Lead Mobility

Abstract

We provide highly practical lead mobility solutions. [Solution] The present invention comprises a controller 100 that autonomously moves the mobility unit 7 and controls a vehicle to follow the mobility unit 7 via wireless communication as a follow vehicle 20, and an arm device 8 configured to extend and retract relative to the mobility unit 7. At least one of a plurality of detectors is provided on the arm device 8 as a movable detector 15, and the movable detector 15 detects the surrounding conditions of the mobility unit 7 regardless of whether the arm device 8 is extended or retracted. When the controller 100 is controlling the follow vehicle 20 and certain conditions are met, it performs a field of view change control by extending or retracting the arm device 8 so that the relative position of the movable detector 15 with respect to the mobility unit 7 changes.

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 moves autonomously, and remotely operates to guide the vehicle so that the vehicle as a follower vehicle travels along the travel route traveled by the lead mobility. In other words, the lead mobility has a function of controlling the vehicle as a following vehicle to follow itself by wireless communication.

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 the controller mounted on the lead mobility to make the follower vehicle travel following the lead mobility by remote control, that is, the function of electronically towing, by providing some other function separately, it is possible to improve the practicality of the lead mobility. 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 comprises a mobility body, a surrounding monitoring device mounted on the mobility body and comprising a plurality of detectors for detecting the surrounding conditions of the mobility body, a controller mounted on the mobility body that autonomously moves the mobility body based on the detection results of the surrounding monitoring device and controls a vehicle to follow the mobility body via wireless communication as a follow vehicle, and an arm device configured to extend and retract relative to the mobility body. At least one of the plurality of detectors is provided on the arm device as a movable detector. The movable detector detects the surrounding conditions of the mobility body regardless of whether the arm device is extended or retracted. When the controller is controlling the follow vehicle and certain conditions are met, it performs a field of view change control by extending or retracting the arm device so that the relative position of the movable detector with respect to the mobility body changes.

[0006] According to the present invention, the field of view (detection range) of the movable detector is changed by field of view change control, making it possible to detect areas that were previously blind spots. In other words, the practicality of lead mobility is improved by expanding and changing the detection range of the surrounding environment as needed. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [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 visual alteration control. [Figure 6] This is a conceptual diagram illustrating an example of visual alteration control. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] 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.

[0009] [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.

[0010] 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."

[0011] 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.

[0012] 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).

[0013] 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, which are housed in the upper part of the vehicle body 10U and the arm device 8 described later. 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") in the direction of travel when the lead mobility 10 is autonomously driving.

[0014] 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.

[0015] 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.

[0016] 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.

[0017] 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").

[0018] The vehicle detector 15 is primarily equipped with a LiDAR for measuring 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., the 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.

[0019] The self-propelled detector 13 and the vehicle detector 15 constitute a peripheral monitoring device 9 that detects the surrounding situation of the lead mobility 10. That is, the peripheral monitoring device 9 is mounted on the mobility main body 7 and is composed of a plurality of detectors 13 and 15 that detect the surrounding situation of the mobility main body 7. The plurality of detectors 13 and 15 that constitute the peripheral monitoring device 9 are arranged to detect at least the situations in front of, behind, to the left, and to the right of the lead mobility 10. The self-propelled detector 13 also functions as the vehicle detector 15, and the vehicle detector 15 also functions as the self-propelled detector 13.

[0020] It can be said that the lead mobility 10 is composed of a controller 100, a peripheral monitoring device 9, an arm device 8, and a mobility main body 7 which is the other part. The mobility main body 7 can also be said to be the body part of the vehicle including the upper part of the vehicle body 10U, wheels 11 and 12, and each actuator.

[0021] The arm device 8 is configured to be extendable and retractable with respect to the mobility main body 7. The end part of the arm device 8 is configured to be relatively movable with respect to the mobility main body 7. The arm device 8 is configured in a linear shape (for example, a rod shape or a cuboid shape) as a whole, and is provided on the upper part of the mobility main body 7 so that the longitudinal direction is in the horizontal direction (left - right direction). At both ends in the longitudinal direction of the arm device 8, vehicle detectors 15 (for example, LiDAR or camera) capable of detecting the surrounding situation (here, at least the situation behind) are installed respectively. The two vehicle detectors 15 are provided on the arm device 8 as movable detectors.

[0022] The arm device 8 includes a base 80, a first arm 81, a second arm 82, and a telescopic mechanism 83. The first arm 81 is housed in the base 80 such that one end (right end) where the movable detector 15 is arranged is exposed to the outside. The second arm 82 is housed in the base 80 such that the other end (left end) where the movable detector 15 is arranged is exposed to the outside.

[0023] The telescopic mechanism 83, although not shown in the figure, comprises an electric motor and a mechanism that converts the rotational motion of the electric motor's rotating shaft into linear motion (for example, a screw mechanism such as a ball screw mechanism or a gear mechanism such as a rack and pinion mechanism). The telescopic mechanism 83 can extend the first arm 81 to the right and the second arm 82 to the left using the rotational force of the electric motor. The telescopic mechanism 83 can also return the first arm 81 and the second arm 82 to the center. Any known mechanism can be used as the telescopic mechanism. In the initial state, the arm device 8 is in its shortest (contracted) state. The first arm 81 and the second arm 82 may be housed in separate bases, may be operated by different telescopic mechanisms, and may be spaced apart from each other.

[0024] The arm device 8 can extend and retract laterally under the control of the controller 100. The detection position (relative position to the mobility body 7) of the movable detector 15 changes as the arm device 8 extends and retracts. On the other hand, the detectors 13 and 15 installed on the mobility body 7 (upper part 10U of the vehicle body) cannot change their relative position to the mobility body 7. Thus, the surrounding monitoring device 9 is composed of one or more detectors (hereinafter also referred to as main detectors) 13 and 15 fixed to the mobility body 7, and one or more movable detectors 15. The situation behind the lead mobility 10 is mainly detected by the main detector 15 located at the rear of the upper part 10U of the vehicle body and the two movable detectors 15.

[0025] The controller 100 remotely controls the follower vehicle 20 to maintain a specific positional relationship with the lead mobility 10. The controller 100 also controls the autonomous movement of the lead mobility 10 and the remote operation of the follower vehicle 20.

[0026] [B] Controller configuration and basic functions As shown in Figure 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 via an internal bus to enable bidirectional communication. The communication device 140 performs wireless communication with the follower vehicle 20 via a network or the like.

[0027] The CPU 110 executes a computer program stored in the storage device 120 to implement at least some of the functions provided in this embodiment. By executing this computer program, the CPU 110 functions as a remote control unit 111, a point cloud data acquisition unit 112, a position determination 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 hardware circuits.

[0028] The remote control unit 111 generates control commands for remote control and transmits them wirelessly to the follower vehicle 20 so that the follower vehicle 20 maintains a specific positional relationship with the lead mobility 10 and follows the lead mobility 10, for example, as if the lead mobility 10 were towing the follower vehicle 20 with a rope. Here, the state in which the follower vehicle 20 is towed as if with a rope by the control commands transmitted by the remote control unit 111 of the controller 100 mounted on the lead mobility 10 via wireless communication using the communication device 140 is called "electronic towing".

[0029] 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.

[0030] 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.

[0031] 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.

[0032] 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.

[0033] 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.

[0034] 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.

[0035] 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 15.

[0036] 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.

[0037] 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.

[0038] 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.

[0039] 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.

[0040] [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.

[0041] 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.

[0042] 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.

[0043] 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.

[0044] [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.

[0045] 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.

[0046] 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.

[0047] 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.

[0048] 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.

[0049] [E] View Change Control As described above, the controller 100 is mounted on the mobility unit 7 and is configured to autonomously move the mobility unit 7 based on the detection results of the surrounding monitoring device 9, and to control a vehicle as a follower vehicle (follower vehicle 20) to follow the mobility unit 7 via wireless communication. The arm device 8 is configured to extend and retract relative to the mobility unit 7, and its extension and retraction are controlled by the controller 100. At least one (two in this example, a part) of the multiple detectors 13 and 15 that constitute the surrounding monitoring device 9 is provided on the arm device 8 as a movable detector. The movable detector 15 detects the surrounding conditions of the mobility unit 7 regardless of whether the arm device 8 is extended or retracted when the lead mobility 10 is autonomously moved by the controller 100 and when the follower vehicle 20 is controlled.

[0050] The controller 100 (special control unit 117) performs a view change control by extending or retracting the arm device 8 so that the relative position of the movable detector 15 with respect to the mobility body 7 changes when certain conditions are met while the follower vehicle 20 is being operated. "While the follower vehicle 20 is being operated" means the state after the lead mobility 10 has started remote control of the follower vehicle 20, whether the lead mobility 10 is moving or stopped. In the view change control of this embodiment, the arm device 8 is extended or retracted by a preset extension / retraction amount (multiple settings are possible). The controller 100 has a setting for the relative position of the movable detector 15 with respect to the mobility body 7 after the arm device 8 has been extended or retracted.

[0051] Specific conditions include, for example, conditions related to the detection accuracy of the surrounding monitoring device 9, and conditions related to road surface conditions (changes in road width, presence or absence of oncoming vehicles, presence or absence of corners, presence or absence of pedestrians, etc.). When extending the arm device 8 (when moving the movable detector 15 away from the mobility body 7), at least one of the following conditions is set: for example, "the amount of information about the surroundings of the follower vehicle 20 acquired by the surrounding monitoring device 9 has fallen below a predetermined value," "the distance between the mobility body 7 and a specific intersection has fallen below a predetermined distance," and "a predetermined time has elapsed since the operation of the follower vehicle 20 began."

[0052] To explain in more detail with specific examples, a specific condition for extending the arm device 8 (hereinafter also referred to as the extension condition) is "when it is planned that the follower vehicle 20 will turn right or left in conjunction with the lead mobility 10, the estimated time (or estimated distance) until the lead mobility 10 turns has become less than or equal to a predetermined time t1 (or predetermined distance d1)."

[0053] As shown in Figure 5, by extending the arm device 8 to the left and right, the area around the rear of the follower vehicle 20 becomes part of the detection range (some blind spots are eliminated), making it easier to detect the situation in that area than in the initial state. This improves the accuracy of preventing entanglement when turning left or right, and the accuracy of preventing contact with other objects when changing lanes. The arm device 8 extends until the distance between the two movable detectors 15 is greater than the width (left-right width) of the follower vehicle 20. Note that the execution of the field of view change control is contingent on the surrounding conditions on the left and right of the lead mobility 10 meeting safety conditions (that it is safe for the arm to extend). The controller 100 may also control the arm device 8 to extend only one side. For example, the controller 100 may extend only the left arm (second arm 82) when the lead mobility 10 turns left, and extend only the right arm (first arm 81) when the lead mobility 10 turns right. This improves the accuracy of preventing entanglement and preventing contact when changing lanes. In this embodiment, the arm device 8 is designed such that at least one of the movable detectors 15 that changes the field of view is located outside the left and right outer edges of the follower vehicle 20 in the left and right directions.

[0054] As another example of the extension-side condition, "the amount of information around the rear of the follower vehicle 20 acquired from the peripheral monitoring device 9 has become less than or equal to a predetermined value (which can also be said that the detection accuracy of the peripheral monitoring device 9 around the rear of the follower vehicle 20 has decreased to less than or equal to a predetermined value)", or "an object that has approached the follower vehicle 20 to a distance of less than or equal to a predetermined distance has been detected around the rear of the follower vehicle 20", etc. can also be cited. Thus, in a situation where the rear periphery of the follower vehicle 20 should be detected in more detail, the extension-side condition is set so that the arm device 8 extends. Note that the extension-side condition may be set as a periodic visual change to simply execute the visual field change control every time a predetermined time elapses or every time a predetermined distance is traveled.

[0055] As a specific condition (hereinafter also referred to as the contraction-side condition) when the arm device 8 is contracted, for example, "1. A predetermined time has elapsed since the arm device 8 was extended", "2. The estimated time (or estimated distance) until the lead mobility 10 turns has become less than or equal to a predetermined time t2 (or a predetermined distance d2) (t2 < t1, d2 < d1)", or "3. On the premise that there is no problem even if the arm device 8 turns while extended, the lead mobility 10 has finished turning" can be cited. The second condition aims to ensure that the arm device 8 does not interfere with turning by contracting the arm device 8 after checking the rear before the lead mobility 10 turns. On the other hand, the third condition maintains the extended state until the turning is completed, for example, as long as the arm device 8 does not interfere with turning or other vehicles (judging the situation based on the detection result of the peripheral monitoring device 9), and a wide visual field for the rear of the follower vehicle 20 is secured. For the controller 100, for example, any one of the above first to third is set as the contraction-side condition.

[0056] According to this embodiment, the field of view (detection range) of the movable detector 15 is changed by field of view change control, making it possible to detect areas that were blind spots before the change. In other words, the detection range of the surrounding situation is expanded and changed as needed, improving the practicality of the lead mobility 10. In addition, since the arm device 8, which has a movable detector 15 at its tip, extends beyond the outer edge of the mobility body 7, the effect of reducing blind spots is greatly increased. The arm device 8 of this embodiment includes, as described above, a first arm 81 configured to extend to the right of the mobility body 7 with (one) movable detector 15 installed at its tip, and a second arm 82 configured to extend to the left of the mobility body 7 with (the other) movable detector 15 installed at its tip. When certain conditions are met, the controller 100 performs field of view change control so that at least one of the left and right movable detectors 15 is located outside the outer edge of the mobility body 7.

[0057] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the lead mobility device 10 is equipped with a fixed main detector 15 and a movable detector 15. As a result, the controller 100 basically acquires information about the surrounding situation from the main detector 15, whose detection accuracy is maintained by its calibrated position, and the movable detector 15 before it moves. If necessary (temporarily), for example to check blind spots, the controller 100 can move only the movable detector 15 while keeping the main detector 15 fixed. In other words, although the detection accuracy of the movable detector 15 after it moves may not be maintained due to calibration issues, the adverse effects of moving the movable detector 15 are suppressed because the detection accuracy of the main detector 15 is maintained. Thus, according to this embodiment, it is possible to enlarge and change the field of view while suppressing a decrease in detection accuracy. Note that the surrounding monitoring device 9 may be configured so that all detectors 13 and 15 function as movable detectors 15.

[0058] (Transformation patterns) As shown in Figure 6, the arm device 8 may be arranged to extend and retract in the front-rear direction of the mobility body 7. The movable detector 15 is located at the tip (front end) of the arm device 8. When certain conditions regarding the forward view or intersections are met, for example, when the distance between the mobility body 7 and a particular intersection becomes less than or equal to a predetermined distance, the controller 100 performs view-changing control so that the movable detector 15 is positioned in front of the front end of the mobility body 7. This reduces blind spots in the forward direction, such as blind spots around corners at intersections.

[0059] A specific intersection is one in which, for example, a blind spot is created by a building, causing the detection range beyond the bend in the intersection to fall below a predetermined range at a predetermined distance before the intersection. The movable detector 15 may, for example, be capable of detecting in a 180-degree forward direction (forward, right, left), or it may be configured to rotate at the tip of the arm device 8.

[0060] Furthermore, the arm device 8 may be positioned to extend and retract in the vertical direction of the mobility body 7. For example, by extending the arm device 8 upward so that the movable detector 15 is positioned above the upper end of the mobility body 7, the detection range in the front, rear, left, and right directions can be expanded to include, for example, the area behind the follower vehicle 20. In this way, the arm device 8 is configured to extend and retract in the left-right, front-back, or up-down directions of the mobility body 7, for example, so that when extended, the movable detector 15 is positioned outside the outer edge of the mobility body 7. The "outer edge" refers to the outer edge in the plan view when the extension and retraction direction of the arm device 8 is front-back or left-right, and to the outer edge in the front view when it is up-and-down.

[0061] Furthermore, as shown in the lower diagram of Figure 5 and the lower diagram of Figure 6, for example, the initial state of the arm device 8 may be when the movable detector 15 is separated from the mobility body 7 (the arm device 8 is extended). In this case, the basic state is one in which the field of vision is magnified, and the controller 100 may be configured to temporarily retract the arm device 8 as needed (for example, to avoid obstacles). [Explanation of Symbols]

[0062] 10...Lead mobility, 100...Controller, 20...Follower vehicle, 7...Mobility unit, 8...Arm device, 9...Surroundings monitoring device, 13...Self-propelled detector (detector), 15...Vehicle detector (detector), movable detector.

Claims

1. The mobility device itself, A peripheral monitoring device mounted on the mobility unit and comprising multiple detectors for detecting the surrounding conditions of the mobility unit, A controller mounted on the mobility unit, which autonomously moves the mobility unit based on the detection results of the surrounding monitoring device, and controls a vehicle to follow the mobility unit via wireless communication as a follow vehicle, An arm device configured to be extendable and retractable relative to the mobility body, Equipped with, At least one of the plurality of detectors is provided on the arm device as a movable detector. The movable detector detects the surrounding conditions of the mobility body regardless of whether the arm device is extended or retracted, When the controller is operating the following vehicle, if certain conditions are met, it performs a view-changing control by extending or retracting the arm device so that the relative position of the movable detector with respect to the mobility body changes. Lead mobility.

2. The surrounding monitoring device comprises one or more main detectors, which are fixed to the mobility body, and one or more movable detectors. The lead mobility according to claim 1.

3. The arm device is configured to extend and retract in the left-right, front-back, or up-down directions of the mobility body such that when extended, the movable detector is positioned outside the outer edge of the mobility body. The lead mobility according to claim 1.

4. The aforementioned peripheral monitoring device comprises two of the aforementioned movable detectors, The arm device comprises a first arm configured to extend to the right of the mobility body, with one of the movable detectors installed at its tip, and a second arm configured to extend to the left of the mobility body, with the other movable detector installed at its tip. The controller, when the specific conditions are met, performs the view change control such that at least one of the left and right movable detectors is positioned outside the outer edge of the mobility body. The lead mobility according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The arm device is arranged to extend and retract in the front-rear direction of the mobility body, The controller performs the view change control such that the movable detector is positioned in front of the front end of the mobility body when the specific conditions relating to the forward view or intersection are met. The lead mobility according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

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