Lead Mobility

Abstract

We provide highly practical lead mobility solutions. [Solution] The present invention provides a lead mobility device that moves autonomously and can be controlled to have a vehicle follow it via wireless communication as a follower vehicle (follower vehicle 20). The device is configured to perform platooning control, causing multiple follower vehicles 20 to move in a specific formation in conjunction with the movement of the lead mobility device 10. This allows multiple follower vehicles 20 to move simultaneously in conjunction with the movement of the lead mobility device 10. In other words, the practicality of the lead mobility device 10 is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to lead mobility for electronically towing a vehicle.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, for example, a controller disclosed in Patent Document 1 is known. The conventional controller is mounted on a lead mobility that autonomously moves, and is configured to guide a vehicle as a follower vehicle to travel along a travel route traveled by the lead mobility by remote control. In other words, the lead mobility has a function of controlling a vehicle to follow itself by wireless communication as a following vehicle.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, in addition to the function of causing a follower vehicle to travel following a lead mobility by remote control, that is, the function of electronically towing, the controller mounted on the lead mobility is provided with some other function, whereby the practicality of the lead mobility can be improved. Based on this, an object of the present invention is to provide a highly practical lead mobility.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] The lead mobility of the present invention is a mobility device that moves autonomously and can be controlled to have other vehicles follow it via wireless communication. It is configured to perform platooning control, causing multiple follow vehicles to move in a specific formation in conjunction with the lead mobility device. This allows multiple follow vehicles to move simultaneously in conjunction with the lead mobility device. In other words, the practicality of the lead mobility device is improved. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0006] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram illustrating the electronic towing of a follower vehicle by lead mobility according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a side view illustrating lead mobility. [Figure 3] This is a planar conceptual diagram illustrating the upper part of the lead mobility. [Figure 4] This is a block diagram illustrating the functional configuration of the controller and the traction control device. [Figure 5] This is a conceptual diagram illustrating an example of a specific formation. [Figure 6] This is a flowchart illustrating an example of platoon control. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0007] Hereinafter, a lead mobility device 10, which is an embodiment of the present disclosure, will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In addition to the embodiments described below, the present disclosure can be implemented in various forms with various modifications and improvements based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art.

[0008] [A] Lead Mobility Configuration The lead mobility 10 is configured to be autonomously drivable (autonomous), and as shown in Figures 1 and 2, it electronically tows a follower vehicle (corresponding to a "following vehicle") 20 to its destination, maintaining a specific positional relationship through control via wireless communication, i.e., remote control. Here, the lead mobility 10 can be a vehicle that travels on the road surface or an aerial vehicle such as a drone, and in this embodiment, the case where the lead mobility 10 is a vehicle will be described.

[0009] The Lead Mobility 10 of this embodiment is equipped with a pair of left and right drive wheels 11 and driven wheels 12 for autonomous driving. Each of the left and right drive wheels 11 is independently driven by a pair of left and right electric motors (not shown) powered by a battery (not shown) mounted on the body of the Lead Mobility 10. As a result, the Lead Mobility 10 can rotate around a rotation axis along the vertical direction by, for example, applying a difference in rotational speed (difference in driving force) between the left and right drive wheels 11. Thus, the Lead Mobility 10 can turn right or left, change direction, and make turns (including pivot turns in place) during autonomous driving, even without being equipped with a separate steering device to steer the left and right drive wheels 11 around the steering axis. In the following description, right and left turns, changes direction, and turns may be collectively referred to as "right and left turns, etc."

[0010] Each drive wheel 11 is fitted with a friction braking device (drum brake or disc brake) not shown. Therefore, in a stationary state, the friction braking device functions as a parking brake by generating braking force through friction.

[0011] The driven wheel 12 is positioned behind the drive wheel 11 in the longitudinal direction of the lead mobility 10. In this embodiment, the driven wheel 12 is in the form of a swivel caster and is provided so as to have a single axis of rotation extending vertically in the approximately central part of the lead mobility 10 in the width direction (lateral direction).

[0012] As shown in Figure 3, the Lead Mobility 10 is equipped with a self-propelled detector 13, a position detector 14, and a vehicle detector 15, all housed in the upper part 10U of the vehicle body. The self-propelled detector 13 detects the relative positional relationship, specifically the relative distance, between the Lead Mobility 10 and objects such as obstacles (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "detection targets") that are present in the direction of travel when the Lead Mobility 10 is autonomously driving.

[0013] Therefore, in this embodiment, the self-propelled detector 13 is configured to include a LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) 13A and a distance measuring device such as a camera 13B. The LiDAR 13A acquires three-dimensional point cloud data indicating the three-dimensional position of point clouds representing the object to be detected with high accuracy. The camera 13B can be, for example, a stereo camera, a monocular camera, or an RGB-D camera (depth camera), and acquires imaging data representing the direction and size of the object to be detected. It should be noted that instead of using the LiDAR 13A and camera 13B, it is also possible to use, for example, a ToF (Time of Flight) sensor.

[0014] The self-propelled detector 13 outputs the acquired data, i.e., three-dimensional point cloud data and image data, to the controller 100, which will be described later. The controller 100 then uses the acquired three-dimensional point cloud data and image data in simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) for autonomous driving of the lead mobility 10, as will be described later.

[0015] The position detector 14 has, for example, a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver and detects the position of the lead mobility 10 based on the received signal. In this embodiment, the lead mobility 10 has two position detectors 14 positioned at each of the left and right positions in the vehicle width direction (lateral direction) of the upper part 10U of the vehicle body, that is, in a pair on the left and right.

[0016] The lead mobility 10 is configured to include a vehicle detector 15 for detecting a follower vehicle 20 that is following it. The vehicle detector 15 is a device for measuring various data used to estimate the relative position of the follower vehicle 20 with respect to the lead mobility 10 (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "relative position"). Here, the relative position includes the relative orientation and attitude of the follower vehicle 20 with respect to the lead mobility 10 (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "relative attitude").

[0017] The vehicle detector 15 is primarily equipped with a LiDAR that measures three-dimensional point cloud data of the follower vehicle 20 electronically towed by the lead mobility 10. In the controller 100, which will be described later, for example, only the relative position of the follower vehicle 20 detected by the vehicle detector 15 (i.e., LiDAR) may be acquired, and the relative attitude and direction of travel of the follower vehicle 20 may be estimated by understanding the changes in the follower vehicle 20 over time based on the intermittently acquired relative position. The self-propelled detector 13 and the vehicle detector 15 can be collectively referred to as a surrounding monitoring device that detects the surrounding conditions of the lead mobility 10. The multiple detectors 13 and 15 constituting the surrounding monitoring device are arranged to detect the conditions in front of, behind, to the left of, and to the right of the lead mobility 10. The self-propelled detector 13 also functions as a vehicle detector 15, and the vehicle detector 15 also functions as a self-propelled detector 13.

[0018] The lead mobility 10 is equipped with a controller 100 for remotely controlling the follower vehicle 20. The controller 100 performs driving control to ensure that the follower vehicle 20 maintains a specific positional relationship with the lead mobility 10 via remote control. As will be described later, the controller 100 performs control related to the autonomous movement of the lead mobility 10 and the remote control of the follower vehicle 20. The lead mobility 10 can also be said to consist of the controller 100, a surrounding monitoring device, and the mobility body (parts other than those).

[0019] [B]Configuration and Basic Functions of the Controller As shown in FIG. 4, the controller 100 includes a CPU 110, a storage device 120, an interface circuit 130, and a communication device 140. The CPU 110, the storage device 120, and the interface circuit 130 are connected so as to be communicable bidirectionally via an internal bus. The communication device 140 performs wireless communication with the follower vehicle 20 via a network or the like.

[0020] The CPU 110 executes a computer program stored in the storage device 120 in order to implement at least a part of the functions provided in the present embodiment. By executing this computer program, the CPU 110 functions as a remote control unit 111, a point cloud data acquisition unit 112, a positioning unit 113, a relative position estimation unit 114, a SLAM unit 115, an automatic driving control unit 116, and a special control unit 117. However, some or all of these functions can also be configured by a hardware circuit.

[0021] The remote control unit 111 generates a control command for remote control so that the follower vehicle 20 maintains a specific positional relationship with the lead mobility 10 and follows the lead mobility 10, and transmits the control command to the follower vehicle 20 by wireless communication as if the lead mobility 10 were towing the follower vehicle 20 using a rope. Here, the state in which the follower vehicle 20 is towed as if using a rope by the control command transmitted via the wireless communication using the communication device 140 of the remote control unit 111 of the controller 100 mounted on the lead mobility 10 is "electronic towing".

[0022] The remote control unit 111 can generate a control command as a command including, for example, a driving force or braking force and a steering angle. Alternatively, the remote control unit 111 can generate a control command as a command including at least one of the position and orientation of the follower vehicle 20 and the future travel route. As a result, the follower vehicle 20 can follow the lead mobility 10 by receiving a control command for remote control, as will be described later.

[0023] The point cloud data acquisition unit 112 acquires three-dimensional point cloud data (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "vehicle point cloud data VP") measured by the vehicle detector 15. The position determination unit 113 determines the starting position for starting the matching of the vehicle point cloud data VP with the three-dimensional point cloud data around the lead mobility 10 acquired by the LiDAR 13A of the self-propelled detector 13.

[0024] Here, the vehicle point cloud data VP functions as a template point cloud for estimating at least one of the position and orientation (attitude) of the follower vehicle 20. The vehicle point cloud data VP can include information for identifying the orientation (attitude) of the follower vehicle 20. As a result, the position determination unit 113 and the relative position estimation unit 114 can estimate the position and orientation (attitude) of the follower vehicle 20 in the surrounding three-dimensional point cloud data with high accuracy by template matching using the vehicle point cloud data VP.

[0025] In this embodiment, the position determination unit 113 determines the starting position of template matching using information relating to the position of the follower vehicle 20 in the three-dimensional point cloud data (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "position-related information"). Here, the position-related information is data used to estimate the position of the follower vehicle 20 in the three-dimensional point cloud data, and / or the position adjacent to the follower vehicle 20. In order to speed up the processing of template matching, the position-related information is preferably data of a small capacity or data obtained by simple processing, such as a GNSS signal.

[0026] The relative position estimation unit 114 estimates the relative position of the follower vehicle 20, including its relative orientation (attitude) relative to the lead mobility 10, in the acquired three-dimensional point cloud data. Here, the relative position can be exemplified by the relative distance to the follower vehicle 20 in the direction of travel, the deviation of the follower vehicle 20 in the width direction (lateral direction) relative to the movement trajectory of the lead mobility 10, and the relative turning attitude (right or left turning attitude) of the follower vehicle 20 relative to the lead mobility 10, based on the position and attitude of the lead mobility 10.

[0027] In this embodiment, the relative position estimation unit 114 estimates the relative position, including the relative attitude, of the follower vehicle 20 in the three-dimensional point cloud data by performing template matching using vehicle point cloud data VP on the three-dimensional point cloud data. For the template matching of vehicle point cloud data VP on the three-dimensional point cloud data performed by the position determination unit 113 and the relative position estimation unit 114, for example, well-known ICP (Interactive Closest Point) algorithms or well-known NDT (Normal Distribution Transform) algorithms can be used.

[0028] The SLAM unit 115 performs SLAM using data (image data and three-dimensional point cloud data) detected by the self-propelled detector 13 to generate a map that the lead mobility 10 will use for autonomous driving. The automatic driving control unit 116 controls the operation of actuators 150, such as the electric motors that drive the drive wheels 11 mounted on the lead mobility 10 and the electric motors that constitute the friction braking system, thereby enabling the lead mobility 10 to drive autonomously. Specifically, by controlling the operation of the actuators 150, the automatic driving control unit 116 uses the map generated by the SLAM unit 115 to enable the lead mobility 10 to drive autonomously along the lead vehicle route GR to a set destination TP, for example. When the lead mobility 10 is driving autonomously, the automatic driving control unit 116 detects the position of the lead mobility 10 based on the GNSS signal received by the position detector 14.

[0029] The special control unit 117 is a functional unit that enables special functions in the lead mobility 10. The details of this special control unit 117 will be explained in detail later.

[0030] The storage device 120 can be exemplified by RAM, ROM, HDD, and SSD, among others. The read / write area of ​​the storage device 120 stores vehicle point cloud data VP, read vehicle route GR, destination TP, actuator drive history AC, and previous matching position BM.

[0031] Here, the lead vehicle route GR is a target route that can be set for the lead mobility 10 to travel. The destination TP is an arbitrarily set destination for the lead mobility 10. However, when the automatic driving control unit 116 autonomously drives the lead mobility 10 using a map generated by the SLAM unit 115 based on data output from the self-driving detector 13, the lead vehicle route GR can be omitted. However, in this case, the automatic driving control unit 116 generates a driving route to the set destination TP, for example, and drives the lead mobility 10 along the generated driving route.

[0032] The actuator drive history AC is the history of input and output values ​​for each actuator 220 of the follower vehicle 20, as described later. The actuator drive history AC can also be described as the history of control command values ​​transmitted from the controller 100 to the follower vehicle 20. The actuator drive history AC may also be measured values ​​detected by the detectors of the follower vehicle 20, such as the vehicle speed, steering angle, braking force, and rotation angle of the follower vehicle 20. The previous matching position BM is the coordinate value of the position where template matching between the three-dimensional point cloud data and the vehicle point cloud data VP, which was previously performed by the relative position estimation unit 114 of the controller 100, was completed.

[0033] [C] Follower Vehicle Configuration The follower vehicle 20 is a vehicle (e.g., a passenger car, truck, bus, construction vehicle, motorcycle, or tricycle) equipped with a driving control device 200 and a communication device 230. The driving control device 200 and the communication device 230 are basic devices currently installed in vehicles and can also be retrofitted. Each communication device 140 and 230 is in a state where it is authorized to communicate with each other. The lead mobility 10 electronically tows the authorized follower vehicle 20.

[0034] As shown in Figure 4, the driving control device 200 is equipped with an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 210. The ECU 210 is a microcomputer whose main components are a CPU 211, a storage device 212, and an interface circuit 213. The CPU 211, storage device 212, and interface circuit 213 are connected via an internal bus to enable bidirectional communication. The interface circuit 213 is connected to an actuator 220 and a communication device 230. The communication device 230 communicates wirelessly with the communication device 140 of the controller 100 mounted on the lead mobility 10, either via a network or directly.

[0035] The CPU 211 implements the function of driving control of the follower vehicle 20 by executing a computer program stored in the read / write area of ​​the storage device 212. Here, driving control refers to various controls for driving the actuators 220 that perform the functions of "driving," "turning," and "stopping" of the follower vehicle 20, such as adjusting the acceleration, deceleration, speed, and steering angle of the follower vehicle 20. The actuators 220 are, for example, drive actuators, brake actuators, and steering actuators.

[0036] The CPU 211 controls the operation of the actuator 220 in response to control commands sent from the controller 100, regardless of whether the follower vehicle 20 has a driver, thereby enabling the follower vehicle 20 to follow the lead mobility 10 while maintaining a specific positional relationship with it.

[0037] [D] Remote control via lead mobility The controller 100 acquires information about the electronically towed follower vehicle 20 in advance, such as specifications, minimum turning radius, wheelbase length, acceleration performance, braking performance, and other information related to the follower vehicle 20's ability to "drive," "turn," and "stop." The controller 100 then electronically tows (follows) the follower vehicle 20, for example, while autonomously driving according to the lead vehicle route GR stored in the memory device 120, from which the specifications information has been acquired.

[0038] The controller 100 causes the follower vehicle 20 to follow the lead mobility 10's trajectory, specifically by maintaining a specific distance between the lead mobility 10 and the follower vehicle 20, so that the lead mobility 10 and the follower vehicle 20 maintain a specific positional relationship. Here, we will specifically explain electronic towing assuming, for example, that the lead mobility 10 turns left at an intersection. Incidentally, when the lead mobility 10 is going straight, the follower vehicle 20 simply goes straight while maintaining a specific distance.

[0039] When turning left at an intersection, the remote control unit 111 predicts the future driving state of the follower vehicle 20 (including vehicle speed and driving trajectory) based on the relative position (including relative posture) of the follower vehicle 20 estimated by the relative position estimation unit 114. Subsequently, the remote control unit 111 remotely controls the follower vehicle 20 to eliminate the difference between the current driving state of the lead mobility 10 (including vehicle speed and driving trajectory) and the predicted driving state of the follower vehicle 20, that is, to ensure that the follower vehicle 20 maintains a constant specific distance (for example, in the case of a turn such as a left turn, the distance along the turning trajectory) and follows the driving trajectory of the lead mobility 10.

[0040] Therefore, the remote control unit 111 determines the acceleration (or deceleration) of the follower vehicle 20 based on the distance between the lead mobility 10 and the follower vehicle 20. The remote control unit 111 determines the steering angle (or steering amount) of the follower vehicle 20 based on the driving trajectory of the lead mobility 10, or more specifically, the turning trajectory of the lead mobility 10. The controller 100 then uses the speed-related information representing the determined acceleration (or deceleration) and the steering-related information representing the determined steering angle (or steering amount) as control commands, and transmits this information to the communication device 230 of the follower vehicle 20 via the communication device 140.

[0041] In the follower vehicle 20, the driving control device 200 drives the follower vehicle 20 according to the control commands transmitted from the controller 100 of the lead mobility 10, namely speed-related information and steering-related information. In this way, the lead mobility 10 can control the follower vehicle 20 in accordance with its own movement.

[0042] [E] Platoon control The lead mobility 10 of this embodiment can control multiple follower vehicles 20. When multiple vehicles are set as vehicles to be controlled, the special control unit 117 transmits a command (platoon command) regarding the platoon to the remote control unit 111. The remote control unit 111 performs remote control (operation) of each follower vehicle 20 as described in A to D above, based on the relative position information included in the platoon command.

[0043] The platoon command includes information on a specific formation that indicates the positional relationship (relative positional relationship) of multiple follower vehicles 20 with respect to the lead mobility vehicle 10. The remote control unit 111 remotely controls each of the multiple follower vehicles 20 based on the relative position of each follower vehicle 20 with respect to the lead mobility vehicle 10 as determined by the commanded specific formation. The controller 100 is configured to perform platoon driving control, which drives the multiple follower vehicles 20 in a specific formation as the lead mobility vehicle 10 moves. Platoon driving control can also be described as control that operates each of the multiple follower vehicles 20 so that they maintain a specific formation.

[0044] As shown in Figure 5, the storage device 120 stores multiple types of specific formations. The controller 100 in this example stores multiple types of specific formations in which the convoy width (maximum width from left to right) and / or convoy length (maximum length from front to back) differ from each other. The specific formation may be set for each type of vehicle (in Figure 5, for example, a small passenger car or a three-wheeled vehicle is assumed). The specific formation is formed by a lead mobility 10 and two or more follower vehicles 20. The special control unit 117 may determine the specific formation based on information such as the number of follower vehicles 20 and the road width of the target driving route (lead vehicle route GR), or it may be determined according to the user's selection.

[0045] In the first formation, three follower vehicles 20 are positioned side-by-side in the first row behind the lead mobility vehicle 10, and four follower vehicles 20 are positioned side-by-side in the second row behind them. In the second formation, one follower vehicle 20 is positioned behind the lead mobility vehicle 10, two follower vehicles 20 are positioned side-by-side in the second row behind it, and three follower vehicles 20 are positioned side-by-side in the third row behind them. In the third formation, one follower vehicle 20 is positioned on each side of the lead mobility vehicle 10, two follower vehicles 20 are positioned side-by-side in the first row behind the lead mobility vehicle 10, and one follower vehicle 20 is positioned in the second row behind it. In the fourth formation, in addition to the third formation, one follower vehicle 20 is positioned in front of the lead mobility vehicle 10. In this example, the position of the follower vehicle 20 is symmetrical with respect to a virtual straight line that passes through the center of the lead mobility 10 and extends in the longitudinal direction.

[0046] In the above-described specific formation, the spacing between follower vehicles 20 is set according to their position and type. In this disclosure, since follower vehicles 20 may be located not only behind the lead mobility 10 but also in front of it or to the left or right, a follower vehicle can be defined as a vehicle that travels in conjunction with the movement of the lead mobility 10 (around the lead mobility 10).

[0047] One example of the advantages of the first formation is that it allows many follower vehicles 20 to follow within a compact area. One example of the advantages of the second formation is that it allows many follower vehicles 20 to follow while keeping the formation width from expanding. One example of the advantages of the third formation is that it allows many follower vehicles 20 to be positioned around the lead mobility 10 while maintaining a clear view of the lead mobility 10, resulting in high forward detection accuracy and high position detection accuracy for the follower vehicles 20. One example of the advantages of the fourth formation is that, although the forward detection accuracy for the lead mobility 10 is reduced, the effect of wind from the front on the lead mobility 10 is reduced, and the position detection accuracy for more follower vehicles 20 can be increased.

[0048] Each formation is designed so that the position of each follower vehicle 20 can be detected from the lead mobility 10. For example, the second row of follower vehicles 20 are positioned between the first row of follower vehicles 20 as viewed from the lead mobility 10. Also, for example, by positioning the vehicle detector 15 higher than the follower vehicles 20, the position of the rear follower vehicles 20 in the column can be detected. In platooning control, the self-propelled detector 13 also functions as the vehicle detector 15. The controller 100 can estimate the position and attitude of the follower vehicles 20 based on the detection of a portion of the follower vehicle 20 from the set specifications of the vehicle being controlled. When a follower vehicle 20 is traveling on either the left or right side of the lead mobility 10, for example, the position of the follower vehicle 20 is set so that the lead mobility 10 (detectors 13, 15) can perceive at least the diagonally forward direction to the left and right.

[0049] Furthermore, in order for the lead mobility 10 to detect all follower vehicles 20, constraints may be placed on the size and other characteristics of the follower vehicles 20 to be placed in each specific formation. As an example of a constraint, in the first formation, follower vehicles 20 of the same size as, or greater in height and / or width than, the follower vehicles 20 located at the ends of the first row and diagonally in front of them, are placed at both ends of the second row. As another example of a constraint, in the second formation, a follower vehicle 20 of the same size as, or greater in height and / or width than, the follower vehicles 20 in the first row is placed in the center of the third row.

[0050] Each position where a follower vehicle 20 is positioned in a specific formation is assigned an identification number (identification information). For example, if a user sets multiple vehicles to be follower vehicles 20, the special control unit 117 (or remote control unit 111) assigns an identification number to each vehicle being controlled as a follower vehicle 20 so that there is a one-to-one correspondence between the position in the specific formation and the follower vehicle 20. The special control unit 117 assigns an identification number to each follower vehicle 20 based on the constraints.

[0051] The special control unit 117 transmits a platoon command to the remote control unit 111, including the correspondence between identification numbers and vehicles, and a specific formation. The remote control unit 111 remotely controls each of the multiple follower vehicles 20, each with an assigned identification number, to maintain their relative position and attitude based on the specific formation. The remote control of each follower vehicle 20 is performed on the same principle as controlling a single follower vehicle 20 as described above, except that their relative positions to the lead mobility 10 differ. The controller 100 controls each follower vehicle 20 as part of the platoon driving control, to maintain the position corresponding to the identification number of each follower vehicle 20.

[0052] The special control unit 117 executes a formation change process according to the surrounding conditions of the lead mobility 10. The formation change process is a process to change the type of a specific formation, and / or a process to change the spacing between follower vehicles 20 (front-to-back or left-to-right distance) within the same specific formation. The surrounding conditions are, for example, information detected from the self-propelled detector 13 and / or the vehicle detector 15, and / or information obtained by comparing the detected values ​​of the position detector 14 with map information (information such as the presence or absence of unpaved roads, the width of the road, and the presence or absence of construction).

[0053] For example, when controller 100 is performing platoon control in the fourth formation, if it determines from the surrounding conditions that the road width will narrow in the future, it may change the specific formation from the fourth formation to the second formation. The width and length of the platoon are set for each specific formation. The remote control unit 111 can change the specific formation to a relatively narrow formation that can travel on narrow roads before the road width narrows.

[0054] In the above case, the controller 100 may change the lateral distance between vehicles in the convoy (separation) without changing the specific formation. For example, the remote control unit 111 may reduce the lateral distance between each row or the widest row in the specific formation being operated in order to reduce the convoy width. For example, when driving in the first formation, the remote control unit 111 reduces the lateral distance between the follower vehicles 20 in the second row (the widest row) from the current value. Conversely, when approaching a road surface where slippage is likely to occur overall, the formation change process may be executed so that the distance between vehicles in the front, rear, left, and right directions increases. This reduces the possibility of collisions between follower vehicles 20 due to slippage.

[0055] Triggers for formation change processing include, in addition to detecting changes in road width, detection of oncoming vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists at the edge of the road, detection of road surface conditions (e.g., the presence of obstacles, unevenness in parts of the road surface, or a risk of slipping in parts of the road surface), and insufficient detection information for some follower vehicles 20. For example, if an oncoming vehicle, pedestrian, or unevenness is detected, formation change processing is executed to reduce the convoy width in order to avoid it. Also, for example, if there is insufficient detection information for the follower vehicles 20 behind for any reason, formation change processing is executed to improve the accuracy of position detection.

[0056] An example of the platooning control process is described below. When multiple vehicles are set as follower vehicles 20 by the user (S1), the controller 100 determines a specific formation based on the user's selection or the number of set follower vehicles 20 and road information of the target driving route (S2). The controller 100 assigns identification numbers corresponding to each position in the specific formation to each follower vehicle 20 based on predetermined constraints (S3). The controller 100 performs autonomous movement of the lead mobility 10 and starts remote control of each follower vehicle 20 to maintain a specific positional relationship based on the specific formation (S4). In other words, the controller 100 performs platooning control.

[0057] If the controller 100 determines that it is necessary to change the formation configuration based on the surrounding conditions acquired during platooning (S5:Yes), it executes a formation change process (S6). If the controller 100 determines that it is not necessary to change the formation configuration (S5:Yes), it maintains the current specific formation and continues steering. The controller 100 monitors the surrounding conditions and performs platooning control until it reaches its destination (S7).

[0058] The Lead Mobility 10 disclosed herein is a mobility device that moves autonomously and can be controlled to make vehicles follow it via wireless communication as follower vehicles 20. It is configured to perform platooning control, causing multiple follower vehicles 20 to move in a specific formation in conjunction with the movement of itself (Lead Mobility 10). This allows multiple follower vehicles 20 to move simultaneously in conjunction with the movement of Lead Mobility 10. In other words, the practicality of Lead Mobility 10 is improved. In a specific formation, three or more follower vehicles 20 are more efficient, and the position detection accuracy of the follower vehicles 20 can be easily improved by having two or more rows.

[0059] The lead mobility 10 of this disclosure stores multiple types of specific formations. In platoon control, the lead mobility 10 is configured to execute a formation change process according to the detected surrounding conditions. The formation change process is a process to change the type of specific formation, or a process to change the distance between vehicles in the front and rear and / or left and right in a specific formation. This makes it possible to change the platoon width and length according to changes in the surrounding conditions.

[0060] The lead mobility 10 of this disclosure detects surrounding conditions such as the width of the road surface on which the follower vehicle 20 is scheduled to travel, the presence or absence of oncoming vehicles, the presence or absence of pedestrians, the road surface conditions, or the accuracy of position detection of the follower vehicle 20. This allows the convoy width and convoy length to be changed in response to changes in road width or the detection of oncoming vehicles.

[0061] Some specific formations include one follower vehicle 20 positioned in front of, to the left of, and / or to the right of the lead mobility 10. This allows for the option of positioning the follower vehicles 20 around the lead mobility 10 and makes it easier to cope with a decrease in the accuracy of position detection of the follower vehicles 20. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0062] 10...Lead mobility, 20...Follower vehicle.

Claims

1. A lead mobility vehicle that moves autonomously and can be controlled to have another vehicle follow it via wireless communication, It is configured to perform platooning control, which causes multiple following vehicles to move in a specific formation as it moves itself. Lead mobility.

2. Store multiple types of the aforementioned specific formations, In the aforementioned platoon control system, the system is configured to perform a formation change process according to the detected surrounding conditions. The formation change process is a process of changing the type of the specific formation, or a process of changing the distance between vehicles in the front and rear and / or left and right in the specific formation. The lead mobility according to claim 1.

3. The surrounding conditions include detecting the width of the road surface on which the following vehicle is scheduled to travel, the presence or absence of oncoming vehicles, the presence or absence of pedestrians, the road surface conditions, or the accuracy of position detection for the following vehicle. The lead mobility according to claim 2.

4. In the aforementioned specific formation, at least one of the following vehicles is positioned in front of, to the left of, and / or to the right of the vehicle. The lead mobility according to claim 1.

5. In at least one of the specified formations, at least one of the following vehicles is positioned in front of, to the left of, and / or to the right of, The lead mobility according to claim 2 or 3.

Images