System and control method

Abstract

To prevent a vehicle under inspection from jumping off a roller. [Solution] The system includes a vehicle capable of traveling unmanned, inspection equipment having rollers that can rotate while supporting the vehicle's wheels, a detector that detects abnormalities in at least one of the vehicle or the inspection equipment, and a control device that slows down the rotation of one of the wheel and the roller if an abnormality that causes the other of the wheel and the roller to stop rotating is detected during an inspection in which one of the wheel and the roller is driven to rotate by driving the other of the wheel and the roller.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to systems and control methods. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART There is known a technique for running vehicles in an unmanned manner in a vehicle manufacturing process (for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 2017-538619 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Inspections are sometimes performed in which wheels are rotated on rollers without moving the vehicle. For example, in an inspection of a vehicle's drive system, rollers are rotated by the driving rotation of the wheels, and in an inspection of a vehicle's braking system, wheels are rotated by the driving rotation of the rollers. During an inspection in which rollers are rotated by the driving rotation of the wheels, if the roller rotation is locked due to, for example, a foreign object getting caught, the driving force of the wheels may cause the vehicle to jump off the rollers. During an inspection in which wheels are rotated by the driving rotation of the rollers, if the wheel rotation is locked due to, for example, the vehicle's shift position being unintentionally switched to parking range, the driving force of the rollers may cause the vehicle to jump off the rollers. Therefore, there is a need for a technology that prevents a vehicle from jumping off the rollers during inspection. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The present disclosure can be realized in the following forms.

[0006] (1) According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a system including: an unmanned vehicle capable of traveling; inspection equipment having rollers that can rotate while supporting wheels of the vehicle; a detector that detects an abnormality in at least one of the vehicle and the inspection equipment; and a control device that decelerates the rotation of one of the wheel and the roller when an abnormality that causes the other of the wheel and the roller to stop rotating is detected during an inspection in which one of the wheel and the roller is driven to rotate by driving the other of the wheel and the roller. This type of system can prevent the vehicle being inspected from jumping off the rollers. (2) In the system of the above form, the control device may stop driving the wheel if an abnormality is detected in which the rotation of the roller stops during an inspection in which the wheel is driven to rotate and the roller is driven to rotate. According to this type of system, it is possible to prevent the vehicle from jumping off the rollers during an inspection in which the wheels are driven to rotate, thereby rotating the rollers. (3) In the system of the above form, the control device may stop the rotation of the roller if an abnormality that causes the rotation of the wheel to stop is detected during an inspection in which the wheel is rotated in response to the driving rotation of the roller. According to this type of system, it is possible to prevent the vehicle from jumping off the rollers during an inspection in which the wheels are rotated by driving the rollers to rotate. (4) According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a control method for detecting an abnormality in at least one of an unmanned vehicle and an inspection facility having rollers that can rotate while supporting wheels of the vehicle, and, if an abnormality that causes the rotation of the other of the wheel and the roller to stop is detected during an inspection in which one of the wheel and the roller is driven to rotate by driving the other of the wheel and the roller, the control method decelerates the rotation of one of the wheel and the roller. According to this control method, the vehicle being inspected can be prevented from jumping off the rollers. The present disclosure may be realized in various forms other than a system and a control method, such as a vehicle, a server device, an inspection facility, a computer program, and a recording medium on which the computer program is recorded. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a system according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle according to a first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a server device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of an inspection facility according to a first embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which a vehicle is driven by remote control. [Figure 6] 3 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure for vehicle travel control in the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a driving inspection. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart showing a procedure for controlling protrusion prevention during a driving inspection. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a braking inspection. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the sudden-out prevention control during braking inspection. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a system according to a second embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle according to a second embodiment. [Figure 13] 10 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure for vehicle travel control according to a second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] A. First embodiment: 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a system 10 in a first embodiment. The system 10 includes a vehicle 100, a server device 200, an external sensor 300, and an inspection facility 400. In this embodiment, the server device 200 corresponds to the "controller" in this disclosure, and a wheel speed sensor 140 and a rotation speed sensor 450, which will be described later, correspond to the "detector" in this disclosure.

[0009] In this embodiment, the vehicle 100 is a four-wheeled battery electric vehicle (BEV). The vehicle 100 may be a passenger car, a bus, a truck, or the like. The drive system of the vehicle 100 may be front-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive, or four-wheel drive. Note that the vehicle 100 is not limited to an electric vehicle, and may be, for example, a gasoline-powered vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, a fuel cell vehicle, or the like. The vehicle 100 is not limited to a four-wheeled vehicle, and may be, for example, a three-wheeled vehicle, a six-wheeled vehicle, or the like.

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

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

[0012] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle 100. The vehicle 100 has four wheels 101. The four wheels 101 include a pair of left and right front wheels and a pair of left and right rear wheels. The vehicle 100 has a vehicle control device 110 that controls each part of the vehicle 100, an actuator group 120 that operates under the control of the vehicle control device 110, a communication device 130 for communicating with the outside, and a wheel speed sensor 140 for detecting the rotational speed of the wheels 101. The actuator group 120 includes an actuator of a drive device that generates a propulsive force for the vehicle 100, an actuator of a steering device that changes the traveling direction of the vehicle 100, and an actuator of a braking device that generates a braking force for the vehicle 100.

[0013] The vehicle control device 110 is configured by a computer including a processor 111, a memory 112, an input / output interface 113, and an internal bus 114. The processor 111, the memory 112, and the input / output interface 113 are connected via the internal bus 114 to enable bidirectional communication. The input / output interface 113 is connected to an actuator group 120, a communication device 130, and a wheel speed sensor 140. The communication device 130 communicates with the server device 200 via wireless communication. The communication device 130 may also communicate with an external sensor 300 or an inspection facility 400 via wireless communication.

[0014] The processor 111 functions as a driving control unit 115 by executing a computer program PG1 stored in advance in the memory 112. When a passenger is on board the vehicle 100, the driving control unit 115 controls the actuator group 120 in accordance with the operation of the passenger, thereby causing the vehicle 100 to drive. Regardless of whether a passenger is on board the vehicle 100 or not, the driving control unit 115 controls the actuator group 120 using a driving control signal received from the server device 200, thereby causing the vehicle 100 to drive. In this embodiment, the driving control signal includes the acceleration and steering angle of the vehicle 100 as parameters. Note that the driving control signal may include the speed of the vehicle 100 as a parameter instead of or in addition to the acceleration of the vehicle 100.

[0015] 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of the server device 200. The server device 200 is configured by a computer including a processor 201, a memory 202, an input / output interface 203, and an internal bus 204. The processor 201, the memory 202, and the input / output interface 203 are connected via the internal bus 204 to enable bidirectional communication. A communication device 205 that communicates with the outside is connected to the input / output interface 203. In this embodiment, the communication device 205 communicates with the vehicle 100 via wireless communication, and with the external sensor 300 and the inspection equipment 400 via wired communication or wireless communication.

[0016] By executing a computer program PG2 pre-stored in memory 202, processor 201 functions as a vehicle remote control unit 211 that remotely controls vehicle 100, an equipment remote control unit 212 that remotely controls inspection equipment 400, and an inspection result generation unit 213 that generates inspection results for vehicle 100.

[0017] The external sensor 300 is located outside the vehicle 100. The external sensor 300 is used to detect the position of the vehicle 100. In this embodiment, the external sensor 300 is a camera installed in the factory FC. The external sensor 300 includes a communication device (not shown) and communicates with the server device 200 via wired or wireless communication.

[0018] 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of the inspection equipment 400. The inspection equipment 400 is equipment for inspecting the vehicle 100. In this embodiment, the inspection equipment 400 includes a roller 410, a motor 420 that rotates the roller 410, an equipment control device 430 that controls each part of the inspection equipment 400, a communication device 440 that communicates with the outside, a rotation speed sensor 450 that detects the rotation speed of the roller 410, and a braking force sensor 460 that detects the braking force of the vehicle 100 applied to the roller 410. In this embodiment, the inspection equipment 400 has at least one of the following functions: a function as a drum tester that inspects the driving performance of the vehicle 100 by rotating the roller 410 in response to the driving rotation of the wheel 101; and a function as a brake tester that inspects the braking performance of the vehicle 100 by rotating the wheel 101 in response to the driving rotation of the roller 410. However, if the inspection equipment 400 does not have the function of a brake tester, the inspection equipment 400 does not need to include the motor 420 and the braking force sensor 460.

[0019] The rollers 410 are installed on the road surface. The rollers 410 are configured to be rotatable while supporting the wheels 101. In this embodiment, the inspection equipment 400 is configured to support one front wheel with two small-diameter rollers and one rear wheel with one large-diameter roller. That is, in this embodiment, the inspection equipment 400 includes six rollers 410. Here, the small-diameter rollers are rollers 410 with small diameters, and the large-diameter rollers are rollers 410 with large diameters. The inspection equipment 400 includes multiple motors 420. The multiple motors 420 include a motor 420 that rotates the rollers 410 for the front wheels and a motor 420 that rotates the rollers 410 for the rear wheels. Note that the inspection equipment 400 may be configured to support one front wheel with one large-diameter roller and one rear wheel with two small-diameter rollers, or may be configured to support one front wheel with two small-diameter rollers and one rear wheel with two small-diameter rollers.

[0020] The equipment control device 430 is configured by a computer including a processor 431, a memory 432, an input / output interface 433, and an internal bus 434. The processor 431, the memory 432, and the input / output interface 433 are connected via the internal bus 434 to enable bidirectional communication. The motor 420, the communication device 440, the rotational speed sensor 450, and the braking force sensor 460 are connected to the input / output interface 433. In this embodiment, the communication device 440 communicates with the server device 200 via wireless communication or wired communication. The communication device 440 may also communicate with the vehicle 100 via wireless communication.

[0021] The processor 431 executes a computer program PG4 stored in advance in the memory 432, thereby functioning as an inspection execution unit 435 that executes an inspection of the vehicle 100. In this embodiment, the inspection execution unit 435 executes an inspection of the vehicle 100 in response to a control signal transmitted from the server device 200. Specifically, the inspection execution unit 435 executes control of the motor 420, detection of the rotation speed by the rotation speed sensor 450, and detection of the braking force by the braking force sensor 460.

[0022] FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing how a vehicle 100 travels by remote control in a factory FC. In this embodiment, the system 10 is used in a factory FC that manufactures vehicles 100. The reference coordinate system of the factory FC is a global coordinate system GC, and any position in the factory FC can be expressed by X, Y, and Z coordinates in the global coordinate system GC. The factory FC has a first location PL1 and a second location PL2. The first location PL1 and the second location PL2 are connected by a road TR along which the vehicle 100 can travel. A plurality of external sensors 300 are installed in the factory FC along the road TR. The position of each external sensor 300 in the factory FC is adjusted in advance.

[0023] In this embodiment, the first location PL1 is a location where the vehicle 100 is assembled. At the time of assembly at the first location PL1, the vehicle 100 is equipped with at least a vehicle control device 110, an actuator group 120, and a communication device 130. Therefore, at the time of assembly at the first location PL1, the vehicle 100 is in a state where it can be driven by remote control. The vehicle 100 assembled at the first location PL1 is moved from the first location PL1 along a track TR to a second location PL2 by being remotely controlled by a server device 200. The second location PL2 is a location where an inspection of the vehicle 100 is carried out. An inspection facility 400 is located at the second location PL2. The vehicle 100 that passes the inspection at the second location PL2 is then shipped from a factory FC.

[0024] 6 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure for driving control of the vehicle 100 in this embodiment. In step S1, the processor 201 of the server device 200 acquires vehicle position information using the detection results output from the external sensor 300. The vehicle position information is position information that serves as the basis for generating a driving control signal. In this embodiment, the vehicle position information includes the position and orientation of the vehicle 100 in the global coordinate system GC of the factory FC. Specifically, in step S1, the processor 201 acquires the vehicle position information using a captured image acquired from a camera, which is the external sensor 300.

[0025] In detail, in step S1, the processor 201, for example, detects the outer shape of the vehicle 100 from the captured image, calculates the coordinates of the positioning point of the vehicle 100 in the coordinate system of the captured image, i.e., the local coordinate system, and converts the calculated coordinates into coordinates in the global coordinate system GC, thereby acquiring the position of the vehicle 100. The outer shape of the vehicle 100 contained in the captured image can be detected, for example, by inputting the captured image into a detection model DM that utilizes artificial intelligence. The detection model DM is prepared, for example, inside or outside the system 10, and is stored in advance in the memory 202 of the server device 200. An example of the detection model DM is a trained machine learning model that has been trained to achieve either semantic segmentation or instance segmentation. For example, a convolutional neural network (hereinafter, CNN) trained by supervised learning using a training dataset can be used as this machine learning model. The training dataset includes, for example, a plurality of training images including the vehicle 100, and labels indicating whether each region in the training images represents the vehicle 100 or a region other than the vehicle 100. During CNN training, it is preferable to update the parameters of the CNN using backpropagation (back propagation) to reduce the error between the output result of the detection model DM and the label. Furthermore, the processor 201 can acquire the orientation of the vehicle 100 by estimating the orientation based on the orientation of the movement vector of the vehicle 100 calculated from the positional changes of feature points of the vehicle 100 between frames of captured images using, for example, an optical flow method.

[0026] In step S2, the processor 201 of the server device 200 determines a target position to which the vehicle 100 should next head. In this embodiment, the target position is represented by X, Y, and Z coordinates in the global coordinate system GC. A reference route RR, which is a route to be traveled by the vehicle 100, is stored in advance in the memory 202 of the server device 200. The route is represented by nodes indicating the departure point, nodes indicating passing points, nodes indicating the destination, and links connecting the nodes. The processor 201 uses the vehicle position information and the reference route RR to determine a target position to which the vehicle 100 should next head. The processor 201 determines a target position on the reference route RR that is ahead of the current location of the vehicle 100.

[0027] In step S3, the processor 201 of the server device 200 generates a travel control signal for causing the vehicle 100 to travel toward the determined target position. The processor 201 calculates the travel speed of the vehicle 100 from the change in the position of the vehicle 100 and compares the calculated travel speed with the target speed. When the travel speed is lower than the target speed, the processor 201 determines an acceleration such that the vehicle 100 accelerates. When the travel speed is higher than the target speed, the processor 201 determines an acceleration such that the vehicle 100 decelerates. Furthermore, when the vehicle 100 is located on the reference route RR, the processor 201 determines a steering angle and acceleration such that the vehicle 100 does not deviate from the reference route RR. When the vehicle 100 is not located on the reference route RR, in other words, when the vehicle 100 has deviated from the reference route RR, the processor 201 determines a steering angle and acceleration such that the vehicle 100 returns to the reference route RR.

[0028] In step S4, the processor 201 of the server device 200 transmits the generated driving control signal to the vehicle 100. The processor 201 repeats, at a predetermined cycle, the acquisition of vehicle position information, the determination of a target position, the generation of a driving control signal, and the transmission of the driving control signal.

[0029] In step S5, the processor 111 of the vehicle control device 110 receives the traveling control signal transmitted from the server device 200. In step S6, the processor 111 controls the actuator group 120 using the received traveling control signal, thereby causing the vehicle 100 to travel at the acceleration and steering angle indicated in the traveling control signal. The processor 111 repeats receiving the traveling control signal and controlling the actuator group 120 at a predetermined cycle. According to the system 10 of this embodiment, the vehicle 100 can be caused to travel by remote control, and the vehicle 100 can be moved without using transportation equipment such as a crane or conveyor.

[0030] FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing a driving test for testing the driving performance of the vehicle 100. As shown in the upper part of FIG. 7, when the driving test is started, the vehicle remote control unit 211 of the server device 200 drives and rotates the wheels 101 while the wheels 101 are supported by the rollers 410, thereby causing the rollers 410 to rotate in a driven manner. In the driving test, the shift position of the vehicle 100 is set to the drive range (D range) or the reverse range (R range). In the driving test, the peripheral speed of the wheels 101 that are driven to rotate and the peripheral speed of the rollers 410 that are driven to rotate are the same, so the vehicle 100 remains on the rollers 410. The vehicle remote control unit 211 remotely controls the vehicle 100 so that the rotational speed of the wheels 101 reaches a predetermined target rotational speed. After the rotational speed of the wheels 101 reaches the target rotational speed, the vehicle remote control unit 211 stops the rotation of the wheels 101. When the rotation of the wheels 101 stops, the rotation of the rollers 410 stops. The equipment remote control unit 212 of the server device 200 remotely controls the inspection equipment 400 to detect the rotation speed of the roller 410 using the rotation speed sensor 450. The inspection result generation unit 213 of the server device 200 generates an inspection result of the driving performance of the vehicle 100 using the detection result of the rotation speed of the roller 410. The inspection result of the driving performance includes at least one of information regarding whether the driving device of the vehicle 100 operated correctly and information regarding whether the speedometer of the vehicle 100 indicated a correct value.

[0031] As shown in the lower part of Figure 7, if roller 410 becomes unable to rotate due to an abnormality in inspection equipment 400 during a drive test in which wheel 101 is driven to rotate, thereby causing roller 410 to rotate, the driving force of the drive unit of vehicle 100 to rotate wheel 101 will generate a propulsive force on vehicle 100, which may cause vehicle 100 to jump off roller 410.

[0032] FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the jump-out prevention control executed during the drive test. When the drive test is started, the jump-out prevention control shown in FIG. 8 is started. In step S110, the server device 200 determines whether an abnormality has occurred in the rotation of the roller 410 supporting the wheel 101 during drive rotation. In this embodiment, the server device 200 determines whether an abnormality has occurred in the rotation of the roller 410 using the detection result of the rotation speed sensor 450. If it is determined in step S110 that an abnormality has occurred in the rotation of the roller 410, the server device 200 determines in step S120 whether the drive test has ended. If it is determined in step S120 that the drive test has not ended, the server device 200 returns the process to step S110. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S120 that the drive test has ended, the server device 200 ends the jump-out prevention control.

[0033] If it is determined in step S110 that an abnormality has occurred in the rotation of the rollers 410, the server device 200 in step S130 remotely controls the vehicle 100 to switch the shift position of the vehicle 100 to a neutral range (N range). By switching the shift position of the vehicle 100 to the neutral range, the transmission of driving force from the drive device of the vehicle 100 to the wheels 101 is cut off. It is preferable that the server device 200 immediately switches the shift position of the vehicle 100 to the neutral range so that the driving force rotating the wheels 101 does not cause the vehicle 100 to jump off the rollers 410. It is preferable that the server device 200 switches the shift position of the vehicle 100 to the neutral range and activates the braking device of the vehicle 100. In step S140, the server device 200 stops the drive inspection. Thereafter, the server device 200 ends the jump-out prevention control.

[0034] FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing a braking test for testing the braking performance of the vehicle 100. As shown in the upper part of FIG. 9, when the braking test is started, the equipment remote control unit 212 of the server device 200 drives and rotates the rollers 410, with the wheels 101 supported by the rollers 410, to cause the wheels 101 to rotate in a driven manner. In the braking test, the shift position of the vehicle 100 is set to the neutral range (N range). In the braking test, the peripheral speed of the rollers 410 that are driven to rotate and the peripheral speed of the wheels 101 that are driven to rotate are the same, so the vehicle 100 remains on the rollers 410. The equipment remote control unit 212 remotely controls the test equipment 400 so that the rotational speed of the rollers 410 reaches a predetermined target rotational speed. When the rotational speed of the roller 410 reaches the target rotational speed, the vehicle remote control unit 211 of the server device 200 remotely controls the vehicle 100 to activate the braking device of the vehicle 100, and the facility remote control unit 212 of the server device 200 stops the transmission of driving force from the motor 420 to the roller 410. At this time, the vehicle remote control unit 211 preferably activates the braking device so that the wheels 101 and the roller 410 come to an abrupt stop. The facility remote control unit 212 detects the braking force applied to the roller 410 by the braking device of the vehicle 100 using the braking force sensor 460. The inspection result generation unit 213 of the server device 200 generates an inspection result of the braking performance of the vehicle 100 using the detection result of the braking force. The inspection result of the braking performance includes information on whether the braking device of the vehicle 100 operated correctly.

[0035] As shown in the lower part of Figure 9, during a braking test in which the wheels 101 are rotated by driving the rollers 410 to rotate, if an abnormality in the vehicle 100 causes the wheels 101 to become unable to rotate, the driving force of the motor 420 to rotate the rollers 410 will generate a propulsive force on the vehicle 100, which may cause the vehicle 100 to jump off the rollers 410.

[0036] FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the jump-out prevention control executed during the braking inspection. When the braking inspection is started, the jump-out prevention control shown in FIG. 10 is started. In step S210, the server device 200 determines whether an abnormality has occurred in the rotation of the wheel 101 supported by the roller 410 during driving rotation. In this embodiment, the server device 200 determines whether an abnormality has occurred in the rotation of the wheel 101 using the detection result of the wheel speed sensor 140. If it is determined in step S210 that an abnormality has occurred in the rotation of the wheel 101, the server device 200 determines in step S230 whether the braking inspection has ended. If it is determined in step S220 that the braking inspection has not ended, the server device 200 returns the process to step S210. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S220 that the braking inspection has ended, the server device 200 ends the jump-out prevention control.

[0037] If it is determined in step S210 that an abnormality has occurred in the rotation of the wheel 101, the server device 200 stops the rotation of the roller 410 by remotely controlling the inspection equipment 400 in step S230. It is preferable that the server device 200 immediately stops the rotation of the roller 410 so that the driving force that rotates the roller 410 does not cause the vehicle 100 to jump out from the roller 410. In step S240, the server device 200 stops the braking inspection. Thereafter, the server device 200 ends the jump-out prevention control.

[0038] According to the system 10 of the present embodiment described above, if an abnormality is detected during an inspection in which one of the wheels 101 and the rollers 410 is driven to rotate by driving the other of the wheels 101 and the rollers 410 to stop the rotation of the driving side, the server device 200 stops the rotation of the driving side. This makes it possible to prevent the vehicle 100 being inspected from jumping off the rollers 410.

[0039] Specifically, in this embodiment, during a drive test in which the wheels 101 are driven to rotate to rotate the rollers 410, if an abnormality in the test equipment 400 is detected that prevents the rollers 410 from rotating, the server device 200 remotely controls the vehicle 100 to switch the shift position of the vehicle 100 to N range and cut off the transmission of drive force from the drive unit of the vehicle 100 to the wheels 101. This makes it possible to prevent the vehicle 100 from jumping off the rollers 410.

[0040] Furthermore, in this embodiment, if an abnormality is detected in the vehicle 100 that prevents the wheel 101 from rotating during a braking inspection in which the wheel 101 is driven by the driving rotation of the roller 410, the server device 200 remotely controls the inspection equipment 400 to stop the rotation of the roller 410. This makes it possible to prevent the vehicle 100 from jumping off the roller 410. Note that the rotation of the roller 410 does not have to be completely stopped, as long as it is sufficiently decelerated. In this case, it is possible to weaken the force with which the vehicle 100 under inspection jumps off the roller 410.

[0041] B. Second embodiment: 11 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a system 10b in the second embodiment. The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the vehicle 100 does not travel under remote control from a server device 200 but travels under autonomous control of the vehicle 100. Unless otherwise specified, the other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment. In the second embodiment, the vehicle control device 110 corresponds to the "control device" in the present disclosure.

[0042] FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle 100 in the second embodiment. In this embodiment, a reference route RR and a detection model DM are pre-stored in the memory 112 of the vehicle control device 110. The communication device 130 communicates with the external sensor 300 and the inspection equipment 400 via wireless communication. The processor 111 executes a computer program PG1 pre-stored in the memory 112 to function as a traveling control unit 115, an equipment remote control unit 116, and an inspection result generation unit 117. The equipment remote control unit 116 remotely controls the inspection equipment 400. The inspection result generation unit 117 generates inspection results for the vehicle 100.

[0043] FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure for controlling the traveling of the vehicle 100 in this embodiment. In step S21, the processor 111 of the vehicle control device 110 acquires vehicle position information using detection results output from a camera, which is the external sensor 300. In step S22, the processor 111 determines a target position to which the vehicle 100 should next head. In step S23, the processor 111 generates a traveling control signal for causing the vehicle 100 to travel toward the determined target position. In step S24, the processor 111 controls the actuator group 120 using the generated traveling control signal, thereby causing the vehicle 100 to travel in accordance with parameters represented in the traveling control signal. The processor 111 repeats the acquisition of vehicle position information, determination of the target position, generation of the traveling control signal, and control of the actuator group 120 at a predetermined cycle. Therefore, according to the system 10b in this embodiment, the vehicle 100 can be caused to travel by autonomous control of the vehicle 100 without remotely controlling the vehicle 100 using the server device 200.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 11 , in the system 10b, the vehicle 100 remotely controls the inspection equipment 400, thereby performing a driving inspection and a braking inspection of the vehicle 100. The anti-jumping-out control shown in FIGS. 8 and 10 is performed by the vehicle control device 110 of the vehicle 100. Specifically, in this embodiment, if an abnormality in the inspection equipment 400 that prevents the rollers 410 from rotating is detected during a driving inspection in which the wheels 101 are driven to rotate by driving the wheels 101 to rotate, the vehicle 100 autonomously switches the shift position of the vehicle 100 to N range to cut off transmission of driving force from the drive unit of the vehicle 100 to the wheels 101. Also, in this embodiment, if an abnormality in the vehicle 100 that prevents the wheels 101 from rotating is detected during a braking inspection in which the wheels 101 are driven to rotate by driving the rollers 410 to rotate, the vehicle 100 remotely controls the inspection equipment 400 to stop the rotation of the rollers 410.

[0045] According to the system 10b of this embodiment described above, it is possible to prevent the vehicle 100 from jumping off the rollers 410 during a driving test and a braking test.

[0046] In another embodiment, in the system 10b, the jump-out prevention control shown in FIGS. 8 and 10 may be executed by the equipment control device 430 of the inspection equipment 400. In this case, the equipment control device 430 corresponds to the "control device" in the present disclosure. Specifically, if an abnormality in the inspection equipment 400 that prevents the rollers 410 from rotating is detected during a driving test in which the wheels 101 are driven to rotate by driving the wheels 101, the inspection equipment 400 may remotely control the vehicle 100 to switch the shift position of the vehicle 100 to N range and cut off the transmission of driving force from the drive unit of the vehicle 100 to the wheels 101. Furthermore, if an abnormality in the vehicle 100 that prevents the wheels 101 from rotating is detected during a braking test in which the wheels 101 are driven to rotate by the driving rotation of the rollers 410, the inspection equipment 400 may autonomously stop the rotation of the rollers 410. Even in this configuration, the vehicle 100 can be prevented from jumping out of the rollers 410 during the driving test and the braking test. In another embodiment, for example, an abnormality in which rotation of the driven side stops may be detected by a torque sensor that detects the torque applied to the wheel 101 or the roller 410. In this case, the torque sensor corresponds to the "detector" in this disclosure.

[0047] C. Other Embodiments: (C1) In each of the above embodiments, the external sensor 300 is not limited to a camera and may be, for example, a distance measuring device. The distance measuring device may be, for example, a LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging). In this case, the detection result output by the external sensor 300 may be three-dimensional point cloud data representing the vehicle 100. In this case, the server device 200 or the vehicle 100 may acquire vehicle position information by template matching using the three-dimensional point cloud data as the detection result and reference point cloud data prepared in advance.

[0048] (C2) In the first embodiment, the processes from obtaining vehicle position information to generating a driving control signal are executed by the server device 200. However, at least a part of the processes from obtaining vehicle position information to generating a driving control signal may be executed by the vehicle 100. For example, the following forms (1) to (3) may be used.

[0049] (1) The server device 200 may acquire vehicle position information, determine a target position to which the vehicle 100 should next head, and generate a route from the current location of the vehicle 100 indicated in the acquired vehicle position information to the target position. The server device 200 may generate a route to the target position between the current location and the destination, or may generate a route to the destination. The server device 200 may transmit the generated route to the vehicle 100. The vehicle 100 may generate a driving control signal so that the vehicle 100 drives on the route received from the server device 200, and control the actuator group 120 using the generated driving control signal.

[0050] (2) Server device 200 may acquire vehicle position information and transmit the acquired vehicle position information to vehicle 100. Vehicle 100 may determine a target position to which vehicle 100 should next head, generate a route from the current location of vehicle 100 indicated in the received vehicle position information to the target position, generate a driving control signal so that vehicle 100 travels on the generated route, and control actuator group 120 using the generated driving control signal.

[0051] (3) In the above embodiments (1) and (2), the vehicle 100 may be equipped with an internal sensor, and detection results output from the internal sensor may be used for at least one of generating a route and generating a driving control signal. The internal sensor is a sensor equipped in the vehicle 100. The internal sensor may include, for example, a sensor that detects the motion state of the vehicle 100, a sensor that detects the operating state of each part of the vehicle 100, and a sensor that detects the environment around the vehicle 100. Specifically, the internal sensor may include, for example, a camera, LiDAR, millimeter-wave radar, an ultrasonic sensor, a GPS sensor, an acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor, and the like. For example, in the above embodiment (1), the server device 200 may acquire the detection results of the internal sensor and reflect the detection results of the internal sensor in the route when generating a route. In the above embodiment (1), the vehicle 100 may acquire the detection results of the internal sensor and reflect the detection results of the internal sensor in the driving control signal when generating a driving control signal. In the above embodiment (2), the vehicle 100 may acquire the detection results of the internal sensor and reflect the detection results of the internal sensor in the route when generating a route. In the above embodiment (2), the vehicle 100 may acquire the detection result of the internal sensor, and when generating the driving control signal, may reflect the detection result of the internal sensor in the driving control signal.

[0052] (C3) In the second embodiment, the vehicle 100 may be equipped with an internal sensor, and the detection results output from the internal sensor may be used for at least one of generating a route and generating a driving control signal. For example, the vehicle 100 may acquire the detection results of the internal sensor and, when generating a route, reflect the detection results of the internal sensor in the route. The vehicle 100 may acquire the detection results of the internal sensor and, when generating a driving control signal, reflect the detection results of the internal sensor in the driving control signal.

[0053] (C4) In the second embodiment, the vehicle 100 acquires vehicle position information using the detection results of the external sensor 300. In contrast, the vehicle 100 may be equipped with an internal sensor, and the vehicle 100 may acquire vehicle position information using the detection results of the internal sensor, determine a target position to which the vehicle 100 should next head, generate a route from the current location of the vehicle 100 represented in the acquired vehicle position information to the target position, generate a driving control signal for traveling along the generated route, and control the actuator group 120 using the generated driving control signal. In this case, the vehicle 100 can travel without using any detection results of the external sensor 300. Note that the vehicle 100 may acquire a target arrival time and congestion information from outside the vehicle 100, and reflect the target arrival time and congestion information in at least one of the route and the driving control signal.

[0054] (C5) In the first embodiment described above, the server device 200 automatically generates a driving control signal to be transmitted to the vehicle 100. However, the server device 200 may generate a driving control signal to be transmitted to the vehicle 100 in accordance with the operation of an external operator located outside the vehicle 100. For example, the external operator may operate a control device including a display that displays an image output from the external sensor 300, a steering wheel for remotely operating the vehicle 100, an accelerator pedal, a brake pedal, and a communication device for communicating with the server device 200 via wired or wireless communication, and the server device 200 may generate a driving control signal in accordance with the operation applied to the control device.

[0055] (C6) In each of the above embodiments, the vehicle 100 may be configured to be able to travel by unmanned driving, and may be in the form of a platform having the configuration described below, for example. Specifically, the vehicle 100 may be equipped with at least a vehicle control device 110 and an actuator group 120 to perform the three functions of "running," "turning," and "stopping" by unmanned driving. When the vehicle 100 acquires information from the outside for unmanned driving, the vehicle 100 may further be equipped with a communication device 130. In other words, the vehicle 100 that can travel by unmanned driving may not be equipped with at least some of its interior parts, such as a driver's seat and a dashboard, may not be equipped with at least some of its exterior parts, such as bumpers and fenders, and may not be equipped with a body shell. In this case, the remaining parts, such as the body shell, may be attached to the vehicle 100 before the vehicle 100 is shipped from the factory FC, or the remaining parts, such as the body shell, may be attached to the vehicle 100 after the vehicle 100 is shipped from the factory FC without the remaining parts, such as the body shell. Each component may be attached from any direction, such as the upper, lower, front, rear, right or left side of the vehicle 100, and may be attached from the same direction or from different directions. Note that the position of the platform configuration may also be determined in the same manner as for the vehicle 100 in the first embodiment.

[0056] (C7) The vehicle 100 may be manufactured by combining multiple modules. A module refers to a unit composed of one or more parts grouped according to the configuration or function of the vehicle 100. For example, the platform of the vehicle 100 may be manufactured by combining a front module that forms the front portion of the platform, a central module that forms the center portion of the platform, and a rear module that forms the rear portion of the platform. The number of modules that form the platform is not limited to three, but may be two or less, or four or more. In addition to or instead of the platform, parts of the vehicle 100 that are different from the platform may be modularized. The various modules may include any exterior parts such as a bumper or a grille, or any interior parts such as a seat or a console. Any type of mobile object, not limited to the vehicle 100, may be manufactured by combining multiple modules. Such a module may be manufactured, for example, by joining multiple parts using welding or fasteners, or by integrally molding at least a portion of the module into a single component by casting. The molding method of integrally molding at least a portion of the module into a single component is also called gigacasting or megacasting. By using Gigacast, each part of a moving body that has conventionally been formed by joining multiple parts can be formed as a single part. For example, the front module, center module, and rear module described above may be manufactured using Gigacast.

[0057] (C8) Transporting the vehicle 100 by using the unmanned driving of the vehicle 100 is also called "self-propelled transport." The configuration for realizing self-propelled transport is also called a "vehicle remote-controlled autonomous transport system." The production method for producing the vehicle 100 by using self-propelled transport is also called "self-propelled production." In self-propelled production, for example, at a factory FC where the vehicle 100 is manufactured, at least a portion of the transport of the vehicle 100 is realized by self-propelled transport.

[0058] (C9) In each of the above embodiments, some or all of the functions and processes implemented by software may be implemented by hardware. Furthermore, some or all of the functions and processes implemented by hardware may be implemented by software. Hardware for implementing the various functions in each of the above embodiments may be implemented by various circuits, such as integrated circuits or discrete circuits.

[0059] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments and can be realized in various configurations without departing from the spirit thereof. For example, the technical features in the embodiments corresponding to the technical features in each aspect described in the Summary of the Invention section can be appropriately replaced or combined to solve some or all of the above-described problems or achieve some or all of the above-described effects. Furthermore, if a technical feature is not described as essential in this specification, it can be appropriately deleted. [Explanation of symbols]

[0060] 10, 10b... system, 100... vehicle, 101... wheel, 110... vehicle control device, 111... processor, 112... memory, 113... input / output interface, 114... internal bus, 115... driving control unit, 116... equipment remote control unit, 117... inspection result generation unit, 120... actuator group, 130... communication device, 140... wheel speed sensor, 200... server device, 201... processor, 202... memory, 203... input / output interface 204...internal bus, 205...communication device, 211...vehicle remote control unit, 212...equipment remote control unit, 213...inspection result generation unit, 300...external sensor, 400...inspection equipment, 410...roller, 420...motor, 430...equipment control device, 431...processor, 432...memory, 433...input / output interface, 434...internal bus, 435...inspection execution unit, 440...communication device, 450...rotational speed sensor, 460...braking force sensor

Claims

1. 1. A system comprising: A vehicle that can run by unmanned driving, an inspection facility having a roller that can rotate while supporting the wheels of the vehicle; a detector for detecting an abnormality in at least one of the vehicle and the inspection equipment; a control device that decelerates the rotation of one of the wheel and the roller when an abnormality is detected in which the rotation of the other of the wheel and the roller stops during an inspection in which one of the wheel and the roller is driven to rotate by driving the other of the wheel and the roller to rotate; A system comprising:

2. 10. The system of claim 1, The control device stops driving the wheel if an abnormality in which the roller stops rotating is detected during an inspection in which the roller is driven to rotate by driving the wheel to rotate.

3. 10. The system of claim 1, The control device stops the rotation of the roller if an abnormality that causes the wheel to stop rotating is detected during an inspection in which the wheel is rotated in an idle manner by driving the roller to rotate.

4. A control method comprising: Detecting an abnormality in at least one of a vehicle capable of traveling by unmanned driving and an inspection facility having rollers capable of rotating while supporting wheels of the vehicle; during an inspection in which one of the wheel and the roller is driven to rotate by drivingly rotating the other of the wheel and the roller, if an abnormality in which the rotation of the other of the wheel and the roller stops is detected, the rotation of one of the wheel and the roller is slowed down. Control method.

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