Work vehicle automated system

Abstract

To provide a work vehicle automated system that is lightweight, easy to transport and install, and uses an easy-to-maintain bottom board to automate work using a work vehicle.SOLUTION: A work vehicle automated system 30 that controls an unmanned work vehicle to automatically perform various sorts of works, comprises: bottom boards having a tabular polyurea resin with at least a top face colored in a plurality of colors, a plurality of bottom boards being laid down on which the work vehicle can travel; a color sensor 31 that identifies a plurality of sorts of colors, which is provided on the laid bottom boards of the work vehicle; and a control unit 40 as control means that controls the traveling and stopping of the work vehicle based on an identification result by the color sensor 31, and that controls the driving and stopping of various operations by the work vehicle.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a work vehicle automation system that automates work performed by a work vehicle using floor plates used at construction sites and the like. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, floor plates used at construction sites and the like have generally been made of metal such as iron. In contrast to this, in recent years, floor plates have been proposed in which a mesh sheet is impregnated on at least one surface of a resin plate made of synthetic resin, which is lighter than iron (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In addition, examples of synthetic resins that make up resin plates include polycarbonate resin, and floor plates made of such polycarbonate resin have been proposed (see Patent Document 2).

[0003] Furthermore, automatic guided vehicles (AGVs), which automatically transport designated cargo to a destination without direct operation by a driver, have been introduced and widely used in production sites, logistics centers that store and ship products, etc. To realize a system that automatically drives such automatic guided vehicles along a target driving route, a system that guides the automatic guided vehicles to their destination is required, and various methods for guiding the target driving route have been developed and put into practical use.

[0004] For example, the magnetic guidance system uses a magnetic sensor mounted on an automated guided vehicle to detect the magnetism of magnetic tape attached to the floor or permanent magnets embedded in the floor, and controls the traveling speed and steering of the automated guided vehicle, allowing it to autonomously travel along a target route (see, for example, Patent Document 3). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-142071 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-314989 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-198424 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, conventional floor plates such as those described in the above-mentioned patent documents have the risk of problems such as insufficient strength. Therefore, when used at construction sites, there is a problem that work vehicles cannot travel on them. On the other hand, floor plates made of metal such as iron have the problem that they are too heavy, making them difficult to transport and install.

[0007] In addition, magnetic tape and permanent magnets must be maintained to remove dirt and scrapes so that they can be detected by an unmanned transport vehicle, and they also have the disadvantage of not being applicable to metal floor plates such as iron.

[0008] The present invention was made in consideration of these problems, and its objective is to provide a work vehicle automation system that automates work performed by work vehicles using lightweight decking that is easy to transport and install and maintain. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The present invention is a work vehicle automation system that controls unmanned work vehicles to automatically perform various tasks, and is characterized by comprising: floor plates made of plate-shaped polyurethane resin with at least the upper surface colored in multiple colors, which are laid in multiple sheets and on which the work vehicles can run; a color sensor that is provided on the work vehicle and identifies the multiple color types on the multiple laid floor plates; and control means that controls the running and stopping of the work vehicle based on the identification results by the color sensor, and controls the driving and stopping of various tasks performed by the work vehicle.

[0010] The present invention also provides a work vehicle automation system that controls unmanned work vehicles to perform various tasks automatically, and is characterized by comprising: floor plates made of plate-shaped polyurethane resin, which are laid in multiple sheets and on which the work vehicles can travel; a transmitter provided on each of the multiple floor plates that transmits travel work command information to the work vehicles; a receiver provided on the work vehicles that receives the travel work command information from the transmitter; and control means that controls the travel and stopping of the work vehicles based on the travel work command information, and controls the driving and stopping of various tasks performed by the work vehicles.

[0011] The present invention also provides a work vehicle automation system that controls unmanned work vehicles to automatically perform various tasks, and is characterized by comprising: floor plates made of plate-shaped polyurethane resin with at least the upper surface colored in a plurality of colors, which are laid in plurality and on which the work vehicles can run; a color sensor that is provided on the work vehicle and identifies the plurality of color types on the laid floor plates; a transmitter that is provided on each of the plurality of floor plates and transmits work command information to the work vehicle; a receiver that is provided on the work vehicle and receives the work command information from the transmitter; and control means that controls the running and stopping of the work vehicle based on the identification results from the color sensor, and controls the starting and stopping of various tasks by the work vehicle based on the work command information from the transmitter.

[0012] Furthermore, the present invention is characterized in that the transmitter is an ID device, and the ID device stores identification information for identifying the floor board and is capable of transmitting the identification information. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the present invention, in a floor plate having a plate-shaped polyurethane resin with at least the upper surface colored in multiple colors, which is laid in multiple sheets and on which work vehicles can run, the types of multiple colors are identified by a color sensor, and the running and stopping of the work vehicle are controlled based on the identification results from the color sensor, as well as the driving and stopping of various tasks performed by the work vehicle.By using floor plates that are lightweight, easy to transport and lay, and easy to maintain, it is possible to automate work performed by work vehicles.

[0014] Furthermore, according to the present invention, a plurality of floor plates made of plate-shaped polyurethane resin are laid, and a transmitter is provided on each floor plate on which the work vehicle can travel, which transmits travel work command information to the work vehicle. The travel work command information is received by a receiver provided on the work vehicle, and the travel and stopping of the work vehicle are controlled based on the travel work command information, as well as controlling the driving and stopping of various tasks performed by the work vehicle.By using lightweight floor plates that are easy to transport and lay, and easy to maintain, it is possible to automate work performed by work vehicles.

[0015] Furthermore, according to the present invention, in floor plates having plate-shaped polyurethane resin with at least the upper surface colored in multiple types and laid in multiple sheets on which work vehicles can run, the multiple types of colors are identified by a color sensor, and the running and stopping of the work vehicle is controlled based on the identification results from the color sensor, while work command information is sent to the work vehicle from a transmitter provided on each floor plate, the work command information is received by a receiver provided on the work vehicle, and the starting and stopping of various tasks by the work vehicle are controlled based on the work command information.This makes it possible to automate work by work vehicles using floor plates that are lightweight, easy to transport and lay, and easy to maintain.

[0016] Furthermore, according to the present invention, the transmitter is an ID device, which stores identification information that identifies the floor board and is capable of transmitting the identification information, thereby enabling the identification information of the floor board installation to be transmitted reliably. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a control system of the work vehicle automation system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 2 is a flowchart showing an example of a main routine of the operation of the control unit of FIG. 1. [Figure 3] 2 is a flowchart showing an example of a subroutine of the operation of the control unit of FIG. 1. [Figure 4] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a work vehicle automation system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing a control system of a work vehicle automation system according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 6 is a flowchart showing an example of a subroutine of the operation of the control unit in FIG. 5. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a floor plate used in the work vehicle automation system according to each embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a portion of the floor plate of FIG. 7. [Figure 9] 9 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing another example of a portion of the floor plate of FIG. 8. FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 8 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing another example of the floor plate of FIG. 7. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] The present invention will be described below through various embodiments of the invention, but the following embodiments do not limit the scope of the invention as claimed. Furthermore, not all of the combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the solution of the invention. [Plates used in each embodiment] First, an outline of a floor plate 10 used in a work vehicle automation system according to each embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 7. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a floor plate used in a work vehicle automation system according to each embodiment. The floor plate 10 is laid on an unleveled or unpaved surface, for example, at a construction site. The floor plate 10 may be laid on a road or the like to form a running surface for work vehicles such as heavy machinery and construction machinery, as well as a walking surface for people. The floor plate 10 may also be used at event venues, temporary plazas at assembly halls, temporary roads, vehicle access routes at construction sites, wasteland, slopes, or housing construction sites. The floor plate 10 may also provide a loading surface on which a container is placed.

[0019] Here, we will explain the case where the floor plate 10 applied in each embodiment is used by laying it on unleveled or unpaved surfaces at construction sites, etc., or on roads, etc. to form a running surface for work vehicles such as heavy machinery and construction machinery.

[0020] The floor plate 10 in this example has a plate shape with a rectangular outer edge. The floor plate 10 has a first main surface 12, a second main surface 14, and a side surface 15. The first main surface 12 and the second main surface 14 refer to main surfaces on opposite sides of each other. In the example shown in FIG. 7, the first main surface 12 is the front surface, and the second main surface 14 is the back surface. The side surface 15 refers to the surface between the first main surface 12 and the second main surface 14. However, the first main surface 12 and the second main surface 14 of the floor plate 10 may have the same structure and shape, and either the first main surface or the second main surface may be used as the front surface. Furthermore, the floor plate 10 is not limited to being formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and may be formed in any suitable shape.

[0021] In this example, when viewed from above, the floor plate 10 has an outer edge that forms a rectangle or square and is made up of a pair of sides 16-1 and 16-2 and a pair of sides 17-1 and 17-2. In this example, the pair of sides 16-1 and 16-2 are long sides, and the pair of sides 17-1 and 17-2 are short sides. In this specification, the plane parallel to the main surfaces (first main surface 12, second main surface 14) is defined as the XY plane, a first direction along the XY plane (in this example, the direction along side 17) is defined as the X-axis direction, a second direction parallel to the XY plane and perpendicular to the first direction (in this example, the direction along side 16) is defined as the Y-axis direction, and the thickness direction of the floor plate 10 is defined as the Z-axis direction. "Top view" refers to a view from the positive direction toward the negative direction of the Z axis.

[0022] The size of the floor plate 10 may be determined in accordance with the standard size of existing floor steel plates. In one example, the size of the floor plate 10 may be 914 mm (short side) × 1829 mm (long side), 1524 mm × 1524 mm (square), 1219 mm (short side) × 2438 mm (long side), 1524 mm (short side) × 3048 mm (long side), 1524 mm (short side) × 4572 mm (long side), or 1524 mm (short side) × 6096 mm (long side). The thickness of the floor plate 10 may be 19 mm, 22 mm, or 25 mm, corresponding to the standard thickness of floor steel plates.

[0023] By making the size and thickness of the floor plate 10 the same as the size and thickness specifications of the existing floor steel plate, the existing floor steel plate can be replaced with the floor plate 10 of this embodiment. However, the size and thickness of the floor plate 10 are not limited to the size and thickness specifications of the existing floor steel plate.

[0024] Figure 8 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a portion of the floor plate 10 of Figure 7. In Figure 8, the first main surface 12 provides a running surface for vehicles such as heavy machinery to run on and a walking surface for pedestrians to walk on. The second main surface 14 is the back surface that comes into contact with the ground or the like. The floor plate 10 has a base material 20 and a coating layer 22. The base material 20 is formed from a synthetic resin.

[0025] As an example, the synthetic resin forming the substrate 20 is a polymer compound. For example, the synthetic resin forming the substrate 20 is a hard plastic. As a more specific example, the synthetic resin forming the substrate 20 may be formed from one or more resins selected from the group consisting of polycarbonate resin, polyethylene resin, polyolefin resin, polyester resin, acrylic resin, polyamide resin, polystyrene resin, ABS resin, and acetal resin. In one embodiment, the substrate 20 is formed from polycarbonate resin. In the following description, an example will be described in which the substrate 20 is formed from polycarbonate resin.

[0026] The coating layer 22 is formed to cover the surface of the substrate 20. The coating layer 22 is made of a polyurea resin. Polyurea resin is a resin having a urea bond formed by a chemical reaction between an isocyanate and an amino group, for example. As an example, polyurea resin is formed by reacting a polyisocyanate with a polyamine. The polyurea resin may be formed using a mixed solvent in which a polyisocyanate compound with a specific gravity of 1.09 to 1.12 and a synthetic resin as a curing agent with a specific gravity of 1.13 to 1.02 are mixed in a volume ratio of 1:1 or a weight ratio of about 109:100.

[0027] The coating layer 22 of the floor plate 10 applied in each embodiment contains a colorant. In one example, the colorant is a pigment. The pigment may be contained in the coating layer 22 in a state dispersed in a polyurea resin. This allows the coating layer 22 to be used as a coating film. Therefore, it is possible to provide floor plates 10 colored in various colors for marking divisions such as construction sites and traffic zones without forming a separate coating film. As described below, floor plates 10 colored in various colors are used to guide the running, stopping, and right and left turns of work vehicles such as heavy machinery and construction machinery, and to control the activation and deactivation of work drive devices of work vehicles such as heavy machinery and construction machinery.

[0028] The coating layer 22 is preferably formed on the entire surface of the substrate 20. That is, the coating layer 22 covers all of the first main surface 12 (the surface on which vehicles run, pedestrians walk, and heavy objects are placed), the second main surface 14 (the ground surface, the surface in contact with the ground), and the side surface 15. In this case, the coating layer 22 only needs to cover at least the upper surface of the substrate 20.

[0029] The thickness T1 of the coating layer 22 is smaller than the thickness T2 of the substrate 20. For example, the thickness T2 of the substrate 20 is 3 mm or more and 7 mm or less, and the thickness T1 of the coating layer 22 is 1 mm or more and 3 mm or less.

[0030] The substrate 20 is made of synthetic resin and is therefore very lightweight. For example, in a sample in which a coating layer 22 made of polyurethane resin is formed on the entire surface of a substrate 20 made of polycarbonate resin, the thickness T1 of the coating layer 22 is 2 mm, the thickness T2 of the substrate 20 is 5 mm, and the dimensions are 1524 mm (short side) x 3048 mm (long side), the weight is 51 kg. A steel floor plate of the same size and thickness weighs 328 kg, so the floor plate 10 of this embodiment weighs less than one-sixth the weight of the steel floor plate. Because the floor plate 10 is very lightweight, it is easy to transport and store. This reduces the burden of transporting it to a construction site, etc.

[0031] Furthermore, since the coating layer 22 is formed of a polyurea resin, it has high strength, excellent water resistance, and excellent impact resistance. Therefore, by coating the surface of the substrate 20 with the coating layer 22, it is possible to provide a floor board 10 that is ultralight and has excellent strength, water resistance, and impact resistance. While the substrate 20 formed of a polycarbonate resin is vulnerable to alkaline solutions, the coating layer 22 formed of a polyurea resin is relatively resistant to alkaline solutions. Therefore, since the floor board 10 of this embodiment covers the substrate 20 with the coating layer 22 formed of a polyurea resin, it can also have improved chemical resistance compared to a floor board 10 formed of polycarbonate resin alone. Furthermore, the floor board 10 of this embodiment is easier to process and can be manufactured at low cost compared to metal floor boards.

[0032] Fig. 9 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing another example of a portion of the floor plate of Fig. 8. In this example, an ID device 24 serving as a transmitter is fixed to the floor plate 10. The ID device 24 stores information for identifying the floor plate 10 and transmits the identification information to an external device. For example, the identification information of the floor plate 10 may be read by bringing a reading device close to the ID device 24.

[0033] The floor plate 10 may have a plurality of ID devices 24 provided not only on the first main surface 12 side but also on the second main surface 14 side. The positions at which the ID devices 24 are provided are not limited. They may be provided symmetrically with respect to the center of the floor plate 10. In one example, an ID device 24 may be provided at the center of each of the sides 16-1, 16-2, 17-1, and 17-2 of the floor plate 10. This allows identification information to be read from the ID devices 24 without taking into account the orientation of the floor plate 10.

[0034] The periphery of ID device 24 may be covered with protective film 26. Protective film 26 may be formed of a polyurea resin. Polyurea resin is not only ultralight and has excellent strength, water resistance, and impact resistance, but also has higher electromagnetic wave permeability than metal. Therefore, unlike a configuration in which ID device 24 is covered with metal, such as when embedded inside an anvil, a configuration in which ID device 24 is covered with protective film 26, substrate 20, coating layer 22, etc. allows ID device 24 to communicate with the outside.

[0035] During the molding process of substrate 20, a cavity for housing ID device 24 may be provided. ID device 24 covered with protective film 26 is then fabricated separately, housed in the cavity of substrate 20, and secured with an adhesive or other material. Coating layer 22 is then formed with ID device 24 secured in the cavity, resulting in the configuration shown in FIG. 9.

[0036] The ID device 24 may also store information indicating the position information of the floor plates 10, identification information of each floor plate 10, etc. This information may be written by an external writing device. The ID device 24 may transmit the above information at a predetermined interval using the Bluetooth (registered trademark) Low Energy (BLE) method. The information may be received by a receiver built into the work vehicle, a mobile terminal, etc. The mobile terminal may transmit the received information to a cloud server, etc. By accessing the cloud server using the mobile terminal, etc., the status of each floor plate 10 can be ascertained.

[0037] Furthermore, the above-described ID device 24 may be embedded in the substrate 20 as shown in FIG. 9 , or may be disposed on the upper or lower side of the substrate 20 as shown in FIG. 10 . In this case, a coating layer 22 of a polyurethane resin may be formed thick enough to cover the ID device 24 and hold the ID device 24 in place. As described above, polyurethane resin is ultralight and has excellent strength, water resistance, and impact resistance. Therefore, even when the ID device 24 is covered only by the coating layer 22, it can maintain a predetermined strength. Furthermore, this configuration simplifies the manufacturing process because it does not require the creation of a cavity in the substrate 20 during the manufacturing process.

[0038] In addition to the floor board 10 configured as described above, the floor board 10 of this embodiment may also have, for example, a base material and resin layers laminated on the front and back surfaces of the base material, with these layers forming the inner layer. The front and back surfaces of the inner layer are provided with coating layers made of a polyurethane resin. The base material is made of a plate-like member made of a predetermined metal such as iron or an appropriate resin (for example, a hard resin is preferred). This base material is formed as thin as possible while maintaining a predetermined strength in order to reduce weight. By making the floor board 10 have such a laminated structure, the strength can be significantly increased. [First embodiment of work vehicle automation system] Next, the work vehicle automation system according to the first embodiment will be described.

[0039] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a control system of a work vehicle automation system according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

[0040] As shown in Fig. 1, a work vehicle automation system 30 according to this embodiment is mounted on a work vehicle 50. The work vehicle automation system 30 comprises a color sensor 31, a control unit 40 as control means, an input unit 32, a display unit 33, a travel drive unit 34, a braking unit 35, a steering unit 36, and a work drive unit 37. The control unit 40 is mainly composed of a well-known microcomputer equipped with an I / O (Input / Output) 41, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 42, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 43, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 44, etc.

[0041] Of these, RAM 42 temporarily stores data. ROM 43 stores data and programs whose contents need to be retained even when the power is turned off. CPU 44 realizes various functions by executing programs installed in ROM 43. In addition to ROM 43, storage means include computer-readable electronic media such as DVD-ROM (Digital Versatile Disk Read Only Memory), CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory), and hard disk. Note that the above data may be stored in a separately provided database instead of in ROM 43.

[0042] The control unit 40 receives input signals from the color sensor 31 and the input unit 32, and controls the operation of each unit, such as the travel drive unit 34, braking unit 35, steering unit 36, and work drive unit 37. The control unit 40 has pre-stored in ROM 43 the relationship between the color data of the floor plate 10 input from the input unit 22 and the travel drive data, stop data, steering data, and work drive data of the work vehicle 50. Note that each of the above data may be stored in a separately provided database instead of being stored in ROM 43.

[0043] The color sensor 31 identifies the color of the colored floor board 10, whose coating layer 22 contains pigments as coloring agents and is colored in various colors. This color identification information is output to the control unit 40. The color sensor 31 irradiates light from the light-projecting unit, detects the light reflected by the coating layer 22 of the floor board 10 with the light-receiving unit, and determines the color of the coating layer 22 based on the amount of light received.

[0044] The input unit 32 is used to store various types of information in the ROM 43. The display unit 33 displays, for example, input data of various types of information about the work vehicle 50, the traveling state, the work drive state, etc. The traveling drive unit 34 causes the work vehicle 50 to travel. The braking unit 35 stops the traveling movement of the work vehicle 50. The steering unit 36 steers the work vehicle 50 unmanned to control the traveling direction. The work drive unit 37 causes the work vehicle 50 to perform various types of work, such as excavating a work site.

[0045] Next, a description will be given of an example of a main routine of the work vehicle automation system according to the first embodiment. Fig. 2 is a flowchart showing an example of a main routine of the operation of the control unit in Fig. 1.

[0046] As shown in Fig. 2, it is determined whether the unmanned work vehicle 50 is to be in a travel mode or a work mode (step S1). If either of these modes is to be executed (step S1: Yes), it is first determined whether the mode is the travel mode (step S2). If the mode is the travel mode (step S2: Yes), drive information is output from the control unit 40 to the travel drive unit 34 to drive the unmanned work vehicle 50 to travel (step S3). The work vehicle 50 is driven to travel until the travel drive is completed, and if it is determined that the travel drive has been completed (step S4: Yes), the main routine is terminated. If it is determined that the drive has not been completed (step S4: No), the process returns to step S1 again.

[0047] On the other hand, if the mode is not the travel mode (step S2: No), the process proceeds to step S5, where it is determined whether the mode is the work mode. If the mode is the work mode (step S5: Yes), the control unit 40 outputs drive information to the work drive unit 37 to have the unmanned work vehicle 50 perform various tasks (step S6). The work vehicle 50 continues to perform various tasks until they are completed, and if it is determined that they have been completed (step S4: Yes), the main routine ends. If it is determined that they have not been completed (step S4: No), the process returns to step S1 again.

[0048] Next, an example of a subroutine of the work vehicle automation system according to the first embodiment will be described. Fig. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of a subroutine of the operation of the control unit in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the work vehicle automation system according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0049] In this example, the floor plates 10 are colored, for example, blue, red, and yellow. In FIG. 4, the blue floor plate is designated 10a, the red floor plate 10b, and the yellow floor plate 10c. When the floor plate 10 is colored blue, the work vehicle 50 is driven to travel. When it is colored red, the work vehicle 50 is stopped from traveling. When it is colored yellow, the work vehicle 50 is driven at a low speed, and a program is stored in advance in ROM 43 that commands the work vehicle 50 to make a 90-degree right turn when the color sensor 31 first detects a yellow floor plate, and commands the work vehicle 50 to make a 90-degree left turn when the color sensor 31 next detects a yellow floor plate.

[0050] As shown in Fig. 3, the color of the floor plate 10 is detected by the color sensor 31 mounted on the unmanned work vehicle 50 (step S11). If the detected color of the floor plate 10 is blue (step S12: Yes), the process proceeds to step S13. In step S13, drive information is output from the control unit 40 to the travel drive unit 34 to drive the unmanned work vehicle 50 to travel. Therefore, if the color sensor 31 continues to detect that the color of the floor plate 10 is blue (step S12: Yes), the work vehicle 50 continues to be driven to travel. If the color of the floor plate 10 is not blue (step S12: No), the process proceeds to step S14.

[0051] In step S14, it is determined whether the color of the detected floor plate 10 is red, and if it is red (step S14: Yes), the process proceeds to step S15. In step S15, braking information is output from the control unit 40 to the braking unit 35 to stop the driving of the unmanned work vehicle 50 (step S15). Then, the process proceeds to step S16, where the work mode is executed (step S16). In this work mode, as described above, driving information is output from the control unit 40 to the work driving unit 37, and the unmanned work vehicle 50 is used to perform various tasks such as excavating the work site. The work is performed until the various tasks by the work vehicle 50 are completed, and if it is determined that the tasks have been completed (step S17: Yes), the process returns to step S1 again.

[0052] If the detected color of the floor plate 10 is not red (step S14: No), the process proceeds to step S18. In step S18, it is determined whether the color of the floor plate 10 is the initial yellow. If the color of the floor plate 10 is the initial yellow (step S18: Yes), braking information is output from the control unit 40 to the braking unit 35, causing the unmanned work vehicle 50 to travel at a low speed (step S19).

[0053] Next, it is determined whether the unmanned work vehicle 50 is at the predetermined position on the yellow deck 10c, and if it is at the predetermined position (step S20: Yes), the steering unit 36 is instructed to make a 90-degree right turn as previously stored in the ROM 43, and the process returns to step S1.

[0054] Furthermore, the subroutine of FIG. 3 will be explained more specifically with reference to FIG.

[0055] As shown in FIG. 4, a work area 61 where work will be performed by a work vehicle 50 such as a heavy machine or construction machine is set up in advance at a construction site 60. A large number of floor plates are laid in succession up to this work area 61. That is, among the many laid floor plates, four blue floor plates 10a are laid in succession in the direction of travel of the work vehicle 50, followed by a yellow floor plate 10c. Since this yellow floor plate 10c is the first yellow floor plate, the steering unit 36 is commanded to make a 90-degree right turn. Then, after three blue floor plates 10a are laid in succession, the second yellow floor plate 10c is laid, so the steering unit 36 is commanded to make a 90-degree left turn.

[0056] Furthermore, when the color sensor 31 detects the red floor plate 10b after passing through the blue floor plate 10a, the work mode is executed as described above. In this work mode, drive information is output from the control unit 40 to the work drive unit 37, causing the unmanned work vehicle 50 to perform various tasks such as excavation work in the work site 61.

[0057] According to this embodiment, the floor plates 10 have plate-shaped polyurethane resin with at least the upper surface colored in multiple colors, and are laid in multiple sheets so that the work vehicle 50 can run over them.The multiple color types are identified by the color sensor 31, and the running and stopping of the work vehicle 50 is controlled based on the identification results from the color sensor 31, and the driving and stopping of various tasks performed by the work vehicle 50 are controlled.By using the lightweight floor plates 10, which are easy to transport and lay, and are easy to maintain, it is possible to automate work performed by the work vehicle 50.

[0058] In this embodiment, for example, the plurality of blue floor plates 10a may be shaded, and the speed of the work vehicle 50 may be controlled according to the degree of shading. Specifically, the speed may increase from the light blue floor plate 10a to the dark blue floor plate 10a among the plurality of blue floor plates 10a.

[0059] Furthermore, the floor board 10 used in this embodiment may have at least its upper surface colored in a plurality of different colors, and each color may be read by the color sensor 31.

[0060] Furthermore, the color sensor 31 used in this embodiment may be configured to be able to swing in a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of the work vehicle 50. With this configuration, even if the floor plate 10 is somewhat dirty, the color sensor 31 can reliably detect the color of the floor plate 10.

[0061] In this embodiment, when the floor plate 10 is colored yellow, the work vehicle 50 is driven at a slow speed, and when the color sensor 31 first detects a yellow floor plate, it is instructed to make a 90-degree right turn, and when the color sensor 31 next detects a yellow floor plate, it is instructed to make a 90-degree left turn. However, this is not limited to this, and for example, when a yellow floor plate is detected, it may be instructed to make a 90-degree right turn, and when a green floor plate is detected, it may be instructed to make a 90-degree left turn. [Second embodiment of work vehicle automation system] Next, a work vehicle automation system according to a second embodiment will be described.

[0062] Figure 5 is a block diagram showing a control system of a work vehicle automation system according to a second embodiment of the present invention. In Figure 5, parts that are the same as or correspond to those in the first embodiment will be described using the same reference numerals as in Figure 1. In this embodiment, a receiver 38 is provided instead of the color sensor 31 of the first embodiment.

[0063] As shown in FIG. 5, in the work vehicle automation system 30A according to this embodiment, identification information for each floor plate 10 is stored from an ID device 24 serving as a transmitter embedded in each floor plate 10, and this identification information is transmitted at a predetermined interval to a receiver 38 provided on the work vehicle 50. Specifically, for example, a large number of floor plates are pre-sorted into floor plates 10 having ID devices 24 transmitting a first frequency, floor plates 10 having ID devices 24 transmitting a second frequency, floor plates 10 having ID devices 24 transmitting a third frequency, and floor plates 10 having ID devices 24 transmitting a fourth frequency. In this embodiment, the first to fourth frequencies transmitted from the ID devices 24 are mutually different and function as travel operation command information.

[0064] In the case of a floor plate 10 transmitting the first frequency, the work vehicle 50 is driven to travel on that floor plate 10. In the case of a floor plate 10 transmitting the second frequency, the work vehicle 50 is stopped from traveling. In the case of a floor plate 10 transmitting the third frequency, the work vehicle 50 is driven to travel at a low speed, and a program is stored in advance in the ROM 43. The program commands the work vehicle 50 to make a 90-degree right turn when the receiver 38 first receives the floor plate transmitting the third frequency, and commands the work vehicle 50 to make a 90-degree left turn when the receiver 38 next receives the floor plate transmitting the third frequency. In this case, the ID device 24 transmits a fourth frequency when the work vehicle 50 reaches a predetermined position on the floor plate for turning right or left. The ID device 24 transmitting the fourth frequency is installed on the floor plate to which the third frequency was transmitted.

[0065] The control unit 40 receives input signals from the receiver 38 and the input unit 32, and controls the operation of each unit, such as the travel drive unit 34, braking unit 35, steering unit 36, and work drive unit 37. The control unit 40 has pre-stored in ROM 43 the relationship between the frequency data for identifying each floor plate 10 input from the input unit 22 and the travel drive data, stop data, steering data, and work drive data of the work vehicle 50. Note that each of the above data may be stored in a separately provided database instead of being stored in ROM 43.

[0066] As shown in Fig. 6, the frequency transmitted from the ID device 24 of the floor plate 10 is received by the receiver 38 mounted on the unmanned work vehicle 50 and identified by the control unit 40 (step S31). If the identified frequency of the floor plate 10 is the first frequency (step S32: Yes), the process proceeds to step S33. In this step S33, the control unit 40 outputs drive information to the travel drive unit 34 to drive the unmanned work vehicle 50 to travel. Therefore, if the first frequency continues to be identified by the frequency transmitted from the ID device 24 (step S32: Yes), the work vehicle 50 continues to be driven to travel. If the identified frequency of the floor plate 10 is not the first frequency (step S32: No), the process proceeds to step S34.

[0067] In step S34, it is determined whether the frequency of the identified floor plate 10 is the second frequency, and if it is the second frequency (step S34: Yes), the process proceeds to step S35. In step S35, braking information is output from the control unit 40 to the braking unit 35 to stop the driving of the unmanned work vehicle 50 (step S35). Then, the process proceeds to step S36, where the work mode is executed (step S36). In this work mode, as described above, driving information is output from the control unit 40 to the work driving unit 37, and the unmanned work vehicle 50 is used to perform various tasks such as excavating the work site. The work is performed until the various tasks by the work vehicle 50 are completed, and if it is determined that the tasks have been completed (step S37: Yes), the process returns to step S31 again.

[0068] If the frequency of the identified floor plate 10 is not the second frequency (step S34: No), the process proceeds to step S38. In this step S38, it is determined whether the frequency of the identified floor plate 10 is the third frequency. If the third frequency is the third frequency that was initially received (step S38: Yes), braking information is output from the control unit 40 to the braking unit 35, causing the unmanned work vehicle 50 to travel at a low speed (step S39).

[0069] Next, it is determined whether the unmanned work vehicle 50 is at a predetermined position (step S40). In this case, a fourth frequency is transmitted from the ID device 24 provided separately from the floor plate 10, and the fourth frequency is received by the receiver 38. If the fourth frequency is received, the control unit 40 determines that the predetermined position has been reached. If the predetermined position has been reached (step S40: Yes), the steering unit 36 is commanded to make a 90-degree right turn as previously stored in the ROM 43, and the process returns to step S31 again.

[0070] According to this embodiment, when a plurality of floor plates 10 are laid and the work vehicle 50 can travel on each of the floor plates 50, travel work command information is sent to the work vehicle 50 from the ID device 24 provided on each floor plate 50, and the travel work command information is received by a receiver 38 provided on the work vehicle 50, which controls the travel and stopping of the work vehicle 50 based on the travel work command information, as well as controlling the driving and stopping of various tasks performed by the work vehicle 50.By using lightweight floor plates 10 that are easy to transport and lay, and that are easy to maintain, it is possible to automate work performed by the work vehicle 50.

[0071] Although the present invention has been described using various embodiments, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and improvements can be made to the above embodiments. It is clear from the claims that such modifications and improvements can also be included within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0072] In the floor plate 10 of each of the above embodiments, the size, shape, material, arrangement position of each component, distribution of components, etc. may be changed as appropriate depending on the application and other circumstances.

[0073] Furthermore, the present invention may be configured by combining the work vehicle automation systems 30, 30A of the above-described embodiments. Specifically, while the running and stopping of the work vehicle 50 is controlled based on the identification results from the color sensor 31 of the first embodiment, work command information from the ID device 24 of the second embodiment, i.e., the first to fourth frequencies, is received by the receiver 38, and the driving and stopping of various tasks by the work vehicle 50 is controlled based on the received first to fourth frequencies. Even with control in this manner, the same effects as those of the first and second embodiments can be obtained. [Explanation of symbols]

[0074] 10 Bottom plate 12 First main surface 14 Second main surface 15 Side 16 sides 17 sides 20 Base material 22 Coating layer 24 ID device (transmitter) 30 Work vehicle automation system 30A Work vehicle automation system 31 Color Sensor 32 Input section 33 Display section 34 Travel drive unit 35 Braking part 36 Steering section 37 Work drive unit 38 Receiver 40 Control unit (control means) 41 I / O 42 RAM 43 ROM 44 CPU 50 Work vehicles 60 Construction Site 61 Workplace

Claims

1. A work vehicle automation system that controls unmanned work vehicles to automatically perform various tasks, a plurality of floor plates having a plate-like polyurethane resin with at least an upper surface colored in a plurality of colors, the floor plates being laid on which the work vehicle can travel; a color sensor provided on the work vehicle that identifies the plurality of colors of the plurality of laid floor plates; a control means for controlling the running and stopping of the work vehicle based on the identification result by the color sensor, and for controlling the driving and stopping of various works by the work vehicle; A work vehicle automation system comprising:

2. A work vehicle automation system that controls unmanned work vehicles to automatically perform various tasks, a plurality of floor plates made of plate-shaped polyurethane resin and laid on the work vehicle; a transmitter provided on each of the plurality of floor plates and configured to transmit work command information to the work vehicle; a receiver provided on the work vehicle for receiving work command information from the transmitter; a control means for controlling the running and stopping of the work vehicle based on the work command information, and for controlling the driving and stopping of various works by the work vehicle; A work vehicle automation system comprising:

3. A work vehicle automation system that controls unmanned work vehicles to automatically perform various tasks, a plurality of floor plates having a plate-like polyurethane resin with at least an upper surface colored in a plurality of colors, the floor plates being laid down so that the work vehicle can travel on the floor; a color sensor provided on the work vehicle and configured to identify a plurality of color types in the plurality of laid floor boards; a transmitter provided on each of the plurality of floor plates and configured to transmit work command information to the work vehicle; a receiver provided on the work vehicle for receiving work command information from the transmitter; a control means for controlling the running and stopping of the work vehicle based on the identification result from the color sensor, and for controlling the starting and stopping of various operations by the work vehicle based on work command information from the transmitter; A work vehicle automation system comprising:

4. the transmitter is an ID device; 4. The work vehicle automation system according to claim 2, wherein the ID device stores identification information for identifying the floor plate and is capable of transmitting the identification information.

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