Industrial vehicles

Abstract

Notify the operator of the industrial vehicle and at least one person in the vicinity of the industrial vehicle. [Solution] The industrial vehicle 10 includes a detection unit 51 for detecting the position of a person, a projector 65 for projecting an image, and a projection image generation unit 62a for generating an image. The image projected by the projector 65 includes a notification image projected toward the position of the person detected by the detection unit 51.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an industrial vehicle.

Background Art

[0002] The industrial vehicle described in Patent Document 1 includes an image projection device that projects an image related to vehicle information onto the road surface. The image projection device projects an image in the direction in which the operator of the industrial vehicle gets off the vehicle. Thereby, the vehicle information can be grasped by the operator who is about to get off the industrial vehicle.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Industrial vehicles are often operated in an environment where there are people around. Therefore, there may be cases where it is desired to notify and make the people around the industrial vehicle and the operator of the industrial vehicle recognize their approaching situations with each other.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] The industrial vehicle that solves the above problems includes a detection unit that detects the position of a person, a projector that projects an image, and a projection image generation unit that generates the image. The image includes a notification image projected toward the position of the person detected by the detection unit.

[0006] The notification image projected by the projector is projected toward the position of the person. By visually recognizing this image, at least one of the operator of the industrial vehicle and the people around the industrial vehicle can be notified.

[0007] With respect to the industrial vehicle, the notification image may include a first image extending between the industrial vehicle and the person. With respect to the industrial vehicle described above, the notification image may include a second image projected at the feet of the person.

[0008] With respect to the industrial vehicle described above, the area on which the image is projected by the projector includes a no-entry area and a caution area that extends further from the industrial vehicle than the no-entry area, and the projection image generation unit may display the notification image differently depending on whether the notification image is projected to a person located in the no-entry area or to a person located in the caution area.

[0009] With respect to the industrial vehicle described above, at least one of the shape and size of the no-entry area may change depending on the driving conditions of the industrial vehicle. Regarding the industrial vehicle described above, the image may include an image displaying the no-entry area. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to notify at least one of the operator of an industrial vehicle and people in the vicinity of the industrial vehicle. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a perspective view of an industrial vehicle. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of an industrial vehicle. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a flowchart showing the processing performed by the image acquisition processing unit. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing the projection range of a projector. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing a no-entry area. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing an extended no-entry area. [Figure 7]Figure 7 is a schematic diagram showing a no-entry area when an industrial vehicle is turning. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram showing a no-entry area when an industrial vehicle is turning. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a flowchart showing the processes performed by the control unit. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] An embodiment of an industrial vehicle will be described. As shown in Figure 1, the industrial vehicle 10 comprises a body 11, drive wheels 12, and steering wheels 14. The industrial vehicle 10 in this embodiment is a forklift. In the following description, front, rear, left, and right refer to the front, rear, left, and right of the industrial vehicle 10.

[0013] The industrial vehicle 10 comprises a driver's seat 15, a head guard 16, and pillars 17 supporting the head guard 16. The head guard 16 is located above the driver's seat 15. The industrial vehicle 10 of this embodiment is operated by an operator seated in the driver's seat 15.

[0014] The industrial vehicle 10 is equipped with a cargo handling device 20. The cargo handling device 20 is located in front of the driver's seat 15. Cargo is loaded onto the cargo handling device 20. As shown in FIG. 2, the industrial vehicle 10 includes a vehicle control unit 31 that controls traveling and cargo handling. The vehicle control unit 31 includes a processor 32 and a storage unit 33. The processor 32 is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or a DSP (Digital Signal Processor). The storage unit 33 includes a RAM (Random Access Memory) and a ROM (Read Only Memory). A program for operating the vehicle control unit 31 is stored in the storage unit 33. The storage unit 33 stores program codes or instructions configured to cause the processor 32 to execute processing. The storage unit 33, that is, the computer-readable medium, includes any available medium accessible by a general-purpose or dedicated computer. The vehicle control unit 31 may be constituted by a hardware circuit such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array). The vehicle control unit 31, which is a processing circuit, may include one or more processors operating according to a computer program, one or more hardware circuits such as an ASIC or an FPGA, or a combination thereof.

[0015] The industrial vehicle 10 includes an accelerator member 18. The accelerator member 18 is, for example, an accelerator pedal. The accelerator member 18 is operated by a driver who has boarded the industrial vehicle 10.

[0016] The industrial vehicle 10 includes an accelerator sensor 34. The accelerator sensor 34 detects the operation amount of the accelerator member 18. The accelerator sensor 34 outputs an electrical signal corresponding to the operation amount of the accelerator member 18 to the vehicle control unit 31. The vehicle control unit 31 acquires information on the operation amount of the accelerator member 18 from the electrical signal from the accelerator sensor 34. The vehicle control unit 31 controls the speed of the industrial vehicle 10 based on the operation amount of the accelerator member 18.

[0017] Industrial vehicle 10 includes a direction operation unit 19. The direction operation unit 19 is, for example, a lever provided at the driver's seat 15. The direction operation unit 19 can be switched from the neutral position to the forward position or from the neutral position to the reverse position. The direction operation unit 19 is operated when the operator moves forward or backward.

[0018] Industrial vehicle 10 includes a direction sensor 35. The direction sensor 35 detects the operation position of the direction operation unit 19. The direction sensor 35 outputs an electrical signal corresponding to the operation position of the direction operation unit 19 to the vehicle control unit 31. The vehicle control unit 31 obtains the operation position information of the direction operation unit 19 based on the electrical signal from the direction sensor 35. The vehicle control unit 31 controls the traveling direction of the industrial vehicle 10 according to the operation position of the direction operation unit 19.

[0019] Industrial vehicle 10 includes a tire angle sensor 36. The tire angle sensor 36 detects the steering angle of the steering wheel 14. The tire angle sensor 36 outputs an electrical signal corresponding to the steering angle to the vehicle control unit 31. The vehicle control unit 31 obtains the information of the steering angle based on the electrical signal from the tire angle sensor 36.

[0020] Industrial vehicle 10 includes a vehicle speed sensor 37 for detecting the vehicle speed of the industrial vehicle 10. The vehicle speed sensor 37 outputs an electrical signal corresponding to the vehicle speed of the industrial vehicle 10 to the vehicle control unit 31. The vehicle control unit 31 obtains the vehicle speed from the electrical signal of the vehicle speed sensor 37.

[0021] The industrial vehicle 10 is equipped with a detection unit 51 that detects the position of people present around the industrial vehicle 10. The detection unit 51 comprises a camera 52 and an image processing unit 53. In this embodiment, the camera 52 is a stereo camera. The stereo camera comprises two cameras, each of which performs imaging. In this embodiment, the camera 52 is mounted on the head guard 16 of the industrial vehicle 10 and is positioned to image a wide area of ​​the road surface behind the industrial vehicle 10 as it travels. The image processing unit 53 comprises, for example, a processor 54 and a storage unit 55, and has a configuration similar to that of the vehicle control unit 31.

[0022] The image processing unit 53 performs processing to detect the position of a person. An example of the processing performed by the image processing unit 53 is described below. <Processing performed by the image capture processing unit> As shown in Figure 3, in step S10, the image acquisition processing unit 53 acquires an image from the camera 52.

[0023] Next, in step S11, the image processing unit 53 acquires a disparity image by performing stereo processing. The disparity image associates the disparity [px] with each pixel. Next, in step S12, the image processing unit 53 derives the coordinates of the feature points in the world coordinate system, which is a coordinate system in real space. As shown in Figure 1, the world coordinate system is a coordinate system in which, with the industrial vehicle 10 positioned on a horizontal plane, the axis extending in the width direction of the industrial vehicle 10 in the horizontal direction is the X-axis, the axis perpendicular to the X-axis in the horizontal direction is the Y-axis, and the axis extending in the vertical direction is the Z-axis. The image processing unit 53 derives the coordinates of the feature points in the camera coordinate system from the baseline length of the camera 52, the focal length of the camera 52, and the disparity image obtained in step S11. The camera coordinate system is a coordinate system with the camera 52 as the origin. The image processing unit 53 converts the coordinates of the feature points in the camera coordinate system to coordinates in the world coordinate system.

[0024] Next, in step S13, the image processing unit 53 extracts obstacles by clustering feature points. The image processing unit 53 collects a set of feature points that are assumed to represent the same obstacle from among the feature points that represent a part of the obstacle, and extracts this point group as an obstacle. The clustering of feature points performed in step S13 can be done by various methods. Obstacles include people and objects. Objects are obstacles other than people.

[0025] Next, in step S14, the image processing unit 53 derives the position of the obstacle. The position of the obstacle is, for example, in the coordinates of the world coordinate system. The coordinates of the obstacle in the world coordinate system can be derived from the coordinates of the feature points that make up the point cloud. The coordinates of the obstacle in the world coordinate system represent the relative position between the industrial vehicle 10 and the obstacle. More specifically, the X coordinate of the obstacle in the world coordinate system represents the distance from the origin to the obstacle in the left-right direction. The Y coordinate of the obstacle in the world coordinate system represents the distance from the origin to the obstacle in the front-back direction. The origin of the world coordinate system is, for example, a coordinate system where the X and Y coordinates are the placement position of the camera 52 and the Z coordinate is the road surface. The Z coordinate of the obstacle in the world coordinate system represents the height of the obstacle from the road surface.

[0026] The location of the obstacle may be the location of the section in which the obstacle exists when the XY plane of the world coordinate system is divided into multiple sections. In this case, the image processing unit 53 determines that an obstacle exists in a section if the obstacle is located in a section obtained by dividing the XY plane of the world coordinate system.

[0027] Next, in step S15, the image capture processing unit 53 performs human detection processing. Human detection processing is the process of determining whether an obstacle is a person or not. In this embodiment, the image capture processing unit 53 performs human detection processing on the captured image. The image capture processing unit 53 converts the coordinates of the obstacle in the world coordinate system obtained in step S14 into camera coordinates, and converts the camera coordinates into coordinates of the captured image. The image capture processing unit 53 performs human detection processing on the coordinates of the obstacle in the captured image. Human detection processing is performed, for example, using feature quantities. The image capture processing unit 53 extracts feature quantities of the coordinates of the obstacle in the captured image. Feature quantities are, for example, HOG (Histogram of Oriented Gradients) features or Haar-Like features. The image capture processing unit 53 determines whether an obstacle is a person or not by comparing the feature quantities extracted from the captured image with dictionary data. Dictionary data is, for example, feature quantity data extracted from each of multiple captured images in which a person is visible. Obstacles that were not determined to be people in step S15 are objects.

[0028] The image processing unit 53 repeatedly performs the above-described process at a predetermined control cycle. This enables the recognition of a person's position. <Image projection device> As shown in Figure 2, the industrial vehicle 10 is equipped with an image projection device 60 that projects images. The image projection device 60 comprises a communication unit 61, a control unit 62, and a projector 65. The communication unit 61 is connected to the vehicle control unit 31 and the detection unit 51 by a bus 70. The communication unit 61 acquires various information from the vehicle control unit 31 and the image capture processing unit 53 by communicating based on a vehicle communication protocol.

[0029] The control unit 62 has the same hardware configuration as the vehicle control unit 31. The control unit 62 includes, for example, a processor 63 and a storage unit 64. The control unit 62 includes a projection image generation unit 62a that generates an image to be projected based on information acquired by the communication unit 61, and an image projection unit 62b that processes the image generated by the projection image generation unit 62a to be projected onto the projector 65.

[0030] The projector 65 includes a rear projector 65a positioned to project the road surface behind the industrial vehicle 10, a right-side projector 65b positioned to project the road surface to the right of the industrial vehicle 10, and a left-side projector 65c positioned to project the road surface to the left of the industrial vehicle 10. The projectors 65a, 65b, and 65c project the rear projection, right projection, and left projection images, respectively, generated by the projection image generation unit 62a. In this embodiment, the projector 65 is provided on the head guard 16.

[0031] As shown in Figure 4, the area where the image is projected by the rear projector 65a is defined as A1, the area where the image is projected by the right-side projector 65b is defined as B1, and the area where the image is projected by the left-side projector 65c is defined as C1. The rear projector 65a, the right-side projector 65b, and the left-side projector 65c project images onto the area surrounding the industrial vehicle 10, excluding the front.

[0032] The projection area A1 onto which the rear-facing projector 65a projects an image extends over the road surface, in other words, in the XY plane of the world coordinate system. The projection areas A1, B1, and C1 include a no-entry area A2 and a caution area A3 that extends beyond the no-entry area A2 to a distance beyond the industrial vehicle 10.

[0033] The no-entry area A2 is defined as an area extending around the right, rear, and left sides of the industrial vehicle 10. A caution area A3 is defined further away (outside) of the no-entry area A2. A no-entry line L1 is projected at the boundary between the no-entry area A2 and the caution area A3.

[0034] At least one of the shape and size of the no-entry area A2 changes according to the driving conditions of the industrial vehicle 10. The driving conditions of the industrial vehicle 10 include at least one of the vehicle speed and steering angle of the industrial vehicle 10. For example, at least one of the shape and size of the no-entry area A2 is set according to the expected trajectory that the industrial vehicle 10 may take within a predetermined time. The no-entry area A2 is also set at predetermined distances to the left and right of the industrial vehicle 10. The predetermined time and predetermined distance can be arbitrarily set by the manufacturer or user of the industrial vehicle 10.

[0035] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the length of the no-entry area A2 changes depending on the speed of the industrial vehicle 10. The example shown in Figure 6 is the no-entry area A2 when the industrial vehicle 10 is moving at a faster speed than the example shown in Figure 5. The faster the vehicle speed, the longer the distance the industrial vehicle 10 travels within a predetermined time. Therefore, the faster the industrial vehicle 10 is moving, the longer the length to the rear end of the no-entry area A2 becomes. As a result, the area of ​​the no-entry area A2 becomes wider.

[0036] As shown in Figures 7 and 8, the shape of the no-entry area A2 changes depending on the steering angle of the industrial vehicle 10. The example shown in Figure 8 is the no-entry area A2 when the steering angle is larger than that shown in Figure 7. The larger the steering angle of the industrial vehicle 10, the smaller the turning radius. Therefore, the larger the steering angle of the industrial vehicle 10, the more the no-entry area A2 curves in the direction of the industrial vehicle 10's turn.

[0037] The control unit 62 calculates the shape and size of the no-entry area A2. The control unit 62 acquires the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed sensor 37 and the steering angle detected by the tire angle sensor 36 via the bus 70.

[0038] The process performed by the control unit 62 when projecting an image onto the road surface will now be described. The control unit 62 projects an image when the industrial vehicle 10 is moving in reverse. Specifically, the control unit 62 determines that the industrial vehicle 10 is moving in reverse when the direction operation unit 19 instructs it to move in reverse.

[0039] The projection image generation unit 62a sets the XY plane position information for the area on the road surface where the rear projector 65a, the right projector 65b, and the left projector 65c each project an image. The XY plane of the rear projector is set to have the same coordinates as the XY plane of the image capture processing unit 53.

[0040] <Processing performed by the control unit> As shown in Figure 9, in step S21, the projection image generation unit 62a acquires information necessary for projecting an image from the communication unit 61. This information includes at least the location information of a person. The location information of a person can be acquired from the detection unit 51. The format of the location information of a person can be any format. For example, the location information of a person may be information indicating whether or not a person is present in a predetermined area, or it may be coordinates in a world coordinate system. The coordinates in a world coordinate system may be orthogonal coordinates as described above, or polar coordinates. Since the image is projected onto the road surface which is the XY plane, the coordinates in a world coordinate system may be represented as two-dimensional coordinates that do not include vertical coordinates. The information acquired from the communication unit 61 may include vehicle speed and steering angle.

[0041] Next, in step S22, the projection image generation unit 62a sets the no-entry area A2. As described above, the no-entry area A2 is calculated based on the vehicle speed and steering angle information, and the area is set accordingly.

[0042] Next, in step S23, the projection image generation unit 62a generates an image to be projected onto the road surface. The image projected onto the road surface includes at least a notification image. The notification image is intended to notify the operator of the industrial vehicle 10 and at least one person present around the industrial vehicle 10 of each other's presence. That is, the notification image is intended to notify the operator that there is a person present around the industrial vehicle 10, and to notify the person present around the industrial vehicle 10 of the presence of the industrial vehicle 10. The person present around the industrial vehicle 10 is, for example, a worker performing work around the industrial vehicle 10 or a pedestrian.

[0043] Figure 4 shows an example of notification image I. As shown in Figure 4, notification image I is an image projected toward the positions of people M1 and M2 detected by the detection unit 51. Notification image I includes a first image I1 extending between the industrial vehicle 10 and people M1 and M2, and a second image I2 projected beneath the feet of people M1 and M2. The projection image generation unit 62a determines the position to project notification image I based on the position information of people M1 and M2. For example, the positions of people M1 and M2 in the coordinate system representing the position from which the image can be projected are derived using a map that pre-associates a coordinate system representing the position from which the image can be projected with the position information detected by the detection unit 51. Alternatively, the positions of people M1 and M2 in the coordinate system representing the position from which the image can be projected may be derived using a calculation formula that calculates the coordinates of the coordinate system representing the position from which the image can be projected from the position information. For example, if location information is represented by coordinates, by determining the shift of the origin and the shift of the coordinate axes between the coordinate system representing the location information and the coordinate system representing the location onto which the image can be projected, the positions of people M1 and M2 in the coordinate system representing the location onto which the image can be projected can be derived from these shifts. Notification image I is generated such that the first image I1 extends from the industrial vehicle 10 to the positions of people M1 and M2, and the second image I2 is positioned at the feet of people M1 and M2.

[0044] The projection image generation unit 62a displays the notification image I differently depending on whether it is projected to a person M1 located in the no-entry area A2 or to a person M2 located in the caution area A3. The notification image I includes a prohibition image IP for person M1 located in the no-entry area A2 and a caution image IW for person M2 located in the caution area A3.

[0045] In the example shown in Figure 4, the first image I1 of the prohibited image IP and the first image I1 of the warning image IW have different line types. The line types of the first image I1 are, for example, solid lines, dashed lines, dotted lines, and double-dotted lines. The first image I1 of the prohibited image IP is, for example, a solid straight line. The first image I1 of the warning image IW is, for example, a dashed straight line. Thus, the line types of the first image I1 may differ between the prohibited image IP and the warning image IW in terms of their display characteristics.

[0046] In the example shown in Figure 4, the second image I2 of the prohibited image IP and the second image I2 of the warning image IW have different shapes. The shape of the second image I2 can be, for example, a circle, a polygon, or an X. The shape of the second image I2 of the prohibited image IP is, for example, an X. The shape of the second image I2 of the warning image IW is, for example, a circle. Thus, the shape of the second image I2 may differ between the prohibited image IP and the warning image IW in terms of display mode.

[0047] The prohibited image IP and the warning image IW may have different display modes, and may be colored differently. For example, the prohibited image IP may be red and the warning image IW may be green. Alternatively, the lines used for the prohibited image IP may be represented by a wavy line and the lines used for the warning image IW may be represented by a straight line, thus changing the shape of the lines. The prohibited image IP may be made to blink, while the warning image IW may not blink. The display modes of the prohibited image IP and the warning image IW may differ in one of the first image I1 and the second image I2.

[0048] The image projected onto the road surface includes a no-entry line L1 indicating the boundary between no-entry area A2 and caution area A3. The projection image generation unit 62a generates an image so as to project the no-entry line L1 onto the boundary between no-entry area A2 and caution area A3. The projection image generation unit 62a generates images to be projected from the rear projector 65a, the right-side projector 65b, and the left-side projector 65c as described above. The no-entry line L1 is an example of an image that displays no-entry area A2.

[0049] Next, in step S24, the image projection unit 62b projects an image onto the projector 65. The projector 65 projects the second image I2 onto the positions of people M1 and M2. The projector 65 then projects the first image I1 between the industrial vehicle 10 and the second image I2. The projection range and projected image of the rear projector 65a and the right-side projector 65b, and the rear projector 65a and the left-side projector 65c are pre-set so that images such as the no-entry line L1 are connected.

[0050] The processes in steps S21 to S24 are repeated at predetermined control cycles. As a result, the image projected onto the road surface is updated with each control cycle. Therefore, the notification image I changes according to the relative positions of people M1, M2 and the industrial vehicle 10. The no-entry line L1 changes according to at least one of the vehicle speed and steering angle.

[0051] [Effects of this embodiment] (1) The notification image I projected by the projector 65 is projected toward the positions of persons M1 and M2. By viewing the notification image I, the operator of the industrial vehicle 10 and at least one of persons M1 and M2 in the vicinity of the industrial vehicle 10 can be notified. By projecting the notification image I toward the positions of persons M1 and M2, if the relative position between the industrial vehicle 10 and persons M1 and M2 changes, the notification image I will change accordingly. Therefore, the operator of the industrial vehicle 10 and at least one of persons M1 and M2 in the vicinity of the industrial vehicle 10 can easily recognize each other's presence.

[0052] (2) Notification image I includes a first image I1 that extends between the industrial vehicle 10 and people M1 and M2. By viewing the first image I1, the operator of the industrial vehicle 10 can recognize that people M1 and M2 are in the vicinity. Furthermore, because the first image I1 extends toward people M1 and M2, the operator of the industrial vehicle 10 can easily recognize the direction in which people M1 and M2 are located.

[0053] (3) Notification image I includes a second image I2 projected at the feet of people M1 and M2. People M1 and M2 around the industrial vehicle 10 can recognize the presence of the industrial vehicle 10 by recognizing the second image I2 at their feet. Because the second image I2 is projected at their feet, it is easy for them to recognize the presence of the industrial vehicle 10 even when they are working with their heads down.

[0054] (4) The control unit 62 displays the notification image I differently depending on whether the notification image I is projected to person M1 located in the no-entry area A2 or to person M2 located in the caution area A3. This allows the user to recognize whether person M1 or M2 is located in the no-entry area A2 or the caution area A3 by viewing the notification image I.

[0055] (5) At least one of the shape and size of the no-entry area A2 changes according to the driving conditions of the industrial vehicle 10. This makes it possible to set the no-entry area A2 according to the driving conditions of the industrial vehicle 10.

[0056] (6) The projector 65 projects a no-entry line L1 that indicates the no-entry area A2. This allows the operator of the industrial vehicle 10 and at least one of the people M1, M2 around the industrial vehicle 10 to intuitively recognize the no-entry area A2. Person M1 located within the no-entry area A2 can easily recognize how far they need to move to when moving outside the no-entry area A2. Person M2 located outside the no-entry area A2 can be prompted not to move into the no-entry area A2.

[0057] (7) The industrial vehicle 10 is a forklift. The forklift is equipped with a cargo handling device 20 in front of the driver's seat 15. When the cargo handling device 20 is loaded with cargo, the operator may have difficulty seeing ahead and may operate it while facing backward. In this case, the notification image I is projected by the projector 65, making it easier for the operator to recognize people M1 and M2 and improving work efficiency.

[0058] [Example of changes] The embodiment can be implemented with the following modifications. The embodiment and the following modifications can be combined with each other to the extent that they do not contradict each other technically.

[0059] ○Notification image I can be any image projected toward the positions of people M1 and M2, and may not reach the positions of people M1 and M2. For example, notification image I may be an arrow pointing from the industrial vehicle 10 toward people M1 and M2. In this case, the operator of the industrial vehicle 10 can recognize the direction of people M1 and M2 by visually confirming the direction of the arrow.

[0060] ○The shape and size of the no-entry area A2 may be calculated by the vehicle control unit 31 or the image capture processing unit 53. The vehicle control unit 31 can calculate the shape and size of the no-entry area A2 from the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed sensor 37 and the steering angle detected by the tire angle sensor 36. The image capture processing unit 53 can acquire the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed sensor 37 and the steering angle detected by the tire angle sensor 36 via the bus 70. In this case, the projection image generation unit 62a can acquire the shape and size of the no-entry area A2 calculated by the vehicle control unit 31 or the image capture processing unit 53 via the bus 70.

[0061] ○Notification image I only needs to consist of one of the first image I1 and the second image I2. ○The image projected onto the road surface does not need to include the no-entry line L1. ○The shape and size of the no-entry area A2 may remain constant regardless of the driving conditions of the industrial vehicle 10.

[0062] ○The no-entry area A2 does not need to be set. ○The control unit 62 may project an image to display the attention area A3. ○The detection unit 51 only needs to be capable of detecting the positions of people M1 and M2. For example, the detection unit 51 may be a laser rangefinder, radar, or ToF (Time-of-flight) camera. Since the projector 65 projects an image onto the road surface, the detection unit 51 only needs to be capable of detecting the positions of people M1 and M2 in at least the horizontal direction.

[0063] ○The projector 65 can be positioned in any way as long as it can project an image onto the road surface. For example, in the example shown in Figure 1, the projector 65 is located below the head guard 16, but it may also be located above the head guard 16. If the industrial vehicle 10 is a counterbalanced forklift, the projector 65 may be located on the counterweight.

[0064] ○ The industrial vehicle 10 may be a towing vehicle. A towing vehicle is, for example, a towing tractor. In this case, the detection unit 51 detects the positions of people M1 and M2 located in front of the industrial vehicle 10. The projector 65 is also provided to project an image in front of the industrial vehicle 10.

[0065] ○The industrial vehicle 10 may be an automatically operating vehicle. In this case, the notification image I can notify people M1 and M2 around the industrial vehicle 10 that the industrial vehicle 10 is located nearby.

[0066] ○The projector 65 may project an area image onto the no-entry area A2. The area image is an image projected onto the no-entry area A2, that is, an image projected within the area enclosed by the no-entry line L1. The projector 65 may project at least one of the no-entry line L1 and the area image. The area image is an example of an image used to display a no-entry area.

[0067] ○Projector 65 only needs to have at least one projector. ○The control unit 62 may project the image when the industrial vehicle 10 is moving forward. ○The control unit 62 may determine that the industrial vehicle 10 is moving in reverse if the direction operation unit 19 has instructed it to move in reverse and the vehicle speed is equal to or greater than the driving determination threshold. The driving determination threshold is set, for example, within the range of 0 [km / h] to 0.5 [km / h].

[0068] [Definition] As used herein, the expression "at least one" means "one or more" of the desired options. For example, as used herein, "at least one" means "only one option" or "both of the two options" if there are two options. As another example, as used herein, "at least one" means "only one option" or "a combination of two or more any options" if there are three or more options. [Explanation of symbols]

[0069] A2... No entry area, A3... Caution area, I... Notification image, I1... First image, I2... Second image, L1... No entry line, IP... Prohibition image, IW... Caution image, M1, M2... Person, 10... Industrial vehicle, 51... Detection unit, 62a... Projection image generation unit.

Claims

1. A detection unit that detects the location of a person, A projector that projects images, The system comprises a projection image generation unit that generates the aforementioned image, The aforementioned image includes a notification image projected toward the position of the person detected by the detection unit, in an industrial vehicle.

2. The industrial vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the notification image includes a first image extending between the industrial vehicle and the person.

3. The industrial vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the notification image includes a second image projected at the feet of the person.

4. The area on which the image is projected by the projector includes a no-entry area and a caution area that extends further from the industrial vehicle than the no-entry area. The industrial vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the projection image generation unit causes the display manner of the notification image to differ depending on whether the notification image is projected to a person located in the no-entry area or to a person located in the caution area.

5. The industrial vehicle according to claim 4, wherein at least one of the shape and size of the no-entry area changes according to the driving conditions of the industrial vehicle.

6. The industrial vehicle according to claim 4, wherein the image includes an image displaying the no-entry area.

Images