Drawing device

Abstract

The object of the present invention is to provide a drawing device that can accurately draw on a drawing surface based on pre-set drawing information. [Solution] The drawing device 100 is moved by a movable device 104 that can move in all directions and is controlled by a movement control device 112, based on drawing information II which records X and Y coordinates that have been set in advance in a time series. A movement sensor 108 attached to the drawing device 100 acquires actual movement coordinate information RMI. The movement control device 112 calculates the movement direction MD and movement amount MA based on the actual movement coordinate information RMI and the drawing information II, drives the movable device 104 to move to predetermined coordinates. The drawing device 100 is provided with a writing device 106, which draws on the drawing surface 122.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a drawing device that operates a moving device to move a drawing device and draws on a drawing screen based on pre-created X coordinate information and Y coordinate information. In particular, it relates to a drawing device with high drawing accuracy that detects the moving position of the drawing device, performs feedback control on the moving device, and draws on the drawing screen. In the following description, names using numbers such as first and second are used for the convenience of explanation so as not to cause confusion in the same name, and do not affect the interpretation of rights.

Background Art

[0002] As a first prior art, in order to provide a drawing device capable of easily drawing in a large area, there is provided a drawing device including a moving body having a moving mechanism capable of autonomous traveling in all directions of 360 degrees and a drawing pen, and an input device for remotely operating the moving body by wireless communication. The input device transmits movement data representing the target movement speed in the plane direction (x, y-axis directions) of an input pen provided on an xyz three-axis table, and also transmits switching data for instructing either a drawing mode or a non-drawing mode to the moving body based on the movement amount in the z-axis direction of the input pen. Then, the moving body receives the above data, controls the moving mechanism so as to move according to the movement data, operates a drawing mode switching mechanism according to the switching data, makes the drawing pen contact / separate from the moving plane, and a drawing device in which the moving body performs drawing according to the movement of the input pen on the moving plane is known (see Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the first prior art, a moving mechanism is activated based on x and y axis information input to the input device to move a moving body, and based on z axis information, the moving pen is brought into contact with or separated from the drawing surface to draw on the drawing surface in an enlarged manner. Therefore, since the movement of the moving body is based only on x and y axis information input to the input device, there is a concern that if slippage occurs between the moving mechanism and the drawing surface, it will not be possible to correct the slippage, and accurate drawing will not be possible.

[0005] The object of the present invention is to provide a drawing device that can accurately draw on the drawing surface even if a slip occurs between the moving device and the drawing surface, based on preset drawing information. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To achieve the above objective, the first invention according to the present invention is configured as follows. A drawing device that draws on a drawing surface using a writing instrument attached to a drawing moving body which is moved in a predetermined direction relative to the drawing surface based on drawing information which records the X and Y coordinates of the drawing surface, the drawing device comprising: a movement sensor provided on the drawing moving body which detects the direction and amount of movement of the drawing moving body relative to the drawing surface; a movement control device which outputs the direction and amount of movement of the drawing moving body based on the direction and amount of movement of the drawing moving body from the movement sensor and the drawing information; and a moving device which moves the drawing moving body based on the direction and amount of movement from the movement control device.

[0007] To achieve the above objective, the second invention according to the present invention is configured as follows. The drawing device of the first invention is characterized in that, after the drawing data is input to a drawing device, the X and Y coordinates are arranged in chronological order and output, and the drawing device has a touch panel that accepts drawings and a drawing coordinate information output device that outputs the drawing information in which the X and Y coordinates of the drawings on the touch panel are arranged in chronological order.

[0008] The third invention according to the present invention is configured as follows. The drawing apparatus according to the first or second invention is characterized in that the moving device is an omnidirectional moving device.

[0009] The fourth invention according to the present invention is configured as follows. The drawing device according to the first or second invention is characterized in that the omnidirectional moving device is an omniwheel arranged at the vertices of an equilateral triangle in a plan view.

[0010] The fifth invention according to the present invention is configured as follows. The drawing apparatus of the first or second invention is characterized in that the motion sensor is an optical sensor.

[0011] The sixth invention according to the present invention is configured as follows. The drawing apparatus of the fifth invention is characterized in that the optical sensor is provided on a sensor mounting body that is movable toward and away from the drawing surface and biased to approach the drawing surface, and the sensor mounting body has a spacing regulating body that can contact the drawing surface.

[0012] The seventh invention according to the present invention is configured as follows. The drawing apparatus of the first or second invention is characterized in that the writing instrument is positioned at the center of the inscribed circle of the equilateral triangle.

[0013] The eighth invention according to the present invention is configured as follows. The drawing coordinate information output device is a drawing device of the second invention characterized in that it acquires the X coordinate and Y coordinate in the drawing at predetermined distance intervals, and outputs the X coordinate and Y coordinate of the rear position as drawing information along with distance information from the preceding X coordinate and Y coordinate at a position where the change in the X coordinate and Y coordinate exceeds a predetermined amount.

[0014] The ninth invention according to the present invention is configured as follows. The drawing device according to the first or second invention is characterized in that the writing instrument is biased toward the drawing surface and attached to the drawing moving body so as to be able to move toward and away from the drawing surface. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] In the first invention, a drawing mobile body is moved by a moving device, and a writing instrument provided on the drawing mobile body draws on the drawing surface with the writing instrument. A moving sensor provided on the drawing mobile body detects the direction and amount of movement of the drawing mobile body relative to the drawing surface. A moving control device outputs the direction and amount of movement of the drawing mobile body based on the direction and amount of movement of the drawing mobile body from the moving sensor and the drawing data. The moving device moves the drawing mobile body based on the direction and amount of movement from the moving control device. Therefore, since the actual direction and amount of movement from the motion sensor are compared with the direction and amount of movement in the drawing information, and the direction and amount of movement are corrected while drawing, the drawing can be done with high accuracy on the drawing surface, which is an advantage in achieving the objective of the present invention.

[0016] In the second invention, since it has the same configuration as the first invention, the objective of the present invention can be achieved. Furthermore, in the second invention, after the drawing data is input to a drawing device, the X and Y coordinates are arranged in chronological order and output, and the drawing device has a touch panel that accepts drawings and a drawing coordinate information output device that outputs drawing information in which the X and Y coordinates of the drawings on the touch panel are arranged in chronological order.Therefore, since drawing information can be created using a touch panel, there is an advantage in that drawing information can be easily created.

[0017] In the third invention, since it has the same configuration as the first or second invention, the objective of the present invention can be achieved. Furthermore, in the third invention, the moving device is an omnidirectional moving device. Therefore, the drawing moving object has the advantage that it can be moved in a specified direction from among all directions, regardless of its position, by the moving device.

[0018] In the fourth invention, since it has the same configuration as the first or second invention, the object of the present invention can be achieved. Further, in the fourth invention, since the moving device is an omni-wheel arranged at the vertices of an equilateral triangle in plan view, there is an advantage that it can be easily implemented.

[0019] In the fifth invention, since it has the same configuration as the first or second invention, the object of the present invention can be achieved. Further, in the fifth invention, since the movement sensor is an optical sensor, there is an advantage that it is less affected by the state of the drawing screen and the like.

[0020] In the sixth invention, since it has the same configuration as the first or second invention, the object of the present invention can be achieved. Further, in the sixth invention, the optical sensor is provided on a sensor mounting body that can be separated from and attached to the drawing screen and is biased to approach the drawing screen, and the sensor mounting body has a spacing regulator that can contact the drawing screen. Therefore, the spacing between the drawing screen and the optical sensor is kept substantially constant by the spacing regulator, and there is an advantage that the detection of the actual movement positions (X coordinate and Y coordinate) by the optical sensor can be stably performed.

[0021] In the seventh invention, since it has the same configuration as the fourth invention, the object of the present invention can be achieved. Further, in the seventh invention, since the writing instrument is arranged at the center position of the inscribed circle of the equilateral triangle, there is an advantage that the calculation becomes easy.

[0022] In the eighth invention, since it has the same configuration as the second invention, the object of the present invention can be achieved. Further, in the eighth invention, the drawing coordinate information output device acquires the X coordinate and Y coordinate in the drawing at each predetermined distance, and outputs the subsequent X coordinate and Y coordinate together with the distance information from the previous X coordinate and Y coordinate as the drawing information at a position where the change in the X coordinate and Y coordinate exceeds a predetermined amount. Thereby, there is an advantage that the amount of drawing information can be made as small as possible.

[0023] In the ninth invention, since it has the same configuration as the first or second invention, the object of the present invention can be achieved. Furthermore, in the ninth invention, the writing instrument is biased toward the drawing screen side and is attached to the drawing moving body so as to be able to approach and separate from the drawing screen. Thereby, since it is possible to draw a drawing similar to the original drawing on the drawing screen, there is an advantage that various drawings can be drawn.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0024] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a drawing apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view of a drawing apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a rear view of a drawing apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an omni wheel used in the drawing apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a perspective view for explaining a movement sensor of a drawing apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of a movement sensor of a drawing apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an explanatory view of a writing device of a drawing apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, (A) is a perspective view, and (B) is a partial cross-sectional front view. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a block diagram of a control device of a drawing apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is an optical sensor in a drawing apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, (A) is a cross-sectional view, and (B) is an enlarged operation explanatory view. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is an operation explanatory view of a drawing apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, (A) when the drawing apparatus moves to a position of target coordinate information or a position different from the target coordinate information, and (B) is a schematic view of the drawing apparatus for explaining the meaning of the symbol in Equation 2. [Figure 11]Figure 11 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the method for creating drawing information in the drawing apparatus of Embodiment 1 according to the present invention, where (A) is a diagram of the drawing equipment configuration, (B) is an explanatory diagram of the drawing information, and (C) is a drawing information table. [Figure 12] Figure 12 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the method for creating drawing information in Embodiment 1 of the present invention, where (A) is a handwriting information table, (B) is a drawing information table, and (C) is a diagram illustrating the relationship between handwriting information and drawing information. [Figure 13] Figure 13 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the operation of the drawing apparatus of Embodiment 1 according to the present invention, where (A) is an explanatory diagram of the drawing equipment, (B) is a bottom view of the drawing apparatus, and (C) is a drawing information table. [Figure 14] Figure 14 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the drawing device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. [Figure 15] Figure 15 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the operation of the drawing apparatus of Embodiment 2 according to the present invention, where (A) is an explanatory diagram of the drawing equipment, (B) is the drawing information table in Embodiment 1, and (C) is the drawing information table in Embodiment 2. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0025] The embodiments of the drawing apparatus of the present invention are as follows. A drawing device that draws on a drawing surface using a writing instrument attached to a drawing moving body which is moved in a predetermined direction relative to the drawing surface based on drawing information which records the X and Y coordinates of the drawing surface, the drawing device comprising: a movement sensor provided on the drawing moving body which detects the direction and amount of movement of the drawing moving body relative to the drawing surface; a movement control device which outputs the direction and amount of movement of the drawing moving body based on the direction and amount of movement of the drawing moving body from the movement sensor and the drawing information; and a moving device which moves the drawing moving body based on the direction and amount of movement from the movement control device. Furthermore, it is preferable that the drawing device of the first invention is characterized in that, after the drawing data is input to the drawing device, the X and Y coordinates are arranged in chronological order and output, and the drawing device has a touch panel that accepts drawing and a drawing coordinate information output device that outputs the drawing information in which the X and Y coordinates of the drawing on the touch panel are arranged in chronological order. Furthermore, it is preferable that the moving device is a drawing device of the first or second invention characterized by being an omnidirectional moving device. Furthermore, it is preferable that the drawing device of the first or second invention is characterized in that the moving device is an omni-wheel arranged at the vertices of an equilateral triangle in a plan view. Furthermore, it is preferable that the motion sensor is an optical sensor, and is a drawing device according to the first or second invention. Furthermore, it is preferable that the drawing apparatus of the fifth invention is characterized in that the optical sensor is provided on a sensor mounting body that is movable toward and away from the drawing surface and biased to approach the drawing surface, and the sensor mounting body has a spacing regulating body that can contact the drawing surface. Furthermore, it is preferable that the drawing device of the fourth invention is characterized in that the writing instrument is positioned at the center of the inscribed circle of the equilateral triangle. Furthermore, it is preferable that the drawing coordinate information output device is a drawing device of the second invention, characterized in that it acquires the X and Y coordinates in the drawing at predetermined distance intervals, and outputs the X and Y coordinates of the rear position along with distance information from the preceding X and Y coordinates as drawing information at a position where the change in the X and Y coordinates exceeds a predetermined amount. Furthermore, it is preferable that the drawing device of the first or second invention is characterized in that the writing instrument is biased toward the drawing surface and attached to the drawing moving body so as to be able to move toward and away from the drawing surface. [Examples]

[0026] An overview of the drawing apparatus 100 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. The drawing device 100 according to the present invention has a function in which a self-propelled drawing mobile body 102, whose X and Y coordinates are recorded in a time series, draws at a predetermined magnification or reduction ratio using an attached writing device 106. In this embodiment 1, the drawing device 100 includes at least a drawing mobile body 102, a moving device 104, a writing device 106, a moving sensor 108, and a control device 112, and in this embodiment 1 it further includes a cover 114.

[0027] First, the drawing movement object 102 will be explained, mainly with reference to Figure 1. The drawing mobile body 102 has the function of supporting the moving device 104, the writing device 106, the moving sensor 108, the control device 112, etc. In this embodiment 1, the drawing mobile body 102 is made up of a deformed hexagonal plate-like body in which each vertex of an equilateral triangle is cut off in a plan view, and the moving device 104, the writing device 106, the moving sensor 108, and the control device 112 are attached to the surface side of the drawing mobile body 102. More specifically, as shown in Figure 5, the drawing moving object 102 is composed of the first side 1021, the second side 1022, and the third side 1023 that constitute each side of an equilateral triangle, and the topped first side 1024, the topped second side 1025, and the topped third side 1026 that rest on the vertex of the equilateral triangle. In other words, the first side 1021 and the topped second side 1025, the second side 1022 and the topped third side 1026, and the third side 1023 and the topped first side 1024 are parallel to each other. A writing instrument hole 118 for inserting a writing instrument 116 is formed around the center GC of the inscribed circle IC, which will be described later, relating to the drawing moving body 102. Near the writing instrument hole 118, a shaft hole 126 is drilled for mounting an actuator 124 that contacts or separates the writing instrument 116 from the drawing surface 122. The first, second, and third sides 1024, 1025, and 1026 of the top edge of the mounting plate have rectangular mounting plate recesses 128 for the moving device 104, specifically the first moving device recess 1281, the second moving device recess 1282, and the third moving device recess 1283. Since the first, second, and third moving device recesses 1281, 1282, and 1283 have the same configuration, the first moving device recess 1281 will be described as a representative example. Furthermore, a sensor hole 132 for the movement sensor 108 is formed near the writing instrument hole 118. In this embodiment 1, the sensor hole 132 is a rectangular hole and is located on the opposite side of the first movement device recess 1281, with the writing instrument hole 118 in between.

[0028] Next, we will explain the drawing surface 122. The drawing surface 122 has the function of being drawn on by the writing device 106. The drawing surface 122 is envisioned to be an indoor floor, a sheet of drawing paper or sheet placed on the floor, an outdoor ground, or a sheet of drawing paper or sheet placed on the ground. In special cases, it is envisioned to be a building wall, fence, artificial or natural wall, etc.

[0029] Next, the mobile device 104 will be explained, mainly with reference to Figure 2. The moving device 104 has the function of moving the drawing moving body 102 in any direction. Therefore, it can be changed to other devices having a similar function. In this embodiment 1, the moving device 104 is an omnidirectional moving device 120, which is located in the first moving device recess 1281, the second moving device recess 1282, and the third moving device recess 1283, respectively. The omnidirectional moving device 120 is a device that has the function of being able to move in any direction of 360 degrees from its position, and has the advantage of simplifying the control of the moving device 104. In this embodiment 1, the moving device 104 is composed of the first moving device 1041, the second moving device 1042, the third moving device 1043, and the moving drive circuit 110 (Figure 8). Since the first moving device 1041, the second moving device 1042, and the third moving device 1043 have the same configuration, the first moving device 1041 will be described as a representative example, and the same reference numerals will be used for identical parts of the second moving device 1042 and the third moving device 1043, and their descriptions will be omitted.

[0030] The first mobile device 1041 will be described mainly with reference to Figures 4 and 8. The first mobile device 1041 includes a ground rotating body 134, an electric motor 136, a reduction gear 138, and a mobile device frame 142. Specifically, the ground rotating body 134, the electric motor 136, and the reduction gear 138, which is integrated with the mobile device frame 142, are fixed to the mobile device frame 142. The mobile device frame 142 is attached to the first mobile device recess 1281 of the drawing mobile body 102.

[0031] First, let's explain the ground-contacting rotating body 134. The ground-contacting rotating body 134 contacts the drawing surface 122 and has the function of moving the drawing moving body 102 in any direction relative to the drawing surface 122. Therefore, a device with a similar function can be used instead of the ground-contacting rotating body 134 shown in this embodiment 1. In this embodiment 1, the ground-contacting rotating body 134 is a known omni-wheel 144. However, the ground-contacting rotating body 134 can be a four-wheeled Mecanum wheel.

[0032] Next, the omniwheel 144 will be explained with reference to Figure 4. The omniwheel 144 is composed of a first wheel 1481 and a second wheel 1482 that rotate around a rotation axis 146. Since the first wheel 1481 and the second wheel 1482 have the same configuration, the first wheel 1481 will be described as representative, and the second wheel 1482 will be given the same reference numeral and its description will be omitted. The first wheel 1481 is composed of a plate-shaped wheel plate 154 and a plurality of drum-shaped rollers 152, in this embodiment 1, rotatably mounted on its periphery. The five rollers 152 are arranged at equal angles and are rotatably mounted around an axis perpendicular to the rotation axis 146. The peripheries of the five rollers 152 are arranged on the circumference of the same circle centered on the rotation axis 146. The first wheel 1481 and the second wheel 1482 are positioned offset by a predetermined angle around the rotation axis 146, and are configured such that the outer edges of the rollers 152 of the first wheel 1481 and the second wheel 1482 lie on the same circle centered on the rotation axis 146. The first wheel 1481 and the second wheel 1482 are rotatable on the mobile device frame 142 and fixed to the same drive shaft 156 which is supported parallel to the drawing mobile body 102. Therefore, when the omniwheel 144 rotates around the rotation axis 146, it can move in the direction of rotation, and also move in a direction parallel to the direction of extension of the rotation axis 146 due to the rotation of the roller 152 that is in contact with the ground.

[0033] Next, we will explain the electric motor 136. The electric motor 136 has the function of rotating the omniwheel 144, and therefore the ground-ground rotating body 134. The electric motor 136 is fixed to the reduction gear 138 and rotates the omni wheel 144 via the reduction gear 138 and the drive shaft 156. In this embodiment 1, the electric motor 136 is a DC motor, but a stepping motor, AC motor, etc., can be used. The electric motor 136 is fixed to the reduction gear 138. Each electric motor 136 is supplied with operating power from the first battery 1401, the second battery 1402, or the third battery 1403, respectively.

[0034] Next, I will explain the reduction gear 138. The reduction gear 138 has the function of reducing the rotation of the electric motor 136 and transmitting it to the drive shaft 156. In this embodiment 1, the reduction gear 138 is a reduction gear type using spur gears or planetary gears, fixed to the moving device frame 142, and rotates the drive shaft 156.

[0035] Next, the mobile device frame 142 will be described. The mobile device frame 142 is fixed to the drawing mobile body 102 and has the function of holding the omniwheel 144 in a predetermined position. In this embodiment 1, the mobile device frame 142 is configured as a vertically oriented rectangular cylinder. The drive shaft 156 is rotatably supported by the mobile device frame 142. The omniwheel 144 is arranged in the space of the cylindrical portion of the mobile device frame 142.

[0036] With the above configuration, the first, second, and third contact points P1, P2, and P3 of the three omniwheels 144, which are the ground-contacting rotating bodies 134, are located at the vertices of an equilateral triangle 158 in a bottom view, as shown in Figure 3. This equilateral triangle 158 has the center GC of the inscribed circle IC. Since the center GC of the inscribed circle IC is an equilateral triangle, it coincides with the center of the circumscribed circle. Therefore, in the following explanation, we will use the centroid GC for convenience. Furthermore, the first rotation axis 1461 to the third rotation axis 1463, which constitute the rotation axis 146 of the first moving device 1041 to the third moving device 1043, are arranged in a bottom view to coincide with the first connecting line 1621, the second connecting line 1622, or the third connecting line 1623 that connect the center GC of the inscribed circle IC to the first grounding point P1, the second grounding point P2, or the third grounding point P3.

[0037] Next, the mobile drive circuit 110 will be explained. The movement drive circuit 110 receives commands from the calculation circuit 308 and has the function of appropriately controlling the movement device 104, and therefore the first movement device 1041 to the third movement device 1043, to move in the direction of the command. In this embodiment 1, the movement drive circuit 110 is configured with a known omni-wheel drive circuit 144. The movement drive circuit 110 drives the first movement device 1041 to the third movement device 1043 to move to the instructed X and Y coordinates. Specifically, when it receives coordinate information, namely X coordinate information xL and Y coordinate information yL, from the movement control device 112, it drives the first movement device 1041 to the third movement device 1043 as appropriate to move them to the positions represented by the X coordinate information xL and Y coordinate information yL. Therefore, the movement drive circuit 110 can move the drawing moving body 102 in all directions at a predetermined speed in a predetermined direction by individually controlling the number of rotations per unit time or rotational speed of each electric motor 136 in the first movement device 1041 to the third movement device 1043 using a known program. Furthermore, encoders 150 can be provided for each of the first omniwheels 1441 to the third omniwheel 1443 to detect their actual rotational speeds, allowing for feedback control. Power is also supplied to the moving drive circuit 110 from one of the first batteries 1401 to the third batteries 1403.

[0038] Next, the writing device 106 will be explained, mainly with reference to Figure 7. The writing device 106 has the function of drawing on the drawing surface 122 with the writing instrument 116. Therefore, the writing device 106 is not limited to this embodiment 1 and can employ other structures having similar functions. In this embodiment 1, the writing device 106 allows the writing instrument 116, which is made of graphite columns, to move in the vertical direction relative to the surface of the drawing moving body 102 in a timely manner, so that the writing instrument 116 is not constantly in contact with the drawing surface 122. In this embodiment 1, the writing device 106 includes a writing instrument 116, a writing instrument holder 163, a writing frame 164, a writing instrument moving device 166, and a writing drive device 168.

[0039] Next, I will explain the writing instrument 116. The writing instrument 116 has the function of coloring the drawing surface 122. In this embodiment 1, a rod-shaped graphite body is used. That is, by moving the writing instrument 116 while pressing it against the drawing surface 122, the writing instrument 116 partially peels off and adheres to the drawing surface 122, thereby drawing. However, since the writing instrument 116 only needs to be able to color the drawing surface 122, other methods can be used. For example, various writing instruments 116 can be used, such as a whiteboard marker, an inkjet method that adheres ink to the drawing surface 122 by jet spraying it, or a method in which a magnet is moved along the drawing surface 122 to adhere magnetic powder to the underside of the drawing surface 122 and draw by the adhesion of the magnetic powder.

[0040] Next, the writing instrument holder 163 will be explained with reference to Figure 7. The writing instrument holder 163 detachably holds the writing instrument 116 and is mounted to the writing frame 164, and therefore to the drawing moving body 102, so as to be movable in the direction of its axis, and has the function of being moved by a predetermined amount in a predetermined direction by the writing instrument moving device 166. In this embodiment 1, the writing instrument holder 163 includes a holder 172 and a disc-shaped holder plate 174.

[0041] The holder 172 is cylindrical overall, but is formed into a cylindrical shape by providing an insertion hole 176 around the axis of its lower end. The upper end of the writing instrument 116 is inserted into and held in the downward-facing insertion hole 176. In other words, a circular insertion hole 176 is drilled to a predetermined depth from the lower end surface to the upper end surface of the holder 172, around the axis of the holder 172.

[0042] The retaining plate 174 is disc-shaped with a predetermined thickness, and has a central hole 177 of a predetermined diameter formed around its axis. The upper end of the retaining body 172 is inserted into the central hole 177 and fixed to its upper end. In other words, the retaining body 172 and the retaining plate 174 are a single unit.

[0043] A driven body 206, which supports a driven device 194 that forms part of the writing instrument drive device 184, is fixed to the middle of the holder 172 by a cradling mechanism. In this configuration, the writing instrument holder 163 is inserted into the writing instrument mount 182 so as to slide within a predetermined range. In other words, the writing instrument holder 163 is movable in the vertical direction within a predetermined range relative to the drawing movement body 102.

[0044] Next, I will explain the writing frame 164. The writing frame 164 has the function of guiding the writing instrument holder 163 so that it can move in a direction intersecting the drawing movement body 102. In this embodiment 1, the writing frame 164 is cylindrical with a hollow section 178 having a circular cross-section, and a flange 180 is provided at its lower end. The writing frame 164 passes through the writing instrument hole 118 of the drawing movable body 102 and is fixed to the drawing movable body 102 using the flange 180. Therefore, the writing frame 164 is a cylindrical body that rises perpendicularly to the drawing movable body 102 at a predetermined height. The lower end of the writing instrument holder 163 is slidably inserted into the hollow section 178.

[0045] Next, the writing instrument transfer device 166 will be described. The writing instrument moving device 166 has the function of moving the writing instrument holder 163 in a direction perpendicular to the drawing moving body 102, in other words, moving the writing instrument 116 toward and away from the drawing surface 122. In this embodiment 1, the writing instrument moving device 166 includes a writing instrument mount 182 and a writing instrument drive device 184.

[0046] Next, I will explain the writing instrument mount 182. The writing instrument mount 182 has the function of guiding the writing instrument holder 163 to move closer to or further away from the drawing movement 102. Therefore, the writing instrument mount 182 can be replaced with other devices having a similar function. In this embodiment 1, the writing instrument mount 182 is composed of a cylindrical part 186 and a fixing part 188.

[0047] The cylindrical portion 186 is slidably fitted to the middle portion of the writing instrument holder 163, and a circular fixing portion 188 is fixed to its upper end. In other words, the writing instrument mount 182 is externally mounted on the writing instrument holder 163. In this embodiment 1, the cylindrical portion 186 is made up of a cylinder having a central hole 187 with a predetermined diameter and predetermined length.

[0048] The fixing part 188 has the function of fixing the writing instrument mount 182 to the drawing movable body 102. Therefore, the fixing part 188 can be replaced with other devices having a similar function. In this embodiment 1, the fixing part 188 is disc-shaped and consists of a lower small-diameter part 188S and an upper large-diameter part 188L. The large-diameter part 188L is configured to have the same diameter as the holding plate 174 and has a locking part (not shown) formed therein. The locking portion is detachably secured by a fixed bracket (not shown) that rises from the drawing movable body 102. In other words, when the writing instrument holder 182 is attached to the fixed bracket and fixed to the drawing movable body 102, the distance between the fixed portion 188 and the drawing movable body 102 is kept constant.

[0049] Next, the writing instrument drive mechanism 184 will be explained. The writing instrument drive device 184 has the function of moving the writing instrument holder 163 along the writing frame 164. In other words, the writing instrument drive device 184 has the function of guiding the writing instrument 116 by the writing frame 164 and bringing it into contact with or away from the drawing movement body 102 in a direction perpendicular to the drawing surface 122. In this embodiment 1, the writing instrument drive device 184 includes a drive device 192 and a driven device 194.

[0050] Next, the drive unit 192 will be described. The drive unit 192 has the function of moving the driven device 194 in a predetermined direction, specifically in a manner orthogonal to the drawing moving body 102. Therefore, the drive unit 192 can be replaced with a device having a similar function. In this embodiment 1, the drive unit 192 is composed of an actuator 196 and a cam 198. The actuator 196 has the function of moving the cam 198 based on a command. Therefore, the actuator 196 can be replaced with other devices having a similar function. In this embodiment 1, the actuator 196 is a rotary solenoid 202 fixed to the drawing moving body 102 by a bracket (not shown). The cam 198 has the function of moving the driven device 194, and in this embodiment 1, it is an end-face cam having a cam surface 200 (first cam surface 2001, second cam surface 2002, and third cam surface 2003) connected to the output shaft 204 of the rotary solenoid 202. More specifically, the cam 198 is rotated around the axis 210 so that the cam follower 208 of the driven device 194 can selectively contact either the first cam surface 2001 or the second cam surface 2002. In detail, the shaft portion 1981 at the lower end of the cam 198 is rotatably inserted into a shaft hole 126 drilled in the drawing moving body 102. The first cam surface 2001 and the second cam surface 2002 are surfaces parallel to the drawing moving body 102, the first cam surface 2001 is at a distance of first distance D1 (Figure 7) from the drawing moving body 102, the second cam surface 2002 is at a distance of second distance D2 from the drawing moving body 102, and the third cam surface 2003 is formed as an inclined surface connecting the first cam surface 2001 and the second cam surface 2002. The initial position of the cam 198 is such that the first cam surface 2001 faces the cam follower 208; in other words, the writing instrument holder 163 is moved upward and the writing instrument 116 is separated from the drawing surface 122. Therefore, the drive unit 192 can employ other devices having the same function.

[0051] Next, the driven device 194 will be described. The driven device 194 is moved in a predetermined direction by the drive device 192 and has the function of moving the writing instrument holder 163 in the same way. Therefore, the driven device 194 can be replaced with other devices having a similar function. In this embodiment 1, the driven device 194 includes a driven body 206 and a cam follower 208. The driven body 206 is fixed to the middle of the holder 172 by being hugged. A cam follower 208 is rotatably supported on a shaft 212 that protrudes laterally from the driven body 206. First projections 2061 and 2062 protrude to the left and right from the driven body 206, and first through-holes 2121 and 2122 pass through them vertically, respectively. First guides 2141 or 2142, which hang down from the lower surface of the retaining plate 174, pass through these first through-holes 2121 and 2122, respectively, and first retainers 2151 (not shown) or second retainers 2152 attached to their lower ends restrict the movement of the writing instrument holder 163 and the driven body 206 to prevent them from falling off the writing instrument mount 182. A first spring 2161 or a second spring 2162 is mounted on the outer circumference of either the first guide 2141 or the second guide 2142 between the retaining plate 174 and the driven body 206, respectively, biasing the driven body 206 away from the fixed part 188. However, the retaining plate 174 is locked to the large diameter part 188L of the fixed part 188, preventing it from moving. With this configuration, the holder 172 is movable relative to the fixing part 188 in the axial direction, but it maintains an integrated state. When the fixed part 188 is fixed in the correct position, the cam follower 208 is pressed against the cam surface 200, which will be described later, by the first spring 2161 and the second spring 2162. As a result, the writing instrument holder 163 is moved upward when the cam follower 208 contacts the first cam surface 1981, and the writing instrument 116 is moved away from the drawing surface 122 when the cam follower 208 contacts the second cam surface 2002, and the writing instrument holder 163 is moved downward by the first spring 2161 and the second spring 2162, and the writing instrument 116 is pressed against the drawing surface 122 with a predetermined force.

[0052] Next, the writing drive device 168 will be explained with reference to Figure 8. The writing drive device 168 has the function of turning the rotary solenoid 202 on or off based on the output from the calculation circuit 308 of the movement control device 112. In this embodiment 1, the writing drive device 168 is configured by a switching circuit.

[0053] Next, the motion sensor 108 will be explained, mainly with reference to Figures 5 and 6. The movement sensor 108 has the function of detecting the direction MD and the amount MA of movement of the drawing body 102 relative to the drawing surface 122. Therefore, the movement sensor 108 is not limited to the movement sensor 108 of Embodiment 1, and other devices with similar functions can be used, for example, a ball-type sensor that detects the amount of rotation of a ball that is in contact with the drawing surface 122 and rotates in the circumferential direction to detect the amount of rotation in the X and Y directions. In this embodiment 1, the motion sensor 108 includes an optical sensor 222 and a sensor holder 224, which are positioned on the extension of the first connection line 1621. Note that the motion sensor 108 is offset by a predetermined distance L1 (Figure 3) from the center GC of the inscribed circle IC of the equilateral triangle 158 formed by the first omni-wheel 1441 to the third omni-wheel 1443, which are ground-ground rotating bodies 134. Therefore, when calculating the amount of movement and direction of movement, it is necessary to correct for this offset. The motion sensor 108 is also powered by one of the first battery 1401 to the third battery 1403.

[0054] Next, the optical sensor 222 will be explained, mainly with reference to Figures 8 and 9. The optical sensor 222 consists of a detection unit 226 and an actual motion calculation unit 228.

[0055] Next, the detection unit 226 will be explained, mainly with reference to Figure 9. The detection unit 226 has the function of acquiring image information of a predetermined range of opposing drawing surfaces 122. In this embodiment 1, the detection unit 226 includes a light emitter 232, a prism 234, an image sensor 236, a sensor body 238, and a sensor cover 242.

[0056] Next, I will explain the light-emitting element 232. The light-emitting element 232 has the function of projecting light for the optical sensor. In this embodiment 1, a red LED (light-emitting diode) is used as the light-emitting element 226. However, other devices such as a blue LED, laser light, or IR LED can be used. The light-emitting element 232 is fixed to the sensor body 238 by a light-emitting element bracket 244.

[0057] Next, I will explain prism 234. The prism 234 has the function of reflecting the light projected from the light-emitting element 232 toward the drawing surface 122 using the reflective surface 246, and also guiding the light reflected from the drawing surface 122 and transmitted through the light-receiving surface 248 to the image sensor 236. The prism 234 is a structure formed from a light-transmitting material such as glass, having a reflective surface 246 and a light-receiving surface 248, and is fixed to the sensor body 238.

[0058] Next, I will explain the image sensor 236. The image sensor 236 has the function of converting the brightness (intensity) of light transmitted through the light-receiving surface 248 of the prism 228 into digital information and outputting it. In this embodiment 1, the image sensor 232 is a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) sensor. However, a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) with similar functionality can be used.

[0059] Next, I will explain the sensor body 238. The sensor body 238 has the function of supporting the prism 234, the sensor cover 242, and the light-emitting bracket 244. In this embodiment 1, the sensor body 238 is made of resin and has a through-hole 250 formed in the center. That is, the projected light emitted from the light-emitting body 232 is reflected by the reflective surface 246, passes through the through-hole 250 and is projected onto the drawing surface 122, where it is reflected. The reflected light passes through the through-hole 250 and is received by the light-receiving surface 248, and then received by the image sensor 236. The image sensor 236 converts the received light into a digital signal corresponding to the intensity of the received light and outputs it.

[0060] Next, I will explain the sensor cover 242. The sensor cover 242 is a pot-shaped container that is placed over the light-emitting element 232, prism 234, and light-emitting element bracket 244 and fixed to the sensor body 238.

[0061] Next, the actual mobile computing unit 228 will be explained, mainly with reference to Figure 9. The actual movement calculation unit 228 has the function of outputting actual movement information AMI, which consists of the movement direction MD and movement amount MA of the drawing mobile body 102 relative to the drawing surface 122, based on the output of the image sensor 236. The actual movement calculation unit 228 can be replaced with other devices having similar functions. In this embodiment 1, the detection unit 226 captures images of the drawing surface 122 at short intervals, and the movement sensor 108, and therefore the actual movement calculation unit 228, outputs the movement amount MA and movement direction MD, which are the actual movement information AMI of the drawing device 100, from the previous image LI and the current image TI. For example, as shown in Figure 9(B), if a spot P is captured at a first position A in the previous image LI, and the spot P (shown as a white circle for convenience) is captured at a second position B in the current image TI, the actual movement calculation unit 228 outputs the movement amount MA and movement direction MD based on the difference in position between the first position A and the second position B of the spot P. In Figure 9(B), the first angle θ1 is the angle between the reference direction line BL and the movement direction MD. Note that numerous spots P are recognized at unequal, minute intervals. For example, the movement amount MA can be calculated from the movement speed and movement direction MD of the drawing device 100. The movement speed can be calculated based on the distance between spot P in the previous image LI and spot P in the current image TI, and the difference in imaging time between the previous image LI and the current image TI. Based on this movement amount MA and movement direction MD, the actual X movement coordinate information xm and actual Y movement coordinate information xy are output. The actual movement calculation device 228 can output the movement amount MA and movement direction MD by using, for example, a known calculation circuit that performs optical flow image processing.

[0062] Next, the sensor holder 224 will be described, mainly with reference to Figures 5 and 6. The sensor holder 224 has the function of maintaining the optical sensor 222 at a predetermined distance from the drawing surface 122. In other words, it has the function of holding the optical sensor 222 so that it is close to or away from the drawing moving body 102, so that the distance between the optical sensor 222 and the drawing surface 122 is always constant. In this embodiment 1, the sensor holder 224 includes a sensor mounting portion 252 and a sensor biasing device 254.

[0063] Next, the sensor mounting section 252 will be explained. The sensor mounting section 252 has the function of being to which the optical sensor 222 is attached and to be biased to move toward the drawing surface 122. In this embodiment 1, the sensor mounting section 252 includes a sensor mounting body 256 and a spacing regulating body 278.

[0064] Next, the sensor mounting section 252 will be explained. The sensor mounting portion 252 has the function of being to which the sensor 222 is attached. In this embodiment 1, a plate-shaped movable body 264 that can move within the sensor hole 132 is included, and a mounting portion 266 for biasing the movable body 264 by the sensor biasing device 254 is included. In this embodiment 1, the movable body 264 is a plate-shaped body formed in the shape of a deformed octagon in Figure 2. The mounting portion 266 is composed of a first mounting portion 2661 and a second mounting portion 2662 that are formed symmetrically with respect to the movable body 264. Since the first mounting portion 2661 and the second mounting portion 2662 have the same configuration, the first mounting portion 2661 will be described as representative. The first mounting portion 2661 protrudes upward from the movable body 264 and is formed in an inverted L shape by the first mounting portion 2661 and the second mounting portion 2662 that are formed to protrude parallel to the drawing movable body 102. Therefore, the movable body 264 as a whole is formed in a concave cross-sectional shape as shown in Figure 6. As shown in Figure 3, the first mounting portion 2661 and the second mounting portion 2662 are arranged to move through the first relief hole 2681 or the second relief hole 2682, which extend laterally from the sensor hole 132, respectively (Figure 3). The optical sensor 222 is located in the recess of the sensor mounting body 256, as shown in Figure 6.

[0065] Next, the sensor mounting body 256 will be described. The sensor mounting body 256 is a portion of the plate-shaped movable body 264, positioned relative to the drawing surface 122, and has an opening 257 facing the through hole 250. Therefore, it is located a distance from the drawing surface 122 determined by the spacing regulating body 278, which will be described later.

[0066] Next, the sensor biasing device 254 will be explained, mainly with reference to Figure 6. The sensor biasing device 254 has the function of biasing the sensor mounting portion 252 toward the drawing surface 122. Therefore, the sensor biasing device 254 can be replaced with a device having a similar function. In this embodiment 1, the biasing device 254 includes a biasing frame 272, a biasing body 274, and a biasing element 276. The biasing frame 272 is roughly gate-shaped in a front view and includes a beam section 280, a leg section 282, and a foot section 284.

[0067] The beam section 280 is a rectangular cross-section rod that extends parallel to the drawing moving body 102 above the sensor hole 132. The leg portion 282 is a rod that protrudes downward from the lower part of the beam portion 280. In this embodiment 1, it consists of a first leg portion 2821 and a second leg portion 2822 that protrude downward from the lower surfaces of the left and right ends of the beam portion 280 and are erected along the edge of the sensor hole 132.

[0068] The foot portion 284 (Figure 6) is continuous with the leg portion 282 and has the function of being fixed to the drawing mobile body 102. In this embodiment 1, it is composed of a first foot portion 2841 continuous with the first leg portion 2821 and a second foot portion 2842 continuous with the second leg portion 2822, and the first foot portion 2841 and the second foot portion 2842 are fixed to the upper surface of the drawing mobile body 102.

[0069] Next, I will explain the sensor biasing unit 274. The sensor biasing body 274 has the function of moving the sensor mounting portion 252, and therefore the optical sensor 222, toward and toward the drawing surface 122. In other words, the biasing body 274 moves the sensor mounting portion 252 toward and toward the drawing surface 122. In this embodiment 1, the biasing body 274 is composed of a first biasing body 2741 and a second biasing body 2742, which are cylindrical in shape and slidably fitted into the first beam through-hole 2731 and the second beam through-hole 2732 drilled in the beam portion 280, and the first foot through-hole 2851 drilled in the first foot portion 2841 and the second foot through-hole 2852 drilled in the second foot portion 2842. Since the first biasing body 2741 and the second biasing body 2742 have the same configuration, the first biasing body 2741 will be described as representative, and the description of the second biasing body 2742 will be omitted by replacing "first" in the name with "second" and replacing "1" at the end of the reference numeral with "2". The first biasing body 2741 is composed of a first small diameter portion 2751 at the upper end and a first large diameter portion 2771 at the lower end. The first small diameter portion 2751 is fitted into the first beam through hole 2731, and the first large diameter portion 2751 passes through the first foot portion through hole 2851 of the first foot portion 2841.

[0070] A first stopper 2861, which has a larger diameter than the first small-diameter portion 2751, is fixed to the upper end of the first biasing body 2741, and the downward movement of the first biasing body 2741 is restricted by the beam portion 280. The first mounting portion 2661 of the mounting portion 266 is fixed to the lower end of the first biasing body 2741. Therefore, the mounting portion 266 and the biasing body 274 (the first biasing body 2741 and the second mounting portion 2662) are supported as a single unit so as to be movable relative to the drawing moving body 102, and thus so as to be able to move toward and away from the drawing surface 122.

[0071] The first biasing body 2761 has the function of biasing the first biasing body 2741 toward the drawing moving body 102, and therefore toward the drawing surface 122. Therefore, the biasing body 276 can be replaced with another device having a similar function. In this embodiment 1, the biasing body 276 is composed of a first spring 2881 which is wound around the outer circumference of the first small diameter portion 2751 of the first biasing body 2741, with its lower end locked to the upper end surface of the first large diameter portion 2751 and its upper end locked to the lower surface of the beam portion 280. In other words, the first biasing body 2761 is the first spring 2881, and the second biasing body 2762 is the second spring 2882.

[0072] Next, the spacing regulator 278 will be explained with reference to Figure 6. The spacing regulating body 278 has the function of maintaining a constant distance between the drawing surface 122 and the optical sensor 222. Therefore, the spacing regulating body 278 can be replaced with other devices having a similar function. In this embodiment 1, the spacing regulating body 278 is composed of a first spacing regulating body 2781 and a second spacing regulating body 2782, which are rigid bodies fixed below the lower end of the biasing body 274, and therefore below the first mounting portion 2661 and the second mounting portion 2662, which are the mounting portions 266. However, it may be either the first spacing regulating body 2781 or the second spacing regulating body 2782. In this embodiment 1, the first spacing regulating body 2781 and the second spacing regulating body 2782 have the same configuration, so the first spacing regulating body 2781 will be described as representative. The first spacing regulator 2781 is composed of a screw body 294 into which a first sphere 2921, which is a sphere 292, is rotatably fitted at its lower end. The screw body 294 passes through the through hole of the first mounting portion 2661 and is then screwed into the lower end of the first biasing body 2741. As a result, the lower end of the first sphere 2921 contacts the drawing surface 122, and the distance between the optical sensor 222 and the drawing surface 122 is maintained constant in this contact state. The sphere 292 may be fixed to the screw body 294 or be integrally formed with it.

[0073] In this configuration, the optical sensor 222 is biased toward the drawing surface 122 by the biasing member 276, the sphere 292 is pressed against the drawing surface 122 with a predetermined force, and the sensor mounting body 256, and therefore the optical sensor 222, maintains a predetermined distance from the drawing surface 122. In other words, the sphere 292 moves while sliding against the drawing surface 122. This has the advantage of maintaining an optimal distance between the optical sensor 222 and the drawing surface 122.

[0074] Next, the control device 112 will be explained with reference to Figure 8. The control device 112 has the function of drawing on the drawing surface 122 with the writing instrument 116 by controlling the moving device 104 to move it by a predetermined amount in a predetermined direction based on the drawing information II described later and the actual movement information AMI from the optical sensor 222, and by operating the writing instrument moving device 166 at predetermined coordinates. Therefore, the control device 112 can employ other means that have a similar function. In this embodiment 1, the control device 112 includes a moving coordinate recording circuit 296, a moving coordinate acquisition circuit 298, a magnification indicator circuit 302, an inertial measurement unit 304, a writing circuit 306, and a calculation circuit 308. Power is also supplied to the control device 112 from any of the first battery 1401 to the third battery 1403.

[0075] Next, the moving coordinate recording circuit 296 will be explained. The moving coordinate recording circuit 296 has the function of recording the moving coordinate information MI of the drawing moving object 102. In this embodiment 1, a known recording device is used for the moving coordinate recording circuit 296. In this embodiment 1, the moving coordinate information MI is drawing information II created using the drawing device 312, which will be described later, and is recorded in the moving coordinate recording circuit 296 using wireless communication or the like from the drawing device 312. Therefore, in this embodiment 1, the moving coordinate information MI has the same X and Y coordinates as the drawing information II. Note that the moving coordinate information MI is not limited to drawing information II and can be created using other means.

[0076] Next, we will explain the movement coordinate acquisition circuit 298. The movement coordinate acquisition circuit 298 acquires the movement amount MA and movement direction MD of the drawing device 100 acquired by the movement sensor 108, and has the function of outputting coordinate information of the center GC of the drawing device 100 (actual center x movement coordinate information Cxm, actual center y movement coordinate information Cym). More specifically, it has the function of calculating the position of the center GC of the inscribed circle IC of the drawing device 100, as well as the center movement direction CMD and center movement amount CMA, based on the X and Y coordinates output from the actual movement calculation unit 228. In this embodiment 1, the movement coordinate acquisition circuit 298 is composed of logic circuits and corrects the actual x movement coordinate information xm and actual y movement coordinate information ym, which are the X coordinates from the movement sensor 108, to the X and Y coordinates of the position of the center GC of the inscribed circle IC of the drawing moving device 102, and outputs actual movement direction information MDI at the center GC position of the inscribed circle IC. In other words, the X and Y coordinate detection information from the optical sensor 222, located at a predetermined distance from the center GC of the inscribed circle IC, is corrected and output as the actual center x-movement coordinate information Cxm, which is the X coordinate at the position of the center GC of the inscribed circle IC, and the actual center y-movement coordinate information Cym, which is the Y coordinate. The actual center x-movement coordinate information Cxm and the actual center y-movement coordinate information Cym together constitute the actual center movement coordinate information RCM. The movement coordinate acquisition circuit 298 can output real center x movement coordinate information Cxm and real center y movement coordinate information Cym by performing calculations using a coordinate homogeneous transformation matrix used in robot control and the like, for example, a known calculation formula shown in Equation 1.

number

number

[0077] Next, the magnification indicator circuit 302 will be explained. The magnification instruction circuit 302 has the function of specifying the magnification factor of the amount of movement relative to the movement coordinate information MI recorded in the movement coordinate recording circuit 296. That is, it outputs magnification information MR that indicates how many times larger the original drawing OP should be drawn on the drawing surface 122 using the drawing device 100. Needless to say, the magnification includes both the enlargement ratio and the reduction ratio.

[0078] Next, the inertial measuring device 304 will be explained. The inertial measurement device 304 is a logic circuit composed of a three-axis angular velocity sensor 3041 and a three-axis acceleration sensor 3042, and is composed of a so-called IMU (inertial measurement unit). In this embodiment 1, the inertial measurement device 304 has the function of detecting the angular velocity with respect to the reference direction and outputting angular velocity information of the drawing device 100, and therefore the drawing moving body 102, with respect to the reference direction line BL. In this embodiment 1, the reference direction line BL is the direction of extension of the first connection line 1621. In other words, the first connection line 1621 is the reference direction line BL. The inertial measurement device 304 in this embodiment 1 is a movement direction detection device 310 that detects the angular velocity around the vertical line VL with respect to the drawing moving body 102 passing through the center GC of the inscribed circle IC located on the reference direction line BL, and therefore the first connection line 1621, and as a result detects the movement direction MD of the drawing moving body 102 and outputs movement direction information DMI. By feeding back the actual direction of movement from the inertial measuring device 304, the moving body 264, and therefore the drawing device 100, is moved in a predetermined direction. In this embodiment 1, the direction of movement information DMI is output by differentiating the angular velocity information from the inertial measuring device 304. Therefore, the movement direction detection device 310 can be replaced with other devices having a similar function. For example, the same function can be achieved by using multiple movement sensors 108. Alternatively, a known magnetic sensor or GPS (Global Positioning System) can be used as the movement direction detection device 310.

[0079] Next, I will explain the writing circuit 306. The writing circuit 306 has the function of controlling drawing on the drawing surface 122 by the writing instrument 116. In this embodiment 1, the writing circuit 306 has the function of bringing the writing instrument 116 into contact with or away from the drawing surface 122 by turning the rotary solenoid 202 on or off at predetermined timings. Specifically, writing information WI of turning the switching circuit, which is the writing drive device 168, on or off is recorded in association with the X coordinate information and Y coordinate information recorded in the moving coordinate recording circuit 296. The writing drive unit 168, the writing circuit 306, and the rotary solenoid 202 are also powered by one of the first batteries 1401 to the third battery 1403.

[0080] Next, the arithmetic circuit 308 will be explained, mainly with reference to Figure 10. As described above, the calculation circuit 308, based on the original x-coordinate information x and original y-coordinate information y, which are the original x coordinate information TC0 recorded in the movement coordinate recording circuit 296, feeds back the actual movement direction information MDI, which are the actual x-movement coordinate information xm and actual y-movement coordinate information ym, from the movement coordinate acquisition circuit 298 to output a drive command DC to the movement drive circuit 110 to move to the next target coordinate information TC1, which are the target x-coordinate information xL and target y-coordinate information yL, thereby moving the movement device 104. It also has the function of moving the writing device 106 to the drawing position PP or the non-drawing position NP based on the on information on or off information off, which are the writing information WI from the writing circuit 306. In this embodiment 1, the arithmetic circuit 308 is composed of a microprocessor and controls the mobile device 104 and the writing device 106 based on a predetermined program that executes the flowchart shown in Figure 14, which will be described later. In the calculation circuit 308, the original x-coordinate information xn and original y-coordinate information yn recorded in the movement coordinate recording circuit 296 are read, and the actual movement information RMI, which is the actual x-movement coordinate information xm and actual y-movement coordinate information ym, output from the movement sensor 108 (optical sensor 222) from the movement coordinate acquisition circuit 298 is fed back, and a drive command DC is output to the movement drive circuit 110 so that the drawing device 100 moves to the target x-coordinate information xL and target y-coordinate information yL.

[0081] Next, the operation of the arithmetic circuit 308 will be explained with reference to the operation diagram in Figure 10. Based on the actual movement coordinate information RMI from the drawing device 100 via the movement sensor 108, the movement coordinate acquisition circuit 298 performs calculations using Equation 1. If the actual center movement coordinate information RCM, which consists of the actual center x movement coordinate information Cxm and the actual center y movement coordinate information Cym, does not deviate from the set target coordinate information TC1 (including cases where they are identical or the coordinate information is within a predetermined range that is substantially negligible), the device is driven as is. In other words, if the actual center x movement coordinate information Cxm and the actual center y movement coordinate information Cym coincide with or are within a predetermined range where the target x coordinate information xL and target y coordinate information yL are negligible, the next target x coordinate information xL is set to the target x coordinate information xL and target y coordinate information yL, which are the second target coordinate information TC2 in Figure 10(A). The calculations using Equation 2 are performed to output a drive command DC to the movement drive circuit 110, and the movement drive circuit 110 controls the rotation of the first omniwheel 1441 to the third omniwheel 1443 based on the drive command DC. First, the original x-coordinate information x and original y-coordinate information y, which are the original coordinate information TC0, are set in number 2, respectively. Furthermore, if the next target coordinate information TC1 consists of target x-coordinate information xL and target y-coordinate information yL, then these are set to xL and yL in equation 2, respectively. Note that θ in equation 2 is calculated from the original coordinate information TC0 consisting of original x-coordinate information x and original y-coordinate information y, and the target coordinate information TC1 consisting of target x-coordinate information xL and target y-coordinate information yL. As a result, the calculation circuit 308 calculates equation 2 and outputs a drive command DC, which is the angular velocity of the first omniwheel 1441 to the third omniwheel 1443, to the moving drive circuit 110. The moving drive circuit 110 rotates the first omniwheel 1441 to the third omniwheel 1443 based on the drive command DC. Next, we will explain the case where there is no slippage between the first omniwheel 1441 to the third omniwheel 1443 and the drawing surface 122, and where the first omniwheel 1441 to the third omniwheel 1443 are manufactured to a predetermined quality, and each rotates at the specified angular velocity. In Figure 10(A), as shown by the solid line, the original x-coordinate information x and original y-coordinate information y of the original coordinate information TC0 are used to obtain the target x-coordinate information xL and target y-coordinate information yL, which constitute the target coordinate information TC1. Therefore, the calculation circuit 308 sets the target x coordinate information xL and target y coordinate information yL, which are the next second target coordinate information TC2, to xL and yL in equation 2, and uses the previously set first target coordinate information TC1, which are the target x coordinate information xL and target y coordinate information yL, to calculate the angle θ and outputs a drive command DC to the movement drive circuit 110. Next, when the drawing device 100 reaches the actual movement position RM shown by the dashed line in Figure 10(A) due to slippage or the like between the first omniwheels 1441 to the third omniwheels 1443 and the drawing surface 122, the movement sensor 108, and therefore the movement coordinate acquisition circuit 298, outputs the actual movement coordinate information RMI. The movement coordinate acquisition circuit 298 explains the case where the actual center movement coordinate information RCM, which consists of the actual center x movement coordinate information Cxm and the actual center y movement coordinate information Cym calculated using Equation 1, differs from the first target coordinate TC1, which consists of the target x coordinate information xL and the target y coordinate information yL. In this case, the target x-coordinate information xL and target y-coordinate information yL of the next second target coordinate TC2 are set to xL and yL in equation 2, and the actual center movement coordinate information RCM, which consists of the actual center x-movement coordinate information Cxm and the actual center y-movement coordinate information Cym, is set to xL and yL in equation 2, etc., and calculations are performed, and a drive command DC is output to the movement drive circuit 110. In this case, the distance l between the actual movement coordinate information RMI and the second target coordinate information TC2 is different from the distance l between coordinates that has been set in advance, so it is calculated using the actual movement coordinate information RMI and the second target coordinate information TC2, applied to equation 2, and a drive command DC is output. From this point onward, the arithmetic circuit 308 performs calculations as described above and outputs a drive command DC, controlling the vehicle to move sequentially toward the next target coordinate.

[0082] Next, I will explain cover 114. The cover 114 is detachably attached to the drawing mobile body 102 and serves to cover the moving device 104, writing device 106, moving sensor 108, and control device 112, which are attached to the drawing mobile body 102, and to improve their appearance. The cover 114 is formed, for example, in an inverted pan shape, with its lower end fixed to the drawing mobile body 102.

[0083] Next, the drawing device 312 will be explained with reference to Figure 11. The drawing device 312 has the function of creating drawing information II related to the original drawing OP drawn using the drawing device 100. The drawing device 308 in this embodiment 1 includes a touch panel 314 that receives drawings and a drawing coordinate information output device 316 that outputs handwriting information HI, which is arranged in chronological order from the X coordinate information and Y coordinate information of the original drawing OP on the touch panel 314, as drawing information II after predetermined simplification processing.

[0084] Next, I will explain the touch panel 314. The touch panel 314 has the function of displaying handwriting when characters or drawings are drawn on the touch panel 314 with a fingertip or a predetermined tool, and outputting handwriting information HI, which is a time-series arrangement of X-coordinate information and Y-coordinate information of the handwriting. In this embodiment 1, a known touch panel is used for the touch panel 314. For example, when a "he" shaped original drawing OP is drawn as shown in Figure 11(B), the touch panel 314 displays the lines exactly as in the original drawing OP, and outputs X-coordinate information and Y-coordinate information regarding the intersections of the original drawing OP with the first X-axis line X1 to the 16th X-axis line X16, or the first Y-axis line Y1 to the 11th Y-axis line Y11, as handwriting information HI.

[0085] An example of handwriting information HI output from the touch panel 314 will be explained with reference to Figure 11. In the touch panel 314 of Figure 11(A), the upper left corner is set as the origin SP, and the origin SP has X coordinate information of 0 and Y coordinate information of 0. The first X-axis X1 to the 16th X-axis X16 (hereinafter collectively referred to as "nth X-axis Xn") are arranged at predetermined equal intervals in the X direction (horizontal direction), and the first Y-axis Y1 to the 11th Y-axis Y11 (hereinafter collectively referred to as "nth Y-axis Yn") are arranged at predetermined equal intervals in the Y direction. The nth X-axis Xn and the nth Y-axis Yn are at the same interval. When the artist draws the V-shaped original drawing OP shown in Figure 11(B), the touch panel 314 outputs X-coordinate information and Y-coordinate information that overlap with the X-axis or Y-axis in chronological order. In the example shown in Figure 11(B), as shown in Figure 11(C), the following are output as handwriting information HI: X coordinate information 2 and Y coordinate information 7 as the first coordinate 1, X coordinate information 3 and Y coordinate information 6 as the second coordinate 2, and X coordinate information 15 and Y coordinate information 8 as the 16th coordinate. Furthermore, the handwriting information HI is output with the on or off information of the rotary solenoid 202, which is the writing information WI, associated with each of the 16 coordinates from the 1st to the 16th coordinates. Furthermore, it is preferable that the spacing between the X and Y axes be as narrow as possible. This is to ensure smooth rendering even at high magnification.

[0086] Next, the functions of the drawing coordinate information output device 316 will be explained, mainly with reference to Figure 11. The drawing coordinate information output device 316 has the function of arranging the X coordinate information and Y coordinate information of characters and other objects drawn on the touch panel 314 in chronological order and outputting it as drawing information II. Here, the drawing coordinate information output device 316 has the function of outputting the handwriting information HI received from the touch panel 314 as simplified drawing information II. The drawing coordinate information output device 316 simplifies the coordinates, for example, so that they become the intersection of the X axis and the Y axis. Specifically, if the X coordinate information of the fourth coordinate in the handwriting information HI is 4.2 and the Y coordinate information is 4, the fourth coordinate is not recorded, and the X coordinate 5 and Y coordinate 3 of the next fifth coordinate are recorded. Similarly, the X coordinate information 6 and Y coordinate information 2.3 of the sixth coordinate, the X coordinate information 8.3 and Y coordinate information 4 of the ninth coordinate, the X coordinate information 11 and Y coordinate information 5.2 of the twelfth coordinate, and the X coordinate information 14 and Y coordinate information 7.7 of the fifteenth coordinate are not recorded. Therefore, the drawing information II is ultimately output as simplified drawing information II, with the X coordinate information and Y coordinate information arranged in chronological order, as shown in Figure 12(B). When drawn based on this drawing information II, the parts shown as dashed lines in Figure 12(C) will be drawn as solid lines. Furthermore, the handwriting information WI is recorded as ON at the 1st coordinate and OFF at the 11th coordinate. Therefore, the drawing coordinate information output device 316 outputs drawing information II, which is a simplified version of the handwriting information HI. The drawing information II is recorded in the moving coordinate recording circuit 296 using known wireless communication or the like. In this embodiment 1, the writing information WI is associated with the drawing information II and recorded in the writing circuit 306.

[0087] Next, the operation of the drawing device 100 of Example 1 will be explained with reference to Figures 13 and 14. First, as shown in Figure 13(A), the drawing device 100 is placed on the drawing surface 122. The direction in which the first connecting line 1621 of the drawing device 100 extends is the X-axis. The axis perpendicular to the X-axis is the Y-axis. In Figure 13(A), if the drawing surface 122 is rectangular, and the drawing device 100 is placed on the drawing surface 122 with its first connecting line 1621 parallel to the long side 122L of the drawing surface 122, then the position of the center GC of the inscribed circle IC at that position is set to X coordinate 0 and Y coordinate 0 on the drawing surface 122. In other words, the original x-coordinate information x, as the original coordinate information TC0, is set to 0, and the original y-coordinate information y is set to 0. For the sake of explanation, it is assumed that drawing information II and writing information WI are pre-recorded in the moving coordinate recording circuit 296 or writing circuit 306, respectively, and that the magnification setting in the magnification instruction circuit 302 is set to, for example, a magnification of 10x. Therefore, the distance l between coordinates is calculated in the calculation circuit 308 to be 10 times that of drawing information II.

[0088] Next, we will explain this further, referring to the flowchart shown in Figure 14. First, in step S1, the nth coordinate is set as the target coordinate to be read, which is the first coordinate C1, and then the process proceeds to step S2.

[0089] Next, in step S2, the original x-coordinate information x is set to "0" and the original y-coordinate information y is set to "0", while the target x-coordinate information xL at the first coordinate C1 is set to "2" and the target y-coordinate information yL is set to "7", and these values ​​are applied to equation 2 for calculation. After reading the handwriting information WI, the process proceeds to step S3. In this example, the handwriting information WI is "off".

[0090] Next, in step S3, a drive command DC is output to the movement drive circuit 110 to move to the first target coordinate TC1. This drive command DC is output by calculating the angular velocity of the first omni wheel 1441 to the third omni wheel 1443, which is calculated by substituting the target x coordinate information xL, which is "2", and the target y coordinate information yL, which is "7", calculated in step S2, into equation 2. Driven by the drive command DC, the movement drive circuit 110 drives the first movement devices 1041 to the third movement devices 1043 toward the target x coordinate information xL, which is "2", and the target y coordinate information yL, which is "7", at the first coordinate C1 located in a direction that makes a third angle θ3 with respect to the first connection line 1621 (reference direction line BL) in Figure 13(A), at their respective angular velocities, and then proceeds to step S4. As a result, the drawing device 100 is moved toward the first target coordinate information TC1.

[0091] Next, in step S4, the actual movement coordinate information RMI, consisting of actual x movement coordinate information xm and actual y movement coordinate information ym, is output from the optical sensor 222, and the process proceeds to step S5. In other words, when the drawing device 100 moves, the optical sensor 222 outputs actual movement coordinate information RMI. More specifically, it outputs actual x-movement coordinate information xm and actual y-movement coordinate information ym, which are included in the actual movement coordinate information RMI. The actual x-movement coordinate information xm and actual y-movement coordinate information ym are calculated in conjunction with the set magnification information MR.

[0092] Next, in step S5, it is determined whether the next nth coordinate is recorded in the moving coordinate recording circuit 296. If the next nth coordinate, in this example the second coordinate C2, is registered, the process proceeds to step S6. If it is not registered, in other words, if the 12th coordinate is the last coordinate after the 11th coordinate C11 that has not been recorded, the process proceeds to step S7.

[0093] Next, in step S6, the next coordinate is read by adding "1" to the nth coordinate, and then the process proceeds to step S8. In this example, the X coordinate "3" and Y coordinate "6" at the second coordinate C2 are read, and the process proceeds to step S8.

[0094] Next, in step S7, the rotary solenoid 202 is turned off to move the writing instrument 116 to the non-drawing position NP, and then the process is terminated.

[0095] In step S8, if the target x-coordinate information xL matches or differs by a predetermined range from the actual x-movement coordinate information xm output in step S4 (hereinafter referred to as "substantially identical"), and the target y-coordinate information yL and the actual y-movement coordinate information ym output in step S4 are substantially identical, the process proceeds to step S9; otherwise, the process proceeds to step S10.

[0096] Next, in step S9, before performing the following calculation (number 2), the original coordinate information TC0, which is the target coordinate information TC1, is set to the target x coordinate information xL and target y coordinate information yL, which were read in step S6, and the process proceeds to step S11. Step S9 is the process when the target coordinate information TC1 is reached, as shown by the solid line in Figure 10(A).

[0097] In step S10, the original coordinate information TC0, which is the target coordinate information TC1, is set to the actual x-movement coordinate information xm and actual y-movement coordinate information ym obtained in step S4, and the process proceeds to step S12. Step S10 is the process when the drawing device 100 reaches an actual movement position RM that is not substantially the same as the target coordinate information TC1, as shown by the dashed line in Figure 10(A).

[0098] Next, in step S11, the x-coordinate "3" of the second coordinate C2, which is the (n+1)th coordinate read in step S6, is set as the target x-coordinate information xL, and the y-coordinate "6" is set as the target y-coordinate information yL, and the process proceeds to step S12.

[0099] In step S12, the original x-coordinate information x and original y-coordinate information y, which are the original coordinate information TC0 set in step S9 or step S10, and the target x-coordinate information xL and target y-coordinate information yL set in step S11 are applied to equation 2 and output as a drive command DC, and the process proceeds to step S13.

[0100] Next, in step S13, it is determined whether the writing information WI is on or off. If it is on, proceed to step S14; if it is off (not on), proceed to step S15. In this example, it is "on" at the first coordinate C1, so proceed to step S14.

[0101] Next, in step S14, the rotary solenoid 202 is turned on, and then the process returns to step S3. When the rotary solenoid 202 is turned on, the cam 198 rotates around the axis 210, and the second cam surface 2002 faces the cam follower 208. As a result, the writing instrument holder 163 moves downward, and the writing instrument 116 moves to the drawing position PP, where its tip contacts the drawing surface 122 with a predetermined biasing force. When the rotary solenoid 202 is off, the first cam surface 1981 of the cam 198 faces the cam follower 208, so the writing instrument holder 163 moves upward to the non-drawing position NP, and the tip of the writing instrument 116 is separated from the drawing surface 122.

[0102] If the process proceeds to step S15, the rotary solenoid 202 is turned off, the writing instrument 116 is separated from the drawing surface 122 and moved to the non-drawing position NP, and then the process returns to step S3. After returning to step S3, steps S3 to S15 described above are executed. The control in the example shown in Figure 13 is explained below.

[0103] In step S3, the movement drive circuit 110 drives the first omni-wheel 1441 to the third omni-wheel 1443 at a predetermined angular velocity calculated in step S12, so that they move toward the X coordinate information "3" and Y coordinate information "6" at the second coordinate C2 set in step S11. The rotary solenoid 202 remains in the ON state, so a line is drawn by the writing instrument 116 from coordinate C1 to coordinate C2. In steps S4 to S12, a drive command DC is output toward the third coordinate C3 (X coordinate 4, Y coordinate 5). The rotary solenoid 202 remains in the ON state, and the process returns to step S3.

[0104] In the next step S3, the movement drive circuit 110 drives the first omni-wheel 1441 to the third omni-wheel 1443 at a predetermined angular velocity calculated in step S12 so that they move toward the target coordinate information TCI of the third coordinate C3, where the X coordinate information is "4" and the Y coordinate information is "5". The rotary solenoid 202 remains in the ON state, so a line is drawn by the writing instrument 116 from coordinate C2 to coordinate C3. In steps S4 to S12, a drive command DC is output toward the target coordinate information TCI of the fourth coordinate C4 (X coordinate 5, Y coordinate 3). The rotary solenoid 202 remains in the ON state, and the process returns to step S3.

[0105] In the next step S3, the movement drive circuit 110 drives the first omni-wheel 1441 to the third omni-wheel 1443 at a predetermined angular velocity calculated in step S12 so that they move toward the fourth coordinate C4, which is the target coordinate information TCI set in step S11, with X coordinate information "5" and Y coordinate information "3". The rotary solenoid 202 remains in the ON state, so a line is drawn by the writing instrument 116 from coordinate C3 to coordinate C4. In steps S4 to S12, a drive command DC is output toward the fifth coordinate C5 (X coordinate 7, Y coordinate 2), which is the target coordinate information TCI. The rotary solenoid 202 remains in the ON state, and the process returns to step S3.

[0106] In the next step S3, the movement drive circuit 110 drives the first omni-wheel 1441 to the third omni-wheel 1443 at a predetermined angular velocity calculated in step S12 so that they move toward the fifth coordinate C5, which is the target coordinate information TCI set in step S11, with X coordinate information "7" and Y coordinate information "2". The rotary solenoid 202 remains in the ON state, so a line is drawn by the writing instrument 116 from coordinate C4 to coordinate C5. In steps S4 to S12, a drive command DC is output toward the sixth coordinate C6 (X coordinate 8, Y coordinate 3), which is the target coordinate information TCI. The rotary solenoid 202 remains in the ON state, and the process returns to step S3.

[0107] In the next step S3, the movement drive circuit 110 drives the first omni-wheel 1441 to the third omni-wheel 1443 at a predetermined angular velocity calculated in step S12 so that they move toward the sixth coordinate C6, which is the target coordinate information TCI set in step S11, with X coordinate information "8" and Y coordinate information "3". The rotary solenoid 202 remains in the ON state, so a line is drawn by the writing instrument 116 from coordinate C5 to coordinate C6. In steps S4 to S12, a drive command DC is output toward the seventh coordinate C7 (X coordinate 9, Y coordinate 5), which is the target coordinate information TCI. The rotary solenoid 202 remains in the ON state, and the process returns to step S3.

[0108] In the next step S3, the movement drive circuit 110 drives the first omni-wheel 1441 to the third omni-wheel 1443 at a predetermined angular velocity calculated in step S12, so that they move toward the seventh coordinate C7, which is the target coordinate information TCI set in step S11, with X coordinate information "9" and Y coordinate information "5". The rotary solenoid 202 remains in the ON state, so a line is drawn by the writing instrument 116 from coordinate C6 to coordinate C7. In steps S4 to S12, a drive command DC is output toward the eighth coordinate C8 (X coordinate 10, Y coordinate 5). The rotary solenoid 202 remains in the ON state, and the process returns to step S3.

[0109] In the next step S3, the movement drive circuit 110 drives the first omni-wheel 1441 to the third omni-wheel 1443 at a predetermined angular velocity calculated in step S12 so that they move toward the target coordinate information TCI set in step S11, which is the 8th coordinate C8, with X coordinate information "10" and Y coordinate information "5". The rotary solenoid 202 remains in the ON state, so a line is drawn by the writing instrument 116 from coordinate C7 to coordinate C8. In steps S4 to S12, a drive command DC is output toward the target coordinate information TCI, which is the 9th coordinate C9 (X coordinate 12, Y coordinate 6). The rotary solenoid 202 remains in the ON state, and the process returns to step S3.

[0110] In the next step S3, the movement drive circuit 110 drives the first omni-wheel 1441 to the third omni-wheel 1443 at a predetermined angular velocity calculated in step S12 so that they move toward the 9th coordinate C9, which is the target coordinate information TCI set in step S11, with X coordinate information "12" and Y coordinate information "6". The rotary solenoid 202 remains in the ON state, so a line is drawn by the writing instrument 116 from coordinate C8 to coordinate C9. In steps S4 to S12, a drive command DC is output toward the 10th coordinate C10 (X coordinate 13, Y coordinate 7), which is the target coordinate information TCI. The rotary solenoid 202 remains in the ON state, and the process returns to step S3.

[0111] In the next step S3, the movement drive circuit 110 drives the first omni-wheel 1441 to the third omni-wheel 1443 at a predetermined angular velocity calculated in step S12 so that they move toward the target coordinate information TCI of the 10th coordinate C10, where the X coordinate information is "13" and the Y coordinate information is "7". The rotary solenoid 202 remains in the ON state, so a line is drawn by the writing instrument 116 from coordinate C9 to coordinate C10. In steps S4 to S12, a drive command DC is output toward the target coordinate information TCI of the 11th coordinate C11 (X coordinate 15, Y coordinate 8). The rotary solenoid 202 remains in the ON state, and the process returns to step S3.

[0112] In the next step, S3, the movement drive circuit 110 drives the first omni-wheel 1441 to the third omni-wheel 1443 at a predetermined angular velocity calculated in step S12, so that they move toward the target coordinate information TCI set in step S11, which is the X coordinate information "15" and Y coordinate information "8" at the 11th coordinate C11. Since the rotary solenoid 202 remains in the ON state, a line is drawn by the writing instrument 116 from coordinate C10 to coordinate C11. In step S5, since the next target coordinate information TCI, which is the target x coordinate information xL and target y coordinate information yL, has not been recorded, the process proceeds to step S7, where the rotary solenoid 202 is turned OFF, the writing instrument 116 is moved to the non-drawing position NP, and then the process ends.

[0113] In addition to the omniwheel 144 in Embodiment 1, the ground-contacting rotating body 134 can also be one of three spheres that can rotate in all directions. Furthermore, the drawing surface 122 may be a horizontal surface such as a floor or ground, a vertical surface such as a building wall, or an inclined surface. If the drawing surface 122 is a vertical surface or a steep inclined surface, the moving device 104 can suspend the drawing device 100 from above with two ropes and control the length of these ropes to arbitrarily determine the X and Y coordinate positions of the drawing device 100. As in Example 1, when X-coordinate and Y-coordinate information is recorded in chronological order, it has the advantage of being usable, for example, as a robot for learning the stroke order of characters, allowing users to learn stroke order in a playful manner. [Examples]

[0114] Next, Example 2 will be described with reference to Figure 15. Example 2 is an example in which the X-coordinate information and Y-coordinate information in the moving coordinate information MI are not recorded in a time-series order. In other words, the moving coordinate information MI recorded in the moving coordinate recording circuit 296 is recorded based on the proximity of the coordinates.

[0115] The MI (Mining Information) of moving coordinates based on coordinate proximity will be explained using the letter "F" in Figure 15(A) as an example. Assuming the stroke order for writing "F" is as shown in Figure 15(A), first draw the vertical line 318 of the F, second draw the upper horizontal line 319 of the F, and third draw the lower horizontal line 320 of the F. In Example 1, the drawing coordinate information output device 316 creates and outputs 21st drawing information II21, in which the 1st to 10th coordinates are recorded in chronological order, along with X and Y coordinate information, based on the handwriting information HI, as shown in Figure 15(B).

[0116] In Example 2, the 22nd drawing information II22, based on coordinate proximity, is recorded as shown in Figure 15(C). In other words, X-coordinate information and Y-coordinate information for coordinates C21 to C210 are recorded, and in relation to these, handwriting information WI is recorded in the handwriting circuit 306.

[0117] Next, we will explain the drawing method based on the second drawing information II2, which is based on the proximity of coordinates, with reference to the flowchart in Figure 14. Steps S1 to S15 are performed in the same manner as in Example 1. First, the writing instrument is driven toward the 21st coordinate C21, which corresponds to the X coordinate information "3" and the Y coordinate information "1". While being driven toward the 21st coordinate C21, the writing information WI is not on, so the writing instrument 116 is held at the non-drawing position NP, and therefore no drawing occurs. When the 21st coordinate C21 is reached, in step S13, the writing instrument 116 is moved to the drawing position PP because the writing information WI is on. After this, the upper horizontal line 322 is drawn based on the X coordinate information "4" and Y coordinate information "1" at the 22nd coordinate C22, and the X coordinate information "5" and Y coordinate information "1" at the 23rd coordinate C23, and the writing instrument 116 is moved to the non-drawing position NP based on the writing information WI being off at the 23rd coordinate C23.

[0118] In the next step, S6, the X coordinate information "3" and Y coordinate information "1" at the 24th coordinate C24 are read and the device is driven toward the 24th coordinate C24. After reaching the 24th coordinate C24, in step S13, since the writing information WI is turned on, in step S14 the writing instrument 116 is moved to the drawing position PP.

[0119] In the next step S6, after the X coordinate information "3" and Y coordinate information "2" for the 25th coordinate C25 are read, steps S8 to S3 are executed and the first vertical line 324 is drawn.

[0120] Similarly, steps S4 to S3 are performed for coordinates C26 to C27, and the lower horizontal line 326 is drawn. After the drawing device 100 is driven toward coordinate C27, the writing instrument 116 is moved to the non-drawing position NP because the writing information WI is off.

[0121] In the next step S11, after the X coordinate information "3" and Y coordinate information "2" at the 28th coordinate C28 are read, steps S12 to S3 are executed, and the center GC of the inscribed circle IC of the drawing moving object 102 is driven toward the X coordinate information "3" and Y coordinate information "2". During this movement, the writing instrument 116 is in a non-drawing position NP and therefore does not draw.

[0122] Next, steps S6 to S5 are performed similarly for coordinates C29 to C210, and the second vertical line 328 is drawn. This results in the character F being drawn on the drawing surface 122.

[0123] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and it goes without saying that various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, the moving device 104 can use an omnidirectional moving device 120 that rotates a pair of cylindrical bodies, each having screw threads formed on its outer circumference, in an appropriate direction at an appropriate rotational speed, thereby enabling rotation in place and movement in a predetermined direction. Furthermore, drawing information II can input and record X-coordinate information and Y-coordinate information without using drawing equipment. Furthermore, by using multiple motion sensors, the rotation angle around the axis of the drawn moving object can be calculated based on the X and Y coordinate information from each motion sensor, thus eliminating the need for an IMU. Furthermore, the origin SP may be specified externally. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0124] 100 drawing device 102 Drawing Movement 104 Mobile device 108 Motion Sensor 112 Mobile control device 116 Writing instruments 120 Omnidirectional movement device 122 Drawing surface 144 Omni Wheel 158 equilateral triangle 222 Optical Sensors 256 Sensor mounting body 278 Spacing Regulator 312 Drawing equipment 314 Touch Panel 316 Drawing Coordinate Information Output Device Center of the inscribed circle of GC II. Drawing Information MA travel amount MD movement direction

Claims

1. A drawing device (100) that draws on a drawing surface (122) using a writing instrument (116) attached to a drawing moving body (102) which is moved in a predetermined direction relative to the drawing surface (122), based on drawing information (II) which records the X and Y coordinates of the drawing surface (122), A movement sensor (108) is provided on the drawing moving body (102) to detect the direction (MD) and amount (MA) of movement of the drawing moving body (102) with respect to the drawing surface (122), A movement control device (112) outputs the direction of movement and amount of movement of the drawing moving body (102) based on the direction of movement (MD) and amount of movement (MA) of the drawing moving body (102) from the movement sensor (108), and the drawing information (II), A moving device (104) moves the drawing moving body (102) based on the direction of movement (MD) and amount of movement (MA) from the moving control device (112) and A drawing device characterized by having the following features.

2. The aforementioned drawing information (II) is input to the drawing device (312), and then the X and Y coordinates are arranged in chronological order and output. The drawing device (312) is A touch panel (314) that accepts drawing, The touch panel (314) has a drawing coordinate information output device (316) that outputs drawing information (II) in which the X and Y coordinates of the drawing are arranged in chronological order. The drawing apparatus as described in feature 1.

3. The aforementioned moving device (104) is an omnidirectional moving device (120). A drawing apparatus as described in claim 1 or 2.

4. The aforementioned moving device (104) is an omniwheel (144) arranged at the vertices of an equilateral triangle (158) in a plan view. A drawing apparatus as described in claim 1 or 2.

5. The aforementioned motion sensor (108) is an optical sensor (222). A drawing apparatus as described in claim 1 or 2.

6. The optical sensor (222) is mounted on a sensor mounting body (256) that is movable toward and toward the drawing surface (122) and biased to approach the drawing surface (122), and the sensor mounting body (256) has a spacing regulating body (278) that can contact the drawing surface (122). The drawing apparatus as described in claim 5.

7. The writing instrument (116) is positioned at the center (GC) of the inscribed circle (IC) of the equilateral triangle (158). The drawing apparatus as described in feature 4.

8. The drawing coordinate information output device (316) acquires the X and Y coordinates in the drawing at predetermined distance intervals, and outputs the X and Y coordinates of the trailing position along with the distance information from the preceding X and Y coordinates as drawing information (II) at a position where the change in the X and Y coordinates exceeds a predetermined amount. The drawing apparatus according to feature 2.

9. The writing instrument (116) is biased toward the drawing surface (122) and is attached to the drawing movable body (102) so as to be able to move toward and away from the drawing surface (122). A drawing apparatus as described in claim 1 or 2.

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