Moving body device

Abstract

To provide a moving body device suitable for turning in a narrow space.SOLUTION: The moving body device 1 includes a moving-body main body 5 and a traveling mechanism 6. A traveling mechanism includes: a holding portion 62 that holds the moving-body main body; a support shaft 63 that extends leftward and rightward from the holding portion; a swing shaft 64 pivotally supported by the holding portion, extending leftward and rightward, and swingable about a portion pivotally supported by the holding portion; and a traveling portions 65 disposed on the left and right sides of the holding portion. The traveling portions each include: a support arm 66 pivotally supported at a distal end of the support shaft and swingable about the support shaft; a front wheel 67 rotatably attached to a front side of the support arm; a drive wheel 61 rotatably attached to a rear side of the support arm; and rear wheels 68 rotatably attached to left and right distal ends of the swing shaft. A rotation shaft of a left drive wheel 61L and a rotation shaft of a right drive wheel 61R extend on the same straight line A2. A midpoint between the left and right drive wheels and a geometric center of the moving-body main body on the straight line A2 coincide with each other as viewed from above.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to mobile devices. [Background technology]

[0002] Autonomous robots are being used as mobile devices for a variety of purposes, such as patrolling and monitoring buildings and cleaning. Such autonomous robots are equipped with a traveling mechanism. Conventional traveling mechanisms include, for example, a rocker-bogie mechanism (see Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-22297 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Although the forward movement of the above-mentioned conventional traveling mechanisms has been thoroughly studied, little consideration has been given to the turning movement. However, mobile devices used for applications such as patrol surveillance and cleaning within buildings may need to turn in narrow spaces or in crowded places. An object of the present invention is to provide a mobile device that is suitable for turning in a narrow space. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a mobile body device comprising a mobile body main body and a traveling mechanism attached to a lower portion of the mobile body main body and causing the mobile body main body to travel, wherein the traveling mechanism comprises a holding section that holds the mobile body main body, a support shaft extending left and right from the holding section, a swing shaft that is journaled on the holding section and extends left and right and is capable of swinging in a plane perpendicular to the traveling direction of the traveling mechanism around a point where the swing shaft is journaled on the holding section, and traveling sections that are disposed on the left and right of the holding section, respectively, and the traveling sections are journaled on the tips of the support shafts, and Provided is a mobile body device having a support arm that can swing around a support shaft in a plane perpendicular to the left-right direction, a front wheel rotatably attached to the front side of the support arm, a drive wheel rotatably attached to the rear side of the support arm, and rear wheels rotatably attached to the left and right ends of the swing shaft, wherein the rotation axis of the left drive wheel of the left running unit and the rotation axis of the right drive wheel of the right running unit extend on the same straight line, and when viewed from above, the midpoint on the straight line between the left drive wheel and the right drive wheel coincides with the geometric center of the mobile body main body.

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, in another aspect, the present invention provides a mobile body device including a mobile body main body and a traveling mechanism attached to a lower portion of the mobile body to cause the mobile body to travel, wherein the mobile body is equipped with a first distance measuring device that recognizes the position of the mobile body and detects obstacles around the mobile body, and the traveling mechanism includes a holder that holds the mobile body, a support shaft extending left and right from the holder, a swing shaft that is journaled on the holder and extends left and right and is capable of swinging in a plane perpendicular to the traveling direction of the traveling mechanism around a point journaled on the holder, and traveling units disposed on the left and right of the holder, respectively. wherein each of the running units has a support arm that is journaled on the tip of the support shaft and can swing around the support shaft in a plane perpendicular to the left-right direction, a front wheel rotatably attached to the front side of the support arm, a drive wheel rotatably attached to the rear side of the support arm, and rear wheels rotatably attached to the left and right tips of the swing shaft, wherein the rotation axis of the left drive wheel of the left running unit and the rotation axis of the right drive wheel of the right running unit extend on the same straight line, and when viewed from above, the midpoint between the left drive wheel and the right drive wheel on the straight line coincides with the geometric center of the first ranging device.

[0007] In the above-described movable body device, it is preferable that the midpoint is located on the axis of the movable body main body.

[0008] In the above-described movable body apparatus, it is preferable that the rotation centers of the front wheels and the rear wheels are located within a circle that passes through the outer periphery of the drive wheels and has the midpoint as its center.

[0009] In the above-mentioned moving body device, it is preferable that the front wheels are attached to inner surfaces of the two support arms that face each other, and the drive wheels are attached to outer surfaces of the two support arms that are opposite to the inner surfaces.

[0010] In the above-described moving body apparatus, the front wheels and the rear wheels are preferably omni-wheels. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a mobile device that is suitable for turning in a narrow space. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a system configuration diagram of a mobile system 100 including a mobile device 1. FIG. [Figure 2] 1 is a block diagram of hardware and functional blocks of a mobile device 1. FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a front view of the moving body device 1. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a top view of the moving body device 1. [Figure 5] 1 is a top view illustrating the measurable range L of the LiDAR device 8 of the mobile device 1, the detectable range T of the TOF sensor device 75, and the irradiable range E of the light 52. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a top view of the traveling mechanism 6. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a rear view of the traveling mechanism 6. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the traveling mechanism 6 as seen obliquely from below. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a side view of the traveling mechanism 6. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] Hereinafter, a mobile device 1 capable of autonomous movement will be described as one embodiment of the mobile device 1 of the present invention. The mobile device 1 is an information processing device that has the functions of creating a 3D map and setting a route based on surrounding environment recognition by sensors, estimating its own position, and moving autonomously, as well as a communication function. The mobile device 1 is suitably used for, for example, patrol security work within a facility such as an office building, but is not limited to this and can be widely applied to work such as cleaning, guidance, and equipment inspection.

[0014] (Mobile system 100) 1 is a system configuration diagram of a mobile system 100 including a mobile device 1. As shown in FIG. 1, the mobile system 100 includes the mobile device 1, a management device 2, and a charging device 3.

[0015] The management device 2 and the mobile device 1 are connected to each other so that they can communicate with each other via a network 4. The network 4 is configured with wireless communication lines such as a mobile communication network, a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), etc. The charging device 3 does not have a function for mutual communication with other devices via the network 4, but has a function for unidirectional broadcasting toward the mobile device 1.

[0016] The management device 2 is a device for managing the operating status of the mobile system 100, and has functions such as collecting information on the operating status from the mobile devices 1 and the charging devices 3, managing the collected information, and outputting it to the outside as necessary. The management device 2 is typically realized by an electronic device such as a server device with a browser function or a personal computer.

[0017] When the mobile device 1 needs to charge its battery, it approaches a pre-specified charging device 3 and connects mechanically and electrically to the charging device 3 to charge the battery. The charging device 3 is a device equipped with a charger for charging the battery of the mobile device 1, and has a simple standalone configuration other than being connected to an appropriate power source such as commercial AC 100V.

[0018] (Mobile device 1) Next, the mobile body device 1 will be described. Fig. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of hardware and functional blocks of the mobile body device 1. Fig. 3 is a front view of the mobile body device 1. Fig. 4 is a top view of the mobile body device 1. Fig. 5 is a top view illustrating the measurable range L of the LiDAR device 8 of the mobile body device 1, the detectable range T of the TOF sensor device 75, and the irradiable range E of the light 52.

[0019] The moving body device 1 includes a moving body main body 5 and a traveling mechanism 6 attached to the bottom of the moving body main body 5 to make the moving body main body 5 travel.

[0020] The mobile body 5 comprises a robot body 7 and a LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) device 8 attached to the top of the robot body 7 as a first distance measuring device that recognizes the position of the robot body 7 and detects obstacles around the robot body 7.

[0021] In the following description of the mobile body device 1, the direction in which the running mechanism 6 is attached will be referred to as the bottom, and the direction in which the LiDAR device 8 is attached will be referred to as the top. The direction in which the mobile body device 1 moves due to the running mechanism 6 is referred to as the running direction or front-to-back direction, and the direction in which the running mechanism 6 moves due to the forward rotation of the drive wheels 61 included in the running mechanism 6 will be referred to as the front, and the opposite side will be referred to as the back. The direction perpendicular to the up-down direction and the front-to-back direction will be referred to as the left-to-right direction, and the left and right when viewing the mobile body device 1 from the front will be referred to as the left and right of the mobile body device 1.

[0022] The mobile device 1 includes a processor 70, a memory 70A, an auxiliary memory unit 70B, a communication unit 71, a data IO unit 72, an input / output unit 73, an ultrasonic sensor device 74, a TOF sensor device 75 as a second ranging device, a contact sensor 76, a battery 77, and a battery control unit 77A.

[0023] The mobile device 1 does not necessarily have to be configured with the functional blocks illustrated in FIG. 2, but may be realized with other configurations that provide equivalent functions.

[0024] The processor 70 is configured using computing devices such as a CPU, GPU, etc., and is a computing device that reads various programs and data from the memory 70A and the auxiliary storage unit 70B and executes data processing to realize the functions of the mobile device 1.

[0025] The memory 70A is a storage area for various programs for causing the hardware group to function as the mobile device 1, various data, and the like, and can be configured with a storage device such as a ROM, a RAM, or a flash memory.

[0026] The auxiliary storage unit 70B is a storage device that provides a storage area for storing data and the like used by each program stored in the memory 70A, and is configured by, for example, a solid-state drive (SSD), a hard disk drive (HDD), or the like.

[0027] The communication unit 71 provides communication functions with the management device 2 via the network 4 and reception functions for one-way communication broadcast from the charging device 3, and is composed of hardware such as a mobile communication module, a network interface card (NIC), a near field communication (NFC) module, etc.

[0028] The data IO unit 72 provides a data input / output function between the processor 70, the communication unit 71, and the input / output unit 73, and includes various interface circuits.

[0029] The input / output unit 73 is composed of various input devices such as a keyboard, touch panel, microphone, etc. that enable data input to the mobile device 1 from outside, and output devices such as a monitor display, speaker, etc. for outputting output display data, output audio data, etc. generated by the processor 70.

[0030] 3, the ultrasonic sensor device 74 is disposed in the center of the robot body 7 in the vertical direction, and is capable of detecting transparent obstacles that exist around the robot body 7. The ultrasonic sensor device 74 has a total of six sensor units on the entire robot body 7: one at the front and one at the back of the robot body 7, and one at each of the front and back positions forming angles of ±45 degrees with respect to the front-to-back direction, for a total of four sensor units on the front and back.

[0031] The TOF sensor device 75 is disposed at the bottom of the robot body 7. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 3, the sensor unit of the TOF sensor device 75 is disposed upward from the bottom end of the egg-shaped robot body 7 at a position about one-fourth of the height of the robot body 7, and two sensors are provided, one in each of the holes 51 for inserting fingers in the handle part 50 provided at the front and rear of the robot body 7 at this height.

[0032] The detectable range of the TOF sensor device 75 disposed in this position is a trapezoidal range T shown in the front-rear direction in Fig. 5, which ranges from inside the inner circle of range L to outside the outer circle of range L, and extends to a position approximately 900 mm away in both the front and rear directions from the sensor unit of the TOF sensor device 75 in a plan view (distance d1 in Fig. 5). Therefore, the TOF sensor device 75 can detect obstacles such as small children or empty cans at the feet of the robot body 7. Note that the width d2 of the mobile body device 1 in Fig. 5 is approximately 300 mm to 700 mm, and the distance d3 from the widthwise end of the mobile body device 1 to the inner circle of range L is approximately 50 mm to 200 mm.

[0033] Lights 52 capable of illuminating the vicinity of the lower part of the robot body 7 are provided in the lower part of the robot body 7 at the same height as the TOF sensor device 75 in the vertical direction. Specifically, the lights 52 are arranged adjacent to both the left and right ends of the handle part where the sensor part of the TOF sensor device 75 is provided, on the front and rear of the robot body 7.

[0034] The illumination range of the light 52 placed in this position is area E shown by an ellipse in Fig. 5, with two in the front and two in the back, for a total of four, and each light is illuminated at a position a predetermined distance away in the front and rear directions from the light 52. The light 52 illuminates by flashing at a frequency of about 1 to 3 times per second.

[0035] A camera device 53 capable of capturing images of the surroundings of the robot body 7 is provided in a portion of the robot body 7 between the LiDAR device 8 and the ultrasonic sensor device 74 in the up-down direction of the robot body 7, closer to the LiDAR device 8. The camera device 53 has four imaging lenses, one each at the front, back, left, and right sides of the robot body 7, and is provided at 90-degree intervals around the axis A0 of the robot body 7 in a plan view, so as to surround the robot body 7 in the circumferential direction. The camera device 53 captures images of the entire surroundings of the robot body 7.

[0036] A camera light 54 that illuminates the imaging area of ​​the camera device 53 is provided in a portion of the robot body 7 between the camera device 53 and the ultrasonic sensor device 74 in the up-down direction of the robot body 7, closer to the camera device 53. There are four camera lights 54, one each at the front, back, left and right of the robot body 7, and they are provided in positions that correspond to the positions of the camera devices 53 in a plan view, at 90-degree intervals around the axis A0 of the robot body 7 in the circumferential direction of the robot body 7.

[0037] A speaker 55 capable of outputting the voice of a security guard in a remote location, warning sounds, etc. to people around the robot body 7 is provided in the center in the vertical direction of the robot body 7. As shown in FIG. 3, the speaker 55 is located at the same height as the ultrasonic sensor device 74 in the vertical direction of the robot body 7, and is arranged at both the left and right ends of the robot body 7.

[0038] A microphone 56 is provided in the portion of the robot body 7 between the camera device 53 and the camera light 54 in the up-down direction of the robot body 7, which can input the voices of people around the robot body 7 to a security guard at a remote location. As shown in Fig. 3, two microphones 56 are provided on the front side of the robot body 7, one at each position forming a predetermined angle symmetrically with respect to the front-to-rear direction.

[0039] The contact sensor 76 is a sensor device that allows the mobile device 1 to confirm whether the charging plug 57, which serves as the mobile device side connection part of the mobile device 1, and the charging socket (not shown), which serves as the charging side connection part of the charging device 3, are properly engaged and in a state where electricity can be passed through them, and can be configured using an appropriate type of limit switch or the like that can detect the state in which the charging plug of the mobile device 1 and the charging socket of the charging device 3 are properly engaged.

[0040] The battery 77 has the function of supplying power to the control system of the mobile device 1, such as the processor 70, and the drive unit 60 of the traveling mechanism 6, and is composed of a rechargeable secondary battery of an appropriate type.

[0041] The battery control unit 77A is hardware that provides a function for controlling the charging and discharging of the battery 77, and includes a charge / discharge current sensor for the battery 77, a terminal voltage sensor, an arithmetic circuit based on sensor measurement data, and the like.

[0042] A charging plug 57 is provided at the bottom of the back of the robot body 7, and has an electrode terminal as the end of the connecting portion on the mobile body side, and is located at the center of the back of the robot body 7 in the left-right direction. The charging plug 57 is properly engaged with the charging socket of the charging device 3, and charging of the mobile device 1 is performed through the charging plug 57.

[0043] The LiDAR device 8 is a first distance measuring device that has a function of moving while setting a route and measuring the environment around itself in real time using a precision distance measuring system using laser light or the like.

[0044] The LiDAR device 8 includes a LiDAR main body 80 and laser light emitting units 81 provided at three locations evenly spaced around the LiDAR main body 80, and measures the distance to objects around the mobile device 1. The obtained measurement data is passed to a program executed by the processor 70 and is used to create a map (3D map) of the surroundings of the mobile device 1, recognize the position of the mobile device 1 based on the map, detect obstacles around the mobile device 1, set the route for the mobile device 1, and control its movement. Note that other distance measuring devices, such as millimeter wave radar, can also be used for the distance measuring function.

[0045] The LiDAR device 8 is disposed above the robot body 7, specifically, for example, at a height of about 1000 mm to 1500 mm from the floor, so as to be rotatable around the axis A0 of the robot body 7 relative to the robot body 7. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 3, the LiDAR device 8 is disposed at the upper end of the egg-shaped robot body 7 having a cart section at the bottom and above that, and three laser irradiation units that irradiate laser light are disposed with their rotation axes spaced apart by 120 degrees, centered on the axis A0 position of the robot body 7, which is the center of the robot body 7 in a plan view.

[0046] The range that can be measured by the LiDAR device 8 placed in this position is the range L shown in the circle in Figure 5, which is outside a circle with a diameter of, for example, about 500 mm to 1000 mm, centered on the axis A0 position of the robot body 7, which is the center of the robot body 7 in a planar view.

[0047] When viewed from the side as shown in Fig. 3, the mobile body main body 5 has a rough shape of a slightly elongated egg and a roughly elliptical shape with a larger diameter at the bottom than at the top. In the mobile body main body 5, a LiDAR main body unit 80 is disposed on top of a robot body 7. When viewed from above as shown in Fig. 4, the outline of the robot body 7 is a roughly circular shape centered on an axis A0 extending vertically. When viewed from above as shown in Fig. 4, the outline of the LiDAR main body unit 80 is also a circular shape centered on the axis A0 common to the robot body 7.

[0048] (Traveling mechanism 6) The traveling mechanism 6 is disposed below the mobile body 5 and is covered by an exterior cover 6A. Fig. 6 is a diagram of the traveling mechanism 6 viewed from above, with the contours of the exterior cover 6A, LiDAR device 8 (LiDAR main body 80), robot body 7, and mobile body 5 indicated by two-dot chain lines. Fig. 7 is a diagram of the traveling mechanism 6 viewed from behind. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the traveling mechanism 6 viewed obliquely from below. Fig. 9 is a diagram of the traveling mechanism 6 viewed from the side.

[0049] As shown in Fig. 6, the traveling mechanism 6 has a structure that is symmetrical with respect to a front-rear axis A1 that extends in the traveling direction (front-rear direction) at the center between the left and right. The traveling mechanism 6 includes a holding unit 62 that holds the movable body main body 5, a support shaft 63 that extends left and right from the holding unit 62, a swing shaft 64 that is journaled on the holding unit 62 and extends left and right, and that can swing within a plane that extends up, down, left and right and perpendicular to the traveling direction of the traveling mechanism 6, centered on the point where it is journaled on the holding unit 62, and traveling units 65 that are disposed on the left and right of the holding unit 62. The traveling mechanism 6 also includes a drive unit 60 (shown in Fig. 2, not shown in Figs. 6 to 9) that includes a power source such as a motor and a reduction / transmission mechanism for moving the movable body device 1.

[0050] In this embodiment, the holding portion 62 includes a substantially square plate-shaped portion 62A, a rearward extending portion 62B extending rearward from the plate-shaped portion 62A, and a bearing portion 62C (shown in FIGS. 7 and 8) attached to the rear end of the rearward extending portion 62B. The rearward extending portion 62B extends rearward from the rear side of the plate-shaped portion 62A, and the bearing portion 62C is attached to the rear end of the rearward extending portion 62B. The swing shaft 64 is journaled by the bearing portion 62C and extends left and right, and can swing about the journaled point within a plane extending in the up-down and left-right directions that is perpendicular to the traveling direction of the traveling mechanism 6, as shown by the arrow in FIG. 7.

[0051] The running part 65 includes a right running part 65R and a left running part 65L arranged on the left and right sides of the holding part 62. The right running part 65R and the left running part 65L each include three wheels, and the running part 65 has a six-wheel structure as a whole.

[0052] 8, a support shaft 63 extending laterally is attached to the front side of the plate-shaped portion 62A. The right running portion 65R has a right support arm 66R journaled on the right tip of the support shaft 63 and swingable relative to the support shaft 63, a right front wheel 67R rotatably attached to the front side of the right support arm 66R, a right drive wheel 61R rotatably attached to the rear side of the right support arm 66R, and a right rear wheel 68R rotatably attached to the tip of the swing shaft 64.

[0053] The left running section 65L has a left support arm 66L that is pivotally supported on the left tip of the support shaft 63 and is swingable relative to the support shaft 63, a left front wheel 67L that is rotatably attached to the front side of the left support arm 66L, a left drive wheel 61L that is rotatably attached to the rear side of the left support arm 66L, and a left rear wheel 68L that is rotatably attached to the tip of the swing shaft 64.

[0054] Since the right running section 65R and the left running section 65L have similar structures, in the following, unless it is necessary to distinguish between them, they will be collectively described as running section 65, the left support arm 66L and the right support arm 66R will be collectively described as support arm 66, the left front wheel 67L and the right front wheel 67R will be collectively described as front wheels 67, the left driving wheel 61L and the right driving wheel 61R will be collectively described as driving wheels 61, and the left rear wheel 68L and the right rear wheel 68R will be collectively described as rear wheels 68.

[0055] The support arm 66 is pivotally supported on the left and right ends of the support shaft 63 and can swing around the pivoted part in a plane extending forward and backward and up and down perpendicular to the left and right direction, as shown by the arrow in Figure 9.

[0056] As shown in FIG. 6, a front wheel holding shaft 69 of a predetermined length extends from the front side of the support arm 66 toward the left in the case of the right support arm 66R, and toward the right in the case of the left support arm 66L.

[0057] A front wheel 67 is attached to the tip of the front wheel holding shaft 69. The front wheel 67 is rotatable around the front wheel holding shaft 69. The front wheel 67 is a driven wheel that rotates when the drive wheel 61 rotates and the traveling mechanism 6 moves forward. The front wheel 67 is formed by combining two wheels of the same diameter, and each wheel is an omniwheel in which multiple rollers 67a are arranged on the outer periphery, rotating in a direction perpendicular to the rotation direction of the front wheel 67 relative to the front wheel holding shaft 69.

[0058] Rear wheels 68 are attached to the left and right ends of the rear swing shaft 64. Similar to the front wheels 67, the rear wheels 68 are driven wheels that rotate when the drive wheels 61 rotate and the traveling mechanism 6 moves forward. The rear wheels 68 are also formed by combining two wheels of the same diameter, and each wheel is an omniwheel in which multiple rollers 68a are arranged on the outer periphery, rotating in a direction perpendicular to the rotation direction of the rear wheels 68 relative to the swing shaft 64.

[0059] A drive wheel 61 is attached to the rear of the support arm 66 on the right side in the case of the right support arm 66R, and on the left side in the case of the left support arm 66L. That is, the drive wheel 61 is attached to the outer side of the support arm 66, and a front wheel 67 is attached to the inner side. A brushless DC motor, for example, is connected to the drive unit 60 (shown in FIG. 2), and the drive of this brushless DC motor causes the drive wheel 61 to rotate about an axis (A2, described below) extending left and right.

[0060] 9 is a diagram showing a state in which the contact surface between the front wheels 67 and the drive wheels 61 is perpendicular to the axis A0 of the mobile body 5 including the robot body and the LiDAR device 8. For example, this is a state in which the contact surface between the front wheels 67 and the drive wheels 61 is horizontal, and the axis A0 of the robot body and the LiDAR device 8 is oriented vertically.

[0061] The drive wheels 61 have a larger diameter than the front wheels 67 and the rear wheels 68 in order to increase the power required to overcome, for example, uneven sections. Therefore, as shown in Figure 9, when the traveling mechanism 6 is placed on a horizontal plane and the front wheels 67, drive wheels 61, and rear wheels 68 are positioned on the same horizontal plane, the center of rotation 61C of the drive wheels 61 is positioned above the center of rotation 67C of the front wheels 67 and the center of rotation 68C of the rear wheels 68.

[0062] FIG. 6 is a diagram of the movable body apparatus 1 viewed from above and below along the axis A0 in the state of FIG. The rotation axis of the right drive wheel 61R and the rotation axis of the left drive wheel 61L extend on the same straight line A2. The midpoint on this straight line A2 between the right drive wheel 61R and the left drive wheel 61L, i.e., a point equidistant from the right drive wheel 61R and the left drive wheel 61L (hereinafter, this midpoint will be referred to as the drive wheel midpoint), and the geometric center of the mobile body main body 5 in Figure 6 coincide with each other in Figure 6, and both are located on the axis A0 of the mobile body main body 5.

[0063] In addition, in this embodiment, the geometric center of the moving body 5 coincides with the geometric center of the LiDAR device 8, so the geometric center of the LiDAR device 8 (LiDAR body 80) coincides with the point extending through the drive wheel, and both are located on the axis A0.

[0064] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the geometric center of the moving body main body 5 coincides with the geometric center of the robot body 7, so the geometric center of the robot body 7 and the midpoint of the drive wheels coincide and are both located on the axis A0.

[0065] Furthermore, although not limited to this, in this embodiment, the rotation centers of the front wheels 67 and the rear wheels 68 are located inside a circle A3 that is centered at the drive wheel midpoint and passes through the outer periphery of the drive wheels 61. The rotation center of the front wheels 67 is the central part held by the front wheel holding shaft 69 of the front wheels 67. The rotation center of the rear wheels 68 is the central part held by the swing shaft 64 of the rear wheels 68. Furthermore, the circle A3 that passes through the outer periphery of the drive wheels 61 is the smallest circle that can fit the entire drive wheels 61 inside.

[0066] Furthermore, although not limited to this, in this embodiment, the distance L1 between the line A4 connecting the rotation centers of the left and right front wheels 67 and the straight line A2 along which the rotation axis of the right drive wheel 61R and the rotation axis of the left drive wheel 61L extend is approximately equal to the distance L2 between the oscillating axis 64 holding the rear wheel 68 and the straight line A2.

[0067] (While driving) When the movable body apparatus 1 of this embodiment is traveling and, for example, the right front wheel 67R goes over a step or the like, the right front wheel 67R is lifted up, but the support arm 66 or the swing shaft 64 swings, so that the other front wheels 67, the drive wheels 61, and the rear wheels 68 are not affected and all the wheels remain in contact with the ground. That is, according to the movable body apparatus 1 of this embodiment, even if one or more wheels move up and down, the support arm 66 or the swing shaft 64 swings, so that all the wheels remain in contact with the ground, allowing the movable body apparatus 1 to travel in a stable state.

[0068] (When turning) When turning the movable body apparatus 1, one of the left and right drive wheels 61 is rotated forward, and the other is rotated backward by the same amount as the forward rotation. This causes the movable body apparatus 1 to rotate around the midpoint on the line A2 between the right drive wheel 61R and the left drive wheel 61L. This allows the movable body apparatus 1 to turn on the spot.

[0069] 6, which shows a top view of the state shown in FIG. 9 in which the contact surfaces of the front wheels 67 and the drive wheels 61 are perpendicular to the axis A0 of the vehicle body 5, the geometric center of the vehicle body 5 and the drive wheel midpoint coincide with each other and are both located on the axis A0 of the vehicle body 5. Therefore, when the vehicle apparatus 1 turns around the drive wheel midpoint, the vehicle body 5 also turns around its own axis A0. Therefore, the vehicle body 5 can turn in a minimum space, and the vehicle apparatus 1 of the embodiment reduces the possibility of any part of the vehicle body 5 colliding with a person, a wall, or the like when turning, even when it is necessary to turn in a narrow space or in a crowded place.

[0070] Furthermore, the drive wheel midpoint is located on the axis A0 of the LiDAR device 8. Therefore, when the mobile device 1 turns, the LiDAR device 8 also rotates around the axis A0 of the LiDAR device 8 itself. Therefore, there is less difference in the distance measurement values ​​by the LiDAR device 8 before and after turning, and there is less variation in distance measurement accuracy, resulting in stable environment recognition.

[0071] When the movable body apparatus 1 turns, the drive wheels 61 turn around the drive wheel midpoint. At this time, the front wheels 67 and rear wheels 68 also turn around the drive wheel midpoint. In the embodiment, the rotation centers of the front wheels 67 and rear wheels 68 are located within a circle A3 that is centered at the drive wheel midpoint and passes through the outer periphery of the drive wheels 61. Therefore, the turning trajectories of the front wheels 67 and rear wheels 68 do not deviate significantly from the turning trajectory of the drive wheels 61. Therefore, even when the movable body apparatus 1 of the embodiment needs to turn in a narrow space or in a crowded place, the possibility of the front wheels 67 and rear wheels 68 colliding with people, walls, etc. during turning is reduced.

[0072] Furthermore, the distance L1 between the line A2 and the line connecting the rotation centers of the left and right front wheels 67 is approximately equal to the distance L2 between the line A2 (left) connecting the swing shaft 64 that holds the rear wheels 68 and the rotation centers of the two drive wheels 61. When the value obtained by adding L1 and L2 is constant, when L1 and L2 are equal, the turning trajectories of the front wheels 67 and the rear wheels 68 become approximately equal, and the movable body apparatus 1 can turn in the smallest space. Therefore, even when the movable body apparatus 1 of the embodiment needs to turn in a narrow space or in a crowded place, the possibility of the front wheels 67 and the rear wheels 68 hitting people, walls, etc. during turning is reduced.

[0073] Furthermore, since omni-wheels are used for the front wheels 67 and rear wheels 68, the moving body apparatus 1 can rotate smoothly when turning.

[0074] While specific embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these and can be modified and changed as appropriate. [Explanation of symbols]

[0075] A0 axis A1 Anteroposterior axis A2 The straight line along which the rotation axes of the left and right drive wheels extend 1 Mobile device 5 Mobile body 6. Traveling mechanism 6A Exterior cover 7 Robot Body 61 Drive wheels 62 Holding part 62A Plate-shaped part 62B Rear extension 62C bearing part 63 Support shaft 64 Swing axis 65 Running part 66 Support arm 67 Front wheel 67a Roller 68 rear wheel 68a Roller 69 Front wheel holding shaft 8 LiDAR device 80 LiDAR main body 81 Laser light emission unit

Claims

1. A mobile device comprising: a mobile body; and a traveling mechanism attached to a lower portion of the mobile body and configured to cause the mobile body to travel, The traveling mechanism includes: a holding portion that holds the moving body; a support shaft extending laterally from the holding portion; a swing shaft that is pivotally supported by the holding portion, extends laterally, and is pivotable about a point where the swing shaft is pivotally supported by the holding portion within a plane perpendicular to the traveling direction of the traveling mechanism; a running portion disposed on each of the left and right sides of the holding portion, Each of the traveling sections is a support arm that is pivotally supported on the tip of the support shaft and is swingable about the support shaft within a plane perpendicular to the left-right direction; a front wheel rotatably attached to the front side of the support arm; a drive wheel rotatably attached to the rear side of the support arm; rear wheels rotatably attached to the left and right ends of the swing shaft, the rotation axis of the left drive wheel of the left running unit and the rotation axis of the right drive wheel of the right running unit extend on the same straight line, and when viewed from above, the midpoint between the left drive wheel and the right drive wheel on the straight line coincides with the geometric center of the mobile body; Mobile device.

2. A mobile device comprising: a mobile body; and a traveling mechanism attached to a lower portion of the mobile body and configured to cause the mobile body to travel, the moving body includes a first distance measuring device that recognizes the position of the moving body and detects obstacles around the moving body; The traveling mechanism includes: a holding portion that holds the moving body; a support shaft extending laterally from the holding portion; a swing shaft that is pivotally supported by the holding portion, extends laterally, and is pivotable about a point where the swing shaft is pivotally supported by the holding portion within a plane perpendicular to the traveling direction of the traveling mechanism; a running portion disposed on each of the left and right sides of the holding portion, Each of the traveling sections is a support arm that is pivotally supported on the tip of the support shaft and is swingable about the support shaft within a plane perpendicular to the left-right direction; a front wheel rotatably attached to the front side of the support arm; a drive wheel rotatably attached to the rear side of the support arm; rear wheels rotatably attached to the left and right ends of the swing shaft, a rotation axis of a left driving wheel of the left running unit and a rotation axis of a right driving wheel of the right running unit extend on the same straight line, and when viewed from above, the midpoint between the left driving wheel and the right driving wheel on the straight line coincides with the geometric center of the first distance measuring device; Mobile device.

3. On the axis of the moving body, The midpoint is located 3. The mobile device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. Within a circle passing through the outer periphery of the drive wheel with the midpoint as its center, The rotation centers of the front wheels and the rear wheels are located 3. The mobile device according to claim 1 or 2.

5. The front wheels are attached to inner surfaces of the two support arms that face each other, The drive wheels are attached to outer surfaces of the two support arms opposite to the inner surfaces.

3. The mobile device according to claim 1 or 2.

6. The front wheels and the rear wheels are omni-wheels.

3. The mobile device according to claim 1 or 2.

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