 320, the server device 200 transmits a first control signal to the work station 300, and the interval D and angle θ of the guide rail 320 are adjusted to the interval D1 and angle θ1 corresponding to the vehicle type of the first vehicle 100A. In FIG. 8, the first vehicle 100A and the second vehicle 100B are different vehicle types. Therefore, the second control signal is transmitted from the server device 200 to the work station 300 during the period from when the first vehicle 100A leaves the guide rail 320 until when the second vehicle 100B enters the guide rail 320, and the interval D and angle θ of the guide rail 320 are adjusted to the interval D2 and angle θ2 according to the vehicle type of the second vehicle 100B. In contrast, when the vehicle types of the first vehicle 100A and the second vehicle 100B are the same, the interval D2 and angle θ2 of the guide rail 320 according to the vehicle type of the second vehicle 100B are the same as the interval D1 and angle θ1 of the guide rail 320 according to the vehicle type of the first vehicle 100A. Therefore, it is not necessary to change the interval W and angle θ of the guide rail 320 during the period from when the first vehicle 100A leaves the guide rail 320 until when the second vehicle 100B enters the guide rail 320. In this embodiment, when the first vehicle 100A and the second vehicle 100B are the same vehicle type, the server device 200 does not transmit the second control signal to the work station section 300 during the period from when the first vehicle 100A leaves the guide rail 320 until when the second vehicle 100B enters the guide rail 320. Therefore, even when the second vehicle 100B enters the guide rail 320, the interval D and angle θ of the guide rail 320 are maintained at the interval D1 and angle θ1 according to the vehicle type of the first vehicle 100A.

[0042] According to the server device 200 in the present embodiment described above, the server device 200 generates an equipment control signal according to the type of vehicle 100 and transmits it to the work equipment 300, so that the work equipment 300 operates using the equipment control signal received from the server device 200, thereby being able to switch to an appropriate state according to the type of vehicle 100. In the present embodiment, the spacing D and angle θ of the guide rails 320 are switched to an appropriate spacing and angle according to the type of vehicle 100 entering the guide rails 320. Therefore, the traveling direction of the vehicle 100 can be appropriately adjusted.

[0043] In this embodiment, when the vehicle types of the first vehicle 100A, which is the preceding vehicle, and the second vehicle 100B, which is the following vehicle, are different, the generating unit 222 of the server device 200 generates a first control signal, which is an equipment control signal according to the vehicle type of the first vehicle 100A, and a second control signal, which is an equipment control signal according to the vehicle type of the second vehicle 100B, and when the vehicle types of the first vehicle 100A, which is the preceding vehicle, and the second vehicle 100B, which is the following vehicle, are the same, the generating unit 222 generates the first control signal but does not generate the second control signal. Therefore, it is possible to eliminate waste caused by generating the same equipment control signal.

[0044] In this embodiment, the server device 200 includes a transmitter 223 that transmits an equipment control signal, and the work equipment 300 includes a receiver 315 that receives the equipment control signal and a drive controller 316 that uses the equipment control signal to drive the actuator 330. Therefore, the server device 200 can control the work equipment 300 by remote control.

[0045] In this embodiment, the server device 200 further generates a driving control signal for driving the vehicle 100 in an unmanned driving mode and transmits the signal to the vehicle 100. Therefore, the server device 200 can cause the vehicle 100 and the work facility 300 to cooperate with each other.

[0046] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the detection unit 224 detects an abnormality in the interval D and angle θ of the guide rails 320, and the execution unit 225 instructs the remote control unit 210 not to allow the vehicle 100 to enter the guide rails 320 when an abnormality is detected by the detection unit 224. This makes it possible to prevent problems from occurring in adjusting the traveling direction of the vehicle 100 by the guide rails 320. Furthermore, when an abnormality is detected by the detection unit 224, the execution unit 225 causes the notification device 500 to notify that an abnormality has occurred. This makes it possible to make the manager or the like recognize that an abnormality has occurred early on.

[0047] B. Second embodiment: 9 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a work facility 300b equipped with an equipment control device 310, which is a control device in the second embodiment. This embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the equipment control device 310 generates the equipment control signal, instead of the server device 200. The other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment, unless otherwise specified.

[0048] In this embodiment, the processor 311 of the equipment control device 310 executes a computer program PG3 stored in advance in the memory 312 to function as an acquisition unit 351, a generation unit 352, a drive control unit 316, a detection unit 354, and an execution unit 355. The functions of the acquisition unit 351, the generation unit 352, the drive control unit 316, the detection unit 354, and the execution unit 355 are basically the same as the acquisition unit 221, the generation unit 222, the drive control unit 316, the detection unit 224, and the execution unit 225 of the first embodiment. In this embodiment, the server device 200 does not include the acquisition unit 221, the generation unit 222, the transmission unit 223, the detection unit 224, and the execution unit 225 shown in FIG. 3.

[0049] The acquisition unit 351 acquires individual information of the vehicle 100 that will move to the work site WS next. The acquisition unit 351 acquires the vehicle type as the individual information. In this embodiment, the memory 312 of the equipment control device 310 prestores the classification model CM and a database in which the vehicle type is associated with the interval D and angle θ of the guide rail 320. The acquisition unit 351 acquires the vehicle type of the vehicle 100 that will move to the work site WS next, using the captured image acquired from the external sensor 250 and the classification model CM. The generation unit 352 generates an equipment control signal according to the vehicle type of the vehicle 100 that will move to the work site WS next, using the acquired vehicle type and the database. The drive control unit 316 drives the actuator 330 using the equipment control signal generated by the generation unit 352. The detection unit 354 detects an abnormality in the work equipment 300b using the sensor 340. When an abnormality is detected in the work equipment 300b, the execution unit 355 executes a process of instructing the server device 200 to stop the vehicle 100 that is to move next to the work site WS, and a process of notifying a manager or the like of the occurrence of the abnormality using the notification device 500. Note that in other embodiments, the equipment control device 310 may not include the detection unit 354 and the execution unit 355. Note that when an abnormality is detected in the work equipment 300b, the execution unit 355 may directly instruct the vehicle 100 that is to move next to the work site WS to stop, without going through the server device 200.

[0050] According to the equipment control device 310 in the present embodiment described above, the spacing D and angle θ of the guide rails 320 can be adjusted according to the type of vehicle 100 that will next enter the guide rails 320, without relying on remote control by the server device 200.

[0051] C. Third embodiment: 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a work facility 300c in the third embodiment. This embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the work facility 300c is a facility that sprays fluid onto the vehicle 100, and that the generating unit 222 of the server device 200 generates a facility control signal for adjusting the fluid spray start position relative to the vehicle 100. The other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment unless otherwise specified.

[0052] In this embodiment, the work equipment 300c is equipment that sprays water. The work equipment 300c is used for an operation to inspect the water resistance of the vehicle 100. In the water resistance inspection, water is sprayed onto a predetermined area of ​​the vehicle 100, and it is inspected whether or not water penetrates into the interior of the vehicle 100. The work equipment 300c includes an arm unit 361 and a nozzle unit 362. In this embodiment, the arm unit 361 is configured as a vertical multi-joint type robot arm. The arm unit 361 is not limited to a vertical multi-joint type robot arm, and may be configured as, for example, a horizontal multi-joint type robot arm, an orthogonal type robot arm, or a parallel link type robot arm. The nozzle unit 362 is attached to the tip of the arm unit 361. The nozzle unit 362 sprays water. The arm unit 361 is driven by an actuator 330. The position and orientation of the nozzle unit 362 can be changed by driving the arm unit 361. In other words, by driving the arm portion 361, the position from which water is sprayed on the vehicle 100 can be changed.

[0053] The acquisition unit 221 of the server device 200 acquires individual information of the vehicle 100 to which water is to be sprayed. The acquisition unit 221 acquires the vehicle model of the vehicle 100 as the individual information of the vehicle 100. The generation unit 222 generates an equipment control signal including a water spray start position as a parameter. The height of the vehicle 100 varies depending on the vehicle model. The generation unit 222 generates an equipment control signal such that, for example, the higher the vehicle height of the vehicle model, the higher the water spray start position. In this embodiment, a database in which the vehicle model and the spray start position are associated with each other is stored in the memory 202 in advance. The generation unit 222 generates an equipment control signal using the vehicle model information acquired by the acquisition unit 221 and the database. The transmission unit 223 transmits the equipment control signal generated by the generation unit 222 to the work equipment 300c. In this embodiment, when the vehicle models of the leading vehicle and the following vehicle are the same, the generation unit 222 does not generate an equipment control signal for the following vehicle. In this case, the transmission unit 223 transmits the equipment control signal generated for the leading vehicle to the work equipment 300c before the following vehicle enters the work site WS. The work equipment 300c operates using the same equipment control signal when inspecting the leading vehicle and when inspecting the following vehicle.

[0054] According to the server device 200 of the present embodiment described above, the water ejection start position can be adjusted depending on the type of vehicle 100 to which water is to be ejected. Note that in other embodiments, the work equipment 300c may be configured to eject a fluid other than water from the nozzle portion 362. For example, the work equipment 300c may be configured to eject a liquid other than water, or a gas such as hot air, from the nozzle portion 362.

[0055] D. Fourth embodiment: 11 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a work facility 300d in the fourth embodiment. This embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the work facility 300d is a facility that adjusts the wheel alignment of the vehicle 100, and that the generating unit 222 of the server device 200 generates a facility control signal for adjusting the standby position of the work facility 300d. The other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment unless otherwise specified.

[0056] The work equipment 300d is disposed under the floor of a work site WS where work to adjust the wheel alignment of the vehicle 100 is performed. In the wheel alignment adjustment work, the wheel alignment of the vehicle 100 is adjusted by adjusting the degree of fastening of a screw for wheel alignment adjustment provided on the lower part of the vehicle 100. The work equipment 300d includes an arm unit 371 and a hand unit 372. In this embodiment, the arm unit 371 is configured as a vertical multi-joint type robot arm. The arm unit 371 is not limited to a vertical multi-joint type robot arm, and may be configured as, for example, a horizontal multi-joint type robot arm, an orthogonal type robot arm, or a parallel link type robot arm. The hand unit 372 is attached to the tip of the arm unit 371. The hand unit 372 is configured to be able to change the degree of fastening of a screw for wheel alignment adjustment of the vehicle 100. The arm unit 371 is driven by an actuator 330. The position and orientation of the hand unit 372 can be changed by driving the arm unit 371. In other words, the standby position of the hand unit 372 can be changed by driving the arm unit 371. The standby position of the hand unit 372 may be referred to as the standby position of the work equipment 300d.

[0057] The acquisition unit 221 of the server device 200 acquires individual information of the vehicle 100 to be adjusted for wheel alignment. The acquisition unit 221 acquires information on the vehicle model of the vehicle 100 as the individual information of the vehicle 100. The generation unit 222 generates an equipment control signal including the coordinates of the standby position of the hand unit 372 as a parameter. In this embodiment, a database in which the vehicle model and the coordinates of the standby position are associated with each other is stored in advance in the memory 202. The generation unit 222 generates an equipment control signal using the information on the vehicle model acquired by the acquisition unit 221 and the database. The transmission unit 223 transmits the equipment control signal generated by the generation unit 222 to the work equipment 300d. The position of the screw for wheel alignment adjustment differs for each vehicle model. The standby position of the hand unit 372 is adjusted so that the hand unit 372 does not collide with the vehicle 100 when the vehicle 100 enters the work site WS. The standby position of the hand unit 372 is adjusted so that the hand unit 372 is located near the wheel alignment adjustment screw of the vehicle 100 when the vehicle 100 stops at the work site WS. In this embodiment, when the preceding vehicle and the following vehicle are the same model, the generation unit 222 does not generate an equipment control signal for the following vehicle. In this case, the transmission unit 223 transmits the equipment control signal generated for the preceding vehicle to the work equipment 300d before the following vehicle enters the work site WS. The work equipment 300d operates using the same equipment control signal when performing adjustment work on the preceding vehicle and when performing adjustment work on the following vehicle.

[0058] According to the server device 200 of the present embodiment described above, it is possible to adjust the standby position of the work equipment 300d in accordance with the type of vehicle 100 that is the target of wheel alignment adjustment.

[0059] E. Fifth embodiment: 12 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a work facility 300e in the fifth embodiment. This embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the work facility 300e is a facility that irradiates electromagnetic waves to the vehicle 100, and that the generation unit 222 generates a facility control signal for adjusting the wavelength of the electromagnetic waves. The other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment unless otherwise specified.

[0060] In this embodiment, the work equipment 300e is equipment that irradiates the vehicle 100 with visible light. The work equipment 300e is used, for example, for visual inspection of the vehicle 100. The work equipment 300e includes an arm unit 381 and a light 382. In this embodiment, the arm unit 381 is configured as a vertical multi-joint type robot arm. The arm unit 371 is not limited to a vertical multi-joint type robot arm, and may be configured, for example, as a horizontal multi-joint type robot arm, an orthogonal type robot arm, or a parallel link type robot arm. The light 382 is attached to the tip of the arm unit 381. The light 382 is configured to be able to change the wavelength of the light to be irradiated, in other words, the color of the light to be irradiated. The arm unit 381 is driven by the actuator 330. The position and orientation of the light 382 can be changed by driving the arm unit 381. In other words, the position and orientation of the light irradiated on the vehicle 100 can be changed by driving the arm unit 381.

[0061] The acquisition unit 221 of the server device 200 acquires individual information of the vehicle 100 to be inspected. The acquisition unit 221 acquires information on the body color of the vehicle 100 as the individual information of the vehicle 100. The generation unit 222 generates an equipment control signal including the wavelength of light irradiated from the light 382 as a parameter. In this embodiment, a database in which the body color and the wavelength of light are associated with each other is stored in advance in the memory 202. The generation unit 222 generates an equipment control signal using the body color information acquired by the acquisition unit 221 and the database. The transmission unit 223 transmits the equipment control signal generated by the generation unit 222 to the work equipment 300e. For example, when the body color of the vehicle 100 is black, the light is absorbed and the vehicle 100 appears dark, so the illuminance of the light irradiated from the light 382 is adjusted to be high. When the body color of the vehicle 100 is white, it is difficult to find unevenness in the paint if white light is irradiated, so the light irradiated from the light 382 is adjusted to be red, for example, rather than white. Furthermore, when the work equipment 300e is used not for an external inspection of the vehicle 100 but for a liquid leakage inspection such as for a coolant, and the coolant contains fluorescent paint, the light with a wavelength emitted by the fluorescent paint is adjusted so that the light 382 irradiates the light. In this embodiment, when the body colors of the leading vehicle and the following vehicle are the same, the generation unit 222 does not generate an equipment control signal for changing the wavelength of the light irradiated from the light 382 in accordance with the body color of the following vehicle.

[0062] According to the server device 200 of the present embodiment described above, it is possible to adjust the illumination mode of the work equipment 300e in accordance with the body color of the vehicle 100 to be inspected. Note that in other embodiments, the work equipment 300e may be configured to irradiate ultraviolet light, infrared light, or the like instead of visible light.

[0063] F. Sixth embodiment: 13 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a work facility 300f in the sixth embodiment. This embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the work facility 300f is a facility for transporting parts to be installed in the vehicle 100. The other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment unless otherwise specified.

[0064] In this embodiment, the work equipment 300f is configured as an unmanned guided vehicle that runs under remote control of the server device 200. The server device 200 can run the work equipment 300f, for example, in a similar manner to the method of running the vehicle 100 under remote control. The work equipment 300f is assigned to each vehicle 100 and runs following the vehicle 100. The work equipment 300f transports parts to be assembled to the assigned vehicle 100. The work equipment 300f includes a loading platform 391. The loading platform 391 is loaded with parts to be assembled to the vehicle 100. The acquisition unit 221 of the server device 200 acquires individual information of the vehicle 100 to be assembled. The acquisition unit 221 acquires the vehicle model of the vehicle 100 as the individual information of the vehicle 100. The generation unit 222 generates an equipment control signal for running the work equipment 300f following the vehicle 100. The generation unit 222 acquires, for example, the acceleration and steering angle of the vehicle 100 from the remote control unit 210, and generates an equipment control signal for causing the work equipment 300f to travel at the same acceleration and steering angle as the vehicle 100. The transmission unit 223 transmits the equipment control signal generated by the generation unit 222 to the work equipment 300f.

[0065] FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of the work equipment 300f in this embodiment. In FIG. 14, two vehicles 100A, 100B and two work equipments 300fA, 300fB are illustrated. The vehicle 100A is called the first vehicle 100A, and the vehicle 100B is called the second vehicle 100B. The work equipment 300fA is called the first work equipment 300fA, and the work equipment 300fB is called the second work equipment 300fB. The first work equipment 300fA runs following the first vehicle 100A, and the second work equipment 300fB runs following the second vehicle 100B. The first vehicle 100A and the second vehicle 100B run side by side. Therefore, the first work equipment 300fA and the second work equipment 300fB run side by side. A robot arm is disposed on the travel path of each vehicle 100A, 100B to assemble the parts loaded on each work equipment 300fA, 300fB to each vehicle 100A, 100B. When the first vehicle 100A and the first work equipment 300fA arrive at a predetermined assembly position near the robot arm, the parts loaded on the loading platform 391 of the first work equipment 300fA are assembled to the first vehicle 100A by the robot arm. After that, when the second vehicle 100B and the second work equipment 300fB arrive at the assembly position, the parts loaded on the loading platform 391 of the second work equipment 300fB are assembled to the second vehicle 100B by the robot arm.

[0066] When the order of the first vehicle 100A and the second vehicle 100B is changed, the server device 200 changes the order of the first work equipment 300fA and the second work equipment 300fB. In other words, when the first vehicle 100A is traveling in front of the second vehicle 100B, the first work equipment 300fA travels in front of the second work equipment 300fB, and when the second vehicle 100B is traveling in front of the first vehicle 100A, the second work equipment 300fB travels in front of the first work equipment 300fA.

[0067] According to the server device 200 of the present embodiment described above, the order of the first work equipment 300fA and the second work equipment 300fB is changed according to the order of the first vehicle 100A and the second vehicle 100B. When the vehicle types of the first vehicle 100A and the second vehicle 100B are different, the parts to be assembled are different. When the first work equipment 300fA is traveling in front of the second work equipment 300fB even though the second vehicle 100B is traveling in front of the first vehicle 100A, there is a possibility that the parts loaded on the first work equipment 300fA are assembled to the second vehicle 100B by the robot arm. However, in the present embodiment, when the second vehicle 100B is traveling in front of the first vehicle 100A, the server device 200 adjusts so that the second work equipment 300fB runs in front of the first work equipment 300fA. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the wrong parts from being assembled to the vehicle 100 by the robot arm. In another embodiment, server device 200 may control vehicle 100 and work equipment 300f, and may further control robot arm 399. When the order of vehicles 100 is changed and the position of the part that robot arm 399 should grasp next is changed, server device 200 may control robot arm 399 so that robot arm 399 can appropriately grasp the part and assemble it on vehicle 100.

[0068] G. Seventh embodiment: 15 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle 100 in the seventh embodiment. This embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the vehicle 100 runs under the autonomous control of the vehicle 100, not under remote control by the server device 200. The other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment, unless otherwise specified.

[0069] In this embodiment, the vehicle 100 is configured to be capable of traveling by autonomous control. The vehicle 100 can communicate with an external sensor 250 by wireless communication using a communication device 130. A detection model DM and a reference route RR are stored in advance in a memory 112. The traveling control unit 115 generates a traveling control signal by itself, and controls the actuator group 120 using the generated traveling control signal to cause the vehicle 100 to travel. Note that in this embodiment, the server device 200 does not include a remote control unit 210.

[0070] FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of the driving control of the vehicle 100 in this embodiment. In step S11, the driving control unit 115 acquires vehicle position information using a detection result output from a camera, which is the external sensor 250. In step S12, the driving control unit 115 determines a target position to which the vehicle 100 should next head. In step S13, the driving control unit 115 generates a driving control signal for driving the vehicle 100 toward the determined target position. In step S14, the driving control unit 115 controls the actuator group 120 using the generated driving control signal, thereby causing the vehicle 100 to drive according to parameters represented in the driving control signal. The driving control unit 115 repeats the acquisition of vehicle position information, the determination of a target position, the generation of the driving control signal, and the control of the actuator group 120 at a predetermined cycle.

[0071] In the embodiment described above, the vehicle 100 can be driven by autonomous control of the vehicle 100 without remote control of the vehicle 100 by the server device 200.

[0072] H. Other Embodiments: (H1) In each of the above embodiments, the acquisition unit 221, 251 acquires the individual information of the preceding vehicle and the individual information of the following vehicle, and the generation unit 222, 252 generates a first control signal that is a control signal according to the individual information of the preceding vehicle and a second control signal that is a control signal according to the individual information of the following vehicle when the content of the individual information of the preceding vehicle and the following vehicle differ, and generates the first control signal and does not generate the second control signal when the content of the individual information of the preceding vehicle and the following vehicle are the same. On the other hand, even when the content of the individual information of the preceding vehicle and the following vehicle is the same, the generation unit 222, 352 may be configured to generate the first control signal and the second control signal. In this case, for example, the transmission unit 223 is configured to transmit the first control signal and the second control signal to the work equipment 300-300f when the contents of the individual information are different between the leading vehicle and the following vehicle, and to transmit the first control signal to the work equipment 300-300f and not to transmit the second control signal to the work equipment 300-300f when the contents of the individual information are the same between the leading vehicle and the following vehicle. For example, if the state of the work equipment 300-300f does not need to be changed between the leading vehicle and the following vehicle, there is no need to transmit the second control signal to the work equipment 300-300f. When the contents of the individual information are the same between the leading vehicle and the following vehicle, the first control signal is transmitted to the work equipment 300-300f and the second control signal is not transmitted to the work equipment 300-300f, thereby eliminating waste caused by transmitting the same control signal.

[0073] The transmission unit 223 may be configured to transmit the first control signal and the second control signal to the work equipment 300-300f even when the contents of the individual information are the same between the leading vehicle and the following vehicle. In this case, the drive control unit 316 of the work equipment 300-300f may be configured to drive the actuator 330 using the first control signal and then drive the actuator 330 using the second control signal when the contents of the individual information are different between the leading vehicle and the following vehicle, and to not drive the actuator 330 using the second control signal after driving the actuator 330 using the first control signal when the contents of the individual information are the same between the leading vehicle and the following vehicle. For example, when the state of the work equipment 300-300f does not need to be changed between the leading vehicle and the following vehicle, it is not necessary to drive the actuator 330 using the second control signal. When the contents of the individual information are the same between the leading vehicle and the following vehicle, the actuator 330 is driven using the first control signal and then not driven using the second control signal, thereby eliminating unnecessary driving of the actuator 330 and saving energy.

[0074] (H2) In each of the above embodiments, the external sensor 250 is a camera. In contrast, the external sensor 250 does not have to be a camera, and may be, for example, a LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging). In this case, the detection result output from the external sensor 250 may be three-dimensional point cloud data representing the vehicle 100. In this case, the remote control unit 210 and the traveling control unit 115 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.

[0075] (H3) In the above first to fifth embodiments, the processes from obtaining vehicle position information to generating a driving control signal are executed by the server 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.

[0076] (1) The server 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 indicated in the acquired vehicle position information to the target position. The server device 200 may generate a route to a target position between the current location and the destination, or may generate a route to the destination. The server device 200 may transmit the generated route to the vehicle 100. The vehicle 100 may generate a driving control signal so that the vehicle 100 drives on the route received from the server device 200, and control the actuator group 120 using the generated driving control signal.

[0077] (2) The server 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 driving control signal so that the vehicle 100 travels on the generated route, and control the actuator group 120 using the generated driving control signal.

[0078] (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 a motion state of the vehicle 100, a sensor for detecting an operating state of each part of the vehicle 100, and a sensor for detecting an 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 server device 200 may acquire a detection result of the internal sensor, and may reflect the detection result of the internal sensor on the route when generating the route. In the above-mentioned embodiment (1), the vehicle 100 may acquire a detection result of the internal sensor, and may reflect the detection result of the internal sensor on the driving control signal when generating the driving control signal. In the above-mentioned embodiment (2), the vehicle 100 may acquire a detection result of the internal sensor, and may reflect the detection result of the internal sensor on the route when generating 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.

[0079] (H4) In the sixth embodiment, the vehicle 100 may be equipped with an internal sensor, 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.

[0080] (H5) In the sixth embodiment, the vehicle 100 acquires vehicle position information using the detection result of the camera, which is the external sensor 250. In contrast, the vehicle 100 may be equipped with an internal sensor, and the vehicle 100 may acquire vehicle position information using the detection result of the internal sensor, 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 acquired vehicle position information to the target position, generate a travel control signal for traveling along the generated route, and control the actuator group 120 using the generated travel control signal. In this case, the vehicle 100 can travel without using any detection result of the external sensor 250. 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.

[0081] (H6) In the above first to fifth embodiments, the server device 200 automatically generates a driving control signal to be transmitted to the vehicle 100. In contrast, the server 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 a camera that is the external sensor 250, a steering wheel for remotely controlling the vehicle 100, an accelerator pedal, a brake pedal, and a communication device for communicating with the server device 200 by wired communication or wireless communication, and the server device 200 may generate a driving control signal in accordance with the operation applied to the control device.

[0082] (H7) 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 vehicle control device 110 and the actuator group 120 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 the communication device 130. That is, the vehicle 100 capable of moving by unmanned driving may not have at least a part of the interior parts such as the driver's seat and the dashboard, may not have at least a part of the exterior parts such as the bumper and the fenders, 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 FC, 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 FC in a state in which the remaining parts such as the body shell are not 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 shape may be determined in the same manner as the vehicle 100 in the first embodiment.

[0083] (H8) The vehicle 100 may be manufactured by combining a plurality of modules. A module means a unit composed of a plurality of parts grouped according to the location or function of the vehicle 100. For example, the platform of the vehicle 100 may be manufactured by combining a front module that constitutes the front part of the platform, a central module that constitutes the central part of the platform, and a rear module that constitutes the rear part of the platform. The number of modules that constitute the platform is not limited to three, and may be two or less, or four or more. In addition to or instead of the parts that constitute the platform, parts that constitute parts of the vehicle 100 that are different from 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 that constitute 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.

[0084] (H9) Transporting the vehicle 100 by using the driving of the vehicle 100 through unmanned driving is also called "self-propelled transport". Also, a configuration for realizing self-propelled transport is also called a "vehicle remote-controlled autonomous driving transport system". Also, a production method for producing the vehicle 100 using self-propelled transport is also called "self-propelled production". In self-propelled production, for example, at the factory FC where the vehicle 100 is manufactured, at least a part of the transport of the vehicle 100 is realized by self-propelled transport.

[0085] (H10) 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.

[0086] 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]

[0087] 10...system, 100...vehicle, 110...vehicle control device, 111...processor, 112...memory, 113...input / output interface, 114...internal bus, 115...travel control device, 120...actuator group, 130...communication device, 200...server device, 201...processor, 202...memory, 203...input / output interface, 204...internal bus, 205...communication device, 210...remote control device, 221...acquisition unit, 222...generation unit, 223...transmission unit, 224...detection unit, 225...execution unit, 250...external sensor, 300-300f...work equipment, 31 0...equipment control device, 311...processor, 312...memory, 313...input / output interface, 314...internal bus, 315...receiving unit, 316...drive control unit, 320...guide rail, 321...first member, 322...second member, 330...actuator, 340...sensor, 350...communication device, 351...acquisition unit, 352...generation unit, 354...detection unit, 355...execution unit, 361...arm unit, 362...nozzle unit, 371...arm unit, 372...hand unit, 381...arm unit, 382...light, 391...cargo platform, 400...process control device, 500...alarm device

Claims

1. A control device, An acquisition unit that acquires individual information regarding attributes of a moving object moving to a work location by unmanned driving; a generation unit that generates a control signal for controlling the work equipment disposed at the work site, the generation unit generating the control signal according to the individual information; A control device comprising:

2. The control device according to claim 1 , The control device further includes a transmission unit that transmits the control signal to the work equipment.

3. The control device according to claim 2, The work equipment includes: An actuator; a receiving unit that receives the control signal transmitted from the transmitting unit; a drive control unit that drives the actuator using the control signal received by the receiving unit; A control device comprising:

4. The control device according to claim 1 , The control device further includes a drive control unit that drives an actuator of the work equipment using the control signal.

5. The control device according to claim 1 , The acquisition unit acquires the individual information of a plurality of moving objects including a first moving object and a second moving object that moves to the work location after the first moving object, The generation unit is When the contents of the individual information of the first moving body and the second moving body are different, a first control signal is generated which is the control signal corresponding to the individual information of the first moving body, and a second control signal is generated which is the control signal corresponding to the individual information of the second moving body, A control device that generates the first control signal and does not generate the second control signal when the contents of the individual information of the first moving body and the second moving body are the same.

6. The control device according to claim 2, The acquisition unit acquires the individual information of a plurality of moving objects including a first moving object and a second moving object that moves to the work location after the first moving object, the generation unit generates a first control signal, which is the control signal according to the individual information of the first moving body, and a second control signal, which is the control signal according to the individual information of the second moving body; The transmission unit is When the contents of the individual information differ between the first moving body and the second moving body, the first control signal and the second control signal are transmitted to the work facility; A control device that, when the contents of the individual information of the first moving body and the second moving body are the same, transmits the first control signal to the work equipment and does not transmit the second control signal to the work equipment.

7. The control device according to claim 3, The acquisition unit acquires the individual information of a plurality of moving objects including a first moving object and a second moving object that moves to the work location after the first moving object, the generation unit generates a first control signal, which is the control signal according to the individual information of the first moving body, and a second control signal, which is the control signal according to the individual information of the second moving body; The transmission unit transmits the first control signal and the second control signal to the work equipment, The drive control unit is When the content of the individual information differs between the first moving body and the second moving body, the actuator is driven using the first control signal, and then the actuator is driven using the second control signal; A control device that, when the contents of the individual information of the first moving body and the second moving body are the same, drives the actuator using the first control signal and then does not drive the actuator using the second control signal.

8. The control device according to claim 1 , A detection unit that detects a state of the work equipment; an execution unit that executes at least one of a process of decelerating the moving body, a process of changing a moving path of the moving body, and a process of notifying the occurrence of an abnormality when a state of the work equipment does not change in response to the control signal; The control device further comprises:

9. The control device according to claim 1 , the working facility is a facility including a pair of guide rails for adjusting a traveling direction of the moving body, The individual information includes information regarding a width of the moving object, A control device, wherein the generation unit generates the control signal for adjusting at least one of the spacing and angle of the pair of guide rails.

10. The control device according to claim 1 , the work facility is a facility for injecting a liquid onto the moving body, The generation unit generates the control signal for adjusting a liquid ejection start position with respect to the moving body.

11. The control device according to claim 1 , the moving object is a vehicle, the work facility is a facility for adjusting wheel alignment of the moving body, A control device wherein the generation unit generates the control signal for adjusting a standby position of the work equipment.

12. The control device according to claim 1 , the work facility is a facility that irradiates electromagnetic waves to the moving body, A control device, wherein the generation unit generates the control signal for adjusting a wavelength of the electromagnetic wave.

13. 1. A control method comprising: Acquire individual information regarding attributes of a moving object moving to a work location by unmanned driving; generating a control signal for controlling the work equipment disposed at the work site according to the individual information; Controlling the work equipment using the control signal. Control methods.

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