Vehicle Driving Robot

Abstract

To provide a vehicle driving robot (1) applicable to a test requiring a handle operation by a test driver.SOLUTION: A vehicle driving robot includes a pedal operation member (13c) that can be switched to an accelerator operation position and a brake operation position, and a movable member (12a) that advances and retracts the pedal operation member. An accelerator pedal (4) or a brake pedal (3) is operated by switching the pedal operation member to the accelerator operation position or the brake operation position to advance or retract the movable member. The vehicle driving robot is also mounted to a front side surface of a driving seat (5a). Therefore, the accelerator pedal and the brake pedal can be operated by the one movable member and an advance and retract actuator (5b), an accommodation space of feet of a test driver can be secured, and a seat surface of the driving seat can be left open. Accordingly, a test in which the test driver sits in the drivers seat and operates a handle can be performed in a state the vehicle driving robot is installed in a vehicle.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle driving robot that drives a vehicle by operating an accelerator pedal and a brake pedal in place of a driver of the vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] Today's vehicles are required to be improved in various aspects, such as improved power performance, reduced fuel consumption, and reduced concentrations of harmful substances in exhaust gases. In reality, these demands are met by an accumulation of small improvements. For this reason, it is important to accurately grasp the effects of each improvement when developing a vehicle.

[0003] Here, there are two methods for evaluating vehicle performance using a vehicle: one is to mount the vehicle on a dedicated facility called a chassis dynamometer and run a predetermined running pattern on the chassis dynamometer to evaluate the performance, and the other is to run the vehicle on a test course or public road to evaluate the performance. Conventionally, in either method, a test driver gets in the vehicle and actually drives the vehicle to evaluate the performance, but the timing and amount of accelerator and brake operation are slightly different each time the evaluation is performed, making it difficult to accurately evaluate the effects of small improvements.

[0004] Therefore, vehicle driving robots that operate the accelerator pedal and brake pedal instead of test drivers have been developed (for example, Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2). By using these vehicle driving robots, it is possible to evaluate vehicles any number of times with consistent timing and amount of accelerator and brake operation, making it possible to accurately evaluate the effects of small improvements. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-248601 [Patent Document 2] JP 2003-098048 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, the proposed conventional vehicle driving robot has a problem that the applicable evaluation tests are limited to tests that do not involve steering of the vehicle. The reason for this is as follows. When the vehicle driving robot is to operate the accelerator of the vehicle, an actuator for operating the accelerator is required, and when the vehicle brake is to be operated, an actuator for operating the brake is required. Therefore, the space between the driver's seat and the accelerator pedal and the brake pedal is almost occupied by the accelerator operation actuator and the brake operation actuator, so it is difficult for the test driver to secure a place to place his / her feet when sitting in the driver's seat. In addition, since it is necessary to control the operation of two actuators for accelerator operation and brake operation, the control device becomes large, and since the driver's seat is occupied by the control device, it is difficult for the test driver to sit in the driver's seat. As a result, the applicable evaluation tests of the conventional vehicle driving robot are limited to evaluations that do not require steering (for example, evaluations of driving a predetermined driving pattern on a chassis dynamometer), and there is a problem that evaluation tests cannot be performed by actually driving a vehicle on a test course or public roads.

[0007] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems associated with the conventional technology, and has an object to provide a vehicle driving robot that can be applied to evaluation tests that require steering operation by a test driver. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the vehicle driving robot of the present invention adopts the following configuration. A vehicle driving robot that is detachably mounted on a vehicle having an accelerator pedal and a brake pedal and operates the accelerator pedal and the brake pedal in place of a driver of the vehicle, A base member attached to a front side of a driver's seat of the vehicle; a movable member provided so as to be movable toward and away from the base member; an actuator for moving the movable member forward and backward; a pedal operation member that is switched between an accelerator operation position where the accelerator pedal is operated by the forward and backward movement of the movable member and a brake operation position where the brake pedal is operated by the forward and backward movement of the movable member; a switching actuator that switches the position of the pedal operation member to the accelerator operation position or the brake operation position; The present invention is characterized by comprising:

[0009] The vehicle driving robot of the present invention is provided with a pedal operating member that can be switched to an accelerator operating position or a brake operating position, and when the movable member is advanced and retreated with the pedal operating member switched to the accelerator operating position, the accelerator pedal can be operated. When the movable member is advanced and retreated with the pedal operating member switched to the brake operating position, the brake pedal can be operated. The base member of the vehicle driving robot is attached to the front side of the driver's seat.

[0010] In this way, the accelerator pedal and the brake pedal can be switched depending on the position of the pedal operation member, so that the accelerator pedal and the brake pedal can be operated using one movable member and one forward / backward actuator. Therefore, unlike the case where the accelerator pedal and the brake pedal are respectively equipped with a movable member and a forward / backward actuator, the space in front of the driver's seat is not occupied by the movable member and the forward / backward actuator, so that the space for the test driver's feet can be easily secured. In addition, since the base member of the vehicle driving robot is attached to the front side of the driver's seat, the seat surface of the driver's seat can be left empty. Therefore, even if the vehicle driving robot is installed in the vehicle, the test driver can sit in the driver's seat, so that it is possible to perform an evaluation test in which the test driver operates the steering wheel while the accelerator and brake are operated by the vehicle driving robot.

[0011] In the vehicle driving robot of the present invention described above, the movable member may be formed in a shape in which the direction in which it moves back and forth is the longitudinal direction, and a pedal operation member may be attached to the tip of the movable member.

[0012] In this way, since both sides of the movable member are in the short direction, it is possible to easily secure space on both sides of the movable member to accommodate the feet of the test driver. In addition, when the position of the pedal operation member is switched between the accelerator operation position and the brake operation position, it is only necessary to switch the pedal operation member attached to the tip of the movable member, and there is no need to switch the position of the movable member, so the time required for switching is shortened and switching can be performed quickly.

[0013] Furthermore, in the vehicle driving robot of the present invention described above, the pedal operating member may be rotated about a rotation axis in the longitudinal direction of the movable member, thereby moving the vehicle to the accelerator operating position or the brake operating position.

[0014] This makes it possible to switch the position of the pedal operating member to the accelerator operating position or the brake operating position with a simple mechanism.

[0015] The vehicle driving robot of the present invention described above may also be provided with a pedal operation member (accelerator pedal operation member) that contacts the accelerator pedal at a position offset from the rotation axis when the movable member moves forward, and a pedal operation member (brake pedal operation member) that contacts the brake pedal at a position offset from the rotation axis in a direction different from that of the accelerator pedal operation member. The accelerator pedal operation member and the brake pedal operation member may be rotated as a unit using a switching actuator to switch between an accelerator operation position (a position where the accelerator pedal operation member contacts the accelerator pedal when the movable member moves forward, but the accelerator pedal operation member and the brake pedal operation member do not contact the brake pedal) and a brake operation position (a position where the brake pedal operation member contacts the brake pedal when the movable member moves forward, but the accelerator pedal operation member and the brake pedal operation member do not contact the accelerator pedal).

[0016] This allows the angle of rotation to be smaller than when switching between the accelerator operation position and the brake operation position by rotating a single pedal operation member about a rotation axis, making it possible to switch quickly.

[0017] In the vehicle driving robot of the present invention described above, an origin position for the accelerator pedal and an origin position for the brake pedal may be set, and the movable member may be moved to these positions. Furthermore, a pedal switching position may be set at a position further back than both the origin position for the accelerator pedal and the origin position for the brake pedal, and when the pedal operating member is switched to the accelerator operating position or the brake operating position, the pedal operating member may be switched with the movable member moved to the pedal switching position.

[0018] In this way, even if the vehicle driving robot is installed in a vehicle in which the distance from the accelerator pedal or brake pedal to the driver's seat is different, the accelerator and brake operations can be performed in the same way by appropriately setting the origin position for the accelerator pedal and the origin position for the brake pedal. Also, since the pedal switching position is set to a position further back than both the origin position for the accelerator pedal and the origin position for the brake pedal, by switching the pedal operating member after moving the movable member back to the pedal switching position, switching can be performed in the same way in any vehicle, and the accelerator and brake operations can be performed in the same way. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a general structure of a vehicle driving robot 1 according to the present embodiment. [Diagram 2] 3A to 3C are explanatory diagrams showing the operation of the robot body 10 of the present embodiment. [Diagram 3] 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which a robot body 10 of the present embodiment is mounted on a vehicle 2. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the robot body 10 of this embodiment is fixed to a driver's seat 5a. [Diagram 5] 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the positional relationship of a pedal operating arm 13c and a contact roller 13d with respect to a brake pedal 3 and an accelerator pedal 4, as viewed from the movable cylinder 12a side. [Figure 6] 1 is an explanatory diagram showing how the vehicle driving robot 1 of the present embodiment performs pedal operation while switching between a brake pedal 3 and an accelerator pedal 4. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a robot body 10 according to a first modified example. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the robot body 10 of the first modified example switches between an accelerator operation position and a brake operation position. [Figure 9] 11 is an explanatory diagram of a robot body 10 according to a second modified example. FIG. [Figure 10]FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the robot body 10 of the second modified example switches between an accelerator operation position and a brake operation position. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0020] A. This Example: A-1. Structure of vehicle driving robot 1: FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a rough structure of a vehicle driving robot 1 of this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle driving robot 1 of this embodiment includes a robot body 10 and a controller 20. The robot body 10 is structured such that various mechanisms described later are mounted on a rectangular aluminum base plate 11. A rectangular pressing plate 11a wider than the base plate 11 is attached at a right angle to the rear end of the base plate 11. The base plate 11 is widened in the left and right directions at the tip side, and cylindrical mounting rods 11b are erected at each of the widened positions. The pressing plate 11a and the mounting rods 11b are used to mount the robot body 10 to a vehicle. A method of mounting the robot body 10 to a vehicle will be described later. The base plate 11 of this embodiment corresponds to the "base member" of the present invention.

[0021] A pedal operation mechanism 12 and a pedal switching mechanism 13 are mounted on the base plate 11. The pedal operation mechanism 12 includes a rectangular prism-shaped movable cylinder 12a and an advance / retract actuator 12b that moves the movable cylinder 12a forward and backward in the longitudinal direction. The movable cylinder 12a is attached to the base plate 11 via the advance / retract actuator 12b, and a gap is formed between the movable cylinder 12a and the base plate 11. A linear encoder (not shown) is built into the advance / retract actuator 12b, and the movable cylinder 12a can be advanced and retracted (i.e., moved forward or backward) while detecting the position of the movable cylinder 12a. The movable cylinder 12a in this embodiment corresponds to the "movable member" in the present invention.

[0022] The pedal switching mechanism 13 is attached to the tip of the movable cylinder 12a. As shown in the figure, the pedal switching mechanism 13 includes a rectangular parallelepiped housing case 13a attached to the tip of the movable cylinder 12a, a rotating shaft 13b protruding from the center position of the housing case 13a, a pedal operation arm 13c extending laterally from the tip of the rotating shaft 13b and formed into an L-shape by bending the tip portion, and a contact roller 13d attached to the tip of the pedal operation arm 13c. A disk-shaped rotating roller 13e is rotatably mounted inside the housing case 13a, and the rotating shaft 13b is erected on the rotating shaft of the rotating roller 13e. The pedal operation arm 13c in this embodiment corresponds to the "pedal operation member" in the present invention.

[0023] A switching actuator 14 is attached to the side of the movable cylinder 12a. The switching actuator 14 has a structure in which a disk-shaped driving roller 14b and a DC motor (not shown) are mounted inside a rectangular parallelepiped housing case 14a, and the driving roller 14b is attached to the rotating shaft of the DC motor. The driving roller 14b and the rotating roller 13e in the housing case 13a are connected by a wire 14c, and when the driving roller 14b rotates, its movement is transmitted to the rotating roller 13e via the wire 14c. In addition, between the housing case 14a of the switching actuator 14 and the housing case 13a, the wire 14c is protected by a guide tube 14d made of soft resin. Therefore, the wire 14c can transmit the rotation of the driving roller 14b to the rotating roller 13e by smoothly sliding inside the guide tube 14d.

[0024] A-2. Motion of vehicle driving robot 1: The controller 20 is equipped with a touch panel type liquid crystal display 20a and various operation buttons 20b, and the controller 20 is equipped with a microcomputer, a memory, a hard disk, a communication card, etc. Various programs and data for operating the robot body 10 are stored in the memory and the hard disk. The controller 20, the forward and backward movement actuator 12b, and the switching actuator 14 are connected to each other via a communication cable 21 so as to be able to transmit and receive data. When the microcomputer reads out the stored programs and data, it executes the programs to control the operation of the robot body 10. Electric power for operating the forward and backward movement actuator 12b and the switching actuator 14 is supplied to the forward and backward movement actuator 12b and the switching actuator 14 via a power cable (not shown).

[0025] Figure 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of the robot body 10. Figure 2(a) shows the operation by the pedal operating mechanism 12, and Figure 2(b) shows the operation by the pedal switching mechanism 13 and the switching actuator 14. In order to avoid complicating the illustration, the tip portion of the base plate 11 and the mounting rod 11b are omitted from Figures 2(a) and 2(b).

[0026] When the forward / backward actuator 12b is driven, the movable cylinder 12a can be advanced and retreated as shown in FIG. 2(a). As described above, the forward / backward actuator 12b has a built-in linear encoder (not shown), so the movable cylinder 12a can be moved to a precise position and moved precisely by a desired amount. The arrows with diagonal lines in FIG. 2(a) represent the forward / backward movement of the movable cylinder 12a. A pedal switching mechanism 13 is attached to the tip of the movable cylinder 12a, and a switching actuator 14 is attached to the side of the movable cylinder 12a. Therefore, when the movable cylinder 12a is advanced and retreated, the pedal switching mechanism 13 and the switching actuator 14 also advance and retreat together.

[0027] On the other hand, when the switching actuator 14 is driven, the rotation of the drive roller 14b is transmitted to the rotating roller 13e of the pedal switching mechanism 13 to rotate the rotating shaft 13b, and the pedal operating arm 13c and the abutment roller 13d formed on the tip of the rotating shaft 13b rotate about the rotating shaft 13b. Here, the pedal switching mechanism 13 is equipped with two contact switches (not shown), one of which is turned ON when the pedal operating arm 13c and the abutment roller 13d rotate to the position shown by the thick solid line in Fig. 2(b), and the other contact switch is turned ON when the pedal operating arm 13c and the abutment roller 13d rotate to the position shown by the thin dashed line in Fig. 2(b). The outputs of these two contact switches are input to the switching actuator 14, and by detecting that these contact switches are turned ON, the switching actuator 14 is able to rotate the pedal operating arm 13c and the contact roller 13d between the position shown in Figure 2(a) and the position shown in Figure 2(b). The vehicle driving robot 1 of this embodiment having the above-mentioned structure is used as follows.

[0028] FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the state in which the robot body 10 of this embodiment is mounted on the vehicle 2. As shown in the figure, the robot body 10 of this embodiment is mounted on the vehicle 2 with the pressing plate 11a (see FIG. 1) attached to the rear end of the base plate 11 abutting against the front side of the driver's seat 5a. As described above with reference to FIG. 1, mounting rods 11b are erected at the left and right positions on the front side of the base plate 11 of the robot body 10. Then, as shown in FIG. 4, the mounting belt 7, which is wound around the rear side of the backrest part 5b of the driver's seat, is hung on the mounting rods 11b, and the mounting belt 7 is tightened together with the mounting rods 11b. By doing so, the pressing plate 11a of the base plate 11 is pressed against the front part of the driver's seat 5a, so that the robot body 10 can be fixed. At this time, the rotating shaft 13b (see FIG. 1) protruding from the tip of the robot body 10 is made to face a position between the brake pedal 3 and the accelerator pedal 4 of the vehicle 2. Incidentally, at the stage where the robot body 10 is fixed to the driver's seat 5a of the driver's seat, the contact roller 13d of the robot body 10 does not need to be in contact with the brake pedal 3 or the accelerator pedal 4. It is sufficient that the contact roller 13d can come into contact with the brake pedal 3 or the accelerator pedal 4 when the movable cylinder 12a is advanced as shown in FIG. 2(a).

[0029] Since the robot body 10 of this embodiment is attached to the driver's seat 5a of the driver's seat by the above method, the seat surface of the driver's seat 5a can be left empty. In addition, as described later, the robot body 10 of this embodiment can operate the brake pedal 3 and the accelerator pedal 4 with one movable cylinder 12a. Therefore, since it is not necessary to mount a movable cylinder on each of the brake pedal 3 and the accelerator pedal 4, the width of the robot body 10 is narrower than the width of the driver's seat 5a of the driver's seat. As a result, the test driver can sit in the driver's seat with his / her feet in the spaces on the left and right sides of the robot body 10. In addition, since the robot body 10 and the controller 20 are connected by a communication cable 21, the controller 20 may be placed on the passenger seat or on the dashboard 6.

[0030] 5 is an explanatory diagram showing the positional relationship between the pedal operating arm 13c and the contact roller 13d and the brake pedal 3 and accelerator pedal 4, as viewed from the movable cylinder 12a side. In the state shown in FIG. 5(a), the contact roller 13d is present on the accelerator pedal 4. In this state, when the movable cylinder 12a is advanced, the contact roller 13d comes into contact with the accelerator pedal 4, making it possible to operate the accelerator pedal 4. Hereinafter, the position of the pedal operating arm 13c and the contact roller 13d shown in FIG. 5(a) will be referred to as the "accelerator operating position."

[0031] Also, from the state shown in FIG. 5(a), when the pedal operating arm 13c and the contact roller 13d are rotated around the rotation shaft 13b as shown by the dashed arrow in the figure, the contact roller 13d comes above the brake pedal 3 as shown in FIG. 5(b). When the movable cylinder 12a is advanced in this state, the contact roller 13d comes into contact with the brake pedal 3, making it possible to operate the brake pedal 3. Hereinafter, the position of the pedal operating arm 13c and the contact roller 13d as shown in FIG. 5(b) will be referred to as the "brake operating position". In this way, by rotating the pedal operating arm 13c and the contact roller 13d to switch to either the accelerator operating position or the brake operating position, and then moving the movable cylinder 12a forward and backward, it becomes possible to operate the brake pedal 3 or the accelerator pedal 4 while switching between them.

[0032] Fig. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing how the vehicle driving robot 1 of this embodiment operates the pedals by switching between the brake pedal 3 and the accelerator pedal 4. The horizontal axis of Fig. 6 represents the passage of time, and the vertical axis represents the stroke amount of the forward and backward movement actuator 12b. As shown in the figure, in the vehicle driving robot 1 of this embodiment, the position where the forward and backward movement actuator 12b advances from the origin position by the stroke amount a is set as the pedal switching position. Note that in this embodiment, the origin position and the pedal switching position of the forward and backward movement actuator 12b are set at different positions, but the origin position and the pedal switching position may be set at the same position.

[0033] Also, a position moved from the origin position of the forward / backward actuator 12b by a stroke amount b larger than the stroke amount a is set as the origin position for the brake pedal 3. Here, the origin position for the brake pedal 3 is a position where the contact roller 13d (see FIG. 1) just comes into contact with the brake pedal 3 (or a position where the contact roller comes into contact within the range of play of the brake pedal 3) when the movable cylinder 12a is advanced by the forward / backward actuator 12b. The stroke amount b, which is the origin position for the brake pedal 3, is determined by actually mounting the robot body 10 on the vehicle 2 and measuring it.

[0034] Furthermore, the stroke amount c which is the origin position for the accelerator pedal 4 (i.e., the position where the contact roller 13d just contacts the accelerator pedal 4 or the position where the contact roller 13d contacts within the range of the accelerator pedal 4's play) is also determined by actually measuring the stroke amount c when the robot body 10 is mounted on the vehicle 2. In this embodiment, the stroke amount c which is the origin position for the accelerator pedal 4 is larger than the stroke amount b which is the origin position for the brake pedal 3. This is because, in the vehicle 2 on which the robot body 10 is mounted, the brake pedal 3 is disposed closer to the driver's seat 5a than the accelerator pedal 4. Therefore, depending on the arrangement of the brake pedal 3 and the accelerator pedal 4 in the vehicle 2 on which the robot body 10 is mounted, the stroke amount c may be smaller than the stroke amount b. In addition, the stroke amount a which is the pedal switching position is set to a value which is smaller by a predetermined amount than the smaller of the stroke amount b or the stroke amount c.

[0035] In the example shown in FIG. 6, initially, the pedal operation arm 13c and the contact roller 13d are set to the accelerator operation position (see FIG. 5(a)). Then, at time t0, the forward / backward actuator 12b is driven to move the movable cylinder 12a to the original position for the accelerator pedal 4, and then the forward / backward actuator 12b is driven in a preset pattern to operate the accelerator pedal 4. Then, at time t1, the movable cylinder 12a is returned to the pedal switching position, and then the switching actuator 14 is driven to switch the pedal operation arm 13c and the contact roller 13d from the accelerator operation position (see FIG. 5(a)) to the brake operation position (see FIG. 5(b)). Then, at time t2, the movable cylinder 12a is moved to the original position for the brake pedal 3, and then the forward / backward actuator 12b is driven in a preset pattern to operate the brake pedal 3. In addition, the thick solid line in Figure 6 represents the movement of the movable cylinder 12a when the pedal operating arm 13c and the contact roller 13d are switched to the accelerator operating position, and the thick dashed line in Figure 5 represents the movement of the movable cylinder 12a when the pedal operating arm 13c and the contact roller 13d are switched to the brake operating position.

[0036] After that, at time t3, the movable cylinder 12a is returned to the pedal switching position again, and then the pedal operating arm 13c and the contact roller 13d are switched from the brake operating position to the accelerator operating position. Then, at time t4, the movable cylinder 12a is moved to the origin position for the accelerator pedal 4, and then the forward / backward actuator 12b is driven to operate the accelerator pedal 4.

[0037] In this way, the vehicle driving robot 1 of this embodiment can operate the accelerator pedal 4 or the brake pedal 3 by switching the pedal operating arm 13c and the contact roller 13d to the accelerator operating position or the brake operating position. Therefore, it is not necessary to separately mount a movable cylinder for the accelerator pedal 4 and a movable cylinder for the brake pedal 3, and one movable cylinder 12a can be used, so that a space for the test driver to place his / her feet can be secured in front of the driver's seat 5a. As a result, the brake pedal 3 and the accelerator pedal 4 can be operated by the vehicle driving robot 1 while the test driver operates the steering wheel. Therefore, a highly reproducible test can be performed while actually driving the vehicle 2 on a test course or a public road, and the effect of fine improvements can be accurately evaluated.

[0038] Of course, since the brake pedal 3 and the accelerator pedal 4 are operated by one movable cylinder 12a, the brake pedal 3 and the accelerator pedal 4 cannot be operated simultaneously. However, since it is not necessary to operate the brake pedal 3 and the accelerator pedal 4 simultaneously in a test for evaluating the performance of the vehicle 2, this does not restrict the test. Rather, tests involving steering wheel operation by a test driver can be performed with the same brake and accelerator operations every time, which makes it possible to significantly expand the scope of application of the evaluation test.

[0039] 4, the robot body 10 can be easily attached to or detached from the front side of the driver's seat 5a using the attachment belt 7. This makes it possible to easily perform evaluation tests without modifying the vehicle 2.

[0040] Of course, the positional relationship between the brake pedal 3 and the accelerator pedal 4, and the positional relationship of the brake pedal 3 and the accelerator pedal 4 to the driver's seat 5a are considered to differ depending on the vehicle 2. Furthermore, it is considered that the mounting position changes slightly every time the robot body 10 is mounted. However, as described above with reference to FIG. 6, the vehicle driving robot 1 of this embodiment can set the origin position for the brake pedal 3 and the origin position for the accelerator pedal 4 separately after the robot body 10 is mounted to the driver's seat 5a. Therefore, it is possible to absorb differences depending on the vehicle 2 and differences that occur every time the robot body 10 is mounted, and it becomes possible to perform an evaluation test under the same conditions every time.

[0041] In addition, switching between the accelerator operation position (see FIG. 5(a)) and the brake operation position (see FIG. 5(b)) is performed after the movable cylinder 12a is retracted to the pedal switching position, so that even if the distance from the brake pedal 3 to the driver's seat 5a and the distance from the accelerator pedal 4 to the driver's seat 5a are different, the switching can be performed without any problem. Also, in the vehicle driving robot 1 of this embodiment, the brake pedal 3 or the accelerator pedal 4, whichever is closer to the driver's seat 5a, is used as a reference, and a position that is a predetermined distance closer to the driver's seat 5a from that reference is set as the pedal switching position. Therefore, compared to the case where the movable cylinder 12a is retracted to the origin position of the forward / retract actuator 12b, the time required to retract the movable cylinder 12a can be shortened, so that the pedal to be operated can be quickly switched.

[0042] Incidentally, since the distance between the brake pedal 3 and the accelerator pedal 4 does not vary greatly depending on the vehicle 2, in most vehicles 2, it is possible to operate the accelerator pedal 4 and the brake pedal 3 simply by mounting the robot body 10 to the driver's seat 5a and adjusting the origin position for the accelerator pedal 4 and the origin position for the brake pedal 3. However, the length of the pedal operating arm 13c may be made adjustable so that the distance from the rotation shaft 13b to the contact roller 13d can be changed. In this way, even in vehicles 2 in which the distance between the brake pedal 3 and the accelerator pedal 4 varies greatly, it is possible to operate the accelerator pedal 4 and the brake pedal 3 using the robot body 10.

[0043] B. Variation: There are several modified versions of the vehicle driving robot 1 of the present embodiment described above. These modified versions will be described below. Note that since the modified versions have many common parts with the present embodiment, the common parts are given the same numbers as in the present embodiment and will not be described again, and the description will focus on the differences from the present embodiment.

[0044] B-1. First modified example: In the above-described embodiment, a single pedal operating arm 13c is extended from the rotating shaft 13b of the pedal switching mechanism 13 (see FIG. 1). However, a plurality of pedal operating arms may be extended from the rotating shaft 13b.

[0045] FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of a robot body 10 of a first modified example in which a plurality of pedal operation arms are extended from a rotating shaft 13b. As shown in the figure, the robot body 10 of the first modified example has two pedal operation arms 13c1, 13c2 extended from the side of the tip portion of the rotating shaft 13b. The angles of the two pedal operation arms 13c1, 13c2 with respect to the rotating shaft 13b are right angles, and the angles between the two pedal operation arms 13c1, 13c2 are also right angles. In addition, the shape of each of the pedal operation arms 13c1, 13c2 is L-shaped by bending the tip portion at a right angle, and abutment rollers 13d1, 13d2 are attached to the tips of the bent portions, respectively.

[0046] Thus, the robot body 10 of the first modified example is equipped with two pedal operating arms 13c1, 13c2 and contact rollers 13d1, 13d2, one of which, the pedal operating arm 13c1 and the contact roller 13d1, is used to operate the brake pedal 3, and the other, the pedal operating arm 13c2 and the contact roller 13d2, is used to operate the accelerator pedal 4. Therefore, in this embodiment, the pedal operating arm 13c1 corresponds to the "accelerator pedal operating member" of the present invention, and the pedal operating arm 13c2 corresponds to the "brake pedal operating member" of the present invention.

[0047] FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing how the robot body 10 of the first modified example switches between an accelerator operation position and a brake operation position by rotating the rotating shaft 13b. In FIG. 8, as in FIG. 5, the state seen from the movable cylinder 12a side is shown. As described above with reference to FIG. 7, in the robot body 10 of the first modified example, the two pedal operation arms 13c1 and 13c2 are formed at a right angle, so that as shown in FIG. 8(a), when the rotating shaft 13b is rotated to a position where the contact roller 13d1 of the pedal operation arm 13c1 is above the accelerator pedal 4 (accelerator operation position), the pedal operation arm 13c2 and the contact roller 13d2 are positioned between the brake pedal 3 and the accelerator pedal 4. Therefore, when the movable cylinder 12a is advanced in this state, the accelerator pedal 4 can be operated.

[0048] 8(b), when the rotating shaft 13b is rotated to a position (brake operating position) where the contact roller 13d2 of the pedal operating arm 13c2 is located above the brake pedal 3, the pedal operating arm 13c1 and the contact roller 13d1 then come to a position between the brake pedal 3 and the accelerator pedal 4. Therefore, when the movable cylinder 12a is advanced in this state, the brake pedal 3 can be operated.

[0049] As is clear from Fig. 8, in the robot body 10 of the first modified example, the accelerator operation position in Fig. 8(a) and the brake operation position in Fig. 8(b) can be switched simply by rotating the rotation shaft 13b by 90 degrees. Therefore, in the present embodiment described above, it is possible to shorten the time required for switching between the accelerator operation position and the brake operation position, compared to the case in which the rotation shaft 13b needs to be rotated 180 degrees to switch between the accelerator operation position and the brake operation position.

[0050] B-2. Second variant: In the above-described embodiment, the accelerator operation position and the brake operation position are switched by rotating the rotating shaft 13b. However, if it is possible to switch between a state in which the contact roller 13d1 can contact the accelerator pedal 4 and a state in which the contact roller 13d2 can contact the brake pedal 3, it is not necessary to rotate the rotating shaft 13b. For example, the contact rollers 13d1 and 13d2 may be provided on both ends of a rod-shaped pedal operation arm 13c, and the pedal operation arm 13c may be slid to switch between a state in which the contact roller 13d1 can contact the accelerator pedal 4 and a state in which the contact roller 13d2 can contact the brake pedal 3.

[0051] FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram of a robot body 10 of the second modified example. As shown in the figure, the robot body 10 of the second modified example has a switching actuator 14 attached to the tip of the movable cylinder 12a, and a rod-shaped pedal operation arm 13c attached to the switching actuator 14. The pedal operation arm 13c is slidable in the longitudinal direction, and both ends of the pedal operation arm 13c are bent at right angles, and a contact roller 13d1 and a contact roller 13d2 are attached to the leading ends of the bent parts. In the second modified example, by moving the pedal operation arm 13c in the longitudinal direction using the switching actuator 14, it is possible to switch between a state in which the contact roller 13d1 can contact the accelerator pedal 4 and a state in which the contact roller 13d2 can contact the brake pedal 3.

[0052] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing how the robot body 10 of the second modified example switches between an accelerator operation position and a brake operation position by moving the pedal operation arm 13c. Note that FIG. 10 also shows a state seen from the movable cylinder 12a side, as in FIG. 5 or FIG. 8 described above. As shown in FIG. 10(a), when the pedal operation arm 13c is slid to the side to which the contact roller 13d1 is attached, the contact roller 13d1 is placed in a position (accelerator operation position) where it can contact the accelerator pedal 4, and in this state, the movable cylinder 12a is advanced to operate the accelerator pedal 4. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 10(b), when the pedal operation arm 13c is slid to the side to which the contact roller 13d2 is attached, the contact roller 13d2 is placed in a position (brake operation position) where it can contact the brake pedal 3, and in this state, the movable cylinder 12a is advanced to operate the brake pedal 3.

[0053] The above describes the vehicle driving robot 1 in this embodiment and various modified examples. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment and various modified examples, and can be embodied in various forms without departing from the gist of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0054] 1...vehicle driving robot, 2...vehicle, 3...brake pedal, 4...accelerator pedal, 5a...driver's seat, 5b...backrest, 6...dashboard; 7...mounting belt; 10...robot body; 11...base plate, 11a...pressing plate, 11b...mounting rod, 12... Pedal operation mechanism, 12a... Movable cylinder, 12b... forward and backward movement actuator; 13... pedal switching mechanism; 13a...accommodation case; 13b...rotating shaft; 13c...pedal operation arm; 13d...contact roller; 13e...rotating roller; 13c1...pedal operation arm; 13c2... Pedal operation arm, 14... Switching actuator, 14a...accommodating case; 14b...driving roller; 14c...wire; 14d...guide tube, 20...controller, 20a...liquid crystal screen, 20b...operation button; 21...communication cable; 13d1...contact roller; 13d2...contact roller.

Claims

1. A vehicle driving robot that is detachably mounted on a vehicle having an accelerator pedal and a brake pedal and operates the accelerator pedal and the brake pedal in place of a driver of the vehicle, A base member attached to a front side of a driver's seat of the vehicle; a movable member provided so as to be movable toward and away from the base member; an actuator for moving the movable member forward and backward; a pedal operation member that is switched between an accelerator operation position where the accelerator pedal is operated by the forward and backward movement of the movable member and a brake operation position where the brake pedal is operated by the forward and backward movement of the movable member; a switching actuator that switches the position of the pedal operation member to the accelerator operation position or the brake operation position; A vehicle driving robot comprising:

2. The vehicle driving robot according to claim 1, The movable member is a member having a shape in which the direction of the forward and backward movement is a longitudinal direction, The pedal operation member is attached to the tip of the movable member. A vehicle driving robot.

3. The vehicle driving robot according to claim 2, The pedal operation member is a member that can be moved to the accelerator operation position or the brake operation position by rotating about a rotation axis in the longitudinal direction of the movable member. A vehicle driving robot.

4. The vehicle driving robot according to claim 3, The pedal operation member is an accelerator pedal operating member that comes into contact with the accelerator pedal at a position offset with respect to the rotation shaft when the movable member moves forward; a brake pedal operating member that comes into contact with the brake pedal at a position offset from the rotation shaft in a direction different from that of the accelerator pedal operating member when the movable member moves forward; It is equipped with The switching actuator rotates the accelerator pedal operation member and the brake pedal operation member as a unit, an accelerator operation position in which, when the movable member moves forward, the accelerator pedal operation member abuts against the accelerator pedal, but the accelerator pedal operation member and the brake pedal operation member do not abut against the brake pedal; When the movable member moves forward, the brake pedal operation member is switched to a brake operation position in which the brake pedal operation member abuts against the brake pedal, but the accelerator pedal operation member and the brake pedal operation member are not switched to a brake operation position in which the accelerator pedal operation member and the brake pedal operation member do not abut against the accelerator pedal. A vehicle driving robot.

5. The vehicle driving robot according to any one of claims 1 to 4, The forward / backward actuator is the movable member is capable of being moved to a preset origin position for the accelerator pedal, a preset origin position for the brake pedal, and a pedal switching position set to a position further back than both the origin position for the accelerator pedal and the origin position for the brake pedal, The switching actuator switches the position of the pedal operation member when the movable member is moved to the pedal switching position. A vehicle driving robot.

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