Mobile object, control method and program

Abstract

Improve the measurement accuracy of the object being measured. [Solution] The moving body includes a fork that is movable in the vertical direction, a sensor 26 that is movable together with the fork and can measure the distance to the measurement object, a fork control unit 88 that controls the vertical movement of the fork and sensor 26, and a calculation unit 86 that calculates the height and distance of a characteristic structure of the measurement object based on the distance measured at multiple different heights by the sensor 26 moving in the vertical direction and the height of the sensor 26. The fork control unit 88 controls the vertical movement of the fork based on the height and distance of the measurement object.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a moving object, a control method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] Mobile bodies such as forklifts are used for cargo handling work. Patent Document 1 discloses a cargo handling vehicle (mobile body) equipped with a position detection device that acquires distance information to a side plate on the front side of a platform on which a load is placed using a measurement means, and calculates the position of a first portion of the side plate that is closest to the measurement means based on the distance information. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2023-142353 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Conventional mobile bodies used in loading and unloading operations use sensors to measure the distance to the object, but because it is difficult to accurately measure the distance to the object due to the accuracy of the sensor, improvements are needed for conventional mobile bodies, especially for measuring objects with distinctive structures.

[0005] The present disclosure is intended to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a moving body, a control method, and a program that can improve the measurement accuracy of an object to be measured. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The movable body according to the present disclosure comprises a fork movable in an up-down direction, a first sensor movable together with the fork and capable of measuring the distance to an object to be measured, a fork control unit that controls the up-down movement of the fork and the first sensor, and a calculation unit that calculates the height and distance of a characteristic structure of the object to be measured based on the distance measured at multiple different heights by the first sensor as it moves up-down and based on the height of the first sensor, and the fork control unit controls the up-down movement of the fork based on the height and the distance of the object to be measured.

[0007] The control method disclosed herein is a method for controlling a moving body that includes a fork that is movable in an up-down direction, a first sensor that is movable together with the fork and is capable of measuring the distance to a measurement object, and a fork control unit that controls the up-down movement of the fork and the first sensor, and includes a step of calculating the height and distance of a characteristic structure of the measurement object based on the distance measured at multiple different heights by the first sensor as it moves up-down and based on the height of the first sensor, and a step of the fork control unit controlling the up-down movement of the fork based on the height and the distance of the measurement object.

[0008] The program of the present disclosure causes a mobile body including a fork movable in an up-down direction, a first sensor movable together with the fork and capable of measuring the distance to a measurement object, and a fork control unit that controls the up-down movement of the fork and the first sensor to execute the following steps: calculating the height and distance of a characteristic structure of the measurement object based on the distance measured at multiple different heights by the first sensor as it moves up-down and based on the height of the first sensor; and controlling the up-down movement of the fork by the fork control unit based on the height and the distance of the measurement object. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to improve the measurement accuracy of an object to be measured. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a mobility control system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the configuration of a moving body according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the relationship between the sensor and the measurement object in the moving body shown in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an enlarged schematic diagram of the partial PE shown in FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a schematic block diagram of the management device. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a schematic block diagram of an information processing device. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a schematic block diagram of a control device for a moving body. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure of a control method executed by a control device of a moving body. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining an example of extracting feature points from distance information. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining a reference example in which the characteristic structure of FIG. 9 is measured using another sensor. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a schematic block diagram of a control device for a moving body according to the second embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure of a control method executed by the control device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining an example in which re-measurement is determined based on distance information. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the present disclosure is not limited to these embodiments, and when there are multiple embodiments, the present disclosure also includes configurations in which the respective embodiments are combined.

[0012] (Embodiment) (Overall configuration of the mobility control system) FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a mobility control system according to an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the mobility control system 1 according to the embodiment includes a mobile object 10, a management device 12, and an information processing device 14. The mobility control system 1 is a system that controls the movement of the mobile object 10 belonging to a facility W. The facility W is, for example, a facility that undergoes logistics management, such as a warehouse. In the mobility control system 1, the mobile object 10 picks up and transports a target object P placed within an area AR of the facility W. The area AR is, for example, the floor surface of the facility W, and is an area where the target object P is placed and where the mobile object 10 moves. In this embodiment, the target object P is a transport target in which cargo is loaded on a pallet. The target object P has, on its front surface Pa, multiple pillars PA and insertion slots PB formed between the pillars PA. The front surface Pa refers to the side from which the mobile object 10 approaches. The mobile object 10 holds the target object P by inserting a fork 24, which will be described later, into the insertion slot PB. However, the target P is not limited to a pallet with cargo loaded on it, and may be any form, for example, it may be cargo only without a pallet. Hereinafter, one direction along the area AR will be referred to as direction X, and a direction along the area AR that intersects with direction X will be referred to as direction Y. In this embodiment, direction Y is a direction perpendicular to direction X. Directions X and Y may also be referred to as horizontal directions. Furthermore, the direction perpendicular to directions X and Y, i.e., the vertical direction, will be referred to as direction Z.

[0013] Multiple installation areas AR0 are provided in an area AR within the facility W. The installation area AR0 is an area where targets P are to be installed. The installation area AR0 is set in advance as an area where the targets P should be installed. The installation area AR0 is divided, for example, by white lines, and the position (coordinates), shape, and size of the installation area AR0 are set in advance. Within the installation area AR0, the targets P are arranged so that their front faces Pa face the direction X. In the example of FIG. 1, the targets P are arranged within the installation area AR so that the axis PX, which is perpendicular to the front faces Pa when viewed from the direction Z, is aligned with the direction X, i.e., so that the orientation of the targets P does not deviate from the installation area AR0. However, the axis PX of the targets P is not limited to being aligned with the direction X, and the axis PX may be installed at an angle from the direction X, i.e., so that the orientation of the targets P is deviated from the installation area AR. For example, it is preferable that the target P be arranged in the installation area AR0 so that the inclination angle between the axis PX and the direction X is 45 degrees or less.

[0014] In this embodiment, the installation area AR0 is provided within the loading platform of a vehicle that transports the target object P to or from the facility W, but is not limited to this and may be provided, for example, in an area that is the floor of the facility W, an area of ​​an installation stand, etc. Also, in this embodiment, the installation area AR0 is partitioned for each target object P, and one target object P is placed in the installation area AR0, but is not limited to this. For example, the installation area AR0 may be set as a free space so that multiple targets P can be placed. Also, in the example of Figure 1, the installation area AR0 is rectangular, but the shape and size may be arbitrary. Also, the number of installation areas AR0 provided in the area AR may be arbitrary.

[0015] The mobile object 10 is an automatically mobile device. In this embodiment, the mobile object 10 is a forklift, or more specifically, a so-called AGF (Automated Guided Forklift). As illustrated in FIG. 1 , the mobile object 10 moves within an area AR in a facility W. The mobile object 10 detects a target P multiple times using a sensor 26 (described later) while moving from a first position A1 to a second position A2 according to a first path R1 (wide area path). The mobile object 10 acquires a point cloud from the multiple detection results by the sensor 26 and identifies the position and orientation of the target P based on the point cloud. Upon reaching the second position A2, the mobile object 10 moves from the second position A2 to a target position A3 according to a second path R2 (approach path) set based on the position and orientation of the target P, and picks up the target P. Here, the position of the target P refers to the coordinates of the target P in a two-dimensional coordinate system CO of directions X and Y, and the attitude of the target P refers to the orientation (rotation angle) of the target P when viewed from a direction perpendicular to directions X and Y. Furthermore, the target position A3 is a position and attitude that are predetermined with respect to the target P. In this embodiment, the target position A3 can be said to be a position and attitude at which the moving body 10 can pick up the target P. For example, the target position A3 may be a position and attitude of the moving body 10 at which the fork 24 of the moving body 10, which will be described later, can be inserted into the opening PB of the target P by moving straight ahead without moving laterally. In this case, the moving body 10 moves straight ahead from the target position A3 to pick up the target P and transport the target P to another location.

[0016] (Mobile) Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of the configuration of a moving body 10 according to the embodiment. In Fig. 2, the front-rear direction XA, the left-right direction YA, and the up-down direction ZA are linear directions that intersect at right angles to each other, and are based on the forklift.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 2, the moving body 10 includes a vehicle body 20, wheels 20A, straddle legs 21, a mast 22, a fork 24, a side shift device 25, a sensor 26, and a control device .

[0018] The straddle legs 21 are a pair of shaft-shaped members provided at one end of the vehicle body 20 in the fore-and-aft direction XA and protruding from the vehicle body 20. The wheels 20A are provided at the tip of each straddle leg 21 and on the vehicle body 20. That is, a total of three wheels 20A are provided, but the positions and number of the wheels 20A may be arbitrary. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the wheels 20A include front and rear wheels. The front wheels are wheels 20A rotatably provided at the front ends of the left and right straddle legs 21, respectively. The rear wheels are wheels 20A rotatably provided in the center of the vehicle body 20. The rear wheels are configured to be rotatable and steerable. In this embodiment, the mobile body 10 is configured so that the turning of the mobile body 10 can be controlled by operating one of the rear wheels 20A.

[0019] The mast 22 is movably attached to the straddle legs 21 and moves in the fore-and-aft direction XA of the vehicle body 20. The mast 22 extends in the up-and-down direction ZA, which is perpendicular to the fore-and-aft direction XA, and the backrest 23 is configured to be movable in the left-right direction YA and the up-and-down direction ZA. The mast 22 has a lifting device (not shown), which raises and lowers the backrest 23, thereby raising and lowering the forks 24, i.e., moving them in the up-and-down direction ZA. When the forks 24 are inserted into a pallet, the lifting device raises or lowers the forks 24 so that the front ends of the forks 24 and the insertion openings of the pallet are positioned on the same horizontal plane. The backrest 23 is a load-receiving frame that prevents loads on the forks 24 from falling rearward of the mast 22.

[0020] The fork 24 is attached to the mast 22 via the backrest 23 so as to be movable in the up-down direction ZA. The fork 24 is movable relative to the mast 22 in the left-right direction YA of the vehicle body 20 by a side shift device 25. The fork 24 has a pair of forks, 24A and 24B. The forks 24A and 24B extend from the backrest 23 (mast 22) toward the front of the vehicle body 20. The forks 24A and 24B are arranged spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction YA of the mast 22. Hereinafter, in the fore-and-aft direction XA, the direction on the side of the vehicle 10 where the fork 24 is not provided will be referred to as the rearward direction, and the direction on the side where the fork 24 is provided will be referred to as the forward direction.

[0021] The forks 24 are provided to extend along the front-rear direction XA, and when inserted into a target object P (pallet), they are able to lift the target object P. In this embodiment, two forks 24 are provided spaced apart in the left-right direction YA, forming a left-right pair, but three or more forks may also be provided.

[0022] The side shift device 25 moves the pair of forks 24 in the left-right direction YA without changing the distance between the forks 24. By moving the forks 24, the side shift device 25 adjusts the position of the forks 24 relative to the target object position.

[0023] The sensor 26 includes a sensor 26A, a sensor 26B, and a sensor 26C. The sensor 26A detects at least one of the position and the orientation of an object present around the vehicle body 20. It can also be said that the sensor 26A detects at least one of the position of the object relative to the mobile body 10 and the orientation of the object relative to the mobile body 10. In this embodiment, the sensor 26A is provided at the front end of each straddle leg 21 and at the rear side of the vehicle body 20. For example, a LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) sensor, a proximity sensor, or the like can be used as the sensor 26A. Note that the location at which the sensor 26A is provided is not limited thereto, and the sensor 26A may be provided at any position, and the number of sensors provided may also be arbitrary. The sensor 26A supplies sensor information indicating at least one of the position of the object relative to the mobile body 10 and the orientation of the object relative to the mobile body 10 to the control device 28.

[0024] Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the relationship between the sensor 26B and the measurement object in the moving body 10 shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an enlarged schematic diagram of the portion PE shown in Fig. 3. Note that in Fig. 3, the sensor 26B is shown enlarged to clarify the example of the relationship.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 3, the truck 1000 includes a loading platform 1100 and a gate 1200. Note that FIG. 3 only shows the portion related to the loading platform 1100 of the truck 1000, and omits other components. The loading platform 1100 includes the loading platform surface of the truck 1000 on which the moving body 10 unloads and loads the target object P, and is the measurement target 1000P of the moving body 10. The gate 1200 is provided so as to be openable and closable by a hinge or the like at the end of the loading platform 1100, and has a side gate and a rear gate. When loading and unloading cargo onto the loading platform 1100, the gate 1200 is tilted outward from an upright state at the end of the loading platform 1100 to an open state. In the example shown in FIG. 3, only the gates 1200 on the left and right sides of the loading platform 1100 are shown, with the left gate 1200 in the open state and the right gate 1200 in the closed state. The platform 1100 has a height of 1100H from the floor to the surface. The moving body 10 scans and measures a range including the height 1100H in the vertical direction ZA with the sensor 26B.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 4, the bed 1100 of the truck 1000 has a top panel 1120 stacked on the top surface of the bed 1110, with a step 1130 between the top surface of the bed 1110 and the side of the top panel 1120. The step 1130 is where an end 1210 of the gate 1200 in the closed state comes into contact with the bed 1110 and the top panel 1120. The step 1130 has a distance 1130D of about 10 mm from the edge of the bed 1110 and a height 1130H of about 10 mm from the surface of the bed 1110. The bed 1100 may include, for example, a container, a cargo hold, or the like. The distance 1130D corresponds to the depth from the edge of the bed 1110 to the end of the top panel 1120.

[0027] When loading a target object P onto the loading platform 1100, the mobile body 10 can effectively utilize the loading area of ​​the loading platform 1110 by aligning the edges of the loading platform 1110 and the target object P. Furthermore, if the target object P loaded onto the loading platform 1110 protrudes outside the loading platform 1110, the target object P comes into contact with the gate 1200, and the gate 1200 cannot be shifted from the open state to the closed state. For this reason, the mobile body 10 measures the distance using the sensor 26B, with the side surface of the end of the loading platform 1110 being the measurement target 1000P.

[0028] In this embodiment, the mobile object 10 is used to precisely measure the approach distance of a truck 1000 to a loading platform 1100 during shipping operations at a logistics warehouse, for example. For example, when loading (placing) cargo onto the loading platform 1100, the mobile object 10 requires precise distance information of 10 mm or less due to constraints imposed by the layout of the loading platform 1100. However, the position and posture of the truck are not constant each time it is delivered, and its height also fluctuates each time the load changes, so it is essential to detect the distance and height each time cargo handling operations are performed.

[0029] Here, when it is necessary to simultaneously detect the distance and height of the measurement object 1000P, 2D or 3D sensors are generally used. However, when it is necessary to grasp shape features of an object 1 to 2 m away, with a resolution of 10 mm or less, these sensors have difficulty meeting the requirements due to their limited resolution. Furthermore, while the resolution of 1D laser scanning measurement is independent of distance, an essential feature of 2D sensors is that the detection resolution becomes coarser the farther the distance from the measurement object 1000P. Therefore, in this embodiment, the mobile object 10 provides a technology for measuring the details of the measurement object 1000P using the sensor 26B, which is a 1D sensor.

[0030] However, if you want to simultaneously detect the distance and height of an object using a 1D sensor, there is a disadvantage in that the sensor itself must be moved to perform scanning measurement. In this embodiment, the mobile object 10 (forklift) has sensor 26B attached to the lifting mechanism of its own fork 24, eliminating the need for an additional mechanism or additional measurement operation for scanning measurement.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 3 , sensor 26B is a first sensor and is a distance sensor capable of measuring the distance from one point to measurement target 1000P. Examples of distance sensors include optical and ultrasonic distance sensors. Examples of sensor 26B include a distance measurement sensor, a one-dimensional TOF (Time of Flight) sensor, and the like. Sensor 26B is provided at the center position of the pair of forks 24 on the backrest 23, and moves in the up-down direction ZA together with the forks 24 as the backrest 23 moves. Sensor 26B measures, for example, the time it takes for irradiated light to reflect off an object and return, and supplies sensor information indicating the distance obtained from the time to control device 28. In this embodiment, when sensor 26B is positioned at the height of measurement target 1000P, which is the end side surface of loading platform 1110, it measures distance D to measurement target 1000P, which is the end side surface of loading platform 1110.

[0032] By performing scanning measurement using a 1D laser as sensor 26B, the mobile body 10 improves the resolution in the front-back direction XA (distance direction) and the up-down direction ZA (height direction), enabling calculation of the distance and height to a finer feature point. In this embodiment, the mobile body 10 performs scanning measurement using sensor 26B so that it can measure the step portion 1130 of the loading platform 1100, which is a fine object shape of 10 mm or less. In scanning measurement using sensor 26B, resolution does not depend on distance, so resolution does not become coarse even if the distance to the measurement target object 1000P increases. This prevents unnecessary lifting and lowering of the forks 24 in the mobile body 10, improving throughput during forklift operation.

[0033] The sensor 26C is a second sensor that detects the position, posture, etc. of the target P. The sensor 26C is provided alongside the sensor 26B at the lateral center position of the pair of forks 24 on the backrest 23, and moves together with the forks 24 as the backrest 23 moves. In this embodiment, the sensor 26C is described as a three-dimensional sensor such as a three-dimensional ToF (Time of Flight) camera or LiDAR that measures distance, height, etc. at multiple measurement points, but various sensors that can detect the three-dimensional position and distance of an object can be used. The sensor 26C captures a depth image that allows the three-dimensional position and distance to be identified, and supplies sensor information indicating the captured depth image to the control device 28.

[0034] The control device 28 is a computer that controls the moving body 10. The control device 28 detects the position of the detection target from the image information. The control device 28 calculates the relative position between the moving body 10 and the pallet, which changes during the insertion operation of the forks 24. The control device 28 will be described later.

[0035] In this embodiment, the movable body 10 will be described as having the sensors 26B and 26C arranged side by side in the center between the pair of forks 24. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the movable body 10 may be configured such that only the sensor 26B is arranged in the center between the pair of forks 24 without including the sensor 26C.

[0036] (Management device) FIG. 5 is a schematic block diagram of a management device. The management device 12 is a system that manages logistics in the facility W. In this embodiment, the management device 12 is a WMS (Warehouse Management System), but is not limited to a WMS and may be any system, for example, a back-end system such as another production management system. The location where the management device 12 is installed is arbitrary, and the management device 12 may be installed within the facility W or at a location remote from the facility W to manage the facility W from that location. The management device 12 is a computer, and as shown in FIG. 5, includes a communication unit 30, a memory unit 32, and a control unit 34.

[0037] The control unit 34 is an arithmetic device, i.e., a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The control unit 34 includes a work determination unit 36. The control unit 34 reads and executes a program (software) from the storage unit 32, thereby realizing the work determination unit 36 ​​and executing its processing. The control unit 34 may execute the processing using a single CPU, or may be provided with multiple CPUs and execute the processing using these multiple CPUs. The work determination unit 36 ​​may also be realized by a hardware circuit. The program for the control unit 34 stored in the storage unit 32 may also be stored in a recording medium readable by the management device 12.

[0038] The work determination unit 36 ​​determines the target object P to be transported. Specifically, the work determination unit 36 ​​determines work content indicating information about the target object P to be transported, for example, based on an input work plan. The work content can also be said to be information that identifies the target object P to be transported. In the example of this embodiment, the work content determines which target object P is located in which facility, by when, and where to transport it. In other words, the work determination unit 36 ​​determines information indicating the facility where the target object P is stored, the target object P, the destination of the target object P, and the transport time of the target object P. The work determination unit 36 ​​transmits the determined work content to the information processing device 14 via the communication unit 30.

[0039] (Information processing device) FIG. 6 is a schematic block diagram of an information processing device. The information processing device 14 is provided in the facility W and is a device that transmits and receives at least information related to the movement of the mobile object 10 to and from the mobile object 10, i.e., a so-called ground system. The information processing device 14 is a computer, and as shown in FIG. 6, includes a communication unit 40, a storage unit 42, and a control unit 44. The communication unit 40 is used by the control unit 44 and is a module that communicates with external devices such as the management device 12 and the mobile object 10, and may include, for example, an antenna. In this embodiment, the communication method used by the communication unit 40 is wireless communication, but any communication method may be used. The storage unit 42 is a memory that stores various information such as the calculation contents and programs of the control unit 44, and includes, for example, at least one of a RAM, a main storage device such as a ROM, and an external storage device such as an HDD.

[0040] The control unit 44 is a computing device, i.e., a CPU. The control unit 44 includes a task content acquisition unit 50 and a moving object selection unit 52. The control unit 44 implements the task content acquisition unit 50 and the moving object selection unit 52 by reading and executing a program (software) from the storage unit 42. The control unit 44 executes these processes by using a single CPU, or may be provided with multiple CPUs and execute the processes by using the multiple CPUs. At least a portion of the task content acquisition unit 50 and the moving object selection unit 52 may be implemented by a hardware circuit. The program for the control unit 44 stored in the storage unit 42 may be stored in a recording medium readable by the information processing device 14.

[0041] The work content acquisition unit 50 acquires information about the work content determined by the management device 12, i.e., information about the target object P to be transported. The work content acquisition unit 50 identifies the installation area AR0 in which the target object P is installed from the information about the target object P in the work content. For example, the memory unit 42 stores the target object P and the installation area AR0 in which the target object P is installed in association with each other, and the work content acquisition unit 50 identifies the installation area AR0 by reading the information from the memory unit 42. The moving object selection unit 52 selects the target moving object 10. For example, the moving object selection unit 52 selects the target moving object 10 from multiple moving objects 10 belonging to the facility W. The moving object selection unit 52 may select the target moving object 10 using any method. For example, based on the installation area AR0 identified by the work content acquisition unit 50, the moving object selection unit 52 may select a moving object 10 that is suitable for transporting the target object P in the installation area AR0 as the target moving object 10.

[0042] (Control device for mobile objects) Next, the control device 28 of the mobile body 10 will be described. FIG. 7 is a schematic block diagram of the control device 28 of the mobile body 10. The control device 28 controls the mobile body 10. The control device 28 moves the mobile body 10 to a target position A3 along a second path R2 set based on multiple detection results by the sensor 26 of the mobile body 10, and controls the mobile body 10 to pick up the target object P. The control device 28 is a computer, and as shown in FIG. 7, includes a communication unit 70, a storage unit 72, and a control unit 74. The control device 28 is electrically connected to the side shift device 25, the sensor 26, the drive device 29, and the lift device 220.

[0043] The drive device 29 includes a movement mechanism such as a drive unit and steering of the movable body 10. The control device 28 is configured to be able to control the movement, rotation, etc. of the movable body 10 by controlling the drive unit and movement mechanism of the drive device 29. The movable body 10 is configured to be able to change the attitude, direction, etc. of the fork 24 relative to the target P by rotating.

[0044] The lift device 220 is provided on the mast 22 and includes a mechanism for raising and lowering the backrest 23. The control device 28 controls the lift device 220 to raise and lower the backrest 23. By raising and lowering the backrest 23, the lift device 220 positions the fork 24, the sensor 26B, and the sensor 26C at a desired height. When the fork 24 is inserted into the insertion port PB of the target P, the lift device 220 raises or lowers the fork 24 so that the front end of the fork 24 and the insertion port PB are positioned on the same horizontal plane. The lift device 220 is connected to a position detector 230, which is an encoder, and detects the height of the lift device 220 from the rotation position of the motor of the lift device 220 detected by the position detector 230. The lift device 220 can provide the height detected by the position detector 230 to the control device 28 as height information of the sensor 26B.

[0045] The communication unit 70 is a module used by the control unit 74 to communicate with an external device such as the information processing device 14, and may include, for example, an antenna. In this embodiment, the communication method used by the communication unit 70 is wireless communication, but the communication method may be any.

[0046] The storage unit 72 is a memory that stores various information such as the calculation contents and programs of the control unit 74, and includes at least one of, for example, a RAM, a main storage device such as a ROM, and an external storage device such as a HDD. The storage unit 72 can store a program 721, work information 722, sensor information 723, position information 724, distance information 725, etc. The program 721 includes a program for realizing functions such as movement control, fork control, and detection control of the moving object 10. The work information 722 includes information indicating the first path R1, second path R2, etc. of the moving object 10 acquired from the information processing device 14, a database, etc. The sensor information 723 includes information acquired from the sensor 26. The position information 724 is acquired from the sensor information 723 and includes information that can identify the position and posture of the target P, the distance to the target, etc. The distance information 725 includes information indicating, as a point cloud, multiple measurement values ​​(measurement points) of the distance measured at different heights of the measurement object 1000P. The storage unit 72 can store the sensor information 723, the position information 724, and the distance information 725 in chronological order in association with each other.

[0047] The control unit 74 is a computing device and includes a computing circuit such as a CPU. The control unit 74 includes an information acquisition unit 80, a movement control unit 82, a detection control unit 84, a calculation unit 86, and a fork control unit 88. The control unit 74 reads and executes a program 721 (software) from the storage unit 72, thereby realizing the information acquisition unit 80, the movement control unit 82, the detection control unit 84, the calculation unit 86, and the fork control unit 88 and performing their processing. The control unit 74 may perform these processes using a single CPU, or may be provided with multiple CPUs and perform the processes using the multiple CPUs. At least some of the movement control unit 82, the detection control unit 84, the calculation unit 86, and the fork control unit 88 may be realized by hardware circuits. The program 721 for the control unit 74 stored in the storage unit 72 may be stored in a recording medium readable by the control device 28.

[0048] The information acquisition unit 80 acquires various information related to the work, such as the first pass R1, the second pass R2, the structure of the target P, and the position of the target P, as work information 722. When the moving body 10 is selected as a work target, the information acquisition unit 80 may acquire the work information from the information processing device 14, or may read out work information stored in advance in the memory unit 72.

[0049] The movement control unit 82 controls the movement of the moving body 10 by controlling the driving unit of the drive device 29, steering, and other moving mechanisms. The movement control unit 82 moves the moving body 10 according to the first path R1 and the second path R2 acquired by the information acquisition unit 80. The movement control unit 82 sequentially grasps the position information of the moving body 10, and moves the moving body 10 so that it passes through the first path R1 and the second path R2. While any method for acquiring the position information of the moving body 10 may be used, for example, in this embodiment, a detection object (not shown) is provided in the facility W, and the movement control unit 82 acquires information on the position and attitude of the moving body 10 based on the detection of the detection object. The position of the moving body 10 is the coordinates in a two-dimensional coordinate system CO of the direction X and the direction Y in the area AR of the facility W. The attitude of the moving body 10 is the orientation (rotation angle) of the moving body 10 when viewed from the direction Z perpendicular to the direction X and the direction Y.

[0050] The movement control unit 82 controls the movement of the moving body 10 so that the fork 24 approaches the insertion port PB of the target object P. The movement control unit 82 moves the moving body 10 to the target position A3 by moving the moving body 10 so that it passes through the second path R2 (approach path), and places the moving body 10 at the pickup position of the target object P.

[0051] The detection control unit 84 causes the sensor 26 to detect the position of the target P, the front surface Pa of the target P, the positions of the forks 24, etc., and acquires the detection results of the sensor 26 as a point cloud. The detection control unit 84 chronologically stores the acquired information in the storage unit 72 as sensor information 723. For example, the detection control unit 84 analyzes the position of the target P, the front surface Pa of the target P, the insertion port PB on the front surface Pa, the positions of the forks 24, etc., based on the point cloud obtained by the sensor 26, and stores the analysis results in the storage unit 72 as sensor information 723.

[0052] The calculation unit 86 calculates the height and distance of the characteristic structure of the measurement object 1000P based on the distances measured at multiple different heights by the sensor 26B as it moves in the up-down direction ZA and the height of the sensor 26B. The characteristic structure includes, for example, a characteristic portion of the measurement object 1000P, where the platform portion 1110, the top plate portion 1120, and the tilt 1200 of the platform 1100 are close to each other. In detail, the characteristic structure includes a structure requiring detailed shape measurement in 10 mm increments. The calculation unit 86 estimates the characteristic structure of the measurement object 1000P based on the distances measured at multiple different heights by the sensor 26B (first sensor) as it moves in the up-down direction ZA, and calculates the depth of the estimated characteristic structure in the measurement object 1000P. The calculation unit 86 stores position information 724 indicating the calculated height and distance of the measurement object 1000P in the storage unit 72.

[0053] The calculation unit 86 calculates position information 724 of the position, orientation, etc. of the target P and the measurement object 1000P based on sensor information 723 of the sensor 26C. The calculation unit 86 estimates the target P based on parameters for estimating the position of the target P and the sensor information 723, and calculates the position, orientation, etc. of the target P. The calculation unit 86 estimates the measurement object 1000P based on parameters for estimating the position of the measurement object 1000P and the sensor information 723, and calculates the position, orientation, etc. of the measurement object 1000P.

[0054] The fork control unit 88 controls the movement of the pair of forks 24 in the up-down direction ZA, the front-back direction XA, and the left-right direction YA based on the height and distance of the measurement object 1000P. The fork control unit 88 moves the pair of forks 24 in the up-down direction ZA using the lift device 220. The fork control unit 88 moves the pair of forks 24 in the front-back direction XA by moving the mast 22 using a drive device (not shown) of the straddle leg 21. The fork control unit 88 moves the pair of forks 24 in the left-right direction YA using the side shift device 25. The fork control unit 88 controls the movement of the forks 24 in the up-down direction ZA and the front-back direction XA based on the height and distance of the measurement object 1000P. The fork control unit 88 controls the movement of the forks 24 in the up-down direction ZA and the left-right direction YA based on the height of the insertion port PB of the target P and the position of the target P. The fork control unit 88 controls the movement of the forks 24 in the up-down direction ZA and the left-right direction YA based on the height of the insertion port PB of the target P, the position of the target P, and the posture of the target P. The fork control unit 88 controls the side shift until the pair of forks 24 faces the unloading position.

[0055] (Control method for control device) Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure of a control method executed by the control device 28 of the moving body 10. The processing procedure shown in Fig. 8 is executed by the control unit 74 of the control device 28 when the sensor 26B of the moving body 10 measures the measurement object 1000P.

[0056] As shown in FIG. 8, the control device 28 moves the sensor 26B in the vertical direction ZA to scan and measure the one-dimensional distance to the measurement target 1000P (step S101). For example, the control device 28 controls the lift device 220 to move the backrest 23 upward or downward at a predetermined speed within a range in which the measurement target 1000P in the vertical direction ZA can be measured, causing the sensor 26B to measure the distance at multiple different heights in the vertical direction ZA. As a result, the control device 28 moves the sensor 26B upward or downward in accordance with the movement of the backrest 23, thereby acquiring distance information 725 that chronologically indicates the distances measured by the sensor 26B at multiple different heights in the vertical direction ZA. The control device 28 acquires the height measured by the sensor 26B from the position detector 230 of the lift device 220 and associates the height with the distance in the distance information 725. After completing the process of step S101, the control device 28 proceeds to step S102.

[0057] The control device 28 extracts consecutive measurement values ​​as feature points of the feature structure based on the measured distance information 725 (step S102). For example, the control device 28 extracts feature points of the feature structure from a plurality of measurement values ​​(point cloud) of the distance information 725.

[0058] Fig. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of extracting feature points from distance information 725. In Fig. 9, scene C11 shows an enlarged schematic diagram of a feature structure, and scene C12 shows the measurement results of measuring that feature structure. In scene C12, the vertical axis indicates the measurement time, and the horizontal axis indicates the measured distance.

[0059] 9, the control device 28 determines that a portion of the vertical direction ZA including the characteristic structure 1000C of the measurement object 1000P is the measurement range 260 of the sensor 26B. The control device 28 determines that the characteristic portion of the structure of the measurement object 1000P, where the loading platform portion 1110, the top plate portion 1120, and the tilt 1200 are close to each other, is the characteristic structure 1000C. The control device 28 measures the distances to the loading platform portion 1110, the top plate portion 1120, and the tilt 1200 of the characteristic structure 1000C with the sensor 26B.

[0060] The control device 28 obtains the relationship between the measurement time and the measured distance shown in scene C12 from the distance information 725 measured by the sensor 26B. The control device 28 obtains a group G1 of consecutive measurement values ​​obtained by measuring the tilt angle 1200, a group G2 of consecutive measurement values ​​obtained by measuring the side of the loading platform 1110, and a group G3 of consecutive measurement values ​​obtained by measuring the top panel 1120 from the distance information 725. Based on the known information that the characteristic structure 1000C has a three-stepped portion 1130, the control device 28 extracts the characteristic points PT of the step portion 1130 of the loading platform 1110 and the top panel 1120 from the groups G1, G2, and G3 of measurement values ​​corresponding to the characteristic structure 1000C. In an example shown in scene C12, the control device 28 extracts the measurement value groups G2 and G3, where the difference between the measurement value groups G1, G2, and G3 is equal to or greater than a threshold, as the feature point PT of the step portion 1130.

[0061] 8, when the processing of step S102 is completed, the control device 28 identifies the feature point PT of the feature structure 1000C from the extracted feature points PT (step S103). For example, the control device 28 identifies the measurement value group G3 corresponding to the uppermost step portion 1130 of the measurement object 1000P as the feature point PT from the measurement value groups G2 and G3 extracted in step S102. When the processing of step S103 is completed, the control device 28 proceeds to the processing of steps S104 and S105.

[0062] The control device 28 calculates the distance to the characteristic structure 1000C based on the identified characteristic point PT (step S104). For example, the control device 28 calculates the average of the measurement values ​​of the extracted measurement value group G3, and sets the calculated average value in the distance information 725 of the storage unit 72 as the distance to the characteristic structure 1000C.

[0063] The control device 28 also calculates the height of the feature structure 1000C based on the height of the sensor 26B that measured the identified feature point PT (step S105). For example, the control device 28 determines the maximum height among the heights associated with the measurement values ​​of the extracted measurement value group G3 as the height of the feature structure 1000C.

[0064] When the processes of steps S104 and S105 are completed, the control device 28 ends the processing procedure shown in FIG.

[0065] In the example shown in FIG. 8, the control device 28 will be described as executing step S104 and step S105 in parallel, but the processing procedure may be changed so that step S104 and step S105 are combined into one step or the steps are executed sequentially.

[0066] 8, the control device 28 measures the characteristic structure 1000C of the measurement object 1000P while moving the sensor 26B in the vertical direction ZA, and calculates the distance and height of the step portion 1130 of the characteristic structure 1000C from the distances measured by the sensor 26B at multiple different heights. The control device 28 can then use the calculated distance and height of the step portion 1130 as the distance to the side of the top plate portion 1120 of the characteristic structure 1000C and the height of the surface.

[0067] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a reference example in which the feature structure 1000C of FIG. 9 is measured using another sensor. In FIG. 10, the vertical axis represents measurement time, and the horizontal axis represents measurement distance. FIG. 10 shows the measurement results of the feature structure 1000C shown in scene C11 of FIG. 9 measured using a sensor 26C different from sensor 26B. In this case, the measurement value group G4 corresponding to the feature structure 1000C has insufficient resolution, and the distance and height of the step portion 1130 of the feature structure 1000C cannot be calculated. In contrast, the control device 28 according to this embodiment can measure the distance to the feature structure 1000C and the surface height with high accuracy, even if the feature structure 1000C has a fine step structure.

[0068] In this manner, when the sensor 26B (first sensor) of the mobile body 10 is moved in the vertical direction ZA together with the forks 24 under the control of the fork control unit 88, the mobile body 10 measures the distance to the measurement object 1000P at a plurality of different heights in the vertical direction ZA. The mobile body 10 calculates the height and distance to the characteristic structure 1000C of the measurement object 1000P based on the distance measured by the sensor 26B and the height of the sensor 26B. This allows the mobile body 10 to improve the measurement accuracy of the height and distance to the characteristic structure 1000C of the measurement object 1000P, thereby improving the accuracy of loading and unloading the target P onto and from the measurement object 1000P using the forks 24. As a result, by improving the measurement accuracy of the height and distance to the characteristic structure 1000C of the measurement object 1000P, the mobile body 10 can suppress rearrangement of the target P due to protrusion of the target P from the characteristic structure 1000C. The moving body 10 can contribute to improving throughput during operation using the forks 24 and preventing breakdowns in the operation itself regarding the work of placing cargo on the characteristic structure 1000C such as a truck bed.

[0069] (Example of moving object movement) As shown in FIG. 3, when the moving body 10 approaches the bed 1100 of the truck 1000, the sensor 26C (second sensor) measures the side of the bed 1100, which is the measurement object 1000P, and the calculation unit 86 calculates the attitude of the measurement object 1000P based on the measurement result of the sensor 26C. If there is a deviation in the relative position of the moving body 10 with respect to the measurement object 1000P, the moving body 10 adjusts the attitude of the moving body 10 so that the moving body 10 faces the measurement object 1000P directly. Then, the moving body 10 moves the sensor 26B (first sensor) in the vertical direction ZA, and the sensor 26B measures the distance to the measurement object 1000P at multiple different heights in the vertical direction ZA. The moving body 10 calculates the height and distance of the characteristic structure 1000C of the measurement object 1000P based on the distance measured by the sensor 26B and the height of the sensor 26B. This allows the moving body 10 to measure the characteristic structure 1000C while facing the characteristic structure 1000C of the measurement object 1000P directly, thereby further improving the measurement accuracy of the height and distance of the characteristic structure 1000C.

[0070] In this embodiment, the movable body 10 has been described as having a stepped structure as the characteristic structure 1000C, but is not limited to this. For example, the movable body 10 may have a structure including an inclined structure, a curved structure, an end of the tilt angle 1200 in an open state, or the like as the characteristic structure 1000C, or may have a plurality of different structures.

[0071] (Second embodiment) Next, a second embodiment will be described. In the second embodiment, the basic configuration of the movement control system 1 is the same as that of the first embodiment, and includes a moving body 10, a management device 12, and an information processing device 14. As in the first embodiment, the moving body 10 includes a vehicle body 20, wheels 20A, straddle legs 21, a mast 22, a fork 24, a side shift device 25, a sensor 26, and a control device 28. Note that the second embodiment may be applied to or combined with the moving body 10 of the first embodiment.

[0072] Fig. 11 is a schematic block diagram of a control device 28 of a moving body 10 according to the second embodiment. As shown in Fig. 11, the control device 28 includes a communication unit 70, a storage unit 72, and a control unit 74, similar to the first embodiment. The control unit 74 includes an information acquisition unit 80, a movement control unit 82, a detection control unit 84, a calculation unit 86, and a fork control unit 88. In the second embodiment, descriptions of parts that are common to the first embodiment will be omitted.

[0073] The storage unit 72 can store shape information 726 in addition to a program 721, work information 722, sensor information 723, position information 724, and distance information 725. The shape information 726 includes information that can identify the known shape of the measurement object 1000P. For example, the shape information 726 includes known information that the measurement object 1000P has a three-stepped portion 1130, the uppermost step of which is the measurement object, and the step of the uppermost step is 10 mm to 20 mm. The known information includes, for example, information such as a predetermined height range and distance range of the measurement object 1000P, a predetermined height width of the target shape, the number of steps of an object with a stepped shape, identification of whether or not it has a convex portion, identification of whether or not it has a concave portion, etc. The shape information 726 can be set to, for example, information such as "Truck A: bed top height 10 mm, bed top width 15 mm," "Truck B: bed top height 20 mm, bed top width 10 mm," etc. Note that, in order to identify which object the measurement object 1000P is (for example, whether it is truck A or truck B), information for this identification may be included in the work content of the management device 12, and any method may be used as long as it is possible to identify the measurement object 1000P.

[0074] The calculation unit 86 of the control unit 74 calculates the height and distance of the characteristic structure 1000C of the measurement object 1000P when the known shape of the characteristic structure 1000C of the measurement object 1000P indicated by the shape information 726 of the memory unit 72 matches the estimated characteristic structure 1000C of the measurement object 1000P. Matching the known shape of the characteristic structure 1000C with the estimated characteristic structure 1000C of the measurement object 1000P means that the known shape and the shape of the estimated characteristic structure 1000C match or the similarity is equal to or greater than a judgment threshold.

[0075] For example, when the shape information 726 indicates a predetermined height range of the characteristic structure 1000C of the measurement object 1000P, the calculation unit 86 uses the measurement values ​​of the sensor 26B within that height range to calculate the height and distance of the characteristic structure 1000C of the measurement object 1000P. For example, when the shape information 726 indicates a predetermined distance range of the characteristic structure 1000C of the measurement object 1000P, the calculation unit 86 uses the measurement values ​​of the sensor 26B within that distance range to calculate the height and distance of the characteristic structure 1000C of the measurement object 1000P.

[0076] For example, if the shape information 726 indicates a predetermined height width of the characteristic structure 1000C of the measurement object 1000P, the calculation unit 86 calculates only the shape having the length of that height width. For example, if the calculation unit 86 indicates that the characteristic structure 1000C of the measurement object 1000P has a stepped shape, the calculation unit 86 calculates the height and distance of the characteristic structure 1000C having the number of steps. For example, if the calculation unit 86 indicates that the characteristic structure 1000C of the measurement object 1000P has a convex portion, the calculation unit 86 calculates the height and distance of only the central portion of the convex portion of the characteristic structure 1000C. For example, if the calculation unit 86 indicates that the characteristic structure 1000C of the measurement object 1000P has a concave portion, the calculation unit 86 calculates the height and distance of only the central portion of the concave portion of the characteristic structure 1000C.

[0077] If the calculation unit 86 determines that the known shape of the characteristic structure 1000C does not match the estimated characteristic structure 1000C of the measurement object 1000P and that there is an abnormality, it causes the sensor 26B to perform measurement again. In this case, the moving body 10 may perform measurement again by slowing down the speed at which the sensor 26B is raised and lowered, or may perform measurement again at the same raising and lowering speed.

[0078] (Control method of control device according to second embodiment) Fig. 12 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure of the control method executed by the control device 28 according to the second embodiment. The processing procedure shown in Fig. 12 is executed by the control unit 74 of the control device 28 when the sensor 26B of the moving body 10 measures the measurement object 1000P.

[0079] 12, the control device 28 acquires shape information 726 of the measurement object 1000P (step S201). For example, the control device 28 acquires the shape information 726 corresponding to the measurement object 1000P to be loaded from the storage unit 72, a database, a server device, etc. When the processing of step S201 ends, the control device 28 advances the processing to step S202.

[0080] The control device 28 moves the sensor 26B in the vertical direction ZA to scan and measure the one-dimensional distance to the measurement target 1000P (step S202). For example, the control device 28 controls the lift device 220 to move the backrest 23 upward or downward at a predetermined speed within a range in which the measurement target 1000P can be measured in the vertical direction ZA, causing the sensor 26B to measure distances at multiple different heights in the vertical direction ZA. As a result, the control device 28 moves the sensor 26B upward or downward in accordance with the movement of the backrest 23, thereby acquiring distance information 725 that chronologically indicates the distances measured by the sensor 26B at multiple different heights in the vertical direction ZA. The control device 28 acquires the height measured by the sensor 26B from the position detector 230 of the lift device 220 and associates the height with the distance in the distance information 725. After completing the process of step S202, the control device 28 proceeds to step S203.

[0081] The control device 28 determines whether the distance information 725 indicates the shape of the characteristic structure 1000C (step S203). For example, the control device 28 determines that the distance information 725 indicates the shape of the characteristic structure 1000C when the shape indicated by the measurement value of the distance information 725 matches or is similar to the shape of the characteristic structure 1000C indicated by the shape information 726. If the control device 28 determines that the distance information 725 does not indicate the shape of the characteristic structure 1000C (No in step S203), it returns the process to step S202, already described, to treat this as an error and perform remeasurement, and continues the process. On the other hand, if the control device 28 determines that the distance information 725 indicates the shape of the characteristic structure 1000C (Yes in step S203), it proceeds to step S204.

[0082] The control device 28 determines whether the measured feature structure 1000C is normal (step S204). For example, the control device 28 determines that the measured feature structure 1000C is normal if the dimensions of the shape indicated by the measurement values ​​of the distance information 725 match the dimensions of the feature structure 1000C indicated by the shape information 726. More specifically, if the dimensions of the feature structure 1000C indicated by the shape information 726 are in the range of 10 mm to 20 mm, the control device 28 determines that the measured feature structure 1000C is normal if the dimensions of the shape indicated by the measurement values ​​of the distance information 725 are within that range. If the control device 28 determines that the measured feature structure 1000C is not normal (No in step S204), the control device 28 returns the process to step S202, which has already been described, to treat it as an error and perform remeasurement, and continues the process. Furthermore, if the control device 28 determines that the measured characteristic structure 1000C is normal (Yes in step S204), the control device 28 advances the process to step S205.

[0083] The control device 28 calculates the distance and height of the characteristic structure 1000C based on the measurement value of the characteristic structure 1000C (step S205). For example, the control device 28 calculates the measurement value of the characteristic structure 1000C as the distance, and calculates the height of the characteristic structure 1000C based on the height of the sensor 26B that measured the measurement value. The control device 28 stores the calculation result in the position information 724 of the memory unit 72, and then ends the processing procedure shown in FIG. 12.

[0084] Fig. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example in which re-measurement is determined based on distance information 725. Fig. 13 shows the measurement results of sensor 26B measuring characteristic structure 1000C when shape information 726 indicates characteristic structure 1000C having a three-step step portion 1130. Fig. 13 shows the measurement results of a step abnormality when shape information 726 indicates a predetermined step in characteristic structure 1000C of measurement object 1000P, with scene C21 showing the measurement results of a step abnormality and scene C22 showing the measurement results of a step height defect.

[0085] 13, the control device 28 of the moving body 10 estimates the characteristic structure 1000C of the measurement object 1000P using the measurement values ​​of the sensor 26B in the step measurement range 1000E and recognizes that there are a total of four steps. In this case, the control device 28 determines that there is a measurement error and performs re-measurement using the sensor 26B because the measured shape of the characteristic structure 1000C does not match the shape indicated by the shape information 726.

[0086] 13, when the shape information 726 indicates a predetermined step in the characteristic structure 1000C of the measurement object 1000P, the control device 28 of the moving body 10 estimates the characteristic structure 1000C of the measurement object 1000P using the measurement value of the sensor 26B in the measurement range 1000E of the step, and recognizes that there are a total of three steps, but that there is a problem with the step height. In this case, the control device 28 determines that there is a measurement error and performs re-measurement using the sensor 26B because the measured shape of the characteristic structure 1000C does not match the shape indicated by the shape information 726.

[0087] In this way, when the sensor 26B (first sensor) of the mobile body 10 is moved in the vertical direction ZA together with the fork 24 under the control of the fork control unit 88, the mobile body 10 measures the distance to the measurement object 1000P at multiple different heights in the vertical direction ZA. The mobile body 10 calculates the height and distance to the characteristic structure 1000C of the measurement object 1000P when the shape estimated from the distance measured by the sensor 26B and the height of the sensor 26B matches the known shape of the characteristic structure 1000C indicated by the shape information 726. This allows the mobile body 10 to further improve the measurement accuracy of the height and distance of the characteristic structure 1000C of the measurement object 1000P, thereby improving the accuracy of loading and unloading the target object P onto and from the measurement object 1000P using the fork 24. Furthermore, the mobile body 10 can limit the measurement range of the sensor 26B based on the shape information 726, thereby improving the success rate of measuring the height and distance to the characteristic structure 1000C.

[0088] When the known shape of the characteristic structure 1000C indicated by the shape information 726 of the memory unit 72 does not match the estimated characteristic structure 1000C, the mobile body 10 estimates the characteristic structure 1000C of the measurement object 1000P based on the distance measured again by the sensor 26B, and calculates the depth of the estimated characteristic structure 1000C in the measurement object 1000P. This allows the mobile body 10 to reduce false detection of the characteristic structure 1000C, thereby improving the accuracy of loading and unloading the target object P onto and from the measurement object 1000P using the fork 24.

[0089] In the above-described embodiment, the moving body 10 has been described as being configured with the loading platform 1100 of the truck 1000 as the measurement target 1000P, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the moving body 10 may be configured with the measurement target 1000P as a mounting table on which the target P is mounted, or a container such as a rack or nester that houses the target P, or the like.

[0090] (effect) A mobile body 10 according to a first aspect of the present disclosure includes a fork 24 movable in the vertical direction ZA, a sensor 26B (first sensor) movable together with the fork 24 and capable of measuring the distance to a measurement object 1000P, a fork control unit 88 controlling the movement of the fork 24 and the sensor 26B in the vertical direction ZA, and a calculation unit 86 calculating the height and distance of a characteristic structure 1000C of the measurement object 1000P based on the height of the sensor 26B and distances measured at multiple different heights by the sensor 26B moving in the vertical direction ZA. The fork control unit 88 controls the movement of the fork 24 in the vertical direction ZA based on the height and distance of the measurement object 1000P. This allows the mobile body 10 to improve the accuracy of measuring the height and distance of the characteristic structure 1000C of the measurement object 1000P, thereby improving the accuracy of loading and unloading a target P onto and from the measurement object 1000P using the fork 24. As a result, the mobile body 10 can improve the measurement accuracy of the height and distance of the measurement target 1000P to the characteristic structure 1000C, thereby suppressing rearrangement due to the target object P protruding from the characteristic structure 1000C. The mobile body 10 can improve the throughput during operation using the forks 24 and contribute to preventing the breakdown of the operation itself related to the loading work on the characteristic structure 1000C.

[0091] In the moving body 10 according to the second aspect of the present disclosure, the calculation unit 86 estimates the characteristic structure 1000C of the measurement object 1000P based on distances measured at multiple different heights by the sensor 26B moving in the vertical direction ZA, and calculates the depth of the estimated characteristic structure 1000C in the measurement object 1000P. In this way, by calculating the depth of the estimated characteristic structure 1000C in the measurement object 1000P, the moving body 10 can suppress rearrangement of the target P due to protrusion of the characteristic structure 1000C.

[0092] In the moving body 10 according to the third aspect of the present disclosure, the sensor 26B (first sensor) is a distance sensor, and is provided below the forks 24 and in the center between the pair of forks 24. As a result, the moving body 10 performs scanning measurement using the distance sensor, thereby improving the resolution in the distance direction and height direction, and enabling calculation of the distance and height to finer feature points.

[0093] In the moving body 10 according to the fourth aspect of the present disclosure, the characteristic structure 1000C of the measurement object 1000P includes a step structure in the vertical direction ZA of the platform 1100. This allows the moving body 10 to measure the distance to small steps on the platform 1100, thereby further improving the measurement accuracy of the height and distance of the characteristic structure 1000C of the measurement object 1000P.

[0094] The moving body 10 according to the fifth aspect of the present disclosure further includes a memory unit 72 that stores shape information 726 that can identify the known shape of the measurement object 1000P. The calculation unit 86 calculates the height and distance of the characteristic structure 1000C of the measurement object 1000P when the known shape of the characteristic structure 1000C indicated by the shape information 726 of the memory unit 72 matches the estimated characteristic structure 1000C. This allows the moving body 10 to further improve the accuracy of measuring the height and distance of the characteristic structure 1000C of the measurement object 1000P, thereby improving the accuracy of loading and unloading the target object P onto and from the measurement object 1000P using the fork 24. Furthermore, the moving body 10 can limit the measurement range of the sensor 26B based on the shape information 726, thereby improving the success rate of measuring the height and distance of the characteristic structure 1000C.

[0095] In the mobile body 10 according to the sixth aspect of the present disclosure, when the known shape of the characteristic structure 1000C indicated by the shape information 726 of the memory unit 72 does not match the estimated characteristic structure 1000C, the calculation unit 86 estimates the characteristic structure 1000C of the measurement object 1000P based on the distance measured again by the sensor 26B, and calculates the height and distance of the estimated characteristic structure 1000C. This allows the mobile body 10 to reduce false detection of the characteristic structure 1000C, thereby improving the accuracy of loading and unloading the target object P onto and from the measurement object 1000P using the fork 24.

[0096] The moving body 10 according to the seventh aspect of the present disclosure further includes a sensor 26C (second sensor) capable of measuring the position and distance of the measurement object 1000P in the left-right direction YA. The calculation unit 86 calculates the orientation of the measurement object 1000P based on the measurement results of the sensor 26C, and calculates the height and distance of the characteristic structure 1000C of the measurement object 1000P based on the measurement results of the sensor 26B (first sensor). The fork control unit 88 controls the movement of the fork 24 in the up-down direction ZA based on the height, distance, and orientation of the measurement object 1000P. This allows the moving body 10 to measure the characteristic structure 1000C of the measurement object 1000P while facing directly toward it, thereby further improving the measurement accuracy of the height and distance of the characteristic structure 1000C.

[0097] A control method according to an eighth aspect of the present disclosure is a control method for a mobile body 10 including a fork 24 movably mounted in the vertical direction ZA, a sensor 26B (first sensor) movably mounted together with the fork 24 and capable of measuring the distance to a measurement object 1000P, and a fork control unit 88 controlling the movement of the fork 24 and the sensor 26B in the vertical direction ZA, the control method including the steps of calculating the height and distance to a characteristic structure 1000C of the measurement object 1000P based on the height of the sensor 26B and distances measured at multiple different heights by the sensor 26B moving in the vertical direction ZA, and controlling the movement of the fork 24 in the vertical direction ZA by the fork control unit 88 based on the height and distance to the measurement object 1000P. This control method enables the mobile body 10 to improve the accuracy of measuring the height and distance to the characteristic structure 1000C of the measurement object 1000P, thereby improving the accuracy of loading and unloading a target P using the fork 24 onto and from the measurement object 1000P. As a result, the control method can suppress rearrangement of the target object P due to protrusion from the characteristic structure 1000C by improving the measurement accuracy of the height and distance of the measurement target object 1000P on the moving body 10. The control method can improve the throughput during operation using the fork 24 and contribute to preventing the breakdown of the operation itself related to the loading work on the characteristic structure 1000C.

[0098] A program according to a ninth aspect of the present disclosure causes a mobile body (10) including a fork (24) movable in the vertical direction ZA, a sensor (26B) (first sensor) movable together with the fork (24) and capable of measuring the distance to a measurement object (1000P), and a fork control unit (88) for controlling the movement of the fork (24) and the sensor (26B) in the vertical direction ZA to execute the following steps: calculating the height and distance of a characteristic structure (1000C) of the measurement object (1000P) based on the height of the sensor (26B) and distances measured at a plurality of different heights by the sensor (26B) moving in the vertical direction ZA; and controlling the movement of the fork (24) in the vertical direction ZA based on the height and distance of the measurement object (1000P). The program thereby enables the mobile body (10) to improve the accuracy of measuring the height and distance of the characteristic structure (1000C) of the measurement object (1000P), thereby improving the accuracy of loading and unloading of a target (P) using the fork (24) onto and from the measurement object (1000P). As a result, the program can prevent rearrangement of the target object P due to it protruding from the characteristic structure 1000C by improving the measurement accuracy of the height and distance of the measurement target object 1000P on the moving body 10. The program can improve the throughput during operations using the forks 24 and contribute to preventing breakdowns in the operation itself regarding the loading work on the characteristic structure 1000C.

[0099] Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, the embodiments are not limited to the contents of these embodiments. Furthermore, the above-described components include those that can be easily imagined by a person skilled in the art, those that are substantially the same, and those that are within the so-called equivalent range. Furthermore, the above-described components can be combined as appropriate. Furthermore, various omissions, substitutions, or modifications of the components can be made without departing from the spirit of the above-described embodiments. [Explanation of symbols]

[0100] 1. Movement control system 10 Mobile 12 Management device 14 Information processing equipment 20 Body 20A Wheel 21 Straddle Leg 22 Mast 23 Backrest 24, 24A, 24B Fork 25 Side shift device 26, 26A, 26B, 26C Sensors 28 Control Device 29 Drive unit 70 Communications Department 72 Memory section 74 Control Unit 80 Information acquisition department 82 Movement control unit 84 Detection control section 86 Calculation Unit 88 Fork control section 220 Lifting device 230 Position detector 721 Program 722 Work Information 723 Sensor Information 724 Location information 725 Distance Information 726 Shape information 1000 Trucks 1000C characteristic structure 1000P Measurement object 1100 Cargo bed 1110 Cargo area 1120 Top plate 1130 Step 1130D distance 1130H height 1200 Aori 1210 End P target ZA Vertical direction

Claims

1. a fork that is movable in the vertical direction; a first sensor that is movable together with the fork and that can measure a distance to a measurement object; a fork control unit that controls the vertical movement of the fork and the first sensor; a calculation unit that calculates the height and distance of the characteristic structure of the measurement object based on the distance measured at a plurality of different heights by the first sensor moving in the up-down direction and the height of the first sensor; Equipped with The fork control unit controls the vertical movement of the fork based on the height and the distance to the object to be measured.

2. 2. The moving body according to claim 1, wherein the calculation unit estimates the characteristic structure of the measurement object based on the distance measured at a plurality of different heights by the first sensor moving in the vertical direction, and calculates a depth of the estimated characteristic structure in the measurement object.

3. 3. The moving body according to claim 2, wherein the first sensor is a distance sensor and is provided below the forks and in the center between the pair of forks.

4. The moving body according to claim 3 , wherein the characteristic structure of the measurement object includes a step structure in the up-down direction of a platform.

5. a storage unit that stores shape information that can identify a known shape of the measurement object; The moving body according to claim 4 , wherein the calculation unit calculates the height and distance of the characteristic structure of the measurement object when the known shape of the characteristic structure indicated by the shape information of the memory unit matches the estimated characteristic structure.

6. 6. The moving body of claim 5, wherein when the known shape of the characteristic structure indicated by the shape information of the memory unit does not match the estimated characteristic structure, the calculation unit estimates the characteristic structure of the measurement object based on the distance measured again by the first sensor, and calculates the height and distance of the estimated characteristic structure.

7. a second sensor capable of measuring a position and a distance in the left-right direction of the measurement object; the calculation unit calculates an orientation of the measurement object based on the measurement result of the second sensor, and calculates a height and a distance to the characteristic structure of the measurement object based on the measurement result of the first sensor; The moving body according to claim 4 , wherein the fork control unit controls the vertical movement of the fork based on the height, the distance, and the attitude of the measurement object.

8. A method for controlling a moving body including a fork that is provided so as to be movable in a vertical direction, a first sensor that is provided so as to be movable together with the fork and that is capable of measuring a distance to a measurement object, and a fork control unit that controls the vertical movement of the fork and the first sensor, calculating a height and a distance of a characteristic structure of the measurement object based on the distance measured at a plurality of different heights by the first sensor moving in the up-down direction and the height of the first sensor; the fork control unit controlling the vertical movement of the fork based on the height and the distance of the measurement object; A control method comprising:

9. a moving body including a fork that is provided so as to be movable in a vertical direction, a first sensor that is provided so as to be movable together with the fork and that is capable of measuring a distance to a measurement object, and a fork control unit that controls the vertical movement of the fork and the first sensor; calculating a height and a distance of a characteristic structure of the measurement object based on the distance measured at a plurality of different heights by the first sensor moving in the up-down direction and the height of the first sensor; the fork control unit controlling the vertical movement of the fork based on the height and the distance of the measurement object; A program that executes.

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