Inspection system

Abstract

By utilizing unmanned operation, the effort involved in undercarriage inspections will be reduced. [Solution] The inspection system comprises a vehicle capable of driving autonomously and a control unit that drives the vehicle autonomously. The control unit drives the vehicle autonomously, thereby making the inspection points of the vehicle during the undercarriage inspection correspond to at least one of the positions of the sensors used for the undercarriage inspection and the position of the inspection worker performing the undercarriage inspection.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an inspection system.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a technology for automatically driving a vehicle autonomously or by remote control in a vehicle manufacturing process.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In a vehicle manufacturing factory or an inspection factory, etc., a vehicle underbody inspection may be carried out. There is a demand for a technology to reduce the labor involved in underbody inspection by using driverless operation.

Means for Solving the Problems

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

[0006] (1) According to one aspect of the present disclosure, an inspection system is provided. This inspection system includes a vehicle capable of traveling by driverless operation and a control unit for driving the vehicle by the driverless operation. The control unit makes the inspection location of the vehicle in the underbody inspection correspond to at least one of the position of the sensor used in the underbody inspection and the position of the inspection worker performing the underbody inspection by driving the vehicle by the driverless operation. In this configuration, during undercarriage inspections, unmanned operation is used to move the vehicle relative to sensors and inspection workers, thereby aligning the inspection points with the positions of the sensors and inspection workers. As a result, the effort required to adjust the vehicle's position using manned operation, manual work, or transport equipment, or to move sensors and inspection workers relative to the vehicle, can be reduced during undercarriage inspections to align the inspection points with the positions of sensors and inspection workers. (2) In the above configuration, the control unit may, in the undercarriage inspection, drive the vehicle in a predetermined inspection area on an inspection platform installed on the ground to correspond the inspection location to at least one of the above locations, and the sensor may be configured as an imaging device positioned above the ground and below the inspection area. With this configuration, for example, the undercarriage inspection can be performed appropriately without limiting the size of the sensor to a relatively small size or positioning part or all of the sensor below the ground. (3) In the above configuration, the inspection table has a sloped area connecting the inspection area and the ground, which is configured so that the vehicle can travel on it, and the control unit may move the vehicle to the inspection area by having the vehicle travel on the sloped area by unmanned operation. With this configuration, the vehicle can be moved from the ground to the inspection area by unmanned operation, so that the undercarriage inspection can be carried out by making more effective use of unmanned operation. (4) In the above configuration, the slope area includes a first slope area and a second slope area located on the opposite side of the inspection area from the first slope area, and the control unit may make the inspection location correspond to at least one of the positions by making the vehicle travel in the inspection area along the opposing directions in which the first slope area and the second slope area face each other. With this configuration, after the vehicle enters the inspection area via one of the first slope area and the second slope area, the vehicle can exit the inspection area via the other of the first slope area and the second slope area, allowing for smoother undercarriage inspection. Moreover, since position correspondence can be achieved simply by moving the vehicle forward or backward along the opposing directions in the inspection area, the inspection location can be made to correspond to the position of the sensor or the inspector with simpler vehicle control compared to the configuration in which the vehicle is turned around in the inspection area. (5) In the above configuration, the control unit may, while moving the vehicle forward in the inspection area from the first slope area toward the second slope area along the opposing directions, correspond the inspection points to at least one of the positions. With this configuration, the inspection points can be corresponded to the positions of sensors and inspection workers simply by moving the vehicle forward in the opposing directions in the inspection area, and the undercarriage inspection can be performed more efficiently. This disclosure can be implemented in forms other than the inspection system described above, such as a control device, a vehicle, an inspection unit, an inspection method, a program for implementing the inspection method, a non-temporary recording medium on which the program is stored, or a program product. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] A conceptual diagram showing the configuration of the inspection system in the first embodiment. [Figure 2] A block diagram showing the configuration of the inspection system in the first embodiment. [Figure 3] A diagram illustrating the inspection unit in the first embodiment. [Figure 4] A flowchart illustrating the processing procedure for vehicle driving control in the first embodiment. [Figure 5] A flowchart showing the processing steps for the inspection process. [Figure 6] A diagram illustrating the inspection unit in the second embodiment. [Figure 7] An explanatory diagram showing the schematic configuration of the inspection system in the third embodiment. [Figure 8] A flowchart illustrating the processing procedure for vehicle driving control in the third embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] A. First Embodiment: Figure 1 is a conceptual diagram showing the configuration of the inspection system 50 in the first embodiment. The inspection system 50 comprises one or more vehicles 100, a server 200, one or more external sensors 300, and an inspection unit 500.

[0009] Vehicle 100 may be a vehicle that runs on wheels or a vehicle that runs on tracks, and examples include passenger cars, trucks, buses, motorcycles, automobiles, construction vehicles, etc. Vehicle 100 includes electric vehicles (BEV: Battery Electric Vehicle), gasoline automobiles, hybrid automobiles, and fuel cell automobiles.

[0010] Vehicle 100 is configured to operate autonomously. "Autonomous operation" means operation without the operation of a passenger. Operation refers to operations related to at least one of the following: "going," "turning," or "stopping" of vehicle 100. Autonomous operation is achieved by automatic or manual remote control using a device located outside vehicle 100, or by autonomous control of vehicle 100. Vehicle 100 operating autonomously may have passengers on board who do not perform operation. Passengers who do not perform operation include, for example, people simply sitting in the seats of vehicle 100, or people performing tasks other than operation, such as assembly, inspection, or operating switches, while on board vehicle 100. Operation by a passenger is sometimes called "manned operation."

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

[0012] In this embodiment, the inspection system 50 is used in a factory FC where the vehicle 100 is manufactured. The reference coordinate system of the factory FC is the global coordinate system GC, and any position within the factory FC can be represented by X, Y, Z coordinates in the global coordinate system GC. The factory FC comprises a first location PL1, a second location PL2, and an inspection location DL. The first location PL1 and the inspection location DL, and the inspection location DL and the second location PL2, are connected by a track TR on which the vehicle 100 can travel. The vehicle 100 moves unmanned from the first location PL1 to the second location PL2, passing through the inspection location DL and traveling along the track TR. Manufacturing processes related to the vehicle 100, such as assembly and inspection of the vehicle 100, are carried out in the first location PL1 and the second location PL2. The first process related to the vehicle 100 is carried out in the first location PL1. The second process following the first process is carried out in the second location PL2.

[0013] At inspection location DL, the undercarriage of vehicle 100 is inspected. In this embodiment, an inspection unit 500 for undercarriage inspection is located at inspection location DL. Details of the undercarriage inspection and the inspection unit 500 will be described later.

[0014] The external sensor 300 is a sensor located outside the vehicle 100. In the present embodiment, the external sensor 300 is constituted by a camera. The camera as the external sensor 300 images the vehicle 100 and outputs a captured image as a detection result. The external sensor 300 includes a communication device (not shown) and can communicate with other devices such as the server 200 by wired communication or wireless communication. A plurality of external sensors 300 are installed along the runway TR in the factory FC. The positions of each external sensor 300 in the factory FC are adjusted in advance.

[0015] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the inspection system 50. The vehicle 100 includes a vehicle control device 110 for controlling each part of the vehicle 100, an actuator group 120 including one or more actuators driven under the control of the vehicle control device 110, and a communication device 130 for communicating with an external device such as the server 200 by wireless communication. The actuator group 120 includes an actuator of a driving device for accelerating the vehicle 100, an actuator of a steering device for changing the traveling direction of the vehicle 100, and an actuator of a braking device for decelerating the vehicle 100.

[0016] The vehicle control device 110 is constituted by a computer including a processor 111, a memory 112, an input / output interface 113, and an internal bus 114. The processor 111, the memory 112, and the input / output interface 113 are connected to be communicable bidirectionally via the internal bus 114. The actuator group 120 and the communication device 130 are connected to the input / output interface 113. The processor 111 realizes various functions including the function as the vehicle control unit 115 by executing the program PG1 stored in the memory 112.

[0017] The vehicle control unit 115 controls the vehicle 100 to run by controlling the actuator group 120. The vehicle control unit 115 can cause the vehicle 100 to run by controlling the actuator group 120 using the driving control signal received from the server 200. The driving control signal is a control signal for causing the vehicle 100 to run. In the present embodiment, the driving control signal includes the acceleration and steering angle of the vehicle 100 as parameters. In other embodiments, the driving control signal may include the speed of the vehicle 100 as a parameter instead of or in addition to the acceleration of the vehicle 100.

[0018] The server 200 is constituted by a computer including a processor 201, a memory 202, an input / output interface 203, and an internal bus 204. The processor 201, the memory 202, and the input / output interface 203 are communicably connected bidirectionally via the internal bus 204. A communication device 205 for communicating with various devices outside the server 200 is connected to the input / output interface 203. The communication device 205 can communicate with the vehicle 100 by wireless communication and can communicate with each external sensor 300 by wired communication or wireless communication. Various information such as a program PG2, a detection model DM, a reference route RR, and position data PD are stored in the memory 202. The processor 201 realizes various functions including functions as a remote control unit 210 and an inspection instruction unit 220 by executing the program PG2 stored in the memory 202. The remote control unit 210 in the present embodiment corresponds to the "control unit" in the present disclosure.

[0019] The remote control unit 210 acquires the detection result by a sensor, generates a driving control signal for controlling the actuator group 120 of the vehicle 100 using the detection result, and transmits the driving control signal to the vehicle 100, thereby causing the vehicle 100 to run by remote control.

[0020] The inspection instruction unit 220 issues an inspection instruction, which is an instruction regarding the undercarriage inspection, to the inspection control device of the inspection unit 500, which will be described later. In this embodiment, the inspection instruction includes a trigger signal for executing an analysis process. Details of the analysis process will be described later.

[0021] Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating the inspection unit 500 in this embodiment. As shown in Figures 1 and 3, in this embodiment, the inspection unit 500 comprises one or more inspection sensors 510, an inspection table 520, and an inspection control device 530.

[0022] The inspection sensor 510 is used for undercarriage inspection. The inspection sensor 510 observes the inspection points DP of the vehicle 100 during undercarriage inspection and outputs the observation results obtained from observing the inspection points DP. In this embodiment, the inspection sensor 510 is configured as an imaging device. More specifically, the inspection sensor 510 is configured as a camera. As an imaging device, the inspection sensor 510 images the inspection points DP and outputs the inspection image of the inspection points DP as the observation result. In other embodiments, the inspection sensor 510 may be an imaging device such as an infrared camera or a LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) device.

[0023] Inspection points DP include, for example, the connection points between parts, fasteners such as bolts and screws that secure parts, fastening points by fasteners, piping components such as hoses and pipes, and connection points where piping components are linked together. Piping components are used to carry various fluids used in the vehicle, such as brake fluid, coolant, and engine oil. Inspection items in the undercarriage inspection include, for example, looseness or detachment of connection points and fasteners, and fluid leaks from piping components and connection points.

[0024] The inspection table 520 is installed on the ground GR at the inspection site DL. The inspection table 520 has an inspection area 521. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the inspection table 520 has a slope area 522. The slope area 522 includes a first slope area 523 and a second slope area 524.

[0025] The inspection area 521 is a predetermined area on the inspection table 520. The inspection area 521 is an area on which the vehicle 100 can travel. As shown in Figure 3, in this embodiment, the inspection area 521 is formed by the upper surface of the main body 551 of the inspection table 520. The upper surface of the main body 551 has a rectangular shape that is substantially parallel to the ground GR. As a result, the inspection area 521 is formed as a rectangular planar area that is substantially parallel to the ground GR.

[0026] As shown in Figure 3, in this embodiment, the inspection sensors 510 are positioned above the ground GR and below the inspection area 521. More specifically, as shown in Figures 1 and 3, four inspection sensors 510 are positioned in a space SP provided in the main body 551. The space SP is located below a rectangular opening formed on the upper surface of the main body 551. The space SP has a rectangular shape when viewed from above. Each inspection sensor 510 is positioned at a location corresponding to each corner of the space SP when viewed from above. Furthermore, each inspection sensor 510 is positioned facing upward so as to be able to image the undercarriage of a vehicle 100 traveling in the inspection area 521 from below. The inspection sensors 510 are fixed, for example, to an inspection table 520 or the ground GR.

[0027] As shown in Figures 1 and 3, the sloped area 522 connects the inspection area 521 and the ground GR. The sloped area 522 is an area on which the vehicle 100 can travel. As shown in Figure 3, in this embodiment, the first sloped area 523 is formed by the upper surface of the first base portion 553 of the inspection table 520. The first base portion 553 is located on the +Y direction side of the main body portion 551. The upper surface of the first base portion 553 is inclined so that it is located higher as it moves toward the -Y direction. The second sloped area 524 is formed by the upper surface of the second base portion 555 of the inspection table 520. The second base portion 555 is located on the -Y direction side of the main body portion 551. The upper surface of the second base portion 555 is inclined so that it is located higher as it moves toward the +Y direction. With this configuration, the second sloped area 524 is located on the opposite side of the inspection area 521 from the first sloped area 523 in the Y direction. The direction in which the first slope region 523 and the second slope region 524 face each other is also called the "opposing direction." In this embodiment, the opposing direction is the Y direction.

[0028] In this embodiment, the vehicle 100 can ascend to the inspection area 521 via the first slope area 523, pass through the inspection area 521, and descend to the ground GR via the second slope area 524 simply by traveling forward in the -Y direction. Hereinafter, the end of the inspection area 521 on the side of the first slope area 523 will be referred to as the entrance portion IN, and the end on the side of the second slope area 524 will be referred to as the exit portion EX.

[0029] The inspection control device 530 is composed of a computer comprising a processor 531, a memory 532, an input / output interface 533, and an internal bus 534. The processor 531, the memory 532, and the input / output interface 533 are connected via the internal bus 534 to enable bidirectional communication. A communication device 535 is connected to the input / output interface 533. The communication device 535 can communicate with external devices such as the server 200 via wired or wireless communication. Various information such as the program PG3 and the inspection model KM is stored in the memory 532. The processor 531 realizes various functions, including the functions of the inspection unit 540, by executing the program PG3 stored in the memory 532.

[0030] In the undercarriage inspection, the inspection unit 540 acquires observation results from the inspection sensor 510 and uses the acquired analysis results to inspect the inspection point DP. In this embodiment, the inspection unit 540 inspects the inspection point DP by executing analysis processing in response to a trigger signal from the inspection instruction unit 220. Analysis processing is a process performed to analyze the observation results.

[0031] In this embodiment, the inspection unit 540, in the analysis process, acquires the observation results of the inspection location DP by the inspection sensor 510, inputs the acquired observation results into the inspection model KM, analyzes the observation results, and inspects the inspection location DP. The inspection model KM is composed of, for example, a rule-based system configured to determine the presence and degree of abnormalities at the inspection location DP based on the observation results, or a trained machine learning model configured to output information regarding the presence and degree of abnormalities at the inspection location DP based on the observation results. The inspection model KM may be prepared for each vehicle type and specification of the vehicle 100, or for each inspection location DP. The inspection model KM as a machine learning model may be, for example, various machine learning models such as neural networks. Furthermore, supervised learning, unsupervised learning, or reinforcement learning may be used as the learning method for such machine learning models.

[0032] Furthermore, the inspection of inspection point DP may be carried out by an inspection worker performing undercarriage inspections. The inspection worker may, for example, use tools and equipment to inspect the undercarriage, or inspect it visually, tactilely, olfactorily, or aurally. For example, an inspection worker may be placed in place of some or all of the inspection sensors 510 in Figures 1 and 3.

[0033] In the undercarriage inspection, the remote control unit 210 performs "position correspondence" by remotely controlling the vehicle 100 to correspond the inspection point DP to at least one of the positions of the inspection sensor 510 and the inspection worker. In this embodiment, in the undercarriage inspection, the remote control unit 210 achieves position correspondence by driving the vehicle 100 in the inspection area 521. More specifically, the remote control unit 210 achieves position correspondence by driving the vehicle 100 in the inspection area 521 along the opposing Y direction. In particular, in this embodiment, the remote control unit 210 achieves position correspondence in the inspection area 521 while the vehicle 100 is moving forward in the -Y direction from the first slope area 523 toward the second slope area 524, that is, while moving forward from the entrance area IN toward the exit area EX.

[0034] In this embodiment, the remote control unit 210 achieves position correspondence by adjusting the position of the vehicle 100 using position data PD. The position data PD is data relating to at least one of the correspondence between the inspection location DP and the position of the inspection sensor 510, and the correspondence between the inspection location DP and the position of the inspection worker. In this embodiment, the position data PD is data relating to the correspondence between the inspection location DP and the position of the inspection sensor 510. The position data PD may include, for example, data representing the position of each inspection location DP and data representing the position of each inspection sensor 510. Alternatively, the position data PD may be data representing the position to which the vehicle 100 should be positioned in order to associate the inspection location DP with the inspection sensor 510. If there are multiple inspection sensors 510, the combination of the correspondence between the inspection location DP and the inspection sensor 510 in position correspondence may be any combination. Also, for example, position correspondence for two or more inspection location DP may be achieved at the timing when the vehicle 100 is positioned at one location.

[0035] Figure 4 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure for controlling the movement of the vehicle 100 in the first embodiment. In the processing procedure shown in Figure 4, the processor 201 of the server 200 functions as a remote control unit 210, and the processor 111 of the vehicle 100 functions as a vehicle control unit 115.

[0036] In step S1, the processor 201 of the server 200 acquires vehicle position information using the detection results output from the external sensor 300. The vehicle position information is the position information that forms the basis for generating the driving control signal. In this embodiment, the vehicle position information includes the position and orientation of the vehicle 100 in the global coordinate system GC of the factory FC. Specifically, in step S1, the processor 201 acquires vehicle position information using the captured image acquired from the camera, which is the external sensor 300.

[0037] In detail, in step S1, the processor 201 detects the outline of the vehicle 100 from the captured image, calculates the coordinates of the vehicle 100's positioning point in the coordinate system of the captured image, i.e., the local coordinate system, and obtains the position of the vehicle 100 by converting the calculated coordinates to coordinates in the global coordinate system GC. The outline of the vehicle 100 included in the captured image can be detected, for example, by inputting the captured image into a detection model DM that utilizes artificial intelligence. Examples of the detection model DM include a trained machine learning model that has been trained to implement either semantic segmentation or instance segmentation. As this machine learning model, for example, a convolutional neural network (CNN) trained by supervised learning using a training dataset can be used. The training dataset includes, for example, multiple training images containing the vehicle 100, and labels indicating whether each region in the training image represents the vehicle 100 or a region other than the vehicle 100. During CNN training, it is preferable that the CNN parameters be updated using backpropagation to reduce the error between the output result of the detection model DM and the label. Furthermore, the processor 201 can obtain the orientation of vehicle 100 by, for example, using the optical flow method, estimating the orientation of the vehicle 100's movement vector calculated from the positional changes of the vehicle 100's feature points between frames of the captured image.

[0038] In step S2, the processor 201 of the server 200 determines the next target location that the vehicle 100 should head to. In this embodiment, the target location is represented by X, Y, Z coordinates in the global coordinate system GC. The memory 202 of the server 200 pre-stores a reference route RR, which is the path that the vehicle 100 should travel. The route is represented by a node indicating the starting point, nodes indicating waypoints, a node indicating the destination, and links connecting each node. The processor 201 uses the vehicle position information and the reference route RR to determine the next target location that the vehicle 100 should head to. The processor 201 determines the target location on the reference route RR beyond the vehicle 100's current location.

[0039] In step S3, the processor 201 of the server 200 generates a driving control signal to drive the vehicle 100 toward the determined target position. The processor 201 calculates the vehicle's speed from the change in the vehicle's position and compares the calculated speed with the target speed. Overall, the processor 201 determines the acceleration so that the vehicle 100 accelerates if the speed is lower than the target speed, and determines the acceleration so that the vehicle 100 decelerates if the speed is higher than the target speed. Furthermore, if the vehicle 100 is located on the reference path RR, the processor 201 determines the steering angle and acceleration so that the vehicle 100 does not deviate from the reference path RR, and if the vehicle 100 is not located on the reference path RR, in other words, if the vehicle 100 has deviated from the reference path RR, the processor 201 determines the steering angle and acceleration so that the vehicle 100 returns to the reference path RR.

[0040] In step S4, the processor 201 of the server 200 transmits the generated driving control signal to the vehicle 100. The processor 201 repeats the acquisition of vehicle position information, determination of target position, generation of driving control signal, and transmission of driving control signal at predetermined intervals.

[0041] In step S5, the processor 111 of the vehicle 100 receives a driving control signal transmitted from the server 200. In step S6, the processor 111 of the vehicle 100 controls the actuator group 120 using the received driving control signal, thereby driving the vehicle 100 at the acceleration and steering angle indicated in the driving control signal. The processor 111 repeats the reception of the driving control signal and the control of the actuator group 120 at predetermined intervals. According to the inspection system 50 of this embodiment, the vehicle 100 can be driven by remote control, and the vehicle 100 can be moved without using transport equipment such as cranes or conveyors.

[0042] Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure for the inspection process in this embodiment. The inspection process shown in Figure 5 is started by the processor 201 of the server 200 when, for example, the vehicle 100 reaches the inspection point DP.

[0043] In step S100, the remote control unit 210 causes the vehicle 100 to enter the inspection area 521. More specifically, in step S100, the remote control unit 210 causes the vehicle 100 to enter the inspection area 521 by remote control, causing the vehicle 100 to move forward in the -Y direction from the ground GR towards the inspection area 521 in the first slope area 523.

[0044] In steps S110 to S130, the undercarriage inspection is performed. In step S110, the remote control unit 210 performs position matching by remote control of the vehicle 100. More specifically, in step S110, the remote control unit 210 moves the vehicle 100 forward in the -Y direction from the entrance IN to the exit EX in the inspection area 521, thereby achieving position matching of one or more inspection points DP.

[0045] In step S120, the inspection instruction unit 220 issues an inspection instruction to the inspection control device 530, causing the inspection unit 540 to perform analysis processing related to the inspection location DP whose position correspondence was achieved in step S110.

[0046] In step S130, the inspection instruction unit 220 determines whether or not to terminate the undercarriage inspection. In this embodiment, the inspection instruction unit 220 determines to terminate the undercarriage inspection if the termination conditions for the undercarriage inspection are met. The termination conditions include, for example, the completion of the analysis process for the last inspection point DP, the number of times the analysis process has been executed being greater than or equal to a predetermined number of times, or the vehicle 100 reaching a predetermined position on the inspection stand 520. If it is determined not to terminate the undercarriage inspection, the inspection instruction unit 220 returns to step S110. In step S110 again, the next position correspondence is realized, and in step S120 again, the analysis process for the inspection point DP for which the position correspondence was realized in step S110 is executed in the same manner.

[0047] In this embodiment, while the undercarriage inspection is being performed, in step S110, the remote control unit 210 moves the vehicle 100 forward in the -Y direction from the entrance IN to the exit EX in the inspection area 521, that is, without moving the vehicle 100 backward in the +Y direction, to achieve position correspondence for each inspection point DP included in the vehicle 100. More specifically, in step S110, the remote control unit 210 achieves position correspondence for each inspection point DP by, for example, intermittent forward movement, slow movement, or a combination of intermittent forward movement and slow movement. Here, "intermittent forward movement" means repeatedly moving the vehicle 100 forward and stopping. When intermittent forward movement is performed, the remote control unit 210, for example, stops the vehicle 100 at the timing when position correspondence is achieved. Then, the inspection instruction unit 220 issues an inspection instruction at the timing when the vehicle 100 is stopped, causing the inspection sensor 510 to observe the inspection point DP. In this case, it is preferable that the period during which the vehicle 100 is stopped is long enough to allow for proper observation of the inspection point DP. Furthermore, when slow speed is implemented, position matching is achieved and an inspection instruction is issued while the vehicle 100 is moving slowly, and the inspection location DP is observed by the inspection sensor 510. Preferably, the speed of the vehicle 100 during slow speed is low enough to allow for proper observation of the inspection location DP.

[0048] In step S140, the remote control unit 210 causes the vehicle 100 to exit the inspection area 521. More specifically, in step S140, the remote control unit 210 remotely controls the vehicle 100 to move forward in the -Y direction from the inspection area 521 toward the ground GR in the second slope area 524, thereby causing the vehicle 100 to exit the inspection area 521 and lower the vehicle 100 to the ground GR.

[0049] According to the inspection system 50 in this embodiment described above, in undercarriage inspection, the position correspondence of inspection point DP is achieved by utilizing the unmanned operation of the vehicle 100. As a result, in undercarriage inspection, the effort required to adjust the position of the vehicle 100 by manned operation, manual work, or transport equipment, or to move the inspection sensor 510 or the inspection worker relative to the vehicle 100, can be reduced.

[0050] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the inspection sensor 510 is installed above the ground GR and below the inspection area 521. In this configuration, for example, if a recess is provided in the ground GR and part or all of the inspection sensor 510 is installed within the opening of the recess so that the inspection points DP of the vehicle 100 on the ground GR can be imaged, that is, if part or all of the inspection sensor 510 is installed below the ground GR, then when the position of the inspection unit 500 is changed due to a change in the layout of the factory FC, it is necessary to create a new recess at the new installation location or to restore the recess at the original installation location to a flat surface. In this embodiment, the inspection sensor 510 can be easily positioned so that the inspection points DP can be imaged without having to install part or all of the inspection sensor 510 below the ground GR, and the undercarriage inspection can be performed appropriately. Furthermore, the position of the inspection unit 500 can be easily changed by changing the installation location of the inspection stand 520. Also, in the configuration where the inspection sensor 510 is installed above the ground GR so that the inspection points DP of the vehicle 100 on the ground GR can be imaged, the size of the inspection sensor 510 may be limited to a relatively small size. In this embodiment, undercarriage inspection can be performed appropriately without limiting the size of the inspection sensor 510.

[0051] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the vehicle 100 moves from the ground GR to the inspection area 521 on the inspection table 520 by traveling along the slope area 522 in unmanned operation. This makes it possible to perform undercarriage inspections by making more effective use of unmanned operation.

[0052] Furthermore, in this embodiment, position matching is achieved during undercarriage inspection by having the vehicle 100 travel along the Y direction in the inspection area 521. This allows the vehicle 100 to enter the inspection area 521 via one of the first slope area 523 and the second slope area 524, and then exit the inspection area 521 via the other of the first slope area 523 and the second slope area 524, enabling smoother undercarriage inspection. Moreover, since position matching can be achieved simply by moving the vehicle 100 forward or backward along the Y direction in the inspection area 521, position matching can be achieved with simpler vehicle control compared to, for example, a configuration in which the vehicle 100 is turned around in the inspection area 521.

[0053] Furthermore, in this embodiment, during the undercarriage inspection, position matching is achieved while the vehicle 100 moves forward in the inspection area 521 along the -Y direction from the entrance portion IN to the exit portion EX. In this way, position matching can be achieved simply by moving the vehicle 100 forward in the inspection area 521. As a result, undercarriage inspection can be performed more efficiently compared to, for example, an embodiment in which position matching is achieved by moving the vehicle 100 forward and backward in the inspection area 521.

[0054] B. Second Embodiment: Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating the inspection unit 500b in the second embodiment. In the second embodiment, the configuration of the main body 551b of the inspection table 520b differs from that of the first embodiment. More specifically, in this embodiment, the opening area of ​​the opening provided on the upper surface of the main body 551b is smaller than that of the first embodiment. As a result, the volume of the space SP is smaller than that of the first embodiment. Also, in this embodiment, unlike the first embodiment, a single inspection sensor 510 is positioned in the center of the space SP when viewed from above. In the example of Figure 6, it is preferable that the inspection sensor 510 is configured as, for example, a wide-angle imaging device capable of imaging a relatively wide area. This allows for more efficient undercarriage inspection while reducing the number of inspection sensors 510. Also, in the example of Figure 6, an inspection worker may be positioned in the space SP instead of the inspection sensor 510. Note that the inspection system 50 in the second embodiment is the same as in the first embodiment unless otherwise described.

[0055] C. Third Embodiment: Figure 7 is an explanatory diagram showing the schematic configuration of the inspection system 50v in the third embodiment. In this embodiment, the inspection system 50v differs from the first embodiment in that it does not have a server 200. Also, in this embodiment, the vehicle 100 can be driven by autonomous control of the vehicle 100. The other configurations are the same as in the first embodiment unless otherwise specified.

[0056] In this embodiment, the communication device 130 of the vehicle 100 can communicate with the external sensor 300 and the inspection control device 530. The processor 111 of the vehicle control device 110 functions as the vehicle control unit 115v and the inspection instruction unit 220 by executing the program PG1 stored in the memory 112. The vehicle control unit 115v acquires the output results from the sensors, generates a driving control signal using the output results, and outputs the generated driving control signal to operate the actuator group 120, thereby enabling the vehicle 100 to be driven autonomously. In this embodiment, in addition to the program PG1, the memory 112 has the detection model DM, the reference path RR, and the position data PD pre-stored in it. The vehicle control unit 115v in the third embodiment corresponds to the "control unit" in this disclosure.

[0057] Figure 8 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure for vehicle 100 driving control in the third embodiment. In the processing procedure shown in Figure 8, the processor 111 of the vehicle 100 functions as a vehicle control unit 115v by executing the program PG1.

[0058] In step S901, the processor 111 of the vehicle control device 110 acquires vehicle position information using the detection result output from the camera, which is an external sensor 300. In step S902, the processor 111 determines the target position to which the vehicle 100 should next go. In step S903, the processor 111 generates a driving control signal to drive the vehicle 100 toward the determined target position. In step S904, the processor 111 controls the actuator group 120 using the generated driving control signal to drive the vehicle 100 according to the parameters expressed in the driving control signal. The processor 111 repeats the acquisition of vehicle position information, determination of the target position, generation of the driving control signal, and control of the actuators at a predetermined cycle. According to the inspection system 50v in this embodiment, the vehicle 100 can be driven by autonomous control of the vehicle 100 without remote control of the vehicle 100 by the server 200.

[0059] In this embodiment, the same inspection process as in Figure 5 is performed by the processor 111 of the vehicle control device 110. However, in steps S100, S110, and S140 in this embodiment, the vehicle 100 moves due to autonomous driving control of the vehicle 100. For example, in step S110, position matching is achieved by autonomous driving control of the vehicle 100.

[0060] The inspection system 50v in the second embodiment described above also reduces the effort required to match the inspection location DP with the location of the inspection sensor 510 or the inspection worker by utilizing the unmanned operation of the vehicle 100.

[0061] D. Other embodiments: (D1) In each of the above embodiments, the inspection points DP of the vehicle 100 traveling in the inspection area 521 are inspected during the undercarriage inspection, but the invention is not limited to this. For example, in the undercarriage inspection, the inspection points DP of the vehicle 100 traveling on the ground GR may be inspected. In this case, for example, a relatively small inspection sensor 510 may be placed above the ground GR so that the inspection points DP of the vehicle 100 on the ground GR can be observed. Alternatively, for example, a recess may be provided in the ground GR, and part or all of the inspection sensor 510 may be placed in the opening of the recess. Furthermore, in each of the above embodiments, an imaging device is used as the inspection sensor 510, but the invention is not limited to this, and various sensors such as ultrasonic sensors and radar may be used.

[0062] (D2) In each of the above embodiments, the inspection table 520 has a first sloped area 523 and a second sloped area 524. However, for example, the inspection table 520 may have a single sloped area 522 or three or more sloped areas 522. Also, the inspection table 520 may not have any sloped areas 522. In this case, for example, the vehicle 100 may be moved to the inspection area 521 by a lifting device such as a lift.

[0063] (D3) In each of the above embodiments, position correspondence is achieved in the undercarriage inspection while the vehicle 100 moves forward in the -Y direction from the entrance IN to the exit EX in the inspection area 521. In contrast, position correspondence in the undercarriage inspection may be achieved not only by the forward movement of the vehicle 100 in the inspection area 521, but also by the backward movement of the vehicle 100 in the inspection area 521. In this case, for example, the remote control unit 210 and the vehicle control unit 115v may, under normal circumstances, achieve position correspondence by moving the vehicle 100 forward without backward movement, and may also achieve position correspondence by backward movement of the vehicle 100 when predetermined backward movement conditions are met. The backward movement conditions may be, for example, when the vehicle 100 passes the vehicle position that should be positioned for position correspondence of a certain inspection point DP without the inspection sensor 510 observing that inspection point DP, or when an abnormality is detected in the observation result of a certain inspection point DP after the vehicle 100 has moved forward after the inspection point DP has been observed. The term "anomaly" here refers to anomalies that affect the analysis process, such as foreign objects in the captured image, noise in the captured image, or loss of data in the captured image due to communication failures.

[0064] (D4) In each of the above embodiments, the vehicle 100 moves along the Y direction in the inspection area 521 and does not change direction, but it may be controlled to change direction in the inspection area 521.

[0065] (D5) In each of the above embodiments, some or all of the functional units of the inspection system 50, such as the inspection unit 540 realized by the inspection control device 530, may be provided in the server 200 or the vehicle 100. In this case, the inspection unit 500 does not need to be equipped with the inspection control device 530. Also, some of the various functional units, such as the control unit, the inspection instruction unit 220, and the inspection unit 540, may be provided in the vehicle 100, and the other parts may be provided in the server 200. Furthermore, in the inspection system 50, some or all of these functional units may be provided in external devices other than the server 200, the vehicle 100, and the inspection control device 530.

[0066] (D6) In each of the above embodiments, the inspection unit 540 may, in the analysis process, for example, acquire observation results and display the acquired observation results on a display device, thereby allowing the user of the inspection system 50 to analyze the observation results. The user referred to here is, for example, a manager or worker at the factory FC. The worker includes the inspection worker.

[0067] (D7) In each of the above embodiments, the external sensor 300 is not limited to a camera, but may be, for example, a distance measuring device. The distance measuring device may be, for example, a LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) device. In this case, the detection result output by the external sensor 300 may be 3D point cloud data representing the vehicle 100.

[0068] (D8) In the first embodiment described above, the server 200 performs the processing from acquiring vehicle position information to generating a driving control signal. In contrast, the vehicle 100 may perform at least a part of the processing from acquiring vehicle position information to generating a driving control signal. For example, the following forms (1) to (3) may be used.

[0069] (1) The server 200 may acquire vehicle location information, determine the next target location that vehicle 100 should head to, and generate a route from the vehicle 100's current location, as shown in the acquired vehicle location information, to the target location. The server 200 may generate a route to the target location between the current location and the destination, or it may generate a route to the destination. The server 200 may transmit the generated route to vehicle 100. Vehicle 100 may generate a driving control signal so that vehicle 100 travels along the route received from the server 200, and may use the generated driving control signal to control the actuator group 120.

[0070] (2) The server 200 may acquire vehicle location information and transmit the acquired vehicle location information to the vehicle 100. The vehicle 100 may determine the next target location to which the vehicle 100 should go, generate a route from the vehicle 100's current location shown in the received vehicle location information to the target location, generate a driving control signal so that the vehicle 100 travels along the generated route, and control the actuator group 120 using the generated driving control signal.

[0071] (3) In the embodiments of (1) and (2) above, the vehicle 100 is equipped with internal sensors, and the detection results output from the internal sensors may be used in at least one of the generation of a route and the generation of a driving control signal. The internal sensors are sensors mounted on the vehicle 100. Specifically, internal sensors may include, for example, cameras, LiDAR, millimeter-wave radar, ultrasonic sensors, GPS sensors, acceleration sensors, gyro sensors, etc. For example, in the embodiment of (1) above, the server 200 may acquire the detection results from the internal sensors and reflect the detection results from the internal sensors in the route when generating a route. In the embodiment of (1) above, the vehicle 100 may acquire the detection results from the internal sensors and reflect the detection results from the internal sensors in the driving control signal when generating a driving control signal. In the embodiment of (2) above, the vehicle 100 may acquire the detection results from the internal sensors and reflect the detection results from the internal sensors in the route when generating a route. In the embodiment of (2) above, the vehicle 100 may acquire the detection results from the internal sensors and reflect the detection results from the internal sensors in the driving control signal when generating a driving control signal.

[0072] (D9) In the third embodiment described above, the vehicle 100 is equipped with an internal sensor, and the detection result output from the internal sensor may be used in at least one of the generation of the route and the generation of the driving control signal. For example, the vehicle 100 may acquire the detection result from the internal sensor and reflect the detection result from the internal sensor in the route when generating the route. The vehicle 100 may acquire the detection result from the internal sensor and reflect the detection result from the internal sensor in the driving control signal when generating the driving control signal.

[0073] (D10) In the third embodiment described above, the vehicle 100 acquires vehicle position information using the detection results of the external sensor 300. In contrast, the vehicle 100 may be equipped with an internal sensor, and the vehicle 100 may acquire vehicle position information using the detection results of the internal sensor, determine the target position to which the vehicle 100 should next go, generate a route from the vehicle 100's current location represented in the acquired vehicle position information to the target position, generate a driving control signal for driving along the generated route, and control the actuator group 120 using the generated driving control signal. In this case, the vehicle 100 can drive without using the detection results of the external sensor 300 at all. The vehicle 100 may also acquire the target arrival time and congestion information from outside the vehicle 100 and reflect the target arrival time and congestion information in at least one of the route and the driving control signal. Furthermore, all the functional configurations of the inspection system 50v may be provided in the vehicle 100. That is, the processing realized by the inspection system 50v in this disclosure may be realized by the vehicle 100 alone.

[0074] (D11) In the first embodiment described above, the server 200 automatically generates a driving control signal to be transmitted to the vehicle 100. Alternatively, the server 200 may generate a driving control signal to be transmitted to the vehicle 100 in accordance with the operation of an external operator located outside the vehicle 100. For example, the external operator may operate a control device that includes a display for displaying captured images output from the external sensor 300, a steering wheel for remotely controlling the vehicle 100, an accelerator pedal, a brake pedal, and a communication device for communicating with the server 200 via wired or wireless communication, and the server 200 may generate a driving control signal in accordance with the operation applied to the control device.

[0075] (D12) In each of the above embodiments, the vehicle 100 only needs to have a configuration that allows it to move by unmanned operation, and may be in the form of a platform having the configuration described below. Specifically, in order for the vehicle 100 to perform the three functions of "driving," "turning," and "stopping" by unmanned operation, it is sufficient to have at least a vehicle control device 110 and an actuator group 120. When the vehicle 100 acquires information from the outside for unmanned operation, the vehicle 100 may further have a communication device 130. That is, the vehicle 100 that can move by unmanned operation does not need to have at least some of the interior parts such as the driver's seat and dashboard attached, it does not need to have at least some of the exterior parts such as the bumper and fender attached, and it does not need to have a body shell attached. In this case, the remaining parts such as the body shell may be attached to the vehicle 100 before the vehicle 100 is shipped from the factory FC, or the remaining parts such as the body shell may be attached to the vehicle 100 after the vehicle 100 has been shipped from the factory FC without the remaining parts such as the body shell attached to the vehicle 100. Each component may be attached to the vehicle 100 from any direction, such as the top, bottom, front, rear, right, or left side, and may be attached from the same direction or from different directions. The positioning of the platform can also be determined in the same way as for the vehicle 100 in the first embodiment.

[0076] (D13) Vehicle 100 may be manufactured by combining multiple modules. A module means a unit composed of one or more parts grouped together according to the configuration and function of vehicle 100. For example, the platform of vehicle 100 may be manufactured by combining a front module that constitutes the front part of the platform, a central module that constitutes the central part of the platform, and a rear module that constitutes the rear part of the platform. The number of modules that make up the platform is not limited to three, and may be two or fewer, or four or more. In addition to the platform, or in place of the platform, parts of vehicle 100 other than the platform may be modularized. Various modules may also include arbitrary exterior parts such as bumpers and grilles, or arbitrary interior parts such as seats and consoles. Such modules may be manufactured, for example, by joining multiple parts by welding or fasteners, or by integrally molding at least a part of the module as a single part by casting. The molding method of integrally molding at least a part of a module as a single part is also called gigacast or megacast. By using Gigacast, parts of the vehicle 100 that were conventionally formed by joining multiple parts can be formed as single parts. For example, the front module, central module, and rear module mentioned above may be manufactured using Gigacast.

[0077] (D14) Transporting vehicle 100 using the unmanned operation of vehicle 100 is also called "autonomous transport." The configuration for realizing autonomous transport is also called a "vehicle remote control autonomous driving transport system." Furthermore, a production method that uses autonomous transport to produce vehicle 100 is also called "autonomous production." In autonomous production, for example, at a factory FC that manufactures vehicle 100, at least a portion of the transport of vehicle 100 is realized by autonomous transport.

[0078] In each of the above embodiments, some or all of the functions and processes implemented in software may be implemented in hardware. Conversely, some or all of the functions and processes implemented in hardware may be implemented in software. As hardware for implementing the various functions in each of the above embodiments, various circuits such as integrated circuits and discrete circuits may be used.

[0079] This disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be implemented in various configurations without departing from its spirit. For example, the technical features in the embodiments corresponding to the technical features in each form described in the summary of the invention can be replaced or combined as appropriate in order to solve some or all of the above-described problems, or to achieve some or all of the above-described effects. Furthermore, if a technical feature is not described as essential in this specification, it can be deleted as appropriate. [Explanation of symbols]

[0080] 50, 50V... Inspection system, 100... Vehicle, 110... Vehicle control device, 111... Processor, 112... Memory, 113... Input / Output interface, 114... Internal bus, 115, 115V... Vehicle control unit, 120... Actuator group, 130... Communication device, 200... Server, 201... Processor, 202... Memory, 203... Input / Output interface, 204... Internal bus, 205... Communication device, 210... Remote control unit, 220... Inspection instruction unit 300…External sensor, 500, 500b…Inspection unit, 510…Inspection sensor, 520, 520b…Inspection table, 521…Inspection area, 522…Inclined area, 523…First inclined area, 524…Second inclined area, 530…Inspection control device, 531…Processor, 532…Memory, 533…Input / output interface, 534…Internal bus, 535…Communication device, 540…Inspection section, 551, 551b…Main body, 553…First base, 555…Second base

Claims

1. Vehicles that can be driven autonomously, The system includes a control unit that drives the vehicle by the aforementioned unmanned operation, The control unit, by driving the vehicle through the unmanned operation, causes the inspection points of the vehicle during the undercarriage inspection to correspond to at least one of the positions of the sensors used for the undercarriage inspection and the position of the inspection worker performing the undercarriage inspection.

2. The inspection system according to claim 1, The control unit, in the undercarriage inspection, moves the vehicle on a predetermined inspection area on an inspection platform installed on the ground, thereby corresponding the inspection location to at least one of the positions. The inspection system comprises an imaging device in which the sensor is positioned above the ground and below the inspection area.

3. The inspection system according to claim 2, The inspection platform has a sloped area connecting the inspection area and the ground, which is configured so that the vehicle can travel on it. The control unit is an inspection system that moves the vehicle to the inspection area by having the vehicle travel along the slope area through unmanned operation.

4. The inspection system according to claim 3, The aforementioned slope region includes a first slope region and a second slope region located on the opposite side of the inspection region from the first slope region. The control unit is an inspection system that causes the vehicle to travel along opposing directions in which the first slope region and the second slope region face each other within the inspection area, thereby causing the inspection location to correspond to at least one of the positions.

5. The inspection system according to claim 4, The control unit is an inspection system that, in the inspection area, moves the vehicle forward along the opposing directions from the first slope area toward the second slope area, while making the inspection location correspond to at least one of the positions.

Images