vehicle

Abstract

To provide a vehicle capable of improving the stability of the vehicle body by precisely controlling the maximum diameter of the contact portion. [Solution] The vehicle (1) has a body (3) and an abutment portion (9) that is rotatable around an axis (X) relative to the body (3) and abuts against the running surface, and the abutment portion (9) has a main body (20) that has an outer peripheral surface (20A) around the axis (X) and a plurality of movable portions (21) that can move linearly to extend and retract protruding portions (21A) from the outer peripheral surface (20A).

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, a vehicle has a vehicle body and a contact portion (for example, a wheel) that is rotatable about an axis relative to the vehicle body and that contacts a traveling surface.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle having a body and four wheels. Each wheel has a wheel body that rotates around a wheel rotation axis relative to the body, and a plurality of arm members that rotate around an arm rotation axis relative to the wheel body. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-114257 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the above-described conventional technology, the arm members are rotated around the arm rotation axis relative to the wheel body, causing the arm members to protrude from the outer circumferential surface of the wheel body. When this configuration is adopted, the distal ends (portions farther from the arm rotation axis) of the arm members move significantly relative to the proximal ends (portions closer to the arm rotation axis) of the arm members. Therefore, even a slight movement of the proximal ends of the arm members significantly changes the maximum diameter of the wheel (the distance from the wheel rotation axis to the distal ends of the arm members). This makes it difficult to precisely control the maximum diameter of the wheel, which may reduce the stability of the vehicle body.

[0006] In view of the above background, an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle that can improve the stability of the vehicle body by precisely controlling the maximum diameter of the abutment portion. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problem, one aspect of the present invention is a vehicle (1) having a vehicle body (3) and an abutment portion (9) that is rotatable around an axis (X) relative to the vehicle body and abuts against a running surface, the abutment portion having a main body portion (20) having an outer circumferential surface (20A) around the axis, and a plurality of movable portions (21) that are movable linearly so as to extend and retract protruding portions (21A) from the outer circumferential surface.

[0008] According to this aspect, by linearly moving the plurality of movable parts, it is possible to gradually change the maximum diameter of the contact part (the distance from the axis to the tip of the plurality of movable parts), and therefore, by precisely controlling the maximum diameter of the contact part, it is possible to improve the stability of the vehicle body.

[0009] In the above aspect, the contact portion may further include a plurality of drive portions (22) that independently drive the plurality of movable portions.

[0010] According to this aspect, by individually transmitting control signals to the plurality of drive units, it is possible to independently control the lengths of the protruding portions of the plurality of movable units relative to the outer circumferential surface of the main body unit, and to freely change the shape of the abutment portion, which makes it possible to bring more movable units into contact with the traveling surface, further improving the stability of the vehicle body.

[0011] In the above aspect, each of the driving units may be configured by a linear motor that drives the corresponding movable unit by magnetic force.

[0012] According to this aspect, the movable part can be moved at a higher speed than when each drive part is configured with a ball screw mechanism, etc. This makes it possible to quickly bring the movable part into contact with the traveling surface, further improving the stability of the vehicle body.

[0013] In the above aspect, the plurality of movable parts may be arranged radially around the axis.

[0014] According to this aspect, the plurality of movable parts can be arranged in a well-balanced manner in the circumferential direction, which allows more movable parts to come into contact with the traveling surface, thereby further improving the stability of the vehicle body.

[0015] In the above aspect, the vehicle may further include a detection unit (5) attached to the vehicle body and configured to detect information about the surrounding environment of the vehicle.

[0016] According to this aspect, by attaching the detection unit to a vehicle body that has high stability, it is possible to detect surrounding environment information with high accuracy.

[0017] In the above aspect, the detection unit may detect information about the shape of the traveling surface as the surrounding environment information.

[0018] According to this aspect, information relating to the shape of the traveling surface can be detected with high accuracy, and the vehicle can be driven stably based on this accurately detected information.

[0019] In the above aspect, the vehicle may have a plurality of the contact portions, each of the contact portions having the main body portion and the plurality of movable portions.

[0020] According to this aspect, by bringing the plurality of movable parts provided on the plurality of contact portions into contact with the traveling surface, the stability of the vehicle body can be further improved.

[0021] In the above aspect, the outer peripheral surface may have a circular shape when viewed in the direction of the axis, and each of the movable parts may be movably arranged along a straight line (L2) that intersects a tangent (L1) to the outer peripheral surface at a point (P) on the outer peripheral surface at the point (P) on the outer peripheral surface when viewed in the direction of the axis.

[0022] According to this aspect, it is possible to arrange more movable parts in the circumferential direction while suppressing interference between the movable parts, thereby further improving the stability of the vehicle body.

[0023] In the above aspect, the straight line may be perpendicular to the tangent to the outer peripheral surface at the one point on the outer peripheral surface when viewed in the direction of the axis.

[0024] According to this aspect, it is possible to arrange even more movable parts in the circumferential direction while suppressing interference between the movable parts, thereby further improving the stability of the vehicle body.

[0025] In the above aspect, the vehicle may further include a detection unit (5) that detects surrounding environment information of the vehicle, and a control device (10) that controls each of the plurality of movable parts based on the surrounding environment information.

[0026] According to this aspect, it is possible to control the plurality of movable parts with high precision based on the surrounding environment information detected by the detection unit.

[0027] In the above aspect, the detection unit may detect information regarding the shape of the driving surface as the surrounding environment information, and the control unit may control each of the multiple movable parts based on the information regarding the shape of the driving surface so that the vehicle body maintains a horizontal posture.

[0028] According to this aspect, by keeping the posture of the vehicle body constant, it is possible to improve the accuracy with which the detection unit detects information relating to the shape of the traveling surface.

[0029] In the above aspect, the control device may control each of the plurality of movable parts so that the shortest distance from the traveling surface to the vehicle body falls within a predetermined range greater than zero.

[0030] According to this aspect, the vehicle body can be brought as close as possible to the traveling surface while preventing the vehicle body from coming into contact with the traveling surface, thereby enabling the sensor attached to the vehicle body to accurately detect the shape and temperature of the traveling surface while maintaining the stability of the vehicle body. [Effects of the Invention]

[0031] According to the above aspect, it is possible to provide a vehicle that can improve the stability of the vehicle body by precisely controlling the maximum diameter of the contact portion. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0032] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a side view showing a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a side cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a wheel according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] Enlarged view of part Z in Figure 4 [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the periphery of a connection mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 7] 1 is a side view showing a traveling operation of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a front view showing a traveling operation of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 9] A side view showing the running operation of a conventional vehicle. [Figure 10] A front view showing the running operation of a conventional vehicle. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a side cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a wheel according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a side cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a wheel according to another embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0033] <Vehicle 1> Hereinafter, a vehicle 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. For example, the vehicle 1 is an autonomous rescue robot used at disaster sites. More specifically, the vehicle 1 independently enters areas of the disaster site that are difficult for humans to enter (such as areas with piles of rubble, areas filled with hazardous substances, areas where houses have collapsed, areas where landslides have occurred, etc.) and performs tasks such as searching for victims, understanding the surrounding environment, and removing rubble.

[0034] 1 to 3, a vehicle 1 has a body 3, a pair of left and right flexible arms 4 attached to the front part of the upper surface of the body 3, a lidar 5 (an example of a LiDAR: a detection unit) attached to the front part of the upper surface of the body 3, a wide-angle camera 6 attached to the center of the upper surface of the body 3, a thermal camera 7 attached to the underside of the body 3, four driving motors 8 housed in the body 3, four wheels 9 (an example of abutment units) arranged on both the left and right sides of the body 3, a control device 10 housed in the body 3, and four connection mechanisms 11 connecting the control device 10 to the four wheels 9, respectively. Note that in FIG. 3, only one of each of the four driving motors 8, four wheels 9, and four connection mechanisms 11 is shown.

[0035] 1 and 2, the vehicle body 3 has a flat rectangular parallelepiped shape that is long in the front-rear and left-right directions. Hereinafter, the term "inner side in the left-right direction" refers to the side closer to the center of the vehicle body 3 in the left-right direction, and the term "outer side in the left-right direction" refers to the side farther from the center of the vehicle body 3 in the left-right direction.

[0036] Each flexible arm 4 has a plurality of arm sections 13 extending linearly and a plurality of joint sections 14 rotatably connecting the plurality of arm sections 13. A working shaft 15 is attached to the distal arm section 13. The working shaft 15 is provided so as to be linearly movable so as to extend and retract a protruding portion 15A from the distal arm section 13. For example, the working shaft 15 is driven by a linear motor (not shown) housed in the distal arm section 13, and is used to break down obstacles such as rubble.

[0037] The lidar 5 detects information about the object (information about the distance to the object, the direction of the object, the shape of the object, etc.) by irradiating the object with a laser beam such as infrared light and capturing the reflected light. For example, the lidar 5 detects information about the shape of the traveling surface S (an example of surrounding environment information) by irradiating the traveling surface S with a laser beam and capturing the reflected light.

[0038] The wide-angle camera 6 captures images of the surroundings of the vehicle 1, thereby acquiring images of the surroundings of the vehicle 1. For example, the wide-angle camera 6 is provided so as to be able to capture images in all directions (360 degrees) around the vehicle 1. In other embodiments, the wide-angle camera 6 may be provided so as to be able to capture images of the surroundings of the vehicle 1 in only some directions.

[0039] The thermal camera 7 detects information about the position and surface temperature of an object by measuring the amount of infrared rays emitted from the object. For example, the thermal camera 7 detects information about the position and surface temperature of a victim by measuring the amount of infrared rays emitted from the body of a victim.

[0040] The four traction motors 8 are arranged two at the front and two at the rear of the vehicle body 3. Each traction motor 8 has a motor body 17 and a motor shaft 18 extending outward in the left-right direction from the motor body 17. The motor body 17 is attached to the vehicle body 3 via a motor mount (not shown). The motor shaft 18 is rotatable around an axis X extending in the left-right direction.

[0041] The four wheels 9 are arranged two at the front and two at the rear of the vehicle body 3. The four wheels 9 are arranged on the left-right outer sides of the four travel motors 8. Each wheel 9 is rotatable about an axis X relative to the vehicle body 3 and abuts against the running surface S. In the following description of each wheel 9, the term "circumferential direction" refers to the circumferential direction based on the axis X, and the term "radial direction" refers to the radial direction based on the axis X.

[0042] Each wheel 9 has a main body 20 that forms its outer shell, a plurality of movable parts 21 that can move linearly in the radial direction relative to the main body 20, and a plurality of drive parts 22 that independently drive each of the plurality of movable parts 21.

[0043] The main body 20 has a cylindrical shape with a bottom and a center on the axis X (more specifically, a cylindrical shape with both sides closed in the direction of the axis X). The main body 20 has an outer peripheral surface 20A around the axis X. The outer peripheral surface 20A of the main body 20 has a perfect circular shape when viewed in the direction of the axis X (left-right direction). The main body 20 is fixed to the tip end (the outer end in the left-right direction) of the motor shaft 18 of the travel motor 8. This allows the motor shaft 18 of the travel motor 8 and the wheels 9 to rotate integrally. Referring to FIG. 4, the main body 20 has a plurality of through holes 24 spaced apart in the circumferential direction. Each through hole 24 penetrates the main body 20 in the radial direction.

[0044] The multiple movable parts 21 are arranged radially around the axis X. Each movable part 21 has a rod shape extending in the radial direction. Each movable part 21 passes through a through-hole 24 of the main body part 20. Therefore, a part of each movable part 21 protrudes from the outer peripheral surface 20A of the main body part 20. In other words, each movable part 21 has a protruding part 21A that protrudes from the outer peripheral surface 20A of the main body part 20. Each movable part 21 moves so as to extend or contract the protruding part 21A.

[0045] Each movable part 21 is provided to be movable along a straight line that intersects a tangent line to the outer peripheral surface 20A of the main body 20 at a point on the outer peripheral surface 20A of the main body 20, when viewed in the direction of the axis X (left-right direction). For example, the middle movable part 21 of the three movable parts 21 shown in FIG. 4 is provided to be movable along a straight line L2 that intersects a tangent line L1 to the outer peripheral surface 20A of the main body 20 at a point P on the outer peripheral surface 20A of the main body 20, when viewed in the direction of the axis X. In this embodiment, the straight line L2 is perpendicular to the tangent line L1. In other embodiments, the straight line L2 may intersect the tangent line L1 obliquely.

[0046] The multiple driving units 22, like the multiple movable units 21, are arranged radially around the axis X. Each driving unit 22 is configured by a linear motor that drives the corresponding movable unit 21 by magnetic force. Each driving unit 22 is configured by, for example, a brushless DC motor.

[0047] Referring to Figures 4 and 5, each drive unit 22 has a motor case 31, a stator 32 housed in the motor case 31, a slider 33 arranged on the inner circumference of the stator 32, and a backup spring 34 arranged between the motor case 31 and the slider 33.

[0048] The motor case 31 has a cylindrical peripheral wall portion 36 that extends radially, and a bottom wall portion 37 that closes the radially inner surface of the peripheral wall portion 36. The peripheral wall portion 36 passes through the through-hole 24 of the main body portion 20. Therefore, a portion of the peripheral wall portion 36 protrudes from the outer peripheral surface 20A of the main body portion 20.

[0049] The stator 32 has a back yoke 39 arranged on the inner periphery of the peripheral wall portion 36 of the motor case 31, a plurality of coil plates 40 stacked radially on the inner periphery of the back yoke 39, and a plurality of coils 41 stacked radially between the back yoke 39 and the plurality of coil plates 40.

[0050] The slider 33 is provided so as to be linearly movable in the radial direction relative to the motor case 31 and the stator 32. The radially outer end of the slider 33 is fixed to the radially inner end of the movable part 21. This allows the slider 33 and the movable part 21 to move integrally.

[0051] The slider 33 has a cylindrical shape. The slider 33 has an outer yoke 43 arranged on the inner periphery of the multiple coil plates 40 of the stator 32, an inner yoke 44 arranged on the inner periphery of the outer yoke 43, multiple magnets 45 stacked in the radial direction between the outer yoke 43 and the inner yoke 44, and multiple intermediate yokes 46 arranged on both radial sides of each magnet 45. In this embodiment, the slider 33 has a cylindrical shape, but it may have a shape other than a cylindrical shape (for example, a columnar shape).

[0052] The backup spring 34 extends in the radial direction. The radially inner end of the backup spring 34 abuts against the bottom wall 37 of the motor case 31. The radially outer end of the backup spring 34 abuts against the radially inner end of the slider 33.

[0053] 3, the control device 10 is an electronic control unit (ECU) consisting of a computer configured to execute various processes. The control device 10 includes an arithmetic processing unit (a processor such as a CPU or an MPU) and a storage device (memory such as a ROM or a RAM). The control device 10 is connected to each component of the vehicle 1 via a communication network such as a CAN (Controller Area Network), and controls each component of the vehicle 1.

[0054] Referring to Figure 6, each connection mechanism 11 has a first base member 51 fixed to the vehicle body 3 (see Figure 1, etc.), a plurality of contact members 52 attached to the first base member 51, a plurality of first cables 53 connecting the control device 10 and the plurality of contact members 52, respectively, a second base member 54 fixed to the outer surface of the motor shaft 18 of the driving motor 8, a plurality of rings 55 attached to the second base member 54, and a plurality of second cables 56 connecting the plurality of rings 55 and the plurality of drive units 22 of each wheel 9, respectively.

[0055] The multiple contact members 52 are arranged at intervals in the left-right direction. Each contact member 52 has a rod-shaped fixed member 58 and a pair of brushes 59 (only one of the brushes 59 is shown in FIG. 6) fixed to both ends of the fixed member 58. Note that only three of the many contact members 52 that are actually arranged are shown in FIG. 6 (the same applies to the movable part 21 and the drive part 22 of the wheel 9).

[0056] The multiple rings 55 are arranged at intervals in the left-right direction. Each ring 55 is in contact with a pair of brushes 59 of the corresponding contact member 52. Each ring 55, together with the pair of brushes 59 of the corresponding contact member 52, constitutes a slip ring.

[0057] <Control of the Wheel 9 by the Control Device 10> The control device 10 recognizes the shape, position, etc. of objects (hereinafter simply referred to as "objects") present around the vehicle 1 based on information detected by various sensors (e.g., the lidar 5, the wide-angle camera 6, and the thermal camera 7) attached to the vehicle body 3. For example, the control device 10 recognizes the shape of the traveling surface S based on information regarding the shape of the traveling surface S detected by the lidar 5. For example, the control device 10 recognizes the position of a victim present below the vehicle body 3 based on information regarding the position of the victim detected by the thermal camera 7.

[0058] The control device 10 controls the rotation of the four wheels 9 based on the shape and position of the object. For example, the control device 10 drives each of the traction motors 8 based on the shape of the traveling surface S, thereby causing the motor shaft 18 of each of the traction motors 8 and the wheels 9 to rotate together. This allows the vehicle 1 to travel on the traveling surface S.

[0059] The control device 10 controls each of the multiple movable parts 21 of the four wheels 9 based on the shape, position, etc. of the target object. For example, the control device 10 passes current through the coils 41 of the multiple drive units 22 of the four wheels 9 based on the shape of the traveling surface S. This generates an alternating magnetic field in the multiple drive units 22, and the sliders 33 of the multiple drive units 22 and the multiple movable parts 21 move linearly due to the action of this alternating magnetic field. In other words, the control device 10 drives the multiple movable parts 21 using the multiple drive units 22, thereby moving the multiple movable parts 21 linearly. This causes the protruding portions 21A of the multiple movable parts 21 to expand and contract, changing the maximum diameter of the four wheels 9 (the distance from the axis X to the tip ends of the multiple movable parts 21).

[0060] The control device 10 controls each of the plurality of movable parts 21 based on the shape of the running surface S so that the vehicle body 3 maintains a horizontal posture. More specifically, referring to Fig. 7, the control device 10 adjusts the height of the front wheels 9 to match the height of the rear wheels 9 by extending and retracting the protruding parts 21A of the plurality of movable parts 21 in accordance with the difference in elevation between the running surface S directly below the front wheels 9 and the running surface S directly below the rear wheels 9. Similarly, referring to Fig. 8, the control device 10 adjusts the height of the left wheels 9 to match the height of the right wheels 9 by extending and retracting the protruding parts 21A of the plurality of movable parts 21 in accordance with the difference in elevation between the running surface S directly below the left wheels 9 and the running surface S directly below the right wheels 9.

[0061] The control device 10 controls each of the multiple movable parts 21 based on the shape of the traveling surface S so that the shortest distance from the traveling surface S to the vehicle body 3 falls within a predetermined range greater than zero. For example, the control device 10 controls each of the multiple movable parts 21 so that the shortest distance from the traveling surface S to the vehicle body 3 is equal to or greater than a first distance (first distance > 0) and equal to or less than a second distance (second distance > first distance). The first distance is preferably set with a sufficient margin so that the traveling surface S does not come into contact with the underside of the vehicle body 3. The second distance is preferably set to as small a value as possible so that the vehicle body 3 can be positioned as low as possible. <Effects>

[0062] Each wheel 9 has a main body 20 having an outer circumferential surface 20A around the axis X, and a plurality of movable parts 21 that can move linearly to expand and contract protruding portions 21A from the outer circumferential surface 20A. By moving the plurality of movable parts 21 linearly in this manner, the maximum diameter of each wheel 9 can be changed little by little. Therefore, by precisely controlling the maximum diameter of each wheel 9, the stability of the vehicle body 3 can be improved.

[0063] Note that the use of large wheels 9 (wheels with an outer diameter sufficiently large compared to the magnitude of the unevenness of the traveling surface S) can increase the stability of the vehicle body 3. However, using such large wheels 9 increases the distance from the traveling surface S to the vehicle body 3, which may reduce the detection accuracy of the various sensors (e.g., the lidar 5, the wide-angle camera 6, and the thermal camera 7) attached to the vehicle body 3. In particular, in this embodiment, the control device 10 recognizes the position of the disaster victim present below the vehicle body 3 based on information detected by the thermal camera 7. When such a configuration is adopted, if the distance from the traveling surface S to the vehicle body 3 increases, it may become difficult to accurately recognize the position of the disaster victim based on the information detected by the thermal camera 7.

[0064] In contrast to this, in this embodiment, the stability of the vehicle body 3 is improved by linearly moving the multiple movable parts 21 rather than enlarging the wheels 9. Therefore, compared to when the wheels 9 are enlarged, the distance from the running surface S to the vehicle body 3 can be shortened, improving the detection accuracy of the various sensors attached to the vehicle body 3. In particular, the location of the disaster victim can be accurately recognized based on the information detected by the thermal camera 7.

[0065] In this embodiment, a lidar 5 is used as a detection unit that detects information related to the shape of the traveling surface S. The lidar 5 is a sensor that captures information related to an object as point cloud data by scanning a laser beam in horizontal and vertical directions. In order for the lidar 5 to detect information related to the shape of the traveling surface S accurately in a short time, it is preferable to keep the posture of the vehicle body 3 as horizontal as possible.

[0066] 9 and 10 show a state in which a conventional vehicle 101 (a vehicle in which the maximum diameter of the wheels 9 cannot be changed) is traveling on an uneven traveling surface S. In the conventional vehicle 101, when there is a difference in height between the traveling surface S directly below the four wheels 9, a discrepancy occurs in the height of the wheels 9, causing the vehicle body 3 to tilt. For this reason, it is difficult for the lidar 5 to accurately detect information about the shape of the traveling surface S in a short time.

[0067] In contrast to this, in this embodiment, even if there is a difference in height between the running surface S directly below the four wheels 9, the heights of the wheels 9 can be made consistent by extending and contracting the protruding portions 21A of the multiple movable parts 21 in accordance with this difference in height (see FIGS. 7 and 8). This allows the rider 5 to accurately detect information about the shape of the running surface S in a short time, and therefore the control device 10 can accurately grasp the shape of the running surface S.

[0068] 9(b) and 10(b), in a conventional vehicle 101 (a vehicle in which the maximum diameter of the wheels 9 cannot be changed), when a large protrusion exists on the running surface S, the protrusion comes into contact with the underside of the vehicle body 3, and there is a high possibility that one of the wheels 9 will lift off the running surface S. When one of the wheels 9 lifts off the running surface S in this way, the rotational driving force of that wheel 9 cannot be transmitted to the running surface S, and the running of the vehicle 101 may become unstable.

[0069] In contrast to this, in this embodiment, when a large protrusion exists on the running surface S, the protruding portions 21A of the multiple movable parts 21 are extended in accordance with the protrusion, thereby preventing the protrusion from contacting the underside of the vehicle body 3 (see FIGS. 7(b) and 8(b)). This allows the rotational driving force of the four wheels 9 to be transmitted to the running surface S, thereby stabilizing the running of the vehicle 1.

[0070] Moreover, each drive unit 22 is configured by a linear motor that drives the corresponding movable unit 21 by magnetic force. This allows the movable unit 21 to quickly abut against the traveling surface S, further improving the stability of the car body 3. Furthermore, since each drive unit 22 is configured by a linear motor, the configuration of each drive unit 22 can be simplified and the responsiveness of each drive unit 22 can be improved.

[0071] In particular, in this embodiment, each drive unit 22 is configured by a brushless DC motor, and the stator 32 and the slider 33 do not contact each other. Therefore, noise and dust caused by the slider 33 sliding against the stator 32 can be suppressed. <Modification>

[0072] In the above embodiment, the outer peripheral surface 20A of the main body 20 of the contact portion (wheel 9) has a perfect circular shape when viewed in the direction of the axis X (left-right direction). In other embodiments, the outer peripheral surface 20A of the main body 20 of the contact portion may have a circular shape other than a perfect circular shape (for example, an elliptical shape) when viewed in the direction of the axis X. Furthermore, in other embodiments, the outer peripheral surface 20A of the main body 20 of the contact portion may have a shape other than a circular shape (for example, a polygonal shape) when viewed in the direction of the axis X (see FIG. 11).

[0073] In the above embodiment, a portion of motor case 31 protrudes from outer peripheral surface 20A of main body 20. Referring to Fig. 12, in another embodiment, a portion of motor case 31 does not protrude from outer peripheral surface 20A of main body 20, and motor case 31 may be entirely housed in main body 20.

[0074] In the above embodiment, a portion of each movable part 21 always protrudes from the outer peripheral surface 20A of the main body part 20. That is, each movable part 21 always has a protruding part 21A. With reference to FIG. 12 , in another embodiment, when each movable part 21 has moved to the farthest radially inward position (see the topmost movable part 21 in FIG. 12 ), the entirety of each movable part 21 may be housed in the main body part 20. That is, each movable part 21 does not always have to have a protruding part 21A.

[0075] In the above embodiment, obstacles such as rubble are crushed by the working shafts 15 of the flexible arms 4. In other embodiments, obstacles such as rubble may be crushed by the movable parts 21 of the wheels 9.

[0076] In the above embodiment, the LIDAR 5 is used as the detection unit. In other embodiments, a sensor other than the LIDAR 5 (for example, a millimeter wave radar, a sonar, a camera, etc.) may be used as the detection unit, or a combination of multiple sensors may be used as the detection unit.

[0077] In the above embodiment, each driving unit 22 is configured by a moving magnet type linear motor in which a magnet 45 is provided on the slider 33. In other embodiments, each driving unit 22 may be configured by a moving coil type linear motor in which a coil 41 is provided on the slider 33. Furthermore, in other embodiments, each driving unit 22 may be configured by a mechanism other than a linear motor (for example, a ball screw mechanism).

[0078] In the above embodiment, the vehicle 1 is an autonomous rescue vehicle used at disaster sites. In other embodiments, the vehicle 1 may be a vehicle other than a rescue vehicle (for example, a vehicle for transporting goods or a vehicle for nursing care). [Explanation of symbols]

[0079] 1: Vehicle 3: Body 5: Lidar (an example of a detection unit) 6: Wide-angle camera 7: Thermal camera 9: Wheel (an example of a contact part) 10: Control device 20: Main body 20A: Outer surface 21: Moving part 21A:Protruding part 22: Drive unit X: Axis line L1: tangent L2: Straight line P: One point on the outer surface of the main body

Claims

1. A vehicle, The car body and a contact portion that is rotatable about an axis relative to the vehicle body and that contacts a traveling surface, The abutment portion is a main body having an outer circumferential surface around the axis; and a plurality of movable parts that are linearly movable so as to extend and retract the protruding portions from the outer peripheral surface.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the contact portion further includes a plurality of drive portions that independently drive the plurality of movable portions.

3. 3. The vehicle according to claim 2, wherein each of the driving units is configured by a linear motor that drives the corresponding movable unit by magnetic force.

4. 4. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of movable parts are arranged radially around the axis.

5. 4. The vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising a detection unit attached to the vehicle body for detecting information about the surrounding environment of the vehicle.

6. The vehicle according to claim 5 , wherein the detection unit detects information about the shape of the traveling surface as the surrounding environment information.

7. The vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a plurality of the contact portions, each of the contact portions having the main body portion and the plurality of movable portions.

8. The outer circumferential surface has a circular shape when viewed in the direction of the axis, A vehicle described in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein each movable part is movably arranged along a straight line that intersects a tangent to the outer peripheral surface at a point on the outer peripheral surface at the point on the outer peripheral surface when viewed in the direction of the axis.

9. The vehicle according to claim 8 , wherein the straight line is perpendicular to the tangent to the outer circumferential surface at the one point on the outer circumferential surface when viewed in the direction of the axis.

10. a detection unit that detects information about the surrounding environment of the vehicle; The vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a control device that controls each of the plurality of movable parts based on the surrounding environment information.

11. the detection unit detects information about the shape of the travel surface as the surrounding environment information, The vehicle according to claim 10 , wherein the control device controls each of the plurality of movable parts based on information relating to the shape of the traveling surface so that the vehicle body maintains a horizontal posture.

12. The vehicle according to claim 10 , wherein the control device controls each of the plurality of movable parts so that the shortest distance from the traveling surface to the vehicle body falls within a predetermined range greater than zero.

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