Device, moving body, and manufacturing method for moving body

Abstract

To provide a technique that is able to appropriately execute fitting components when conveying a moving body to a fitting area by unmanned operation.SOLUTION: A device includes: a first acquisition unit configured to acquire defect information related to a defect in a moving body that moves on a production line by remote control; a component specifying unit configured to specify, when the defect information is acquired, a corresponding component to be fitted to a defective moving body, which is the moving body having the defect, from a plurality of components flowing through a component line, the component line merging with the manufacturing line in a fitting area for fitting the component to the moving body; and an instruction unit configured to execute a retraction instruction for removing the defective moving body from the manufacturing line and an instruction for skipping fitting the corresponding component.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an apparatus, a moving body, and a method for manufacturing a moving body. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a technology for driving vehicles in an unmanned manner during the vehicle manufacturing process. [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] A technology is known in which a moving object, such as a vehicle, and a part are joined in an assembly area for assembling parts to the moving object, and the joined moving object and the part are assembled. It is possible to transport the moving object to the assembly area by unmanned operation. However, no consideration has been given to properly performing assembly when a malfunction occurs in the moving object being transported to the assembly area by unmanned operation. [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 an apparatus including: a first acquisition unit that acquires defect information relating to a defect of a mobile object moving by remote control on a manufacturing line; a component identification unit that, when the defect information is acquired, identifies a corresponding component to be assembled to the defective mobile object, which is the mobile object having the defect, from among a plurality of components flowing on a component line that merges with the manufacturing line in an assembly area for assembling the component to the mobile object; and an instruction unit that executes an evacuation instruction to remove the defective mobile object from the manufacturing line and a skip instruction to skip assembly of the corresponding component. According to this aspect, an instruction is given to remove the defective vehicle from the production line and to skip the assembly of the corresponding part, so that it is possible to prevent the wrong part from being assembled to the moving body in the assembly area, and therefore, it is possible to properly perform assembly in the assembly area. (2) In the above embodiment, the instruction unit may further issue an entry instruction to a subsequent moving body that is a moving body following the defective moving body to enter an area that occurs when the defective moving body deviates from the manufacturing line. According to this embodiment, each moving body can be moved more efficiently on the manufacturing line, thereby increasing the likelihood that assembly can be performed more efficiently. (3) In the above aspect, the instruction unit may cause the subsequent moving body to enter the empty space by slowing down the subsequent moving body to a degree less than the degree of deceleration of the moving body preceding the subsequent moving body in the entry instruction. According to this aspect, compared to when the subsequent moving body is accelerated more to enter the empty space, it is possible to suppress the influence of the high speed of the moving body on the work process performed upstream of the assembly area in the production line. (4) In the above embodiment, the instruction unit may further instruct a device configured to change the position of the part flowing on the part line to change the position of the part succeeding the corresponding part to a more forward position on the part line. This embodiment allows the succeeding part to be moved further forward in the part line, increasing the likelihood of more efficient assembly. (5) In the above aspect, the instruction unit may further issue a repair instruction to the defective mobile object to move the defective mobile object to a repair location for repairing the defect. According to this aspect, the defective mobile object removed from the production line can be moved to the repair location and repaired. (6) In the above embodiment, the system further includes a location identification unit that identifies the repair location based on the malfunction information, and the repair instruction may be an instruction to move the malfunctioning mobile object to the identified repair location. According to this embodiment, the malfunctioning mobile object can be moved to the repair location based on the malfunction, and the malfunctioning mobile object can be more appropriately repaired at the repair location. (7) In the above aspect, the system may further include a second acquisition unit that acquires completion information regarding the completion of the repair, and when the completion information is acquired, the instruction unit may execute an instruction to the repaired mobile body, which is the mobile body for which the repair has been completed, to enter the repaired mobile body into the manufacturing line. According to this aspect, the repaired mobile body can be returned to the manufacturing line. (8) In the above aspect, the instruction unit may further execute an instruction to assemble the corresponding part onto the repaired moving object entering the manufacturing line. According to this aspect, the corresponding part whose assembly was skipped can be assembled onto the repaired moving object that has returned to the manufacturing line. (9) In the above aspect, the evacuation instruction may be an instruction to be executed on the defective moving object and may be an instruction to remove the defective moving object from the manufacturing line by the remote control. According to this aspect, for example, the defective moving object can be removed from the manufacturing line without manual labor. (10) In the above aspect, the evacuation instruction may be an instruction to be executed by a terminal device. According to this aspect, for example, a worker carrying the terminal device can remove the defective moving object from the production line. (11) In the above aspect, the skip instruction may be an instruction to be executed by at least one of a machine that assembles the corresponding part on the moving body and a worker. According to this aspect, the skip instruction can be executed more effectively. (12) According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a mobile body including: a first acquisition unit that acquires defect information relating to a defect of the mobile body that moves unmanned on a production line; a component identification unit that, when the defect information is acquired, identifies a corresponding component to be assembled to the mobile body from among a plurality of components flowing on a component line that merges with the production line in an assembly area for assembling the component to the mobile body; and an instruction unit that executes an instruction to remove the mobile body from the production line and an instruction to skip assembly of the corresponding component. In addition to the above-described devices and mobile bodies, the present disclosure can be realized in the form of, for example, a system, a method for manufacturing a mobile body, a method for controlling a mobile body, a program, a non-transitory recording medium on which a program is recorded, a program product, etc. Note that the program product may be provided as a recording medium on which a program is recorded, or may be provided as a program product that can be distributed via a network, for example. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing the configuration of a system according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram illustrating the correspondence between each vehicle and each part on the parts line. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a system. [Figure 4] 3 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure for vehicle travel control in the first embodiment. [Figure 5]1 is a flowchart of a manufacturing process. [Figure 6] 1A to 1C are diagrams illustrating an example of a manufacturing process. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a system according to a second embodiment. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure for vehicle travel control in a second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] A. First embodiment: 1 is a conceptual diagram showing the configuration of a system 50 in the first embodiment. The system 50 includes one or more vehicles 100 as moving bodies, a server 200, and one or more external sensors 300. The server 200 in the first embodiment corresponds to the "device" in the present disclosure.

[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). A vehicle may be a vehicle that runs on wheels or a vehicle that runs on tracks, such as a passenger car, truck, bus, motorcycle, automobile, tank, or construction vehicle. Vehicles include electric vehicles (BEVs: Battery Electric Vehicles), gasoline-powered vehicles, hybrid vehicles, and fuel cell vehicles. When a mobile body is something other than a vehicle, the terms "vehicle" and "car" in this disclosure may be appropriately replaced with "mobile body," and the term "traveling" may be appropriately replaced with "moving."

[0010] The vehicle 100 is configured to be capable of traveling in an unmanned manner. "Unmanned driving" refers to driving without the driver's control. Driving operation refers to operations related to at least one of "running," "turning," and "stopping" of the vehicle 100. Unmanned driving is achieved by automatic or manual remote control using a device located outside the vehicle 100, or by autonomous control of the vehicle 100. A vehicle 100 traveling in an unmanned manner may have a driver on board who does not operate the vehicle. A driver who does not operate the vehicle may, for example, simply be seated in the vehicle 100, or a person who is riding in the vehicle 100 and performing work other than driving operations, such as assembly, inspection, or operating switches. Driving in which a driver controls the vehicle is sometimes called "manned driving."

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

[0012] Vehicle 100 may be configured to be able to travel by unmanned driving, and may be in the form of a platform having the configuration described below, for example. Specifically, vehicle 100 may be equipped with at least a vehicle control device and a group of actuators (described below) to perform the three functions of "running," "turning," and "stopping" by unmanned driving. Vehicle 100 may further be equipped with a communication device when acquiring information from a device external to vehicle 100 for unmanned driving. That is, vehicle 100 capable of traveling by unmanned driving may not be equipped with at least some of its interior parts, such as a driver's seat and a dashboard, may not be equipped with at least some of its exterior parts, such as bumpers and fenders, and may not be equipped with a body shell. In this case, the remaining parts, such as the body shell, may be attached to vehicle 100 before it is shipped from the factory FC, or the remaining parts, such as the body shell, may be attached to vehicle 100 after it is shipped from the factory FC without the remaining parts, such as the body shell. Each part may be mounted from any direction, such as the top, bottom, front, rear, right or left side of the vehicle 100, and may be mounted from the same direction or from different directions.

[0013] In this embodiment, the system 50 is used in a factory FC that manufactures vehicles 100. The reference coordinate system of the factory FC is a global coordinate system GC, and any position in the factory FC can be expressed by X, Y, and Z coordinates in the global coordinate system GC. The factory FC has a first location L1 and a second location L2. The first location L1 and the second location L2 are connected by a road TR along which the vehicle 100 can travel. A plurality of external sensors 300 are installed along the road TR in the factory FC. The position of each external sensor 300 in the factory FC is adjusted in advance. The vehicle 100 moves from the first location L1 to the second location L2 along the road TR in an unmanned operation.

[0014] The factory FC has a production line ML and a parts line PL. The production line ML and the parts line PL meet at an assembly area AA. The production line ML is a line for transporting the vehicle 100. On the production line ML, the vehicle 100 is transported by traveling along the production line ML in an unmanned operation. In this embodiment, a portion of the track TR corresponds to the production line ML. The parts line PL is a line for transporting a plurality of parts PT. On the parts line PL, each part PT to be assembled into each vehicle 100 to be manufactured in the factory FC flows. In this embodiment, the conveyor device Cv for transporting the parts PT toward the assembly area AA corresponds to the parts line PL. In the assembly area AA, the parts PT are assembled into the vehicle 100. In this embodiment, the assembly in the assembly area AA is performed by an assembly robot 450. The assembly robot 450 is an example of a device that assembles the parts PT into the vehicle 100. In order to ensure smooth assembly in the assembly area AA, it is preferable that the vehicle 100 and the part PT corresponding to that vehicle 100 arrive at the assembly area AA in a timely manner.

[0015] The part line PL is not particularly limited in its mode or shape as long as it is configured to be able to transport the parts PT in order to the assembly area AA. For example, the part line PL is not limited to a line using a conveyor device Cv, but may be a line using hangers that move the parts PT while suspending them, or a line using automated guided vehicles (AGVs) that transport the parts PT.

[0016] In this embodiment, a component processing device PD is disposed near the component line PL. The component processing device PD is, for example, a robot. The component processing device PD is configured to be able to change the position of a component PT on the component line PL. In other embodiments, for example, an assembly robot 450 may function as the component processing device PD. In this embodiment, a waiting area WP is provided near the component line PL. The waiting area WP is a place where corresponding components, which will be described later, are kept waiting.

[0017] The vehicle 100 traveling on the production line ML can be evacuated outside the production line ML. Furthermore, the vehicle 100 that has been evacuated outside the production line ML can return to the production line ML. Hereinafter, the evacuation of the vehicle 100 outside the production line ML will also be referred to simply as "evacuation of the vehicle 100." Furthermore, the return of the vehicle 100 to the production line ML will also be referred to simply as "return of the vehicle 100." When the vehicle 100 is evacuated, the vehicle 100 moves to, for example, the auxiliary track TP, the first track AR1, the second track AR2, or the repair site RP. The auxiliary track TP is a track that runs along the production line ML and is aligned with the production line ML in the vehicle width direction of the track TR. The first track AR1 is a track that guides the vehicle 100 from the production line ML to the repair site RP. The second track AR2 is a track that guides the vehicle 100 from the repair site RP to the production line ML. The repair site RP is a location for repairing defects, as described below. In this embodiment, the evacuation and return of vehicle 100 is achieved by unmanned driving of vehicle 100. In other embodiments, the evacuation and return of vehicle 100 may be achieved, for example, by a worker operating the vehicle as an occupant, by a worker or a robot transporting vehicle 100 using wheels, or by transporting vehicle 100 without using wheels.

[0018] FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram illustrating the correspondence between each vehicle 100 on the production line ML and each part PT on the part line PL. Parts PTa, PTb, PTc, and PTd, which correspond one-to-one to each vehicle 100, are assembled to each of the vehicles 100a, 100b, 100c, and 100d shown in FIG. 2. The correspondence between each vehicle 100 and each part PT is managed, for example, using the identification number of the vehicle 100. The vehicles 100 shown in FIG. 2 arrive at the assembly area AA in the order of vehicles 100a, 100b, 100c, and 100d. The parts PT shown in FIG. 2 arrive at the assembly area AA in the order of parts PTa, PTb, PTc, and PTd, corresponding to the arrival order of the vehicles 100.

[0019] 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the system 50. The vehicle 100 includes a vehicle control device 110 for controlling each part of the vehicle 100, an actuator group 120 including one or more actuators that are driven under the control of the vehicle control device 110, and a communication device 130 for communicating via wireless communication with external devices such as a server 200. The actuator group 120 includes an actuator for a drive device for accelerating the vehicle 100, an actuator for a steering device for changing the traveling direction of the vehicle 100, and an actuator for a braking device for decelerating the vehicle 100.

[0020] 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 via the internal bus 114 to enable bidirectional communication. The input / output interface 113 is connected to an actuator group 120 and a communication device 130. The processor 111 executes a program PG1 stored in the memory 112 to realize various functions including a function as a vehicle control unit 115.

[0021] The vehicle control unit 115 controls the actuator group 120 to cause the vehicle 100 to run. The vehicle control unit 115 controls the actuator group 120 using a running control signal received from the server 200 to cause the vehicle 100 to run. The running control signal is a control signal for causing the vehicle 100 to run. In this embodiment, the running control signal includes the acceleration and steering angle of the vehicle 100 as parameters. In other embodiments, the running 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.

[0022] The server 200 is configured by a computer including a processor 201, a memory 202, an input / output interface 203, and an internal bus 204. The processor 201, the memory 202, and the input / output interface 203 are connected via the internal bus 204 to enable bidirectional communication. A communication device 205 is connected to the input / output interface 203 for communicating with various devices external to the server 200. The communication device 205 can communicate with the vehicle 100 and a terminal device 380 owned by a user via wireless communication, and can also communicate with each external sensor 300, the assembly robot 450, and the part processing device PD via wired or wireless communication. The user refers to a user of the system 50 or the factory FC, such as a manager or worker of the factory FC. By executing the program PG2 stored in the memory 202, the processor 201 realizes various functions including the functions of a first acquisition unit 215, a part identification unit 220, an instruction unit 230, a location identification unit 240, and a second acquisition unit 245.

[0023] The first acquisition unit 215 acquires defect information. The defect information is information relating to a defect in a vehicle 100 traveling on the production line ML. Hereinafter, a vehicle 100 having a defect is also referred to as a defective vehicle. The first acquisition unit 215 may acquire the defect information by detecting a defect using an external sensor 300, for example, or may acquire defect information input by a user. The defect information may be transmitted to the server 200 via a terminal device 380, for example.

[0024] The defect information may be, for example, information indicating a part of the vehicle 100 where a defect has occurred, or information indicating the type of defect, such as a mechanical defect, an electrical defect, or an appearance defect. The defect information may be information indicating the type of defect for each part of the vehicle 100.

[0025] When the part identification unit 220 acquires defect information, it identifies a corresponding part that corresponds to the defective vehicle from among the multiple parts PT flowing on the parts line PL. The corresponding part is a part that is to be assembled to the defective vehicle. The part identification unit 220 identifies the corresponding part by, for example, determining the identification number of the corresponding part and its order on the parts line PL based on the identification number of the defective vehicle and its order on the production line ML.

[0026] The instruction unit 230 in this embodiment functions as a remote control unit as appropriate. The remote control unit generates a driving control signal and transmits the driving control signal to the vehicle 100, thereby causing the vehicle 100 to drive by remote control. It can also be said that the instruction unit 230 issues a remote instruction to the vehicle 100 to cause the vehicle 100 to drive by remote control. Note that "the instruction unit 230 issuing an instruction to an object such as the vehicle 100" is also referred to as "the instruction unit 230 executing an instruction to an object."

[0027] The instruction unit 230 executes an evacuation instruction and a skip instruction. In addition, the instruction unit 230 in this embodiment further executes an entry instruction, a forward instruction, a repair instruction, a return instruction, and an assembly instruction.

[0028] The evacuation instruction is an instruction to remove the defective vehicle from the production line ML. In the evacuation instruction in this embodiment, the instruction unit 230 generates a driving control signal for driving the defective vehicle out of the production line ML and transmits the generated driving control signal to the defective vehicle. In other words, the evacuation instruction in this embodiment is an instruction to remove the defective vehicle from the production line ML by remote control. As will be described later, the evacuation instruction in this embodiment is realized by a repair instruction.

[0029] The skip instruction is an instruction to skip the assembly of the corresponding part. The skip instruction is issued, for example, to at least one of the machine and the worker performing the assembly in the assembly area AA. In this embodiment, the instructing unit 230 issues a skip instruction to the assembly robot 450 that assembles the part PT to the vehicle 100 in the assembly area AA. In the skip instruction in this embodiment, the instructing unit 230 transmits a control command to the assembly robot 450 to skip the assembly of the corresponding part.

[0030] The skip instruction in this embodiment includes a movement instruction to move the corresponding part to the waiting position WP. Specifically, the movement instruction is realized by, for example, a control command to move the corresponding part to the waiting position WP. In this embodiment, the assembly robot 450, upon receiving the skip instruction, holds the corresponding part that has traveled along the part line PL and arrived at the assembly area AA, and moves the held corresponding part to the waiting position WP.

[0031] The entry instruction instructs the following vehicle to enter the vacant space. The following vehicle is a vehicle following the defective vehicle. The vacant space is a space created when the defective vehicle is removed from the production line ML due to the evacuation instruction. In other words, the vacant space corresponds to a space originally occupied by the defective vehicle on the production line ML. In the entry instruction in this embodiment, the instruction unit 230 generates a driving control signal for causing the following vehicle to enter the vacant space and transmits the generated driving control signal to the following vehicle. In addition, in this embodiment, the driving control signal generated in the entry instruction is a driving control signal for reducing the degree of deceleration of the following vehicle compared to the degree of deceleration of the leading vehicle. The leading vehicle is the vehicle 100 that will precede the following vehicle when the defective vehicle is evacuated. Specifically, when the leading vehicle decelerates, the instruction unit 230 generates a driving control signal for preventing the following vehicle from decelerating compared to the leading vehicle and transmits the generated driving control signal to the following vehicle.

[0032] The advance instruction is an instruction to change the position of the subsequent part on the part line PL to a position ahead of its planned position. The subsequent part is the part PT that follows the corresponding part. The planned position is the position of the subsequent part on the part line PL if the advance instruction is not executed. Hereinafter, "changing the position of the subsequent part on the part line PL to a position ahead of its planned position" is also simply referred to as "advancing the subsequent part." The advance instruction is executed on equipment configured to change the position of the part PT flowing on the part line PL. In this embodiment, the advance instruction is issued by the instruction unit 230, which transmits a control command to the part processing equipment PD to advance the subsequent part. Note that the advance distance, which is the distance by which the subsequent part is advanced, may be determined based on the time required to assemble the part PT. Specifically, since the assembly of the corresponding part is skipped due to the above skip instruction, the subsequent part can be more appropriately advanced by determining the advance distance to be a distance corresponding to the time required to assemble the corresponding part.

[0033] The repair instruction is an instruction to move the defective vehicle to a repair location RP to repair the defect. In this embodiment, the repair instruction unit 230 generates a driving control signal for driving the defective vehicle to the repair location RP and transmits the generated driving control signal to the defective vehicle. Upon receiving the repair instruction, the vehicle 100 drives to the repair location RP, for example, via the auxiliary track TP or the first track AR1. As will be described later, in this embodiment, the repair location RP is identified by the location identification unit 240.

[0034] The return instruction is an instruction to a repaired vehicle whose defect has been repaired to enter the production line ML. The instruction unit 230 executes the return instruction when completion information is acquired. The completion information is information that indicates that repairs to the defect in the defective vehicle have been completed. As will be described later, the completion information is acquired by the second acquisition unit 245. In the return instruction in this embodiment, the instruction unit 230 generates a driving control signal for driving the repaired vehicle toward the production line ML, and transmits the generated driving control signal to the repaired vehicle. Upon receiving the return instruction, the vehicle 100 heads toward the production line ML via the second track AR2 and the auxiliary track TP, and enters the production line ML.

[0035] The assembly instruction is an instruction to assemble the corresponding part into the repaired vehicle. The assembly instruction is issued, for example, to at least one of the equipment and the worker that will perform the assembly in the assembly area AA. In this embodiment, the instruction unit 230 executes the assembly instruction to the assembly robot 450. Specifically, in the assembly instruction, the instruction unit 230 transmits, for example, a control command to the assembly robot 450 to assemble the corresponding part placed in the waiting area WP into the repaired vehicle. The assembly robot 450 that has executed the assembly instruction holds the corresponding part placed in the waiting area WP and assembles it into the repaired vehicle that has arrived at the assembly area AA.

[0036] The location identification unit 240 identifies a repair location RP according to the malfunction information. In this embodiment, the location identification unit 240 identifies a repair location RP corresponding to the malfunction from among multiple candidate repair locations RP. The location identification unit 240 identifies the repair location RP, for example, based on the malfunction information, by referring to a database DB that associates parts of the vehicle 100 and types of malfunctions with repair locations RP suitable for repairing those parts and types of malfunctions.

[0037] The second acquisition unit 245 acquires the completion information. The completion information may be transmitted to the server 200 via, for example, the terminal device 380. Alternatively, the completion information may be transmitted to the server 200 from, for example, a device in charge of repairing the defective vehicle.

[0038] The external sensor 300 is a sensor located outside the vehicle 100. In this embodiment, the external sensor 300 is a sensor that captures the vehicle 100 from outside the vehicle 100. Specifically, the external sensor 300 is configured by a camera. The camera as the external sensor 300 captures an image of the vehicle 100 and outputs the captured image as a detection result. The external sensor 300 is equipped with a communication device (not shown) and can communicate with other devices such as the server 200 via wired communication or wireless communication.

[0039] 4 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure for driving control of the vehicle 100 in the first embodiment. In the processing procedure in FIG. 4, the processor 201 of the server 200 functions as a remote control unit by executing the program PG2. Also, the processor 111 of the vehicle 100 functions as a vehicle control unit 115 by executing the program PG1.

[0040] In step S1, the processor 201 of the server 200 acquires vehicle position information using the detection results output from the external sensor 300. The vehicle position information is position information that serves as the basis for generating a driving control signal. In this embodiment, the vehicle position information includes the position and orientation of the vehicle 100 in the global coordinate system GC of the factory FC. Specifically, in step S1, the processor 201 acquires the vehicle position information using a captured image acquired from a camera, which is the external sensor 300.

[0041] In detail, in step S1, the processor 201, 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 50, and is pre-stored in the memory 202 of the server 200. The detection model DM may be, for example, a trained machine learning model that has been trained to achieve either semantic segmentation or instance segmentation. As this machine learning model, for example, a convolutional neural network (hereinafter, CNN) trained by supervised learning using a training dataset may be used. The training dataset may, for example, include a plurality of training images including the vehicle 100 and labels indicating whether each region in the training image represents the vehicle 100 or a region other than the vehicle 100. During CNN training, it is preferable to update the parameters of the CNN by backpropagation (error backpropagation method) so as to reduce the error between the output result of the detection model DM and the label. In addition, the processor 201 can acquire the orientation of the vehicle 100 by estimating it 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.

[0042] In step S2, the processor 201 of the server 200 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 to be traveled by the vehicle 100, is stored in advance in the memory 202 of the server 200. The route is represented by nodes indicating the departure point, nodes indicating passing points, nodes indicating the destination, and links connecting the nodes. The processor 201 uses the vehicle position information and the reference route RR to determine a target position to which the vehicle 100 should next head. The processor 201 determines a target position on the reference route RR that is ahead of the current location of the vehicle 100.

[0043] In step S3, the processor 201 of the server 200 generates a travel control signal for causing the vehicle 100 to travel toward the determined target position. The processor 201 calculates the travel speed of the vehicle 100 from the change in the position of the vehicle 100 and compares the calculated travel speed with the target speed. When the travel speed is lower than the target speed, the processor 201 determines an acceleration such that the vehicle 100 accelerates. When the travel speed is higher than the target speed, the processor 201 determines an acceleration such that the vehicle 100 decelerates. Furthermore, when the vehicle 100 is located on the reference route RR, the processor 201 determines a steering angle and acceleration such that the vehicle 100 does not deviate from the reference route RR. 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 processor 201 determines a steering angle and acceleration such that the vehicle 100 returns to the reference route RR.

[0044] In step S4, the processor 201 of the server 200 transmits the generated driving control signal to the vehicle 100. The processor 201 repeats, at a predetermined cycle, the acquisition of vehicle position information, the determination of a target position, the generation of a driving control signal, and the transmission of the driving control signal.

[0045] In step S5, the processor 111 of the vehicle 100 receives the driving control signal transmitted from the server 200. In step S6, the processor 111 of the vehicle 100 controls the actuator group 120 using the received driving control signal, thereby causing the vehicle 100 to drive at the acceleration and steering angle indicated in the driving control signal. The processor 111 repeats receiving the driving control signal and controlling the actuator group 120 at a predetermined cycle. According to the system 50 of this embodiment, the vehicle 100 can be driven by remote control, and the vehicle 100 can be moved without using transportation equipment such as a crane or conveyor.

[0046] FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a manufacturing process for implementing the manufacturing method of the vehicle 100 according to this embodiment. The processor 201 executes the manufacturing process of FIG. 5, for example, at predetermined time intervals while the driving control of FIG. 4 is being executed. Hereinafter, the vehicle 100 that is the target of the manufacturing process is also referred to as the target vehicle 100. While the manufacturing process is being executed, the first acquisition unit 215 determines at predetermined time intervals whether or not defect information has been received for the target vehicle 100, and if defect information has been received, turns on a defect flag. While the manufacturing process is being executed, the second acquisition unit 245 determines at predetermined time intervals whether or not completion information has been received for the target vehicle 100, and if completion information has been received, turns off a repair flag. In step S150, which will be described later, the defect flag is turned off and the repair flag is turned on.

[0047] First, normal processing will be described below. The normal processing is executed from when the target vehicle 100 starts traveling on the production line ML or when the target vehicle 100 returns to the production line ML until defect information is acquired for the target vehicle 100. In the normal processing, steps S105, S110, S115, S120, and S125 are executed.

[0048] In step S105, the instruction unit 230 acquires vehicle position information of the target vehicle 100 using the detection result by the external sensor 300. In step S110, the instruction unit 230 determines whether or not the malfunction flag is ON. If the malfunction flag is OFF in step S110, the instruction unit 230 determines whether or not the repair flag is OFF in step S115. If the repair flag is OFF in step S115, the instruction unit 230 determines whether or not the target vehicle 100 is on the production line ML in step S120. In step S120, the instruction unit 230 determines whether or not the target vehicle 100 is on the production line ML, for example, based on the vehicle position information acquired in step S105.

[0049] If the target vehicle 100 is on the production line ML in step S120, the instruction unit 230 executes a normal instruction in step S125. The normal instruction is an instruction to transport the vehicle 100 on the production line ML along the production line ML. In step S125, the instruction unit 230 generates a driving control signal for driving the target vehicle 100 on the production line ML based on the vehicle position information acquired in step S105, and transmits the generated driving control signal to the target vehicle 100.

[0050] Next, the pre-repair process will be described. The pre-repair process is executed from when the defect information is acquired until the target vehicle 100 arrives at the repair location RP. In the pre-repair process, steps S105, S110, S115, S130, S135, S140, S145, and S150 are executed.

[0051] If the malfunction flag is ON in step S110, in step S130, the instruction unit 230 determines whether the target vehicle 100 is at the repair location RP. In step S130, the instruction unit 230 determines whether the target vehicle 100 is at the repair location RP, for example, based on the vehicle position information. Note that the instruction unit 230 may determine whether the target vehicle 100 is at the repair location RP, for example, using an area sensor (not shown) installed in the factory FC.

[0052] If the target vehicle 100 is not at the repair location RP in step S130, the instruction unit 230 executes a repair instruction in step S135. If the target vehicle 100 is on the production line ML at the start of step S135, step S135 causes the target vehicle 100 to travel toward the repair location RP outside the production line ML. In other words, the evacuation instruction is implemented. On the other hand, if the target vehicle 100 is outside the production line ML at the start of step S135, the target vehicle 100 continues traveling toward the repair location RP. Note that in this embodiment, the location identification unit 240 may identify the repair location RP at any timing between the acquisition of the defect information and the start of step S130.

[0053] In step S140, the instruction unit 230 determines whether the skip instruction has been executed. If the skip instruction has not been executed in step S140, the instruction unit 230 executes the skip instruction in step S145. As described above, in this embodiment, the skip instruction is executed for the assembly robot 450. When the corresponding part arrives at the assembly area AA, the assembly robot 450, upon receiving the skip instruction, skips the assembly of the corresponding part and moves the corresponding part to the waiting area WP. In this case, the subsequent part is usually assembled before the assembly of the corresponding part. Note that the arrival of the corresponding part at the assembly area AA can be detected, for example, using the identification number of the corresponding part. In this case, for example, the assembly robot 450 or a detector may read the identification number of the part PT arriving at the assembly area AA and compare the read identification number with the identification number of the corresponding part. The identification number of the corresponding part may be transmitted to the assembly robot 450 or the detector from, for example, the terminal device 380 or the server 200. For example, a two-dimensional code or RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) may be used to read the identification number.

[0054] If vehicle 100 is at repair location RP in step S130, instruction unit 230 executes flag processing in step S150. Flag processing is processing for turning OFF the malfunction flag and turning ON the repair flag.

[0055] Next, the during-repair processing will be described. The during-repair processing is executed from when the target vehicle 100 moves to the repair location RP until the repair of the target vehicle 100 is completed. In the during-repair processing, steps S105, S110, S115, and S155 are executed. If the repair flag is ON in step S115, in step S155, the instruction unit 230 causes the target vehicle 100 to wait at the repair location RP. In step S155, the instruction unit 230 generates a traveling control signal for causing the target vehicle 100 to wait at the repair location RP, and transmits the generated traveling control signal to the target vehicle 100. Note that in other embodiments, the instruction unit 230 may cause the target vehicle 100 to wait at the repair location RP, for example, by stopping the transmission of the traveling control signal to the target vehicle 100.

[0056] Next, the return processing will be described. The return processing is executed from the time when repairs of the target vehicle 100 are completed until the target vehicle 100 returns to the production line ML. In the return processing, steps S105, S110, S115, S120, S160, S165, and S170 are executed. If the target vehicle 100 is not on the production line ML in step S120, the instruction unit 230 executes a return instruction in step S160.

[0057] In step S165, the instruction unit 230 determines whether the assembly instruction has been executed. If the assembly instruction has not been executed in step S165, the instruction unit 230 executes the assembly instruction in step S170. As described above, in this embodiment, the assembly instruction is executed to the assembly robot 450. The assembly instruction may be executed before the repaired vehicle returns to the production line ML, or may be executed after the repaired vehicle returns to the production line ML. When the repaired vehicle arrives at the assembly area AA, the assembly robot 450, to which the assembly instruction has been executed, assembles the corresponding parts that were placed in the waiting area WP onto the repaired vehicle. Note that the arrival of the repaired vehicle at the assembly area AA can be detected, for example, using the identification number of the repaired vehicle. In this case, for example, the assembly robot 450 or a detector may read the identification number of the vehicle 100 arriving at the assembly area AA, and the read identification number may be compared with the identification number of the repaired vehicle. The identification number of the repaired vehicle may be transmitted from the terminal device 380 or the server 200 to the assembly robot 450 or the detector, for example.

[0058] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a manufacturing process. FIG. 6 shows an example in which vehicle 100c is a defective vehicle and part PTc is a corresponding part. Note that FIG. 6 omits the vehicle 100 subsequent to vehicle 100d and the part PT subsequent to part PTd. FIG. 6 shows the state of vehicle 100 and part PT in periods pd1, pd2, and pd3. Period pd2 is a period that follows period pd1. Period pd3 is a period that follows period pd2.

[0059] During period pd1, part PTa is being assembled to vehicle 100a in assembly area AA. Also during period pd1, repair instruction CC1, entry instruction CC2, skip instruction PC1, and forward instruction PC2 are executed. During period pd1, repair instruction CC1 causes vehicle 100c, a defective vehicle, to retreat from production line ML and move to repair location RP. As vehicle 100c retreats from production line ML, an empty area R1 is created on production line ML. In the example of FIG. 6, empty area R1 is the area between vehicle 100b, a preceding vehicle, and vehicle 100d, a following vehicle. The instructor 230 executes entry instruction CC2 for vehicle 100d, causing vehicle 100d to travel into empty area R1.

[0060] The skip instruction PC1 causes the assembly robot 450 to assume a first state Cn1. The first state Cn1 is a state in which the assembly robot 450 is scheduled to skip the assembly of the corresponding part. The instruction unit 230 issues a forward instruction PC2 to the part processing device PD to move the part PTd forward, and moves the part PTd forward.

[0061] During period pd2, vehicle 100d and part PTc arrive at assembly area AA. That is, period pd2 is the period after assembly of part PTb onto vehicle 100b is completed. During period pd2, the assembly robot 450 in the first state Cn1 skips the assembly of part PTc and moves part PTc to the waiting area WP. Note that, due to the advance command PC2 described above, during period pd2, part PTd is positioned ahead of position P1 on the part line PL. Position P1 represents the position of part PTd during period pd2 if advance command PC2 had not been executed. That is, position P1 corresponds to the planned position described above.

[0062] During period pd3, part PTd arrives at the assembly area AA. Also during period pd3, return instruction CC3 and assembly instruction PC3 are executed. In response to return instruction CC3, vehicle 100c, the repaired vehicle, travels from repair location RP to production line ML and returns to production line ML. In the example of FIG. 6, the returned vehicle 100c is located upstream, i.e., behind, vehicle 100d on production line ML. In response to assembly instruction PC3, the assembly robot 450 takes the second state Cn2. The second state Cn2 is a state in which the assembly robot 450 is scheduled to assemble the corresponding part onto the repaired vehicle. After period pd3, when vehicle 100c arrives at the assembly area AA, the assembly robot 450 in the second state Cn2 assembles part PTc, which was placed in the waiting area WP, onto vehicle 100c.

[0063] According to the server 200 of the present embodiment described above, an instruction is issued to remove the defective vehicle from the production line ML and to skip the assembly of the corresponding part to be assembled to the defective vehicle. Here, if the vehicle 100 is configured to be movable by unmanned driving as in the present embodiment, the defective vehicle can be easily evacuated from the production line ML before arriving at the assembly area AA. Specifically, for example, the defective vehicle can be evacuated by driving the vehicle by unmanned driving or by transporting the vehicle using wheels on the track TR without unmanned driving. However, simply evacuating the defective vehicle may result in the corresponding part to be assembled to the defective vehicle arriving at the assembly area AA and being erroneously assembled to another vehicle 100. In contrast, in the present embodiment, the above skip instruction is executed, thereby preventing the assembly of an incorrect part PT to another vehicle 100 in the assembly area AA. More specifically, for example, the assembly of a part PT with an incorrect model, color, or grade to the vehicle 100 can be prevented. As such, according to the present embodiment, assembly in the assembly area AA can be performed appropriately.

[0064] In this embodiment, an entry command is issued to vehicles following the defective vehicle to enter the vacant area R1 created when the defective vehicle leaves the production line ML. This allows each vehicle 100 to move more efficiently on the production line ML. This increases the likelihood that assembly will be performed more efficiently.

[0065] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the following vehicle is instructed to enter the vacant region R1 by slowing down the following vehicle less than the preceding vehicle. This reduces the speed of the vehicle 100 in a work process, such as assembly or inspection, performed upstream of the assembly area AA on the production line ML, compared to when the following vehicle is instructed to enter the vacant region R1 by accelerating it more. As a result, it is possible to prevent the time allocable to the work process from becoming excessively short, or the speed of the vehicle 100 from becoming faster than the speed appropriate for the work process. In other words, it is possible to prevent the work process from being affected by the high speed of the vehicle 100. Furthermore, it is possible to save energy required for acceleration. In addition to instructing the following vehicle to enter the vacant region R1, the instructing unit 230 may also instruct another vehicle 100 following the following vehicle to enter the region created by the following vehicle entering the vacant region R1.

[0066] In this embodiment, a forward movement instruction is issued to a part processing device PD configured to change the position of a part PT flowing on the part line PL, instructing the part processing device PD to change the position of the subsequent part on the part line PL to a position further forward than the planned position. This allows the subsequent part to be moved further forward, increasing the likelihood of more efficient assembly. In particular, in this embodiment, the subsequent part can be moved further forward in response to the subsequent vehicle moving further forward due to the entry instruction, further increasing the likelihood of more efficient assembly. Note that in addition to moving the subsequent part forward, the instruction unit 230 may also issue an instruction to move the subsequent part PT further forward after the subsequent part. In this case, the instruction unit 230 may, for example, issue an instruction to move the subsequent part PT further forward after the subsequent part into the empty space created by moving the subsequent part forward.

[0067] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a repair instruction is executed to instruct the defective vehicle to be moved to the repair location RP, so that the defective vehicle removed from the production line ML can be moved to the repair location RP for repair. In particular, in this embodiment, the repair location RP is identified according to the defect information, so that the defective vehicle can be moved to the repair location RP according to the defect, and the defective vehicle can be more appropriately repaired at the repair location RP.

[0068] In addition, in this embodiment, when completion information for a defective vehicle is obtained, a return instruction is executed to instruct the repaired vehicle to enter the production line ML, so that the repaired vehicle can be returned to the production line ML and the assembly of parts PT onto the repaired vehicle using the production line ML can be resumed.

[0069] In addition, in this embodiment, the assembly instruction is executed after the repaired vehicle enters the production line ML, so that the corresponding parts whose assembly was skipped due to the skip instruction can be assembled on the repaired vehicle that has returned to the production line ML.

[0070] In this embodiment, the defective vehicle is removed from the production line ML by remote control, so that the defective vehicle can be removed from the production line ML without manual work by an operator, for example.

[0071] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a skip instruction is issued to at least one of the part processing device PD and the worker who installs the corresponding part on the vehicle 100. In this way, the skip instruction can be executed more effectively.

[0072] B. Second embodiment: FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a system 50v in the second embodiment. Unlike the first embodiment, the system 50v in this embodiment does not include a server 200. Furthermore, the vehicle in this embodiment can travel by autonomous vehicle control. Unless otherwise specified, the other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment. Note that the device configuration of the vehicle in this embodiment is the same as that of the vehicle 100 in the first embodiment, and therefore, for convenience, the vehicle in this embodiment will also be referred to as the vehicle 100.

[0073] In this embodiment, the communication device 130 of the vehicle 100 can communicate with the external sensor 300 and the terminal device 380. The processor 111 of the vehicle control device 110 executes a program PG1 stored in the memory 112 to function as a vehicle control unit 115v, a first acquisition unit 215, a part identification unit 220, an instruction unit 230, a location identification unit 240, and a second acquisition unit 245. The vehicle control unit 115v controls the actuator group 120 using a travel control signal generated by the vehicle 100, thereby enabling the vehicle 100 to travel by autonomous control. In addition to the program PG1, the memory 112 stores a reference route RR, a detection model DM, and a database DB.

[0074] 8 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure for driving control of the vehicle 100 in the second embodiment. In the processing procedure in FIG. 8, the processor 111 of the vehicle 100 functions as a vehicle control unit 115v by executing a program PG1.

[0075] In step S901, the processor 111 of the vehicle control device 110 acquires vehicle position information using the detection results output from the camera, which is the external sensor 300. In step S902, the processor 111 determines a target position to which the vehicle 100 should next head. In step S903, the processor 111 generates a driving control signal for driving the vehicle 100 toward the determined target position. In step S904, the processor 111 controls the actuator group 120 using the generated driving control signal, thereby causing the vehicle 100 to drive in accordance with parameters represented in the driving control signal. The processor 111 repeats the acquisition of vehicle position information, determination of the target position, generation of the driving control signal, and control of the actuators at a predetermined cycle. According to the system 50v of this embodiment, the vehicle 100 can be driven by autonomous control of the vehicle 100 without remote control of the vehicle 100 by the server 200.

[0076] The manufacturing method of the vehicle 100 in this embodiment is realized by a manufacturing process similar to that shown in FIG. 5 . However, in this embodiment, the manufacturing process is executed by the processor 111 of the vehicle control device 110, not by the processor 201 of the server 200, for example, at predetermined time intervals. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the target vehicle 100 refers to the subject vehicle. Furthermore, in this embodiment, each instruction is executed by the instruction unit 230 of the vehicle 100, not by the server 200. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the vehicle control unit 115v of the target vehicle 100 generates and outputs a traveling control signal in the normal instruction of step S125, the repair instruction of step S135, the standby instruction of step S155, and the return instruction of step S160, thereby controlling its own actuator group 120 using the traveling control signal. Note that, in the entry instruction in this embodiment, the target vehicle 100 does not need to transmit a traveling control signal to the following vehicle. For example, the target vehicle 100 may transmit to the following vehicle a signal that triggers the generation of a traveling control signal for the following vehicle to enter the vacant region R1.

[0077] As with the server 200 in the first embodiment, the vehicle 100 in the present embodiment described above can also prevent incorrect parts from being assembled in the assembly area AA to other vehicles 100. Therefore, assembly in the assembly area AA can be performed appropriately.

[0078] C. Other Embodiments: (C1) In each of the above embodiments, the evacuation instruction is issued to the defective vehicle. However, the evacuation instruction may be issued not to the defective vehicle but to, for example, a robot configured to be able to remove the vehicle 100 from the production line ML, or to a user. The evacuation instruction to the user may be issued to, for example, the terminal device 380. In this case, the evacuation instruction may be, for example, a control command to cause the terminal device 380 to output visual information such as characters, symbols, or images, or audio information such as voice or an alarm. The evacuation instruction to the user may also be executed using, for example, an output device (not shown) provided in the factory FC. The output device may be, for example, a display device that outputs visual information, or a speaker or alarm that outputs audio information. By issuing an evacuation instruction to the user as described above, for example, even when it is difficult to drive the defective vehicle using unmanned driving, an operator can remove the defective vehicle from the production line ML. The term "when it is difficult to drive using unmanned driving" includes a first case in which driving using driving operations is difficult and a second case in which driving using driving operations is possible. The malfunction in the first case is, for example, a malfunction of the actuator group 120. The malfunction in the second case is, for example, a malfunction related to the function of executing unmanned driving, and also includes a malfunction of the communication device 130 when the vehicle 100 is in a mode in which it can run by remote control.

[0079] Furthermore, for example, the instruction unit 230 may determine whether to issue an evacuation instruction to the malfunctioning vehicle, or to a robot or a user, depending on the malfunction information. In this case, for example, if it is difficult for the malfunctioning vehicle to travel unmanned, the evacuation instruction may be issued to the robot or the user, and if it is not difficult for the malfunctioning vehicle to travel unmanned, the evacuation instruction may be issued to the malfunctioning vehicle.

[0080] (C2) In each of the above embodiments, the skip instruction is issued to the assembly robot 450, which is the device that performs the assembly. However, the skip instruction may be issued to, for example, a worker that performs the assembly instead of or in addition to the assembly robot 450. Similarly, the assembly instruction may be issued to a worker that performs the assembly instead of or in addition to the device that performs the assembly. Furthermore, the skip instruction or the assembly instruction may be issued to a manager. Such a skip instruction or assembly instruction to the user may be issued to, for example, the terminal device 380. In this case, the skip instruction or the assembly instruction may be, for example, a control command that causes the terminal device 380 to output visual information or audio information. Furthermore, the skip instruction or the assembly instruction to the user may be issued using, for example, an output device provided in the factory FC.

[0081] (C3) In the above embodiments, the entry instruction suppresses the deceleration of the following vehicle relative to the preceding vehicle, but this is not necessarily required. For example, the entry instruction may cause the following vehicle to accelerate so that the following vehicle enters the vacant area R1. Furthermore, the entry instruction may be implemented, for example, by an instruction to execute group control that maintains a substantially constant inter-vehicle distance between the front and rear vehicles 100.

[0082] (C4) In the above embodiments, an entry instruction is executed, but an entry instruction does not have to be executed.

[0083] (C5) In the above embodiments, a forward movement instruction is executed, but a forward movement instruction does not have to be executed.

[0084] (C6) In each of the above embodiments, the evacuation instruction is implemented by a repair instruction, but this does not have to be the case. For example, the evacuation instruction may be an instruction separate from the repair instruction. Also, for example, the repair instruction may not be executed. If the repair instruction is not executed, the defective vehicle may, for example, be disassembled or discarded without being repaired. Also, in this case, the corresponding part may, for example, be disassembled or discarded without being assembled to the vehicle 100.

[0085] (C7) In the above embodiments, the repair location RP is identified based on the malfunction information, but this is not necessarily the case. For example, the repair location RP may be determined in advance without being based on the malfunction information. In this case, the server 200 and the vehicle 100 may not be provided with the location identification unit 240.

[0086] (C8) In each of the above embodiments, a return instruction is executed when completion information is acquired, but this does not have to be the case. For example, the repaired vehicle may be driven to a location other than assembly area AA without returning to production line ML, and part PT may be assembled onto the repaired vehicle at a work location other than assembly area AA. In this case, the corresponding part whose assembly was skipped may be transported to the work location by various transport equipment or workers.

[0087] (C9) In each of the above embodiments, an assembly instruction is executed, but an assembly instruction does not have to be executed. In this case, for example, a new part that is compatible with the repaired vehicle may be assembled to the repaired vehicle instead of a corresponding part. In this case, the instruction unit 230 may execute an instruction to the assembly robot 450 or a worker to assemble the new part to the repaired vehicle.

[0088] (C10) In each of the above embodiments, the corresponding part whose assembly has been skipped is moved to a waiting area WP provided in the factory FC, but this does not have to be the case. For example, the corresponding part whose assembly has been skipped may be moved within the factory FC by various conveying machines or workers, without remaining in a fixed location within the factory FC.

[0089] (C11) In each of the above embodiments, for example, some or all of the entry instruction, advance instruction, repair instruction, return instruction, and assembly instruction may be executed by separate functional units for executing each process. For example, the entry instruction, advance instruction, repair instruction, return instruction, and assembly instruction may be executed by an entry instruction unit, an advance instruction unit, a repair instruction unit, a return instruction unit, and an assembly instruction unit. In this case, the functional unit that combines the individual functional units corresponds to the "instruction unit" in this disclosure.

[0090] (C12) In each of the above embodiments, the external sensor 300 is not limited to a camera and may be, for example, a distance measuring device. The distance measuring device may be, for example, a LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging). In this case, the detection result output by the external sensor 300 may be three-dimensional point cloud data representing the vehicle 100. In this case, the server 200 or the vehicle 100 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.

[0091] (C13) In the first embodiment, the processes from obtaining the vehicle position information to generating the driving control signal are executed by the server 200. However, at least a part of the processes from obtaining the vehicle position information to generating the driving control signal may be executed by the vehicle 100. For example, the following forms (1) to (3) may be used.

[0092] (1) The server 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 200 may generate a route to the target position between the current location and the destination, or may generate a route to the destination. The server 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 200, and control the actuator group 120 using the generated driving control signal.

[0093] (2) Server 200 may acquire vehicle position information and transmit the acquired vehicle position information to vehicle 100. Vehicle 100 may determine a target position to which vehicle 100 should next head, generate a route from the current location of vehicle 100 indicated in the received vehicle position information to the target position, generate a driving control signal so that vehicle 100 travels on the generated route, and control actuator group 120 using the generated driving control signal.

[0094] (3) In the above embodiments (1) and (2), the vehicle 100 may be equipped with an internal sensor, and detection results 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 equipped in the vehicle 100. Specifically, the internal sensor may include, for example, a camera, LiDAR, millimeter-wave radar, an ultrasonic sensor, a GPS sensor, an acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor, etc. For example, in the above embodiment (1), the server 200 may acquire the detection results of the internal sensor and reflect the detection results of the internal sensor in the route when generating a route. In the above embodiment (1), the vehicle 100 may acquire the detection results of the internal sensor and reflect the detection results of the internal sensor in the driving control signal when generating a driving control signal. In the above embodiment (2), the vehicle 100 may acquire the detection results of the internal sensor and reflect the detection results of the internal sensor in the route when generating a route. In the above embodiment (2), the vehicle 100 may acquire the detection results of the internal sensor and reflect the detection results of the internal sensor in the route when generating a route.

[0095] (C14) In the second embodiment, the vehicle 100 may be equipped with an internal sensor, and the detection results 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 results of the internal sensor, and when generating a route, may reflect the detection results of the internal sensor in the route. The vehicle 100 may acquire the detection results of the internal sensor, and when generating a driving control signal, may reflect the detection results of the internal sensor in the driving control signal.

[0096] (C15) In the second embodiment, the vehicle 100 acquires vehicle position information using the detection results of the external sensor 300. Alternatively, the vehicle 100 may be equipped with an internal sensor. The vehicle 100 may acquire vehicle position information using the detection results of the internal sensor, determine a target position to which the vehicle 100 should next travel, generate a route from the current location of the vehicle 100 represented in the acquired vehicle position information to the target position, generate a driving control signal for traveling along the generated route, and control the actuator group 120 using the generated driving control signal. In this case, the vehicle 100 can travel without using any of the detection results of the external sensor 300. 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 driving control signal. Furthermore, all of the functional configuration of the system 50v may be provided in the vehicle 100. In other words, the processing performed by the system 50v in the present disclosure may be performed by the vehicle 100 alone.

[0097] (C16) In the first embodiment described above, the server 200 automatically generates a driving control signal to be transmitted to the vehicle 100. However, the server 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 that displays an image output from the external sensor 300, a steering wheel for remotely controlling the vehicle 100, an accelerator pedal, a brake pedal, and a communication device for communicating with the server 200 via wired or wireless communication, and the server 200 may generate a driving control signal in accordance with the operation applied to the control device.

[0098] (C17) The vehicle 100 may be manufactured by combining multiple modules. A module refers to a unit composed of one or more parts grouped according to the configuration or function of the vehicle 100. For example, the platform of the vehicle 100 may be manufactured by combining a front module that forms the front part of the platform, a central module that forms the center part of the platform, and a rear module that forms the rear part of the platform. The number of modules that form the platform is not limited to three, but may be two or less, or four or more. In addition to or instead of the platform, 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. Any type of mobile object, not limited to the vehicle 100, may be manufactured by combining multiple modules. Such a module may be manufactured, for example, by joining multiple parts using welding or fasteners, or by integrally molding at least a portion of the module into a single part by casting. The molding method of integrally molding at least a portion of the module into a single part is also called gigacasting or megacasting. By using Gigacast, each part of a moving body that has conventionally been formed by joining multiple parts can be formed as a single part. For example, the front module, center module, and rear module described above may be manufactured using Gigacast.

[0099] (C18) Transporting vehicle 100 using the unmanned driving of vehicle 100 is also called "self-propelled transport." The configuration for realizing self-propelled transport is also called a "vehicle remote-controlled autonomous transport system." The production method for producing vehicle 100 using self-propelled transport is also called "self-propelled production." In self-propelled production, for example, at a factory FC where vehicle 100 is manufactured, at least a portion of the transport of vehicle 100 is realized by self-propelled transport.

[0100] In each of the above embodiments, some or all of the functions and processes implemented by software may be implemented by hardware. Furthermore, some or all of the functions and processes implemented by hardware may be implemented by software. Hardware for implementing the various functions in each of the above embodiments may be implemented by various circuits, such as integrated circuits and discrete circuits. [Explanation of symbols]

[0101] 50, 50v...system, 100, 100a, 100b, 100c, 100d...vehicle, 110...vehicle control device, 111...processor, 112...memory, 113...input / output interface, 114...internal bus, 115...vehicle control unit, 115v...vehicle control unit, 120...actuator group, 130...communication device, 200...server, 201...processor, 202...memory, 203...input / output interface, 204...internal bus, 205...communication device, 215...first acquisition unit, 220...part identification unit, 230...instruction unit, 240...location identification unit, 245...second acquisition unit, 300...external sensor, 380...terminal device, 450...assembly robot

Claims

1. a first acquisition unit that acquires defect information relating to a defect in a mobile object that moves on a production line by remote control; a part identification unit that, when acquiring the defect information, identifies a corresponding part to be assembled to the defective mobile body, which is the mobile body having the defect, from among a plurality of parts flowing on a parts line, the part line merging with the production line at an assembly area for assembling the part to the mobile body; an instruction unit that executes an evacuation instruction to remove the defective moving body from the manufacturing line and a skip instruction to skip assembly of the corresponding part.

2. 10. The apparatus of claim 1, The device further includes an instruction unit that issues an entry instruction to a subsequent moving body that is the moving body following the defective moving body to enter an empty space created by the defective moving body being removed from the production line.

3. 3. The apparatus of claim 2, The instruction unit, in the entry instruction, causes the following moving body to enter the empty space by making the degree of deceleration of the following moving body less than the degree of deceleration of the moving body preceding the following moving body.

4. 10. The apparatus of claim 1, The instruction unit further instructs a device configured to change the position of the part flowing on the part line to change the position of the part succeeding the corresponding part on the part line to a more forward position.

5. 5. An apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, comprising: The instruction unit further executes a repair instruction to the malfunctioning mobile object to move the malfunctioning mobile object to a repair location for repairing the malfunction.

6. 6. The apparatus of claim 5, a location specifying unit that specifies the repair location in accordance with the defect information; The repair instruction is an instruction to move the malfunctioning mobile object to the specified repair location.

7. 6. The apparatus of claim 5, a second acquisition unit that acquires completion information regarding completion of the repair; The device, wherein when the completion information is acquired, the instruction unit further executes an instruction to enter the repaired mobile body, which is the mobile body for which the repair has been completed, into the manufacturing line.

8. 8. The apparatus of claim 7, The instruction unit further executes instructions for assembling the corresponding part onto the repaired mobile object entering the manufacturing line.

9. 10. The apparatus of claim 1, The evacuation instruction is an instruction to be executed on the defective mobile object, and is an instruction to remove the defective mobile object from the manufacturing line by the remote control.

10. 10. The apparatus of claim 1, The evacuation instruction is an instruction to be executed by a terminal device.

11. 10. The apparatus of claim 1, The skip instruction is an instruction to be executed by at least one of a machine and a worker that assembles the corresponding part on the moving body.

12. A mobile object, a first acquisition unit that acquires defect information relating to a defect in the mobile object that moves on the production line by unmanned operation; a part identification unit that, when acquiring the defect information, identifies a corresponding part to be assembled to the mobile body from among a plurality of parts flowing on a parts line, the parts line merging with the production line at an assembly area for assembling the part to the mobile body; a command unit that executes a command to remove the moving body from the production line and a command to skip assembly of the corresponding part.

13. acquiring defect information relating to a defect in a mobile object that moves through the manufacturing line by unmanned operation; a step of identifying, when the defect information is acquired, a corresponding part to be assembled to the defective mobile body, which is the mobile body having the defect, from among a plurality of parts flowing on a parts line, the parts line merging with the production line at an assembly area for assembling the part to the mobile body; and executing an instruction to remove the defective moving body from the manufacturing line and an instruction to skip assembly of the corresponding part.

Images