Information processing device, control device, program, waste treatment facility, and method for operating the waste treatment facility

Abstract

To substantially equally maintain a height and a mixing degree of waste in a storage pit.SOLUTION: In an information processor having a control part for managing waste stored in a storage pit which is constituted so as to be capable of storing the waste, the control part derives a height of the waste by making it adaptable to a prescribed position of the storage pit on the basis of the measurement information of the height of the waste acquired from a sensor which can measure the height of the waste, determines a mixing degree indicating a degree of a mixing state of the waste on the basis of image information imaged by an imaging part which can image the waste which is stored in the storage pit, derives a height difference between the height of the waste in a zone and the height of the waste in an adjacent zone which adjoins the zone at each zone which is set by partitioning a region in the storage pit into a plurality of zones, and selects and outputs a zone for holding the waste and a zone for discharging the waste on the basis of the determined mixing degree and the derived height difference.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing device, a control device, a program, a waste treatment facility, and a method for operating a waste treatment facility. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, in order to stably burn waste put into a waste incinerator, the waste piled up in the waste pit is mixed to make the properties of the waste uniform, and then the waste is put into the incinerator through a waste chute for incineration. The waste is mixed by a crane operated by an operator based on visual inspection, or by controlling the crane automatically. In recent years, various methods have been studied for effectively mixing the waste piled up in the waste pit by converting the state of the mixed waste, i.e., the degree of mixing, into data and making it visible.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a garbage agitation state measuring device that aims to recognize the garbage agitation state in a garbage pit. The technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 is a technology for creating an agitation degree map that stores the number of times garbage moves in an actual garbage pit in order to grasp the actual garbage agitation state.

[0004] Patent Document 2 discloses a display device for the garbage agitation state in a garbage pit, which attempts to grasp the garbage agitation state in the garbage pit overall and visually. The technology disclosed in Patent Document 2 is a technology that represents the garbage agitation state by the garbage agitation degree, and displays the garbage agitation degree in the garbage pit area as a three-dimensional bar-shaped figure. The technology described in Patent Document 2 aims to verify crane operation by grasping the agitation state in the garbage pit overall and visually, and displaying the bucket movement trajectory in three dimensions.

[0005] Patent Document 3 discloses technology related to a garbage mixing evaluation system that evaluates the mixing state of garbage quality. The technology disclosed in Patent Document 3 is a technology that captures images of garbage in a garbage pit, calculates three-dimensional height information, binarizes the captured image and an image corrected from the three-dimensional height information, and evaluates the garbage mixing degree of each evaluation area from the binarized image in order to grasp the mixing state of garbage quality. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6381395 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 6440374 [Patent Document 3] Patent No. 6457137 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] However, in the techniques disclosed in Patent Documents 1 to 3, images are extracted and the degree of mixing of the waste is determined without considering the height (level) of the waste piled up in the waste storage pit. Therefore, when actually mixing the waste with a crane, there is a problem that the difference in height of the waste becomes too large depending on the address (section). This causes problems such as the crane having difficulty gripping the waste and the gripping part of the bucket or the like tipping over. Furthermore, when the difference in height of the waste piled up is large, there is a problem that blind spots are created when the storage pit is imaged to grasp the state of the waste, which reduces the accuracy of the determination of the degree of mixing.

[0008] Therefore, there was a need to develop technology that could make the height and degree of mixing of waste approximately uniform in storage pits for waste such as garbage, and maintain the height and degree of mixing of the waste in an approximately uniform state.

[0009] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to provide an information processing device, a control device, a program, a waste treatment facility, and an operating method for a waste treatment facility that are capable of maintaining the height and degree of mixing of waste in a storage pit at a substantially uniform level. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the object, an information processing device according to one embodiment of the present invention is an information processing device that includes a control unit that manages waste stored in a storage pit configured to store waste, and the control unit derives the height of the waste corresponding to a predetermined position in the storage pit based on measurement information of the height of the waste obtained from a sensor unit capable of measuring the height of the waste, determines a degree of mixing that indicates the degree of mixing of the waste based on imaging information captured by an imaging unit capable of imaging the waste stored in the storage pit, derives a height difference between the height of the waste in the compartment and the height of the waste in an adjacent compartment adjacent to the compartment for each compartment set by dividing an area within the storage pit into multiple compartments, and selects and outputs a compartment for holding the waste and a compartment for dumping the waste based on the determined degree of mixing and the derived height difference.

[0011] In one embodiment of the information processing device of the present invention, in the above invention, the control unit determines the degree of mixing for each compartment, selects a grasping compartment from a plurality of compartments in the storage pit based on the degree of mixing, which is a compartment that grasps the waste, and if the elevation difference in the selected grasping compartment is greater than or equal to a predetermined grasping threshold, sets the selected grasping compartment as the compartment that grasps the waste.

[0012] In one embodiment of the information processing device of the present invention, in the above invention, the control unit determines the degree of mixing for each compartment, selects a discharge compartment from multiple compartments in the storage pit as a compartment into which the waste is discharged based on the degree of mixing, and when the elevation difference in the selected discharge compartment is equal to or less than a predetermined discharge threshold, sets the selected discharge compartment as a compartment into which the waste is held.

[0013] In an information processing device according to one embodiment of the present invention, in these configurations, the control unit excludes the selected section from the selection when the height difference in the selected section is less than a predetermined gripping threshold or greater than a predetermined dropping threshold.

[0014] In one aspect of the information processing device of the present invention, in the above invention, the control unit determines the degree of mixing using a mixing degree determination model, and the mixing degree determination model is a learning model generated by machine learning in which imaging information obtained and annotated from an imaging unit that images the waste in the storage pit is used as a learning input parameter, and the mixing degree set by a worker from the imaging information is used as a learning output parameter.

[0015] In one aspect of the information processing device of the present invention, in the above invention, the sensor unit includes a ranging sensor that emits electromagnetic waves toward the waste and measures the time from the time the electromagnetic waves are emitted to the time the electromagnetic waves reflected by the waste are received.

[0016] In an information processing device according to one embodiment of the present invention, in the above invention, the sensor unit has a plurality of distance measuring sensors, and each of the plurality of distance measuring sensors is installed in a position where at least one of a plurality of electromagnetic waves emitted from the plurality of distance measuring sensors can reach any position on the top surface of the waste stored in the storage pit.

[0017] A control device according to one embodiment of the present invention is a control device comprising an information processing device according to the above invention and a gripping unit control unit that controls a gripping unit that moves the waste stored in the storage pit by gripping and releasing it, and the gripping unit control unit outputs an instruction signal to grip the waste in a section for gripping the waste output by the information processing device, and to release the waste in a section for releasing the waste.

[0018] A program according to one embodiment of the present invention causes a control unit of an information processing device having a control unit that manages waste stored in a storage pit configured to store waste to derive the height of the waste corresponding to a predetermined position in the storage pit based on measurement information of the height of the waste obtained from a sensor unit capable of measuring the height of the waste, determine a degree of mixing indicating the degree of mixing of the waste based on imaging information captured by an imaging unit capable of imaging the waste stored in the storage pit, derive a height difference between the height of the waste in the compartment and the height of the waste in an adjacent compartment adjacent to the compartment for each compartment set by dividing an area within the storage pit into multiple compartments, and select and output a compartment for holding the waste and a compartment for dumping the waste based on the determined degree of mixing and the derived height difference.

[0019] A waste treatment facility according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a control device according to the above invention, a storage pit for storing waste, and a gripping unit capable of moving the waste by gripping and releasing it under the control of the control device.

[0020] A method for operating a waste treatment facility according to one aspect of the present invention is a method for operating a waste treatment facility including: a storage pit configured to be able to store waste, and including a sensor unit capable of measuring the height of the waste at a predetermined position and an imaging unit capable of imaging the waste; an information processing device including a control unit that manages the waste stored in the storage pit; and a control device including a gripping unit control unit that controls a gripping unit that moves the waste stored in the storage pit by gripping and releasing, wherein the control unit controls the waste treatment facility to correspond to a predetermined position in the storage pit based on measurement information of the height of the waste obtained from the sensor unit capable of measuring the height of the waste. The height of the objects is derived, and a degree of mixing indicating the degree of mixing of the waste is determined based on imaging information captured by an imaging unit capable of capturing images of the waste stored in the storage pit. For each compartment set by dividing the area within the storage pit into several compartments, a difference in elevation between the height of the waste in the compartment and the height of the waste in an adjacent compartment adjacent to the compartment is derived, and a compartment for grasping the waste and a compartment for dumping the waste are selected and output based on the determined degree of mixing and the derived difference in elevation, and the gripping unit control unit moves the waste based on the compartment for grasping and the compartment for dumping output by the control unit. Effect of the Invention

[0021] The information processing device, control device, program, waste treatment facility, and operation method of a waste treatment facility according to the present invention make it possible to maintain the height and degree of mixing of waste in a storage pit at a substantially uniform level. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a pit management system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a pit management device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a plan view of a storage pit according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the storage pit taken along line IV-IV in FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the storage pit taken along line VV in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a plan view illustrating the compartments of a storage pit according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining the definition of the elevation difference for each divided area according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a flowchart for explaining a method for operating a waste storage facility controlled by a management device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a storage pit taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 3, in which four sensor units are provided. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0023] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In all the drawings of the embodiment, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described below.

[0024] (Pit management system) FIG. 1 shows a pit management system to which an information processing device according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied. As shown in FIG. 1, the pit management system 1 includes a pit management device 10, a waste storage facility 20, and a waste incineration facility 30, which are capable of communicating with each other via a network 2. A waste treatment facility 3 includes at least the waste storage facility 20 and the waste incineration facility 30. The pit management device 10 may be provided outside the waste treatment facility 3 and capable of communicating with the waste treatment facility 3 via the network 2, or may be a part of the waste treatment facility 3. The pit management device 10 may also be provided inside the waste storage facility 20, and the installation location is not limited.

[0025] The network 2 is configured by appropriately combining wired communication and wireless communication, and is composed of communication networks such as the Internet network and mobile phone network. The network 2 is composed of one or more combinations of, for example, dedicated lines, public communication networks such as the Internet, for example, LANs (Local Area Networks), WANs (Wide Area Networks), telephone communication networks such as mobile phones, public lines, VPNs (Virtual Private Networks), etc. The pit management device 10, waste storage facility 20, and waste incineration facility 30 are connected via the network 2.

[0026] (Waste storage facility) The waste storage facility 20 as a waste storage unit includes a control unit 21, a communication unit 22, an imaging unit 23, a sensor unit 24, a gripper unit 25, and a storage pit 26. The gripper unit 25 is movably provided in the storage pit 26, and the imaging unit 23 and the sensor unit 24 are also provided therein. The gripper unit 25 is controlled by the control unit 21 based on a control signal transmitted from the control unit 11 of the pit management device 10. The control unit 21 may control the imaging unit 23 and the sensor unit 24 based on a control signal transmitted from the control unit 11. The control unit 11 of the pit management device 10 may directly control the imaging unit 23, the sensor unit 24, and the gripper unit 25.

[0027] Specifically, the control unit 21 includes a processor having hardware such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), and an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), and a main storage unit such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) and a ROM (Read Only Memory) (none of which are shown). The control unit 21 controls the imaging unit 23, the sensor unit 24, and the grip unit 25 based on control signals input from the pit management device 10 via the communication units 13 and 22 in accordance with various programs stored in the main storage unit such as the RAM and ROM.

[0028] The communication unit 22 is, for example, a LAN interface board, a wired communication circuit for wired communication, or a wireless communication circuit for wireless communication. The LAN interface board, the wired communication circuit, or the wireless communication circuit is connected to the network 2. The communication unit 22, which functions as a transmitting unit and a receiving unit, is connected to the network 2 and communicates with the pit management device 10.

[0029] The imaging unit 23 has, for example, imaging cameras 231 and 232. The imaging unit 23 is configured to be able to image the waste 26a in the storage pit 26, particularly the surface, by the imaging cameras 231 and 232. The imaging unit 23 may be configured to be able to image the waste 26a gripped by the bucket 253, for example, by imaging the bucket 253 of the gripping unit 25. The imaging unit 23 images the state of the waste 26a in the storage pit 26, i.e., the state of the waste 26a, and transmits the captured image data as imaging information to the pit management device 10 via the communication unit 22. The imaging unit 23 may transmit the captured image data of the waste 26a as imaging information to the pit management device 10 via the communication unit 22.

[0030] The sensor unit 24 includes a plurality of distance measuring sensors, for example, two distance measuring sensors 241, 242 such as LiDAR (Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging). The sensor unit 24 may include a laser sensor, an infrared sensor, or a combination of these sensors in addition to the distance measuring sensor. The distance measuring sensors 241, 242 are configured to be capable of measuring the distance from the installed position to the surface of the waste 26a in the storage pit 26. The distance measuring sensors 241, 242 can measure the distance from the distance measuring sensors 241, 242 to the waste 26a in association with two-dimensional position information (x, y) in the horizontal plane of the storage pit 26. The sensor unit 24 including the distance measuring sensors 241, 242 transmits the measured distance to the pit management device 10 via the communication unit 22.

[0031] The gripping unit 25 grips and moves the waste 26a stored in the storage pit 26. The bucket 253 serving as an opening / closing unit is capable of gripping the waste 26a. The crane 252 serving as a moving unit is configured to be movable by connecting the bucket 253. The crane 252 is provided with a load meter 251. The load meter 251 is configured to be able to measure the weight of the waste 26a gripped by the bucket 253. Data on the weight of the waste 26a measured by the load meter 251 (load data) is transmitted to the pit management device 10 via the communication unit 22.

[0032] Parameters relating to the so-called work operation of the crane 252, such as the current position of the crane 252 above the storage pit 26 in two dimensions (x, y) on the horizontal plane in the storage pit 26, the movement path, the movement range, and the movement speed, are sequentially transmitted from the gripper 25 to the pit management device 10 via the control unit 21 and the communication unit 22. Similarly, parameters relating to the work operation of the bucket 253, such as the current position of the bucket 253 in three dimensions (x, y, z), the open time, the closed time, the number of times it is opened and closed, and the amount of opening, are sequentially transmitted from the gripper 25 to the pit management device 10 via the control unit 21 and the communication unit 22.

[0033] The storage pit 26 is a pit capable of temporarily storing the waste 26a. The waste 26a in the storage pit 26 is gripped by the gripping part 25 and supplied to the incinerator 33 of the waste incineration facility 30, where it is incinerated.

[0034] (Waste incineration facility) The waste incineration facility 30 as the waste incineration unit includes a combustion control device (ACC) 31, a sensor unit 32, and an incinerator 33. The combustion control device 31 controls the amount of combustion air, the amount of cooling air, the waste feeder feed speed, and the grate feed speed as the operation amounts of the respective operation terminals based on the setting of a predetermined reference value of the operation amount. The incinerator 33 as the waste incinerator includes a furnace in which the waste 26a is burned, a waste inlet into which the waste 26a is input, and a boiler (none of which are shown). The sensor unit 32 is composed of, for example, a thermometer and a pressure gauge provided at various locations. The internal state of the incinerator 33 and various physical quantities such as pressure and speed in the facilities related to the incinerator 33, specifically, in the power generation facilities for generating electricity, measured by the sensor unit 32, are output from the sensor unit 32 as sensor information. The sensor information output from the sensor unit 32 is supplied to the combustion control device 31 as a parameter. The combustion control device 31 controls the combustion of the incinerator 33 based on the input parameters.

[0035] (Pit management device) Fig. 2 shows details of the pit management device 10 in Fig. 1. The pit management device 10 as an information processing device shown in Fig. 2 includes a control unit 11, a storage unit 12, a communication unit 13, and an input / output unit 14. The control unit 11 and the communication unit 13 are physically similar to the control unit 21 and the communication unit 22 described above, respectively.

[0036] The storage unit 12 is composed of a storage medium selected from a volatile memory such as a RAM, a non-volatile memory such as a ROM, an erasable programmable ROM (EPROM), a hard disk drive (HDD, Hard Disk Drive), and a removable medium. The removable medium is, for example, a universal serial bus (USB) memory, or a disk recording medium such as a compact disc (CD), a digital versatile disc (DVD), or a Blu-ray (registered trademark) disc (BD). The storage unit 12 may also be composed of a computer-readable recording medium such as an externally mountable memory card.

[0037] The storage unit 12 can store an operating system (OS), various programs, various tables, various databases, and the like for executing the operations of the pit management device 10. These various programs can also be recorded on computer-readable recording media such as hard disks, flash memories, CD-ROMs, DVD-ROMs, and flexible disks for wide distribution. The control unit 11 loads the programs stored in the storage unit 12 into the working area of ​​the main storage unit, executes them, and controls each component through the execution of the programs, thereby achieving functions that meet a predetermined purpose.

[0038] The storage unit 12 stores waste level information 121, type information 122, pile information 123, and a mixture degree determination model 124. The waste level information 121, type information 122, and pile information 123 are all stored in the storage unit 12 as a database in a searchable manner.

[0039] The waste level information 121 is information on the level of the waste 26a stored in the storage pit 26. The waste level information 121 includes measurement information such as the level (height, waste level z) of the waste 26a associated with a two-dimensional coordinate in the storage pit 26, i.e., a predetermined position (x, y) such as an address. The waste level information 121 may include mapping data including point cloud data representing the shape of the surface of the waste 26a. When the waste 26a in the storage pit 26 is managed as a plurality of units divided into a predetermined rectangular parallelepiped shape, specifically, for example, a cube shape of 500 mm square, the waste level information 121 may include history information such as the volume, bulk density, weight, and storage days of each unit.

[0040] The type information 122 includes information on the type of waste 26a in the storage pit 26. The type information 122 includes, for example, information on the type determined by assuming that the waste 26a carried in is one type when the waste collection vehicle carries the waste 26a into the storage pit 26, but is not necessarily limited to this. The type information 122 includes type information for each predetermined position defined by three-dimensional coordinates (x, y, z) in the storage pit 26 after the waste 26a is transferred by the gripper 25. In other words, the type information 122 includes information on the type of waste 26a determined in association with the three-dimensional position coordinates (x, y, z) of the surface of the waste 26a when the surface shape of the waste 26a is measured.

[0041] The deposition information 123 is information generated by associating the waste level information 121 obtained as described above with the type information 122 of the determined waste 26a. That is, the deposition information 123 is three-dimensional map information generated by associating the type information 122 captured by the imaging unit 23 and determined by the type determination unit 112 with three-dimensional coordinates (x, y, z) based on the waste level information 121 of the stored waste 26a. This allows the control unit 11 to accumulate, as deposition information 123, information on not only the surface of the waste 26a stored in the storage pit 26, but also information on the waste 26a buried below the surface.

[0042] The deposition information 123 may include work area information regarding the work area in the storage pit 26. The work area information includes information regarding areas such as the carry-in area (carry-in area), the transfer area (transfer area), and the throw-in area (throw-in area). The work area information may also include information on a crushing area (crushing area) where the waste 26a is crushed by the bucket 253 or the like. This allows the control unit 11 to separate the deposition information for each of the carry-in area, the transfer area, the throw-in area, and the crushing area.

[0043] The mixture degree determination model 124 is configured from a learning model in which the imaging information acquired from the imaging unit 23 that images the waste 26a in the storage pit 26 is used as an input parameter, and the mixture degree that indicates the degree of the mixed state of the waste 26a is used as an output parameter. The learning model is also referred to as a trained model or simply a model. The mixture degree may be a discontinuous numerical value or rank, or a continuous numerical value or level. The mixture degree determination model 124 is generated by machine learning such as supervised learning in which the imaging information acquired and annotated from the imaging unit 23 that images the waste 26a in the storage pit 26 is used as an input parameter for learning, and the mixture degree set by the worker based on the imaging information is used as an output parameter for learning. For the machine learning, various machine learning methods such as deep learning using a neural network can be adopted.

[0044] In this embodiment, the control unit 11 executes the various programs loaded therein to execute the functions of a level derivation unit 111, a type determination unit 112, a pile information generation unit 113, a crane control unit 114, a mixture degree determination unit 115, and a learning unit 116. The various programs also include a program for realizing an artificial intelligence or a learned model capable of implementing the processing according to this embodiment.

[0045] The level derivation unit 111 can set an area representing the position of the waste 26a stored in the storage pit 26. Specifically, for example, the horizontal size of the bucket 253 can be used as a reference to divide the area on a plane parallel to the bottom surface of the storage pit 26 and set an address (x, y). It is also possible to set areas such as a carry-in area, a transfer area, and a throw-in area based on the address. The carry-in area 261 is an area where garbage is carried in from a garbage collection vehicle (packer vehicle), and may be divided by a partition wall. The transfer area is a transfer area where the waste 26a is transferred from the carry-in area by a crane provided in the storage pit 26. The throw-in area is an throw-in area where the waste 26a to be thrown into the incinerator 33 is stored.

[0046] The level derivation unit 111 can calculate or determine the height (waste level z) of the waste 26a in the storage pit 26 based on at least one, preferably multiple, pieces of distance information supplied from the sensor unit 24. That is, the level derivation unit 111 derives the height of the waste 26a, i.e., the waste level z, based on the distance to the waste 26a at a predetermined position (x, y) input from the sensor unit 24. This allows the level derivation unit 111 to map at least the surface of the waste 26a in the storage pit 26 with three-dimensional coordinates (x, y, z). In addition to the sensor unit 24, the crane rope length of the bucket 253 can be used to accumulate information on the height of the waste 26a at the predetermined position (x, y), thereby making it possible to derive the waste level z as the waste level z associated with the predetermined position (x, y). The method of deriving the waste level z is not necessarily limited to the above-mentioned method, and various methods can be adopted.

[0047] Next, a method for deriving the waste level z by the level deriving unit 111 will be described. Figures 3, 4, and 5 are diagrams showing the storage pit 26 according to this embodiment. Figure 3 is a plan view of the storage pit 26 from above. Figures 4 and 5 are cross-sectional views of the storage pit 26 taken along lines IV-IV and VV in Figure 3, respectively.

[0048] In the example shown in FIG. 3, for example, the horizontal size of the bucket 253 is used as a reference, and the plane parallel to the bottom surface of the storage pit 26 is divided to set the addresses (x, y). Note that various methods of division within the storage pit 26 can be adopted, and are not limited to the example shown in FIG. 3. Furthermore, for the address (x, y), when the size of the bucket 253 is used as a reference, both variables x and y become discrete, but they may be set continuously. Note that the waste 26a is put into the storage pit 26 toward the carry-in area 261 after opening the carry-in door arranged in the storage pit 26. The carry-in door is, for example, an openable / closable type, and a plurality of doors are arranged at predetermined intervals along the side wall of the storage pit 26. The waste 26a to be brought into the waste storage equipment 20 of the waste treatment facility 3 is put into the storage pit 26 through one of the carry-in doors. The waste 26a in the storage pit 26 is transferred, stirred, and dumped into the dump hopper 331 by the three-axis drive of a crane 252.

[0049] At least one imaging camera, preferably multiple cameras, is disposed as the imaging unit 23 near the upper waist wall of the storage pit 26. When multiple cameras are installed, it is preferable to install them in a position where there is a low possibility of a blind spot occurring, for example, on the side of the carry-in area 261 for the waste 26a, in order to suppress the occurrence of a blind spot of the camera. In Fig. 3 and Fig. 4, two imaging cameras 231, 232 are provided. The imaging cameras 231, 232 are configured to have a photographing camera such as a CCD camera or a CMOS camera, but are not necessarily limited to these. The imaging cameras 231, 232 are configured to be able to identify the color tone of the waste 26a, which changes depending on the type of waste 26a. The imaging cameras 231, 232 may be installed, for example, on the upper part of the inner wall of the storage pit 26, on a wall that can photograph the waste 26a in the storage pit 26. The imaging cameras 231, 232 may be one, or three or more. The imaging unit 23 can use various devices as long as they are capable of detecting the type of waste 26a.

[0050] A plurality of, for example, two, distance measuring sensors 241, 242 are installed in the storage pit 26, which constitute the sensor unit 24. The distance measuring sensors 241, 242 are preferably installed at positions where at least one of the emitted electromagnetic waves can reach any position on the surface of the waste 26a stored in the storage pit 26, but this is not limited thereto. Specifically, for example, the distance measuring sensors 241, 242 are installed near the upper waist wall of the storage pit 26 near the respective imaging cameras 231, 232. Note that the installation locations of the distance measuring sensors 241, 242 are not necessarily limited, but the installation locations and the number of sensors to be installed can be set based on the directivity of the distance measuring sensors 241, 242 and the reach of light.

[0051] As shown in Fig. 4, in the storage pit 26, the waste level z can be measured by the distance measuring sensors 241, 242 when the waste 26a is stored. That is, the distance from each of the distance measuring sensors 241, 242 installed at the top of the two corners on the loading area 261 side of the storage pit 26 to a predetermined position P on the surface of the waste 26a can be measured. In this case, the distance l between the distance measuring sensor 241 and the predetermined position P is 1 and the emission angle θ of the electromagnetic wave from the distance measuring sensor 241. 1 By this, the waste level z at the predetermined location (x, y) can be measured. On the other hand, the distance l between the distance measuring sensor 242 and the predetermined position P can be measured. 2 and the emission angle θ of the electromagnetic wave from the distance measuring sensor 242. 2 The level deriving unit 111 of the pit management device 10 can derive the waste level z at a given location (x, y) in the storage pit 26 based on the position information acquired from these distance measuring sensors 241, 242.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 5, in the storage pit 26, the distance measuring sensors 241 and 242 detect a predetermined position P 0 The distance sensor 241 can measure the distance to the predetermined position P 0 Distance to 10 and the emission angle θ of the electromagnetic wave from the distance measuring sensor 241. 1By measuring the waste level z at a given location (x, y), 0 The distance measuring sensors 241 and 242 can obtain point cloud data of the waste 26a at a predetermined position P 0 Distance to 10 ,l 20 It is also possible to derive the waste level z based on the distance information and angle information from the distance measuring sensors 241, 242. In this way, the level deriving unit 111 can instantly and continuously derive the waste level z of the waste 26a at the predetermined position P in the storage pit 26 based on the distance information and angle information from the distance measuring sensors 241, 242.

[0053] As shown in Fig. 5, the crane 252 used in the waste storage facility 20 is provided above the storage pit 26 equipped with the input hopper 331 of the incinerator 33. The crane 252 is arranged so as to be able to travel along a traveling rail 256 on a crane girder 254. The crane 252 is arranged so as to raise and lower a bucket 253 capable of holding a predetermined amount of waste 26a by winding up and down a wire rope on a crab 255 arranged so as to be able to move laterally on the crane girder 254.

[0054] In addition, the distance measuring sensor 241 and the predetermined position P 1 Distance from 11 Regarding the above, for example, there are cases where the electromagnetic waves emitted from the distance measuring sensor 241 are blocked by the waste 26a piled up high, resulting in a blind spot. In this case, the level derivation unit 111 of the control unit 11 can execute a masking process on the blocked portion. That is, when the level derivation unit 111 determines that the position of the object measured by the sensor unit 24 is not a predetermined position of the waste 26a to be measured, it can execute a masking process to mask the portion that is not the predetermined position.

[0055] When determining whether or not to perform the masking process, for example, the following method can be adopted. That is, when electromagnetic waves are emitted from the distance measuring sensors 241, 242 toward the waste 26a, and the electromagnetic waves are scanned to measure the distance on the surface of the waste 26a deposited in the storage pit 26, if the distance measured during scanning changes by a predetermined threshold or more, the masking process can be performed on that part. In this case, the object irradiated with the electromagnetic waves after the distance changes by a predetermined threshold or more is likely not the waste 26a at the predetermined position to be measured, but the blocked waste 26a or another object. This allows the level derivation unit 111 to determine the part to be masked based on the information on the distance from the sensor unit 24. The level derivation unit 111 may determine whether or not to perform the masking process and the range of the masking process by reading a learning model or a learned model obtained by machine learning using teacher data.

[0056] After the masking process is performed, the distance measuring sensor 242 and the predetermined position P 1 Distance from 21 and the emission angle θ of the electromagnetic wave from the distance measuring sensor 242. 2 By this, the designated location (x 1 ,y 1 ) waste level z 1 That is, the distance measuring sensor 242 can measure the predetermined position P 1 It should be noted that the above-mentioned case where the electromagnetic waves emitted from the distance measuring sensor 241 are blocked before reaching the predetermined position P is not limited to the case where they are blocked by the waste 26a. That is, even when the electromagnetic waves are blocked by various objects present in the storage pit 26, such as the bucket 253, the level derivation unit 111 performs a masking process on the obtained point cloud data.

[0057] When the distance measuring sensors 241, 242 according to the present embodiment are configured with LiDAR, for example, the electromagnetic waves used are typically near-infrared or infrared. As a result, although it is difficult for a camera or the like to capture an image in a dark place, the distance measuring sensors 241, 242 can measure the distance even in a dark place. In addition, the dimensions of objects that can be detected by the distance measuring sensors 241, 242 are equal to or larger than the wavelength. The electromagnetic waves emitted from the distance measuring sensors 241, 242 have a high light flux density, high coherence, and an extremely short wavelength, so that they are easily reflected even when irradiated on a small object. Therefore, the distance measuring sensors 241, 242 can easily measure the time from the time when the electromagnetic waves are emitted toward the waste 26a to the time when the electromagnetic waves reflected by the waste 26a are received. As a result, the distance measuring sensors 241, 242 can easily measure the distance to the surface or surface layer of the waste 26a stored in the storage pit 26 with high accuracy. In addition, since the distance is measured by the distance measuring sensors 241, 242 such as LiDAR, the time response can be made on the order of msec, so that the measurement interval can be shortened and the distance from the distance measuring sensors 241, 242 to the waste 26a can be measured almost continuously. Therefore, for example, the movement and swing of the bucket 253 can be tracked, so that the swing prevention of the bucket 253 can be optimized.

[0058] In addition, when the bucket 253 is moving in the storage pit 26, if there is only one distance measuring sensor, the electromagnetic waves of one of the distance measuring sensors 241, 242 may be blocked by the bucket 253 and may not be irradiated to the waste 26a at a predetermined position. Even in this case, the electromagnetic waves emitted from one of the distance measuring sensors 241, 242 may be irradiated to the waste 26a without being blocked by the bucket 253. Therefore, even when the bucket 253 is moving in the storage pit 26, the distance to the waste 26a can be measured from at least one of the distance measuring sensors 241, 242, so that the possibility of measuring the waste level z at a predetermined position is improved compared to the case where only one distance measuring sensor is used. That is, even when the bucket 253 is moving, the height of the waste 26a in the storage pit 26 can be measured by the sensor unit 24 in real time with a higher probability.

[0059] As described above, the upper layer of the waste 26a can be measured by at least one of the distance measuring sensors 241, 242. This makes it possible to measure the waste level z of the surface of the waste 26a in the storage pit 26 over the entire surface along the horizontal plane of the storage pit 26, i.e., over all addresses (x, y).

[0060] The type determination unit 112 determines the type (also called classification) of the waste 26a carried into the carry-in area 261. Furthermore, when the waste 26a is mixed or reloaded by the crane 252, the type determination unit 112 determines the type and state of the waste 26a after mixing or reloading based on the imaging information provided from the imaging cameras 231, 232. In this way, the type determination unit 112 generates type information. The type information includes information on the type and state of the waste 26a.

[0061] The deposition information generating unit 113 associates the type information 122 of the waste 26a determined by the type determining unit 112 with three-dimensional coordinates (x, y, z) based on the waste level information 121 of the waste 26a at a predetermined position obtained based on the measurement by the sensor unit 24. This allows the three-dimensional map of the waste 26a to be continuously generated. In addition, since the point cloud data of the waste 26a in the storage pit 26 can be obtained from the distance measuring sensors 241 and 242, the shape of the surface of the waste 26a can be obtained instantly or intermittently. This allows the deposition information generating unit 113 to generate deposition information 123 including point cloud data that maps the surface shape of the waste 26a. The deposition information 123 includes three-dimensional mapping information of the surface shape of the waste 26a. The generated deposition information is stored in the deposition information 123 of the storage unit 12. The deposition information generating unit 113 may generate the deposition information 123 discontinuously and intermittently at predetermined time intervals.

[0062] The mixture degree determination unit 115 as a mixture degree determination means determines the mixture degree of the waste 26a stored in the storage pit 26 based on the type and state of the waste 26a acquired from the type determination unit 112 and the image information acquired from the imaging cameras 231, 232. The mixture degree of the waste 26a is determined by inputting the image information of the waste 26a captured in the storage pit 26 as an input parameter to the mixture degree determination model 124, and the mixture degree is output as an output parameter. The mixture degree is a degree that is defined in advance by, for example, the color and fineness of the waste 26a and is comparable to each other. The mixture degree determination unit 115 can measure the mixture degree of the waste 26a for each predetermined section based on the position coordinates (x, y) along the horizontal plane of the storage pit 26, for example, for each rectangular area (hereinafter, section) divided at a predetermined interval along the x direction and a predetermined interval along the y direction. The information on the mixture degree for each output position coordinate (x, y) is stored in the memory unit 12 as the pile-up information 123.

[0063] Furthermore, the learning unit 116 as a learning means can derive a mixture degree determination model 124 by machine learning using image information of the captured waste 26a in the storage pit 26 as a learning input parameter and a mixture degree set for the acquired image information as a learning output parameter. The generated mixture degree determination model 124 is supplied to the learning unit 116 from the computer that performed the machine learning and stored in the memory unit 12.

[0064] In this embodiment, the crane control unit 114, which serves as the gripper control unit, outputs instruction signals to drive the crane 252 on three axes to grip waste 26a at a desired position with the bucket 253 and to scatter the gripped waste 26a, and transmits these to the control unit 21. The control unit 21 controls the crane 252 and bucket 253 of the gripper 25 based on the received instruction signals. Note that the crane 252 may be directly controlled by the crane control unit 114.

[0065] The crane control unit 114 can perform transfer based on the acquired waste level information 121 and pile information 123 including information on the degree of mixing. Here, the control of the gripper 25 by the crane control unit 114 according to this embodiment, particularly the control of transfer, will be described. Fig. 6 is a plan view for explaining the compartments of the storage pit 26 according to this embodiment. Fig. 7 is a diagram for explaining the definition of the elevation difference for each compartment according to this embodiment.

[0066] As shown in Fig. 6, in this embodiment, sections S are set at predetermined positions (x, y) along the horizontal plane (xy plane) of the storage pit 26, which is divided at predetermined intervals in the x direction and at predetermined intervals in the y direction. In the example shown in Fig. 6, the storage pit 26 is divided into 11 in the x direction and 20 in the y direction, resulting in a total of 220 rectangular sections S. In addition, in order to specify the position of the section S, the center of the section S can be set as the predetermined position P(x, y), but the vertex of the section S may also be set at the predetermined position P, and is not limited thereto.

[0067] The section S is an area of ​​the storage pit 26 along a horizontal plane, and can be set based on, for example, the horizontal size of the bucket 253 driven by the crane 252 of the gripper 25, but is not limited thereto. Here, the adjacent section adjacent to the section S is referred to as the section S. 1 Adjacent section S 1 If section S is in a corner, it will have three surrounding sections; if section S is along an exterior wall, it will have five surrounding sections; otherwise, it will have eight surrounding sections.

[0068] As shown in FIG. 1 When the waste 26a is delivered or transferred, the amount of the waste 26a in the section S, for example, the waste level Z of the section S and the waste level Z of the adjacent section S1, 1 In this embodiment, the height difference Δh is the height difference between the waste level Z in the section S and the 1 Waste level Z in 1 Based on this, it is defined by the following equation (1). Δh=ZZ 1 …(1)

[0069] From equation (1), Z>Z 1 In the case of Δh>0 (positive), Z <Z 1 In the case of Δh<0 (negative), the waste level Z of the section S and the 1 Waste level Z 1 are partitions S and S 1 A representative value of the waste level z in the sections S, S can be selected. 1 For each of the sections, the largest or smallest value of the waste level z is used, and the sections S and S 1 For example, the average value of the waste level z in the adjacent sections S and S can be used, or the minimum waste level z can be used when the pile-up state is concave and the maximum waste level z can be used when the pile-up state is convex. 1 The absolute value of Δh (|Δh|=|ZZ 1|) is largest for waste levels Z,Z 1 It is also possible to adopt the above. The crane control unit 114 can execute the transfer of the waste 26a based on the height difference Δh and the degree of mixing defined above. The details of the control of the transfer of the waste 26a by the crane control unit 114 will be described later.

[0070] Also, for example, at a predetermined position P 0 From the specified position P 1 (see FIG. 5), it is also possible to derive a moving path that allows the bucket 253 to avoid the top of the waste 26a. The crane control unit 114 moves the crane 252 based on the derived moving path. As a result, it is possible to move the crane 252 from, for example, a predetermined position P 0 From the specified position P 1 In comparison with the conventional method of moving the bucket 253 of the gripper 25 to a position higher than the top of the waste 26a, the lifting length of the bucket 253 can be shortened and the movement efficiency of the crane 252 can be improved. For example, if the waste 26a is only to be moved sideways, the waste 26a can be moved with a minimum of winding up of the wire rope for lifting the bucket 253. This allows the bucket 253 to be moved at an optimal height according to the purpose of the treatment of the waste 26a, such as mixing or transshipment.

[0071] Furthermore, when waste 26a is discharged from the bucket 253, the discharge height can be changed according to the waste level z at the address (x, y) where waste 26a is discharged, so that the bucket 253 is not hoisted up more than necessary. That is, when the gripper 25 is automatically operated by the control unit 21, the crane 252 and the bucket 253 can be moved at a height that can avoid mountains of waste 26a piled up. Therefore, unnecessary operations of the gripper 25 can be reduced, so that the automatic operation of the gripper 25 can be efficiently executed and the operating rate can be reduced.

[0072] Furthermore, by accumulating and updating the pile information 123, the control units 11 and 21 can always derive and control the height required for the bucket 253 to grip and dump the waste 26a based on the latest pile information 123. By constructing a learning model to be applied to the crane control unit 114 through machine learning by the control units 11 and 21, particularly the learning unit 116, the grip unit 25 including the crane 252 and the bucket 253 can be automatically controlled. Therefore, the crane control unit 114 can move the crane 252 and the bucket 253 to an appropriate height or along an appropriate movement path in accordance with the purpose of the operation of the grip unit 25. Note that various types of machine learning can be adopted for the machine learning, such as deep learning using a neural network, reinforcement learning, or deep reinforcement learning.

[0073] The input / output unit 14 can be composed of, for example, a touch panel display, a speaker microphone, and the like. The input / output unit 14 as an input means includes an interface that inputs various information transmitted from, for example, the imaging unit 23 or the sensor unit 24 installed in the waste storage facility 20 through the communication unit 22 and outputs the information to the control unit 11. The information may be transmitted from the imaging unit 23 or the sensor unit 24 to the input / output unit 14 by wired communication or wireless communication. The input / output unit 14 also includes a user interface such as a keyboard, input buttons, a lever, a touch panel for manual input superimposed on a display such as a liquid crystal display, or a microphone for voice recognition. The input / output unit 14 is configured to be capable of inputting predetermined information to the control unit 11 by an operator or the like operating the input / output unit 14. The input / output unit 14 as an output means displays an image of the inside of the storage pit 26 of the waste storage facility 20 on a display monitor, displays characters, figures, and the like on the screen of a touch panel display, and outputs sound from a speaker, according to the control by the control unit 11. That is, the input / output unit 14 is configured to be capable of notifying predetermined information to the outside. The input section and the output section in the input / output section 14 may be configured separately.

[0074] (Operation method of waste treatment facility) Next, a method for operating the waste storage facility 20, which is a waste treatment facility according to this embodiment, will be described. Fig. 8 is a flow chart for explaining a method for operating the waste storage facility 20 controlled by the pit management device 10 according to this embodiment. Note that step ST1 is a process performed by an operator, and steps ST2 to ST15 are processes based on the control of the pit management device 10. Note that in the following description, information is transmitted and received between the respective components via the communication units 13, 22 and the network 2, but a detailed description of this point will be omitted.

[0075] As shown in Fig. 8, first, in step ST1, the worker performs preparations. That is, in step ST1, the worker installs at least one imaging camera 231, and preferably multiple imaging cameras 231, 232 as shown in Fig. 3, in a predetermined position of the storage pit 26, for example, near the upper waist wall of the storage pit 26. Note that it is preferable to install the imaging cameras 231, 232 in a position that has as few blind spots as possible.

[0076] Next, the process proceeds to step ST2, where the control unit 11 of the pit management device 10 controls the imaging unit 23 via the control unit 21 of the waste storage facility 20 to capture an image of the waste 26a in the storage pit 26. The imaging unit 23 generates imaging information of the waste 26a and transmits it to the pit management device 10. The level derivation unit 111 identifies the position (x, y) of the captured waste 26a based on the imaging information supplied from the imaging unit 23.

[0077] Next, the process proceeds to step ST3, where the type determination unit 112 of the control unit 11 determines the type and state of the captured waste 26a based on the imaging information provided by the imaging unit 23, and stores the type information 122 in the storage unit 12. The pile information generation unit 113 generates pile information 123 by correlating the generated type information 122 with the position (x, y) (hereinafter, referred to as the address (x, y)) of the section S, and stores the pile information 123 in the storage unit 12. This allows the control unit 11 to distinguish the type and state of the waste 26a by correlating them with the address (x, y) of the section S. After the pile information 123 is generated, the mixture degree determination unit 115 of the control unit 11 inputs the imaging information acquired from the imaging unit 23 to the mixture degree determination model 124, and generates the pile information 123 including the mixture degree corresponding to the address (x, y) of the section S. The mixture degree determination unit 115 stores the pile information 123 including the mixture degree corresponding to the address (x, y) of the section S in the storage unit 12.

[0078] Next, the process proceeds to step ST4, where the level derivation unit 111 measures the waste level z of the waste 26a. The waste level z is preferably measured continuously, but may be measured intermittently. The control unit 21 controls the sensor unit 24 to measure the irradiation angle θ and irradiation distance l when irradiating the waste 26a in the storage pit 26 with electromagnetic waves from the distance measurement sensor 241, etc., to measure the waste level z of the waste 26a. The level derivation unit 111 acquires the measured waste level z and associates it with the address (x, y). The pile information generation unit 113 performs mapping processing of the top surface of the waste 26a in the storage pit 26 based on the measurement value of the waste level z associated with the address (x, y), and generates point cloud data P(x, y, z) of the waste 26a. The deposition information generating unit 113 associates the point cloud data P(x, y, z) with the type and state of the waste 26a to generate deposition information 123, and stores it in the storage unit 12. The processes of steps ST2 to ST4 described above are continuously and repeatedly executed.

[0079] Next, the process proceeds to step ST5, where the level derivation unit 111 of the control unit 11 acquires the deposition information 123 including the degree of mixing, and selects the section S (address (x, y)) (see FIG. 7) with the lowest degree of mixing in the storage pit 26. Note that if there are multiple sections S with the lowest degree of mixing, the level derivation unit 111 selects any one of the multiple sections S.

[0080] Next, the process proceeds to step ST6, and the level derivation unit 111 calculates the waste level Z of the selected section S and the waste level Z of the section S adjacent to the section S. 1 Waste level Z in 1 The height difference Δh between the adjacent sections S and S is calculated as follows: 1 The level derivation unit 111 derives the elevation difference Δh for the number of sections S. That is, the elevation difference Δh is derived in three, five, or eight ways according to the position (x, y) of the section S, but is not limited thereto. The level derivation unit 111 selects the elevation difference Δh having the largest absolute value (|Δh|) of the elevation difference Δh from among the derived elevation differences Δh. Next, the level derivation unit 111 compares the selected elevation difference Δh with a gripping threshold. Here, the gripping threshold is a preset threshold at which the waste 26a can be gripped, and is a negative value.

[0081] The process proceeds to step ST7, where the level derivation unit 111 determines whether the selected height difference Δh is less than the gripping threshold. If the level derivation unit 111 determines that the selected height difference Δh is less than the gripping threshold (step ST7: Yes), the process proceeds to step ST8. If the height difference Δh is less than the gripping threshold, the absolute value (|Δh|) of the height difference Δh is greater than the absolute value of the gripping threshold. In other words, the waste level z in the selected section S is greater than the absolute value of the adjacent section S. 1 In other words, the pile state of the waste 26a is such that the selected section S is adjacent to the adjacent section S 1Since the waste 26a is recessed by a larger amount than the absolute value of the gripping threshold value, it is not preferable to transfer the waste 26a to another section by transshipment. Therefore, the process proceeds to step ST8, and the level derivation unit 111 executes a process of excluding the section S selected in step ST5 from the gripping section. Then, the process returns to step ST5.

[0082] In step ST5 after returning, the level derivation unit 111 selects the section with the lowest degree of mixing from the sections other than section S excluded from the gripping section in the storage pit 26 in the same manner as described above, and executes steps ST6 and ST7. Steps ST5 to ST8 are repeatedly executed until the level derivation unit 111 determines in step ST7 that the selected height difference Δh is equal to or greater than the gripping threshold.

[0083] On the other hand, if the level derivation unit 111 determines in step ST7 that the selected height difference Δh is not less than the gripping threshold (step ST7: No), the process proceeds to step ST9. If the height difference Δh is not less than the gripping threshold, i.e., is equal to or greater than the gripping threshold, the absolute value (|Δh|) of the height difference Δh is smaller than the absolute value of the gripping threshold. In other words, the waste level z in the selected section S is smaller than the waste level z in the adjacent section S. 1 The waste level z of the selected section S is lower than that of the adjacent section S, but not as low as the absolute value of the gripping threshold. 1 is not recessed as deeply as the absolute value of the gripping threshold value. In step ST9, the level derivation unit 111 sets the section S selected in step ST5 as the gripping section S. The level derivation unit 111 stores information on the selected gripping section S as waste level information 121 in the memory unit 12. In addition, the level derivation unit 111 excludes the set gripping section S from the drop section.

[0084] Next, the process proceeds to step ST10, where the level derivation unit 111 of the control unit 11 acquires the pile-up information 123 including the degree of mixing, and selects the section S (address (x, y)) with the lowest degree of mixing other than the holding section S set in step ST9 in the storage pit 26. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step ST11, where the level derivation unit 111 calculates the waste level Z of the section S selected in the same manner as in step ST6, and the waste level Z of the section S adjacent to the section S. 1 Waste level Z in 1 The level derivation unit 111 derives a height difference Δh between the adjacent sections S and S. The level derivation unit 111 selects the height difference Δh with the largest absolute value (|Δh|) of the height difference Δh from among the derived height differences Δh. Next, the level derivation unit 111 compares the selected height difference Δh with a discharge threshold. Here, the discharge threshold is a threshold based on a preset convex pile-up state, and is set based on the height difference Δh between the adjacent sections S and S. 1 If the height difference Δh between the waste 26a and the section S is larger than the discharge threshold, the threshold is such that the section S is not suitable for discharging the waste 26a.

[0085] The process proceeds to step ST12, where the level derivation unit 111 determines whether the selected height difference Δh is greater than the discharge threshold. If the level derivation unit 111 determines that the selected height difference Δh is greater than the discharge threshold (step ST12: Yes), the process proceeds to step ST13. If the height difference Δh is greater than the discharge threshold, the absolute value (|Δh|) of the height difference Δh is also greater than the absolute value of the discharge threshold. In other words, the waste level z in the selected section S is greater than the absolute value of the discharge threshold. 1 In other words, the pile-up state of the waste 26a in the selected section S is higher than the discharge threshold and its absolute value compared to the waste level z of the adjacent section S. 1 Compared to the section S, the waste 26a is piled up more than the absolute value of the discharge threshold, forming a convex shape. If waste 26a is discharged into this section S, the waste 26a will pile up even more, and the unevenness of the piled state of the waste 26a in the storage pit 26 will become greater, making it undesirable to discharge the waste 26a. Therefore, in step ST13, the level derivation unit 111 executes a process of excluding the section S selected in step ST10 from the discharge section. Then, the process returns to step ST10.

[0086] In step ST10 after returning, the level derivation unit 111 selects the section with the lowest degree of mixing from among the sections other than the section S excluded from the gripping section in the storage pit 26 in the same manner as described above, and executes steps ST11 and ST12. Steps ST9 to ST13 are repeatedly executed until the level derivation unit 111 determines in step ST12 that the selected height difference Δh is equal to or less than the release threshold.

[0087] On the other hand, when the level derivation unit 111 determines in step ST12 that the selected height difference Δh is equal to or less than the discharge threshold (step ST12: No), the process proceeds to step ST14. When the height difference Δh is equal to or less than the discharge threshold, the waste level z in the selected discharge section S is equal to or less than the adjacent section S 1 The discharge threshold and its absolute value are not as high as the waste level z of the waste storage device 10. Therefore, in step ST14, the level derivation unit 111 sets the section S selected in step ST10 as the discharge section S. The level derivation unit 111 stores information on the selected discharge section S as waste level information 121 in the storage unit 12.

[0088] Next, the process proceeds to step ST15, where the crane control unit 114 reads out the waste level information 121 from the memory unit 12 and acquires information on the gripping section S and the release section S selected by the level derivation unit 111. The crane control unit 114 controls the gripping unit 25 to grip the waste 26a in the acquired gripping section S with the bucket 253, and moves the bucket 253 to the position of the release section S to release the waste 26a. This allows the crane control unit 114 to transfer the waste 26a from the section S with a low degree of mixture to another section S with a low degree of mixture to substantially equalize the degree of mixture, and to perform the task of transferring the waste 26a from the section S with a relatively high waste level z to the section S with a relatively low waste level z. In this manner, the operation of the waste storage facility 20 is performed by the pit management device 10. Steps ST2 to ST15 are repeatedly performed during the operation of the waste storage facility 20.

[0089] (Modification) 9, four imaging cameras 231, 232, 233, and 234 may be provided at the four corners of the upper part of the storage pit 26, while four distance measuring sensors 241, 242, 243, and 244 may be provided near the imaging cameras 231 to 234. In this case, the blind spot of the imaging camera 231 may be imaged by the imaging camera 234, and the blind spot of the imaging camera 234 may be imaged by the imaging camera 231. In addition, the blind spot of the distance measuring sensor 241 may be measurable by the distance measuring sensor 244, and the blind spot of the distance measuring sensor 244 may be measurable by the distance measuring sensor 241.

[0090] In this case, as shown in FIG. 5, the distance measuring sensor 243 detects a predetermined position P 0 Distance to 30 and the emission angle θ of the electromagnetic wave from the distance measuring sensor 243. 2 The waste level z at the predetermined location (x, y) is measured by the distance measuring sensor 243, and the waste level z at the predetermined location P 0 The distance measuring sensors 243 and 244 can obtain point cloud data of the waste 26a at a predetermined position P 0 Distance to 30 ,l 40 That is, the distance measuring sensors 243 and 244 can obtain the point cloud data P(x, y, z) of the predetermined position P with high accuracy.

[0091] In the modified example, imaging cameras 231-234 are provided at the four corners of the upper part of the outer wall of storage pit 26, and distance measuring sensors 241-244 are provided at the four corners of the upper part of the outer wall of storage pit 26, thereby making it possible to reduce the occurrence of areas that cannot be imaged due to waste 26a, so-called blind spots.

[0092] By installing the distance measuring sensors 241-244 at the top of the four corners of the storage pit 26, the upper layer of the waste 26a can be measured by at least one of the distance measuring sensors 241-244. This makes it possible to measure the waste level z of the surface of the waste 26a stored in the storage pit 26 over the entire surface along the horizontal plane of the storage pit 26, i.e., over all addresses (x, y). In addition, since point cloud data of the waste 26a in the storage pit 26 can be acquired, it is possible to measure the surface shape of the waste 26a in real time and generate the deposition information 123 including point cloud data in which the surface shape of the waste 26a is mapped.

[0093] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 5, the distance measuring sensor 243 and the predetermined position P 0 Distance from 31 , and the emission angle θ of the electromagnetic wave from the distance measuring sensor 243 2 By this, the designated location (x 1 ,y 1 ) waste level z 1 By measuring the distance, the distance sensor 243 detects the predetermined position P 1 In this case, the electromagnetic wave emitted from the distance measuring sensor 244 reaches a predetermined position P 1 Even if it does not reach the distance l 31 Based on the given position P 1 Waste level of z 1 By deriving the above, it becomes possible to obtain point cloud data.

[0094] Furthermore, by providing the distance measuring sensors 241-244 at the four corners of the planar rectangular storage pit 26, the possibility that electromagnetic waves emitted from at least one of the distance measuring sensors 241-244 can be irradiated to the waste 26a without being blocked by the bucket 253 is further improved. This makes it possible to further improve the measurement accuracy of the waste level z by the sensor unit 24, and further improve the generation accuracy of the point cloud data.

[0095] According to the embodiment described above, the blind spots can be reduced in the image information of the waste 26a in the storage pit 26 captured and generated by the imaging unit 23, and the accuracy of the measurement of the mixture degree of the waste 26a can be improved. When the accuracy of the measurement of the mixture degree is improved, it becomes easier to select a transfer method for making the mixture degree of the waste 26a in the storage pit 26 approximately uniform, so that the so-called garbage quality can be made uniform, and stable combustion can be realized when the waste 26a is put into the incinerator 33 and burned. This makes it easier to control the amount of boiler steam, and a stable supply of electricity can be realized.

[0096] Moreover, according to one embodiment, the waste 26a can be easily gripped by the bucket 253 and the tipping over of the bucket 253 can be suppressed, which leads to a reduction in the operation time of the gripping unit 25 and realizes efficient operation. Furthermore, the waste level z of the waste 26a can be made substantially uniform in the storage pit 26, which reduces the movement of the bucket 253 in the gripping unit 25 in the up-down direction (z direction), thereby reducing energy consumption in the waste treatment facility 3. That is, the waste level z of the waste 26a in the storage pit 26 can be made substantially uniform, and the degree of mixing of the waste 26a can be maintained substantially uniform in the storage pit 26.

[0097] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been specifically described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and various modifications based on the technical idea of ​​the present invention are possible. For example, the numerical values ​​given in the above-mentioned embodiment are merely examples, and numerical values ​​different from these may be used as necessary, and the present invention is not limited by the description and drawings that form a part of the disclosure of the present invention according to this embodiment.

[0098] For example, in the above-mentioned embodiment, at least one of the at least one, preferably multiple, imaging cameras 231-234 constituting the imaging unit 23 may be provided, for example, at the lower part of the crane girder 254. It is preferable that at least one imaging camera 231-234 is configured to be able to capture the entire surface of the waste 26a. In this case, it is also possible to dispose it, for example, in the approximate center of the storage pit 26 excluding the input hopper 331.

[0099] For example, in the embodiment described above, in the storage pit 26, the section S which is the reference for transfer and is selected by the level derivation unit 111 to derive the height difference Δh, and the section S where the degree of mixing is measured are made to be a common section, but this is not necessarily limited to a common section. For example, it is also possible to make the size of the section where the degree of mixing is measured smaller than the size of the section S where the height difference Δh is derived, or conversely, to make the size of the section S where the height difference Δh is derived smaller than the size of the section where the degree of mixing is measured.

[0100] In addition, when artificial intelligence is used in the above-described embodiment, deep learning using a neural network is used as an example of machine learning, but machine learning based on other methods may be performed. For example, other supervised learning such as a support vector machine, a decision tree, a naive Bayes method, or a k-nearest neighbor method may be used. Moreover, semi-supervised learning may be used instead of supervised learning.

[0101] In addition, in one embodiment, the above-mentioned "unit" can be read as a "circuit" etc. For example, a control unit can be read as a control circuit.

[0102] In the description of the flowcharts in this specification, the order of processing between steps is clearly indicated using expressions such as "first," "then," and "continue," but the order of processing required to implement this embodiment is not uniquely determined by these expressions. In other words, the order of processing in the flowcharts described in this specification can be changed as long as there is no contradiction.

[0103] Further advantages and modifications can be readily derived by those skilled in the art. The disclosure in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific details and representative embodiments shown and described above. Thus, various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the general inventive concept as defined by the appended claims and equivalents thereof. [Explanation of symbols]

[0104] 1 Pit Management System 2 Network 3 Waste treatment facilities 10 Pit management device 11,21 Control section 12 Storage section 13,22 Communications Department 14 Input / output section 20 Waste storage facility 23 Imaging unit 24,32 Sensor section 25 Gripping part 26 Storage Pit 26a Waste 30 Waste incineration facility 31 Combustion control device 33 Incinerator 111 Level Derivation Section 112 Type determination section 113 Deposition information generation section 114 Crane control unit 115 Mixing degree determination section 116 Learning Department 121 Waste Level Information 122 Type Information 123 Deposition information 124 Mixture Degree Judgment Model 231,232,233,234 Imaging camera 241,242,243,244 Distance Measuring Sensor 251 Load cell 252 Crane 253 Bucket 254 Crane Girder 255 Club 256 Running Rail 261 Loading area 331 Input hopper

Claims

1. An information processing device including a control unit for managing waste stored in a storage pit configured to store the waste, The control unit is deriving a height of the waste in correspondence with a predetermined position of the storage pit based on measurement information of the height of the waste obtained from a sensor unit capable of measuring the height of the waste; A degree of mixing indicating a degree of mixing state of the waste is determined based on imaging information captured by an imaging unit capable of capturing an image of the waste stored in the storage pit; The area within the storage pit is divided into a plurality of sections, and for each section, a height difference between the height of the waste in the section and the height of the waste in an adjacent section adjacent to the section is derived; The degree of mixing is determined for each of the sections, and a holding section which is a section for holding the waste and a release section which is a section for releasing the waste are selected from a plurality of sections in the storage pit based on the degree of mixing; When the height difference in the selected gripping section is equal to or greater than a preset gripping threshold, the selected gripping section is selected as a section for gripping the waste, and is output; When the elevation difference in the selected dump section is equal to or less than a preset dump threshold, the selected dump section is selected as a section for dumping the waste and output. Information processing device.

2. The control unit is When the height difference in the gripping section is less than a preset gripping threshold, the gripping section is excluded from sections for gripping the waste, and when the height difference in the release section is greater than a preset release threshold, the release section is excluded from sections for releasing the waste. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

3. The control unit is determining the degree of mixture using a mixture degree determination model; The mixture degree determination model is a learning model generated by machine learning using imaging information acquired and annotated from an imaging unit that images the waste in the storage pit as learning input parameters and a mixture degree set by an operator from the imaging information as a learning output parameter.

3. The information processing device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The sensor unit includes a distance measuring sensor that emits electromagnetic waves toward the waste and measures the time from when the electromagnetic waves are emitted to when the electromagnetic waves reflected by the waste are received.

4. The information processing device according to claim 1.

5. the sensor unit has a plurality of distance measuring sensors, Each of the plurality of distance measuring sensors is installed at a position where at least one of a plurality of electromagnetic waves emitted from the plurality of distance measuring sensors can reach any position on the top surface of the waste stored in the storage pit. The information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. An information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 5; A control device comprising: a gripping unit control unit that controls a gripping unit that moves the waste stored in the storage pit by gripping and releasing the waste; The gripping control unit includes: The waste is gripped in a section for gripping the waste output by the information processing device, and an instruction signal for releasing the waste is output in a section for releasing the waste. Control device.

7. A control unit of an information processing device includes a control unit for managing waste stored in a storage pit configured to be able to store the waste, deriving a height of the waste in correspondence with a predetermined position of the storage pit based on measurement information of the height of the waste obtained from a sensor unit capable of measuring the height of the waste; A degree of mixing indicating a degree of mixing state of the waste is determined based on imaging information captured by an imaging unit capable of capturing an image of the waste stored in the storage pit; The area within the storage pit is divided into a plurality of sections, and for each section, a height difference between the height of the waste in the section and the height of the waste in an adjacent section adjacent to the section is derived; The degree of mixing is determined for each of the sections, and a holding section which is a section for holding the waste and a release section which is a section for releasing the waste are selected from a plurality of sections in the storage pit based on the degree of mixing; When the height difference in the selected gripping section is equal to or greater than a preset gripping threshold, the selected gripping section is selected as a section for gripping the waste, and is output; When the elevation difference in the selected dump section is equal to or less than a preset dump threshold, the selected dump section is selected as a section for dumping the waste and output. A program to make that happen.

8. A control device according to claim 6 ; a storage pit for storing waste; A gripping unit capable of moving the waste by gripping and releasing the waste under the control of the control device. Waste treatment facility.

9. a storage pit configured to store waste and equipped with a sensor unit capable of measuring the height of the waste at a predetermined position and an imaging unit capable of imaging the waste; an information processing device including a control unit that manages the waste stored in the storage pit, and a control device including a gripping unit control unit that controls a gripping unit that moves the waste stored in the storage pit by gripping and releasing the waste; A method for operating a waste treatment facility comprising: The control unit: deriving a height of the waste in correspondence with a predetermined position of the storage pit based on measurement information of the height of the waste obtained from a sensor unit capable of measuring the height of the waste; A degree of mixing indicating a degree of mixing state of the waste is determined based on imaging information captured by an imaging unit capable of capturing an image of the waste stored in the storage pit; The area within the storage pit is divided into a plurality of sections, and for each section, a height difference between the height of the waste in the section and the height of the waste in an adjacent section adjacent to the section is derived; The degree of mixing is determined for each of the sections, and a holding section which is a section for holding the waste and a release section which is a section for releasing the waste are selected from a plurality of sections in the storage pit based on the degree of mixing; When the height difference in the selected gripping section is equal to or greater than a preset gripping threshold, the selected gripping section is selected as a section for gripping the waste, and is output; When the elevation difference in the selected discharge section is equal to or less than a preset discharge threshold, the selected discharge section is selected as a section for discharging the waste and outputted; The gripping portion control portion is The waste is moved based on the section to be gripped and the section to be dropped output by the control unit. How to operate a waste treatment facility.

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