CONTROL DEVICE, CLEANING DEVICE CONTROL METHOD, AND CONTROL PROGRAM

Abstract

To achieve general-purpose moving control of a cleaning apparatus for pipes.SOLUTION: A controller (1) includes: a pipe detection unit (101) that detects a pipe in an image taken by an imaging device (271) attached to a cleaning apparatus (2) which cleans a surface of the pipe; an angle identification unit (102) that identifies an inclination angle of the pipe detected by the pipe detection unit (101); and a moving control unit (104) that performs moving control of the cleaning apparatus (2) on the basis of the inclination angle.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a control device that controls the movement of a cleaning device that cleans pipes. [Background technology]

[0002] Boilers used to generate electricity using waste heat from incinerators are equipped with many pipes. These pipes are arranged in the exhaust passage of the exhaust gas generated by the incinerator, and fluids such as water and steam flow through them. For this reason, the above pipes are also called boiler water pipes. The thermal energy generated by incineration is recovered by heat exchange between the exhaust gas and the fluid flowing through the boiler water pipes.

[0003] In this way, because the boiler water tubes are exposed to exhaust gas, fly ash generated in the incinerator and other substances adhere to and accumulate on the surface of the boiler water tubes, reducing the heat exchange efficiency. Therefore, the surface of the boiler water tubes needs to be cleaned periodically. However, cleaning the boiler water tubes by hand is not easy, and automatic cleaning using cleaning devices has been considered for some time.

[0004] For example, the following Patent Document 1 discloses a cleaning device equipped with a water tube group traveling cleaning device that is mounted with a cleaning tool and moves in the tube axis direction of a boiler water tube group. This water tube group traveling cleaning device is lowered between the boiler water tubes to be cleaned and moves along the side of the boiler water tubes to perform cleaning. Since the water tube group traveling cleaning device cannot move in the tube row direction, it is moved while housed in a tube row direction moving device that moves in the tube row direction of the boiler water tube group, and then lowered between the boiler water tubes to be cleaned next. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2006-138572 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The cleaning device of Patent Document 1 can only move along the boiler water tubes with the water tube group traveling cleaning device lowered between the boiler water tubes. Therefore, when starting cleaning, it is first necessary to stop the water tube group traveling cleaning device at a position where it can be lowered between the boiler water tubes.

[0007] However, it is difficult to always stop the water tube group traveling cleaning device in the correct position. For this reason, the cleaning device of Patent Document 1 is provided with a stop position correction arm for correcting the stop position of the water tube group traveling cleaning device.

[0008] Thus, the cleaning device of Patent Document 1 lacks versatility in that it requires a special mechanism such as a stop position correction arm to automatically move the cleaning device. One aspect of the present invention aims to realize a general-purpose movement control of a cleaning device that cleans pipes. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to solve the above problems, a control device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a pipe detection unit that detects the pipe from an image captured by an imaging device attached to a cleaning device that cleans the surface of a pipe, an angle identification unit that identifies the inclination angle of the pipe detected by the pipe detection unit, and a movement control unit that controls the movement of the cleaning device based on the inclination angle.

[0010] In order to solve the above problems, a control device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a deviation amount calculation unit that calculates the amount of deviation from a predetermined reference position of a cleaning device based on the detection values ​​of a pair of proximity sensors that detect the tubes and are attached to symmetrical positions on the left and right sides of a cleaning device that cleans multiple tubes arranged in parallel, and a movement control unit that controls the movement of the cleaning device based on the deviation amount, wherein the pair of proximity sensors are positioned so that when one proximity sensor is positioned directly above the tube, the other proximity sensor is positioned at the detection limit of the tube adjacent to the tube, and the deviation amount calculation unit calculates the deviation amount using an approximation equation that approximates the relationship between the difference in detection values ​​of the pair of proximity sensors and the deviation amount.

[0011] In order to solve the above problems, a cleaning device control method according to one embodiment of the present invention is a cleaning device control method executed by a control device, and includes a tube detection step of detecting the tube from an image captured by an imaging device attached to the cleaning device that cleans the surface of a tube, an angle identification step of identifying the inclination angle of the tube detected in the tube detection step, and a movement control step of controlling the movement of the cleaning device based on the inclination angle.

[0012] In order to solve the above problems, a cleaning device control method according to one embodiment of the present invention is a method executed by a control device, and includes a deviation amount calculation step of calculating a deviation amount from a predetermined reference position of the cleaning device based on detection values ​​of a pair of proximity sensors that detect the tubes and are attached to symmetrical positions on the left and right sides of the cleaning device that cleans multiple tubes arranged in parallel, and a movement control step of controlling the movement of the cleaning device based on the deviation amount, wherein the pair of proximity sensors are positioned so that when one proximity sensor is positioned directly above the tube, the other proximity sensor is positioned at the detection limit of the tube adjacent to the tube, and in the deviation amount calculation step, the deviation amount is calculated using an approximation equation that approximates the relationship between the difference between the detection values ​​of the pair of proximity sensors and the deviation amount. Effect of the Invention

[0013] According to one aspect of the present invention, a universal movement control of a tube cleaning device can be achieved. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a configuration of a main part of a control device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an overview of a cleaning system including the above control device. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an overview of pipe detection and inclination angle determination by the control device. [Figure 4] 5A and 5B are diagrams illustrating a specific example of pipe detection by the control device. [Diagram 5] 5 is a diagram showing an outline of a method for calculating a deviation amount by a deviation amount calculation unit included in the control device. FIG. [Figure 6] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating the relationship between the positional relationship between a proximity sensor and a pipe and the detection value of the proximity sensor. [Figure 7] 10 is a diagram illustrating a positional relationship between a proximity sensor and a pipe, and an approximation formula for a detection value of the proximity sensor; [Figure 8] 13 is a diagram showing a function for calculating a deviation amount from a difference between detection values ​​of the proximity sensors. FIG. [Figure 9] 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating an example of the operation of the cleaning device during centering. [Figure 10] 13A and 13B are diagrams illustrating a method for calculating the travel time of the cleaning device during centering. [Figure 11] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a method for controlling the cleaning device based on an inclination angle. [Figure 12] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a method for controlling the cleaning device based on the amount of deviation. [Figure 13] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of calculating a deviation amount according to the second embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] [Embodiment 1] (Overview of the cleaning system) An overview of the cleaning system 5 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an overview of the cleaning system 5. The cleaning system 5 is a system for cleaning the surface of a pipe PI, and includes a control device 1 and a cleaning device 2. The control device 1 is a device that controls the operation of the cleaning device 2. The cleaning device 2 is a cleaning device for the pipe PI that operates according to the control of the control device 1. The upper part of Fig. 2 shows a perspective view of the cleaning device 2, and the lower part of the same figure shows a side view of the cleaning device 2.

[0016] The pipes PI are straight pipes, and are arranged in multiple rows at equal intervals in the horizontal direction. The pipes PI are arranged in multiple stages in the vertical direction. In this embodiment, an example will be described in which the pipes PI are piping of a boiler (not shown) used for power generation using waste heat from an incinerator, that is, the above-mentioned boiler water pipe. Of course, the cleaning system 5 can also be used to clean pipes other than boiler water pipes, as long as the cleaning device 2 has a strength sufficient to allow it to travel on the pipes and at least a portion of the pipes is straight.

[0017] As shown in the figure, the cleaning device 2 includes a main body 21, a crawler 22, a hose reel 23, and a hose 24, and a pantograph 25 is housed inside the main body 21. Furthermore, as shown in the side view of Figure 2, a water outlet 26 is provided at the tip of the pantograph 25. Furthermore, a housing section 27 is provided at the front end section of the main body 21.

[0018] 2 shows only the left crawler 22, a pair of crawlers 22 are provided at symmetrical positions on either side of the main body 21. The crawlers 22 function as a traveling device that moves the cleaning device 2 forward and backward and rotates it in a horizontal plane. Other types of traveling devices, such as wheels, may be used instead of the crawlers 22.

[0019] The hose reel 23 winds around the hose 24, which is a tube that delivers a cleaning liquid (e.g., water) for the pipe PI to the water outlet 26. The pantograph 25 is expandable by a link mechanism, and can be extended toward the bottom of the main body 21 during cleaning and contracted during movement. The water outlet 26 is connected to the hose 24, and discharges the cleaning liquid delivered from the hose 24 to the side.

[0020] That is, the cleaning device 2 is configured to extend the pantograph 25, position the water outlet 26 to the side of the pipe PI to be cleaned, and in this state, cleans the pipe PI with water pressure by sending cleaning liquid from the hose 24 into the water outlet 26. Note that the method for cleaning the pipe PI is arbitrary, and for example, a cleaning tool such as a brush may be pressed against the pipe PI to clean it.

[0021] The cleaning device 2 lowers the pantograph 25 between the pipes PI to be cleaned to perform cleaning, and therefore needs to move to the pipes PI to be cleaned as a preliminary step to cleaning. In order to perform this movement automatically, a photographing device and a proximity sensor are provided inside the accommodation unit 27 of the cleaning device 2 (neither of which is shown in FIG. 2).

[0022] The control device 1 acquires the image captured by the image capture device and the detection value of the proximity sensor, and controls the cleaning device 2 based on these. This makes it possible to automatically move the cleaning device 2 between the pipes PI to be cleaned, and have the cleaning device 2 clean the pipes PI.

[0023] (Control device configuration) The configuration of the control device 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the main parts of the control device 1. As shown in the figure, the control device 1 includes a control unit 10 that controls each part of the control device 1, and a storage unit 11 that stores various data used by the control device 1. The control device 1 also includes a communication unit 12 that allows the control device 1 to communicate with other devices, an input unit 13 that accepts input of various data to the control device 1, and an output unit 14 that allows the control device 1 to output various data. The control unit 10 includes a pipe detection unit 101, an angle identification unit 102, a deviation amount calculation unit 103, and a movement control unit 104.

[0024] The pipe detection unit 101 detects the pipe PI from an image captured by an imaging device attached to the cleaning device 2. The image may be acquired via the communication unit 12 or the input unit 13. Then, the angle identification unit 102 identifies the inclination angle of the pipe PI detected by the pipe detection unit 101.

[0025] The deviation amount calculation unit 103 calculates the amount of deviation of the cleaning device 2 from a predetermined reference position based on detection values ​​of a pair of proximity sensors that detect the pipes PI and are attached to symmetrical positions on the left and right of the cleaning device 2. In this embodiment, an example will be described in which the reference position is a central position (a position equidistant from the two pipes PI) of two pipes PI arranged adjacent to each other in parallel, and the deviation amount calculation unit 103 calculates the amount of deviation between the central position in the left and right direction of the cleaning device 2 and the above-mentioned central position.

[0026] Of course, the reference position may be determined appropriately and is not limited to this example. For example, the center position of the pipe PI may be set as the reference position, and the amount of deviation between the center position of the cleaning device 2 in the left-right direction and the center position of the pipe PI may be calculated.

[0027] The movement control unit 104 controls the movement of the cleaning device 2 based on either or both of the tilt angle identified by the angle identification unit 102 and the amount of deviation calculated by the deviation amount calculation unit 103. Although details will be described later, the movement control unit 104 performs, for example, a turning control for changing the direction of the cleaning device 2 and a control for moving the cleaning device 2 to the center position of the adjacent pipe PI. Note that, here, turning control that does not change the position of the control device 2 is also included in the category of movement control.

[0028] As described above, the control device 1 includes a pipe detection unit 101 that detects the pipe PI from an image captured by an imaging device attached to the cleaning device 2 that cleans the surface of the pipe PI, an angle identification unit 102 that identifies the inclination angle of the pipe PI detected by the pipe detection unit 101, and a movement control unit 104 that controls the movement of the cleaning device 2 based on the identified inclination angle.

[0029] The tilt angle of the pipe PI shown in the image captured by the imaging device attached to the cleaning device 2 reflects the orientation of the cleaning device 2 relative to the pipe PI. If the orientation of the cleaning device 2 relative to the pipe PI can be determined, it becomes possible to change the direction of the cleaning device 2 so that it faces in a predetermined direction relative to the pipe PI, to move the cleaning device 2 along the pipe PI, or to move the cleaning device 2 in a direction perpendicular to the pipe PI.

[0030] Therefore, the above configuration can realize movement control of the cleaning device 2 based on the image captured by the imaging device. Moreover, the above configuration is more versatile than the technology of Patent Document 1 in that it does not require a special configuration such as an arm for correcting the stop position. Therefore, the above configuration has the effect of realizing versatile movement control of the cleaning device 2.

[0031] (Overview of pipe detection and tilt angle determination) Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an overview of pipe detection and inclination angle determination by the control device 1. Fig. 2 shows a top view of the cleaning device 2 positioned on the pipe PI, and an image IMG captured by the image capture device 271 provided in the cleaning device 2. Note that the external appearance of the cleaning device 2 is simplified compared to Fig. 2. This is the same in Fig. 3 and subsequent figures.

[0032] 3, the front side of the cleaning device 2 is inclined to the left with respect to the extension direction of the pipe PI. Also, a photographing device 271 is provided at the front part of the cleaning device 2. This photographing device 271 is housed in the housing part 27 in FIG. 2, and is arranged so as to photograph the lower side of the cleaning device 2. The photographing device 271 may be any device capable of taking an image in which the outline of the pipe PI can be recognized, and may be, for example, a depth camera.

[0033] In this state, in the image IMG captured by the imaging device 271 included in the cleaning device 2, the pipe PI is shown tilted upward to the right as shown in the figure. Although details will be described later, the pipe detection unit 101 detects a line segment L1 that forms the outer edge of the pipe PI from the image IMG. Then, the angle identification unit 102 identifies the tilt angle of the line segment L1 detected by the pipe detection unit 101 with respect to a line segment L2 as the tilt angle of the pipe PI. Note that the line segment L2 is perpendicular to the upper and lower sides of the image IMG.

[0034] When the front-rear direction of the cleaning device 2 is parallel to the extension direction of the pipe PI, that is, when the line segment constituting the detected outer edge of the pipe is parallel to the line segment L2, Δθ is zero. Using the direction in which Δθ is zero as a reference, the inclination angle of the pipe can be expressed, for example, with the inclination to the right being positive and the inclination to the left being negative. In this case, as shown in Figure 3, when the front side of the cleaning device 2 is inclined to the left, Δθ is a positive value, and when the front side of the cleaning device 2 is inclined to the right, Δθ is a negative value.

[0035] (Example of pipe detection) Fig. 4 is a diagram showing a specific example of tube detection by the control device 1. IMG1 shown in Fig. 4 is an image captured by the image capture device 271. In this image IMG1, in areas A1 and A2, etc., the outer edge of the tube, which should be straight, is distorted and curved. Such distortion occurs when the lens of the image capture device 271 is a wide-angle lens. Note that the proximity sensors are captured in the lower left and lower right corners of the image IMG1.

[0036] Since distortion hinders pipe detection, in the example of Fig. 4, prior to pipe detection, the pipe detection unit 101 performs distortion correction on image IMG1 to generate image IMG2 in which the distortion has been corrected. In image IMG2, the outer edge of the pipe in areas A1' and A2' corresponding to areas A1 and A2 is linear. Since the pattern of distortion that occurs depends on the photographing device 271, for example, a check pattern may be photographed in advance by the photographing device 271, and correction parameters may be created that will eliminate the distortion of the photographed check pattern. Using such correction parameters makes it possible to correct the distortion.

[0037] Furthermore, IMG3 shown in Fig. 4 is also an image captured by the imaging device 271, but interference fringes are generated in area A3 and the like of this image IMG3. Such noise may also hinder pipe detection. For this reason, the pipe detection unit 101 may perform noise removal prior to pipe detection. Image IMG4 shown in Fig. 4 is an image obtained by performing noise removal processing on image IMG3. Image IMG4 is a clear image without interference fringes.

[0038] Any method for removing noise can be used. For example, noise may be removed by a bilateral filter. The bilateral filter is a filter that removes noise while leaving edges in the image clearly visible, and is therefore suitable as a noise removal filter used in preprocessing for pipe detection.

[0039] From the image that has been subjected to the above-mentioned distortion correction and noise removal, the pipe detection unit 101 detects the line segments that form the outer edge of the pipe. Various edge detection methods can be applied to detect these line segments. For example, the pipe detection unit 101 may perform edge detection using the Canny method. In the Canny method, the target image is converted to grayscale, and then a portion in the converted image where the luminance change is equal to or greater than a threshold is detected as an edge.

[0040] Figure 4 shows edge image IMG5, which is the result of edge detection using the Canny method from image IMG4. Edge image IMG5 is a binarized image in which various edges, including the outer edge of the pipe, are represented by white lines and the area other than the edges is a black background.

[0041] Thereafter, the pipe detection unit 101 detects straight lines from the edge image IMG 5. The detected straight lines include the edges of the outer periphery of the pipes, so the process of detecting straight lines can be said to be a process of detecting pipes.

[0042] Any method may be used to detect straight lines from the edge image IMG5. For example, the pipe detection unit 101 may detect straight lines by a Hough transform. In this case, the pipe detection unit 101 expresses the equation of the straight line to be detected as ρ=xcosθ+ysinθ, and obtains a pair of (ρ, θ) of the straight line on which a predetermined number or more edge pixels (white pixels in the edge image IMG5) are located, i.e., the polar coordinates.

[0043] As a result, each straight line (each straight line consisting of a predetermined number of white pixels or more) of a predetermined length or more contained in the edge image IMG5 is expressed by polar coordinates (ρ, θ). In order to avoid detecting straight lines other than the outer edge of the pipe to the greatest extent possible, it is preferable to perform straight line detection while avoiding the image end parts of the edge image IMG5 where things other than the outer edge of the pipe are reflected. The detection target area for straight lines may be determined in advance.

[0044] Next, the angle identification unit 102 identifies the inclination angle of the pipe from the straight line detected by the pipe detection unit 101. More specifically, the angle identification unit 102 identifies the inclination of the straight line expressed by the polar coordinates (ρ, θ) in the xy coordinate system, i.e., the orthogonal coordinate system. Specifically, the angle identification unit 102 finds two points on the straight line expressed by the polar coordinates (ρ, θ), and finds the distance x1 in the x-axis direction and the distance y1 in the y-axis direction between the two points. Here, if the inclination to be identified is φ, then tanφ=y1 / x1 holds, and therefore the angle identification unit 102 can identify the inclination φ from the found values ​​of x1 and y1. However, 0<φ<180° must be satisfied.

[0045] The angle identification unit 102 performs the above process on all straight lines detected by the pipe detection unit 101 to identify the inclination of each detected straight line. Here, the angle identification unit 102 excludes angles that exceed a threshold value from among the identified angles. Then, the angle identification unit 102 identifies the average value of the remaining angles that have not been excluded as the inclination angle of the pipe.

[0046] In addition, the detection of the pipe and the determination of the inclination angle may be performed multiple times in a time series, and the moving average of each determination result may be determined as the inclination angle of the pipe. In this case, for example, the photographing by the photographing device 271, the detection of the pipe from the photographed image, and the determination of the inclination angle may be performed at a predetermined cycle (for example, several Hz to several tens of Hz), and the moving average of the determination results for multiple cycles may be determined as the inclination angle of the pipe for the multiple cycles.

[0047] (Example of control: turning) The movement control unit 104 can rotate the cleaning device 2 based on the tilt angle identified by the angle identification unit 102 as described above, and direct the cleaning device 2 in a desired direction. T After setting the above, the inclination angle Δθ=Δθ specified by the angle specifying unit 102 is T For example, when the cleaning device 2 is rotated so that the front-rear direction is parallel to the extending direction of the pipe, the movement control unit 104 determines the rotational angle Δθ T= 0. Then, the movement control unit 104 sets the tilt angle Δθ specified by the angle specifying unit 102 to Δθ=Δθ T The cleaning device 2 should be rotated until the value becomes 0.

[0048] However, there is a time lag between when the control device 1 transmits a control signal to the cleaning device 2 and when the cleaning device 2 operates in accordance with the control signal. For this reason, it is preferable that the movement control unit 104 performs turning control taking this time lag into consideration.

[0049] For example, the movement control unit 104 calculates the tilt angle Δθ expressed by the following formula: S The turning control may be performed with t as a threshold value. d is the dead time from the transmission of the control signal until the cleaning device 2 starts to operate, γ is the angular velocity of the cleaning device 2 while it is turning, V is the running speed of the cleaning device 2 (the speed at which it runs at the rotational speed of the motor when turning), and a is the running acceleration of the cleaning device 2 (the acceleration when it runs at the rotational speed of the motor when turning). The coefficient of γ (1 / 2) in the following formula is set on the assumption that the angular velocity decreases linearly during the period from turning to stopping the turning. The coefficient of γ need only correspond to the fluctuation pattern of the angular velocity during the period until stopping the turning, and is not limited to 1 / 2. Δθ S =t d *γ+V / a*γ / 2 Specifically, the movement control unit 104 outputs control signals for turning right, turning left, and stopping (ending turning) according to the following conditions. Note that, depending on how the reference axis is taken, the positive or negative value of Δθ in the following conditional expression and the Δθ on the right side of the following conditional expression may differ. S The sign of changes. Δθ>Δθ T -Δθ S : Turn right Δθ<Δθ T +Δθ S :Left turn |Δθ|=Δθ T +Δθ S : Stop (end of turn) The flow of the process during rotation is, for example, as follows. Note that the following describes the rotation control when the cleaning device 2 is parallel to the pipe, that is, ΔθT The turning control in the case where the value of the positive integer is 0 will be described.

[0050] First, the movement control unit 104 calculates the angular velocity γ of the cleaning device 2, and then the movement control unit 104 adds a predetermined dead time t d The angle that changes during the time lag, i.e., the above Δθ S The movement control unit 104 calculates the value of the first term on the right side of the calculation formula. In addition, the movement control unit 104 calculates the above Δθ S Calculate the value of the second term on the right side of the formula, and use this to calculate Δθ S Find the value of .

[0051] Next, the movement control unit 104 determines whether the magnitude (|Δθ|) of the tilt angle Δθ identified by the angle identification unit 102 is Δθ S Here, the movement control unit 104 determines whether |Δθ|≦Δθ S If so, a stop signal for turning is output. |Δθ|≦Δθ S This is because the required accuracy is satisfied.

[0052] On the other hand, the movement control unit 104 determines whether |Δθ|>Δθ S If so, the cleaning device 2 is rotated. The conditions for determining the rotation direction are as described above. That is, the movement control unit 104 determines whether Δθ>Δθ S If so, turn right, Δθ<-Δθ S If |Δθ|>Δθ, the movement control unit 104 outputs a control signal for turning left. S This process is repeated until the determination of whether |Δθ|≦Δθ is satisfied. S By repeating this process until d The change in the inclination angle during d *γ) and the change in tilt angle (V / a*γ / 2) between sending the stop signal and stopping are taken into consideration to achieve turning that satisfies the required accuracy.

[0053] (Outline of how to calculate the amount of deviation) Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an outline of a method for calculating the amount of deviation by the deviation amount calculation unit 103. Fig. 5 shows a plan view of the cleaning device 2 located on the pipes PIL and PIR, and a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A' in the plan view. Note that in the cross-sectional view, the proximity sensors 272L and 272R provided in the cleaning device 2 and the pipes PIL and PIR are omitted from the illustration.

[0054] As described above, the amount of deviation is calculated using the detection values ​​of a pair of proximity sensors that detect the pipe PI and are attached to symmetrical positions on the cleaning device 2. In the example of Fig. 5, proximity sensors 272L and 272R are provided at the front of the cleaning device 2. Note that the proximity sensor 272L is provided on the left side of a center line L3 that bisects the cleaning device 2 in the left-right direction, and the proximity sensor 272R is provided on the right side of the center line L3. These sensors are housed in a housing section 27 (see Fig. 2).

[0055] As shown in the plan view, the center line L3 is parallel to the pipes PIL and PIR, but is shifted to the left by Δy with respect to the intermediate line L4 indicating the center position between the pipes PIL and PIR. The shift amount calculation unit 103 calculates this shift amount Δy based on the detection values ​​of the proximity sensors 272L and 272R.

[0056] More specifically, the deviation calculation unit 103 calculates Δy by utilizing the fact that when Δy is zero, the difference between the detection value of the proximity sensor 272L and the detection value of the proximity sensor 272R is zero, and that when Δy is other than zero, the difference is not zero.

[0057] For example, in the example of Fig. 5, as shown in the cross-sectional view of the same figure, the distance from the proximity sensor 272L to the tube PIL is shorter than the distance from the proximity sensor 272R to the tube PIR. Therefore, the difference between the detection value of the proximity sensor 272L and the detection value of the proximity sensor 272R is not zero. For example, when the proximity sensors 272L and 272R, whose detection values ​​become smaller as the distance to the object becomes shorter, are used, the difference between the detection values ​​becomes a negative value.

[0058] Therefore, since the difference between the detection values ​​of the proximity sensors 272L and 272R is a negative value, it is understood that the line L5 indicating the center position of the proximity sensors 272L and 272R is shifted to the left with respect to the line L6 indicating the center position between the pipes PIL and PIR. In addition, since the magnitude of the difference between the detection values ​​reflects the magnitude of the amount of deviation, Δy can be calculated from the magnitude of the difference between the detection values.

[0059] (Proximity sensor placement) It is preferable that the pair of proximity sensors 272L and 272R are arranged so that when one of them is located directly above a pipe, the other is located at the detection limit of the pipe adjacent to that pipe. The reason for such an arrangement will be described with reference to Figs. 6 and 7.

[0060] 6 is a diagram illustrating the positional relationship between the proximity sensor 272 and the pipe PI, and the relationship between the detection value of the proximity sensor 272. Note that the proximity sensor 272 is the same sensor as the proximity sensors 272L and 272R.

[0061] 6 shows the relationship between the amount of deviation (in mm) from the initial position of the proximity sensor 272 and the measurement value (detection value of the proximity sensor 272, in volts) of the proximity sensor 272. Note that the initial position is about 5 mm to the left of the position directly above the pipe PI.

[0062] As shown in the figure, when the proximity sensor 272 is moved rightward from the initial position, the detection value becomes about 1.2 V when the proximity sensor 272 is located directly above the tube PI, that is, when the proximity sensor 272 is closest to the tube PI. This value is the minimum output value of the proximity sensor 272.

[0063] After that, when the proximity sensor 272 is moved further to the right, the detection value of the proximity sensor 272 increases, and when the tube PI is out of the detection range, the detection value (voltage value) is about 5.0 V. This value is the maximum output value of the proximity sensor 272, and is the value that is the boundary of the detection range of the proximity sensor 272. In other words, if the detection value (voltage value) is smaller than 5.0 V, it can be said that the proximity sensor 272 is detecting the tube PI, and if it is 5.0 V, it can be said that the proximity sensor 272 is not detecting the tube PI.

[0064] The relationship between the position of the proximity sensor 272 and the detection value has a different pattern when the distance to the pipe PI is relatively short and when it is close to the detection range boundary. When the distance to the pipe PI is relatively short, the relationship between the position of the proximity sensor 272 and the detection value can be formulated as a function by approximation. This function is shown as an "approximation curve" in Figure 6.

[0065] 6, the difference between the amount of deviation when the voltage value (about 5.0 V) is outside the detection range in this approximation curve and the amount of deviation when the proximity sensor 272 is closest to the tube PI (when the proximity sensor 272 is located directly above the tube PI) is represented by D. When the proximity sensor 272 moves a distance D to the right from a state in which the proximity sensor 272 is located directly above the tube PI, the detection value of the proximity sensor 272 does not reach the maximum value, but becomes close to the maximum value.

[0066] For this reason, when D is regarded as the detection limit distance and the proximity sensor 272 is located in the section from the position directly above the pipe PI to a position D away to the right of that, the relationship between the detection value of the proximity sensor 272 and the amount of deviation can be approximated by an approximation curve as shown in Fig. 6. When the pipe PI is located further away than the detection limit of the proximity sensor 272, the detection value of the proximity sensor 272 can be approximated to a constant value (about 5.0 V).

[0067] In addition, an experiment was performed by changing the distance between the proximity sensor 272 and the pipe PI when the proximity sensor 272 was closest to the pipe PI, but the detection value at the closest approach became smaller as the distance became shorter, and the position of the detection limit did not change. From the results of this experiment, it can be said that it is reasonable to approximate the proximity part with an approximation curve as shown in Figure 6, and that it is also reasonable to set the detection value at a position away from the position of the detection limit obtained from the function showing the approximation curve to a constant value (the maximum value of the proximity sensor 272).

[0068] Fig. 7 is a diagram for explaining the relationship between the positional relationship between the proximity sensors 272L and 272R and the tubes PIL and PIR, and the approximation formula of the detection values ​​of the proximity sensors 272L and 272R. In Fig. 7, the amount of deviation is set to zero when the left proximity sensor 272L is located directly above the tube PIL located on the left side of the two adjacent tubes. An approximation formula is shown that shows the relationship between the amount of deviation x from the above position when the proximity sensors 272L and 272R are moved horizontally to the right from that position, and the detection values ​​V1 and V2 of the proximity sensors 272L and 272R.

[0069] As shown, V1 = a(xp) 2 +q V2 = a(xpD) 2 +q Note that a, p, and q are constants determined by the distance between the proximity sensors 272, the diameter of the pipe PI, the pitch of the pipe PI, and the distance between the proximity sensor 272 and the pipe PI. Also, D is the approximate curve of V1, V1=V 1MAX (approximately 5.0V) and the deviation when V1=V 1MIN This is the difference between the amount of deviation when the input voltage Vcc reaches (approximately 1.2 V).

[0070] The proximity sensors 272L and 272R are positioned using D thus obtained. Specifically, when the proximity sensor 272L is located directly above the tube PIL, the horizontal distance from the proximity sensor 272R to the position directly above the tube PIR is set to D. Also, when the proximity sensor 272R is located directly above the tube PIR, the horizontal distance from the proximity sensor 272L to the position directly above the tube PIL is also set to D. To achieve such a positional relationship, the distance d between the proximity sensors 272L and 272R may be set to d=(PD). P is the distance between the tubes PIL and PIR.

[0071] In this arrangement, when the proximity sensor 272L is located directly above the pipe PIL, the detection value V1 is a minimum value V 1MIN (about 1.2V). At this time, the proximity sensor 272R is at the detection limit of the PIR tube, so V2 is the maximum value V 2MAX On the other hand, when the proximity sensor 272R is located directly above the tube PIR, the detection value V2 becomes the minimum value V 2MIN (about 1.2V). At this time, the proximity sensor 272L is at the detection limit of the tube PIL, so V1 is the maximum value V 1MAX (approximately 5.0V).

[0072] In addition, in the section from the state where the proximity sensor 272L is located directly above the tube PIL to the state where the proximity sensor 272R is located directly above the tube PIR, the proximity sensor 272L detects the tube PIL and the proximity sensor 272R detects the tube PIR. The difference in the detection values ​​of the proximity sensors 272L and 272R in this section can be expressed as follows. V1-V2={a(xp) 2 +q}-{a(xpD) 2 +q} =2aDx-a(2pD+D 2 ) 2 5, when the detection values ​​of the proximity sensors 272L and 272R are equal, that is, when V1-V2=0, the amount of deviation is also zero. Therefore, the function expressing the amount of deviation is expressed by the following linear function, with the second term on the right side of the above formula set to zero.

[0073] x=(V1-V2) / 2aD Here, assume that the proximity sensors 272L and 272R move further to the right from the state where the proximity sensor 272R is located directly above the tube PIR. In this state, the proximity sensor 272L is outside the detection range of the tube PIL, so V1=V 1MAX (approximately 5.0 V). Meanwhile, the proximity sensor 272R is within the detection range of the tube PIR, and V2 = a(xpD) 2 +q. Therefore, the difference between the detection values ​​of the proximity sensors 272L and 272R in this state can be expressed as follows: V1-V2=V 1MAX -a(xpD) 2 -q As mentioned above, the deviation is set to zero when V1-V2=0. In other words, -a(2pD+D 2 ) 2 = 0. Since a ≠ 0 and D ≠ 0, 2p + D = 0. Therefore, when the proximity sensor 272L is outside the detection range of the tube PIL and the proximity sensor 272R is within the detection range of the tube PIR, the function representing the amount of deviation is expressed as follows. x={-(V1-V2+qV 1MAX ) / a} 1 / 2 +D / 2 As described above, the difference between the detection values ​​of the proximity sensors 272L and 272R can be expressed by simple approximations when only one of the proximity sensors 272L and 272R detects a pipe and when both detect a pipe. By using these approximations, a function for determining the amount of deviation can be derived from the difference between the detection values ​​of the proximity sensors 272L and 272R.

[0074] Fig. 8 is a diagram showing a function for calculating the amount of deviation from the difference (V1-V2) in the detection values ​​of the proximity sensors 272L and 272R. The vertical axis of the graph in Fig. 8 is the amount of deviation (unit: mm) of the proximity sensor 272L from the position directly above the tube PIL, and the horizontal axis is the difference (voltage difference, unit: V) in the detection values ​​of the proximity sensors 272L and 272R.

[0075] The function shown in Fig. 8 is a straight line (linear function) in the section where the deviation amount is from 0 to approximately 15 mm. Specifically, the function in this section is a linear function in which the deviation amount increases in proportion to the voltage difference (V1-V2), as shown in formula (1) in Fig. 8.

[0076] 8 is a curve in the range from 15 to 45 mm. Specifically, as shown in formula (2) in FIG. 8, the function in this range is expressed as follows: 1 / 2 It is a function that decreases according to the value of V 1MAX = 5. In other words, the "5" in (V1-V2+q-5) in formula (2) is V 1MAX It is.

[0077] That is, when both the proximity sensors 272L and 272R detect the pipe (V1 ≠ V 1MAX And V2 ≠ V 2MAX When only one of the proximity sensors 272L and 272R detects a pipe, the deviation calculation unit 103 calculates the deviation x by the above formula (2). When only one of the proximity sensors 272L and 272R detects a pipe, the deviation calculation unit 103 calculates the deviation x by the above formula (2). Here, when only one of the proximity sensors 272L and 272R detects a pipe, the deviation calculation unit 103 calculates the deviation x by the above formula (2). 1MAX And V2 ≠ V 2MAX ) or (V2=V 2MAX And V1 ≠ V 1MAX ) at that time.

[0078] In this way, by arranging the proximity sensor 272R so that when the proximity sensor 272L is positioned directly above the tube PIL, the proximity sensor 272R is at the detection limit position of the tube PIR, and when the proximity sensor 272R is positioned directly above the tube PIR, the proximity sensor 272L is at the detection limit position of the tube PIL, the amount of deviation can be calculated using the simple functions of equations (1) and (2).

[0079] Depending on the distance between the proximity sensors 272L and 272R and the pipes PIL and PIR, the value in the root of the formula (2) may be negative. In this case, the deviation amount calculation unit 103 sets the first term on the right side of the formula (2) to zero. Also, depending on the positive or negative value of (V1-V2), in other words, the magnitude relationship between V1 and V2, it can be determined whether the center position of the adjacent pipes and the center position of the proximity sensors 272L and 272R are shifted to the left or right. Specifically, if V1>V2, it can be determined that there is a deviation to the right, and if V2>V1, it can be determined that there is a deviation to the left.

[0080] As described above, the control device 1 includes a deviation amount calculation unit 103 that calculates the amount of deviation of the cleaning device 2 from a predetermined reference position based on detection values ​​of a pair of proximity sensors 272L and 272R that detect pipes and are attached to the cleaning device 2. The movement control unit 104 controls the movement of the cleaning device 2 based on the tilt angle identified by the angle identification unit 102 and the amount of deviation calculated by the deviation amount calculation unit 103.

[0081] More specifically, the pair of proximity sensors 272L and 272R are arranged so that when one of them is located directly above a pipe, the other is located at the detection limit of the pipe adjacent to the pipe. Then, the deviation amount calculation unit 103 calculates the deviation amount using formula (2), which is an approximation formula that approximates the relationship between the difference between the detection values ​​of the pair of proximity sensors 272L and 272R and the deviation amount.

[0082] As described above, when the proximity sensors 272L and 272R are attached to the cleaning device 2 at symmetrical positions to detect two parallel pipes, the distance from the proximity sensor 272L to the pipe PIL and the distance from the proximity sensor 272R to the pipe PIR are equal when the cleaning device 2 is in the center between the two pipes. In this case, the output values ​​of the proximity sensors 272L and 272R are the same or almost the same.

[0083] On the other hand, when the cleaning device 2 is located at a position displaced from the center position between the two pipes, the output values ​​of the proximity sensors 272L and 272R are different values. In this case, the difference between the output values ​​of the proximity sensors 272L and 272R is a value according to the magnitude of the deviation between the left-right center position of the cleaning device 2 and the center position between the pipes PIL and PIR.

[0084] Therefore, it is possible to calculate the amount of deviation of the cleaning device 2 from the reference position based on the detection values ​​of the proximity sensors 272L and 272R attached at symmetrical positions on the left and right of the cleaning device 2. For example, it is also possible to calculate the amount of deviation between the left-right center position of the cleaning device 2 and the center position between multiple tubes arranged in parallel.

[0085] Then, by controlling the movement using this deviation amount, the cleaning device 2 can be aligned to a predetermined position with respect to the pipe. For example, by controlling the movement of the cleaning device 2 so that the deviation amount becomes zero, the cleaning device 2 can be aligned to the center position between the pipes.

[0086] 6, the output characteristics of the proximity sensor 272 differ between when the detection target is near the proximity sensor 272 and when the detection target is located away from the proximity sensor 272, i.e., near the detection limit. For this reason, when approximating the output characteristics when the detection target is near the proximity sensor 272 with a quadratic equation, strictly speaking, the output characteristics when the detection target is near the detection limit must be approximated with yet another equation.

[0087] In this case, however, the output characteristics of the proximity sensor 272 are divided into three parts: a quadratic equation, the other equation, and a constant. If two proximity sensors, 272L and 272R, are used, the equation expressing the difference between their detection values ​​becomes complicated, and the number of cases required makes the calculations more complicated.

[0088] Therefore, the proximity sensors 272L and 272R of the cleaning device 2 are arranged so that when one is located directly above a pipe, the other is at the detection limit of the pipe adjacent to the pipe. The detection value at the detection limit is approximated to be the maximum detection value. This makes it possible to calculate the deviation amount by a simple calculation in which the above formula (1) is used when both proximity sensors 272L and 272R are detecting the pipe, and the above formula (2) is used when only one of the proximity sensors 272L and 272R is detecting the pipe.

[0089] In this embodiment, an example is described in which the proximity sensors 272L and 272R are attached at symmetrical positions on the left and right sides of the cleaning device 2, but the present invention is not limited to this example. The proximity sensors 272L and 272R may be arranged in a predetermined direction and at a predetermined distance from a reference position (e.g., a central position) of the cleaning device 2. For example, one of the proximity sensors may be arranged a predetermined distance forward from the central position of the cleaning device 2, and the other may be arranged a predetermined distance backward.

[0090] Furthermore, the detector for detecting the pipe is not limited to the proximity sensor 272. For example, any detector capable of detecting the pipe without contact, such as a distance measuring sensor (e.g., a laser distance measuring sensor) or an ultrasonic sensor, can be applied. Furthermore, the number of detectors installed is not limited to two, but may be three or more, and multiple types of detectors may be used in combination.

[0091] In addition, the approximation formula that approximates the relationship between the difference in the detection values ​​of the proximity sensors and the amount of deviation is not limited to the examples of formulas (1) and (2). For example, approximation can be performed using a higher-order function (including a quadratic function or a cubic function), an exponential function, a logarithmic function, or a combination thereof, depending on the type and arrangement of the detector for detecting the pipe. However, the configuration that uses formulas (1) and (2) described above is preferable because it has the advantage of being able to calculate the amount of deviation through simple calculations.

[0092] (Example of control: centering) As an example of control of the cleaning device 2 based on the above-mentioned amount of deviation and tilt angle, we will explain here the centering control of the cleaning device 2. Centering refers to moving the cleaning device 2 to a central position between the pipes, and centering makes it possible to lower the pantograph 25 between the pipes and perform cleaning (see FIG. 2).

[0093] Fig. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the operation of the cleaning device 2 during centering. Fig. 9 shows a state in which the cleaning device 2 is viewed from above on the pipes PI1 to PI3 that are arranged parallel to each other and at equal intervals. Also, in Fig. 9, the center position between the pipes PI1 and PI2 is indicated by a dashed line L7. When the dashed line L8 that divides the cleaning device 2 in half in the left-right direction coincides with the dashed line L7, centering is complete.

[0094] In centering, first, the movement control unit 104 sets the cleaning device 2 in a state parallel to the pipes PI1 to PI3. Specifically, the movement control unit 104 acquires the latest inclination angle Δθ identified by the angle identification unit 102, and sets the target inclination angle Δθ T Set to zero and set the threshold Δθ S Find |Δθ|=Δθ S In the example of FIG. 9, it is determined whether |Δθ|>Δθ S In this case, the movement control unit 104 calculates |Δθ|=Δθ S The cleaning device 2 is rotated left until the cleaning device 2 reaches the position indicated by arrow ST2.

[0095] |Δθ|=Δθ S In this case, the movement control unit 104 obtains the latest displacement amount Δy calculated by the displacement amount calculation unit 103, and |Δy|=y S Determine whether y is true (ST3). S For example, |Δy|>Δy may be set to a value obtained by adding a certain margin to 0. The margin is determined according to the pitch of the tubes, the diameter of the tubes, the width of the pantograph, and the like. The margin is likely to be on the order of several mm. In the example of FIG. 9, |Δy|>Δy S In this case, the movement control unit 104 performs control to bring Δy closer to zero.

[0096] Specifically, the movement control unit 104 moves the cleaning device 2 forward or backward while facing the cleaning device 2 in a direction inclined with respect to the extension direction of the pipes PI1 to PI3, thereby bringing Δy closer to zero. At this time, it is expected that centering by moving only forward or backward may cause the cleaning device 2 to move away from the start position of the straight-ahead travel. For this reason, it is preferable to center the cleaning device 2 by a multi-stage process in which forward and backward travel are alternately repeated.

[0097] When alternately repeating forward and backward movement, the movement control unit 104 determines whether the previous movement was forward movement or backward movement. Also, it determines whether to move leftward or rightward based on the value of Δy. For example, if the value of Δy at a position to the right of Δy=0 is output as a positive value and the value of Δy at a position to the left of Δy=0 is output as a negative value, the movement control unit 104 may determine to move leftward if the value of Δy is positive and to move rightward if the value of Δy is negative.

[0098] Then, the movement control unit 104 determines the turning direction based on these determination results. Specifically, when moving leftward, and the previous movement was forward, the movement control unit 104 determines to turn right. Also, when moving leftward, and the previous movement was backward, the movement control unit 104 determines to turn left. The same applies to moving rightward, and the movement control unit 104 determines to turn left if the previous movement was forward, and turns right if the previous movement was backward. In the example of FIG. 9, it is necessary to move rightward, and it is assumed that the previous movement was forward, so the movement control unit 104 determines to turn left (ST4).

[0099] After determining the turning direction, the movement control unit 104 transmits a turning instruction in the determined direction to the cleaning device 2. T That is, after transmitting the turning instruction, the movement control unit 104 determines the angle Δθ=Δθ specified by the angle specifying unit 102. T At this timing, the cleaning device 2 is instructed to end turning (ST5).

[0100] After the above turning is completed, the movement control unit 104 moves the cleaning device 2 forward or backward. Specifically, if the previous movement was a forward movement, a backward movement command is sent to the cleaning device 2, and if the previous movement was a backward movement, a forward movement command is sent to the cleaning device 2 (ST6). A method for determining the forward or backward movement time at this time, i.e., the running time of the cleaning device 2, will be described later with reference to FIG. 10.

[0101] (How to calculate driving time) Fig. 10 is a diagram for explaining a method for calculating the travel time of the cleaning device 2 during centering. Fig. 10 shows the cleaning device 2 as viewed from above. Note that the cleaning device 2 is drawn small. Also, in Fig. 10, the center position of the parallel pipes PIL and PIR is indicated by a dashed line L9, and the line that divides the cleaning device 2 in half in the left-right direction is indicated by a dashed line L10.

[0102] As shown in the figure, the angle between the dashed lines L9 and L10 is Δθ T The amount of deviation of the cleaning device 2 from the broken line L9 is Δy. Also, the moving distance from the center position of the cleaning device 2 to the position on the broken line L9 when moving forward along the broken line L10 is L P It is.

[0103] At this time, the movement control unit 104 may calculate the travel time of the cleaning device 2 using the formula (3) shown in FIG. 10. Note that V in the formula (3) is the travel speed of the cleaning device 2. Also, Δy / sin(Δθ T )=L P In other words, the formula (3) expresses the travel distance of the cleaning device 2 as L P Instead, L P to (1+k b ) times L P *(1+k b )=Δy / sin(Δθ T )*(1+k b ) to calculate the travel time. Generally, the surface of the pipe is slippery, so by calculating the travel time after adding up the travel distance in this way, L P It is possible to drive the distance closer to the actual distance.

[0104] The above k b is the bias value. As shown in Figure 10, k b =(k p +k n ) / 2, i.e., the bias value k at the previous move p and the bias value k for this movement n The arithmetic mean of k b As shown in FIG. 10, the current bias value k n is the position deviation amount Δy after the most recent movement n and the positional deviation Δy before the movement p Ratio to (Δy n / Δy p ).

[0105] For example, EX1 in Fig. 10 shows an example of centering by moving three stages from a state in which the amount of positional deviation is Δy1. In EX1, the center position of the cleaning device 2 when the amount of positional deviation is Δy1 is indicated by point P1. Also, the amount of positional deviation after the first stage of movement is Δy2, the center position of the cleaning device 2 at this time is indicated by point P2, and the amount of positional deviation after the second stage of movement is Δy3, and the center position of the cleaning device 2 at this time is indicated by point P3.

[0106] In the first stage of movement, the movement control unit 104 sets the default bias value k d The running time is calculated by using the formula (3). Here, Δy1 is substituted for Δy in the formula (3). k d For example, the last bias value k b may be applied, or a predetermined value may be applied. Note that in order to ensure that centering is performed in multiple stages, a predetermined constant smaller than Δy1 may be substituted for Δy. This constant indicates the upper limit of the shift width in one stage of movement, and may be set in advance according to the space on the pipe, etc. The running time is calculated using this constant until the amount of shift calculated by the shift amount calculation unit 103 becomes equal to or less than this constant.

[0107] In the second stage movement, the movement control unit 104 calculates the ratio (Δy2 / Δy1) of the positional deviation amount Δy2 after the first stage movement to the positional deviation amount Δy1 before the movement as the current bias value k n Then, the mobility control unit 104 calculates the calculated k n and the previously applied bias value k d The arithmetic average value of these values ​​is set as the bias value for the second-stage movement. This allows the movement distance in the second-stage movement to be controlled in accordance with the amount of deviation before and after the first-stage movement.

[0108] In the third stage movement, the movement control unit 104 calculates the ratio (Δy3 / Δy2) of the positional deviation amount Δy3 after the second stage movement to the positional deviation amount Δy2 before the second stage movement as the current bias value k n Then, the mobility control unit 104 calculates the calculated k n and the previously applied bias value k b The arithmetic average value of these values ​​is set as the bias value for the third-stage movement. This allows the movement distance in the third-stage movement to be controlled in accordance with the amount of deviation before and after the second-stage movement.

[0109] In EX1, the object reaches the dashed line L9, i.e., the center position between the tubes PIL and PIR, after three stages of movement, but if the object does not reach the dashed line L9 even after the third stage of movement, the movement control unit 104 similarly performs a fourth stage of movement.

[0110] In this way, the movement control unit 104 may perform centering while repeating forward and backward movement and updating the bias value. Note that depending on the state of the pipe, it is possible that the rod may pass through the broken line L9. In such a case, the sign of the deviation amount Δy before and after the movement is reversed, and k n =(Δy n / Δy p In this case, the movement control unit 104 sets k n = 0 and movement control may be performed.

[0111] As described above, when moving the cleaning device 2 a predetermined distance, the movement control unit 104 may move the predetermined distance in multiple stages. In this case, it is preferable that the movement control unit 104 adjusts the movement distance in the movement of the subsequent stage according to the amount of deviation before and after the movement of the previous stage.

[0112] When the cleaning device 2 is moved along a pipe, even if it is controlled to move forward for the same amount of time at the same set speed, the distance traveled may vary due to the slipperiness of the pipe surface, etc. Therefore, according to the above configuration, when the cleaning device 2 is moved a predetermined distance, the predetermined distance is moved in multiple stages, and the movement distance in the movement of the subsequent stages is adjusted according to the deviation amount before and after the movement of the previous stage. This makes it possible to stably move the cleaning device 2 a predetermined distance regardless of the surface condition of the pipe through which the cleaning device 2 moves.

[0113] In the example of Fig. 10, the adjustment is performed according to the amount of deviation before and after the previous movement, but the adjustment may be performed taking into account the amount of deviation before that. For example, in the third step of movement in EX1, the bias value used in the first step adjustment, the bias value used in the second step adjustment, and the newly calculated b n The arithmetic mean value of b Alternatively, instead of the arithmetic average value, a weighted average value or the like may be used.

[0114] (Control example: straight driving) After centering and cleaning at the center position between the pipes, the movement control unit 104 moves the cleaning device 2 in a straight line while maintaining the center position between the pipes. This makes it possible to clean another position of the same pipe.

[0115] For the control of moving the cleaning device 2 in a straight line while maintaining the center position between the pipes, for example, the inclination angle specified by the angle specifying unit 102 can be used. This is because if the state where the inclination angle is zero can be maintained, the state where the center position between the pipes is maintained can also be maintained.

[0116] Furthermore, when the amount of deviation between the cleaning device 2 and the central position before straight traveling is zero or a value close to zero, it is not difficult to keep the final amount of deviation within the allowable range. On the other hand, when the amount of deviation between the cleaning device 2 and the central position before straight traveling is within the allowable range but is a relatively large value, it becomes more difficult to keep the final amount of deviation within the allowable range.

[0117] For this reason, before performing straight-line traveling, the movement control unit 104 may determine whether the amount of deviation calculated by the deviation amount calculation unit 103 is equal to or less than a threshold, and perform different control when the amount of deviation is equal to or less than the threshold and when it exceeds the threshold. For example, in the former case, the movement control unit 104 may apply a high-speed straight-line mode in which the cleaning device 2 moves at high speed, and in the latter case, the movement control unit 104 may apply a low-speed straight-line mode in which the movement speed is slower than that in the high-speed straight-line mode.

[0118] (High-speed straight-line mode) When the high-speed straight-ahead mode is applied, the movement control unit 104 may calculate the travel time as L / V, which is the distance to be traveled L divided by the travel speed V. After the cleaning device 2 starts traveling, the movement control unit 104 determines whether the tilt angle identified by the angle identification unit 102 exceeds the allowable value. If the movement control unit 104 determines that the tilt angle exceeds the allowable value, it adjusts the traveling direction of the cleaning device 2.

[0119] For example, if the cleaning device 2 is equipped with crawlers 22 as shown in FIG. 2, the movement control unit 104 can adjust the direction of travel of the cleaning device 2 by increasing or decreasing the speed of one of the pair of left and right crawlers 22.

[0120] Here, it is assumed that the tilt angle Δθ identified by the angle identification unit 102 after starting straight-ahead travel exceeds the allowable value. In this case, the movement control unit 104 may multiply the speed of the left crawler 22 by α (α=1+|Δθ|) if the tilt angle is positive (i.e., the cleaning device 2 is tilted to the left as in the example of FIG. 3). The movement control unit 104 may also multiply the speed of the right crawler 22 by α if the tilt angle is negative (i.e., the cleaning device 2 is tilted to the right as opposed to the example of FIG. 3).

[0121] When moving the cleaning device 2 backward, the control is reversed, and the movement control unit 104 multiplies the speed of the right crawler 22 by α if the tilt angle is positive, and multiplies the speed of the left crawler 22 by α if the tilt angle is negative. By repeating this process until the movement of the distance L is completed, it becomes possible to move at a relatively high speed while maintaining a center position between the pipes.

[0122] (Low speed straight mode) When the low-speed straight-line mode is applied, the movement control unit 104, like the high-speed straight-line mode, checks the inclination angle until the travel time is L / V and travel of the distance L is completed, and controls the speed of one of the crawlers 22 to be α times faster when the inclination angle exceeds the allowable value. However, when the low-speed straight-line mode is applied, it is preferable that the movement control unit 104 also checks the amount of deviation, and adjusts the traveling direction of the cleaning device 2 when the amount of deviation exceeds the allowable value.

[0123] For example, the movement control unit 104 may perform the above control when the tilt angle identified by the angle identification unit 102 exceeds the allowable value, and may check the amount of deviation calculated by the deviation amount calculation unit 103 when the tilt angle identified by the angle identification unit 102 is equal to or less than the allowable value. Then, when the amount of deviation exceeds the allowable value, the movement control unit 104 may perform an operation of moving the object toward the center position. Note that, when the amount of deviation is equal to or less than the allowable value, the movement control unit 104 may return to the process of checking the tilt angle.

[0124] In the approaching operation, if the amount of deviation is a value indicating that the cleaning device 2 is shifted to the left side with respect to the central position, the movement control unit 104 may increase the speed of the left crawler 22 by β times (β>α). Then, the movement control unit 104 may run the cleaning device 2 for a predetermined time with the speed of the left crawler 22 increased by β times, and then may also increase the speed of the right crawler 22 by β times to return the vehicle body angle. Also, if the amount of deviation is a value indicating that the cleaning device 2 is shifted to the right side with respect to the central position, the movement control unit 104 may increase the speed of the right crawler 22 by β times. Then, the movement control unit 104 may run the cleaning device 2 for a predetermined time with the speed of the right crawler 22 increased by β times, and then may also increase the speed of the left crawler 22 by β times to return the vehicle body angle. When the cleaning device 2 is moved backwards, the control is reversed to the above, and the movement control unit 104 causes the cleaning device 2 to run for a predetermined time with the speed of the left crawler 22 multiplied by β if the device is to the left, and causes the cleaning device 2 to run for a predetermined time with the speed of the right crawler 22 multiplied by β if the device is to the right.

[0125] In this manner, by running the cleaning device 2 for a predetermined time with the left and right crawlers 22 running at different speeds, it is possible to reduce or eliminate the amount of deviation of the cleaning device 2. Then, after running the cleaning device 2 for a predetermined time with the left and right crawlers 22 running at different speeds, the movement control unit 104 may return the speeds of the left and right crawlers 22 to the same speed and return to the process of checking the inclination angle.

[0126] (Example of control: column movement) When cleaning of the entire two adjacent pipes is completed, the movement control unit 104 causes the cleaning device 2 to move in a row. Note that the row in the row movement refers to the portion between a certain pipe and a pipe adjacent to that pipe.

[0127] In the column movement, the movement control unit 104 first determines a target angle Δθ based on the tilt angle specified by the angle specifying unit 102. TThe cleaning device 2 is rotated until the rotation is completed, and then moved forward after the rotation is completed. The travel time for this forward travel may be calculated, for example, by the following formula (4). Note that P is the distance between adjacent pipes, and V is the travel speed of the cleaning device 2.

[0128] (Travel time) = P*sin(Δθ T ) / V …(4) Next, the movement control unit 104 returns the tilt angle of the cleaning device 2 to zero based on the tilt angle identified by the angle identification unit 102. Here, if the cleaning device 2 is located at the center of the row before the row movement and the cleaning device 2 moves at a speed of P*sin(Δθ) by the above-mentioned travel control, T In this case, the amount of deviation of the cleaning device 2 from the center position of the row after the movement at the time when the inclination angle is returned to zero is P*{cos(Δθ T )} 2 It becomes.

[0129] Next, the movement control unit 104 moves the cleaning device 2 in a direction (90-Δθ) based on the tilt angle identified by the angle identification unit 102. T ) in the first and second rotation angles. In this way, the movement control unit 104 may rotate the cleaning device 2 so that the first and second rotation angles differ by 90°. Then, the movement control unit 104 moves the cleaning device 2 backward after the above rotation is completed.

[0130] Here, the cleaning device 2 is positioned at the center of the row before the row movement, and the cleaning device 2 moves forward by P*sin(Δθ T ), the cleaning device 2 is moved forward by P*cos(Δθ T ), the position of the cleaning device 2 after reverse travel will be a position moved a distance P directly to the side from the position of the cleaning device 2 before the line movement. Therefore, the travel time in reverse travel is calculated by the following formula (5).

[0131] (travel time)=P*cos(Δθ T ) / V …(5) The above-mentioned combination of turning, forward movement, turning, and reverse movement realizes the movement in a row. Note that the cleaning device 2 may be moved backward after the first turning, in which case the cleaning device 2 may be moved forward after the second turning. The turning direction may be determined according to which row the cleaning device 2 is to be moved to and the traveling direction of the cleaning device 2. For example, when moving to the left row and moving the cleaning device 2 forward after the first turning, it is sufficient to turn to the left.

[0132] Even if the cleaning device 2 is moved forward or backward for the above-mentioned running time, the cleaning device 2 may not move to the desired position due to the slipperiness of the pipe surface, etc. For this reason, the deviation amount calculation unit 103 may calculate the deviation amount Δy from the center position of the line after the movement after the first running. Then, the movement control unit 104 may adjust the second running time according to the deviation amount Δy calculated by the deviation amount calculation unit 103. In other words, the movement control unit 104 may calculate the second running time using the deviation amount Δy calculated after the end of the first running.

[0133] After the above process is completed, the displacement amount calculation unit 103 calculates the displacement amount Δy from the center position of the row after the movement. If the displacement amount Δy exceeds the allowable range, the above-mentioned centering is performed.

[0134] (Processing before starting control of cleaning device) For example, if the photographing device 271 is not photographing normally, the angle identification unit 102 cannot identify an appropriate inclination angle, and the movement control unit 104 cannot perform appropriate control.

[0135] Therefore, the movement control unit 104 may obtain the tilt angle specified by the angle specifying unit 102 and determine whether or not the tilt angle is within a preset invalid range prior to the various controls described above. Then, if the tilt angle obtained in time series from the angle specifying unit 102 is a value within the invalid range a predetermined number of times in succession, the movement control unit 104 may transmit an abnormality signal and terminate control of the cleaning device 2. This makes it possible to prevent unintended control from being performed.

[0136] (Determining the action to be taken by the cleaning device) As described above, the control device 1 can perform operations such as centering, moving in a line, and traveling straight ahead. The control device 1 may determine which of these operations to perform, or another control device may be provided upstream of the control device 1 and the determination may be made by that control device. In the latter case, the upstream control device determines the operation to be performed by the cleaning device 2, for example, according to the operation of the operator, and notifies the control device 1 of the determined operation. The control device 1 operates the cleaning device 2 according to this notification, and when the operation is completed, notifies the upstream control device of a completion notification. After receiving the completion notification, the upstream control device determines the next operation to be performed, and notifies the control device 1 of the determined operation. By repeating such processing, the cleaning device 2 can clean the pipe. Note that the control of the expansion and contraction of the pantograph 25 and the control of the water discharge, which do not use the amount of deviation or the tilt angle, may be performed by the control device 1 or the upstream control device.

[0137] (Process flow: Control based on tilt angle) Of the processes executed by the control device 1, the control based on the tilt angle identified by the angle identifying unit 102 will be described with reference to Fig. 11. Fig. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of a method for controlling the cleaning device 2 based on the tilt angle. Note that it is assumed here that the cleaning device 2 is placed on a plurality of water pipes arranged in parallel, and that the water pipes are photographed by the photographing device 271 attached to the cleaning device 2.

[0138] In S11, the pipe detection unit 101 acquires an image captured by the imaging device 271 attached to the cleaning device 2. Then, in S12, the pipe detection unit 101 detects the water pipe from the image acquired in S11. The method of detecting the water pipe has already been described, and therefore the description will not be repeated here.

[0139] In S13, the angle identifying unit 102 identifies the tilt angle of the pipe detected in S12. The method of identifying the tilt angle of the pipe detected in the image has already been described, and therefore the description will not be repeated here.

[0140] In S14, the movement control unit 104 determines whether or not to control the cleaning device 2 based on the tilt angle identified in S13. If it is determined that control is not to be performed (NO in S14), the process in Fig. 11 ends. On the other hand, if it is determined that control is to be performed (YES in S14), the process proceeds to S15, where the movement control unit 104 controls the cleaning device 2 based on the tilt angle identified in S13, and the process in Fig. 11 ends.

[0141] In addition, various control contents can be applied as the control contents of S15, and the judgment criterion of S14 may be set appropriately according to the control contents of S15. For example, the movement control unit 104 may set the tilt angle of the cleaning device 2 to Δθ T In the case of performing turning control to achieve the above, in S14, the inclination angle specified in S13 is Δθ T If it is within the allowable range, no control is required. T If the difference is not within the allowable range, it is determined that control is required.

[0142] Also, for example, when the cleaning device 2 is moving straight, the movement control unit 104 determines in S14 that if the tilt angle specified in S13 is within an allowable value, control is not required, and if it exceeds the allowable value, control is required. Then, in S15, the movement control unit 104 adjusts the speed of the crawler 22 so that the tilt angle specified in S13 becomes zero or approaches zero.

[0143] As described above, the control method for the cleaning device 2 executed by the control device 1 includes a pipe detection step (S12) for detecting a pipe from an image captured by the imaging device 271 attached to the cleaning device 2 that cleans the surface of a pipe, an angle identification step (S13) for identifying the inclination angle of the pipe detected in the pipe detection step, and a movement control step (S15) for controlling the movement of the cleaning device 2 based on this inclination angle. According to this control method, general-purpose movement control of the cleaning device 2 based on the image captured by the imaging device 271 can be realized.

[0144] (Process flow: Control based on deviation amount) Of the processes executed by the control device 1, the control based on the amount of deviation specified by the deviation amount calculation unit 103 will be described with reference to Fig. 12. Fig. 12 is a flowchart showing an example of a method for controlling the cleaning device 2 based on the amount of deviation. Note that it is assumed here that the cleaning device 2 is located between a pair of adjacent water tubes among a plurality of water tubes arranged in parallel.

[0145] In S21, the deviation amount calculation unit 103 acquires detection values ​​of a pair of proximity sensors 272L and 272R attached at symmetrical positions on the left and right of the cleaning device 2. Then, in S22, the deviation amount calculation unit 103 calculates the deviation amount of the cleaning device 2 from a predetermined reference position based on the detection values ​​acquired in S21. For example, the deviation amount calculation unit 103 calculates the deviation amount between the center position in the left-right direction of the cleaning device 2 and the center position between multiple tubes arranged in parallel.

[0146] In calculating the amount of deviation, as described above, the approximation formula used by deviation calculation unit 103 to calculate the amount of deviation differs depending on whether both proximity sensors 272L and 272R are detecting a water pipe (when both detection values ​​are less than the maximum value) or whether only one of them is detecting a water pipe (when the detection value of one is the maximum value).

[0147] Specifically, when the detection values ​​of both the proximity sensors 272L and 272R are less than the maximum value, the deviation calculation unit 103 calculates the deviation by substituting the difference between those detection values ​​into the above-mentioned formula (1). On the other hand, when the detection value of one of the proximity sensors 272L and 272R is the maximum value and the detection value of the other is less than the maximum value, the deviation calculation unit 103 calculates the deviation by substituting the difference between those detection values ​​into the above-mentioned formula (2).

[0148] In S23, the movement control unit 104 determines whether or not to control the cleaning device 2 based on the amount of deviation calculated in S22. If it is determined that control is not to be performed (NO in S23), the process in Fig. 12 ends. On the other hand, if it is determined that control is to be performed (YES in S23), the process proceeds to S24, where the movement control unit 104 controls the cleaning device 2 based on the amount of deviation calculated in S22, and the process in Fig. 12 ends.

[0149] Various control contents can be applied as the control contents of S24, and the judgment criteria of S23 may be set appropriately according to the control contents of S24. For example, when performing centering, the movement control unit 104 judges in S23 that if the deviation amount calculated in S22 is within a tolerance, control is not required, and if it exceeds the tolerance, control is required. Then, in S24, the movement control unit 104 performs control to reduce the deviation amount. For example, the movement control unit 104 performs control to rotate the cleaning device 2 to a predetermined inclination angle and then move it forward or backward, or control to speed up or slow down one of the left and right crawlers 22.

[0150] As described above, the control method of the cleaning device 2 executed by the control device 1 includes a deviation amount calculation step (S22) of calculating the deviation amount from a predetermined reference position of the cleaning device 2 based on the detection values ​​of a pair of proximity sensors 272L and 272R that detect pipes and are attached to symmetrical positions on the cleaning device 2 that cleans a plurality of pipes arranged in parallel, and a movement control step (S24) of controlling the movement of the cleaning device 2 based on the deviation amount. The pair of proximity sensors 272L and 272R are arranged so that when one is located directly above a pipe, the other is located at the detection limit position of a pipe adjacent to the pipe. Then, in the deviation amount calculation step, the deviation amount is calculated using Formula (2), which is an approximation formula that approximates the relationship between the difference between the detection values ​​of the pair of proximity sensors 272L and 272R and the deviation amount, or Formula (1), which is an approximation formula that approximates the relationship between the difference between the detection values ​​of the proximity sensors 272L and 272R and the deviation amount by a linear function. This makes it possible to realize a versatile movement control of the cleaning device 2. Furthermore, the amount of deviation can be calculated through a simple calculation using a simple approximation formula.

[0151] [Embodiment 2] Other embodiments of the present invention will be described below. For ease of explanation, the same reference numerals are given to members having the same functions as those described in the above embodiment, and the description thereof will not be repeated.

[0152] In this embodiment, an example in which the deviation amount calculation unit 103 calculates the deviation amount from a predetermined reference position of the cleaning device 2 based on the detection result of the pipe detection unit 101, rather than the detection value of the proximity sensor 272, will be described with reference to Fig. 13. Fig. 13 is a diagram showing an example of calculation of the deviation amount based on the detection result of the pipe detection unit 101.

[0153] The configuration of the control device of this embodiment is similar to the configuration of the control device 1 of embodiment 1 (see FIG. 1) except for the content of the processing executed by the deviation amount calculation unit 103, and therefore the control device of this embodiment is also referred to as the control device 1. The cleaning device of this embodiment is also similar to the cleaning device 2 of embodiment 1, and therefore the cleaning device of this embodiment is also referred to as the cleaning device 2. However, the cleaning device 2 of this embodiment differs from the cleaning device 2 of embodiment 1 in that it does not need to be equipped with the proximity sensor 272.

[0154] As described in the first embodiment, the pipe detection unit 101 detects pipes from an image captured by the imaging device 271 attached to the cleaning device 2. In the example of Fig. 13, four contour lines of a pipe are detected from the image IMG6 captured by the imaging device 271.

[0155] More specifically, image IMG6 shows pipes PI11 to PI14, of which pipes PI11 and PI14 are located on the contact surface (top row) with the cleaning device 2, and pipes PI12 and PI13 are located on the rear side (second row). The contour line of the right end of pipe PI11 and its upper end point p1, the contour line of the right end of pipe PI12 and its upper end point p2, the contour line of the left end of pipe PI13 and its upper end point p3, and the contour line of the left end of pipe PI14 and its upper end point p4 are detected.

[0156] When the image capturing device 271 is disposed at the left-right center of the cleaning device 2, the amount of deviation between the left-right center of the area between the uppermost pipes PI and PI14 (hereinafter referred to as the inter-pipe area) and the left-right center of the image IMG6 represents the amount of deviation of the cleaning device 2. Therefore, when calculating the amount of deviation, the deviation amount calculation unit 103 only needs to identify the inter-pipe area from the image IMG6.

[0157] To identify the inter-pipe region, the deviation amount calculation unit 103 identifies the bottom end points corresponding to the upper end points p1 to p4 using the tilt angle identified by the angle identification unit 102 and the coordinate values ​​of the upper end points p1 to p4, and identifies a rectangular region defined by the top end points and the bottom end points. Then, the deviation amount calculation unit 103 determines whether the identified rectangular region is an inter-pipe region.

[0158] For example, in IMG7 of Figure 13, the deviation calculation unit 103 identifies the bottom end point p6 corresponding to the top end point p4, and then identifies the bottom end point p5 corresponding to the top end point p3 adjacent to the top end point p4, thereby identifying a rectangular area defined by the four points p3, p4, p6, and p5.

[0159] Next, as shown in IMG8, ​​the deviation amount calculation unit 103 masks the outside of the identified rectangular area with black and converts it to grayscale. Then, the deviation amount calculation unit 103 calculates a histogram of pixel values ​​within the rectangular area, and if the median is smaller than a threshold value (e.g., 100), it determines that it is an inter-pipe area. Normally, the area in which the top pipes PI11 and PI14 are captured has higher pixel values ​​than the inter-pipe area, so the above determination makes it possible to distinguish between the area in which the top pipes PI11 and PI14 are captured and the inter-pipe area. In this example, the rectangular area defined by the four points p3, p4, p6, and p5 is determined to be an inter-pipe area.

[0160] 13, the deviation amount calculation unit 103 specifies a bottom end point p7 corresponding to the top end point p1. Here, after specifying the bottom end point p7, the deviation amount calculation unit 103 specifies a bottom end point p8 corresponding to the top end point p3 adjacent to the top end point p2 without specifying a bottom end point corresponding to the top end point p2, thereby specifying a rectangular area defined by the four points p1, p3, p8, and p7.

[0161] In this way, when the distance between a certain upper end point and its adjacent upper end point is equal to or less than a threshold value, the deviation amount calculation unit 103 may specify the lower end point only for the certain upper end point without specifying the lower end point for the adjacent upper end point. This is because it is unlikely that two adjacent end points are both the ends of a pipe.

[0162] After identifying a rectangular region defined by the four points p1, p3, p8, and p7, the deviation calculation unit 103 masks the outside of the identified rectangular region with black, as in IMG8, ​​and converts it to grayscale (IMG10). The deviation calculation unit 103 then calculates a histogram of pixel values ​​within the rectangular region, and if the median is smaller than a threshold, determines that it is an inter-pipe region. In this example, the rectangular region defined by the four points p1, p3, p8, and p7 is determined to be an inter-pipe region. This process is performed for all rectangular regions formed based on the detected top end points.

[0163] After completing the above-described process of specifying the rectangular area based on the detected upper end points and judging whether the rectangular area is an inter-pipe area, the deviation amount calculation unit 103 integrates the specified inter-pipe areas. Specifically, the deviation amount calculation unit 103 specifies the coordinates of the vertices of the specified inter-pipe areas that are located closest to the upper left, the coordinates of the lower left, the coordinates of the lower right, and the coordinates of the upper right, and determines the area defined by these coordinates as the final inter-pipe area.

[0164] 13, the deviation calculation unit 103 identifies four vertices, p1, p7, p6, and p4, from the vertices of the two inter-pipe regions ("p3, p4, p6, p5" and "p1, p3, p8, p7") identified as described above, as shown in IMG 11. As a result, the final inter-pipe region is identified as a rectangular region defined by the four points p1, p7, p6, and p4.

[0165] Finally, as shown in image IMG12 in Figure 13, the deviation calculation unit 103 determines the midpoint between points p1 and p4, and the midpoint between points p7 and p6, and calculates the distance Δy between the line segment L11 connecting these midpoints and the line segment L12 that bisects image IMG12 in the left-right direction as the deviation amount.

[0166] As described above, the control device 1 may be equipped with a deviation amount calculation unit 103 that calculates the amount of deviation of the cleaning device 2 from a reference position based on the detection result of the pipe detection unit 101, and the movement control unit 104 may be configured to control the movement of the cleaning device 2 based on the inclination angle identified by the angle identification unit 102 and the amount of deviation calculated by the deviation amount calculation unit 103.

[0167] The position of the pipe shown in the image captured by the camera 271 attached to the cleaning device 2 reflects the positional relationship between the cleaning device 2 and the pipe. Therefore, by detecting the pipe from this image, it is possible to calculate the amount of deviation of the cleaning device 2. Then, by performing movement control using this amount of deviation, it is possible to align the cleaning device 2 to a predetermined position with respect to the pipe.

[0168] [Modifications] The execution subject of each process described in each of the above-mentioned embodiments is arbitrary and is not limited to the above-mentioned examples. In other words, as long as each process described in each of the above-mentioned embodiments can be executed, the device configuration is arbitrary. For example, among the processes executed by the control device 1, the process of identifying the inclination angle, the process of calculating the amount of deviation, and the process of controlling the operation of the cleaning device 2 may be assigned to different information processing devices and executed. Also, for example, a configuration may be adopted in which a first control device 1 performs a process of identifying the inclination angle and a process of controlling the operation of the cleaning device 2 based on the identified inclination angle, and a second control device 1 performs a process of calculating the amount of deviation and a process of controlling the operation of the cleaning device 2 based on the calculated amount of deviation.

[0169] The control device 1 may also be mounted on the cleaning device 2. In other words, the scope of the present invention also includes a cleaning device 2 that is equipped with the control device 1 and moves according to the control of the control device 1. The cleaning device 2 equipped with the control device 1 can move by itself to a predetermined position on the pipe.

[0170] [Software implementation example] The functions of the control device 1 (hereinafter referred to as the "device") can be realized by a program for causing a computer to function as the device, and a program (control program) for causing a computer to function as each control block of the device (particularly each part included in the control unit 10).

[0171] In this case, the device includes a computer having at least one control device (e.g., a processor) and at least one storage device (e.g., a memory) as hardware for executing the program. The control device and storage device execute the program to realize each function described in each of the above embodiments.

[0172] The program may be non-transitory and may be recorded in one or more computer-readable recording media. The recording media may or may not be included in the device. In the latter case, the program may be provided to the device via any wired or wireless transmission medium.

[0173] In addition, some or all of the functions of each of the control blocks can be realized by a logic circuit. For example, an integrated circuit in which a logic circuit that functions as each of the control blocks is formed is also included in the scope of the present invention. In addition, the functions of each of the control blocks can be realized by, for example, a quantum computer.

[0174] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. Embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in different embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0175] 1 Control device 101 Pipe detector 102 Angle identification part 103 Displacement amount calculation unit 104 Movement control section 2 Cleaning device 271 Imaging Equipment 272(272R, 272L) Proximity Sensor

Claims

1. a pipe detection unit that detects the pipe from an image captured by an image capture device attached to a cleaning device that cleans a surface of the pipe; an angle specifying unit that specifies an inclination angle between the extension direction of the pipe detected by the pipe detection unit and a front-rear direction of the cleaning device; a movement control unit that controls the movement of the cleaning device based on the tilt angle.

2. a displacement amount calculation unit that calculates a displacement amount of the cleaning device from a predetermined reference position based on a detection result of the pipe detection unit, The control device according to claim 1 , wherein the movement control unit controls the movement of the cleaning device based on the tilt angle and the amount of deviation.

3. a displacement amount calculation unit that calculates a displacement amount of the cleaning device from a predetermined reference position based on detection values ​​of a pair of detectors that are attached to the cleaning device and detect the pipe; The control device according to claim 1 , wherein the movement control unit controls the movement of the cleaning device based on the tilt angle and the amount of deviation.

4. The control device according to claim 3, wherein the movement control unit, when moving the cleaning device a predetermined distance, moves the predetermined distance in multiple stages and adjusts the movement distance in a subsequent stage depending on the amount of deviation before and after the movement in a previous stage.

5. A cleaning device comprising the control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, and moving according to the control of the control device.

6. A cleaning device control method executed by a control device, comprising: a pipe detection step of detecting the pipe from an image captured by an image capture device attached to the cleaning device that cleans the surface of the pipe; an angle specifying step of specifying an inclination angle between the extension direction of the pipe detected in the pipe detection step and a front-rear direction of the cleaning device; and a movement control step of controlling the movement of the cleaning device based on the tilt angle.

7. A control program for causing a computer to function as the control device according to claim 1, the control program causing a computer to function as the pipe detection unit, the angle identification unit, and the movement control unit.

Images