Levitation mobile platform and program for the same

Abstract

To issue an alarm to prevent breaking of a weight balance of a table for placing an article in a floating movable carriage.SOLUTION: A floating movable carriage comprises: an aerial flight mechanism for floating to move in air and hovering in air; a table on which an article can be placed; weight balance detection means for detecting the weight balance of the table; weight balance determination means for determining whether the weight balance of the table has been broken on the basis of a detection output of the weight balance detection means; and alarm notification means for notifying an alarm when the weight balance determination means determines that the weight balance of the table has been broken.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a levitating and moving platform and a program for the levitating and moving platform that are suitable for use in serving food and drinks, and clearing away empty plates, glasses, and other containers at, for example, a buffet party. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, in restaurants and hotels, methods of serving food and drinks include having a waiter take customers' orders and then bringing the ordered food and drinks to them. In addition, at cocktail parties and the like, a method known as the buffet style is known in which the food and drinks to be served are laid out on tables in advance and customers go and pick them up themselves.

[0003] As a method of serving the latter food and drinks, a rotating table or conveyor belt system has been proposed in which food and drinks are displayed to customers while being served, thereby reducing the workload of customers and waiters (see, for example, Patent Document 1 (JP Patent Publication No. 11-299626) and Patent Document 2 (JP Patent Publication No. 2003-199654)). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-299626 [Patent Document 2] JP 2003-199654 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the case of a buffet style where food and drinks are set out in a pre-defined area, customers have to go and get their food and drinks one by one, which is a hassle. Also, if customers are in the middle of a conversation, they have to pause (interrupt) the conversation, or if they don't want to pause, they have to give up on going to get food or drinks. Also, there is the problem that the space available to customers is reduced by the need to set up a designated area for setting out the food and drinks.

[0006] As in Patent Documents 1 and 2, when food and drinks are served on a turntable or conveyor belt, it is convenient for customers because they do not have to go and get their food or drink. However, there are problems in that a place is required to install the turntable or conveyor belt, which reduces the space available to customers, and requires special serving equipment such as the turntable or conveyor belt. In addition, customers have to wait until the food they want is brought to them on the turntable or conveyor belt.

[0007] The above problems are not limited to items such as food and drinks, but also occur in environments where various items are displayed and sold.

[0008] In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide a floating and mobile platform that does not require a separate space for arranging or displaying items, and that eliminates the need for people to go to a predetermined designated location to retrieve items themselves. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to solve the above problem, the invention of claim 1 is as follows: an aerial flight mechanism for levitating and moving through the air and hovering in the air; A platform on which an item can be placed; A weight balance detection means for detecting a weight balance of the mounting table; a weight balance determining means for determining whether or not the weight balance of the table is lost based on the detection output of the weight balance detecting means; an alarm issuing means for issuing an alarm when the weight balance determining means determines that the weight balance of the table is out of balance; a means for controlling the aerial flight mechanism unit to hover near a person in a state in which the person can place the item on the platform or can remove the item placed on the platform; A mechanism for rotating the mounting table; one or more cameras; an image recognition means for recognizing the person's behavior based on captured image information from the one or more cameras; a control means for rotating the table when the gesture of the person recognized by the image recognition means is an instruction to rotate the table; The present invention provides a levitating and moving platform comprising:

[0010] The levitating and moving platform of the present invention having the above-mentioned configuration includes a platform on which an article is placed, and if it is determined that the weight balance of the platform is lost, an alarm is issued. Effect of the Invention

[0011] According to the floating and moving platform of this invention, if it is determined that the weight balance of the platform on which an item is placed is disturbed, an alarm is sounded, thereby alerting the person placing or removing an item on the platform or removing an item from the platform. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing an example of a mechanical configuration of an embodiment of a levitating and moving platform according to the present invention; [Diagram 2] 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a drive control device of an embodiment of a levitating and moving platform according to the present invention; FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a part of a flowchart for explaining an example of the operation of the embodiment of the levitating and moving base according to the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a part of a flowchart for explaining an example of the operation of the embodiment of the levitating and moving base according to the present invention. [Diagram 5]FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a part of a flowchart for explaining an example of the operation of the embodiment of the levitating and moving base according to the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a part of a flowchart for explaining an example of the operation of the embodiment of the levitating and moving base according to the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a part of a flowchart for explaining an example of the operation of the embodiment of the levitating and moving base according to the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a part of a flowchart for explaining an example of the operation of the embodiment of the levitating and moving base according to the present invention. [Figure 9] 1A to 1C are diagrams used to explain an example of the operation of an embodiment of a levitating and moving platform according to the present invention. [Figure 10] 1A to 1C are diagrams used to explain an example of the operation of an embodiment of a levitating and moving platform according to the present invention. [Figure 11] 1A to 1C are diagrams used to explain an example of the operation of an embodiment of a levitating and moving platform according to the present invention. [Figure 12] 1A to 1C are diagrams used to explain an example of the operation of an embodiment of a levitating and moving platform according to the present invention. [Figure 13] 11A and 11B are diagrams for explaining an example of another mode of use of the embodiment of the levitating and moving platform according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the levitating mobile platform according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the embodiment described below, the levitating mobile platform is used to serve food and drinks and collect empty containers at a reception venue. However, it goes without saying that the levitating mobile platform of the present invention is not limited to this example.

[0014] The floating and moving platform 1 of this embodiment is a flying object capable of autonomously flying and moving through the air. Figure 1(A) is a diagram of the floating and moving platform 1 of this embodiment seen from above, and Figure 1(B) is a diagram of the floating and moving platform 1 of this embodiment seen from the front side.

[0015] The levitating moving platform 1 of this embodiment includes an aerial flight mechanism 2 having a so-called quadcopter structure, and a drive control unit 3. The aerial flight mechanism 2 is driven and controlled by the drive control unit 3. As shown in Fig. 1, the aerial flight mechanism 2 is configured by attaching rotor mechanisms 5A, 5B, 5C, 5D to the tips of four arms 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D extending from the drive control unit 3.

[0016] Rotating blade mechanisms 5A, 5B, 5C, 5D are configured to rotate blades 52A, 52B, 52C, 52D by rotating blade shafts (not shown) using motor driving units 51A, 51B, 51C, 51D, respectively. The motor driving units 51A, 51B, 51C, 51D have their rotation speeds and directions controlled by drive control signals from a drive control unit 3. The motor driving units 51A, 51B, 51C, 51D and the drive control unit 3 use batteries (not shown) as power sources for rotational drive and drive control. The camera, microphone, various sensors, and control unit, which will be described later, are also supplied with power from the battery. For example, a rechargeable secondary battery is used as the battery. A solar cell may also be used.

[0017] In this example, each of the motor drive units 51A, 51B, 51C, and 51D is independently controlled by a drive control signal from the drive control unit 3, enabling the levitating and moving platform 1, which is an aircraft, to perform various movement operations such as takeoff, landing, ascent (straight up, diagonally upward), descent (straight down, diagonally downward), right turn, left turn, forward movement, backward movement, right shift, and left shift, as well as attitude control such as the tilt angle relative to the vertical direction and position control of the hovering position.

[0018] In the levitating and moving platform 1 of this embodiment, a camera, an omnidirectional microphone, various sensors, etc., which will be described later, are attached integrally with the drive control unit 3, and a housing 6 that houses a drive control device section 10 including a control section is formed. In this example, the housing 6 is configured in a box-like shape as a whole.

[0019] Two legs 7A, 7B are attached to the housing 6 so as to face each other. In this example, the legs 7A, 7B are made of pipe members formed into a trapezoidal shape, and are formed so as to stably hold the levitating and moving platform 1 on the landing surface 8 as shown in FIG. 1(B). The shape and material of the legs are not limited to this, and various shapes and materials are possible. For example, the legs may be made of wood or metal material and have four legs formed into a cylindrical shape at the four corners of the housing 6. Also, movable wheels may be attached to the legs to facilitate movement on the landing surface 8.

[0020] In this example, as shown in Figures 1(A) and (B), a camera CM1 and an omnidirectional microphone MC are provided on the top surface of a housing 6 of the drive control unit 3. Also, as shown in Figures 1(A) and (B), cameras CM2 to CM5 are provided on the four side surfaces of the housing 6. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 1(B), a camera CM6 is provided on the bottom surface of the housing 6.

[0021] The optical axes (corresponding to the shooting direction) of the cameras CM1 to CM6 are perpendicular to the mounting surfaces of the cameras CM1 to CM6, and each camera can shoot a predetermined angle of view with the optical axis direction as the center.

[0022] Above the rotors 52A, 52B, 52C, and 52D, at a position that does not interfere with the rotation of the rotors 52A, 52B, 52C, and 52D, a mounting table 9 for placing objects is fixed and supported by four support legs 9A, 9B, 9C, and 9D that are erected from the upper surface of the housing 6. In this example, the mounting table 9 is configured as a basket type with an opening at the top and a U-shaped cross section. The bottom and side surfaces of the mounting table 9 are formed with mesh-shaped holes, so that the mounting table 9 does not affect the air flow generated by the rotation of the rotors 52A, 52B, 52C, and 52D as much as possible.

[0023] Although not shown in the figure, an LED (Light Emitting Diode) light is provided on the top surface of the housing 6 to illuminate the items placed on the placement platform 9 so that the items can be identified even when the lights are turned off and it becomes dark or the lighting is moody.

[0024] A drive control device section 10 is provided inside the housing 6. Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the drive control device section 10 in the levitating and moving platform 1 of this embodiment. Note that a battery is omitted in Fig. 2.

[0025] As shown in Fig. 2, the drive control device unit 10 in this embodiment is configured by connecting an aerial flight drive unit 102, a gyro sensor 103, a geomagnetic sensor 104, a gravity sensor 105, an altitude sensor 106, an obstacle sensor 107, a weight sensor 108, a voice emission processing unit 109, a moving space memory 110, a current position detection unit 111, a flight drive signal generation unit 112, a position and attitude control signal generation unit 113, cameras CM1 to CM6, a non-directional microphone (abbreviated as non-directional microphone in Fig. 2) MC, an image recognition unit 114, a voice recognition unit 115, an alarm notification unit 116, an order voice information storage unit 117, a prediction unit 118, an operation unit 119, and a voice message storage unit 120 to a control unit 101 consisting of a microcomputer (abbreviated as microcomputer in Fig. 2) through a system bus 100. The control unit 101 constitutes a main control means for controlling the entire levitation and moving platform 1.

[0026] The aerial flight drive unit 102 supplies drive control signals to each of the motor drive units 51A, 51B, 51C, and 51D of the rotary wing mechanisms 5A, 5B, 5C, and 5D of the aerial flight mechanism unit 2 under the control of the control unit 101.

[0027] The gyro sensor 103 detects changes in angular velocity during flight of the floating and moving platform 1, and is used to detect the flight direction, speed, and attitude of the floating and moving platform 1. The geomagnetic sensor 104 is used to detect in which direction (north, south, east, west) the floating and moving platform 1 is facing, and in which direction it is flying and moving.

[0028] The gravity sensor 105 detects the direction of gravity (vertical direction) and is made up of, for example, an acceleration sensor, and is used for controlling so that the bottom surface of the mounting base 9 of the levitating and moving base 1 is kept horizontal.

[0029] The altitude sensor 106 detects the altitude at which the floating and moving platform 1 is currently located, and is, for example, an air pressure sensor.

[0030] The obstacle sensor 107 detects the presence of an obstacle by emitting light, infrared rays, ultrasonic waves, etc. and detecting the reflected waves from obstacles such as people or walls, and also detects the time and attenuation between emitting light, infrared rays, or ultrasonic waves and receiving the reflected waves, and can calculate the distance to the detected obstacle from the time and attenuation. In this embodiment, the obstacle sensor 107 is used to control the levitating mobile base 1 to fly while avoiding collisions with obstacles in the space in which it is used.

[0031] In this embodiment, the obstacle sensor 107 is also used to control the hovering of the floating mobile platform 1, as described below, when hovering next to a person (a party attendee or waiter in this example) who is near the location where the floating mobile platform 1 is to go, or a person who has called the floating mobile platform 1 (a party attendee or waiter in this example), while maintaining a predetermined distance, for example about 40 cm, between the person and the floating mobile platform 1. At this time, the captured image information from the camera that captures images of people, among the cameras CM1 to CM6, is also used.

[0032] The weight sensor 108 is for detecting the weight of an item placed on the platform 9 and for detecting a change in weight after the item is picked up from the platform 9. In this embodiment, the weight of the item detected by the weight sensor 108 when the item is placed on the platform 9 is stored in association with the placement position of the item placed on the platform 9 on the bottom surface of the platform 9, photographed by the camera CM1. In this embodiment, as will be described later, the hovering height position is controlled in accordance with the weight of the item detected by the weight sensor 108.

[0033] A speaker 121 is connected to the voice emission processing unit 109, and as described below, stored voice messages and played back voice signals are acoustically converted by the speaker and emitted under the control of the control unit 101.

[0034] The moving space memory 110 stores information about a moving space such as a room in which the levitating moving platform 1 is used. In this embodiment, an application program for panoramic photography (e.g., Photosynth) is stored in the memory of the control unit 101 of the levitating moving platform 1, and the levitating moving platform 1 flies in the room in which it is used and captures images of the room in a 360-degree range using all or some of the cameras CM1 to CM6 in advance. Then, the control unit 101 uses the application program for panoramic photography to generate 3D image information of the room from the captured image information, and stores the generated 3D image information in the moving space memory 110.

[0035] In this case, the moving space memory 110 also stores in advance three-dimensional information such as the shape, length, width, and height of the room, such as the party venue, to be used. Furthermore, structural information of the room to be used, such as beams, pipe spaces, and pillars, may also be stored in advance. The moving space may include not only the party venue, but also the moving space from the kitchen or dish washing area to the party venue. Furthermore, the stored information in the moving space memory 110 includes moving route information (route guidance information) in the moving space of the levitating moving platform 1.

[0036] The current position detection unit 111 includes, for example, a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver, and detects the latitude, longitude, and altitude of the current position of the floating mobile platform 1. In order to obtain more accurate position information, the current position may be detected using radio waves from a mobile phone base station or radio waves from an access point of Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity (registered trademark)) communication. In addition, the surroundings of the floating mobile platform 1 may be photographed using all or some of the cameras CM1 to CM6, and the photographed image information may be compared with the 3D image information stored in the moving space memory 110 for image recognition, thereby grasping the relative position in the 3D image space and detecting the current position. In order to detect the current position after movement, the current position detection unit 111 also uses the gyro sensor 103, the geomagnetic sensor 104, and the altitude sensor 106.

[0037] The flight drive signal generating unit 112 executes the following processing operations under the control of the control unit 101.

[0038] First, when starting levitation flight based on a start command from the control unit 101, the flight drive signal generation unit 112 generates a flight drive signal for moving through the air according to the movement route information stored in the movement space memory 110. In this case, the flight drive signal generation unit 112 calculates the movement direction and movement distance from the position information of the current position detected by the current position detection unit 111 and the movement space information stored in the movement space memory 110.

[0039] Then, the flight drive signal generation unit 112 generates a flight drive signal for moving while avoiding collisions with obstacles and avoiding areas where flight should not be performed, based on the calculated direction and distance, and using information from the gyro sensor 103, geomagnetic sensor 104, gravity sensor 105, altitude sensor 106, obstacle sensor 107, etc., and further referring to images captured by cameras CM1 to CM6.

[0040] This flight drive signal is made up of signals that drive each of the motor drive units 51A-51D of the four rotary wing mechanisms 5A-5D. The generated flight drive signal is supplied to each of the motor drive units 51A-51D of the aerial flight mechanism unit 2 via the aerial flight drive unit 102. Upon receiving this flight drive signal, the aerial flight mechanism unit 2 drives and rotates each of the rotary wings 52A-52D to perform movement by aerial flight.

[0041] During this movement, the control unit 101 refers to the captured images from the cameras CM1 to CM6 and performs image recognition, which will be described later, to determine whether a situation has arisen in which the levitating and moving platform 1 should go to the side of a person (a party attendee or a waiter; the same applies below). In this example, whether a situation has arisen in which the levitating and moving platform 1 should go to the side of a person is determined by determining whether containers such as plates and glasses near the party attendees or waiters are empty (including cases where only a small amount of food or drink remains), whether a party attendee makes a gesture (such as a gesture of raising a hand) to call the levitating and moving platform 1 or a waiter, whether a waiter makes a gesture (such as a gesture of raising a hand) to call the levitating and moving platform 1, whether a party attendee makes a gesture (such as a gesture of looking around) to search for the levitating and moving platform 1 or a waiter, or whether a voice is made to call them.

[0042] In the following explanation, to avoid being verbose, "a situation in which you should be near people (party attendees or waiters)" will simply be written as "a situation in which you should be."

[0043] When the control unit 101 determines that a situation has arisen in which the floating mobile platform 1 should go, the flight drive signal generation unit 112, under the control of the control unit 101, moves to the side of a person who is in the vicinity of the location in which the situation has arisen in which the floating mobile platform 1 should go or a person who has made a gesture of calling the floating mobile platform 1, and hovers there. In this case, the flight drive signal generation unit 112, under the control of the control unit 101, generates a flight drive signal for hovering the platform 9 while keeping it horizontal at a height position based on a specific body part of the person hovering nearby, in this example, the position of the person's lower jaw, at a predetermined distance from the person, and supplies the flight drive signal to the aerial flight mechanism unit 2 through the aerial flight drive unit 102. In this case, the hovering height position is a height position at which a person can easily take out items such as food and drinks from the platform 9 and place empty plates, glasses, etc. on the platform 9. Note that the generation of a signal for controlling the hovering height position is performed by the position and attitude control signal generating unit 113, as will be described later.

[0044] Then, when the control unit 101 issues a command to start moving or a command to return to the kitchen or washing area, the flight drive signal generation unit 112 generates a flight drive signal to stop hovering and start further movement within the cocktail party venue or to return to the kitchen or washing area, and supplies this to the aerial flight mechanism unit 2 via the aerial flight drive unit 102.

[0045] The control unit 101 issues a command to start moving when the levitating and moving platform 1 detects a gesture (such as a hand-waving gesture) from a person hovering nearby to allow the person to leave, recognizes a voice (such as "It's okay," "You can go," or "Leave me," etc.) that allows the person to leave, or continues to hover for a predetermined time or longer without receiving any action from the person. In addition, in a mode in which food or drink is being served, when there is no food or drink left on the platform 9 or there is only a small amount of food or drink left, the control unit 101 issues a command to return to the kitchen. In addition, in a mode in which empty containers are collected, when it is determined that the weight of a container placed on the platform 9 exceeds a predetermined weight, the control unit 101 issues a command to return to the washing area. In addition, when a container placed on the platform 9 falls over, causing the contents to spill, the control unit 101 recognizes this from image information captured by the camera CM1 and controls the levitating and moving platform 1 to return to the kitchen or washing area.

[0046] Under the control of the control unit 101, the position and attitude control signal generating unit 113 generates signals for controlling the height position of the levitating and moving platform 1 and for controlling the horizontal state of the bottom surface of the mounting platform 9 based on the gyro sensor 103, the geomagnetic sensor 104, the gravity sensor 105, the altitude sensor 106, the weight sensor 108, and images captured by the cameras CM1 to CM6.

[0047] When the position and attitude control signal generating unit 113 detects from the images captured by the cameras CM1 to CM5 that an object has been placed on the mounting platform 9 of the levitating and moving platform 1, it generates, under the control of the control unit 101, an attitude control signal for keeping the bottom surface of the mounting platform 9 horizontal using the sensor output of the gravity sensor 105 not only when the platform is hovering but also when the platform is moving in levitating flight.

[0048] In this example, the position and orientation control signal generator 113 detects the height position of the lower jaw of a face image of a person captured by one of the cameras CM2 to CM5 as an example of a reference height position, and generates a position and orientation control signal to temporarily hover at that height position, and then hover at a height position, for example, 20 cm lower than that height position. Note that this height position can be adjusted by a person's actions (gestures) or voice commands, as described later.

[0049] The position and attitude control signal generating unit 113 also generates, under the control of the control unit 101, a position and attitude control signal for correcting the above-mentioned hovering height position when a person places an item such as food or drink on the placement platform 9 of the levitating and moving platform 1, or removes an item such as food or drink from the placement platform 9.

[0050] Each of the cameras CM1 to CM6 outputs captured image information of a moving image to the system bus 100. Identification information for identifying which camera the captured image information is from is added to the captured image information sent from each of the cameras CM1 to CM6 to the system bus 100. Note that the captured image information from each of the cameras CM1 to CM6 may not be captured image information of a moving image, but may be captured image information of still images taken at a predetermined time interval, for example, at 0.5 second intervals.

[0051] The omnidirectional microphone MC is for picking up voice information such as commands uttered by the attendees of the reception party and waiters. Although not shown in the figures, in the levitating and moving platform 1 of this embodiment, only the audio information in the human conversation band (e.g., 200 Hz to 4 KHz) is sent to the system bus 100 through a bandpass filter out of the audio information picked up by the omnidirectional microphone MC.

[0052] Also, the sounds of a person clapping their hands or snapping their fingers, which are picked up by the omnidirectional microphone MC, can be used as commands issued by a person. In this case, the levitating mobile platform 1 flies and moves in response to the sounds of a caller clapping their hands or snapping their fingers, which are picked up by the omnidirectional microphone MC, or of a person ordering food or drink, which will be described later. Generally, the frequency power peaks of a clapping sound are 0 to 2 KHz, and the frequency power peaks of a finger snapping sound are 2 to 4 KHz, so these bands may be passed through a bandpass filter and sent to the system bus 100 to recognize the sound of clapping hands or snapping fingers.

[0053] The image recognition unit 114 includes an image memory 114M that stores image information of an image recognition target to be recognized from the captured image information from the cameras CM1 to CM6. This allows the unit to recognize whether a container near a buffet party participant or waiter is empty, and to recognize a person's (the buffet party participant or waiter's) gesture of calling the levitating mobile platform 1, gesture of searching for it, gesture of giving permission to leave, etc.

[0054] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the control unit 101 is configured to be able to receive food and drink orders from people while in a hovering state, as described below, and when the order is received, is configured to be able to register a facial image of the person placing the order in an order placer memory area (not shown) of the image memory 114M in association with their position information (position information in the movement space).

[0055] Then, in this embodiment, the levitating mobile platform 1 returns to the location corresponding to the position information stored in the order placer memory area of ​​the image memory 114M in order to deliver the food or drink to the order placer, and the image recognition unit 114 recognizes the order placer based on the facial image of the order placer stored in the order placer memory area of ​​the image memory 114M.

[0056] In this embodiment, a person in the vicinity of the hovering levitating and moving platform 1 can issue control commands to the levitating and moving platform 1 by their gestures, such as "lower the height a little", "raise the height a little", "rotate the mounting platform 9", "change the hovering position (centered on the person to be followed) to the right", "change the hovering position (centered on the person to be followed) to the left", etc. The image memory 114M is provided with a control command storage area (not shown), and the control command storage area stores correspondence information between the above-mentioned control commands and images of the corresponding gestures.

[0057] Although not shown in the figure, when a person lightly touches the levitating and moving platform 1, it is possible to detect this using a capacitive touch sensor or the like, and control the up / down, left / right, diagonal direction, etc. depending on the position of the person's touch and the direction of pressure.

[0058] The control unit 101 monitors the captured image information of the cameras CM1 to CM6, and determines in the image recognition unit 114 whether or not a person in the vicinity of the hovering levitating and moving platform 1 has made the same (or similar) gesture as the gesture stored in the control command storage area of ​​the image memory 114M. When the control unit 101 determines that a person in the vicinity of the hovering levitating and moving platform 1 has made the same (or similar) gesture as the gesture of the control command stored in the control command storage area of ​​the image memory 114M, it acquires a control command corresponding to that gesture from the control command storage area of ​​the image memory 114M, and supplies a control signal to the aerial flight mechanism unit 2 so that the levitating and moving platform 1 performs an operation according to the acquired control command.

[0059] In this embodiment, the levitating and moving platform 1 is also able to recognize the above-mentioned control commands and the like from voices uttered by the participants and waiters at the buffet party.

[0060] The voice recognition unit 115 is for recognizing voice control commands given by the attendees and waiters at the cocktail party, and is equipped with a voice memory 115M in which correspondence information between the control commands mentioned above and the voice information of the corresponding phrases is stored.

[0061] The control unit 101 monitors the voice information collected by the non-directional microphone MC, and determines in the voice recognition unit 115 whether or not a participant of the buffet party or a waiter has spoken the same voice phrase (or a similar phrase) as the voice phrase of the control command stored in the control command storage area of ​​the voice memory 115M. When the control unit 101 determines that a participant of the buffet party or a waiter has spoken the same voice phrase (or a similar phrase) as the control command stored in the control command storage area of ​​the voice memory 115M, it acquires a control command corresponding to the voice phrase from the control command storage area of ​​the voice memory 115M, and supplies a control signal to the aerial flight mechanism unit 2 so that the levitating and moving platform 1 performs an operation according to the acquired control command.

[0062] In this case, when the control unit 101 receives a command to "lower the height a little", it controls to lower the height by, for example, 2 cm from the current height position, and when the control unit 101 receives a command to "raise the height a little", it controls to raise the height by, for example, 2 cm from the current height position. Also, when the control unit 101 receives a command to "rotate the mounting table 9", it controls to rotate the mounting table 9 by, for example, 90 degrees to 180 degrees around the center position of the mounting table 9 while keeping the mounting table 9 horizontal. If the mounting table 9 itself has a rotating mechanism (not shown), it controls to rotate the mounting table 9, and if the mounting table 9 does not rotate and is fixed to the housing 6 of the levitating and moving table 1, the levitating and moving table 1 itself controls the position of the mounting table 9 by rotating or the like.

[0063] Furthermore, when there is a command such as "Change the hovering position (centered on the buffet party participants and waiters) to the right" or "Change the hovering position (centered on the buffet party participants and waiters) to the left", the control unit 101 controls the levitating and moving platform 1 to change its left or right position relative to the buffet party participants and waiters to a side different from the current state. Other voice commands that may be used include "Come here for a moment", "It's this way", "Stand away", etc.

[0064] When the weight of the object placed on the mounting base 9 of the levitating and moving platform 1 is too heavy (overweight) for the levitating and moving platform 1 to maintain hovering, the alarm notification unit 116 notifies the attendees of the buffet party, the chef, and the waiters of this through a speaker (not shown) as an audio alarm such as a buzzer sound. Alternatively, the alarm may be issued by emitting an audio message such as "Overweight" through the speaker. Whether or not the object is overweight is determined based on the weight detected by the weight sensor 108. Even if the object is slightly lighter than the overweight state, an audio alarm may be issued to notify that it is dangerous to place any more objects on the platform.

[0065] In addition, image information of an overweight item can be pre-registered in image memory 114M, and when image recognition unit 114 recognizes that a registered item is about to be placed on platform 9, alarm notification unit 116 can emit a voice alarm through a speaker before the item is placed, sounding an audio message such as "The item is overweight" or "There is a risk of it being overweight."

[0066] The alarm notification unit 116 may be an indicator (not shown) or a display unit (not shown) that lights up or flashes, or a message is displayed. The indicator or display unit may be assigned a number of colors, and the colors may be controlled, for example, to "blue" when there is a margin of error in the weight, "yellow" when the weight is approaching the limit, and "red" when there is a risk of exceeding the limit.

[0067] Weight balance can also be detected by arranging weight sensors 108 at multiple locations on the placement platform 9. When it is detected that the weight balance is out of balance, the alarm notification unit 116 may issue a voice alarm through a speaker, emitting a voice message such as "The weight balance is out of balance" or "Please place it on the other side."

[0068] When food and drink orders are placed by attendees of the buffet party, the order voice information storage unit 117 stores the voice information of the order in the voice memory 117M. Then, under the control of the control unit 101, the order voice information storage unit 117 reads out and plays the order voice information stored in the voice memory 117M when the levitating and moving platform 1 returns to the kitchen. The played-back order voice information is emitted by the speaker 121 via the voice emission processing unit 109, and the orders of the attendees of the buffet party are conveyed to the kitchen. Note that the voice orders for food and drink in this example are an example of voice requests for services to be provided.

[0069] The prediction unit 118 performs control on the floating and moving base 1 in accordance with items predicted from image information captured by any one of the cameras CM2 to CM5 when the floating and moving base 1 is in use.

[0070] In other words, when the levitating and moving platform 1 is hovering in the air and it is anticipated that an item will be picked up from the placement platform 9 by a party attendee, or placed on the platform by a party attendee or waiter, the platform is controlled so that the amount of rise due to the weight of the item picked up and the amount of descent due to the weight of the item placed on the platform are kept as small as possible.

[0071] In this case, the prediction unit 118 stores the weight measured by the weight sensor 108 of the item placed on the floating mobile platform 1 together with image information of the item photographed by the cameras CM1 to CM6, and when an item identical to the stored item is picked up from the floating mobile platform 1, the weight of the item is known, so the floating mobile platform 1 can easily make corrections so that the item does not rise as much as possible even if it is picked up.

[0072] Furthermore, as mentioned above, when containers such as empty plates or glasses are placed on the mounting base 9 of the levitating and moving base 1, the weight of those containers is stored in advance in the memory unit of the prediction unit 118, so that the prediction unit 118 controls the levitating and moving base 1 so that the amount of descent is as small as possible.

[0073] The operation unit 119 allows the user to input instructions for starting the flight of the levitating and moving platform 1, creating moving space information and storing it in the moving space memory 110, and other operation instructions. Furthermore, the levitating and moving platform 1 of this embodiment can be set to either a serving mode in which food and drinks are served to the participants of a buffet party, or a collecting mode in which empty plates, glasses, and other containers are collected, and the operation for setting the mode is also performed through this operation unit 119.

[0074] In this example, the operation unit 119 is made up of a plurality of buttons each corresponding to a mode, and a mode can be selected and set by operating any of the plurality of buttons. Note that a list of selectable modes may be displayed on a display unit (not shown), and a mode may be selected and set from the list.

[0075] The voice message storage unit 120 stores voice message information to be emitted to the attendees of the buffet party from the levitating mobile platform 1. The voice message storage unit 120 stores, for the provision mode, a voice message to be emitted to the attendees of the buffet party when the platform hovers, such as "Please enjoy your food and drinks." Also, for the collection mode, the voice message storage unit 120 stores, for example, a voice message to be emitted to the attendees of the buffet party when the platform hovers, such as "We will collect any empty containers."

[0076] In addition, in Figure 2, the flight drive signal generation unit 112, the position and attitude control signal generation unit 113, the image recognition unit 114, the voice recognition unit 115, the alarm notification unit 116, the order voice information storage unit 117, and the prediction unit 118 can also be realized by the control unit 101 as software processing functions.

[0077] [Example of operation of levitation mobile platform 1] Next, an example of the processing operation of the levitating and moving platform 1 of this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowcharts of Figures 3 to 8 and the explanatory diagrams of Figures 9 to 12. In the following description, it is assumed that the control unit 101 realizes the processing functions of each of the flight drive signal generation unit 112, the position and attitude control signal generation unit 113, the image recognition unit 114, the voice recognition unit 115, the alarm notification unit 116, the order voice information storage unit 117, and the prediction unit 118 as software processing functions.

[0078] Incidentally, the floating and moving platform 1 is set via the operation unit 119 to either the provision mode or the recovery mode described above before use begins.

[0079] The control unit 101 judges whether or not a start command has been received and waits for the start command (step S101), and if it judges that a start command has been received, it checks the set mode (step S102).Then, the control unit 101 judges whether the set mode is the serving mode or the collection mode (step S103), and if it judges that the set mode is the serving mode, it checks the placement status of items such as food and drinks to be served on the placement table 9 (step S104).

[0080] Then, the control unit 101 determines whether or not a predetermined number of items or more are placed on the placement table 9 from the captured image information of the camera CM1 (step S105), and if it determines that no items are placed, issues an alarm message such as "Please place food or drink" from the speaker 121 to notify the alarm (step S106). Here, the predetermined number or more in step S105 may be one or more, but this is inefficient, so it is desirable to set it to at least multiple items, and preferably to a number that does not exceed the weight limit.

[0081] Next, the control unit 101 determines whether or not a predetermined number of items such as food or drink to be served have been placed on the placement table 9 in response to the alarm notification (step S107), and if it is determined that the predetermined number or more items have not been placed, the process returns to step S106 and the alarm notification continues. If it is determined in step S107 that the predetermined number or more items such as food or drink to be served have been placed on the placement table 9, the control unit 101 stops the alarm notification (step S108).

[0082] When it is determined in step S105 that items such as food or drinks to be served are placed on the platform 9, and after step S108, the control unit 101 determines whether the weight of the items placed on the platform 9 exceeds the weight that can be transported, i.e., whether the items are overweight (step S111 in FIG. 4).

[0083] If it is determined in step S111 that the weight is over, the control unit 101 reads an alarm message such as "The weight is over. Please reduce the amount of food and drink" from the voice message storage unit 120, and issues the message from the speaker 121 to notify the alarm (step S112). Next, the control unit 101 determines whether or not the food, drink, or other items to be served that are placed on the placement table 9 have been reduced in response to the alarm notification (step S113), and if it is determined that the food, drink, or other items to be served have not been reduced, the control unit 101 returns to the process in step S112 and continues the alarm notification. If it is determined in step S113 that the food, drink, or other items to be served have been reduced, the control unit 101 further determines whether or not the weight is over, and if it is over, returns to the process in step S112 and continues the alarm notification, and if it is determined that the weight is no longer over, stops the alarm notification (step S114).

[0084] After stopping the alarm in step S114, or when it is determined in step S111 that the weight is not over, the control unit 101 stores the total number M of dishes and drinks to be served that are placed on the platform 9 (step S116).Then, the control unit 101 controls the levitating and moving platform 1 to move in the air at a predetermined speed along a predetermined route stored in the moving space memory 110 while avoiding obstacles (step S117).

[0085] For example, as shown in FIG. 9, when multiple tables TB1, TB2, TB3, TB4, TB5, and TB6 are placed in a party venue, participants 201 of the buffet party are considered to be positioned so as to surround each table. Therefore, the moving space memory 110 stores spatial information of the party venue and a moving route that goes around each table TB1, TB2, TB3, TB4, TB5, and TB6 evenly as shown by the solid line 202 with an arrow in FIG. 9. The levitating moving platform 1 moves in the air along this stored moving route. However, when there are no participants, such as table TB2 in FIG. 9, it is possible to stop moving around the table and move to the moving route from table TB1 to table TB3 based on the captured image information of cameras CM2 to CM5 as shown by the dotted line in FIG. 9. Of course, the moving route is not limited to this and can be set freely. For example, it may move around an area with many people. In addition, the control unit 101 may control the floating mobile platform 1 to wait near the entrance to the venue when the party begins, recognize visitors from the image information captured by the cameras CM2 to CM5, and approach the visitors to offer them drinks in the form of a so-called welcome drink.

[0086] Then, while moving along the movement route, the control unit 101 analyzes the image information captured by the cameras CM2 to CM6, performs image recognition using the function of the image recognition unit 114, and also performs voice recognition on the voice picked up by the omnidirectional microphone MC using the voice recognition unit 115 (step S118), and determines whether a situation has arisen in which the levitating moving platform 1 in the provision mode should go (step S119).

[0087] As described above, whether or not a situation has arisen that requires going to step S119 is determined by image recognition and analysis of the image information captured by cameras CM2 to CM6, such as whether a party attendee or a waiter is making a gesture to call the levitating mobile platform 1, whether a party attendee is looking around, or whether containers such as plates and glasses near the party attendees or waiters are empty or running low, indicating that additional food or drink may be requested.

[0088] In addition, the system can recognize voices picked up by the omnidirectional microphone MC, such as "Is your drink empty?", "Would you like a refill?", "What would you like to drink next?", "Would you like something to eat?", and "Would you like something sweet?" to determine whether there is a situation in which additional food or drinks may be requested.

[0089] If it is determined in step S119 that a situation requiring the user to go has not occurred, the control unit 101 returns the process to step S117 and causes the floating and moving platform 1 to continue moving in the air at a predetermined speed along a predetermined route while avoiding obstacles.

[0090] When it is determined in step S119 that a situation requiring the user to go has occurred, the control unit 101 moves the levitating and moving platform 1 to the side of a person who is in the vicinity of the location where the situation requiring the user to go has occurred or a person who has made a gesture of calling or searching for the user, and makes the platform hover (step S121 in FIG. 5).

[0091] For example, the lower part of Figure 10 shows participants 201A and 201B exchanging business cards at a party venue, but the control unit 101 of the levitating and moving platform 1 determines from the image information captured by cameras CM2 to CM5 that this situation does not indicate that it is appropriate to approach the participants of a standing party, and so continues levitating and moving in the air.

[0092] Then, when image recognition recognizes that participant 201C is raising his hand and making a gesture to call the levitating mobile platform 1, as shown in the upper part of Figure 10, the control unit 101 of the levitating mobile platform 1 recognizes that a situation has arisen in which it should go next to a participant of the standing party, and causes the platform to move to the side of participant 201C and hover (see Figure 11(A)).

[0093] Then, in this hovering state, the control unit 101 reads out a voice message recommending the provision of an item, such as "Please have a drink or a dish" from the voice message storage unit 120, as shown in Fig. 11(A), and causes the message to be emitted from the speaker 121 (step S122). Next, the control unit 101 determines whether or not the food or drink placed on the placement table 9 has been picked up based on the image information captured by the cameras CM1 to CM5 (step S123).

[0094] If it is determined in step S123 that food or drinks placed on the placement platform 9 have been taken, the control unit 101 detects the number N of items taken based on the image information captured by cameras CM1 to CM5 (step S124), performs a calculation to subtract the detected number N of items from the total number M of items placed on the placement platform 9, and stores the total number M after the calculation (step S125).

[0095] When it is determined in step S123 that no food or drink has been taken from the placement table 9, or after storing the total number M of items taken from the placement table 9 in step S125, the control unit 101 plays a message from the speaker 121 to inquire of the attendees of the buffet party whether they wish to receive any services, such as "Would you like to order any food or drink? If so, please say "order" and then state the food or drink you would like to order", in this example, inquiring about the items they would like to receive (step S126).

[0096] Next, the control unit 101 determines whether or not the order voice corresponding to the inquiry in step S126 has been recognized (step S127). In this example, the determination of whether or not the order voice has been recognized in step S127 is performed based on whether or not the spoken word "order" has been recognized (see FIG. 11(A)).

[0097] If it is determined in step S127 that the order voice has not been recognized, it is determined whether the total number of items placed on the platform 9 is M=0, that is, whether there are no more items placed on the platform 9 (step S129). If it is determined in step S129 that the total number of items placed on the platform 9 is M=0, the control unit 101 controls the movement in the air to return the levitating and moving platform 1 to the kitchen, as shown in Fig. 12(A) (step S141 in Fig. 6).

[0098] Note that the robot may be configured to return to the kitchen not when there are no more items on the platform 9, but when the number of items on the platform 9 becomes less than a predetermined number. The robot may also be configured to return to the kitchen when a problem occurs, such as when food or drink is spilled. When it detects that food or drink has been spilled, the robot may land in a location that does not interfere with the participants of the reception party, and have a waiter or the like collect the spilled food or drink.

[0099] If it is determined in step S129 that the total number of items placed on the platform 9 is not M=0, the control unit 101 determines whether or not it has detected any action or voice from a person in the vicinity of the hovering location giving permission to leave (step S130), and if it determines that it has detected such action or voice, it returns the process to step S117 in Figure 4 and resumes aerial movement along the determined route.

[0100] If it is determined in step S130 that no gesture or voice giving permission to leave has been detected, the control unit 101 determines whether or not a state in which no action has been taken by a person on the floating and moving platform 1 during hovering has continued for a predetermined time or more (step S131). If it is determined in step S131 that a state in which no action has been taken by a person on the floating and moving platform 1 has continued for a predetermined time or more, the process returns to step S117 in Fig. 4, and the aerial movement along the determined route is resumed, and if it is determined that the predetermined time or more has not passed, the process returns to step S123, and the processes from step S123 onwards are repeated.

[0101] 11(A), when it is determined in step S127 that the order voice has been recognized in response to the participant 201C making an order voice, the control unit 101 uses the cameras CM2-CM5 to capture a face image of the person who made the order voice (participant 201C in the case of FIG. 11(A)), stores the captured image information of the face image in the image memory 114M in association with the information of the hovering position, and stores the order voice information collected by the non-directional microphone MC in the voice memory 117M of the order voice information storage unit 117 in association with the information of the hovering position (step S128). Then, after this step S128, the process proceeds to step S141 in FIG. 6, where the control unit 101 controls the levitating and moving platform 1 to move in the air so as to return the platform 1 to the kitchen.

[0102] Following step S141, the control unit 101 determines whether or not stored information of the order voice exists (step S142), and if it determines that stored information of the order voice does not exist, returns the process to step S104 in FIG. 3, and repeats the processes from step S104 onwards.

[0103] Furthermore, if it is determined in step S142 that stored information of the order voice exists, the control unit 101 reads out the order voice information from the voice memory 117M, supplies it to the voice emission processing unit 109, and emits it from the speaker 121 (step S143).

[0104] A chef or waiter in the kitchen listens to this voice order and learns the ordered food and drink, prepares the ordered food and drink, and places them on the mounting base 9 of the levitating and moving base 1.

[0105] Note that ordering is not limited to voice. For example, the levitating and moving platform 1 may have a display screen that displays various dishes and drinks, and orders may be made by selecting from the displayed screen using touch operations or the like.

[0106] The control unit 101 determines whether or not additional food or drink has been placed on the placement table 9 by referring to the captured image information of the camera CM1 and the detection output of the weight sensor 108 (step S144). Then, if it is determined in step S144 that additional food or drink has not been placed on the placement table 9, the control unit 101 waits for additional food or drink to be placed on the placement table 9, and if it is determined in step S144 that additional food or drink has been placed on the placement table 9, it determines whether or not the weight of the item placed on the placement table 9 exceeds the transportable weight, i.e., is overweight (step S145).

[0107] If it is determined in step S145 that the weight is over, the control unit 101 reads an alarm voice message such as "The weight is over. Please reduce the amount of food and drink" from the voice message storage unit 120, and issues the message from the speaker 121 to notify the alarm (step S146). Next, the control unit 101 determines whether or not the food, drink, or other items to be served that are placed on the placement table 9 have been reduced in response to the alarm notification (step S147), and if it is determined that the food, drink, or other items to be served have not been reduced, the control unit 101 returns to the process in step S146 and continues the alarm notification. If it is determined in step S147 that the food, drink, or other items to be served have been reduced, the control unit 101 further determines whether or not the weight is over, and if it is over, returns to the process in step S146 and continues the alarm notification, and if it is determined that the weight is no longer over, stops the alarm notification (step S149).

[0108] After the alarm is stopped in step S149, or when it is determined in step S145 that the load is not overweight, the control unit 101 controls the floating mobile platform 1 to move to the person who has issued the order voice based on the position information stored in the image memory 114M and the voice memory 117M and to hover next to the person (step S150). At this time, the control unit 101 recognizes the person who issued the order voice using the face image of the person who issued the order voice stored in the image memory 114M, and controls the platform 1 to hover next to the recognized person. After this step S150, the control unit 101 shifts the process to step S122 in FIG. 5 and repeats the process from step S122 onwards. At this time, in step S122, a voice message such as "Your ordered food and drinks have been brought to you" can be read from the voice message storage unit 120 and emitted from the speaker 121.

[0109] Next, when it is determined in step S103 of FIG. 3 that the set mode is the recovery mode, the control unit 101 determines whether or not an item (container such as a plate or glass) is placed on the placement platform 9 (step S161 of FIG. 7), and when it is determined that an item is placed on it, it reads an alarm voice message such as "Please remove any containers that are on it" from the voice message memory unit 120, and emits the message from the speaker 121 via the voice emission processing unit 109 to issue an alarm (step S162).

[0110] Then, the control unit 101 determines whether or not nothing is placed on the mounting table 9 by referring to the captured image information of the camera CM1 and the detection output of the weight sensor 108 (step S163). If the control unit 101 determines in step S163 that nothing is placed on the mounting table 9, it returns the process to step S162 and continues issuing an alarm, and if it determines that nothing is placed on the mounting table 9, it stops issuing the alarm (step S164).

[0111] After the alarm is stopped in step S164, or when it is determined in step S161 that no object is placed on the mounting base 9, the control unit 101 controls the floating and moving base 1 to move through the air at a predetermined speed along a predetermined path while avoiding obstacles (step S165).

[0112] The control unit 101 then analyzes the image information captured by the cameras CM2 to CM6, performs image recognition using the function of the image recognition unit 114, and performs voice recognition on the voice collected by the non-directional microphone MC using the voice recognition unit 115 (step S166), and determines whether a situation has arisen in which the levitating and mobile platform 1 in the recovery mode should be dispatched (step S167). As described above, whether a situation has arisen in step S167 in which a situation has arisen in which a party attendant is making a gesture to call the levitating and mobile platform 1 to clear away empty plates, glasses, and other containers, and whether plates, glasses, and other containers in the vicinity of the party attendants or waiters are empty is determined from image recognition and analysis of the image information captured by the cameras CM2 to CM6.

[0113] If it is determined in step S167 that a situation requiring the user to go has not occurred, the control unit 101 returns the process to step S165 and causes the floating and moving platform 1 to continue moving in the air at a predetermined speed along a predetermined route while avoiding obstacles.

[0114] When it is determined in step S167 that a situation requiring the user to go has occurred, the control unit 101 moves the floating and moving platform 1 to the side of a person who is in the vicinity of the location where the situation requiring the user to go has occurred or a person who has made a gesture of calling or searching for the user, and makes the floating and moving platform 1 hover (step S168) (see FIG. 11(B)).

[0115] Then, in this hovering state, the control unit 101 reads out from the voice message memory unit 120 a voice message informing the user that empty containers will be collected, such as "We will take away the empty containers, so please place them on the platform," as shown in FIG. 11(B), and plays this message from the speaker 121 (step S169).

[0116] Next, the control unit 101 determines whether an object, in this example, an empty container, has been placed on the placement table 9 based on the captured image information of the cameras CM1 to CM5 (step S171 in FIG. 8). If it is determined in step S171 that an empty container has been placed, the total weight of the empty containers placed on the placement table 9 is detected by the weight sensor 108 (step S172), and it is determined whether the total weight exceeds a predetermined threshold (step S173). In this case, the weight threshold in the empty container recovery mode is set relatively low. This is to avoid a situation in which an empty container must be put down by a participant of a standing party if the empty container exceeds the weight limit.

[0117] If it is determined in step S173 that the total weight does not exceed the threshold value, the control unit 101 determines whether or not it has detected any action or voice from a person in the vicinity of the hovering location giving permission to leave (step S174), and if it determines that it has detected such action or voice, it returns the process to step S165 in FIG. 7 and resumes aerial movement along the determined route.

[0118] If it is determined in step S174 that no gesture or voice giving permission to leave has been detected, the control unit 101 determines whether or not a state in which no action has been taken by a person on the levitating and moving platform 1 during hovering has continued for a predetermined time or more (step S175). If it is determined in step S175 that a state in which no action has been taken by a person on the levitating and moving platform 1 has continued for a predetermined time or more, the process returns to step S165 in Fig. 7, and the aerial movement along the determined route is resumed, and if it is determined that the predetermined time or more has not passed, the process returns to step S171, and the processes from step S171 onwards are repeated.

[0119] Furthermore, when it is determined in step S173 that the total weight of the empty containers placed on the platform 9 exceeds the threshold value, the control unit 101 controls the floating and moving platform 1 to move to the dish washing area (step S176), as shown in Fig. 12(B). After step S176, the control unit 101 returns the process to step S161 in Fig. 7, and repeats the processes from step S161 onwards.

[0120] In the above explanation, in the collection mode, requests for services to be provided from attendees of the buffet party, i.e., orders for food and drinks, are not accepted. However, in this collection mode, requests for services to be provided from attendees of the buffet party, i.e., orders for food and drinks, may also be accepted in the same manner as in the serving mode.

[0121] In this case, the levitating mobile platform 1 moves to the dish washing area, then moves to the kitchen and plays the order voice. After delivering the ordered food and drinks to the party attendees who placed the order, the levitating mobile platform 1 returns to the collection mode and moves to collect the empty containers.

[0122] In addition, when in recovery mode, the floating and moving platform 1 does not move along a path that circles around tables TB1-TB6 as shown in Figure 9, but rather moves in a straight line above the party venue so that the situation on tables TB1-TB6 can be photographed by camera, and if necessary, it may move next to a party participant or waiter near an empty container.

[0123] In the above explanation, the total number M of items in steps 116, 125, and 129, and the number N of items in steps 124 and 125 are counted regardless of the type of item, but food (plates) and drinks (glasses) may be counted separately, or further, counting may be done by type of food or by type of drink. Of course, there may be a levitating and moving platform 1 dedicated to food and a levitating and moving platform 1 dedicated to drinks. In this case, it is of course not necessary to count food (plates) and drinks (glasses) separately.

[0124] [Effects of the embodiment] As described above, according to the levitating and moving platform 1 of the above-mentioned embodiment, food and drinks are placed on the platform 9 and moved around the party venue to be presented to the party attendees. Therefore, there is no need to line up the food and drinks in a designated place, and therefore no space is required for them.

[0125] Furthermore, since the floating mobile platform 1 passes close to party participants, the party participants can easily check the items placed on the platform 9 of the moving floating mobile platform 1. Furthermore, party participants or waiters can call the floating mobile platform 1 by making a calling or searching gesture, and in that case, the floating mobile platform 1 will hover close to the called party participant or waiter, making it easy for them to pick up items placed on the platform 9 or place items to be collected on the platform 9.

[0126] Therefore, even if party participants want food or drinks, they do not have to go to the tables where the food and drinks are laid out as in the past. In addition, the situation where empty containers or containers with leftover food left behind are left uncleaned and become an eyesore is improved. In the above-mentioned embodiment, party participants can order food and drinks that are not placed on the placement base 9 by voice to the levitating and moving base 1, which is very convenient.

[0127] Furthermore, the party organizer does not need to install a rotating table or conveyor belt at the party venue, as long as they only prepare the levitating mobile platform 1. Also, food and drinks can be prepared in the kitchen and placed on the levitating mobile platform 1 for serving to party attendees, so hot foods can be kept hot and cold foods can be kept cold.

[0128] [Examples of other usage forms of the levitating and moving platform 1 of the embodiment] The above describes an embodiment in which the levitating and moving platform of the present invention is used at a buffet party, but the levitating and moving platform of the present invention can be used in a variety of other ways.

[0129] Fig. 13 shows how a clothing store is used. In this example, the platform 9 of the levitating and moving platform 1 is prepared with particularly recommended products placed on it in advance, and is left in a landing state in a specified place in the store. Then, when a customer 201D enters the store, the levitating and moving platform 1 moves to the side of the customer 201D and hovers to show the recommended products. When there are multiple customers, the platform moves around to show the recommended products to all of them. When a customer shows interest and makes a gesture or sound indicating stopping, the platform hovers next to the customer.

[0130] Furthermore, when a product is to be displayed at a height beyond the reach of customers, the product is placed on the platform 9 of the levitating mobile platform 1. When a customer requests to see the product up close, the levitating mobile platform 1 can come and hover next to the customer to present the product to the customer.

[0131] Of course, the store clerk can call the levitating and moving platform 1 by making a gesture of calling it. In that case, the levitating and moving platform 1 hovers next to the store clerk who called it.

[0132] This mode of use is not limited to clothing stores, but can also be applied to various stores such as cosmetics stores, pharmacies, and precious metal stores, and to a wide variety of products.

[0133] In addition, to prevent the customer from picking up dangerous items such as medicine or alcoholic beverages, the levitating mobile platform 1 uses image recognition to determine whether the customer is an adult or a child, and if it is recognized as a child, it can be controlled to remain at a height that is out of reach of children.

[0134] [Other embodiments or modifications] In the above embodiment, the housing and the mounting base of the levitation moving base are configured to have a box-like shape as a whole, but this is not limited thereto, and each can have various shapes such as a cylindrical shape or a hemispherical shape. Also, the size of the mounting base is configured to be approximately the same as the outer part of the rotary wing mechanism, but this is not limited thereto, and it can be smaller or larger than the outer part of the rotary wing mechanism. Furthermore, the mounting base can be made replaceable, and an appropriate mounting base can be used depending on the application.

[0135] In addition, in the above-described embodiment, the mounting base has mesh-like holes formed on the bottom and sides of the basket, but the configuration is not limited to this and may be any configuration that has little effect on the air flow generated by the rotation of the rotor.

[0136] Furthermore, in cases where the distance between the rotor and the mounting table 9 is large so as to have little effect on the air flow caused by the rotation of the rotor, the mounting table 9 does not need to have mesh-shaped holes formed therein, and may be made of, for example, a transparent plate.

[0137] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the mounting base is provided on the upper part of the levitation moving base, but it can also be hung from the lower part. In that case, the presence of the mounting base 9 has less effect on the air flow generated by the rotation of the rotor blades, so the mounting base 9 does not need to have holes formed in a mesh shape, and can be made of, for example, a transparent plate.

[0138] In addition, in the above-described embodiment, the surface of the platform 9 on which the items are placed is flat, but the surface of the platform 9 on which the items are placed may be formed with recesses or holes into which food or drink containers can fit or engage, so that by placing the containers in the recesses or holes, the food or drink can be stabilized to prevent spillage.

[0139] In the above embodiment, when determining the height position of the hovering, the position of the lower jaw is used as a reference as a specific body part of the person, but it is not limited to the lower jaw, and the position of the shoulder, eyes, ears, nose, mouth, elbow, etc. may be used as the reference. Furthermore, it is not limited to the body part of the person, and the position of a specific part such as the collar, first button, or breast pocket of the clothes worn by the person can be used as the reference. In addition, the position of accessories such as earrings, pendant tops of necklaces, and brooches worn by the person can be used as the reference. At company parties, employees may wear employee ID cards or ID cards, and at general parties, name tags. The positions of these employee ID cards, ID cards, and name tags may be used as the reference. Of course, these reference positions may be registered in advance on the levitation mobile platform.

[0140] Furthermore, when a person uses a moving object such as a wheelchair, the position of the arms of the wheelchair on which the person is seated is determined in relation to the person, so the position of the arms of this wheelchair can be used as a reference for determining the hovering height position. For people who have difficulty walking and use wheelchairs, it is extremely convenient for the levitating mobile platform to hover next to the wheelchair when called upon, and they can participate in stand-up parties with peace of mind.

[0141] In the above embodiment, the aerial flight mechanism 2 is described as a helicopter-type mechanism having four rotary wing mechanisms, but the number of rotary wing mechanisms may be three or less or five or more. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to a helicopter-type mechanism, and may be applicable to any mechanism capable of hovering, such as an airplane-type mechanism.

[0142] In the above embodiment, the number of cameras is six and the number of microphones is one omnidirectional microphone, but the number is not limited to this. In addition, various positions for installing the cameras and microphones are also possible. Furthermore, the microphone is not limited to an omnidirectional microphone, and a directional microphone may be used to pick up the voice or sound of a specific person or direction. The camera may be a standard camera, a wide-angle camera, a fisheye camera, or a 360-degree camera. In addition, a close-up camera, a telephoto camera, an infrared camera, or the like may be used. Of course, these cameras may be used in combination.

[0143] Furthermore, it goes without saying that there may be a plurality of gyro sensors, geomagnetic sensors, gravity sensors, altitude sensors, obstacle sensors, and weight sensors.

[0144] In the above embodiment, a method of using a camera or a microphone to determine whether a situation requires a person to be present is described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and other sensors, such as a temperature sensor such as a radiation thermometer, an odor sensor, or a tactile sensor, may be used or used in combination. For example, a temperature sensor can be used to measure whether a hot dish or a hot drink that a person is eating or drinking, or that is present near a person, is cold, and whether a cold dish or a cold drink is warm, and if the measurement result is positive, it can be determined that a situation requires a person to be present. The temperature situation can also be measured with an infrared camera. In addition, in the case of a normal camera, it is possible to determine whether a situation requires a person to be present by performing image recognition on captured image information, such as the presence or absence of steam, the degree of melting of ice (presence or absence), and the degree of melting of ice cream or sherbet.

[0145] In the above embodiment, the aerial flight drive control, etc. are performed regardless of the type of the article placed on the object, but the type of the article placed on the object may be determined, and the aerial flight drive control, etc. may be performed according to the determination result. For example, when moving a glass containing liquid such as beer, wine, juice, or water, the liquid is recognized by a camera or the like, and the aerial flight drive control is performed to reduce acceleration and deceleration in order to suppress vibration. Furthermore, in the case of liquid, the extent to which the glass is filled may be recognized by a weight sensor or a camera, and the aerial flight drive control may be performed with less vibration as the amount of liquid increases.

[0146] Furthermore, if it is difficult for the levitating mobile platform to hover near a person who is in the vicinity of the location where the situation requires it, or next to a person who has made the gesture of calling or searching, due to space, obstacles, or battery issues, the control unit, etc. can determine the situation and land the platform on a nearby table, etc.

[0147] Needless to say, various other modifications of the mechanism of the levitating and moving platform are possible. [Explanation of symbols]

[0148] 1... Levitation and moving platform, 2... Aerial flight mechanism, 3... Drive control unit, 6... Housing, 9... Mounting platform, 10... Drive control device, 101... Control unit, CM1 to CM6... Camera

Claims

1. an aerial flight mechanism for levitating and moving through the air and hovering in the air; A platform on which an item can be placed; A weight balance detection means for detecting a weight balance of the mounting table; a weight balance determining means for determining whether or not the weight balance of the table is lost based on the detection output of the weight balance detecting means; an alarm issuing means for issuing an alarm when the weight balance determining means determines that the weight balance of the table is out of balance; a means for controlling the aerial flight mechanism unit to hover near a person in a state in which the person can place the item on the platform or can remove the item placed on the platform; A mechanism for rotating the mounting table; one or more cameras; an image recognition means for recognizing the behavior of the person based on captured image information from the one or more cameras; a control means for rotating the table when the gesture of the person recognized by the image recognition means is an instruction to rotate the table; A levitating and moving platform comprising:

2. The weight balance detection means is configured to include a plurality of weight sensors disposed at a plurality of positions on the table.

2. The levitating and moving platform according to claim 1.

3. The alarm is a voice message that notifies the user that the weight balance is lost.

3. The levitating and moving platform according to claim 1 or 2.

4. A posture control means is provided for controlling the posture of the mounting table so as to maintain the horizontal state.

4. The levitating and moving platform according to claim 1, wherein the levitating and moving platform is a movable platform.

5. a voice message storage means for storing predetermined voice message information; a sound emitting means for emitting sound of the voice message information stored in the voice message storage means while the robot is hovering near the person; The levitating and moving platform according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising:

6. When it is difficult to hover near the person, a control means is provided to control the drone to land nearby.

6. The levitating and moving platform according to claim 1, wherein the levitating and moving platform is a movable platform.

7. When hovering next to a person using a wheelchair, a control means is provided to control the hovering at a height position based on the height position of the arms of the wheelchair.

7. The levitating and moving platform according to claim 1, wherein the levitating and moving platform is a movable platform.

8. a registration receiving means for receiving a pre-registration of a criterion for determining a height position for hovering, The height position for hovering is determined based on the pre-registered criteria accepted by the registration accepting means.

8. The levitating and moving platform according to claim 1, wherein the levitating and moving platform is a movable platform.

9. means for controlling the hovering height position based on gesture and / or voice recognition of an instruction to change the hovering height position; 9. The levitating and moving platform according to claim 1, wherein the levitating and moving platform is a movable platform.

10. The present invention provides a method for controlling a hovering height position based on a touch sensor and / or a pressure direction of the person detected by the touch sensor.

10. The levitating and moving platform according to claim 1, wherein the levitating and moving platform is a movable platform.

11. A means for controlling the hovering height position based on the position of the person's body part is provided. The levitating and moving platform according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. A means for controlling the hovering height position based on the position of the person's clothing accessory is provided. The levitating and moving platform according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

13. A means for controlling the height position of the hovering device based on the position of at least one of an employee ID card, an ID card, and a name tag worn by the person is provided. The levitating and moving platform according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

14. The vehicle is provided with a means for controlling the height position of the hovering mechanism based on the weight of an article so that, when an article is picked up from the platform or placed on the platform in the hovering state, the height position of the hovering mechanism does not rise or fall due to a change in weight. The levitating and moving platform according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

15. and a means for controlling the aerial flight mechanism unit so that the hovering state is released and the aerial flight mechanism unit starts flying when it is detected that the hovering state has continued for a predetermined period of time. The levitating and moving platform according to any one of claims 1 to 14.

16. a total weight measuring means for detecting a total weight of one or more articles placed on the platform; a means for issuing an alarm when the total weight of the articles detected by the total weight measuring means exceeds or is likely to exceed a predetermined value; The levitating and moving platform according to any one of claims 1 to 15, further comprising:

17. a liquid discrimination means for discriminating whether or not the object placed on the platform is a container containing a liquid; a control means for controlling the object to move through the air with less acceleration and deceleration when the liquid object determination means determines that the object placed on the placement table is a container containing a liquid object; The levitating and moving platform according to any one of claims 1 to 16, further comprising:

18. The surface of the platform on which the article is placed is provided with a recess or a hole into which the article is fitted or engaged. The levitating and moving platform according to any one of claims 1 to 17.

19. A computer provided on a levitating and moving platform including an aerial flight mechanism for levitating and moving in the air and hovering in the air, a platform on which an object can be placed, a mechanism for rotating the platform, and one or more cameras, a weight balance detection means for detecting a weight balance of the mounting table; a weight balance determination means for determining whether or not the weight balance of the mounting table is lost based on the detection output of the weight balance detection means; an alarm issuing means for issuing an alarm when the weight balance determining means determines that the weight balance of the table is out of balance; a means for controlling the aerial flight mechanism unit to hover near a person in a state in which the person can place the item on the platform or can remove the item placed on the platform; an image recognition means for recognizing the person's behavior based on captured image information from the one or more cameras; a control means for rotating the table when the gesture of the person recognized by the image recognition means is an instruction to rotate the table; A program for a levitation mobile platform to function as a

Images