Industrial vehicles and logistics systems

Abstract

To provide an industrial vehicle that can enter rack aisles relatively easily. [Solution] A forklift 1 that performs cargo handling driving operations in a work area with a rack aisle, comprising: a vehicle body 2; a camera unit 4 that captures images of the vehicle body 2 in the turning direction; a monitor unit 5 that displays the images and accepts operator input operations regarding the entry route into the rack aisle; a first control unit 6 that calculates the driving trajectory for entering the rack aisle from the entry route; and a second control unit 7 that automatically drives the vehicle body 2 along the driving trajectory by automatic driving control, wherein the second control unit 7 automatically performs steering control of the drive tires 10 and vehicle speed control during automatic driving control.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to industrial vehicles such as forklifts and logistics systems.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a forklift that performs a cargo handling driving operation in a work area with a rack passage has been known (for example, see Patent Document 1). The forklift described in Patent Document 1 is called a three-way stacking truck and includes guide rollers at the lower parts of the left and right side surfaces of the vehicle body for smoothly traveling on the rack passage. The operator of the forklift manually operates a handle or the like while visually observing the guide rollers from the driver's seat to enter the forklift into the rack passage.

[0003] A guide rail for guiding the above guide rollers is provided at the lower part of the rack. The width of the rack passage, that is, the width between the guide rails, is approximately the same as the vehicle width of the forklift. Therefore, the operation of entering the forklift into the rack passage is difficult for some operators.

[0004] In particular, beginners who are not accustomed to driving a forklift need to carefully operate so as not to collide the guide rollers with the guide rail, and thus it takes a considerable amount of time to enter the forklift into the rack passage. Also, even if careful operation is performed, the guide rollers may strongly hit the guide rail. In that case, the guide rollers or the guide rail may be damaged, or the components of the control unit of the forklift may malfunction, or the wiring of the control unit may be cut.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and its objective is to provide an industrial vehicle and a logistics system that can enter a rack aisle relatively easily. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To solve the above problems, the industrial vehicle according to the present invention is An industrial vehicle that performs cargo handling operations in a work area with rack aisles, The vehicle body, which is equipped with a steering wheel, A camera unit that captures images of the vehicle body in the direction of rotation, A monitor unit that displays the aforementioned video and accepts operator input regarding the entry route to the rack passage, A first control unit calculates the travel trajectory of the vehicle body for entering the rack passage from the entry route input to the monitor unit, The system includes a second control unit that controls the automatic driving of the vehicle body to automatically drive the vehicle body along the driving trajectory, The second control unit during the automatic driving control is characterized by automatically performing steering control of the steering wheels and vehicle speed control of the vehicle body.

[0008] In the aforementioned industrial vehicle, The first control unit, When the second control unit starts the automatic driving control, it performs a first process of calculating the current driving route of the vehicle body, A second process for detecting the discrepancy between the aforementioned travel route and the aforementioned travel trajectory, A third process is performed to correct the travel trajectory so that the aforementioned deviation is reduced. The second control unit can be configured to cause the vehicle body to automatically travel along the modified travel trajectory.

[0009] In the aforementioned industrial vehicle, The first control unit, When calculating the aforementioned travel trajectory, a calculation process is performed to calculate multiple virtual travel trajectories with different turning radii from the aforementioned travel trajectory. In the third process, the system can be configured to select one virtual travel trajectory from the plurality of virtual travel trajectories that minimizes the deviation, and to make this one virtual travel trajectory the corrected travel trajectory.

[0010] In the aforementioned industrial vehicle, The aforementioned monitor unit is If the displayed video includes the entrance area of ​​the rack passage and the front end of the vehicle body, the system can be configured to accept the location where the sliding operation was performed as the entry route when the operator performs a sliding operation between the entrance area and the front end.

[0011] In the aforementioned industrial vehicle, The aforementioned monitor unit is If the displayed video includes the entrance area of ​​the rack passage, and the operator performs a touch operation in the entrance area, the location where the touch operation was performed is recognized as the end point of the entry route. The first control unit can be configured to calculate the position of the front end of the vehicle body as the starting point of the entry route, and to define the entry route as the distance from the starting point to the ending point.

[0012] In the aforementioned industrial vehicle, The vehicle body can be switched between a brake-on state and a brake-off state by the operator's operation. The second control unit is: The system can be configured to start the automatic driving control when the calculation of the driving trajectory by the first control unit is completed and the system switches from the brake-on state to the brake-off state.

[0013] To solve the above problems, the logistics system according to the present invention is Multiple racks are provided in the work area, A logistics system comprising an industrial vehicle of the present invention that enters a rack passage between the plurality of racks, The industrial vehicle includes a guide roller, The rack is characterized by including a guide rail for guiding the guide roller.

Advantages of the Invention

[0014] According to the present invention, an industrial vehicle and a logistics system that can relatively easily enter a rack passage can be provided.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0015] [Figure 1] It is a diagram showing a logistics system according to the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a diagram showing a forklift according to the present invention, (A) is a left side view, and (B) is a plan view. [Figure 3] (A) It is a plan view of the forklift according to the present invention stopped at a predetermined stop position. (B) It is a diagram showing the screen of the monitor unit at the predetermined stop position. [Figure 4] It is a diagram showing the control system of the forklift according to the present invention, (A) is a block diagram of the first control unit, and (B) is a block diagram of the second control unit. [Figure 5] It is a flowchart showing the control when entering a rack passage according to the present invention. [Figure 6] It is a diagram showing the screen of the monitor unit when inputting an entry route according to the present invention. [Figure 7] It is a diagram showing the travel trajectory before starting automatic travel according to the present invention. [Figure 8] It is a diagram showing the travel trajectory according to the present invention, (A) is a diagram showing the travel trajectory when shifted inward after starting automatic travel, and (B) is a diagram showing the travel trajectory when shifted outward after starting automatic travel.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0016] Hereinafter, embodiments of an industrial vehicle and a logistics system according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0017] Figure 1 shows a logistics system according to one embodiment of the present invention. The logistics system of this embodiment consists of a plurality of racks 100 provided in a predetermined work area and at least one forklift 1 (corresponding to the "industrial vehicle" of the present invention) that performs cargo handling and driving operations.

[0018] The work area is, for example, an area within any building such as a factory or warehouse. The work area is equipped with multiple racks 100 for storing goods. Between adjacent racks 100, there is a rack aisle with a width W that a forklift 1 can enter. Guide rails 101 are provided at the bottom of the racks 100. The width between adjacent guide rails 101 corresponds to the width W of the rack aisle, and this width W is approximately the same as the width of the forklift 1.

[0019] Figure 2(A) shows a left side view of forklift 1, and Figure 2(B) shows a top view of forklift 1.

[0020] The forklift 1 is a three-way stacking truck and comprises a vehicle body 2, a cargo handling device 3, a camera unit 4, a monitor unit 5, a first control unit 6, and a second control unit 7.

[0021] The vehicle body 2 comprises a vehicle frame 8 and a pair of left and right reach legs 9 located at the bottom of the vehicle frame 8. The reach legs 9 protrude forward from the vehicle frame 8 and support the cargo handling device 3.

[0022] The vehicle body 2 comprises a drive tire 10 (corresponding to the "steering wheel" of the present invention) located on the left side of the lower surface of the vehicle frame 8, a caster tire 11 located on the right side of the lower surface of the vehicle frame 8, and a load tire 12 located on the lower surface of each reach leg 9. The caster tire 11 and the load tire 12 are driven wheels that rotate in conjunction with the drive tire 10.

[0023] The vehicle body 2 is equipped with a total of four guide rollers 13, located on the left and right sides of the vehicle frame 8, the left side of the left reach leg 9, and the right side of the right reach leg 9. The guide rollers 13 are positioned at approximately the same height as the guide rail 101 and rotate around a vertical axis.

[0024] The vehicle body 2 is equipped with a driver's seat 14 on the rear right side of the vehicle frame 8, where the operator sits in a standing position. The driver's seat 14 is equipped with a brake 15 that can be operated by the operator stepping on it with their foot. The brake 15 in this embodiment includes a deadman's type brake pedal, which releases the brake (becomes brake-off) when the brake pedal is pressed and applies the brake (becomes brake-on) when the brake pedal is not pressed.

[0025] The vehicle body 2 is equipped with an operating unit 16 and a steering wheel 17 on the upper part of the vehicle frame 8. The operating unit 16 includes various operating levers such as an accelerator lever for making the vehicle body 2 move, and a lift lever and shift lever for making the cargo handling device 3 perform cargo handling operations. The steering wheel 17 is connected to the drive tires 10 via a steering control mechanism 30, which will be described later. By rotating the steering wheel 17, the operator can change the direction (turning angle) of the drive tires 10 according to the direction of rotation. When the steering wheel 17 is not being rotated (straight-line driving), the turning angle of the drive tires 10 is 0°.

[0026] The vehicle body 2 is equipped with a head guard 18 on the upper part of the vehicle frame 8. The head guard 18 consists of a pair of left and right pillars and a roof that covers the area above the driver's seat 14. A monitor unit 5 is attached to the pillars, and a camera unit 4 is attached to the lower part of the roof. Note that the head guard 18 is not shown in Figure 2(B).

[0027] The cargo handling device 3 is supported by a reach leg 9 and comprises a mast 19, a lift bracket 20, and a fork 21. The mast 19 comprises an outer mast, an inner mast that moves up and down along the outer mast, and a lift cylinder for moving the inner mast up and down. The lift bracket 20 is supported on the mast 19 so as to be able to move up and down. The fork 21 is a three-way loading fork that is supported on the lift bracket 20 so as to be able to shift. The three-way loading fork has the same configuration as the three-way loading fork described in Patent Document 1, so its description is omitted.

[0028] The camera unit 4 includes at least one camera located at the bottom of the roof of the head guard 18, and captures images of the vehicle body 2 in the direction of rotation. In this embodiment, when the forklift 1 enters the rack aisle, the forklift 1 enters the rack aisle while performing a left turn in the forward direction, so the camera unit 4 captures images of at least the left front. The images from the camera unit 4 are displayed on the screen of the monitor unit 5.

[0029] Figure 3(A) shows a plan view of forklift 1 stopped at a predetermined stopping position to enter the rack aisle. In Figure 3(A), the head guard 18, camera unit 4, and monitor unit 5 are omitted from the illustration. Although also omitted from the illustration, the entrance area to the rack aisle is located to the left front of the stopped forklift 1.

[0030] Figure 3(B) shows the screen of the monitor unit 5 as shown in Figure 3(A). The screen of the monitor unit 5 displays at least the left front part A1 of the forklift 1 (near the left front guide roller 13) and the entrance area A2 of the rack aisle. In other words, the camera unit 4 captures an image including the left front part A1 of the forklift 1 and the entrance area A2 of the rack aisle at a predetermined stopping position. The left front part A1 corresponds to the "tip" of the present invention. Note that the road surface of the work area may be provided with marks or lines to indicate a predetermined stopping position to the operator.

[0031] The monitor unit 5 includes a capacitive or resistive touch panel mounted on the left pillar of the head guard 18. As described above, the monitor unit 5 displays the video captured by the camera unit 4 in real time. The monitor unit 5 also receives input from the operator regarding the entry route into the rack aisle. For example, if the operator performs a sliding operation between the left front A1 of the forklift 1 displayed on the monitor unit 5 and the entrance area A2 of the rack aisle, the monitor unit 5 accepts the location where the sliding operation occurred as the entry route. The information regarding the entry route received by the monitor unit 5 is transmitted to the first control unit 6.

[0032] As shown in Figure 4(A), the first control unit 6 comprises a position estimation unit 22, a camera control unit 23, a monitor control unit 24, a storage unit 25, and a processing unit 26. At least some of the components of the first control unit 6 are located inside the vehicle frame 8, and it exchanges information with the camera unit 4, the monitor unit 5, and the second control unit 7.

[0033] The position estimation unit 22 acquires positional information regarding the current location (self-position) of the vehicle body 2. If the forklift 1 is equipped with a laser scanner, the laser scanner projects a laser light into the surroundings while rotating the laser light source and detects the reflected light from multiple reflectors installed in the work area. The position estimation unit 22 stores the positions of the reflectors on predetermined map data and calculates the self-position of the vehicle body 2 based on the principle of triangulation. The position estimation unit 22 may acquire its self-position using a satellite positioning system such as GPS, or it may acquire its self-position using a system such as an electromagnetic induction sensor.

[0034] The camera control unit 23 controls the camera unit 4 and shares the video data from the camera unit 4 with the monitor control unit 24 and the processing unit 26. The camera control unit 23 controls the camera unit 4 to acquire video data from at least the time the forklift 1 stops at a predetermined stopping position to enter the rack aisle until it has completed entering the rack aisle. The camera control unit 23 may store the video data from the camera unit 4 in the storage unit 25.

[0035] The monitor control unit 24 controls the monitor unit 5 and shares information about the approach route received by the monitor unit 5 with the processing unit 26. Specifically, the monitor control unit 24 controls the display of the video captured by the camera unit 4 on the monitor unit 5 and acquires the coordinates of the location where a slide operation was performed on the monitor unit 5 as information about the approach route received by the monitor unit 5. In addition, the monitor control unit 24 displays the driving trajectory, which will be described later, superimposed on the video from the camera unit 4.

[0036] The memory unit 25 stores various information, including map data of the work area, which includes location information of the rack 100 (including information on the width W of the rack aisle), type information of the forklift 1, information on the cargo to be handled, and information on the camera unit 4. The type information of the forklift 1 includes, for example, the width of the forklift 1, the positions of the drive tires 10, caster tires 11 and load tires 12, and the size of the cargo handling device 3. The information on the camera unit 4 includes, for example, the shooting range captured by the camera unit 4, and the positional relationship between the shooting range and the vehicle body 2.

[0037] The processing unit 26 performs a calculation process to calculate the driving trajectory of the vehicle body 2, a first process to calculate the driving route of the vehicle body 2 during automatic driving control (described later), a second process to detect the discrepancy between the driving route and the driving trajectory, and a third process to correct the driving trajectory so that the discrepancy is reduced. Details of these processes will be described later.

[0038] As shown in Figure 4(B), the second control unit 7 comprises a vehicle control unit 27, a sensor unit 28, a cargo handling control mechanism 29, a steering control mechanism 30, a driving control mechanism 31, and a key switch 32. At least some of the components of the second control unit 7, including the vehicle control unit 27, are located inside the vehicle body frame 8.

[0039] The vehicle control unit 27 includes an MPU and memory, and exchanges information with the processing unit 26 of the first control unit 6. The vehicle control unit 27 transmits and receives various signals with the sensor unit 28, the cargo handling control mechanism 29, the steering control mechanism 30, the driving control mechanism 31, and the key switch 32. As will be described in more detail later, the vehicle control unit 27 also performs automatic driving control of the vehicle body 2 and guides the forklift 1 into the rack aisle.

[0040] The sensor unit 28 includes an accelerator sensor, a brake sensor, a vehicle speed sensor, a turning angle sensor, and the like. The accelerator sensor detects, for example, the accelerator opening of the accelerator lever. The brake sensor detects, for example, the state of the brake 15 (brake on state / brake off state). The vehicle speed sensor detects, for example, the driving speed of the vehicle body 2 (or the rotational speed of the driving motor). The turning angle sensor detects the turning angle of the drive tire 10. The sensor unit 28 may also include an acceleration sensor that measures the lateral acceleration of the vehicle body 2.

[0041] The cargo handling control mechanism 29 includes, for example, a cargo handling inverter, a cargo handling motor, a hydraulic circuit, etc. The vehicle control unit 27 acquires detection information (detection signals) from the lift lever and shift lever of the operating unit 16, etc., and controls the cargo handling device 3 via the cargo handling control mechanism 29.

[0042] The steering control mechanism 30 includes, for example, a steering motor, a power steering device, a hydraulic circuit, etc. The vehicle control unit 27 acquires detection information (detection signal) regarding the rotation direction and amount of rotation of the steering wheel 17, and detection information (detection signal) from the turning angle sensor, and controls the turning angle of the drive tires 10, which are the steering wheels, via the steering control mechanism 30 (steering control).

[0043] The driving control mechanism 31 includes, for example, a driving inverter, a driving motor, a hydraulic circuit, etc. The vehicle control unit 27 acquires detection information (detection signal) from the sensor unit 28 and controls the rotational speed of the drive tires 10, which are the drive wheels, via the driving control mechanism 31 (vehicle speed control).

[0044] As part of the above control, the vehicle control unit 27 performs speed control to bring the vehicle body 2's driving speed closer to a predetermined target speed. Specifically, the vehicle control unit 27 acquires the vehicle body 2's driving speed based on the detection signal from the vehicle speed sensor and calculates the target speed based on the detection signal from the accelerator sensor and / or the brake sensor. The vehicle control unit 27 performs PI control or PID control to bring the driving speed closer to the target speed. The target speed is calculated, for example, using the formula: Target speed = Set speed × Accelerator opening [%]. The set speed is a speed preset in the vehicle control unit 27.

[0045] The key switch 32 is a switch for turning the power to the forklift 1 on and off. When the key switch 32 is on, power is supplied from the battery located in the vehicle body 2 to at least the first control unit 6 and the second control unit 7, enabling the forklift 1 to perform cargo handling and driving operations. On the other hand, when the key switch 32 is off, the power supply to the first control unit 6 and the second control unit 7 is stopped, making it impossible for the forklift 1 to perform cargo handling and driving operations.

[0046] Figure 5 shows a flowchart of the automatic driving control. Forklift 1 is assumed to perform a left turn in the forward direction and enter the rack aisle.

[0047] The operator manually stops the forklift 1 at a predetermined stopping position and inputs the entry route into the monitor unit 5 by sliding on the monitor unit 5 screen (S1). When the forklift 1 stops at the predetermined stopping position, the monitor unit 5 screen includes the left front part A1 of the forklift 1 and the entrance area A2 of the rack aisle.

[0048] When an operator performs a sliding operation between the left front A1 of the forklift 1 displayed on the monitor unit 5 and the entrance area A2 of the rack aisle, the monitor control unit 24 of the first control unit 6 displays the location where the sliding operation was performed as a line on the monitor unit 5 and acquires the coordinates of the location where the sliding operation was performed as information regarding the entry route. As shown in Figure 6, the monitor control unit 24 displays line L1 on the monitor unit 5 and acquires the coordinates of line L1 as information regarding the entry route.

[0049] When the monitor control unit 24 acquires information regarding the entry route, the processing unit 26 of the first control unit 6 performs calculation processing to calculate the travel trajectory of the vehicle body 2 (S2). Specifically, the processing unit 26 calculates the travel trajectory of the left load tire 12 so that the forklift 1 enters the rack aisle along line L1, based on the coordinates of line L1 and various information stored in the storage unit 25. The processing unit 26 also calculates multiple virtual travel trajectories with different turning radii from the travel trajectory.

[0050] As shown in Figure 7, during the calculation process, the processing unit 26 calculates the travel trajectory d corresponding to line L1, virtual travel trajectories a-c with a smaller turning radius than travel trajectory d, and virtual travel trajectories e-g with a larger turning radius than travel trajectory d. The monitor control unit 24 calculates the coordinates of the monitor unit 5 corresponding to travel trajectory d, and displays travel trajectory d on the monitor unit 5 instead of line L1. The processing unit 26 may also include an AI unit that has been trained to calculate travel trajectory d and virtual travel trajectories a-c, e-g when it acquires information about the approach route.

[0051] The processing unit 26 calculates the travel trajectory d and virtual travel trajectories a-c, e-g. When the operator releases the brakes and the forklift 1 enters a brake-off state (S3), the vehicle control unit 27 of the second control unit 7 starts automatic driving control (S4). From this point on, the state of the forklift 1 switches from manual operation to automatic driving. The vehicle control unit 27, having started automatic driving control, causes the vehicle body 2 to perform a left turn so that the travel trajectory of the left load tire 12 matches the travel trajectory d.

[0052] When the vehicle control unit 27 starts automatic driving control, the processing unit 26 of the first control unit 6 performs a first process to calculate the current driving route of the vehicle body 2 (in this embodiment, the driving route of the left road tire 12) based on the video data of the camera unit 4 (S5). The driving route of the left road tire 12 is, for example, the actual driving trajectory of the left road tire 12 over a predetermined time including the present. The monitor control unit 24 during automatic driving control calculates and stores the coordinates of the driving route of the left road tire 12 in the monitor unit 5. The processing unit 26 obtains the coordinates of the driving route of the left road tire 12 from the monitor control unit 24.

[0053] Next, the processing unit 26 performs a second process to detect the discrepancy between the travel route and the travel trajectory d (S6). For example, the processing unit 26 compares the coordinates of the travel route acquired in step S5 with the coordinates of the travel trajectory d in the monitoring unit 5 and determines whether the difference between the two coordinates exceeds a predetermined threshold. If the difference exceeds the threshold, the processing unit 26 determines that a discrepancy between the travel route and the travel trajectory d has been detected (YES in S6), and if the difference is less than or equal to the threshold, it determines that no discrepancy between the travel route and the travel trajectory d has been detected (NO in S6).

[0054] Here, discrepancies between the driving route and the driving trajectory d can occur, for example, when there are obstacles such as pebbles on the road surface, when there are depressions such as ruts on the road surface, or when the operator mistakenly moves the steering wheel 17 during automatic driving control.

[0055] If the processing unit 26 detects a discrepancy between the travel route and the travel trajectory d (YES in S6), it performs a third process to modify the travel trajectory d so as to reduce the discrepancy (S7). Specifically, the processing unit 26 selects one trajectory from a to c and e to g that minimizes the discrepancy, and sets that trajectory as the new travel trajectory (corrected travel trajectory).

[0056] As shown in Figure 8(A), if the travel route R1 of the left road tire 12 is shifted inward from the travel trajectory d, the processing unit 26 selects a virtual travel trajectory c that minimizes the deviation from the travel trajectory d and sets the virtual travel trajectory c as the new travel trajectory c. In other words, the travel trajectory d is corrected to the travel trajectory c. On the other hand, as shown in Figure 8(B), if the travel route R2 of the left road tire 12 is shifted outward from the travel trajectory d, the processing unit 26 selects a virtual travel trajectory e that minimizes the deviation from the travel trajectory d and sets the virtual travel trajectory e as the new travel trajectory e. In other words, the travel trajectory d is corrected to the travel trajectory e. After correcting the travel trajectory d, the processing unit 26 performs the first process again (S5).

[0057] If the processing unit 26 does not detect a discrepancy between the driving route and the driving trajectory d (NO in S6), it determines whether or not the target position has been reached based on the video data from the camera unit 4 (S8). The target position is the endpoint of the driving trajectory, and if the third processing in step S7 has not been performed, it is the endpoint of the driving trajectory d. For example, if the coordinates of the left road tire 12 in the monitor unit 5 and the coordinates of the endpoint of the driving trajectory d (or the corrected driving trajectory if corrected) in the monitor unit 5 match, the processing unit 26 determines that the target position has been reached (YES in S8), and if the two coordinates do not match, it determines that the target position has not been reached (NO in S8).

[0058] If the forklift 1 has not reached the target position (NO in S8), the processing unit 26 performs the first process again (S5). If the forklift 1 has reached the target position (YES in S8), the vehicle control unit 27 of the second control unit 7 stops the automatic driving control (S9). Subsequently, when the operator applies the brakes and the forklift 1 is in the brake-on state (S10), the automatic driving control by the vehicle control unit 27 ends. As a result, the state of the forklift 1 switches back to manual operation. The operator can make the forklift 1 drive by releasing the brakes and pushing the accelerator lever.

[0059] As described above, with the logistics system and forklift 1 of this embodiment, when the operator moves the forklift 1 into the rack aisle, the operator can input the entry route by performing a sliding operation between the left front part A1 of the forklift 1 displayed on the monitor unit 5 and the entrance area A2 of the rack aisle. In other words, inputting the entry route is easy in this embodiment.

[0060] The camera unit 4 may, at a predetermined stopping position, capture an image that includes the entrance area A2 of the rack aisle but excludes the left front part A1 of the forklift 1. In this case, the operator can input the entry route by touching the entrance area A2 of the rack aisle displayed on the monitor unit 5.

[0061] In the above case, the monitor control unit 24 has information on a coordinate space larger than the coordinate space displayed on the monitor unit 5 (a coordinate space that includes at least the coordinate of the left load tire 12). When the operator touches the entrance area A2 of the rack passage displayed on the monitor unit 5, the monitor control unit 24 calculates the location where the touch operation was performed as the coordinate of the end point of the entry route, and also calculates the coordinate of the left load tire 12, setting this coordinate as the coordinate of the starting point of the entry route. Next, the monitor control unit 24 calculates the coordinate of the entry route connecting the starting point and the end point. The coordinate of the left load tire 12 can be calculated by calculating the current value of the left load tire 12 from the current location of the vehicle body 2 estimated by the position estimation unit 22, and converting it to coordinates in the coordinate space of the monitor control unit 24.

[0062] According to the logistics system and forklift 1 of this embodiment, when the monitor unit 5 receives an entry rule, the processing unit 26 calculates the travel trajectory, and the vehicle control unit 27 starts automatic driving control. This makes it possible to enter the rack aisle relatively easily. Furthermore, according to the logistics system and forklift 1 of this embodiment, if the processing unit 26 detects a discrepancy between the travel route and the travel trajectory, it corrects the travel trajectory to reduce the discrepancy. This makes it possible to reliably enter the rack aisle even when the road surface is not in good condition (for example, when there are bumps on the road surface) or when the operator accidentally moves the steering wheel 17.

[0063] In other words, according to the logistics system and forklift 1 of this embodiment, it is possible to prevent the forklift 1 from colliding with or crashing into the guide rail 101, thereby preventing damage to the forklift 1 and the guide rail 101. In addition, since the operator does not need to operate the forklift 1 when entering the rack aisle, the turning motion can be made significantly faster than before, especially for beginners, and fatigue and tension when entering the rack aisle can be reduced.

[0064] In this embodiment, the forklift 1 is configured to perform a left turn in the forward direction when entering a rack aisle using automatic driving control. However, it may also be configured to perform a right turn in the forward direction, or to perform a turn in the reverse direction.

[0065] For example, if the forklift 1 is configured to perform a right turn in the forward direction, the camera unit 4 needs to capture an image at a predetermined stopping position that includes the right front of the forklift 1 and the entrance area A2 of the rack aisle. Also, in the explanation of the control flow in Figure 5, "left load tire 12" should be read as "right load tire 12".

[0066] The forklift 1 in this embodiment can calculate not only the trajectory of the left load tire 12, but also the trajectory of the right load tire 12, the trajectory of the caster tire 11, and the trajectory of the drive tire 10.

[0067] The monitor control unit 24 can change the color of the line display on the monitor unit 5 as appropriate. For example, the monitor control unit 24 may display line L1 in yellow, the driving trajectory d in green when no deviation from the driving route is detected, and the driving trajectory d in red when a deviation from the driving route is detected. The monitor control unit 24 may also display the driving route instead of the driving trajectory d, or it may clear the line display when automatic driving control is stopped.

[0068] While embodiments of the logistics system and industrial vehicle according to the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments.

[0069] The industrial vehicle of the present invention is an industrial vehicle that performs cargo handling driving operations in a work area with a rack aisle, and comprises a vehicle body equipped with steering wheels, a camera unit that captures images of the vehicle body in the turning direction, a monitor unit that displays the images and accepts operator input operations regarding the entry route into the rack aisle, a first control unit that calculates the driving trajectory of the vehicle body for entering the rack aisle from the entry route input to the monitor unit, and a second control unit that performs automatic driving control of the vehicle body to make the vehicle body drive automatically along the driving trajectory, wherein the configuration of the second control unit during automatic driving control can be changed as appropriate, provided that steering control of the steering wheels and vehicle speed control of the vehicle body are performed automatically.

[0070] In the above embodiment, the processing unit 26 calculated the travel trajectory d, virtual travel trajectories a to c with a smaller turning radius than the travel trajectory d, and virtual travel trajectories e to g with a larger turning radius than the travel trajectory d in step S2 of Figure 5. However, the timing of calculating the virtual travel trajectories a to c and e to g can be changed as appropriate. For example, the processing unit 26 may calculate at least one of the virtual travel trajectories a to c and e to g in step S7 of Figure 5.

[0071] The industrial vehicle of the present invention is not limited to a three-way stacking truck, but may include any type of forklift (e.g., a picking lift) or a vehicle other than a forklift (e.g., a towing vehicle). [Explanation of Symbols]

[0072] 1 Forklift 2. Vehicle body 3. Cargo handling equipment 4 Camera section 5. Monitor section 6. First Control Unit 7. Second Control Unit 8. Vehicle frame 9 Reach Leg 10 Drive Tires 11 Caster tires 12 Road Tires 13 Guide rollers 14. Driver's seat 15 Brake 16 Control section 17 Handle 18 Headguard 19 Mast 20 Lift Brackets 21 Forks 100 racks 101 Guide Rail

Claims

1. An industrial vehicle that performs cargo handling operations in a work area with rack aisles, The vehicle body, which is equipped with a steering wheel, A camera unit that captures images of the vehicle body in the direction of rotation, A monitor unit that displays the aforementioned video and accepts operator input regarding the entry route to the rack passage, A first control unit calculates the travel trajectory of the vehicle body for entering the rack passage from the entry route input to the monitor unit, The system includes a second control unit that controls the automatic driving of the vehicle body to cause the vehicle body to automatically drive along the driving trajectory, During the automatic driving control described above, the second control unit automatically performs steering control of the steering wheels and vehicle speed control of the vehicle body. An industrial vehicle characterized by the following features.

2. The first control unit is, When the second control unit starts the automatic driving control, it performs a first process to calculate the current driving route of the vehicle body, A second process for detecting the discrepancy between the aforementioned travel route and the aforementioned travel trajectory, A third process is performed to correct the travel trajectory so that the aforementioned deviation is reduced. The second control unit causes the vehicle body to automatically travel along the modified travel trajectory. The industrial vehicle according to feature 1.

3. The first control unit is, When calculating the aforementioned travel trajectory, a calculation process is performed to calculate multiple virtual travel trajectories with different turning radii from the aforementioned travel trajectory. In the third process, one virtual driving trajectory that minimizes the deviation is selected from the plurality of virtual driving trajectories, and this one virtual driving trajectory is made the corrected driving trajectory. The industrial vehicle according to feature 2.

4. The aforementioned monitor unit is If the displayed video includes the entrance area of ​​the rack passage and the front end of the vehicle body, and the operator performs a sliding operation between the entrance area and the front end, the location where the sliding operation was performed will be accepted as the entry route. The industrial vehicle according to feature 1.

5. The aforementioned monitor unit is If the displayed video includes the entrance area of ​​the rack passage, and the operator performs a touch operation in the entrance area, the location where the touch operation was performed is accepted as the end point of the entry route. The first control unit calculates the position of the front end of the vehicle body as the starting point of the entry route, and defines the entry route as the distance from the starting point to the ending point. The industrial vehicle according to feature 1.

6. The vehicle body can be switched between a brake-on state and a brake-off state by the operator's operation. The second control unit is, When the calculation of the driving trajectory by the first control unit is completed and the brake state is switched from the brake-on state to the brake-off state, the automatic driving control is started. The industrial vehicle according to feature 1.

7. Multiple racks are provided in the work area, A logistics system comprising an industrial vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 6 that enters a rack passage between the plurality of racks, The aforementioned industrial vehicle is equipped with guide rollers, The rack includes guide rails that guide the guide rollers. A logistics system characterized by the following features.

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