Rocker bogie car and rocker bogie car operation method

Abstract

To achieve non-verbal communication during remote operation and improve work efficiency.SOLUTION: The rocker bogie vehicle is a six-wheeled rocker bogie vehicle with a pair of left and right wheels at the front, middle, and rear, and has a bogie link that supports the front wheels and the middle wheels, a rocker link that supports the rear wheels and the bogie link, a main body connected to the rocker link, a monitor that displays images, and a swivel mechanism above the main body that supports the monitor so that it can sway up and down or left and right. The main body has a receiving unit that receives commands, and a control unit that controls the swaying of the monitor by the swivel mechanism in accordance with the commands received by the receiving unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a rocker bogie vehicle and a method of operating a rocker bogie vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] Generally, mobile robots equipped with a means of locomotion such as wheels are remotely operated to transport materials inside factories, etc., or to handle goods in automated warehouses, etc. In recent years, the use of rocker-bogie vehicles as a means of locomotion has been considered in order to improve the step-crossing and turning performance of such mobile robots.

[0003] A rocker bogie vehicle has six wheels: a pair of front, middle, and rear wheels on each side. It also has bogie links supporting the front and middle wheels, rocker links supporting the bogie links and rear wheels, and a main body connected to the rocker links. With a rocker bogie vehicle of this structure, the bogie links supported by the rocker links can be rotated in a vertical plane, allowing the left and right front and middle wheels to move up and down independently, resulting in excellent step-crossing performance. Furthermore, for example, by using Mecanum wheels for the front and rear wheels and an omni-wheel for the middle wheel, it is possible to improve cornering performance and achieve omnidirectional travel.

[0004] When a mobile robot using such a rocker bogie vehicle as a means of transportation is used in a factory, automated warehouse, etc., it is conceivable that an operator in a remote location will remotely control the mobile robot, and the mobile robot will work collaboratively with a worker at the work site. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2023-6068 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2023-128705 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-165676 [Patent Document 4] Patent Publication No. 2021-13159 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, when a mobile robot equipped with a rocker-bogie cart works collaboratively with a worker at a work site, there is a problem in that it is difficult for the operator operating the mobile robot and the worker at the work site to fully communicate with each other. In other words, when humans work collaboratively, non-verbal communication such as eye contact and nodding can be easily used in addition to verbal communication, allowing the work to proceed smoothly. However, non-verbal communication is not possible between a mobile robot and a worker. As a result, the efficiency of the collaborative work between the mobile robot and the worker may not be sufficiently improved.

[0007] In order to enable communication between the worker at the work site and the operator of the mobile robot, it is conceivable to attach a camera and a monitor to the mobile robot and the mobile robot's operation terminal, and the worker at the work site and the operator at a remote location can communicate with each other via video and audio. However, in this case, restrictions are imposed on the worker and operator, such as always being within the camera's range and always viewing the monitor, which may reduce work efficiency. Furthermore, depending on the quality of the video and audio, it may be difficult to fully confirm non-verbal communication signals.

[0008] The present disclosure has been made in view of the above, and aims to provide a rocker bogie vehicle and a rocker bogie vehicle operation method that can realize non-verbal communication during remote operation and improve work efficiency. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the rocker bogie vehicle is a six-wheeled rocker bogie vehicle with a pair of front wheels, a pair of middle wheels, and a pair of rear wheels on the left and right sides, and includes a bogie link that supports the front wheels and the middle wheels, a rocker link that supports the rear wheels and the bogie link, a main body connected to the rocker link, a monitor that displays images, and a swivel mechanism above the main body that supports the monitor so that it can swing up and down or left and right, and the main body has a receiving unit that receives commands and a control unit that controls the swing of the monitor by the swivel mechanism according to the commands received by the receiving unit.

[0010] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a rocker bogie car operation method is a rocker bogie car operation method executed by an operation terminal device that remotely operates a six-wheeled rocker bogie car having a pair of front wheels, a pair of middle wheels, and a pair of rear wheels on the left and right sides, and the rocker bogie car includes a bogie link that pivots around the front wheels and the middle wheels, a rocker link that pivots around the rear wheels and the bogie link, a main body connected to the rocker link, a monitor that displays images, and a swing mechanism that supports the monitor above the main body so that it can swing up and down or left and right. The main body has a receiving unit that receives commands, and a control unit that controls the swing of the monitor by the swing mechanism according to the command received by the receiving unit, and the operation terminal device detects the movement of the operator operating the operation terminal device or the operation terminal device, generates a command to control the swing mechanism according to the detected movement, and transmits the generated command to the rocker bogie car.

[0011] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a rocker bogie car operation method is a rocker bogie car operation method executed by an operation terminal device that remotely operates a six-wheeled rocker bogie car having a pair of front wheels, a pair of middle wheels, and a pair of rear wheels on the left and right sides, and the rocker bogie car includes a bogie link that pivotally supports the front wheels and the middle wheels, a rocker link that pivots the rear wheels and the bogie link, a main body connected to the rocker link, a monitor that displays images, and a swing mechanism that supports the monitor above the main body so that it can swing up and down or left and right. The main body has a receiving unit that receives commands, and a control unit that controls the swing of the monitor by the swing mechanism according to the command received by the receiving unit. The operation terminal device detects a touch on the touch panel by an operator operating the operation terminal device, and generates a command that instructs the rocker bogie car to operate according to the movement of the touch position of the detected touch, and transmits the generated command to the rocker bogie car. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a rocker bogie vehicle operation system. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the appearance of a rocker bogie car. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a rocker bogie vehicle. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the operation terminal device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing an operation method according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a specific example of a display screen of the operation terminal device. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a flow diagram showing the spin turn process. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a flow diagram showing the omnidirectional traveling process. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a flow diagram showing the head swing process. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a flow diagram showing a specific example of generating a head shake command. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a flow chart showing an operation method according to the second embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a specific example of a display screen of the operation terminal device. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an operation terminal device according to the third embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a flow diagram showing the head swing process. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a diagram showing a modified example of a rocker bogie vehicle. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating a specific example of a hardware configuration of the operation terminal device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The embodiments described below are merely examples and should not be construed as being limited by the description.

[0014] (Embodiment 1) 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a rocker bogie vehicle operating system according to embodiment 1. As shown in FIG. 1, the rocker bogie vehicle 100 and the operation terminal device 200 are each connected to a network, and the rocker bogie vehicle 100 is located at a work site such as a factory or warehouse, and the operation terminal device 200 is located in a remote location such as a management center away from the work site. The rocker bogie vehicle 100 and the operation terminal device 200 are connected to a network by wire or wirelessly so that they can communicate with each other, and the rocker bogie vehicle 100 is remotely controlled by the operation terminal device 200.

[0015] For example, a server device (not shown) may be further connected to the network, and the rocker bogie car 100 and the operation terminal device 200 may communicate with each other via the server device (not shown). Also, the rocker bogie car 100 and the operation terminal device 200 may communicate directly using, for example, Bluetooth (registered trademark) or Wi-Fi Direct (registered trademark) without going through a network.

[0016] The rocker bogie car 100 is a six-wheeled mobile robot having a pair of front wheels, a pair of middle wheels, and a pair of rear wheels on the left and right sides, and receives commands from the operation terminal device 200 and operates according to the received commands. In particular, the rocker bogie car 100 according to this embodiment is equipped with a monitor that displays an image of an operator operating the rocker bogie car 100 using, for example, the operation terminal device 200, and is equipped with a swing mechanism that swings the monitor up and down and left and right. As a result, even if the monitor display screen is not visible, the operator's intentions can be communicated by the swing operation, and non-verbal communication between the rocker bogie car 100 and the worker working at the work site together with the rocker bogie car 100 can be realized.

[0017] The operation terminal device 200 is an information processing device such as a smartphone or tablet terminal equipped with a touch panel or camera. The operation terminal device 200 receives operation input from an operator, generates commands for controlling the operation of the rocker bogie car 100 according to the operation input, and transmits the generated commands to the rocker bogie car 100.

[0018] 2 is a diagram showing the appearance of the rocker bogie vehicle 100 according to embodiment 1. The upper diagram of FIG. 2 shows a side view of the rocker bogie vehicle 100, and the lower diagram of FIG. 2 shows a plan view of the rocker bogie vehicle 100. As shown in FIG. 2, the rocker bogie vehicle 100 has a main body 101, a support column 102, a wheel mechanism 110, a swing mechanism 120, and a monitor 130.

[0019] The main body 101 is the main body of the rocker bogie vehicle 100, and is equipped with various control units and communication interfaces described below. When viewed from above, the main body 101 is formed, for example, in a rectangular shape, and a wheel mechanism 110 is attached to the bottom of the main body 101, and a support pillar 102 stands up from the top surface of the main body 101.

[0020] The support column 102 stands upright from the top surface of the main body 101 and supports the oscillating mechanism 120 and the monitor 130 attached to the oscillating mechanism 120 .

[0021] As shown in the upper diagram of FIG. 2, the wheel mechanism 110 has front wheels 111, middle wheels 112, rear wheels 113, bogie link 114, and rocker link 115. As shown in the lower diagram of FIG. 2, the front wheels 111, middle wheels 112, rear wheels 113, bogie link 114, and rocker link 115 are provided in pairs on the left and right sides. That is, the wheel mechanism 110 has front wheels 111L, middle wheels 112L, rear wheels 113L, bogie link 114L, and rocker link 115L on the left side, and front wheels 111R, middle wheels 112R, rear wheels 113R, bogie link 114R, and rocker link 115R on the right side. Furthermore, the wheel mechanism 110 has drive motors 116L, 117L, and 118L and a motor 119L on the left side, and drive motors 116R, 117R, and 118R and a motor 119R on the right side. In the following, when no particular distinction is made between left and right, the reference symbol L or R may be omitted.

[0022] The front wheel 111 and the rear wheel 113 are, for example, Mecanum wheels (registered trademark), and have a main wheel rotatably supported on an axle, and multiple free wheels arranged on the outer periphery of the main wheel and rotatably supported at 45 degrees to the axle.

[0023] The middle wheel 112 is, for example, an Omniwheel (registered trademark), and has a main wheel rotatably supported on an axle, and multiple barrel-shaped freewheels arranged on the outer periphery of the main wheel and rotatably supported at 90 degrees to the axle.

[0024] By rotating the front wheels 111, middle wheels 112, and rear wheels 113 in the forward or backward direction, and further rotating the freewheels or barrel-shaped freewheels in the desired direction, the rocker bogie vehicle 100 can travel in all directions, such as forward, backward, sideways, or diagonally, and can perform spin turns.

[0025] The bogie link 114 supports the front wheels 111 and the middle wheels 112 around an axle extending in the left-right direction of the rocker bogie vehicle 100. The bogie link 114 extends in the front-rear direction of the rocker bogie vehicle 100, with the front wheels 111 attached to the front end of the bogie link 114 and the middle wheels 112 attached to the rear end of the bogie link 114. In this way, the bogie link 114 supports the front wheels 111 and the middle wheels 112 and connects them.

[0026] The rocker link 115 is a member fixed to the lower part of the main body 101 and extending in the longitudinal direction of the rocker bogie vehicle 100. The center part of the bogie link 114 is pivotally supported at the front end of the rocker link 115 so that it can swing. The rear wheel 113 is pivotally supported at the rear end of the rocker link 115 around an axle extending in the left-right direction of the rocker bogie vehicle 100. In this way, the rocker link 115 pivotally supports the rear wheel 113 and the bogie link 114 and connects them.

[0027] The drive motors 116, 117, and 118 respectively drive and rotate the front wheel 111, the middle wheel 112, and the rear wheel 113. Specifically, the drive motor 116 drives and rotates the front wheel 111, the main wheel, the drive motor 117 drives and rotates the middle wheel 112, and the drive motor 118 drives and rotates the main wheel, the rear wheel 113. These drive motors 116L, 116R, 117L, 117R, 118L, and 118R are independently provided for the left and right front wheels 111L and 111R, the middle wheels 112L and 112R, and the rear wheels 113L and 113R, so that the left and right front wheels 111L and 111R, the middle wheels 112L and 112R, and the rear wheels 113L and 113R can be independently driven and controlled.

[0028] The motor 119 is attached to the front end of the rocker link 115 and rotates the bogie link 114. That is, the motor 119 rotates the bogie link 114 relatively to the rocker link 115, thereby causing the bogie link 114 to swing. The motor 119 also turns off the rotational drive of the bogie link 114, thereby allowing the bogie link 114 to freely rotate relative to the rocker link 115. Such a motor 119 can be realized by an actuator that can freely control the rotational drive force, such as a torque motor or a Harmonic Drive (registered trademark), etc.

[0029] The oscillating mechanism 120 is attached to the support column 102 by, for example, a bracket (not shown), and supports the monitor 130 so that it can oscillate up and down and left and right.

[0030] The tilt mechanism 121 includes, for example, a servo motor, and rotates the monitor 130 held by the arm at the front end in an up-down direction. That is, the tilt mechanism 121 rotates the monitor 130 around a rotation axis extending in the left-right direction of the rocker bogie car 100 so that the direction that the monitor 130 faces moves in an up-down direction. This causes the monitor 130 to perform a swinging motion similar to a nodding motion.

[0031] The pan mechanism 122 is equipped with, for example, a servo motor, and rotates the monitor 130 and tilt mechanism 121 held by the arm at the front end in the left-right direction. In other words, the pan mechanism 122 rotates the monitor 130 and tilt mechanism 121 around a rotation axis extending in the up-down direction of the rocker bogie vehicle 100 so that the direction that the monitor 130 faces moves in the left-right direction. This causes the monitor 130 to perform a swinging motion as if shaking its head from side to side.

[0032] Here, the swivel mechanism 120 has been described as having an independent tilt mechanism 121 and pan mechanism 122, but the swivel mechanism 120 may also be configured to be rotatable in the up-down and left-right directions, for example, by attaching the monitor 130 to a ball joint that can rotate in any direction.

[0033] The monitor 130 displays an image output from the main body 101. In this embodiment, the monitor 130 displays, for example, a facial image captured by a camera of the operation terminal device 200, such as a facial image of an operator who remotely operates the rocker bogie car 100. In addition, a camera (not shown) may be provided on the front side of the monitor 130, and this camera may capture an image in front of the rocker bogie car 100. Since the monitor 130 is held by an arm at the front end of the swivel mechanism 120, the direction it faces moves up and down or left and right depending on the operation of the swivel mechanism 120, thereby expressing the swivel operation.

[0034] Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the rocker bogie vehicle 100. In Figure 3, the same parts as in Figure 2 are given the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted. As shown in Figure 3, the rocker bogie vehicle 100 has a wheel mechanism 110, a swivel mechanism 120, a monitor 130, a communication interface unit (hereinafter abbreviated as "communication I / F unit") 140, a wheel control unit 150, a swivel control unit 160, and a display control unit 170.

[0035] The communication I / F unit 140 is an interface capable of wired or wireless communication, and communicates with the operation terminal device 200 via a network. Specifically, the communication I / F unit 140 transmits images taken by a camera (not shown) provided on the monitor 130 to the operation terminal device 200, and receives various commands from the operation terminal device 200 that instruct the operation of the rocker bogie vehicle 100.

[0036] The wheel control unit 150 controls the wheel mechanism 110 in accordance with the command received by the communication I / F unit 140. That is, when an omnidirectional running command or a spin turn command is received by the communication I / F unit 140, the wheel control unit 150 controls the drive motors 116, 117, 118 and the motor 119 in accordance with the content of the command, causing the rocker bogie vehicle 100 to run in omnidirectional directions or perform a spin turn.

[0037] The swing control unit 160 controls the swing mechanism 120 in accordance with the command received by the communication I / F unit 140. That is, when the swing command is received by the communication I / F unit 140, the swing control unit 160 controls the servo motor of the tilt mechanism 121 or the pan mechanism 122 in accordance with the content of the command, and moves the monitor 130 to perform a swing operation.

[0038] When image information transmitted from the operation terminal device 200 is received by the communication I / F unit 140, the display control unit 170 displays the received image information on the monitor 130. In addition, the display control unit 170 may acquire an image captured by a camera (not shown) attached to the monitor 130, and transmit image information including the captured image from the communication I / F unit 140 to the operation terminal device 200.

[0039] 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the operation terminal device 200. As shown in FIG. 4, the operation terminal device 200 includes a communication I / F unit 210, a camera 220, a display control unit 230, a touch panel 240, a touch detection unit 250, and a command generation unit 260.

[0040] The communication I / F unit 210 is an interface capable of wired or wireless communication and communicates with the rocker bogie car 100 via a network. Specifically, the communication I / F unit 210 transmits various commands to the rocker bogie car 100 to instruct the operation of the rocker bogie car 100, and receives image information including images taken by the rocker bogie car 100 from the rocker bogie car 100.

[0041] The camera 220 is provided, for example, on the same surface as the touch panel 240, and captures an image of an operator performing an operation input to the operation terminal device 200. The camera 220 then outputs the captured image of the operator to the display control unit 230.

[0042] When the image information transmitted from the rocker bogie car 100 is received by the communication I / F unit 210, the display control unit 230 displays the received image information on the touch panel 240. At this time, the display control unit 230 may display the captured image output from the camera 220 in a small size by superimposing it on part of the received image information. In addition, the display control unit 230 transmits image information including the captured image by the camera 220 from the communication I / F unit 210 to the rocker bogie car 100.

[0043] Touch panel 240 is, for example, an analog resistive touch panel, a capacitance touch panel, an electromagnetic induction touch panel, an infrared blocking touch panel, or the like, and displays images and detects touches on the display screen according to control by display control unit 230. For example, in the case of a capacitance touch panel, touch panel 240 detects touches on the display screen by a finger, a stylus pen, or the like based on changes in capacitance.

[0044] The touch detection unit 250 detects a touch on the touch panel 240 and acquires the coordinates of the touch position. Furthermore, the touch detection unit 250 detects not only a single touch action on the touch panel 240, but also a swipe action in which the touch position moves while continuing to touch, and a double tap action in which the touch is made twice within a predetermined time.

[0045] The command generation unit 260 generates a command instructing the operation of the rocker bogie car 100 in response to the touch detected by the touch detection unit 250. Specifically, for example, when the command generation unit 260 detects a touch in the omnidirectional traveling area of ​​the touch panel 240, the command generation unit 260 generates an omnidirectional traveling command for causing the rocker bogie car 100 to travel in all directions in response to this touch. Also, for example, when the command generation unit 260 detects a touch in the spin turn area of ​​the touch panel 240, the command generation unit 260 generates a spin turn command for causing the rocker bogie car 100 to perform a spin turn in response to this touch. Furthermore, for example, when the command generation unit 260 detects a touch instructing the rocker bogie car 100 to perform a swaying operation, the command generation unit 260 generates a swing command for causing the rocker bogie car 100 to perform a swinging operation in response to this touch. The command generation unit 260 transmits the generated command from the communication I / F unit 210 to the rocker bogie car 100.

[0046] Next, a method for operating the rocker bogie vehicle 100 using the operation terminal device 200 configured as described above will be described with reference to the flow chart shown in FIG.

[0047] When remotely operating the rocker bogie vehicle 100, the operator starts the operation terminal device 200 and starts, for example, an application for remote operation. Then, the operation terminal device 200 establishes communication with the rocker bogie vehicle 100 to be remotely operated and initializes the display on the touch panel 240 (step S101). Specifically, the display control unit 230 generates an initial screen having multiple areas and displays it on the touch panel 240.

[0048] Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of an initial screen displayed on the touch panel 240. The initial screen shown in Fig. 6 has a status display area 301, a setting button display area 302, a communication status display area 303, a rocker bogie car status display area 304, and an operation area 305. The operation area 305 further has a spin turn area 306 and an omnidirectional driving area 307.

[0049] The status display area 301 displays a status indicating whether communication has been established with the rocker bogie vehicle 100 to be remotely controlled. The setting button display area 302 displays a setting button that calls up a setting screen for making various settings. The communication status display area 303 displays information regarding communication with the rocker bogie vehicle 100. The rocker bogie vehicle status display area 304 displays the status of the rocker bogie vehicle 100, such as the running status of the rocker bogie vehicle 100 and the presence or absence of obstacles around the rocker bogie vehicle 100. In addition to these display areas, an area for displaying image information received from the rocker bogie vehicle 100 may be provided.

[0050] The operation area 305 occupies a relatively large proportion of the area of ​​the touch panel 240 and accepts operation inputs from an operator who remotely controls the rocker bogie car 100. A curved, strip-shaped spin turn area 306, for example, is arranged above the operation area 305, and the spin turn area 306 accepts operation inputs for making the rocker bogie car 100 spin turns. A concentric, omnidirectional traveling area 307, for example, is arranged below the spin turn area 306, and the omnidirectional traveling area 307 accepts operation inputs for making the rocker bogie car 100 travel in all directions. In addition, when the input mode is switched by, for example, a double tap operation, the operation area 305 accepts operation inputs for making the rocker bogie car 100 oscillate.

[0051] 5, when the initial screen is displayed on the touch panel 240, the touch detection unit 250 waits for a touch on the operation area 305 and determines whether or not the spin turn area 306 has been touched (step S102). If the result of this determination is that a touch on the spin turn area 306 has been detected (step S102 Yes), a spin turn process is executed to send a spin turn command to the rocker bogie car 100 (step S105). The spin turn process will be described in detail later.

[0052] On the other hand, if the result of the determination in step S102 is that a touch on the spin turn area 306 is not detected (step S102 No), it is determined whether or not the omnidirectional running area 307 has been touched (step S103).If the result of this determination is that a touch on the omnidirectional running area 307 has been detected (step S103 Yes), it is then determined whether or not the detected touch is a double tap operation (step S104).

[0053] Then, if the touch in the omnidirectional traveling area 307 is not a double tap operation (step S104 No), an omnidirectional traveling process is executed to send an omnidirectional traveling command to the rocker bogie car 100 (step S106). The omnidirectional traveling process will be described in detail later. On the other hand, if the touch in the omnidirectional traveling area 307 is a double tap operation (step S104 Yes), a swing process is executed to send a swing command to the rocker bogie car 100 (step S107). The swing process will be described in detail later.

[0054] In this way, the operation terminal device 200 transmits commands for omnidirectional travel, spin turns, and swaying movements of the rocker bogie car 100 in response to touches on the touch panel 240. Therefore, the rocker bogie car 100 can be remotely controlled, and by making the rocker bogie car 100 sway, non-verbal communication with the worker at the work site together with the rocker bogie car 100 can be realized.

[0055] Next, the spin turn process in step S105 above will be described with reference to the flow diagram shown in Fig. 7. The spin turn process starts when a touch on spin turn area 306 of touch panel 240 is detected.

[0056] When the touch detection unit 250 detects a touch on the spin turn area 306, the start coordinates of the touch position where the touch was first detected are acquired (step S201). Then, the touch detection unit 250 continues to monitor the presence or absence of a touch (step S202), and when the touch on the spin turn area 306 is released (step S202 Yes), the spin turn process ends.

[0057] On the other hand, if the touch on the spin turn area 306 is not released (step S202 No), the touch detection unit 250 detects a swipe motion in which the touch position moves while the touch is continued (step S203). During the swipe motion, the touch detection unit 250 determines whether the movement of the touch position has stopped (step S204), and continues to detect the swipe motion while the movement continues (step S204 No).

[0058] Then, when the movement of the touch position stops (Yes in step S204), the touch detection unit 250 acquires the coordinates of the stopped touch position as the end coordinates of the swipe motion (step S205). As a result, the start coordinates and end coordinates of the swipe motion in the spin turn area 306 are acquired, and these start coordinates and end coordinates are notified to the command generation unit 260.

[0059] When the start coordinates and end coordinates of the swipe motion are notified, a spin turn command based on the swipe motion is generated by the command generation unit 260 (step S206). Specifically, for example, the rotation direction of the spin turn is determined from the movement direction of the swipe motion, and the rotation speed of the spin turn is determined from the movement speed of the swipe motion, and a spin turn command instructing these rotation direction and rotation speed is generated.

[0060] Then, the spin turn command generated by the command generation unit 260 is transmitted from the communication I / F unit 210 to the rocker bogie car 100 (step S207). As a result, the rocker bogie car 100 receives the spin turn command and performs a spin turn in accordance with the operation input at the operation terminal device 200.

[0061] The spin turn command may be transmitted once, for example, as a command to continue the spin turn for a predetermined time, or may be transmitted repeatedly and continuously while touch is continued on the touch panel 240. After the spin turn command is generated and transmitted, a swipe motion may be detected again on the touch panel 240, with the end coordinates where the movement of the touch position stopped as new start coordinates, and a new spin turn command may be generated and transmitted.

[0062] Next, the omnidirectional traveling process in step S106 above will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in Fig. 8. The omnidirectional traveling process starts when a touch on the omnidirectional traveling area 307 of the touch panel 240 is detected.

[0063] When the touch detection unit 250 detects a touch on the omnidirectional travel area 307, the start coordinates of the touch position where the touch was first detected are acquired (step S301). Then, the touch detection unit 250 continues to monitor whether or not there is a touch (step S302), and when the touch on the omnidirectional travel area 307 is released (step S302 Yes), the omnidirectional travel process ends.

[0064] On the other hand, if the touch on the omnidirectional travel area 307 is not released (step S302 No), the touch detection unit 250 detects a swipe motion in which the touch position moves while the touch is continued (step S303). During the swipe motion, the touch detection unit 250 determines whether the movement of the touch position has stopped (step S304), and continues to detect the swipe motion while the movement continues (step S304 No).

[0065] Then, when the movement of the touch position stops (Yes in step S304), the touch detection unit 250 acquires the coordinates of the stopped touch position as the end coordinates of the swipe motion (step S305). As a result, the start coordinates and end coordinates of the swipe motion in the omnidirectional travel area 307 are acquired, and these start coordinates and end coordinates are notified to the command generation unit 260.

[0066] When the start coordinates and end coordinates of the swipe motion are notified, the command generation unit 260 generates an omnidirectional running command based on the swipe motion (step S306). Specifically, for example, the direction of travel for the omnidirectional running is determined from the movement direction of the swipe motion, and the movement speed for the omnidirectional running is determined from the movement speed of the swipe motion, and an omnidirectional running command instructing these movement direction and movement speed is generated.

[0067] Then, the omnidirectional traveling command generated by the command generation unit 260 is transmitted from the communication I / F unit 210 to the rocker bogie car 100 (step S307). As a result, the rocker bogie car 100 receives the omnidirectional traveling command and performs omnidirectional traveling according to the operation input at the operation terminal device 200.

[0068] The omnidirectional traveling command may be transmitted once, for example, as a command to continue omnidirectional traveling for a predetermined time, or may be transmitted repeatedly and continuously while touch is maintained on the touch panel 240. After the omnidirectional traveling command is generated and transmitted, a swipe motion may be detected again on the touch panel 240, with the end coordinates where the movement of the touch position stopped as new start coordinates, and a new omnidirectional traveling command may be generated and transmitted.

[0069] Next, the swing process in step S107 above will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in Fig. 9. The swing process starts when a double tap on the omnidirectional travel area 307 of the touch panel 240 is detected.

[0070] When touch detection unit 250 detects a double tap on omnidirectional travel area 307, the input mode in operation area 305 is switched to a head swing input mode, and the input of a head swing operation is accepted. When a touch on touch panel 240 is detected in this head swing input mode, the start coordinates of the touch position where the touch was detected are acquired (step S401). Then, touch detection unit 250 continues to monitor whether or not there is a touch (step S402), and when the touch on operation area 305 is released (step S402 Yes), the head swing processing ends. At the same time, the head swing input mode also ends.

[0071] On the other hand, if the touch on the operation area 305 is not released (step S402 No), the touch detection unit 250 detects a swipe action in which the touch position moves while the touch is continued (step S403). During the swipe action, the touch detection unit 250 determines whether the movement of the touch position has stopped (step S404), and continues to detect the swipe action while the movement continues (step S404 No).

[0072] Then, when the movement of the touch position stops (step S404 Yes), the touch detection unit 250 acquires the coordinates of the stopped touch position as the end coordinates of the swipe motion (step S405). As a result, the start coordinates and end coordinates of the swipe motion in the operation area 305 are acquired, and these start coordinates and end coordinates are notified to the command generation unit 260.

[0073] When the start point coordinates and end point coordinates of the swipe motion are notified, the command generation unit 260 generates a swing command based on the swipe motion (step S406). That is, a swing command is generated that instructs the direction in which to swing the monitor 130 of the rocker bogie car 100. The specific generation of the swing command will be described later.

[0074] Then, the swing command generated by the command generation unit 260 is transmitted from the communication I / F unit 210 to the rocker bogie car 100 (step S407). As a result, the rocker bogie car 100 receives the swing command and performs a swing operation in accordance with the operation input at the operation terminal device 200.

[0075] The swing command may be transmitted, for example, by transmitting a command once to instruct the user to continue the swing motion for a predetermined time, or by repeatedly transmitting the command continuously while the user continues to touch the touch panel 240. After the swing command is generated and transmitted, a swipe motion may be detected again on the touch panel 240, with the end coordinates where the movement of the touch position stopped as new start coordinates, and a new swing command may be generated and transmitted.

[0076] 10 is a flow diagram showing a specific example of generating a head shake command. The generation of the head shake command is executed by the command generating unit 260.

[0077] When the start coordinates and end coordinates of the swipe action are acquired from the touch detection unit 250, it is determined whether or not the swipe action is a vertical swipe action from the difference between these start coordinates and end coordinates (step S501). Specifically, for example, the absolute value of the difference between the vertical coordinate values ​​(y-axis direction) of the start coordinates and end coordinates is compared with the absolute value of the difference between the horizontal coordinate values ​​(x-axis direction), and if the absolute value of the difference between the vertical coordinate values ​​is greater than or equal to a predetermined number of times the absolute value of the difference between the horizontal coordinate values, the swipe action is determined to be a vertical swipe action. That is, for example, s ,y s ) and the end coordinate (x e ,y e ) satisfies the following formula (1), it is determined to be a vertical swipe motion. |y e -y s |≧α|x e -x s | (1) In the formula (1), |p| represents the absolute value of p, and α represents a predetermined constant.

[0078] In this way, when it is determined that the vertical movement amount is relatively large and it is a vertical swipe motion (step S501 Yes), the y coordinate values ​​of the start point coordinate and the end point coordinate are compared, and it is determined whether the y coordinate has increased (step S502). As a result of this determination, if the y coordinate value has increased (step S502 Yes), since the touch position has moved upward in the vertical swipe motion, an up direction command is generated to make the rocker bogie car 100 swing upward (step S503). On the other hand, if the y coordinate value has decreased (step S502 No), since the touch position has moved downward in the vertical swipe motion, a down direction command is generated to make the rocker bogie car 100 swing downward (step S504).

[0079] Incidentally, as a result of the determination in step S501, if it is determined that the swipe action is not a vertical swipe action (step S501 No), it is determined whether or not the swipe action is a horizontal swipe action (step S505). Specifically, for example, the absolute value of the difference between the vertical coordinate values ​​(y-axis direction) of the start point coordinate and the end point coordinate is compared with the absolute value of the difference between the horizontal coordinate values ​​(x-axis direction), and if the absolute value of the difference between the horizontal coordinate values ​​is greater than or equal to a predetermined number of times the absolute value of the difference between the vertical coordinate values, the swipe action is determined to be a horizontal swipe action. That is, for example, if the start point coordinate (x s ,y s ) and the end coordinate (x e ,y e ) satisfies the following formula (2), it is determined to be a horizontal swipe motion. |x e -x s |≧β|y e -y s | (2) In the equation (2), |p| represents the absolute value of p, and β represents a predetermined constant.

[0080] In this way, when the amount of horizontal movement is relatively large and it is determined that it is a horizontal swipe motion (step S505 Yes), the x coordinate values ​​of the start point coordinate and the end point coordinate are compared, and it is determined whether the x coordinate has increased (step S506). As a result of this determination, if the x coordinate value has increased (step S506 Yes), since the touch position has moved to the right in the horizontal swipe motion, a right direction command is generated to make the rocker bogie car 100 swing to the right (step S507). On the other hand, if the x coordinate value has decreased (step S506 No), since the touch position has moved to the left in the horizontal swipe motion, a left direction command is generated to make the rocker bogie car 100 swing to the left (step S508).

[0081] Although the generation of a swing command indicating the direction of the swing operation has been described here, the speed of the swing operation may be determined from the speed of the swipe operation, and a swing command indicating the swing speed in each direction may be further generated. Furthermore, if the direction of the monitor 130 of the rocker bogie car 100 has changed to a predetermined maximum allowable angle, command generation may be forcibly stopped to prevent further swing operations in the same direction. In this case, the maximum allowable angles may be, for example, 90 degrees left and 90 degrees right relative to the front direction of the rocker bogie car 100 in the left-right direction, and 20 degrees down and 50 degrees up relative to the front direction of the rocker bogie car 100 in the up-down direction.

[0082] As described above, according to this embodiment, a rocker bogie car is provided with a swing mechanism and a monitor, and the swing operation of the rocker bogie car is remotely controlled by touching the touch panel in an operation terminal device connected to the rocker bogie car via a network. For this reason, for example, a rocker bogie car at a work site together with a worker can be made to perform a swing operation that swings the monitor up and down or left and right, realizing non-verbal communication during remote operation and improving work efficiency.

[0083] (Embodiment 2) In the above-mentioned embodiment 1, when a double tap on the touch panel 240 of the operation terminal device 200 is detected, the input mode is switched to enable operation input for the swinging operation of the rocker bogie car 100. In contrast, in embodiment 2, an operation method will be described that enables operation input for the swinging operation of the rocker bogie car 100 according to the number of touch positions on the touch panel 240 without switching the input mode.

[0084] The configurations of the rocker bogie vehicle operating system, rocker bogie vehicle 100, and operation terminal device 200 according to embodiment 2 are the same as those of embodiment 1, so their description will be omitted. In embodiment 2, the method of operating the rocker bogie vehicle 100 by the operation terminal device 200 is different from that of embodiment 1.

[0085] Fig. 11 is a flow diagram showing a method of operating the rocker bogie vehicle 100 according to embodiment 2. In Fig. 11, the same parts as in Fig. 5 are given the same reference numerals, and detailed explanations thereof will be omitted.

[0086] When remotely operating the rocker bogie vehicle 100, the operator starts the operation terminal device 200 and starts, for example, an application for remote operation. Then, the operation terminal device 200 establishes communication with the rocker bogie vehicle 100 to be remotely operated and initializes the display on the touch panel 240 (step S111). Specifically, the display control unit 230 generates an initial screen having multiple areas and displays it on the touch panel 240.

[0087] Fig. 12 is a diagram showing an example of an initial screen displayed on touch panel 240. In Fig. 12, the same parts as in Fig. 6 are denoted by the same reference numerals. The initial screen shown in Fig. 12 has an operation area 311 instead of operation area 305 of the initial screen shown in Fig. 6.

[0088] The operation area 311 occupies a relatively large proportion of the area of ​​the touch panel 240, and accepts operation inputs from an operator who remotely operates the rocker bogie car 100. The operation area 311 is an area that can distinguish the number of touch positions that are touched simultaneously, and accepts operation inputs with different numbers of touch positions. For example, when the operation area 311 accepts an operation input by a single touch, it accepts this operation input as an operation input for causing the rocker bogie car 100 to travel in all directions. Similarly, when the operation area 311 accepts an operation input by a two-point touch (for example, a simultaneous touch with two fingers), it accepts this operation input as an operation input for causing the rocker bogie car 100 to perform a spin turn. Furthermore, when the operation area 311 accepts an operation input by a three-point touch (for example, a simultaneous touch with three fingers), it accepts this operation input as an operation input for causing the rocker bogie car 100 to oscillate.

[0089] 11, when the initial screen is displayed on the touch panel 240, the touch detection unit 250 waits for a touch on the operation area 311 and determines whether or not there has been a simultaneous one-point touch on the operation area 311 (step S112). If the result of this determination is that a one-point touch on the operation area 311 has been detected (step S112 Yes), an omnidirectional traveling process is executed to send an omnidirectional traveling command to the rocker bogie car 100 (step S106).

[0090] On the other hand, if the result of the determination in step S112 is that a one-point touch on the operation area 311 is not detected (step S112 No), it is determined whether or not there has been a simultaneous two-point touch on the operation area 311 (step S113).If the result of this determination is that a two-point touch on the operation area 311 is detected (step S113 Yes), a spin turn process is executed to send a spin turn command to the rocker bogie car 100 (step S105).

[0091] Then, as a result of the determination in step S113, if a two-point touch on the operation area 311 is not detected (step S113 No), it is determined whether or not a three-point touch has occurred simultaneously on the operation area 311 (step S114). As a result of this determination, if a three-point touch on the operation area 311 is detected (step S114 Yes), a swing process is executed to send a swing command to the rocker bogie car 100 (step S107).

[0092] In this way, the operation terminal device 200 transmits commands for omnidirectional travel, spin turns, and swaying movements of the rocker bogie car 100 in response to touches on the touch panel 240. Therefore, the rocker bogie car 100 can be remotely controlled, and by making the rocker bogie car 100 sway, non-verbal communication with the worker at the work site together with the rocker bogie car 100 can be realized. In addition, various operation inputs can be switched depending on the number of touch positions, improving operability.

[0093] As described above, according to this embodiment, a rocker bogie car is provided with a swivel mechanism and a monitor, and the rocker bogie car's swivel operation is remotely controlled by touching the touch panel on an operation terminal device connected to the rocker bogie car via a network. At this time, various operation inputs are switched depending on the number of touch positions on the touch panel. Therefore, for example, a rocker bogie car at a work site together with a worker can be made to swivel by swinging the monitor up and down or left and right, realizing non-verbal communication during remote operation and improving work efficiency. In addition, the operability of remote operation using a touch panel can be improved.

[0094] (Embodiment 3) In the above-mentioned first and second embodiments, the operation input for the swinging operation of the rocker bogie car 100 is performed by touching the touch panel 240 of the operation terminal device 200. In contrast, in the third embodiment, an operation method will be described in which the operation input for the swinging operation of the rocker bogie car 100 is made possible by photographing the operator with the camera 220 of the operation terminal device 200.

[0095] The configurations of the rocker bogie vehicle operating system and the rocker bogie vehicle 100 according to the third embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment, so the description thereof will be omitted. In the third embodiment, the configuration of the operation terminal device 200 and the operation method of the rocker bogie vehicle 100 are different from those in the first embodiment.

[0096] Fig. 13 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an operation terminal device 200 according to embodiment 3. In Fig. 13, the same components as those in Fig. 4 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted. The operation terminal device 200 shown in Fig. 13 has a face detection unit 270 and a command generation unit 280 instead of the command generation unit 260 of the operation terminal device 200 shown in Fig. 4.

[0097] The face detection unit 270 detects the face of the operator from an image of the operator captured by the camera 220. Specifically, the face detection unit 270 detects facial components such as the eyes, nose, and mouth of the operator from the captured image. The face detection unit 270 then estimates a change in the orientation of the operator's face from a change in the positional relationship of the facial components in the captured image. In other words, the face detection unit 270 detects the movement of the operator's face in the captured image.

[0098] The command generation unit 280 generates an omnidirectional running command and a spin turn command that instruct the operation of the rocker bogie car 100 in response to the touch detected by the touch detection unit 250. In addition, the command generation unit 280 generates a swing command that instructs the rocker bogie car 100 to swing in response to the facial movement detected by the face detection unit 270. Specifically, the command generation unit 280 generates a swing command for swinging the rocker bogie car 100 in the same direction as the facial movement detected by the face detection unit 270, for example. The command generation unit 280 transmits the generated command from the communication I / F unit 210 to the rocker bogie car 100.

[0099] Next, the operation method of the rocker bogie car 100 using the operation terminal device 200 configured as described above will be described with reference to the flow chart shown in Fig. 14. Here, the operation method when making the rocker bogie car 100 perform a swinging operation will be described. The operation method when making the rocker bogie car 100 travel in all directions or perform a spin turn is the same as in embodiment 1 or embodiment 2.

[0100] When the rocker bogie car 100 is to be swung by remote control, the operator starts the operation terminal device 200, for example, starts an application for remote control, and takes a picture of the operator himself / herself, including his / her face, using the camera 220 of the operation terminal device 200 (step S601). The captured image including the operator's face is output to the face detection unit 270, and the face detection unit 270 detects the operator's face from the captured image (step S602). Specifically, facial components such as the operator's eyes, nose, and mouth are detected in the captured image.

[0101] The operator's face is continuously photographed by the camera 220, and the components of the operator's face are continuously detected by the face detection unit 270. Then, the face detection unit 270 detects the movement of the operator's face from changes in the positional relationship of the components of the face in the photographed image (step S603). That is, since the direction of the face can be estimated from the positional relationship of the components of the face in the photographed image, the change in the direction of the face is estimated based on the change in the positional relationship of the components of the face.

[0102] Information on the movement of the operator's face detected from the captured image is notified to the command generation unit 280, and the command generation unit 280 generates a swing command according to the movement of the face (step S604). Specifically, when the operator's face moves downward, a downward command is generated to cause the rocker bogie car 100 to swing downward, and when the operator's face moves upward, an upward command is generated to cause the rocker bogie car 100 to swing upward. Also, when the operator's face moves to the left, a left direction command is generated to cause the rocker bogie car 100 to swing left, and when the operator's face moves to the right, a right direction command is generated to cause the rocker bogie car 100 to swing right.

[0103] Although the generation of a head swing command indicating the direction of the head swing has been described above, the speed of the head swing may be determined from the speed of the operator's facial movement, and a head swing command indicating the speed of the head swing in each direction may be further generated.

[0104] The swing command generated by the command generation unit 280 is transmitted from the communication I / F unit 210 to the rocker bogie car 100 (step S605). As a result, the rocker bogie car 100 receives the swing command and performs a swing operation in accordance with the movement of the operator's face.

[0105] As described above, according to this embodiment, a rocker bogie car is provided with a swaying mechanism and a monitor, and an operation terminal device connected to the rocker bogie car via a network remotely controls the rocker bogie car's swaying operation based on the operator's facial movements in the captured image. Therefore, for example, a rocker bogie car at a work site together with a worker can be made to sway by swinging the monitor up and down or left and right, enabling non-verbal communication during remote operation and improving work efficiency. In addition, intuitive operation can be achieved by linking the rocker bogie car's swaying operation with the operator's facial movements.

[0106] In the above-described third embodiment, the rocker bogie car 100 is caused to perform a swinging motion linked to the movement of the operator's face, but it is also possible to cause the rocker bogie car 100 to perform a swinging motion linked to the movement of the operation terminal device 200. That is, if the operation terminal device 200 has, for example, an acceleration sensor or an angular velocity sensor, the movement of the operation terminal device 200 can be detected by these sensors, and a swing command corresponding to the movement of the operation terminal device 200 can be generated.

[0107] Specifically, instead of detecting the movement of the operator's face by the face detection unit 270 in the above-mentioned third embodiment, the direction and amount of movement of the operating terminal device 200 are detected by an acceleration sensor or an angular velocity sensor, and a head shake command corresponding to the detected direction and amount of movement is generated.

[0108] Furthermore, in the above-described first to third embodiments, the height of the swivel mechanism 120 and the monitor 130 of the rocker bogie vehicle 100 is fixed, but it is also possible to configure the swivel mechanism 120 and the monitor 130 to be raised and lowered up and down. Specifically, for example, as shown in FIG. 15, a lifter mechanism 402 is attached to a support column 401 that stands up from the upper surface of the main body 101, and the swivel mechanism 120 and the monitor 130 are mounted on the lifter mechanism 402. The lifter mechanism 402 is connected to the main body 101 by a cable 403. The cable 403 also includes a control cable for controlling the swivel mechanism 120 and the monitor 130.

[0109] The lifter mechanism 402 may be configured to move up and down by, for example, a geared stepping motor or a DC motor equipped with a screw drive. The lifter mechanism 402 may also be an air lifter type that moves up and down by air pressure.

[0110] When such a lifter mechanism 402 is provided in the rocker bogie car 100, it is possible to operate the lifter mechanism 402 by touching the touch panel 240 of the operation terminal device 200, similar to the swing operation of the swing mechanism 120. Specifically, for example, when the lifter mechanism 402 is provided in the rocker bogie car 100 according to embodiment 1, each time a double tap on the omnidirectional traveling area 307 of the operation terminal device 200 is detected, the input mode is switched sequentially to a swing input mode, a lifter lifting / lowering input mode, and an omnidirectional traveling input mode, and in the lifter lifting / lowering input mode, a lifter lifting / lowering command corresponding to the swipe operation is transmitted to the rocker bogie car 100. Furthermore, for example, if a lifter mechanism 402 is provided in the rocker bogie vehicle 100 according to embodiment 2, when an operation input is made by touching the operation area 311 of the operation terminal device 200 with four points (for example, touching with four fingers simultaneously), a lifter raising / lowering command for raising and lowering the lifter mechanism 402 can be sent to the rocker bogie vehicle.

[0111] The operation terminal device 200 according to the first to third embodiments can be configured using a processor and a memory. Fig. 16 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the operation terminal device 200. As shown in Fig. 16, the operation terminal device 200 includes a processor 201, a memory 202, a storage 203, and a communication I / F 204.

[0112] The processor 201 has, for example, a central processing unit (CPU), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or a digital signal processor (DSP), and controls the entire operation terminal device 200 and executes various types of arithmetic processing.

[0113] The memory 202 includes, for example, a random access memory (RAM) or a read only memory (ROM), and stores information used in the arithmetic processing executed by the processor 201.

[0114] The storage 203 includes, for example, a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid state drive (SSD), and stores various types of data.

[0115] The communication I / F 204 is a wired or wireless interface that connects to a network, and transmits and receives various types of data via the network.

[0116] The processing performed by the operation terminal device 200 described in the first to third embodiments can also be written as a computer-executable program. In this case, the program can be stored in a computer-readable, non-transitory recording medium and installed in the computer. Examples of such recording media include semiconductor memories such as flash memories that can be rewritten remotely via a network. The recording media may also be portable recording media such as CD-ROMs, DVD discs, and USB memory sticks. [Explanation of symbols]

[0117] 101 Main Unit 102, 401 Support column 110 Wheel mechanism 111 front wheel 112 Middle wheel 113 rear wheel 114 Bogie Link 115 Rocker Link 116, 117, 118 Drive motor 119 Motor 120 Swing mechanism 121 Tilt mechanism 122 Panning mechanism 130 monitors 140, 210 Communication I / F section 150 Wheel control unit 160 Swing control unit 170, 230 Display control unit 220 Camera 240 Touch Panel 250 Touch detection unit 260, 280 Command generation unit 270 Face detection unit 402 Lifter mechanism 403 Cable

Claims

1. A six-wheeled rocker bogie vehicle in which a pair of front wheels, a pair of middle wheels, and a pair of rear wheels are provided on the left and right sides, a bogie link that pivotally supports the front wheels and the center wheels; a rocker link that pivotally supports the rear wheels and the bogie link; a main body connected to the rocker link; a monitor for displaying an image; a swing mechanism above the main body that supports the monitor so that the monitor can swing up and down or left and right, The body includes: a receiving unit for receiving a command; a control unit that controls the swing of the monitor by the swing mechanism in accordance with the command received by the receiving unit; Rocker bogie car.

2. The swing mechanism is a tilt mechanism that rotates the monitor up and down using a servo motor; a pan mechanism that rotates the monitor and the tilt mechanism left and right using a servo motor; 2. The rocker bogie according to claim 1, comprising:

3. a support column standing upright from the upper surface of the main body; a lifter mechanism that mounts the monitor and the swing mechanism and raises and lowers the support column; 2. The rocker bogie of claim 1, further comprising:

4. A rocker bogie vehicle operation method executed by an operation terminal device that remotely operates a six-wheeled rocker bogie vehicle in which a pair of front wheels, a pair of middle wheels, and a pair of rear wheels are provided on the left and right sides, The rocker bogie car is a bogie link that pivotally supports the front wheels and the center wheels; a rocker link that pivotally supports the rear wheels and the bogie link; a main body connected to the rocker link; a monitor for displaying an image; a swing mechanism above the main body that supports the monitor so that the monitor can swing up and down or left and right, The body includes: a receiving unit for receiving a command; a control unit that controls the swing of the monitor by the swing mechanism in accordance with the command received by the receiving unit, The operation terminal device Detecting a movement of an operator operating the operation terminal device or the operation terminal device; generating commands to control the oscillating mechanism in response to the detected movement; transmitting the generated command to the rocker-bogie vehicle; A method for operating a rocker bogie vehicle.

5. The detecting step includes: taking an image of the operator with a camera; Detecting the face of the operator from a captured image; Detecting the movement of the detected face; 5. The method for operating a rocker bogie vehicle according to claim 4, comprising:

6. A rocker bogie vehicle operation method executed by an operation terminal device that remotely operates a six-wheeled rocker bogie vehicle in which a pair of front wheels, a pair of middle wheels, and a pair of rear wheels are provided on the left and right sides, The rocker bogie car is a bogie link that pivotally supports the front wheels and the center wheels; a rocker link that pivotally supports the rear wheels and the bogie link; a main body connected to the rocker link; a monitor for displaying an image; a swing mechanism above the main body that supports the monitor so that the monitor can swing up and down or left and right, The body includes: a receiving unit for receiving a command; a control unit that controls the swing of the monitor by the swing mechanism in accordance with the command received by the receiving unit, The operation terminal device Detecting a touch on a touch panel by an operator operating the operation terminal device; Generating a command to instruct the rocker bogie car to operate in accordance with a movement of the touch position of the detected touch; transmitting the generated command to the rocker-bogie vehicle; A method for operating a rocker bogie vehicle.

7. The generating step comprises: Generate an omnidirectional travel command to instruct the rocker bogie vehicle to travel in an omnidirectional manner.

7. A method for operating a rocker bogie vehicle according to claim 6.

8. The generating step comprises: Generate a spin turn command to instruct the rocker bogie car to make a spin turn 7. A method for operating a rocker bogie vehicle according to claim 6.

9. The generating step comprises: Generate a swing command to control the swing mechanism 7. A method for operating a rocker bogie vehicle according to claim 6.

10. The detecting step includes: determining the number of touch positions simultaneously touched on the touch panel; The generating step comprises: A command for instructing the rocker-bogie vehicle to perform a different operation is generated according to the number of determined touch positions.

7. A method for operating a rocker bogie vehicle according to claim 6.

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