Autonomous driving device and autonomous driving method

Abstract

To provide an autonomous travel device which can easily travel along a determined route in a short time and can reduce a risk of being brought to standstill halfway on the route.SOLUTION: The autonomous travel device causes a mobile carriage 1 to autonomously travel through a plurality of waypoints p within a designated area A. When causing the mobile carriage 1 to autonomously travel to a waypoint pi, basically the autonomous travel device estimates a self-position of the mobile carriage 1, generates waypoint information b from preliminarily stored obstacle position information a1, designated area information a2, and final goal point information a3, calculates a travel route to the waypoint pi on the basis of the estimated self-position and the generated waypoint information b, and causes the mobile carriage 1 to travel to the waypoint pi along the travel route. In order to prevent the mobile carriage 1 from being brought to standstill during autonomous travel, the autonomous travel device performs abnormality processing of changing a waypoint p being a travel destination of the mobile carriage 1 when determining that the mobile carriage 1 being traveling is in such a stuck state that it cannot reach the waypoint pi.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an autonomous traveling device and an autonomous traveling method, and more particularly to an autonomous traveling device and an autonomous traveling method suitable for a cleaning device used to clean and remove deposits (accumulated powder) within a specified area. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, in a coke plant, coal dust (fallen dust) accumulates on the top of a coke oven due to leaks from coal-loading cars that load coal into the oven or from coal storage. If this accumulated coal dust is left unattended, the sulfur components in the coal dust can accelerate corrosion of metal structures such as riser pipes, and the dust can also scatter into the surrounding area, causing adverse effects on the environment. Therefore, the coal dust accumulated on the top of the oven is cleaned and removed to protect the oven body and prevent dust from scattering. However, cleaning and removing the coal dust accumulated on the top of the oven is heavy physical labor performed in a high-temperature, dusty environment, and is dangerous work that poses the risk of heatstroke and dust inhalation.

[0003] Here, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses an example of a cleaning device that automatically cleans an area while mapping it. This cleaning device has autonomous driving logic that classifies the entire cleaning area into three categories: unknown area, uncleaned area, and cleaned area, operates the robot to eliminate the unknown area, and once the unknown area is eliminated, moves the boundary between the uncleaned area and the cleaned area to continue cleaning. This technology is extremely useful for vacuuming and cleaning small amounts of dust scattered over an area that varies in size and where unknown areas exist each time. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6410704 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Large amounts (usually 1 kg / m) are used, such as in the top of a coke oven. 2 When there is dust (such as the above) present, a method of suctioning and collecting it in a cleaning device would require a very large device, and therefore a method of scraping up the dust using a scraper or the like and accumulating it in a designated location is preferable. However, the cleaning device of Patent Document 1 re-creates the mapping each time, and the origin and coordinate system change, so it is not possible to perform operations such as cleaning the same area in the same pattern each time, such as the top of a coke oven, and then accumulating the dust in a designated location. Furthermore, there is a problem in that the process of searching for unknown areas when cleaning the same area in the same pattern each time reduces time efficiency.

[0006] In contrast, with general SLAM technology, which uses a map of the cleaning area for autonomous navigation, it is possible to clean the same area in the same pattern each time and also scrape up the fallen powder and accumulate it in a designated location.However, if a large amount of fallen powder accumulates at the top of the coke oven, exceeding the pushing force of the autonomous vehicle, causing it to become stuck when the scraper is unable to push it all away, or if an object is placed there that completely blocks the vehicle's movement path, the autonomous vehicle will become stuck and be unable to continue cleaning. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an autonomous driving device and an autonomous driving method that solve the problems of the conventional technology described above, and that can travel along a fixed route easily and in a short time, while reducing the risk of getting stuck along the route. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides an autonomous driving device and an autonomous driving method that causes a mobile carriage to autonomously travel within a specified area while passing through a plurality of waypoints p, iWhen autonomously traveling to the designated area, the vehicle's own position is estimated, and via-point information b is generated from obstacle position information a1 within the designated area, designated area information a2, and final target point information a3, which are stored in advance. The vehicle is then moved to via-point p based on the estimated vehicle's own position and the generated via-point information b. i The travel route to the intermediate point p is calculated and the mobile cart is moved along the travel route. i In order to prevent the mobile vehicle from getting stuck during autonomous driving, the mobile vehicle must be moved to the waypoint p i If it is determined that the mobile carriage is stuck and cannot reach the obstacle position a1, the way point p of the destination of the mobile carriage is changed, and more preferably, if it is determined that a travel path for the mobile carriage cannot be generated based on the obstacle information a acquired by the range measurement device, abnormality processing is performed to change the way point p of the destination of the mobile carriage. That is, for example, if this is applied to an autonomous traveling device that cleans a designated area by scraping up deposits within the designated area with a cleaning scraper while traveling autonomously, abnormality processing is performed to change the way point p of the destination of the mobile carriage when the cleaning scraper is unable to push through a large amount of deposits and the travel path is blocked by an obstacle that is not included in the pre-stored obstacle position information a1, so that the mobile carriage does not get stuck during autonomous traveling.

[0008] That is, the features of the autonomous driving device and autonomous driving method of the present invention for solving the above problems are as follows. [1] An autonomous driving device that autonomously drives a mobile carriage (1) equipped with a driving device (2) for traveling while passing through a plurality of via points (p) within a designated area (A), The self-position of the mobile dolly (1) is estimated, and via-point information (b) is generated from obstacle position information (a1), designated area information (a2), and final target point information (a3) stored in advance in the designated area (A), and via-point (p) to move the mobile dolly (1) is determined based on the estimated self-position and the generated via-point information (b). i ) is calculated, and the mobile vehicle (1) travels along the calculated travel path to the intermediate point (p i) a calculation and control device (4) for controlling the driving device (2) to move to the The arithmetic and control device (4) i The mobile cart (1) moving towards the waypoint (p i ) and is unable to reach the destination, and if it is determined that the vehicle is stuck, changes the waypoint (p) to which the vehicle should be moved, and controls the drive device (2) to move the vehicle (1) to the new waypoint (p).

[0009] [2] The autonomous driving device of the above [1] further comprises a range measurement device (3) that measures the surrounding environment of the mobile carriage (1) and acquires obstacle information a, The autonomous driving device is characterized in that the arithmetic and control device (4) estimates the self-position of the mobile cart (1) by comparing obstacle position information a1 within a designated area (A) stored in advance with obstacle information a acquired by the range measurement device (3). [3] In the autonomous driving device of [2] above, the arithmetic and control device (4) determines the route point (p) to which the mobile carriage (1) should move based on the obstacle information a acquired by the range measurement device (3). i ) can be generated, and if it is determined that it cannot be generated, the autonomous driving device changes the waypoint (p) to which the mobile carriage (1) should be moved, and controls the drive device (2) to move the mobile carriage (1) to the changed waypoint (p).

[0010] [4] In the autonomous traveling device according to any one of the above [1] to [3], the mobile carriage (1) comprises a work tool (5) for performing a predetermined task within the designated area (A), and an actuator (6) for driving the work tool (5); The waypoint information b includes information on the carriage position of the carriage (1), the carriage attitude of the carriage (1), and an operation command for the actuator (6). [5] In the autonomous mobile device of [4] above, the work tool (5) is a cleaning scraper (5a) that scrapes and cleans deposits in the designated area (A), The autonomous mobile device is characterized in that the actuator (6) drives the cleaning scraper (5a) so that the cleaning scraper (5a) moves up and down to come into contact with or separate from the road surface.

[0011] [6] In the autonomous driving device of any one of the above [1] to [5], the arithmetic and control device (4) determines whether the mobile carriage (1) passes through a via point (p i ), when moving to the via point (p i ) and the change in attitude angle Δθ to the via point (p i ) and determines whether the mobile carriage (1) is stuck by comparing the actual value t of the elapsed time from the start of movement of the mobile carriage (1) with the target traveling time T. [7] In any one of the autonomous traveling devices [2] to [6] above, a movement amount detection device (7) is further provided, which detects the movement amount of the traveling carriage (1) from the operation amount of the driving device (2); The autonomous driving device is characterized in that the arithmetic and control device (4) compares obstacle position information a1 within a designated area (A) stored in advance with obstacle information a acquired by the range measurement device (3), and also estimates the self-position of the mobile cart (1) by a particle filter based on a SLAM algorithm using the amount of movement of the mobile cart (1) detected by the movement amount detection device (7).

[0012] [8] An autonomous traveling method for autonomously traveling a mobile carriage (1) equipped with a driving device (2) for traveling while passing through a plurality of via points (p) within a designated area (A), A step (a) of generating waypoint information (b) from obstacle position information (a1) within a designated area (A) stored in advance, designated area information (a2), and final target point information (a3); A step (a) of estimating the self-position of the mobile cart (1); The mobile carriage (1) is moved to a via point (p) based on the estimated self-position and the generated via point information b. i ) is calculated, and the mobile vehicle (1) travels along the calculated travel path to the intermediate point (p i a step (c) of controlling the driving device (2) so that the moving member (1) moves to the position (i.e., Waypoint (p i The mobile cart (1) moving towards the waypoint (p i ) is determined to be stuck and unable to reach the destination, and if it is determined to be stuck, changes the waypoint (p) to which the mobile carriage (1) should be moved, and controls the drive device (2) to move the mobile carriage (1) to the changed waypoint (p).

[0013] [9] In the autonomous driving method of [8] above, in step (i), the surrounding environment of the mobile cart (1) is measured by the range measurement device (3) to acquire obstacle information a, and the self-position of the mobile cart (1) is estimated by comparing obstacle position information a1 within the designated area (A) stored in advance with the obstacle information a acquired by the range measurement device (3).

[10] In the autonomous driving method of [9] above, further, based on the obstacle information a acquired by the range measurement device (3), a route point (p i ) can be generated, and if it is determined that it cannot be generated, the method changes the waypoint (p) to which the mobile carriage (1) should be moved, and controls the drive device (2) to move the mobile carriage (1) to the changed waypoint (p).

[0014]

[11] In the autonomous traveling method according to any one of the above items [8] to

[10] , the mobile carriage (1) comprises a work tool (5) for performing a predetermined task within the designated area (A), and an actuator (6) for driving the work tool (5); An autonomous traveling method characterized by performing work using a work tool (5) while traveling a mobile carriage (1) within a designated area (A).

[12] In the autonomous traveling method according to

[11] above, the work tool (5) is a cleaning scraper (5a) that scrapes and cleans deposits on the ground within the designated area (A), The actuator (6) drives the cleaning scraper (5a) so that the cleaning scraper (5a) moves up and down to come into contact with or separate from the road surface; An autonomous traveling method characterized by traveling a mobile cart (1) within a designated area (A), driving a cleaning scraper (5a) with an actuator (6), scraping up deposits with the cleaning scraper (5a), and moving the scraped up deposits to a predetermined location and accumulating them. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] In the present invention, the mobile carriage is autonomously driven within a specified area while passing through a plurality of via points p. i When autonomously traveling to the designated area, the vehicle's own position is estimated, and via-point information b is generated from obstacle position information a1 within the designated area, designated area information a2, and final target point information a3, which are stored in advance. The vehicle is then moved to via-point p based on the estimated vehicle's own position and the generated via-point information b. i The travel route to the intermediate point p is calculated and the mobile cart is moved along the travel route. i Since the mobile cart is designed to move to a desired location, the mobile cart can be moved easily and quickly along a set route. For example, when applied to an autonomous mobile device that cleans a designated area by scraping up deposits within the designated area with a cleaning scraper while autonomously traveling, the same area can be cleaned in the same pattern each time, and the deposits can be accumulated in the designated location, allowing the designated area to be cleaned easily, quickly, and efficiently.

[0016] Then, the moving cart passes through the via point p i If it is determined that the mobile cart is stuck and cannot reach the destination, the waypoint p of the destination of the mobile cart is changed, and more preferably, if it is determined that a travel path for the mobile cart cannot be generated based on the obstacle information a acquired by the range measurement device, abnormality processing is performed to change the waypoint p of the destination of the mobile cart, so the risk of the mobile cart getting stuck during autonomous travel can be reduced, and the mobile cart can be moved to the desired location more reliably and in a shorter time by autonomous travel.

[0017] Therefore, for example, when applied to an autonomous mobile device that cleans a designated area by scraping up deposits with a cleaning scraper while autonomously traveling, if the cleaning scraper becomes unable to push through a large amount of deposits and becomes stuck, or if the travel path is blocked by an obstacle that is not included in the pre-stored obstacle position information a1, abnormality processing is performed to change the way point p of the mobile carrier's destination, preventing the mobile carrier from getting stuck during autonomous traveling, thereby allowing the designated area to be cleaned more efficiently. Also, even when the way point p of the mobile carrier's destination is changed when a stuck state occurs or a travel path cannot be generated, the new way point p can be specified in advance, which has the advantage of eliminating the need to implement a complex abnormality processing program. From the above, the autonomous mobile device and method of the present invention are suitable as a cleaning device for the top of a coke oven where coal dust (fallen dust) accumulates, and can efficiently and appropriately carry out cleaning and removal work of the deposits. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a side view schematically illustrating an embodiment of an autonomous driving device of the present invention. [Figure 2] 2 is a plan view of the autonomous driving device of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1; [Figure 3] A configuration diagram showing a control system for each component of the autonomous driving device of the embodiment of FIG. 1. [Figure 4] Block diagram of the arithmetic and control device shown in Figure 3 [Figure 5] 1 is a flow diagram of the control logic of the autonomous driving device of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a method for setting a via point and generating via point information according to the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a method for setting a via point and generating via point information according to the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a method for setting a via point and generating via point information according to the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of via points set and via point information generated in the present invention in the order of the via points. [Figure 10] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a method for creating obstacle position information a1 using a 3D shape measuring device according to the present invention. [Figure 11] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a cleaning area in the first embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a movement trajectory of the cleaning device in the first embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a cleaning area in the second embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the movement trajectory of the cleaning device according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a movement trajectory of a cleaning device of a comparative example in Example 2. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a cleaning area in the third embodiment. [Figure 17] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the movement trajectory of the cleaning device according to the third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 18] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a movement trajectory of a cleaning device of a comparative example in Example 3. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] The present invention provides an autonomous driving device and an autonomous driving method that allows a mobile carriage 1 equipped with a driving device 2 for traveling to travel autonomously within a designated area A while passing through a plurality of via points p, and i When autonomously traveling to (i-th waypoint p), the mobile dolly 1 estimates its own position and generates waypoint information b from obstacle position information a1 within the designated area A, designated area information a2, and final target point information a3, which are stored in advance. The waypoint p is then moved based on the estimated own position and the generated waypoint information b. i The travel route to the point p is calculated, and the mobile carriage 1 is moved along the travel route to the point p i In order to prevent the mobile carriage 1 from getting stuck during this autonomous traveling, the mobile carriage 1 moves to the waypoint p iIf it is determined that the mobile carriage 1 is stuck and cannot reach the destination, the waypoint p of the destination of the mobile carriage 1 is changed, and more preferably, if it is determined that the travel route of the mobile carriage 1 cannot be generated based on the obstacle information a acquired by the range measurement device 3, abnormality processing is performed to change the waypoint p of the destination of the mobile carriage 1.

[0020] For this reason, the autonomous driving device of the present invention comprises a mobile carriage 1 equipped with a drive unit 2 for driving, a calculation and control device 4 that estimates the self-position of the mobile carriage 1, generates waypoint information b based on the above information a1 to a3, calculates the driving route, and further determines whether the mobile carriage 1 is stuck, and controls the drive unit 2 based on these to cause the mobile carriage 1 to autonomously drive, and more preferably further comprises a range measurement device 3 that measures the environment around the mobile carriage 1 to obtain obstacle information a, and a movement amount detection device 7 that detects the movement amount of the mobile carriage 1 from the amount of operation of the drive unit 2. These components of the device of the present invention will be described in detail later using the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 3 as an example.

[0021] The driving device 2 for traveling provided on the mobile carriage 1 includes a rotating body for traveling such as a wheel or caterpillar, a driving source such as a motor for driving the rotating body for rotation, and a steering means for the rotating body for traveling. In addition, the self-position of the mobile cart 1 is estimated, for example, by providing a range measurement device 3 in the autonomous driving device, measuring the surrounding environment of the mobile cart 1 using this range measurement device 3 to obtain obstacle information a, and then comparing the obstacle position information a1 within the designated area A that has been stored in advance with the obstacle information a obtained by the range measurement device 3 using the arithmetic and control device 4. The range measurement device 3 may be any device that acquires obstacle information a around the mobile cart 1 in real time, and may, for example, be one that acquires obstacle information a by measuring the surrounding environment of the mobile cart 1 using a camera or laser range finder. In addition to using the obstacle information a acquired by the range measurement device 3, the self-position of the mobile carriage 1 may be estimated based on position information obtained by a satellite positioning system such as GPS.

[0022] The obstacle information a is information about the shape and position of obstacles (for example, structures, structural parts of buildings, equipment, and other objects) that exist around the mobile cart 1. Obstacle position information a1 is position information (e.g., planar position coordinates) of objects that may obstruct the movement of the mobile cart 1 within the designated area A, and is typically, but is not limited to, position information of structures, structural parts of buildings, equipment, etc. The designated area information a2 is position information of the designated area A through which the autonomous mobile device moves autonomously to perform a specified task (for example, the planar position coordinates of the outer edge (periphery) of the designated area A).For example, if the autonomous mobile device is a cleaning device, this may include position information about the cleaning area, which is the designated area A (cleaning area information a2). The final target point information a3 is position information (e.g., planar position coordinates) of the point where the autonomous mobile device will ultimately arrive to complete a specified task. For example, if the autonomous mobile device is a cleaning device, this may include position information about the point where the collected sediment will ultimately be accumulated (deposit accumulation location information a3). The obstacle position information a1, the designated area information a2, and the final target point information a3 are stored in advance in a storage means (storage device).

[0023] The waypoint information b is information about the waypoints (traveling route) that the mobile vehicle 1 follows when moving to the target point in order to perform a predetermined task within the specified area A, the attitude of the mobile vehicle 1 at each waypoint, the operation of the actuator 6 that drives the work tool 5, etc., and includes the vehicle position (x coordinate, y coordinate) of the mobile vehicle 1 at each waypoint p, the vehicle attitude of the mobile vehicle 1 (carriage attitude angle θ), and an actuator operation command m when the mobile vehicle 1 is equipped with a work tool 5 and an actuator 6 for driving it, as described below. j The data is j pieces of data written in the order of

[0000] . The carriage attitude is the direction (azimuth angle) that the carriage 1 is facing in the xy coordinate system, that is, the orientation (azimuth angle) at the time of arriving at the waypoint.

[0024] As described above, the arithmetic and control device 4 (i) estimates the self-position of the mobile dolly 1, (ii) generates the via point information b from the above information a1 to a3, and (iii) determines the via point p to which the mobile dolly 1 should be moved based on the estimated self-position and the generated via point information b. i (iv) calculate the route to the intermediate point p i The mobile cart 1 is moving towards the waypoint p i (v) If it is determined that the mobile carriage 1 is stuck, it changes the way point p to which the mobile carriage 1 should move based on the obstacle information a acquired by the range measurement device 3, as necessary. i It is determined whether a travel route to the destination can be generated, and if it is determined that it cannot be generated, it changes the waypoint p to which the mobile carriage 1 should be moved, and based on this, it controls the driving device 2 to autonomously travel the mobile carriage 1. The waypoint information b generated in (ii) above is stored in a storage means (memory device), and when heading towards each waypoint p, it is read in (iii) above and a travel route is calculated. Examples of cases in which the mobile cart 1 becomes stuck during autonomous driving include, but are not limited to, cases in which, when applied to an autonomous driving device (cleaning device) that uses a cleaning scraper to scrape up and clean deposits within a designated area A while autonomously driving, the cleaning scraper is unable to push through the large amount of deposits, causing the mobile cart 1 to become stuck.

[0025] The mobile carriage 1 can be equipped with a work tool 5 for performing a predetermined task within the designated area A, and an actuator 6 for driving this work tool 5. There are no particular restrictions on the work tool 5 that the mobile cart 1 is equipped with, but the autonomous driving device of the present invention is suitable as a cleaning device that scrapes up and cleans deposits within a designated area A while traveling autonomously, and in this case the work tool 5 is a cleaning scraper 5a that scrapes up and cleans deposits within the designated area A. Furthermore, the mobile carriage 1 is not limited to the cleaning scraper 5a described above, and can be equipped with various work tools 5 for performing predetermined tasks within the designated area A. Examples include a sprinkler device that sprinkles cleaning liquid (such as water), and an arm that lifts objects (such as the lid of a coal inlet) within the designated area A. In this case, the actuator 6 drives the work tool 5, such as the sprinkler device or arm, to move between an in-use position and a non-use position. It should be noted that the mobile carriage 1 does not necessarily need to be equipped with the work tool 5.

[0026] 1 and 2 are schematic diagrams showing one embodiment of an autonomous mobile device of the present invention, with FIG. 1 being a side view and FIG. 2 being a plan view. The autonomous mobile device of this embodiment is a cleaning device that uses a cleaning scraper 5a to scrape up and clean deposits within a designated area A while autonomously traveling. FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram showing the control system for each component of this autonomous mobile device. The autonomous driving device is equipped with a mobile cart 1, which is equipped with a driving device 2 for driving, including wheels 20, a driving source for the wheels 20 (such as a motor), and a steering mechanism for the wheels 20, and this driving device 2 allows the mobile cart 1 to drive in any direction (forward or backward).

[0027] The mobile carriage 1 is equipped with a range measurement device 3, an arithmetic and control device 4, a movement amount detection device 7, a memory device 8, etc. Furthermore, the mobile carriage 1 is equipped with a cleaning scraper 5a (work tool 5) that scrapes and cleans deposits on the road surface (ground), and an actuator 6 that drives (mainly moves up and down) the cleaning scraper 5a, and the cleaning scraper 5a is held by the actuator 6 so that it can move up and down. This autonomous driving device (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the "cleaning device") cleans the road surface by using the cleaning scraper 5a to scrape up deposits (accumulated powder) on the road surface as it travels along the road surface, and therefore does not have a mechanism for suctioning deposits or a mechanism for storing the sucked up deposits.

[0028] The range measurement device 3 is a device that measures the distance between the mobile cart 1 and surrounding obstacles (for example, structures, structural parts of buildings, equipment, and other objects) or captures images of the surroundings to obtain the two-dimensional or three-dimensional shape and position information of the obstacles as obstacle information a. Any type of range measurement device 3 can be used, and for example, one or more types such as a laser range finder, infrared sensor, ultrasonic sensor, radio wave radar sensor, depth camera, and stereo camera can be used, but from the viewpoint of measurement accuracy, a 2D or 3D laser type laser range finder is preferable. The movement amount detection device 7 is configured by, for example, a wheel encoder, and detects (estimates) the movement amount of the mobile carriage 1 from the movement amount of the wheels 20 that configure the drive device 2.

[0029] The memory device 8 pre-stores obstacle position information a1 within the designated area A, designated area information a2 (in this embodiment, this is information about the cleaning area, so hereinafter referred to as "cleaning area information a2"), and final target point information a3 (in this embodiment, this is information about the accumulation location of deposits, so hereinafter referred to as "deposit accumulation location information a3"). In this embodiment, obstacle position information a1 is information on the planar position coordinates of obstacles (structures, etc.) present within the designated area A, cleaning area information a2 is information on the planar position coordinates of the outer edge (periphery) of the designated area A, which is the cleaning area, and deposit accumulation location information a3 is information on the planar position coordinates of the deposit accumulation position (location), which is the final target position of movement of the mobile cart 1. The obstacle position information a1, cleaning area information a2, and deposit accumulation location information a3 may be information given in advance in a map (obstacle map) or the like, or may be information measured and stored in advance by the range measurement device 3, or information measured and stored in advance using a device other than the range measurement device 3, etc.

[0030] Here, an example of a method for generating obstacle position information a1 using a device other than the range measurement device 3 is a method using a 3D shape measurement device 10 such as a 3D scanner as shown in FIG. 10. Specifically, the 3D shape of the specified area A is scanned using a 3D shape measurement device 10 separate from the mobile dolly 1, a 3D CAD model is created from the scan data, and obstacle position information a1 is generated from a cross-sectional shape at a specific height or a simulation result using the 3D CAD model. In this way, generating obstacle position information a1 using the 3D shape measurement device 10 reduces measurement errors compared to generating obstacle position information a1 using the range measurement device 3 of the mobile dolly 1. Furthermore, compared to using a pre-defined map (obstacle map), information such as deformation of obstacles due to added equipment or aging can be reflected, making it possible to generate accurate obstacle position information a1.

[0031] The arithmetic and control device 4 causes the mobile vehicle 1 to travel autonomously along the calculated travel route, visiting waypoints p in order and arriving at the destination point (final waypoint p). At this time, the self-position of the mobile vehicle 1 is estimated by comparing obstacle information a acquired by measuring the surrounding environment using the range measurement device 3 with obstacle position information a1 within the designated area A that is pre-stored (preserved) in the storage device 8. The method for this self-position estimation preferably uses a SLAM algorithm using a Kalman filter, extended Kalman filter, particle filter, Bayes filter, etc., but it is particularly preferable to estimate the self-position of the mobile vehicle using a particle filter based on the SLAM algorithm. Furthermore, when estimating the self-position using the SLAM algorithm, it is possible to reduce the calculation load and estimate the self-position of the mobile cart 1 with high accuracy by combining odometry from a movement amount detection device 7 such as a wheel encoder in addition to the obstacle position information a1 and the obstacle information a acquired by measurement using the range measurement device 3. Also, instead of odometry from the movement amount detection device 7, it is possible to combine information such as GPS positioning and IMU output, which can be expected to produce similar effects.

[0032] The arithmetic and control device 4 generates waypoint information b (waypoint information for autonomous movement) from the obstacle position information a1, cleaning area information a2, and deposit accumulation location information a3 within the above-mentioned designated area A. Specifically, in order to efficiently clean the entire cleaning area and accumulate the deposits in a predetermined location, the arithmetic and control device 4 determines the positions of the waypoints that the mobile carriage 1 should follow, the attitude (attitude angle) of the mobile carriage 1 at each waypoint, the operating mode of the actuator 6 that drives the cleaning scraper 5a, etc. based on the above-mentioned information a1 to a3, and generates the waypoint information b. Here, the waypoint information b includes information such as the carriage position (x coordinate, y coordinate) of the mobile carriage 1 at each waypoint p, the carriage attitude (carriage attitude angle θ) of the mobile carriage 1, and the operation command m for the actuator 6. By giving an actuator operation command m that specifies the carriage position (x coordinate, y coordinate), carriage attitude (carriage attitude angle θ), and actuator operation (raising and lowering operation) that the mobile carriage 1 should take at each waypoint p, the mobile carriage 1 can be moved to the desired position, and the sediment in the desired area can be scraped up and accumulated at the desired position. The via point information b is the x-coordinate of the carriage position, the y-coordinate of the carriage position, the carriage attitude angle θ, and the actuator operation command m, which are the via points p1 to p2 that the mobile carriage 1 travels around. j When the i-th waypoint p is reached, autonomous driving is repeated with the waypoint in the (i+1)-th waypoint information b as the next waypoint p, and autonomous driving continues until the final j-th waypoint p is reached.

[0033] The arithmetic and control device 4 determines the way point p to which the mobile carriage 1 should move based on the estimated self-position and the generated way point information b. i A travel route to the i-th waypoint p is calculated (a travel route is generated), and the mobile carriage 1 travels along the travel route to the waypoint p iThe control unit 2 is controlled to move the mobile vehicle 1 to the destination point (final way point p). The calculation of the travel route and the control of the drive unit 2 based on the calculated travel route are repeated for each way point p that the mobile vehicle 1 travels around, thereby causing the mobile vehicle 1 to travel autonomously to the destination point (final way point p). That is, when the mobile vehicle 1 travels autonomously to the final way point p by visiting the predetermined way points p in order, the control unit 2 reads the way point information b of the ith way point p as the mobile vehicle 1 travels toward the ith way point p, sets the way point as the next way point, generates (calculates) a travel route, and causes the mobile vehicle 1 to travel autonomously. When the mobile vehicle 1 reaches the ith way point p, the control unit 2 reads the way point information b of the (i+1)th way point p as the next way point, and causes the mobile vehicle 1 to travel autonomously. This process is repeated until the mobile vehicle 1 reaches the final way point p. Note that when the mobile vehicle 1 travels autonomously toward the ith way point p, it typically estimates its own position at regular time intervals until it reaches the target point (its own position), generates a travel route to the target point based on the estimated self-position, and travels along that travel route. This procedure is repeated while driving towards the target point, and when the distance between the vehicle's own position, which is successively estimated, and the target point falls below a certain value, it is determined that the vehicle has reached the target point (the i-th waypoint p). In addition, the arithmetic and control device 4 controls the actuator 6 based on the actuator operation command m in the i-th waypoint information b "while the mobile cart 1 is moving toward the i-th waypoint p" and / or "after arriving at the i-th waypoint p", and drives the cleaning scraper 5a so that the cleaning scraper 5a moves in the vertical direction and touches or moves away from the road surface.

[0034] Furthermore, the arithmetic and control device 4 determines whether the mobile carriage 1 is stuck during autonomous travel by setting the waypoint p i The mobile cart 1 is moving towards the waypoint p iIf it is determined that the mobile carriage 1 is stuck and cannot reach the destination, the control unit 2 changes and sets the waypoint p to which the mobile carriage 1 should next move, and controls the driving device 2 to move the mobile carriage 1 to the new waypoint p. When changing the waypoint p, the new waypoint p is determined in advance as the "nth waypoint ahead," and if it is determined that the mobile carriage 1 is stuck while heading towards the ith waypoint p, the control unit 22 changes and sets the waypoint information b for the i+nth waypoint (n is a natural number specified in advance) to the next waypoint p, thereby preventing the mobile carriage 1 from getting stuck. Normally, n is set to "1," but this is not limited to this. As explained above, examples of cases in which the mobile cart 1 becomes stuck during autonomous travel include, but are not limited to, cases in which the cleaning scraper 5a is unable to push through a large amount of accumulated material, causing the mobile cart 1 to become stuck.

[0035] Whether or not the vehicle is stuck can be determined by, for example, the waypoint p i In this case, the calculation and control device 4 determines whether the mobile carriage 1 reaches the waypoint p i When moving to the waypoint p i From the travel distance ΔL and the change in attitude angle Δθ (change in attitude angle θ of the cart) to the via point p i The target travel time T (target travel time) is calculated, and the system determines whether the mobile carriage 1 is stuck by comparing the elapsed time t (actual value) from the start of movement of the mobile carriage 1 with the target travel time T. In other words, if the elapsed time t exceeds the target travel time T (t>T), it is determined that the mobile carriage 1 is stuck. Here, the target travel time T is calculated using the distance ΔL between the i-th and (i+1)-th way points p and the amount of change in attitude angle Δθ (change in attitude angle θ of the carriage) when, for example, the i-th way point p is reached and the (i+1)-th way point p is set as the next way point. The target travel time T is preferably calculated using the following equation (1) using coefficients α, β, and γ determined taking into account the translational speed and rotational speed of the carriage 1, but it may also be derived using other equations taking into account the translational acceleration / deceleration, rotational acceleration / deceleration, etc. of the carriage 1. T = αΔL + βΔθ + γ … (1)

[0036] Other methods for determining whether or not the mobile carriage 1 is stuck include, in the case of an autonomous driving device that autonomously drives as in this embodiment and cleans the deposits within the designated area A by scraping them up with the cleaning scraper 5a, for example: (i) a load detector such as a load cell is provided between the actuator 6 and the cleaning scraper 5a, and this load detector measures the load (= pushing force of the cleaning scraper 5a) on the cleaning scraper 5a due to the weight of the deposits, and compares the load detected by this load detector with a threshold value. If the load is equal to or greater than the threshold, it is determined that the mobile carriage 1 is stuck; (ii) a camera is attached to the mobile carriage 1 to photograph the deposits that the cleaning scraper 5a is trying to scrape up, and the accumulation status of the deposits is observed by image recognition to determine that the mobile carriage 1 is stuck; and (iii) a method is used in which the change in the mobile carriage 1's own position over time is observed and if a state of no movement for more than a certain period of time is detected, it is determined that the mobile carriage 1 is stuck.

[0037] More preferably, when the travel route is blocked by an obstacle (for example, an object placed on the travel route for performing a certain task) that is not included in the obstacle position information a1 stored in advance in the storage device 8, the arithmetic and control device 4 determines the waypoint p to which the mobile carriage 1 should move based on the obstacle information a acquired by measurement by the range measurement device 3, in order to prevent the mobile carriage 1 from getting stuck. i The control unit 100 determines whether a travel route to the i-th way point p can be generated, and if it determines that it cannot be generated, it changes and sets the way point p to which the mobile carriage 1 should be moved, and controls the driving device 2 to move the mobile carriage 1 to the new way point p. When changing the way point p, the new way point p is determined in advance as the "nth way point ahead," and when it is determined that a travel route cannot be generated due to obstacle information a while heading toward or while heading toward the i-th way point p, it changes and sets the i+n-th (n is a natural number specified in advance) way point information b to the next way point p, thereby preventing the mobile carriage 1 from getting stuck. Normally, n is "1," but this is not limited to this.

[0038] 4 is a block diagram of the arithmetic and control device 4. The arithmetic and control device 4 includes a self-position estimation unit 40, a waypoint information generation unit 41, a route generation unit 42, a control unit 43, a stuck determination unit 44, a route generation determination unit 45, and the like. Moving cart 1 to via point p i When moving to (i-th waypoint p), the self-position estimation unit 40 takes in the obstacle position information a1 stored in the storage device 8 and the obstacle information a acquired by measuring the surrounding environment using the range measurement device 3, and estimates the self-position of the mobile cart 1 by comparing (collating) both pieces of information. When performing self-position estimation using the SLAM algorithm, the amount of movement of the mobile cart 1 detected by the movement amount detection device 7 (wheel encoder, etc.) is taken in and combined with the odometry by the movement amount detection device 7, thereby performing self-position estimation. The way point information generating unit 41 takes in the obstacle position information a1, the designated area information a2, and the final target point information a3 stored in the storage device 8, and generates way point information b based on this information a1 to a3.

[0039] The route generation unit 42 receives the information on the self-position estimated by the self-position estimation unit 40 and the via point information b generated by the via point information generation unit 41, and generates the via point p along which the mobile carriage 1 should move based on these. i The control unit 43 generates (calculates) a travel route to the intermediate point p i Here, the path generation unit 42 controls the driving device 2 so that the robot moves to the position p based on the information on the self-position acquired from the self-position estimation unit 40. i When the distance between i is judged to have been reached. In addition, the route generation unit 42 determines whether the route point p i The controller 43 outputs an operation command for the actuator 6 based on the via point information b relating to the above to the controller 43, and the controller 43 controls the actuator 6 based on the command.

[0040] The stuck determination unit 44 receives the elapsed time t from the start of movement from the control unit 43, compares this elapsed time t with the target travel time T, and if t>T, the stuck determination unit 44 determines whether the vehicle is stuck at the waypoint p i The mobile cart 1 is moving towards the waypoint p i The control unit 43 determines that the mobile carriage 1 is stuck and cannot reach the new way point p, and outputs the stuck occurrence information to the path generation unit 42. Based on this, the path generation unit 42 changes the way point p to which the mobile carriage 1 should be moved (for example, changes it to the (i+1)th way point p), generates (calculates) a travel path to the new way point p, and outputs this to the control unit 43. Based on this command, the control unit 43 controls the drive device 2 so that the mobile carriage 1 moves to the new way point p along the travel path. Furthermore, the path generation unit 42 outputs an operation command for the actuator 6 based on the way point information b related to the new way point p to the control unit 43, and the control unit 43 controls the actuator 6 based on this command.

[0041] The route generation and determination unit 45 takes in the obstacle information a acquired by measuring the surrounding environment using the range measurement device 3, and determines the route point p along which the mobile carriage 1 should move based on the obstacle information a. i The control unit 43 determines whether a travel route to the new way point p can be generated, and if it determines that the travel route cannot be generated, outputs route generation impossible information to the route generation unit 42. Based on this, the route generation unit 42 changes the way point p to which the mobile carriage 1 should be moved (for example, changes it to the (i+1)th way point p), generates (calculates) a travel route to the new way point p, and outputs this to the control unit 43. Based on this command, the control unit 43 controls the drive device 2 so that the mobile carriage 1 moves to the new way point p along the new travel route. Furthermore, the route generation unit 42 outputs an operation command for the actuator 6 based on the way point information b related to the new way point p to the control unit 43, and the control unit 43 controls the actuator 6 based on this command.

[0042] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the cleaning scraper 5a, which is the work tool 5, is a member that scrapes up deposits (accumulated powder) on the road surface as the mobile carriage 1 moves with its lower end in contact with the road surface.In this embodiment, it is composed of a plate-shaped (wall-shaped) dozer member that is arranged along the width direction of the mobile carriage 1 on the front side (front side in the direction of travel during cleaning), and is supported on the mobile carriage 1 via a support arm 9 so that it can move up and down. The actuator 6 drives the cleaning scraper 5a via the support arm 9 so that the cleaning scraper 5a moves up and down to come into contact with or separate from the road surface. Furthermore, it is preferable that the cleaning scraper 5a is constantly pressed against the ground by the actuator 6 so that the lower end of the cleaning scraper 5a is in close contact with the ground (the surface to be cleaned) when the cleaning target is coal powder. Note that, although it is not necessary to control the pressing force, it is also possible to control the pressing force depending on the particle size and density of the deposits.

[0043] A sliding guide mechanism (such as a so-called slide guide) is usually used as a mechanism for supporting the cleaning scraper 5a so that it can move up and down. This guide mechanism is composed, for example, of a guide section provided on the movable carriage 1 along the vertical direction, and a slide member provided on the support arm 9 that is slidably engaged with the guide section. The actuator 6 moves the slide member of the support arm 9 up and down along the guide section, thereby driving the cleaning scraper 5a so that the cleaning scraper 5a moves up and down and comes into contact with or separates from the road surface. The actuator 6 is composed, for example, of a hydraulic cylinder, a ball screw, or the like. The cleaning scraper 5a is made up of a plate-shaped main body 50 (dozer main body) that runs along the width direction of the mobile carriage 1, and side plate sections 51 (side dozer sections) that are connected to both ends of the plate-shaped main body 50 in order to enclose (block) the scraped-up deposits and prevent them from escaping to the outside in the width direction of the mobile carriage. In other words, the cleaning scraper 5a is configured in a U-shape in plan view by the plate-shaped main body 50 and the side plate sections 51 that are connected to both ends of the plate-shaped main body 50.

[0044] The main body of the cleaning scraper 5a is usually made of a metal plate-like member or the like, but at least a part of the lower end (for example, the lower end of the plate-like main body 50) is preferably made of a rubber flat plate or a resin or metal brush to make it easier to scrape up deposits on the road surface, and is particularly suitable for scraping up deposits with small particle size and bulk density such as coal powder (coal powder usually has a particle size of 1 mm or less and a bulk density of 1.0 g / cm 3 It is effective when scraping up debris (see below) and can collect the deposits with high dust collection efficiency. However, depending on the characteristics of the cleaning surface (unevenness, etc.), the particle size and density of the deposits, flat plates made of resin or metal may also be used.

[0045] The cleaning scraper 5a may be supported on the movable carriage 1 via a support arm so that it can rotate up and down. In this case, the actuator 6 rotates (drives) the cleaning scraper 5a up and down relative to the movable carriage 1, and may be, for example, a rotary actuator provided on the support part of the support arm, or a hydraulic cylinder connected between the movable carriage 1 and the support arm. The cleaning device equipped with the above-described cleaning scraper 5a and actuator 6 can reliably and efficiently scrape up deposits on the road surface by traveling with the lower end of the cleaning scraper 5a in close contact with the road surface using the actuator 6, and can move and collect the scraped up deposits to a predetermined location. In addition, because the cleaning scraper 5a can move up and down, when cleaning is not being performed, the mobile cart 1 can be made to travel with the lower end of the cleaning scraper 5a away from the road surface.

[0046] The autonomous driving method of the autonomous driving device is performed according to the flow shown in FIG. When autonomous travel (cleaning) is initiated (started), the calculation and control device 4 generates waypoint information b from the obstacle position information a1, cleaning area information a2, and deposit accumulation location information a3, which are stored in advance, and this waypoint information b is stored in the storage device 8. The mobile vehicle 1 starts from the initial position, but in step S1, the waypoint number i=1 (waypoint p i= p1). Then, in step S2, the via point information b for via point number 1 (via point p1) is read, and in step S3, the target travel time T to via point number 1 is calculated. In addition, in step S4, the position of the mobile carriage 1 is estimated, and in step S5, a travel route is generated.

[0047] If the driving route can be generated (step S5 success), autonomous driving begins toward waypoint number 1 (waypoint p1) in step S6. On the other hand, if the driving route cannot be generated (step S5 failure), the current waypoint number i is changed to i+n (waypoint number 1 is changed to 1+n) in step S7, and it is determined in step S8 whether the changed waypoint number i is greater than the number of waypoints j. Here, an example of a case where the driving route cannot be generated is when an unexpected obstacle (such as an intruder) that is not included in the obstacle position information a1 makes it impossible to generate a route. If the changed waypoint number i is equal to or less than the number of waypoints j (step S8 No), the process returns to step S2, and the waypoint information b for the changed waypoint number i is read. On the other hand, if the waypoint number i is greater than the number of waypoints j (step S8 Yes), an error is determined in step S9, an error message is displayed, and the flow ends.

[0048] During autonomous travel towards waypoint number 1 (waypoint p1) in step S6, the elapsed time t from the start of travel is measured, and in step S10 it is determined whether the elapsed time t has exceeded the target travel time T. If the elapsed time t has not exceeded the target travel time T (No in step S10), it is determined in step S11 whether the mobile carriage 1 has reached the target point (waypoint number 1). On the other hand, if the elapsed time t has exceeded the target travel time T (Yes in step S10), the process proceeds to step S7, and the same flow as above is followed thereafter. Here, in step S11, whether the target point (way point number 1) has been reached is determined based on the estimation of the vehicle's own position. That is, until the target point is reached, the vehicle estimates its own position at regular time intervals, generates a travel route to the target point based on the estimated own position, and travels along that travel route. This procedure is repeated while traveling toward the target point, and it is determined that the vehicle has reached the target point when the distance between the successively estimated own position and the target point (way point number 1) becomes equal to or less than a certain value.

[0049] If it is determined in step S11 that the mobile carriage 1 has reached the target point (way point number 1) (Yes in step S11), the next way point is set (i = i + 1) in step S12, and it is determined in step S13 whether the set way point number i is equal to or greater than the number of way points j (i ≥ j). If the way point number i is less than the number of way points j (No in step S13), the process returns to step S2, and the flow from step S2 onwards is repeated. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S13 that the way point number i is equal to or greater than the number of way points j (Yes in step S13), the flow ends. Also, if it is determined in step S11 that the target point (way point number 1) has not been reached (No in step S11), the process returns directly to step S2, and the flow from step S2 onwards is repeated.

[0050] Next, an example of a method for setting a cleaning route and generating waypoint information b will be described with reference to FIGS. The waypoint information b is generated from obstacle position information a1, cleaning area information a2, and deposit accumulation location information a3 within the designated area A. In the designated area A (cleaning area) shown in Fig. 6 and Fig. 7, the obstacle position information a1 is the position information of obstacles in the entire area of the map, the cleaning area information a2 is the coordinates of the cleaning area (a ≤ x ≤ b, c ≤ y ≤ d), and the accumulation location information a3 is the coordinates of the final deposit accumulation location (x c ,y c )

[0051] When generating the route point information b, first, as shown in FIG. 6, the route information b is calculated along the x-axis direction of the cleaning area (a≦x≦b, c≦y≦d) from the left end (x=a) to the collection position (x=x c) deposits from the start point (a, ds) to the end point (x c ,ds)" and collect the data at the accumulation position (x=x c ) to temporarily store and accumulate the waste. This cleaning route is set as follows: "Start point (a, d-(2n-1)s) → End point (x c ,d-(2n-1)s)" and finally clean the bottom end. c ,c+s)" cleaning routes are set. In other words, n+1 cleaning routes are set, and (n+1) x 2 = 2n+2 pieces of via point information b (information on the via points that are the start and end points of the cleaning route) are generated accordingly. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 7, along the x-axis direction of the cleaning area (a≦x≦b, c≦y≦d), from the right end (x=b) to the accumulation position (x=x c ) deposits from the start point (b, ds) to the end point (x c ,ds)" and collect the data at the accumulation position (x=x c ) is set as a cleaning route for temporarily storing and accumulating the cleaning waste, and n+1 such cleaning routes are set as described above, and (n+1) x 2 = 2n+2 pieces of via point information b (information on the via points that are the start and end points of the cleaning route) are generated accordingly.

[0052] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 8, along the y-axis direction of the cleaning area (a≦x≦b, c≦y≦d), the cleaning area is cleaned from the top end (y=d) to the accumulation position (y=y c ) (the sediment temporarily accumulated as described above) is called the "starting point (x c ,d) → End point (x c ,y c )" and gather them together at the final accumulation position (x c ,y c ) and the cleaning path along the y-axis of the cleaning area (a≦x≦b, c≦y≦d) from the bottom end (y=c) to the accumulation position (y=y c ) (the sediment temporarily accumulated as described above) is called the "starting point (x c ,c) → End point (x c ,y c )" and gather them together at the final accumulation position (x c ,yc ), and generate four pieces of via point information b (information on the via points that are the start and end points of the cleaning route). Finally, by setting the initial position (0,0) as the via point (final point), j = (2n + 2) × 2 + 4 + 1 = 4n + 9 pieces of via point information b are generated, as shown in Figure 9.

[0053] Next, the autonomous driving method of the present invention will be described. This autonomous traveling method is a method for autonomously traveling the mobile dolly 1 using the device configuration described above. Therefore, it is an autonomous traveling method for autonomously traveling the mobile dolly 1 equipped with a driving device 2 for traveling while passing through a plurality of way points p within a designated area A, and includes a step (a) of generating way point information b from obstacle position information a1 within the designated area A, designated area information a2, and final target point information a3, which are stored in advance; a step (b) of estimating the self-position of the mobile dolly 1; and a step (c) of moving the mobile dolly 1 to the way points p based on the estimated self-position and the generated way point information b. i (i-th waypoint p) is calculated, and the mobile carriage 1 travels along the travel path to the waypoint p i a step (c) of controlling the driving device 2 so as to move to the via point p i The mobile cart 1 is moving towards the waypoint p i and (d) determining whether the carriage 1 is stuck and cannot reach the destination, and if it is determined that the carriage 1 is stuck, changing the waypoint p to which the carriage 1 should be moved, and controlling the driving device 2 to move the carriage 1 to the new waypoint p.

[0054] This autonomous driving method can also take on more specific embodiments such as those shown in (i) to (iv) below. (i) In step (a), the range measurement device 3 measures the surrounding environment of the mobile cart 1 to obtain obstacle information a, and the position of the mobile cart 1 is estimated by comparing the obstacle position information a1 within the designated area A that has been stored in advance with the obstacle information a obtained by the range measurement device 3. (ii) Furthermore, based on the obstacle information a acquired by the range measurement device 3, the route point p to which the mobile carriage 1 should move is determined. iThe method includes a step (e) of determining whether a travel route to the target point can be generated, and if it is determined that the route cannot be generated, changing the via point p to which the mobile carriage 1 should be moved, and controlling the driving device 2 to move the mobile carriage 1 to the via point p to which the mobile carriage 1 should be moved.

[0055] (iii) The mobile cart 1 is equipped with a work tool 5 for performing specified work within the designated area A and an actuator 6 for driving the work tool 5, and work is performed using the work tool 5 while the mobile cart 1 is traveling within the designated area A. (iv) In the case of (iii) above, the work tool 5 is a cleaning scraper 5a that scrapes up and cleans deposits on the ground within the designated area A, and the actuator 6 drives the cleaning scraper 5a so that the cleaning scraper 5a moves up and down to come into contact with or move away from the road surface. The mobile cart 1 is made to travel within the designated area A, and the cleaning scraper 5a is driven by the actuator 6, while the cleaning scraper 5a scrapes up deposits, and the scraped up deposits are moved to a predetermined location and accumulated.

[0056] The details of the autonomous driving method of the present invention and the device used to implement it are the same as those described above for the autonomous driving device, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted. The autonomous mobile device and method of the present invention are suitable for use as a cleaning device for the top of a coke oven where coal dust (fallen dust) accumulates, and can efficiently and appropriately carry out cleaning and removal work of the deposits. [Example]

[0057] In order to evaluate the autonomous traveling capability and cleaning ability of the autonomous traveling device (cleaning device) of the present invention equipped with the cleaning scraper 5a and control system as shown in Figures 1 to 4, the following cleaning test was conducted inside a building. In this test, coal powder to be cleaned was scattered in the cleaning area, and while the cleaning device was traveling autonomously, the coal powder was scraped up by the cleaning scraper 5a and collected in a chute (accumulation position) which is a coal powder recovery location, from which it was dropped. The cleaning scraper 5a provided in the cleaning device is 0.4 m wide and has a flat brush at the bottom. Figures 11 to 18 show the interior of the building where the test was conducted using a coordinate system, and show the cleaning area (the area where coal powder is spread), the initial position of the cleaning device (the starting point and end point of the cleaning device's movement), the chute (the position where the coal powder is finally accumulated and collected), and part of the surrounding walls.

[0058] [Example 1] In the area inside the building shown in Fig. 11, the coal powder to be cleaned was poured into a rectangular cleaning area (0≦x≦5, 1≦y≦4) at a rate of approximately 1 kg / m 2 The coal was spread to a nearly uniform thickness (spreading amount: approximately 15 kg). The initial position of the cleaning device was set so that the center position of the cleaning scraper 5a was the origin (0,0). A cleaning path was set as shown schematically in Figures 6 to 8, and cleaning was performed by collecting and dropping coal powder into a chute installed at coordinates (2,2). The waypoint information b generated during this process is shown in Table 1. The waypoint information b shown in Table 1 includes, from the left, the x-coordinate and y-coordinate of the carriage position, the carriage attitude angle θ (indicating the direction the carriage is facing when it arrives at the waypoint), and the actuator operation command m (indicating how the cleaning scraper 5a is to operate on the way to the waypoint). The cleaning device reads the waypoints in order from the first row and performs autonomous driving. For the actuator operation command m, "1" indicates the operation of lowering the cleaning scraper 5a onto the road surface and pressing it, and "0" indicates the operation of lifting the cleaning scraper 5a away from the road surface.

[0059] Unless the cleaning device "gets stuck during movement" or "cannot generate a travel route", it will move along the route points p1 to p2 based on the route point information b in Table 1. 36 via the via point p 37 (end point), and performs operations based on the via point information b (rotation of the mobile carriage 1 based on the carriage attitude angle θ, operation of the actuator 6 based on the actuator operation command m). iIf it is determined that the robot will be stuck or that a route cannot be generated when moving to the i-th waypoint p, the robot will move to the waypoint p. i+1 (i+1th waypoint p), and reads the waypoint information to perform autonomous driving.

[0060] [Table 1]

[0061] The movement trajectory of the cleaning device is shown in Fig. 12. The movement trajectory in Fig. 12 shows a part of the via point p. The cleaning device passes through the via points p1 to p 36 By passing through this area, the coal powder in the cleaning area was scraped up by the cleaning scraper 5a, collected in a chute located at coordinates (2,2), and dropped down, after which the cleaning device returned to its initial position (the end point of its movement). The amount of coal powder collected by the chute (collected amount) was 12.4 kg, and the collection rate calculated as (collected amount) ÷ (spread amount) × 100 was 82.7%. This confirmed that the coal powder was properly removed and that the cleaning device has excellent autonomous mobility and cleaning capabilities.

[0062] [Example 2] In the area inside the building shown in FIG. 13, an obstacle that does not exist in the original obstacle map (an unexpected obstacle that was not included in the obstacle position information a1) is placed at the position of coordinates (5, 3) to physically block passage, and then, as in Example 1, coal powder to be cleaned is poured into the cleaning area at a rate of approximately 1 kg / m 2 The cleaning device was sprayed to a substantially uniform thickness (amount sprayed: approximately 15 kg) and a test similar to that in Example 1 was carried out. Here, the arithmetic and control device 4 is configured to determine whether or not a travel route to the ith way point p along which the cleaning device should move can be generated based on the obstacle information a acquired by the range measurement device 3, and if it determines that the route cannot be generated, to change the way point along which the cleaning device should move to the (i+1)th way point p.

[0063] The movement trajectory of the cleaning device is shown in Fig. 14. The movement trajectory in Fig. 14 shows a part of the way point p. In this example, the cleaning device passes through the 20th way point p at coordinates (2,3.4). 20 From the 21st waypoint p at coordinates (5,3) 21 When heading to 21 Since it is determined that a route to reach the point p cannot be generated, the route to which the cleaning device should be moved is the route point p 22 The cleaning device is changed to the 20th waypoint p 20 From the 22nd waypoint p at coordinates (2,3) 22 The machine then headed towards the target, passing through waypoint p from the 23rd point onwards, and returned to its initial position (the end point of the cleaning device's movement). The amount of coal powder collected by the chute (collected amount) was 11.5 kg, and the collection rate, calculated as (collected amount) / (spread amount) x 100, was 76.7%. As can be seen from the above, although the collection amount decreased by one pass, the coal powder was properly cleaned to the extent possible, and even when the movement path was blocked by an obstacle, the machine was able to clean to the end without getting stuck. This confirmed that the coal powder was properly cleaned and that the cleaning device has excellent autonomous mobility and cleaning capabilities. For comparison, the movement trajectory of a cleaning device traveling autonomously using conventional SLAM technology is shown in Figure 15. In this case, the 21st waypoint was completely blocked by an obstacle, making it impossible to continue traveling, and the cleaning device became stuck.

[0064] [Example 3] In the area inside the building shown in FIG. 16, as in Example 1, the coal powder to be cleaned was applied to the cleaning area at approximately 1 kg / m 2The coal powder was spread to a substantially uniform thickness (spreading amount: approximately 15 kg), and then 10 kg of coal powder was additionally spread on area G, and a test similar to that in Example 1 was conducted. Here, when the cleaning device moves to the i-th way point p, the arithmetic and control device 4 calculates a target travel time T to the way point p, and determines whether the cleaning device is stuck by comparing the actual value t of the elapsed time from the start of movement of the cleaning device with the target travel time T. If it determines that the cleaning device is stuck, the arithmetic and control device 4 changes the way point to which the cleaning device should be moved to the (i+1)-th way point p. The target travel time T was calculated using the above formula (1), and the coefficients α, β, and γ were set to 0.4, 0.4, and 10, respectively.

[0065] The movement trajectory of the cleaning device is shown in Fig. 17. The movement trajectory in Fig. 17 shows a part of the way point p. In this example, the cleaning device passes through the 21st way point p at the coordinates (5,3). 21 From the 22nd waypoint p at coordinates (2,3) 22 On the way to the way point p 21 Since the elapsed time t since the start of the cleaning device exceeds the target travel time T, it is determined that the cleaning device is stuck, and the waypoint to which the cleaning device should be moved is the waypoint p 23 Therefore, the cleaning device is moved to the waypoint p 22 Passing through the 23rd waypoint p at coordinates (5,2.6) 23 The vehicle then headed towards the target, passing through waypoint p from the 24th point onwards, and returned to its initial position (the end point of the cleaning device's movement). The amount of coal powder collected by the chute (collected amount) was 11.6 kg, and the recovery rate, calculated as (collected amount) ÷ (spread amount) × 100, was 46.4%. As can be seen from the above, although the recovery rate decreased because the additional amount spread could not be recovered, the coal powder was properly cleaned to the extent possible, and even when it became stuck, it was able to complete the cleaning without getting stuck. This confirmed that the coal powder was properly cleaned and that the cleaning device has excellent autonomous mobility and cleaning capabilities. For comparison, the movement trajectory of a cleaning device traveling autonomously using general SLAM technology is shown in Figure 18. In this case, the cleaning device was unable to push through the coal powder midway from the 21st waypoint to the 22nd waypoint, coordinates (2,3), and was unable to continue traveling, becoming stuck. [Explanation of symbols]

[0066] 1 Mobile cart 2. Drive unit 3 Range measurement device 4. Arithmetic and control device 5. Work tools 5a Cleaning scraper 6 Actuators 7. Movement detection device 8 Storage device 9 Support Arm 10 3D shape measuring device 20 wheels 40 Self-position estimation part 41 Route point information generation unit 42 Route generation unit 43 Control Unit 44 Stack Judgment Unit 45 Route generation decision unit 50 Plate-shaped main body 51 Side plate part A Specified area G area p,p i Waypoint

Claims

1. An autonomous driving device that autonomously drives a mobile carriage (1) equipped with a driving device (2) for driving within a designated area (A) while passing through a plurality of via points (p), The self-position of the mobile dolly (1) is estimated, and via-point information b is generated from obstacle position information a1 in a designated area (A) stored in advance, designated area information a2, and final target point information a3, and a via-point (p) to move the mobile dolly (1) based on the estimated self-position and the generated via-point information b. ｉ ) and the moving vehicle (1) travels along the travel path to the waypoint (p ｉ ) a calculation and control device (4) for controlling the driving device (2) to move to the The arithmetic and control device (4) ｉ The mobile cart (1) moving towards the waypoint (p ｉ ), and if it is determined that the carriage is stuck, the control unit changes the waypoint (p) to which the carriage (1) should be moved to a waypoint (p) that has been determined in advance as a destination, and controls the drive unit (2) to move the carriage (1) to the waypoint (p) that has been changed to; The mobile carriage (1) is provided with a work tool (5) for performing a predetermined task within a designated area (A) and an actuator (6) for driving the work tool (5); The waypoint information b includes information on the carriage position of the mobile carriage (1), the carriage attitude of the mobile carriage (1), and operation commands for the actuator (6).

2. The vehicle further includes a range measurement device (3) that measures the surrounding environment of the mobile vehicle (1) and acquires obstacle information a, The autonomous driving device according to claim 1, characterized in that the arithmetic and control device (4) estimates the self-position of the mobile carriage (1) by comparing obstacle position information a1 within the designated area (A) stored in advance with obstacle information a acquired by the range measurement device (3).

3. The arithmetic and control device (4) determines the route point (p) to which the mobile carriage (1) should move based on the obstacle information a acquired by the range measurement device (3). ｉ ) can be generated, and if it is determined that it cannot be generated, the control unit changes the waypoint (p) to which the mobile carriage (1) should be moved to a waypoint (p) that has been determined in advance as a destination, and controls the drive unit (2) to move the mobile carriage (1) to the waypoint (p) that has been changed.

4. The work tool (5) is a cleaning scraper (5a) that scrapes and cleans deposits in the designated area (A), An autonomous mobile device as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the actuator (6) drives the cleaning scraper (5a) so that the cleaning scraper (5a) moves in an up and down direction to come into contact with or move away from the road surface.

5. The arithmetic and control device (4) determines whether the moving cart (1) is passing through the route point (p ｉ ), when moving to the via point (p ｉ ) and the attitude angle change amount Δθ from the travel distance ΔL to the via point (p ｉ 4. The autonomous driving device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it calculates a target travel time T to reach the target point (i.e., the point (i)) and determines whether the mobile carriage (1) is stuck by comparing the actual value t of the elapsed time from the start of movement of the mobile carriage (1) with the target travel time T.

6. The system further includes a movement amount detection device (7) that detects the movement amount of the movable carriage (1) from the operation amount of the drive device (2), The autonomous driving device according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the arithmetic and control device (4) compares the obstacle position information a1 within the designated area (A) stored in advance with the obstacle information a acquired by the range measurement device (3), and also estimates the self-position of the mobile cart (1) by a particle filter based on a SLAM algorithm using the amount of movement of the mobile cart (1) detected by the movement amount detection device (7).

7. An autonomous traveling method for autonomously traveling a mobile carriage (1) equipped with a driving device (2) for traveling within a designated area (A) while passing through a plurality of via points (p), comprising: A step (a) of generating waypoint information (b) from obstacle position information (a1) within a designated area (A), designated area information (a2), and final target point information (a3) stored in advance; A step (a) of estimating the self-position of the mobile cart (1); The route point (p) to which the mobile carriage (1) is moved based on the estimated self-position and the generated route point information b is determined. ｉ ) and the moving vehicle (1) travels along the travel path to the waypoint (p ｉ a step (c) of controlling the driving device (2) to move the Waypoint (p ｉ The mobile cart (1) moving towards the waypoint (p ｉ and (d) determining whether the carriage (1) is in a stuck state and cannot reach the destination point (p), and if it is determined that the carriage (1) is in a stuck state, changing the waypoint (p) to which the carriage (1) should be moved to a waypoint (p) determined in advance as a destination, and controlling the driving device (2) to move the carriage (1) to the waypoint (p) as the destination point; The mobile carriage (1) is provided with a work tool (5) for performing a predetermined task within a designated area (A) and an actuator (6) for driving the work tool (5); The method for autonomous driving is characterized in that the waypoint information b includes information on the carriage position of the mobile carriage (1), the carriage attitude of the mobile carriage (1), and operation commands for the actuator (6).

8. 8. The autonomous driving method according to claim 7, wherein in step (i), the surrounding environment of the mobile carriage (1) is measured by a range measurement device (3) to acquire obstacle information a, and the self-position of the mobile carriage (1) is estimated by comparing obstacle position information a1 within the designated area (A) stored in advance with the obstacle information a acquired by the range measurement device (3).

9. Furthermore, based on the obstacle information a acquired by the range measurement device (3), the route point (p ｉ 9. The autonomous driving method according to claim 8, further comprising a step (e) of determining whether a travel route to the target point (p) can be generated, and if it is determined that the travel route cannot be generated, changing the waypoint (p) to which the mobile carriage (1) should be moved to a waypoint (p) that has been determined in advance as a destination, and controlling the drive device (2) to move the mobile carriage (1) to the waypoint (p) that has been changed to.

10. An autonomous driving method as described in any one of claims 7 to 9, characterized in that work is performed with a work tool (5) while driving a mobile cart (1) within a designated area (A).

11. The work tool (5) is a cleaning scraper (5a) that scrapes and cleans deposits on the ground within the designated area (A), The actuator (6) drives the cleaning scraper (5a) so that the cleaning scraper (5a) moves up and down to come into contact with or separate from the road surface; The autonomous driving method according to claim 10, characterized in that the mobile cart (1) is caused to travel within the designated area (A), the cleaning scraper (5 a) is driven by the actuator (6), the cleaning scraper (5 a) scrapes up the deposits, and the scraped up deposits are moved to a predetermined location and accumulated therein.

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