Unmanned carrier and method for controlling unmanned carrier

Abstract

To provide an unmanned carrier capable of appropriately being gone down under a cage truck.SOLUTION: An AMR 1 goes down under a cage truck, holds up or tows the cage truck, and carries the cage truck. It includes a camera 31 for photographing the periphery of the AMR 1, a marker reading unit 36 for detecting an AR marker attached to the cage truck from an image of the camera 31 photographed by the camera 31 to read the detected AR marker, and a movement control unit 37 for controlling movement of the ARM 1. The movement control unit 37 is configured to set a first target in front of the cage truck on the basis of the position of the AR marker, perform control of moving the AMR 1 to the position of the first target, read the AR marker again in reaching the position of the first target, set a second target under the cage truck on the basis of the position of the AR marker, and perform control to move the ARM 1 at the position of the second target.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an automated guided vehicle that moves under an object to lift or tow the object and transport it, and a method for controlling the same. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, automated guided vehicles that transport objects such as basket carts have been known. Patent Document 1 discloses a guided vehicle that transports a roll box by slipping between the roll box cage and the running surface. Patent Document 2 discloses an automated guided vehicle that is configured to slip under a cart and lift a lifter bar to tow the cart. Patent Document 3 discloses an automated guided vehicle that slips under a trolley, lifts it up, and transports the trolley to a destination specified externally. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2018-34932 [Patent Document 2] Patent Publication No. 2017-47996 [Patent Document 3] Patent Publication No. 9-185413 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] As mentioned above, there are documents that disclose automated guided vehicles that can get under an object to transport it, but they do not disclose any specific control method for getting the automated guided vehicle under the object.

[0005] If the route along which the automated guided vehicle will travel and the location where the transported object will be placed are predetermined, the automated guided vehicle can be made to slip under the transported object simply by traveling along the planned route.

[0006] However, determining in advance the course along which the driverless transport vehicle travels lacks flexibility. Also, in an actual site such as a warehouse, it cannot be expected that the carrier carts or the like, which are the objects to be transported, are always placed at the same position and in the same orientation, and it is often the case that the objects to be transported are placed in a displaced manner. It is not easy to make the driverless transport vehicle sneak under the object to be transported placed at an appropriate location.

[0007] In view of the above background, an object of the present invention is to provide a driverless transport vehicle that can appropriately sneak under an object to be transported.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0008] The driverless transport vehicle of the present invention is a driverless transport vehicle that sneaks under an object to be transported and lifts or pulls the object to be transported for conveyance, and includes an optical reading device that photographs the periphery of the driverless transport vehicle, a marker reading unit that detects a marker attached to the object to be transported from an image photographed by the optical reading device and reads the detected marker, and a movement control unit that controls the movement of the driverless transport vehicle. The movement control unit sets a target in front of the object to be transported based on the position of the marker, performs control to move the driverless transport vehicle to the position of the target, reads the marker again when the position of the target is reached, and has a configuration that performs control to move the driverless transport vehicle under the object to be transported based on the information read from the marker.

[0009] By moving the driverless transport vehicle to the position of the target set in front of the object to be transported based on the information read from the marker in this way, and reading the marker again when the position of the target is reached to control the movement of the driverless transport vehicle, it is possible to make the driverless transport vehicle sneak under the object to be transported while suppressing the calculation load.

[0010] In the automated guided vehicle of the present invention, when the movement control unit arrives at the position of the target, it may read the marker again, set a second target under the object to be transported based on the position of the marker, and perform control to move the automated guided vehicle to the position of the second target.

[0011] In the automated guided vehicle of the present invention, the marker includes data indicating the position where the marker is attached to the object to be transported. The movement control unit may identify the position and orientation of the object to be transported based on the position of the marker detected from the image and the data indicating the position where the marker is attached, and set the target in front of the object to be transported.

[0012] With this configuration, regardless of the position where the marker is attached to the object to be transported, the target can be set at an appropriate position in front of the object to be transported.

[0013] In the automated guided vehicle of the present invention, the marker includes data indicating the dimensions of the object to be transported. The movement control unit may set the second target under the object to be transported based on the data indicating the dimensions of the object to be transported.

[0014] With this configuration, based on the dimensions of the object to be transported, the second target can be set at an appropriate position under the object to be transported.

[0015] In the automated guided vehicle of the present invention, the marker includes data indicating the weight of the object to be transported. The movement control unit may set the maximum speed based on the data indicating the weight. With this configuration, transportation can be performed at a safe speed according to the weight of the object to be transported.

[0016] The automated guided vehicle of the present invention is provided with object detection sensors for detecting objects above at the front end and the rear end of the automated guided vehicle. When the movement control unit moves the automated guided vehicle under the object to be transported, the automated guided vehicle may be stopped after confirming that the object detection sensors do not detect any objects.

[0017] By setting the front and rear of the automated guided vehicle to protrude from the object to be conveyed, the automated guided vehicle can be stopped at a position where it is easy to convey the object to be conveyed.

[0018] In the automated guided vehicle of the present invention, the marker may include data of a marker ID for specifying the marker, and the marker reading unit may read the marker ID from the marker and store the read marker ID in the storage unit.

[0019] By recording the marker ID attached to the object to be conveyed by the automated guided vehicle in this way, it is possible to grasp the object to be conveyed by the automated guided vehicle.

[0020] In the automated guided vehicle of the present invention, the marker may include data of the destination of the object to be conveyed to which the marker is attached, and the movement control unit may convey the object to be conveyed to a predetermined location based on the destination data.

[0021] By conveying the object to be conveyed to a location corresponding to the destination in this way, for example, it becomes easy to load it onto a truck or the like headed for the destination.

[0022] All wheels of the automated guided vehicle of the present invention may be drivable and steerable. With this configuration, even if there is an error in the arrival position to the target, the automated guided vehicle can be moved to the second target while correcting the error.

[0023] The control method of the automated guided vehicle of the present invention is a control method of an automated guided vehicle that dives under an object to be transported and lifts or pulls the object to be transported, and includes a step of photographing the periphery of the automated guided vehicle with an optical reading device, a step of detecting a marker attached to the object to be transported from an image photographed by the optical reading device and reading the detected marker, a step of setting a target in front of the object to be transported based on the position of the marker and moving the automated guided vehicle to the position of the target, and a step of reading the marker again when the position of the target is reached and moving the automated guided vehicle under the object to be transported based on the information read from the marker.

Advantages of the Invention

[0024] According to the present invention, it is possible to perform movement control so that the automated guided vehicle dives under the object to be transported while suppressing the calculation load.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0025]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0026] Hereinafter, the automated guided vehicle of this embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the following description shows only an example of a preferred embodiment and is not intended to limit the invention described in the claims.

[0027] In this embodiment, an AMR (autonomous mobile robot) is used as an example of the automated guided vehicle, but the automated guided vehicle of the present invention is not limited to the AMR. Also, although a cage trolley is taken as an example of the workpiece, the AMR of this embodiment is not limited to the cage trolley and can carry other goods.

[0028] Figs. 1(a) and 1(b) are diagrams showing the configuration of the AMR1 of this embodiment. The AMR1 of this embodiment gets under the cage trolley 20 and lifts and transports the cage trolley 20. In this embodiment, the AMR1 appropriately gets under the cage trolley 20 placed at an arbitrary location.

[0029] Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the cage trolley 20 transported by the AMR1. The cage trolley 20 has a bottom plate 21 on which luggage is placed, a back panel 22, and two side panels 23. The cage trolley 20 has casters 24, and the bottom plate 21 is lifted from the floor surface. The AMR1 gets under between the bottom plate 21 and the floor surface, and lifts and transports the cage trolley 20.

[0030] The front surface of the cage trolley 20 is provided with a safety bar 25 spanned across the two side panels 23. The cage trolley 20 has a nameplate 26 attached to the right side panel 23 in Fig. 2. An AR marker M is attached to the center of the safety bar 25. Since the AR marker M is surrounded by a black frame line around it, it can be easily detected. The marker is not limited to the AR marker, and other markers such as a QR code (registered trademark) may be used.

[0031] The AMR 1 of this embodiment detects the AR marker M from an image of the surroundings captured by the camera 31, and controls the movement of the AMR 1 so that the AMR 1 slips under the cart 20 based on the information on the position of the AR marker M.

[0032] Various information may be encoded in the AR marker M. For example, ID data for identifying the AR marker M, data on the position where the AR marker M is attached on the cart 20, data on the dimensions of the cart 20, etc.

[0033] If ID data identifying the AR marker M is encoded, the AMR 1 can manage which cart 20 it has transported. Data on the position of the AR marker M is useful when the position at which the AR marker M is attached varies depending on the cart 20. For example, FIG. 3 shows an example in which the AR marker M is attached to the back panel 22. Note that when the AR marker M is attached, it is attached facing outward from the cart 20, so the back of the AR marker M is visible in FIG. 3. FIG. 3 shows the attachment position of the marker M.

[0034] When the AR marker M is attached to the back panel 22 of the cart 20, data indicating the relative position of the AR marker M as viewed from the center of the front of the cart 20 is encoded. This allows the AMR 1 to determine where the center of the front of the cart 20 is and to move appropriately under the cart 20. Furthermore, when the data on the dimensions of the cart 20 is encoded, the depth of the cart 20 is known, and therefore it is possible to determine how far forward the AMR 1 should move when getting under the cart 20.

[0035] Returning to FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b), the configuration of the AMR1 will be described. FIG. 1(a) is a diagram showing the configuration of the AMR1. FIG. 1(b) is a diagram showing the AMR1 in a state of lifting the cage cart 20. The AMR1 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped main body 11 that is long in the front-rear direction. In FIG. 1(a), the left side will be described as the front and the right side as the rear. In the present embodiment, the AMR1 that lifts and conveys the object to be conveyed will be described as an example, but the present invention can also be applied to the type of AMR1 that pulls the object to be conveyed.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 1(b), the AMR1 is provided with two bars 12 extending in the front-rear direction on the upper surface. In FIG. 1(a), the state where the two bars 12 are lowered is shown, and in FIG. 1(b), the state where the two bars 12 are raised is shown. In FIG. 1, the AMR1 having two bars 12 for lifting the cage cart 20 is taken as an example, but the configuration for lifting the cage cart 20 is not limited to the two bars 12. For example, it may be possible to provide a single plate that can move up and down on the upper surface of the AMR1.

[0037] The AMR1 slips under the cage cart 20 and raises the bar 12 upward as shown in FIG. 1(b), thereby lifting the cage cart 20 from the floor surface. The AMR1 conveys the cage cart 20 in a lifted state. The weight of the cage cart 20 that the AMR1 can lift is, for example, 300 to 500 Kg as an example.

[0038] The AMR1 has two drive wheels 13R and 13L on the left and right at the center in the front-rear direction (in the figure, only the drive wheel 13R on the right side is visible), and is provided with two swivel casters in the front and two swivel casters in the rear. The number of swivel casters is not limited. For example, there may be one each in the front and the rear. Also, the AMR1 is provided with a wireless LAN communication unit 14 in the front and an optical communication unit 15 on the side surface. The wireless LAN communication unit 14 and the optical communication unit 15 have functions for communication. For example, they can communicate with a vertical conveyor that conveys the AMR1 between upper and lower floors.

[0039] At the center of the bottom surface of AMR1, there is a power receiving head for wireless charging. By opposing the power receiving head close to the power supply unit of the wireless charging, the charging of AMR1 can be performed.

[0040] Figure 4 is a block diagram for explaining the functions of AMR1. In Figure 4, the functions related to the control of making AMR1 dive under the cage cart 20 are described, but AMR1 has functions other than those shown in Figure 4.

[0041] As the hardware of the drive system 42, AMR1 is equipped with a left drive wheel 13L, a right drive wheel 13R, a left wheel motor 43L, and a right wheel motor 43R. By changing the rotational speeds of the left and right drive wheels 13L, 13R, AMR1 can turn left or right and perform a U-turn.

[0042] AMR1 is equipped with sensors 30 including a camera 31, a photoelectric sensor 32, and a wheel speed sensor 33. The camera 31 has the function of photographing the periphery of AMR1. In this embodiment, the camera 31 is taken as an example of an optical reading device, but AMR1 may be equipped with an optical reading device other than the camera (for example, LiDAR, etc.). The photoelectric sensor 32 is provided at the front end and the rear end of AMR1 and has the function of detecting an object above. The wheel speed sensor 33 has the function of detecting the speed of the wheels from the rotational speeds of the left and right drive wheels 13L, 13R. In this embodiment, an example of using the photoelectric sensor 32 to detect an object above AMR1 has been described, but a laser sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, etc. may be used as the object detection sensor.

[0043] AMR1 has an image processing unit 34 that processes the images obtained by photographing with the camera 31, and a movement control unit 37 that controls the movement of AMR1. The image processing unit 34 and the movement control unit 37 are realized by reading an image processing program and a movement control program and executing them with a CPU. As hardware, the image processing unit 34 and the movement control unit 37 may be one CPU, or may be equipped with CPUs for performing respective processes.

[0044] The image processing unit 34 includes a marker detection unit 35 and a marker reading unit 36. The marker detection unit 35 has a function of detecting the AR marker M from the camera image. Further, the marker detection unit 35 has a function of analyzing the position and orientation of the camera 31 with respect to the AR marker M based on the position, orientation, and size of the marker reflected in the image. By knowing the position and orientation of the camera 31 with respect to the AR marker M, the position and orientation of the AMR1 with respect to the AR marker M can be specified. The marker reading unit 36 has a function of reading the data encoded in the AR marker M.

[0045] The movement control unit 37 includes a target setting unit 38, a path calculation unit 39, a movement amount estimation unit 40, and a control signal generation unit 41.

[0046] The target setting unit 38 has a function of setting a first target and a second target based on the position of the AR marker M detected by the marker detection unit 35. The first target is a target for guiding the AMR1 in front of the cage cart 20 and is set in front of the cage cart 20. The second target is a target for allowing the AMR1 to sneak under the cage cart 20 and is set under the cage cart 20.

[0047] Here, a case where the AR marker M is attached to the center of the safety bar 25 of the cage cart 20 as shown in FIG. 2 will be specifically described as an example. The target setting unit 38 sets the first target at a position 1 m in front of the AR marker M based on the position of the AR marker M. Further, the target setting unit 38 sets the second target at a position 0.5 m behind the AR marker M.

[0048] The movement control of the AMR1 using the first target and the second target will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 to 8. FIGS. 5 to 8 are views of the positional relationship between the cage cart 20 and the AMR1 as seen from above. An AR marker M is attached to the front surface of the cage cart 20.

[0049] As shown in FIG. 5, initially, the cage cart 20 and the AMR1 are placed at arbitrary positions. The AMR1 detects the AR marker M from the surrounding video and sets the first target T1 at a position 1 m in front of the AR marker M. Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 6, the AMR1 moves to the position of the first target T1. The AMR1 stops when its center reaches the first target T1. Next, the AMR1 detects the AR marker M from the surrounding video and sets the second target T2 at a position 1 m behind the AR marker M.

[0050] As shown in FIG. 7, the AMR1 rotates its direction to face the second target T2, and as shown in FIG. 8, it moves to the position of the second target T2. The AMR1 stops when its center reaches the second target T2. Through the above movement control, the AMR1 can dive under the cage cart 20.

[0051] The path calculation unit 39 has a function of calculating a path from the current position of the AMR1 to the destination with the first target and the second target as the destinations. As an example, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 8, a linear path moving toward the first target T1 and the second target T2 is calculated. In the case where there are obstacles on the way, the path calculation unit 39 may calculate a path that avoids the obstacles. In FIG. 6, when the AMR1 arrives at the first target, although the AMR1 is not facing the direction of the cage cart 20, it is also possible to calculate a path in which the AMR1 advances while changing its orientation so that when the AMR1 arrives at the first target, it is in a state facing the cage cart 20 (that is, the state shown in FIG. 7).

[0052] The movement amount estimation unit 40 has a function of estimating in which direction and by how much the AMR1 has moved when it moves. The movement amount estimation unit 40 calculates the movement direction and the movement amount of the AMR1 based on the left and right wheel speeds acquired by the wheel speed sensor 33. Thereby, the AMR1 can estimate its own position and move along the calculated path without obtaining the position of the AR marker M during movement.

[0053] The control signal generation unit 41 has a function of generating control signals for instructing the wheel speeds of the left drive wheel 13L and the right drive wheel 13R to move the AMR1 along the path, and transmitting them to the left wheel motor 43L and the right wheel motor 43R.

[0054] FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the operation of the movement control of the AMR1. First, the AMR1 captures the surroundings with the camera 31 to obtain a camera image, and detects the AR marker M from the camera image (S10). The AMR1 sets a first target at a position 1 m in front of the AR marker M (S11), and calculates a path from the current position to the position of the first target (S12). The AMR1 performs movement control according to the path obtained by the calculation (S13). It is determined whether the AMR1 has reached the first target (S14). Specifically, the AMR1 estimates the current position by the movement amount estimation unit 40, and determines whether the current position matches the first target. If the AMR1 has not reached the first target (NO in S14), the movement control is continued until arrival (S13).

[0055] When the AMR1 reaches the first target (YES in S14), the AMR1 captures the surroundings with the camera 31 to obtain a camera image, and detects the AR marker M from the camera image (S15). The AMR1 sets a second target at a position 0.5 m behind the AR marker M (S16), and calculates a path from the current position to the position of the second target (S17). The AMR1 performs movement control according to the path obtained by the calculation (S18). It is determined whether the AMR1 has reached the second target (S19). Specifically, the AMR1 estimates the current position by the movement amount estimation unit 40, and determines whether the current position matches the second target.

[0056] As shown in FIG. 8, when the AMR1 protrudes from the front and rear of the cage cart 20, it may be confirmed by the photoelectric sensors 32 provided at the front end and the rear end of the AMR1 that there is no object above. Thereby, it is possible to ensure that the AMR1 has dived under the cage cart 20.

[0057] If AMR1 has not reached the second target (NO in S19), the movement control is continued until it arrives (S18). When AMR1 reaches the second target (YES in S19), the movement control is terminated.

[0058] The AMR1 of the present embodiment sets the first target and the second target based on the AR marker M attached to the cage cart 20, and controls the movement of the cage cart 20 to move to the first target and the second target, so that the AMR1 can dive under the cage cart 20 placed at an arbitrary position. When setting the first target and the second target, the AR marker M is detected. However, while AMR1 is moving, the position of AMR1 is estimated by the movement amount estimation unit 40 and the movement control is performed. In this way, the number of detections of the AR marker M and the number of self-position estimations based on the detected AR marker M can be reduced, and the load of the calculation process can be reduced. Since the AMR1 of the present embodiment can appropriately dive under the cage cart 20 placed at an arbitrary position, the cage cart 20 can be conveyed without being properly aligned. For example, by simply placing the cage cart 20 in the station, AMR1 can convey the cage cart 20.

[0059] As described above, the AMR1 of the present embodiment and its movement control have been described. However, the automated guided vehicle of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. In the above-described embodiment, an example of calculating the movement direction of AMR1 based on the left and right wheel speeds acquired by the left and right wheel speed sensors 33 has been given. However, AMR1 may be provided with a steering sensor and may detect the movement direction based on the steering angle.

[0060] In the above-described embodiment, the cage cart 20 with the AR marker M attached to the front center was described as an example. However, the position where the AR marker M is attached is not limited to the front center of the cage cart 20. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the AR marker M may be attached to the side panel 23 of the cage cart 20. In that case, the target setting unit 38 sets the first target in consideration of the position where the AR marker M to which the first target is set is attached.

[0061] When the AR marker M is attached to a location other than the center of the cage cart 20, data on how much the position where the AR marker M is attached is shifted from the center is encoded in the AR marker M. The AMR1 reads the data on the shift amount encoded in the AR marker M by the marker reading unit 36 and sets the first target at a position shifted by the amount of the read data. For example, when data such as "the attachment position of the AR marker is 50 cm to the left of the center of the cage cart 20" is read, the first target is set at a position 50 cm to the right and 1 m in front of the AR marker M.

[0062] Also, in the above-described embodiment, for the second target, it was set at a position a certain distance behind the AR marker M. However, the second target may be set according to the size of the cage cart 20. Specifically, depth data in the front-rear direction of the cage cart 20 is encoded in the AR marker M as data on the size of the cage cart 20. The AMR1 reads the depth data encoded in the AR marker M by the marker reading unit 36 and sets the second target at the center in the depth direction of the cage cart 20. For example, when the depth of the cage cart 20 is 120 cm, the second target is set at a position 60 cm behind the AR marker M. With this configuration, it can be applied to cage carts 20 of various sizes.

[0063] In the above-described embodiment, an example was described in which the AMR1 sets the second target after arriving at the first target and moves the AMR1 toward the second target. However, when performing movement control to make the AMR1 dive under the cage cart 20, it is optional to set the second target. Without setting the second target, the AMR1 may be moved under the cage cart 20 based on the information read from the marker M.

[0064] In addition, the AR marker M may encode data other than the data described in the above embodiment. For example, when the cage cart 20 is used at the logistics site, the place where the cage cart 20 is collected may differ depending on the transport destination. In such a case, the data of the transport destination of the cage cart 20 to which the AR marker M is attached is included. The AMR1 can read the transport destination data from the AR marker M and transport the cage cart 20 to the corresponding collection location according to the destination.

[0065] The AR marker M may encode information regarding the loading weight of the cage cart 20. Thereby, when the AMR1 transports the cage cart 20, the cage cart 20 can be safely transported at a speed corresponding to the loading weight. Also, in a system having a plurality of different types of AMRs, it is possible to control so that an appropriate AMR transports the cage cart 20 according to the loading weight of the cage cart 20.

[0066] In the above-described embodiment, an example was given in which the AMR1 includes two drive wheels 13 on the left and right and two omnidirectional casters each in the front and the rear. However, the AMR1 may be capable of driving all wheels and steering. Thereby, since the AMR1 can move in the lateral direction, the transport of the cage cart 20 can be started in the lateral direction in the direction in which the AMR1 has dived. Also, it becomes possible to move to avoid obstacles and it becomes less affected by the unevenness of the road surface.

[0067] In the above-described embodiment, an example was given in which the AR marker M was attached to the front of the cart 20, but the position of the AR marker M is not limited to the front, and may be on the side. Furthermore, the direction in which the AMR 1 slides under the cart 20 is not limited to the front, and may be from the side or rear. If the AMR 1 slides under from the side where the AR marker M is attached, then it is sufficient to set a first target in front of the AR marker M, and the first target can be set with high accuracy. [Explanation of symbols]

[0068] 1 AMR 11 Main unit 12 bars 13L,13R wheels 14 Wireless LAN communication section 15 Optical Communications Department 20 Basket cart 21 Bottom plate 22 Back Panel 23 Side Panel 24 Caster 24 25 Safety Bar 26 name board 30 Sensors 31 Camera 32 Photoelectric Sensor 33 Wheel speed sensor 34 Image processing section 35 Marker detection unit 36 Marker reading unit 37 Movement control section 38 Target Setting Section 39 Route calculation unit 40 Movement amount estimator 41 Control signal generation unit 42 Drivetrain 43L, 43R wheel motor M AR marker T1 First Target T2 Second Target

Claims

1. An automated guided vehicle that dives under an object to be conveyed, lifts or pulls the object to be conveyed, and conveys it, comprising: an optical reading device that photographs the periphery of the automated guided vehicle; a marker reading unit that detects a marker attached to the object to be conveyed from an image photographed by the optical reading device and reads the detected marker; a movement control unit that controls the movement of the automated guided vehicle; wherein the movement control unit sets a target in front of the object to be conveyed based on the position of the marker, and performs control to move the automated guided vehicle to the position of the target; an automated guided vehicle that reads the marker again when arriving at the position of the target, and performs control to move the automated guided vehicle under the object to be conveyed based on the information read from the marker.

2. The automated guided vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the movement control unit reads the marker again when arriving at the position of the target, sets a second target under the object to be conveyed based on the position of the marker, and performs control to move the automated guided vehicle to the position of the second target.

3. The marker includes data indicating the position where the marker is attached to the object to be conveyed, and the movement control unit identifies the position and orientation of the object to be conveyed based on the position of the marker detected from the image and the data indicating the position where the marker is attached, and sets the target in front of the object to be conveyed. The automated guided vehicle according to claim 1.

4. The marker includes data indicating the dimensions of the object to be conveyed, and the movement control unit sets the second target under the object to be conveyed based on the data indicating the dimensions of the object to be conveyed. The automated guided vehicle according to claim 2.

5. The marker includes data indicating the weight of the object to be conveyed, and the movement control unit sets a maximum speed based on the data indicating the weight. The automated guided vehicle according to claim 1.

6. The front end and the rear end of the automated guided vehicle are provided with object detection sensors for detecting an object above, and when the movement control unit moves the automated guided vehicle under the object to be conveyed, the automated guided vehicle is stopped after confirming that the object detection sensor does not detect an object. The automated guided vehicle according to claim 1.

7. The marker includes data of a marker ID for identifying the marker, The marker reading unit reads a marker ID from the marker and stores the read marker ID in the storage unit. The automated guided vehicle according to claim 1.

8. The marker includes data on the destination of the object to be transported to which the marker is attached. The movement control unit transports the object to be transported to a predetermined location based on the destination data. The automated guided vehicle according to claim 1.

9. All wheels of the automated guided vehicle are drivable and steerable. The automated guided vehicle according to claim 1.

10. A control method for an automated guided vehicle that dives under an object to be transported and lifts or pulls the object to be transported. A step of photographing the periphery of the automated guided vehicle with an optical reading device. A step of detecting a marker attached to the object to be transported from an image captured by the optical reading device and reading the detected marker. Based on the position of the marker, setting a target in front of the object to be transported and moving the automated guided vehicle to the position of the target. When arriving at the position of the target, reading the marker again and moving the automated guided vehicle under the object to be transported based on the information read from the marker. A control method for an automated guided vehicle comprising the above steps.

Images