Evacuation guidance robot

Abstract

Before a disaster occurs, a evacuation guidance robot is provided that has a function of prompting a target person to take evacuation actions based on disaster-related information. 【Solution means】The evacuation guidance robot 1 includes a warning level determination unit 10b that determines whether the warning level included in the disaster-related information is a warning level that requires evacuation, and an operation control unit 10a that executes a notification operation indicating that evacuation is necessary when it is determined that the warning level included in the disaster-related information is a warning level that requires evacuation, and a display control unit 10c that causes a display unit included in the information presentation device to display a disaster-related image when it is determined that the warning level included in the disaster-related information is a warning level that requires evacuation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an evacuation guidance robot that prompts people in the area to evacuate before a disaster occurs.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, disaster-related information has been provided to the area before a disaster occurs. As an evacuation support system using this disaster-related information, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a system that executes an evacuation call based on disaster-related information to terminals carried by each of the evacuation targets. In this evacuation support system, an information management server that manages information of a plurality of registered evacuation targets within a jurisdiction area is provided, and disaster-related information is notified to the evacuation targets registered in this information management server.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, even if an evacuation call based on disaster-related information is made, ultimately, the decision of whether to take evacuation action is currently left to each of the evacuation targets. Even in past disasters, there have been many reports of cases where people were not evacuated at an appropriate time due to optimistic judgments such as "I'll be okay" or procrastination in judgment while recognizing the disaster risk, and as a result, they were involved in the damage.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of this point, and an object thereof is to provide an evacuation guidance robot having a function of prompting an evacuation target to take an evacuation action based on disaster-related information before a disaster occurs.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, in one aspect according to the present disclosure, it is possible to assume an evacuation guidance robot having an operation unit that operates based on disaster-related information notified before a disaster occurs, and that guides the evacuation of evacuees based on the disaster-related information.

[0007] The evacuation guidance robot includes a receiving unit that receives the disaster-related information including the warning level, a warning level determination unit that determines whether or not the warning level included in the disaster-related information received by the receiving unit is a warning level that requires evacuation, and an operation control unit that causes the operation unit to execute a notification operation indicating that evacuation is necessary when the warning level determination unit determines that the warning level included in the disaster-related information is a warning level that requires evacuation, and a display control unit that causes a display unit included in an information presentation device to display a disaster-related image when the warning level determination unit determines that the warning level included in the disaster-related information is a warning level that requires evacuation.

[0008] According to this configuration, when disaster-related information is notified before a disaster actually occurs, the disaster-related information is received by the receiving unit. When the disaster-related information includes a warning level, it is possible to determine by the warning level determination unit whether or not the warning level is a warning level that requires evacuation. When it is determined that the warning level requires evacuation, in addition to the operation unit executing a notification operation indicating that evacuation is necessary, a disaster-related image is displayed on the display unit of the information presentation device. That is, the evacuation guidance robot not only notifies the evacuees that evacuation is necessary, but also can visually and specifically inform the evacuees that the disaster is imminent and that early evacuation is necessary by automatically displaying a disaster-related image on the display unit. Thereby, the motivation for the evacuees to evacuate can be enhanced.

[0009] The evacuation guidance robot may further include a detection unit that detects whether or not the evacuation target has evacuated. In this case, the alert level determination unit determines whether or not the alert level included in the disaster-related information is equal to or higher than a first alert level that requires evacuation. When it is determined that the alert level included in the disaster-related information is equal to or higher than the first alert level, it is possible to determine whether or not it is a second alert level that has a higher need for evacuation than the first alert level. When the detection unit detects that the evacuation target has not evacuated, if the alert level determination unit determines that the alert level included in the disaster-related information is the second alert level, the operation control unit can execute an automatic connection to a rescue facility.

[0010] That is, even in a situation where the need for evacuation is high, if the evacuation target has not evacuated, for example, an automatic connection is made to a rescue facility such as a local government or a fire department, so that the rescue facility can rescue and evacuate the evacuation target before the disaster occurs.

[0011] The operation unit may include an alarm generator that generates an alarm sound. In this case, when the alert level determination unit determines that the alert level included in the disaster-related information is the first alert level, the operation control unit causes the alarm generator to generate the alarm sound at a first volume. When the alert level determination unit determines that the alert level included in the disaster-related information is the second alert level, the operation control unit can cause the alarm generator to generate the alarm sound at a second volume that is greater than the first volume. Thereby, in a situation where the need for evacuation is high, a loud alarm sound is generated, so that the evacuation of the evacuation target can be promoted.

[0012] When the operation control unit determines that the warning level included in the disaster-related information is the second warning level by the warning level determination unit, the operation control unit can continue to cause the alarm generator to generate the alarm sound at the second volume until the detection unit detects that the evacuation target has evacuated. As a result, since the alarm sound at a high volume continues to be generated until the evacuation target evacuates, the evacuation of the evacuation target can be strongly urged.

[0013] The receiving unit can receive flood-related information including an image indicating at least one of the situation of the river flow and the situation of rainfall as the disaster-related information. In this case, the display control unit can cause the display unit to display an image indicating at least one of the situation of the river flow and the situation of rainfall as the disaster-related image. Thereby, it is possible to visually inform the evacuation target of how urgent the situation is due to river flooding, landslides caused by heavy rain, etc.

Advantages of the Invention

[0014] As described above, according to the technology according to the present disclosure, it is possible to prompt the target person to take evacuation actions based on disaster-related information before the occurrence of a disaster.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0015]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0016] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the following description of the preferred embodiments is merely illustrative in nature and is not intended to limit the present invention, its applications, or its uses. For example, the relative sizes and positional relationships of the respective members shown in the figures are for the purpose of explaining one embodiment and do not limit the present invention.

[0017] FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an evacuation guidance system 100 using an evacuation guidance robot 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The evacuation guidance system 100 includes an evacuation guidance robot 1, a television 101, a mobile phone 102, a personal computer 103, a server 104, a fixed-point camera 105, an evacuation shelter information transmission unit 106, and the like. The evacuation guidance system 100 may include an evacuation guidance robot 1, a server 104, and one or more information presentation devices.

[0018] The television 101 and the personal computer 103 are installed, for example, in general households, companies, offices, stores, facilities, etc. There are evacuation target persons who should evacuate before a disaster occurs in general households, companies, offices, stores, facilities, etc. For example, in a general household, the evacuation target person conducts daily life, and in a company, office, store, facility, etc., the evacuation target person may be working, shopping, etc.

[0019] The evacuation guidance robot 1 is placed in general households, companies, offices, stores, facilities, etc. where the television 101 and the personal computer 103 are installed. In normal times, in a general household, the evacuation guidance robot 1 is placed in a place where people gather, such as a living room. At the time of evacuation, as will be described later, the evacuation target person takes the evacuation guidance robot 1 and evacuates. Since the evacuation guidance robot 1 is small and lightweight, it is easy to carry and evacuate with it.

[0020] In addition, the mobile phone 102 is a smartphone or the like held by the person to be evacuated. The TV 101, the mobile phone 102, and the personal computer 103 are examples of information presentation devices that present various information to the user. Although not shown in the figure, the information presentation device may include, for example, a tablet terminal or the like. In the case of the TV 101, various programs and information can be presented to the user by displaying them on a display unit composed of a liquid crystal display panel or the like. In the case of the mobile phone 102 or the tablet terminal, various information can be displayed on a display unit composed of a liquid crystal display panel or the like. The personal computer 103 may be a notebook type or a desktop type, and various information can be displayed on a display unit composed of a liquid crystal display panel or the like.

[0021] Each of the TV 101, the mobile phone 102, the personal computer 103, and the tablet terminal has a communication module that can be connected to, for example, a wireless LAN (local area network) or a wired LAN, and can be connected to the Internet via the communication module that can be connected to the LAN. In addition, each of the TV 101, the mobile phone 102, the personal computer 103, and the tablet terminal has a communication module compliant with a short-range wireless communication standard such as Bluetooth (registered trademark), and can communicate with various devices via the communication module capable of short-range wireless communication. The communication module capable of short-range wireless communication may comply with a standard other than Bluetooth.

[0022] Server 104 is a storage device where local governments, the Japan Meteorological Agency, etc. store disaster-related information, and it may be managed by the operator of the evacuation guidance system 100 or by someone other than the operator. Server 104 is connected to the Internet. Disaster-related information such as flood-related information, typhoon-related information, tsunami-related information, wildfire-related information, etc. is stored in Server 104. The disaster-related information is stored separately for each region. For example, disaster-related information distinguished by municipality or district units of a certain local government, or even smaller regional units is stored. Therefore, the region and the disaster-related information that may occur in that region are stored in Server 104 in a state where they are associated with each other. So, for example, when a region is specified, the disaster-related information associated with that region can be obtained from Server 104.

[0023] Since much of the disaster-related information changes over time, the latest information is stored in Server 104 at predetermined short time intervals (for example, intervals of several minutes or several tens of minutes). By accessing Server 104 via the Internet, the latest disaster-related information can be obtained. In addition, past disaster-related information is also stored in Server 104.

[0024] The information related to flood disasters stored in server 104 includes, for example, the rainfall per unit time, the cumulative rainfall within a predetermined period, information indicating the possibility of river flooding, information indicating the possibility of landslides, information indicating the possibility of floods, and the warning levels determined based on this information. The information related to typhoons stored in server 104 includes the position, strength, speed of the typhoon, the possibility of the typhoon reaching a certain area, the time of arrival of the typhoon in a certain area, and the warning levels determined based on this information. The information related to tsunamis includes the time of arrival of the tsunami in a certain area, the possibility of the tsunami reaching a certain area, the height of the tsunami, and the warning levels determined based on this information. The information related to wildfires includes the scale of the fire, the location where the fire occurred, and the warning levels determined based on this information. Each warning level may be determined by, for example, national institutions such as the Japan Meteorological Agency and local governments, or by private institutions.

[0025] The warning levels can be, for example, five levels: warning level 1, warning level 2, warning level 3, warning level 4, and warning level 5. Warning level 1 is the lowest warning level, and warning level 5 is the highest warning level. Warning level 1 indicates that it is necessary to enhance the preparedness for disasters, specifically, to pay attention to the latest disaster-related information (such as disaster prevention meteorological information). Warning level 2 is the warning level at which it is necessary to confirm evacuation actions. For example, it indicates that it is necessary to confirm the areas where disasters are assumed, evacuation destinations (shelters), and evacuation routes to the shelters using a hazard map or the like.

[0026] Alert Level 3 is the alert level that serves as a guideline for local governments to issue evacuation orders for the elderly and others. Therefore, if Alert Level 3 is included in disaster-related information, it is necessary for the elderly and others (evacuees) to evacuate from dangerous locations. When Alert Level 3 is included in disaster-related information, in areas where a disaster is likely to occur, etc., pay attention to the issuance of evacuation orders for the elderly and others by the local government, and it is also necessary for people other than the elderly and others (evacuees) to start suspending their normal activities, make evacuation preparations using information such as the risk distribution and river water levels, or make their own evacuation decisions.

[0027] Alert Level 4 is the alert level that serves as a guideline for local governments to issue evacuation instructions. Therefore, if Alert Level 4 is included in disaster-related information, it is necessary to evacuate from dangerous locations. When Alert Level 4 is included in disaster-related information, in areas where a disaster is likely to occur, etc., pay attention to the issuance of evacuation instructions by the local government, and even if no evacuation instructions have been issued, it is necessary to make one's own evacuation decision using information such as the risk distribution and river water levels.

[0028] Alert Level 5 is the alert level that serves as a guideline for local governments to issue emergency safety assurance, indicating that a disaster is imminent. Since there may already be some kind of disaster occurring at Alert Level 5, it is necessary to immediately ensure personal safety, including prompt evacuation.

[0029] As described above, basically, there is no immediate need to evacuate at Alert Levels 1 and 2. Therefore, Alert Levels 1 and 2 are alert levels where evacuation is not necessary. On the other hand, evacuation is necessary at Alert Levels 3 to 5, so Alert Levels 3 to 5 are alert levels where evacuation is necessary. Compared with Alert Level 3, Alert Level 4 is a higher alert level in terms of the necessity of evacuation, and compared with Alert Level 4, Alert Level 5 is a higher alert level in terms of the necessity of evacuation. For example, if Alert Level 3 is regarded as the first alert level where evacuation is necessary, Alert Levels 4 and 5 are the second alert levels where the necessity of evacuation is higher than the first alert level.

[0030] The fixed-point camera 105 is composed of, for example, a camera that photographs the situation of a river flow (river), a camera that photographs the rainfall situation, a camera that photographs places where landslides are likely to occur, a camera that photographs the coast where tsunamis may reach, a camera that photographs mountains, etc. The installation location of the fixed-point camera 105 may be a place where a large number of people pass by, such as in front of a station, where it is possible to take pictures. There may be multiple fixed-point cameras 105. The fixed-point camera 105 may take still images or may take moving images. The image data captured by the fixed-point camera 105 is transmitted to the server 104 via a communication line such as the Internet in a state associated with the position information of the fixed-point camera 105 (information regarding the shooting location). Thereby, the server 104 can determine which area and which place the captured image data is from.

[0031] The server 104 stores the image data transmitted from the fixed-point camera 105 in a state associated with the position information (shooting location) of the fixed-point camera 105. Based on the position information of the fixed-point camera 105, it is possible to determine which area the image data is related to. Thereby, the image data transmitted from the fixed-point camera 105 can be stored in the server 104 included in the disaster-related information of the area where the image data was acquired. By accessing the server 104 via the Internet, the image data transmitted from the fixed-point camera 105 can be obtained as part of the disaster-related information.

[0032] The evacuation shelter information transmission unit 106 transmits information regarding evacuation shelters that are to be opened when a disaster is likely to occur or permanent evacuation shelters. The information regarding the evacuation shelters includes the address of the evacuation shelter, its location on the map, the telephone number of the evacuation shelter, the state of the evacuation shelter, and so on. The evacuation shelter information transmission unit 106 transmits the address, location, and telephone number of the evacuation shelter to the server 104. Also, the evacuation shelter information transmission unit 106 may include a camera such as a fixed-point camera, and the state of the evacuation shelter and the like can be acquired as an image using this camera. The image data acquired by the evacuation shelter information transmission unit 106 is transmitted to the server 104. The server 104 stores the information regarding the evacuation shelter in a state associated with the area where the evacuation shelter is opened. By accessing the server 104 via the Internet, information regarding the evacuation shelters in the area can be acquired.

[0033] The evacuation guidance robot 1 is a robot that guides the evacuation of evacuees and prompts evacuation based on disaster-related information, and can also be simply referred to as a robot. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, the evacuation guidance robot 1 is composed of a self-propelled robot capable of self-driving and has portability that can be carried by a person. The shape of the evacuation guidance robot 1 is not particularly limited and can be any shape.

[0034] For example, a left drive wheel 2a and a right drive wheel 2b (shown in FIG. 3) and a caster 3 are provided below the evacuation guidance robot 1. The left drive wheel 2a is rotatably supported with respect to the left rear side of the main body portion of the evacuation guidance robot 1. The right drive wheel 2b is rotatably supported with respect to the right rear side of the main body portion of the evacuation guidance robot 1. The caster 3 is configured to be rotatable around a vertical axis and is attached to the front portion of the main body portion of the evacuation guidance robot 1. Note that the structure for enabling the evacuation guidance robot 1 to be self-propelled is not limited to the above-described structure, and for example, a structure provided with crawlers or the like may be used. Also, the number of wheels is not limited to three and can be any number.

[0035] The evacuation guidance robot 1 is provided with a left traveling motor 4a and a right traveling motor 4b that drive a left drive wheel 2a and a right drive wheel 2b, respectively. The left traveling motor 4a and the right traveling motor 4b are individually controlled by an operation control unit 10a of a control unit 10 described later. When the left traveling motor 4a and the right traveling motor 4b rotate the left drive wheel 2a and the right drive wheel 2b at the same speed, respectively, the evacuation guidance robot 1 moves straight ahead. Since the left traveling motor 4a and the right traveling motor 4b can rotate forward and backward, the evacuation guidance robot 1 can move forward and backward. Also, the left traveling motor 4a and the right traveling motor 4b can rotate the left drive wheel 2a and the right drive wheel 2b at different rotational speeds. By rotating the left drive wheel 2a at a higher rotational speed than the right drive wheel 2b, the evacuation guidance robot 1 can be rotated to the right, and by rotating the right drive wheel 2b at a higher rotational speed than the left drive wheel 2a, the evacuation guidance robot 1 can be rotated to the left. In this way, the evacuation guidance robot 1 can move freely. The traveling speed of the evacuation guidance robot 1 can also be adjusted by the operation control unit 10a. In normal times, the left traveling motor 4a and the right traveling motor 4b are stopped, and for example, the evacuation guidance robot 1 is connected to a charging station 200 described later.

[0036] The evacuation guidance robot 1 is provided with a distance sensor 5, an acceleration sensor 6, and a GPS sensor 7. The distance sensor 5 is a sensor that measures the distance between the evacuation guidance robot 1 and an obstacle by irradiating ultrasonic waves or measurement light to the surroundings including the front of the evacuation guidance robot 1 and receiving the ultrasonic waves or measurement light that is reflected and returned. The distance sensor 5 may be, for example, a distance measurement sensor, or may be a sensor that uses laser light such as LiDER (Light Detection and Ranging). By using LiDER, it becomes possible to obtain not only the distance to an obstacle but also the size and shape of the obstacle.

[0037] The acceleration sensor 6 is a six-axis acceleration sensor capable of detecting accelerations in the front-rear direction, left-right direction, up-down direction, roll direction, pitching direction, and yaw direction.

[0038] The GPS sensor 7 is a sensor for identifying the position (longitude, latitude) of the evacuation guidance robot 1 by receiving signals from artificial satellites constituting the Global Positioning System (GPS).

[0039] The evacuation guidance robot 1 includes a control unit 10, a memory unit 11, a communication module (reception unit) 12, an alarm generator 13, a battery 14, and a charging module 15. The control unit 10, the memory unit 11, the communication module 12, the battery 14, and the charging module 15 are housed inside the evacuation guidance robot 1.

[0040] The battery 14 is composed of, for example, a rechargeable battery (secondary battery). The power of the battery 14 is supplied to the left driving motor 4a, the right driving motor 4b, the sensors 5 to 7, the control unit 10, the memory unit 11, the communication module 12, the alarm generator 13, etc. The charging module 15 is a part for receiving charging power from the outside and can be composed of, for example, a non-contact charger etc.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 2, when the charging station 200 is installed in the room, by self-driving the evacuation guidance robot 1 to the charging station 200, power can be supplied from the charging station 200 to the battery 14 via the charging module 15 to charge the battery 14. By previously storing the position of the charging station 200 in the memory unit 11 together with, for example, the shape of the room, the evacuation guidance robot 1 can be self-driven to the charging station 200 using the detection signals of the distance sensor 5, the acceleration sensor 6, and the GPS sensor 7.

[0042] For example, by configuring the distance sensor 5 with a LiDAR, the evacuation guidance robot 1 can search for the position of the charging station 200 based on the point cloud information obtained by the LiDAR. Also, the position relationship between the charging station 200 and the current position can be specified by the self-driving logic using the acceleration sensor 6 or the like, and based on this, the evacuation guidance robot 1 can be moved from the current position to the charging station 200. The operation of this evacuation guidance robot 1 is executed by the operation control unit 10a described later.

[0043] The control unit 10 is a part that controls each part of the evacuation guidance robot 1, and can be configured by a microcomputer including, for example, a central processing unit, a ROM, a RAM, and the like. The distance sensor 5, the acceleration sensor 6, and the GPS sensor 7 are connected to the control unit 10, and information, signals, etc. detected by each of the sensors 5, 6, 7 are input at any time.

[0044] The storage unit 11 may be configured by a storage device such as a ROM, or may be configured by a solid state drive or the like. The storage unit 11 stores ID information unique to the evacuation guidance robot 1 and the like. The ID information unique to the evacuation guidance robot 1 is associated with information (name, address, etc.) of the evacuee who owns the evacuation guidance robot 1. This information is also stored in the rescuer authentication device described later and is used for the authentication process of the evacuee.

[0045] The storage unit 11 stores a program for operating the control unit 10. The control unit 10 reads the program stored in the storage unit 11 and controls each part.

[0046] The control unit 10 has an operation control unit 10a, a warning level determination unit 10b, a display control unit 10c, and a detection unit 10d. The operation control unit 10a, the warning level determination unit 10b, the display control unit 10c, and the detection unit 10d may be configured by the hardware of the control unit 10, may be configured by executing software (the above program), or may be configured by program modules included in the above program.

[0047] The operation control unit 10a is a part that controls the left traveling motor 4a, the right traveling motor 4b, and the alarm generator 13. The left traveling motor 4a, the right traveling motor 4b, and the alarm generator 13 are operation parts in the evacuation guidance robot 1. Although details will be described later, the left traveling motor 4a, the right traveling motor 4b, and the alarm generator 13 operate based on disaster-related information notified from the Meteorological Agency, local governments, etc. before a disaster occurs.

[0048] Based on the control signal (control voltage) transmitted from the operation control unit 10a, the left traveling motor 4a and the right traveling motor 4b rotate and stop respectively, and the rotation speed during rotation is changed.

[0049] The alarm generator 13 is a device that generates an alarm sound to prompt evacuation for the evacuees. The alarm generator 13 can be provided outside the evacuation guidance robot 1 as shown in FIG. 1. The tone color of the alarm sound can be set arbitrarily, but it is a tone color that can be clearly distinguished from daily sounds. The alarm generator 13 can generate an alarm sound at a relatively low volume (the first volume), and can also generate an alarm sound at a relatively high volume (the second volume, which is higher than the first volume). The alarm generator 13 can generate an alarm sound at the first volume or generate an alarm sound at the second volume based on the control signal (control voltage) transmitted from the operation control unit 10a. Of course, it is also possible to set a state where no alarm sound is generated. Also, it is possible to generate an alarm sound at a third volume different from the first volume and the second volume.

[0050] The communication module 12 is a communication module that can be connected to the Internet line via, for example, a wireless LAN or the like, and is also a communication module capable of the above-mentioned short-range wireless communication. By connecting to the Internet line via a wireless LAN or the like, the communication module 12 can receive disaster-related information including the warning level from the server 104 at any time at a predetermined short interval. For example, when setting the evacuation guidance robot 1, by performing the connection setting to the wireless LAN and the setting enabling access to the server 104, the communication module 12 can be connected to the server 104.

[0051] Specifically, the communication module 12 is controlled by the control unit 10, communicates with the server 104 regularly (for example, every few minutes), and acquires disaster-related information from the server 104. Note that in normal times when there is no possibility of a disaster, since no disaster-related information is stored in the server 104, no disaster-related information will be acquired even if the reception process is performed.

[0052] The communication module 12 communicates with the TV 101, the mobile phone 102, and the personal computer 103 (hereinafter including tablet terminals, etc.) by short-range wireless communication. For example, by performing pairing processing with the TV 101, the mobile phone 102, and the personal computer 103 when setting the evacuation guidance robot 1, the communication module 12 can be kept in a connected state with the TV 101, the mobile phone 102, and the personal computer 103. It may be connected to all of the TV 101, the mobile phone 102, and the personal computer 103, but the communication module 12 may be connected to any one or two of them. In a household or the like where a plurality of TVs 101 are installed, a plurality of TVs 101 and the communication module 12 can be connected.

[0053] The communication module 12 acquires the location information of the current location from the GPS sensor 7. The communication module 12 executes a reception process of receiving, from the server 104, the disaster-related information of the current location specified by the acquired location information based on the acquired location information of the current location. By executing this reception process, the warning level included in the disaster-related information of the current location is also received.

[0054] The warning level determination unit 10b acquires the warning level included in the disaster-related information of the current location received by the communication module 12. After acquiring the warning level included in the disaster-related information of the current location, the warning level determination unit 10b determines whether the acquired warning level is a warning level that requires evacuation. Specifically, the warning level determination unit 10b determines whether the warning level included in the disaster-related information of the current location is equal to or higher than the warning level 3 (the first warning level) that requires evacuation. When it is determined that the warning level included in the disaster-related information of the current location is equal to or higher than the warning level 3, the warning level determination unit 10b determines whether it is the warning level 4. That is, the warning level determination unit 10b determines whether the warning level is equal to or higher than the first warning level, and also determines whether it is the second warning level with a higher necessity for evacuation than the first warning level. The determination result by the warning level determination unit 10b is transmitted to the control unit 10.

[0055] The operation control unit 10a acquires the determination result by the warning level determination unit 10b. When the warning level determination unit 10b determines that the warning level included in the disaster-related information at the current location is warning level 3, the operation control unit 10a causes the left-side traveling motor 4a, the right-side traveling motor 4b, and the alarm generator 13 to perform a notification operation indicating that evacuation is necessary. Specifically, the left-side traveling motor 4a and the right-side traveling motor 4b are activated to move the evacuation guidance robot 1. At this time, the detection result by the distance sensor 5 is input to the operation control unit 10a. The operation control unit 10a controls the left-side traveling motor 4a and the right-side traveling motor 4b so as to avoid a collision with an obstacle. Thereby, the evacuation guidance robot 1 can move inside the room while avoiding obstacles. When moving, since it can cross some steps, it moves in a relatively wide range of the room. Thereby, the evacuation target person can recognize that the situation is not normal but requires evacuation.

[0056] Also, when the warning level determination unit 10b determines that the warning level included in the disaster-related information at the current location is warning level 3 or higher, the operation control unit 10a causes the alarm generator 13 to generate an alarm sound. Also by this, the evacuation target person can recognize that the situation requires evacuation. In particular, since the evacuation guidance robot 1 generates an alarm sound while moving, the evacuation target person is more likely to notice that evacuation is necessary.

[0057] The display control unit 10c is a part that controls the display units of the television 101, the mobile phone 102, and the personal computer 103. That is, when the warning level determination unit 10b determines that the warning level included in the disaster-related information at the current location is a warning level that requires evacuation, the display control unit 10c causes the display units of the television 101, the mobile phone 102, and the personal computer 103 to display disaster-related images.

[0058] For example, when the communication module 12 receives flood-related information including an image indicating at least one of the river flow situation and the rainfall situation as disaster-related information, the display control unit 10c acquires the image data received by the communication module 12 and transmits the acquired image data to the TV 101, the mobile phone 102, and the personal computer 103 via the communication module 12. At this time, a control signal for controlling the display units of the TV 101, the mobile phone 102, and the personal computer 103 is also transmitted to control the display units of the TV 101, the mobile phone 102, and the personal computer 103 and display the above image data on the display units.

[0059] For example, when the TV 101 receives a control signal transmitted from the display control unit 10c while viewing a program, the display on the display unit automatically switches from the program display to the display of a disaster-related image. Similarly, when the mobile phone 102 and the personal computer 103 receive a control signal transmitted from the display control unit 10c, the display on the display unit automatically switches to the display of a disaster-related image. Further, when the TV 101, the mobile phone 102, and the personal computer 103 receive a control signal transmitted from the display control unit 10c when the display units are in the OFF state, the display units switch to ON and a disaster-related image is automatically displayed.

[0060] In order to be able to receive the control by such a display control unit 10c, an application, a program, etc. may be incorporated into the TV 101, the mobile phone 102, and the personal computer 103.

[0061] As the disaster-related images to be displayed by the display control unit 10c, various images captured by the fixed-point camera 105 may be used, or images showing the state of the evacuation shelter transmitted from the evacuation shelter information transmission unit 106 may be used. Further, as the disaster-related images, images incorporating the address and telephone number of the evacuation shelter may be used, or images showing the route from the current location of the evacuation guidance robot 1 (substantially the same as the position of the evacuation target person) to the evacuation shelter may be used. It is also possible to acquire a plurality of images captured by a plurality of fixed-point cameras 105 or the evacuation shelter information transmission unit 106. In this case, the display control unit 10c switches, for example, every 10 seconds, in order, from the image of one fixed-point camera 105 to the image of another fixed-point camera 105 and causes the display units of the television 101, the mobile phone 102, and the personal computer 103 to display the images. Thereby, for example, the state of rain, the state of river flooding, the state of the evacuation shelter, etc. can be grasped.

[0062] The route to the evacuation shelter can be generated by using, for example, a map application, a navigation application, or the like. Specifically, when the current location of the evacuation guidance robot 1 is acquired by the GPS sensor 7, the control unit 10 specifies the current location of the evacuation guidance robot 1 on the map data. Further, the position information of the nearest evacuation shelter from the current location can be specified based on the address of the evacuation shelter or the like. Based on the current location of the evacuation guidance robot 1 and the position information of the evacuation shelter, a route from the current location of the evacuation guidance robot 1 to the evacuation shelter is generated on the map data. It is also possible to cause the display units of the television 101, the mobile phone 102, and the personal computer 103 to display the image in which the generated route is displayed on the map as a disaster-related image.

[0063] The detection unit 10d is a part that detects whether or not the evacuation target person has evacuated. The detection unit 10d acquires the signal of the GPS sensor 7 and also acquires the position information of the evacuation shelter. At the time of evacuation, it is assumed that the evacuation guidance robot 1 is carried for evacuation. Therefore, if the current position acquired by the signal of the GPS sensor 7 is at or near the position of the evacuation shelter, it can be detected that the evacuation target person has evacuated. On the other hand, if the current position acquired by the signal of the GPS sensor 7 is at or near the home of the evacuation target person, it can be detected that the evacuation target person has not evacuated.

[0064] The details of the processing by the evacuation guidance robot 1 will be described below based on the flowchart shown in FIG. 3. In step S1, connection processing between the evacuation guidance robot 1 and the Internet (including connection processing with the server 104) is executed. Also, in step S1, connection processing (pairing processing) between the evacuation guidance robot 1 and the television 101, the mobile phone 102, and the personal computer 103 is executed.

[0065] In step S2, the operation control unit 10a of the control unit 10 determines whether the communication module 12 has received disaster-related information including disaster prevention meteorological information at the current location. This disaster prevention meteorological information includes a warning level. Since it is normal that the communication module 12 has not received the disaster prevention meteorological information, the determination in step S2 is repeatedly executed without proceeding to the next step.

[0066] When the communication module 12 has received the disaster prevention meteorological information, the process proceeds to step S3. In step S3, the warning level determination unit 10b determines whether the warning level included in the disaster prevention meteorological information received in step S2 is 3 or higher. If the warning level is not 3 or higher, that is, if it is warning level 1 or warning level 2, the need to evacuate at the current time is low, so the process returns to step S2. That is, if it is warning level 1 or warning level 2, since the need to evacuate at the current time is low, the process of returning to step S2 is executed.

[0067] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S3 that the warning level is 3 or higher, the process proceeds to step S4. In step S4, the operation control unit 10a controls the left traveling motor 4a, the right traveling motor 4b, and the alarm generator 13 to move the evacuation guidance robot 1 and generate an alarm sound at a first volume (low volume). In step S5, the display control unit 10c controls the display units of the television 101, the mobile phone 102, and the personal computer 103 to display disaster-related images on the display units. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, a screen (user interface image) 400 having a first area 401 for displaying the current warning level, a second area 402 for displaying the current alarm, and a third area 403 for displaying an image is displayed on the display unit of the television 101 or the like. The same can be displayed on the display units of the mobile phone 102 and the personal computer 103. The screen 400 may be displayed on all of the display units of the television 101, the mobile phone 102, and the personal computer 103, or may be displayed on only a part of them. The screen 400 is generated by the display control unit 10c, and the generated display data is transmitted to the television 101, the mobile phone 102, the personal computer 103, etc.

[0068] In the third area 403, an image of the fixed-point camera 105, that is, an image of the evacuation shelter can be displayed. Also, as shown in FIG. 5, a route from the current location to the evacuation shelter can be displayed in the third area 403. The display form shown in FIG. 4 and the display form shown in FIG. 5 can be switched and displayed.

[0069] In step S6, the detection unit 10d detects whether or not the evacuation target person has evacuated, and based on the detection result, the operation control unit 10a determines whether or not the evacuation of the evacuation target person is completed. If the evacuation of the evacuation target person is completed, this flow ends.

[0070] If the evacuation of the evacuees is not completed, proceed to step S7. In step S7, the alert level determination unit 10b determines whether the alert level included in the disaster prevention weather information received in step S2 is 4 or 5. If the alert level is 4 or 5, proceed to step S8. In step S8, the operation control unit 10a controls the alarm generator 13 to set the alarm sound to the second volume (loud volume). That is, when the alert level determination unit 10b determines that the alert level included in the disaster-related information is the first alert level, the operation control unit 10a causes the alarm generator 13 to generate an alarm sound at the first volume, and when the alert level determination unit 10b determines that the alert level included in the disaster-related information is the second alert level, the operation control unit 10a causes the alarm generator 13 to generate the alarm sound at a second volume greater than the first volume.

[0071] Also, in step S8, the operation control unit 10b automatically contacts rescue facilities such as local governments and fire departments for rescue. For example, the operation control unit 10b controls the communication module 12 to send an email requesting rescue to the rescue facility. This email may be a template and at least includes the address of the evacuee. Also, the communication module 12 may be a module connectable to a telephone line. In this case, it automatically calls the rescue facility and transmits a voice (a voice reading out the address of the evacuee, etc.) that has been pre-generated and stored in the storage unit 11 to the rescue facility. That is, when the detection unit 10d detects that the evacuee has not evacuated, and when the alert level determination unit 10b determines that the alert level included in the disaster-related information is 4 or 5, the operation control unit 10b executes an automatic contact to the rescue facility. This makes it possible to eliminate the remaining evacuees. When making the automatic contact, in addition to the address of the evacuee, the number of evacuees is also automatically contacted based on the pre-registered family composition, etc.

[0072] In the rescue facility, a rescuer (not shown) can be placed. When the rescuer receives an automatic communication from the evacuation guidance robot 1 or a rescue communication from the evacuation target person, it travels to the location where the evacuation target person is, and then carries the evacuation target person on board and transports them to the rescue facility. The rescuer is provided with an authentication device for authenticating whether or not the evacuation guidance robot 1 is on board the rescuer.

[0073] In step S9, the operation control unit 10b executes a rescue completion determination. Specifically, the operation control unit 10b determines whether or not the authentication process has been completed after the evacuation target person boards the rescuer with the evacuation guidance robot 1. The authentication device in the rescuer communicates with the communication module 12 of the evacuation guidance robot 1, and the communication module 12 transmits the unique ID information of the evacuation guidance robot 1 to the authentication device. The authentication device collates whether or not the unique ID information transmitted from the evacuation guidance robot 1 belongs to the evacuation guidance robot 1 owned by the evacuation target person who requested the rescue. If the collation is successful, it means that the evacuation target person has boarded the rescuer and been rescued, and the operation control unit 10b acquires the information of successful collation via the communication module 12. In this case, the process proceeds to step S10 and the operation control unit 10a stops the alarm sound.

[0074] If the rescue has not been completed, the process proceeds to step S11. In step S11, the operation control unit 10a continues the alarm sound. In this way, when the operation control unit 10a determines that the alert level included in the disaster-related information is the second alert level by the alert level determination unit 10b, the operation control unit 10a continues to generate an alarm sound at the second volume by the alarm generator 13 until the detection unit 10d detects that the evacuation target person has evacuated. Thereby, it is possible to prompt the evacuation target person to evacuate.

[0075] The above rescue vehicle can go to the place where the evacuation target is by automatic driving. Whether the evacuation target has boarded the rescue vehicle can be determined by the determination processing unit of the rescue vehicle. Information regarding, for example, the weight of the evacuation target is stored in the determination processing unit of the rescue vehicle. Further, the rescue vehicle is equipped with a measuring device for measuring the weight of the evacuation target. After the rescue vehicle arrives at the home or the like of the evacuation target, the weight of the evacuation target who has boarded the rescue vehicle from that home is measured by the measuring device. When there are a plurality of evacuation targets, the weights of all the evacuation targets are measured by the measuring device. The weight of the evacuation target thus obtained is compared with the information regarding the weight stored in the determination processing unit, and if they substantially match, it can be determined that the evacuation of all has been completed. On the other hand, if the weight stored in the determination processing unit is larger, it can be determined that the evacuation of some of the evacuation targets has not been completed. In this case, the alarm sound of the evacuation guidance robot 1 is continued to prompt the evacuation of some of the evacuation targets.

[0076] The above-described embodiments are merely illustrative in every respect and should not be construed in a limiting manner. Further, all modifications and changes belonging to the equivalent scope of the utility model registration claims are within the scope of the present invention. For example, an emergency earthquake warning can also be received by the evacuation guidance robot 1. In this case, an alarm sound is generated in the alarm generator 13 at the timing when the emergency earthquake warning is received.

Industrial Applicability

[0077] As described above, the evacuation guidance robot according to the present disclosure can be used when prompting people in the area to evacuate before a disaster occurs.

Explanation of Signs

[0078] 1 Evacuation guidance robot 4a Left-side driving motor (operation unit) 4b Right-side driving motor (operation unit) 10a Operation control unit 10b Alert level determination unit 10c Display control unit 10d Detection Unit 13 Alarm Generator (Operation Unit)

Claims

1. A evacuation guidance robot having an operating unit that operates based on disaster-related information notified before a disaster occurs, and guiding the evacuation of evacuees based on the disaster-related information, a receiving unit that receives the disaster-related information including a warning level; a warning level determination unit that determines whether the warning level included in the disaster-related information received by the receiving unit is a warning level that requires evacuation; an operation control unit that causes the operating unit to execute a notification operation indicating that evacuation is necessary when the warning level determination unit determines that the warning level included in the disaster-related information is a warning level that requires evacuation; and a display control unit that causes a display unit included in an information presentation device to display a disaster-related image when the warning level determination unit determines that the warning level included in the disaster-related information is a warning level that requires evacuation. The evacuation guidance robot is provided with the above components.

2. In the evacuation guidance robot according to Claim 1, further comprising a detection unit that detects whether an evacuee has evacuated, the warning level determination unit determines whether the warning level included in the disaster-related information is equal to or higher than a first warning level that requires evacuation, and when it is determined that the warning level included in the disaster-related information is equal to or higher than the first warning level, determines whether it is a second warning level with a higher necessity for evacuation than the first warning level, when the detection unit detects that the evacuee has not evacuated, the operation control unit automatically contacts a rescue facility when the warning level determination unit determines that the warning level included in the disaster-related information is the second warning level. The evacuation guidance robot performs the above operations.

3. In the evacuation guidance robot according to Claim 2, the operating unit includes an alarm generator that generates an alarm sound, when the warning level determination unit determines that the warning level included in the disaster-related information is the first warning level, the operation control unit causes the alarm generator to generate the alarm sound at a first volume, and when the warning level determination unit determines that the warning level included in the disaster-related information is the second warning level, the operation control unit causes the alarm generator to generate the alarm sound at a second volume that is greater than the first volume. The evacuation guidance robot performs the above operations.

4. In the evacuation guidance robot according to Claim 3, When the operation control unit determines that the warning level included in the disaster-related information is the second warning level by the warning level determination unit, the alarm generator continues to generate the alarm sound at the second volume until the detection unit detects that the evacuation target has evacuated. An evacuation guidance robot.

5. In the evacuation guidance robot according to claim 1, The receiving unit receives flood-related information including an image indicating at least one of the situation of the river flow and the situation of rainfall as the disaster-related information, The display control unit causes the display unit to display an image of at least one of the situation of the river flow and the situation of rainfall as the disaster-related image. An evacuation guidance robot.

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