Mobile vehicle driving system

Abstract

To provide a travelling system for an autonomously travelling mobile vehicle in which a line tracing travel mode and a SLAM travel mode can be switched with a simple arrangement.SOLUTION: A carrier truck 10 has a drive control unit 13, a marker detecting unit 30, a marker controlling unit 33, an obstacle detecting unit 45, and a CPU unit for controlling the above units. Markers are disposed in a plurality of positions along a travelling path. An SLAM travel information 56 is acquired by calculation of current position and direction based on a position of an obstacle detected by an obstacle processing unit 47 and map data 55 of the stored travel path. Further, a plurality of marks are arranged in a traverse direction of the travel path to set, to each mark, the travel information 50 and a location position information 51 having and each marked with a different symbol for detection of displacement in a travel direction and a traverse direction. Furthermore, in the SLAM travel mode, the carrier truck autonomously travels along the travel path designated by the map data, and in a line tracing travel mode, the carrier truck autonomously travels along the travel path designated by the read markers.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle travel system that allows an unmanned vehicle to travel autonomously in, for example, a factory, a warehouse, or the like. [Background technology]

[0002] The technology known as autonomous navigation for moving objects has long been put to practical use in aircraft, ships, and other vehicles, and has recently been implemented in automobiles, drones, and other vehicles. These moving objects need to understand their surroundings by combining various sensors suited to their respective moving environments, and to do so, appropriate sensors must be used. The cost of various sensors has been decreasing and their performance has been improving, with GPS, gyro sensors, cameras, and other sensors now widely used. Laser-based ranging sensors, in particular, can measure the distance to surrounding objects with high accuracy and can detect objects as three-dimensional data within a 360-degree range.

[0003] In contrast, when operating mobile objects on private property or in environments where access is restricted to unauthorized persons, such as carts with a load capacity of about 1 ton used in factories and warehouses, golf carts, and amusement park rides, it has become practical to lay white lines, magnetic tape (see Patent Document 1), points, rails, etc. along the travel path and move from predetermined location to predetermined location by traveling along the lines formed by these (line tracing). In particular, when white lines are laid along the travel path and the vehicle is allowed to travel autonomously along the white lines, the white lines must be laid easily and at low cost.

[0004] Furthermore, the present inventors have disclosed a vehicle navigation system that uses markers with multiple horizontally elongated marks that cross the roadway (see Patent Document 2). Each mark is set with navigation information for the vehicle to follow and placement position information with different symbols attached to detect lateral deviations in the vehicle's direction of travel. This marker-based vehicle navigation system is characterized by its ease of installation and operation, as well as its ease of course changes and expansion, allowing for the construction of a highly flexible navigation system.

[0005] Even in such closed areas, autonomous driving has recently become possible even without white lines or rails by measuring the entire surroundings using laser ranging sensors. In this case, the detection signal from the laser ranging sensor, known as SLAM technology (Simultaneously Localization and Mapping: self-location estimation and map creation simultaneously), is used to compare the surrounding map created in advance by the laser ranging sensor with the measurement data during autonomous driving to recognize the moving body's own position, and at the same time, a route to the target location is calculated from the surrounding map created in advance, and the moving body drives autonomously to the target location. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-124144 [Patent Document 2] International Publication No. 2020 / 013337 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] However, in the autonomous driving system that uses white lines laid on the road as described above, changing the road requires re-laying the white lines, which is time-consuming and difficult to do frequently. Furthermore, the white lines laid along the road become dirty and peel off, so maintenance of the white lines is necessary along the entire road.

[0008] While methods that use laser ranging sensors to detect surrounding objects can detect surrounding objects with high accuracy, the laser ranging sensors themselves typically cost hundreds of thousands to millions of yen, resulting in significant initial investment. Furthermore, they require comparison with a pre-created surrounding map. For use in factories, warehouses, and other environments where the surrounding environment changes frequently, the surrounding map must be frequently updated, making operational work cumbersome. While other sensors, such as GPS or self-localization based on radio signal strength, can be used to supplement the information, GPS is generally not feasible indoors in factories, warehouses, and other environments. Self-localization based on radio signal strength requires the installation of multiple radio transmitters in advance, resulting in high capital costs. Furthermore, autonomous driving methods that use gyro sensors or cameras to complement missing surrounding maps also require comparison with the surrounding map, which limits the scope of the surrounding map and limits their usefulness. Furthermore, SLAM-based autonomous driving, which uses two-dimensional position coordinate detection using two-dimensional laser ranging sensors, can sometimes be unstable, such as being unable to detect the vehicle's own position, on roads with inclines such as steps.

[0009] In view of the above, the present invention aims to provide a traveling system for a mobile vehicle that has a simple configuration and can switch between a traveling mode using multiple low-cost horizontal markers, as well as a virtual marker traveling mode using line tracing, SLAM traveling mode, and autonomous traveling using VSLAM (Vision Simultaneously Localization and Mapping: estimating self-position using images and creating a map simultaneously) using a stereo camera, as needed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] In order to achieve the first object, a traveling system for a moving vehicle according to the present invention comprises: Main body and 、 A traveling system for a mobile vehicle, comprising: a traveling unit for traveling on the ground, a drive control unit for driving and controlling the traveling unit, a marker detection unit, an obstacle detection unit, and a CPU unit for controlling the drive control unit, the marker detection unit, and the obstacle detection unit; markers placed at a plurality of predetermined locations along a traveling path along which the mobile vehicle should travel, and locations where no markers are placed; and the mobile vehicle traveling along the traveling path, the marker detection unit of the moving vehicle comprises: an imaging means for imaging an image below the main body; an image processing unit for processing an image captured by the imaging means to detect markers placed on the travel path; and a marker control unit for outputting travel information set in advance for the markers to a drive control unit based on the markers detected by the image processing unit; The obstacle detection unit of the moving vehicle is surroundings an obstacle sensor that captures an image including the distance to the obstacle; an obstacle processing unit that detects the obstacle by image processing the image captured by the obstacle sensor; and a SLAM driving control unit that calculates the current position and direction of the moving vehicle based on the position of the obstacle detected by the obstacle processing unit and pre-stored map data of the driving route, acquires SLAM driving information, and outputs the SLAM driving information to a drive control unit, The marker is formed in a horizontally long band and arranged in a transverse direction of the travel path, with a plurality of marks arranged in a horizontal row on the band-shaped marker, and travel information on which the moving vehicle should travel and placement position information with different symbols attached to each mark are set in order to detect lateral deviation of the moving vehicle in the travel direction, The marker control unit generates corrected driving information for correcting lateral and angular deviations of the moving vehicle based on the driving information and placement position information of the marker, and outputs the corrected driving information to the drive control unit. hand The drive control unit controls the drive of the traveling unit based on the corrected traveling information from the marker control unit, and the moving vehicle autonomously travels along the traveling path specified by the marker. It is configured to , By having the mobile vehicle travel along the travel route in the marker mode a predetermined number of times, the marker control unit acquires travel information and placement position information of the marker, and the obstacle detection unit acquires position coordinates of the marker, The SLAM driving control unit creates virtual marker information for the driving path by linking the driving information and placement position information of the marker acquired by the marker control unit with the position coordinates of the marker acquired by the obstacle detection unit, stores this virtual marker information in the virtual marker storage unit as a virtual marker map, and sends the virtual marker information to the CPU unit. The CPU section sends the virtual marker information as driving information and / or corrected driving information to the drive control section, and causes the vehicle to autonomously drive in the virtual marker driving mode. .

[0011] According to the above configuration, the vehicle has a simple configuration, low cost, and easy route setting, and can travel autonomously in a marker mode that is suitable for transporting a wide variety of items in large quantities. Furthermore, the vehicle travels in marker mode a predetermined number of times, and the marker control unit acquires marker travel information and placement position information, while the obstacle detection unit acquires marker position coordinates. The marker travel information and placement position information acquired by the marker control unit are linked with the marker position coordinates acquired by the obstacle detection unit to create virtual marker information for the travel path, and the vehicle travels in marker mode at locations where markers are placed on the travel path, and autonomously travels in virtual marker travel mode using the virtual marker information at locations where markers are not placed. It is possible to provide an extremely excellent traveling system for a moving vehicle.

[0012] In the above configuration, the obstacle detection unit preferably includes a two-dimensional lidar or a three-dimensional lidar. Preferably, the mobile vehicle includes an obstacle memory unit that stores map data of the travel route as map information. Preferably, the SLAM travel control unit generates SLAM travel information based on the map information from the obstacle processing unit and outputs it to the drive control unit, the drive control unit drives and controls the travel unit based on the SLAM travel information, and when an obstacle signal is input from the obstacle processing unit, determines that an obstacle has been detected in the travel direction of the mobile vehicle, generates an emergency stop signal and outputs it to the drive control unit, and drives and controls the travel unit based on the emergency stop signal to stop drive of the motor or take avoidance action. Preferably, the SLAM driving control unit receives wheel rotation speed information from wheel rotation sensors provided on each wheel of the mobile vehicle and a detection signal from an inertial measurement unit, calculates the travel distance of the mobile vehicle based on the wheel rotation speed information, and detects wheel slippage, etc. based on the detection signal from the inertial measurement unit to correct the travel distance, modifies the SLAM driving information based on the corrected travel distance, and outputs the modified SLAM driving information to the drive control unit. According to the present invention Another The running system of the moving vehicle is a mobile vehicle including a main body, a traveling unit for traveling on the ground, a drive control unit for driving and controlling the traveling unit, a marker detection unit, an obstacle detection unit, and a CPU unit for controlling the drive control unit, the marker detection unit, and the obstacle detection unit; A travel system for a mobile vehicle, in which markers are placed at a plurality of predetermined locations along a travel route on which the mobile vehicle should travel and locations where no markers are placed, and the mobile vehicle travels along the travel route, The moving vehicle, Further comprising a stereo camera and a VSLAM control unit connected to the stereo camera, the marker detection unit of the moving vehicle comprises: an imaging means for imaging an image below the main body; an image processing unit for processing an image captured by the imaging means to detect markers placed on the travel path; and a marker control unit for outputting to the drive control unit travel information set in advance for the markers based on the markers detected by the image processing unit; The marker is formed in a horizontally long band and arranged in a transverse direction of the travel path, with a plurality of marks arranged in a horizontal row on the band-shaped marker, and travel information on which the moving vehicle should travel and placement position information with different symbols attached to each mark are set in order to detect lateral deviation of the moving vehicle in the travel direction, the marker control unit generates corrected driving information for correcting lateral and angular deviations of the mobile vehicle based on the driving information and placement position information of the marker, and outputs the corrected driving information to the drive control unit, and the drive control unit drives and controls the driving unit based on the corrected driving information from the marker control unit, so that the mobile vehicle autonomously drives in marker mode along a driving path specified by the marker, By having the mobile vehicle travel along the travel route in marker mode a predetermined number of times, the marker control unit acquires travel information and placement position information of the marker, and the stereo camera acquires position coordinates of the marker, The VSLAM control unit The marker acquired by the marker control unit Driving information and location information and the position coordinates of the markers acquired by the stereo camera to create virtual marker information for the travel path, and store the virtual marker information as a virtual marker map in the virtual marker memory unit of the VSLAM control unit, and send the virtual marker information to the CPU unit, The CPU unit sends the virtual marker information as driving information and / or corrected driving information to the drive control unit, and causes the vehicle to autonomously drive in the virtual marker driving mode. I tried to . Preferably, when the marker control unit detects marker information during autonomous traveling in the virtual marker traveling mode, the drive control unit controls the driving of the traveling unit by prioritizing the marker information over the virtual marker information. Preferably, a variable marker is provided on the road, and when the variable marker is detected by the marker control unit, the detected variable marker information is transmitted from the marker control unit. CPU part is sent to the variable The vehicle autonomously drives on new routes based on marker information. Preferably, the system is provided with a network connected to the mobile vehicle and an external driving control unit for the mobile vehicle connected to the network, and the external driving control unit can arbitrarily change the driving path of the mobile vehicle by changing any of the driving information in the marker, the SLAM driving information, and the virtual marker information in the virtual marker driving mode via the network as needed. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an extremely excellent mobile vehicle traveling system that allows for easy route setting for a mobile vehicle, is suitable for use as a means of transporting people as well as for transporting a wide variety of large quantities of goods, is capable of autonomous traveling in a simple, low-cost marker mode, and, as necessary, can switch between a line tracing mode that allows for accurate traveling through narrow passages, a SLAM traveling mode that allows for traveling based on pre-acquired map data and actual positions, and allows for arbitrary traveling such as curved trajectories and forward and backward movement, and a virtual marker traveling mode using VSLAM. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic partial plan view showing an embodiment of a traveling system for a platform vehicle as a moving vehicle according to the present invention; [Figure 2] In the transporting platform shown in FIG. 1, (A) is a schematic perspective view, (B) is a plan view, (C) is a side view, and (D) is an enlarged plan view of the operating unit. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a bottom view showing the platform vehicle of FIG. 2. [Figure 4] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of the transporting platform vehicle of FIG. 2. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of a marker in FIG. 1. [Figure 6] 3 is a schematic diagram showing a camera of a marker detection unit in the transporting platform vehicle of FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 7] 1A and 1B show the traveling state of the transporting vehicle using a marker indicating straight travel, and are explanatory diagrams showing a case where there is a deviation in the width direction and a case where there is a deviation in the traveling direction and a deviation in the width direction. [Figure 8] 10A and 10B show the traveling state of the transporting vehicle using markers indicating switching of the follow-up mode, and are explanatory diagrams showing the case where there is a deviation in the width direction and the case where there is a deviation in both the traveling direction and the width direction. [Figure 9] 10A and 10B show the state of a transporting vehicle stopped by a portable beacon, where FIG. 10A is an explanatory diagram showing a case where there is a deviation in the width direction, and FIG. 10B is an explanatory diagram showing a case where there is a deviation in both the traveling direction and the width direction. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart showing the operation of autonomous traveling by a marker control unit of the marker detection unit. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a specific example of autonomous driving using a marker. [Figure 12] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating switching of a driving mode. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a schematic partial plan view showing a second embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a schematic partial plan view showing a third embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 2 is a schematic side view showing the connection between the transport vehicle and the towed vehicle. [Figure 16] FIG. 15 is an explanatory diagram showing the traveling state of the platform vehicle in FIG. 14, using a marker indicating an arc-shaped left turn. [Figure 17]FIG. 11 is a schematic side view showing the connection between a transporting vehicle and a towed vehicle in a traveling system for a mobile vehicle according to a first modified example of the third embodiment. [Figure 18] FIG. 18 is a bottom view of the platform vehicle of FIG. [Figure 19] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of the transporting platform vehicle. [Figure 20] 10A and 10B show the positional relationship when a transporting vehicle and a towed vehicle are connected in a traveling system for a moving vehicle according to a second modified example of the third embodiment, where FIG. 10A is a schematic plan view and FIG. [Figure 21] 1A and 1B show the connection relationship between a transport vehicle and a towed vehicle, with FIG. 1A being a schematic plan view and FIG. 1B being a schematic side view. [Figure 22] A cross-sectional view of the traction member and restraint member of the transport carriage along line AA in Figure 21(A) is shown, where (A) is the state before connection 1, (B) is the state before connection 2, (C) is the state at the time of connection, and (D) is the state at the time of detachment. [Figure 23] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of the transporting platform vehicle. [Figure 24] In the transporting platform vehicle of FIG. 23, (A) is a schematic perspective view, and (B) is a bottom view. [Figure 25] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a driving path along which the vehicle travels in the virtual marker driving mode. [Figure 26] 10 is a diagram showing the acquisition of position information for map matching by a stereo camera and the acquisition of detection mark information for markers attached to the floor by a camera; FIG. [Figure 27] FIG. 10 is a flow diagram illustrating a virtual marker driving mode. [Figure 28] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating virtual marker information in a virtual marker running mode. [Figure 29] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing a case where a variable marker is attached to a first running path, and a vehicle travels from the first running path to a second running path and then to a third running path. [Figure 30] FIG. 10 is a flow diagram showing control in the presence of a variable marker. [Figure 31] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an actual driving path in the virtual marker driving mode. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail based on the embodiments shown in the drawings. (First embodiment) 1 to 4 show a travel system for a transporting vehicle according to a first embodiment of the present invention as a mobile vehicle. In Fig. 1, the travel system 1 for a transporting vehicle is composed of a transporting vehicle 10 and a marker 40 (described later) arranged in a travel area 2 of the transporting vehicle 10.

[0016] The transport vehicle 10 includes a main body 11, a travel unit 12 provided below the main body 11, a drive control unit 13, a beacon detection unit 20, a marker detection unit 30, and a CPU unit 36. The CPU unit 36 ​​includes a central processing unit (CPU) equipped with a computer chip, various sensors connected to the CPU, such as the marker detection unit 30 (described later) and an interface circuit including an obstacle detection unit 45 using a laser distance measurement sensor such as a lidar, a communication unit including a transceiver connected to a network 80 (described later), and an external memory. The CPU 36 may be an MPU (micro processing unit), an ECU (engine control unit), or an FPGA (field programmable gate array). A main switch 37 of the transport vehicle 10 may be turned on / off by the CPU unit 36.

[0017] The main body 11 has, for example, a flat rectangular parallelepiped outer shape, a flat upper surface formed as a platform 11a, and a handle 11b extending upward from its rear end. As shown in FIGS. 2(B) and 3, the travel unit 12 is composed of a pair of wheels 15 arranged on both sides of the front of the main body 11 (in the direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. 2(B)) on the underside of the main body 11, a motor 16 equipped with a speed reduction mechanism 16a for driving each wheel 15, and a pair of casters 17 arranged on both sides of the rear of the main body 11. The drive motors 16 are driven and controlled by a drive control unit 13 (described later), which drives each wheel 15 to rotate, causing the transport vehicle 10 to travel in a predetermined direction by moving forward, backward, or turning left or right. The travel unit 12 is not limited to wheels 15, and may be composed of other driving means such as caterpillars. Each wheel 15 is provided with a wheel rotation sensor 15a for detecting its rotation speed.

[0018] The drive control unit 13 is disposed within the main body 11. Power is supplied to the drive control unit 13 and each motor 16 from a power source 13a disposed near the center of the underside of the main body 11. The power source 13a may be a battery or a rechargeable secondary battery, such as a lithium secondary battery. Based on travel information from a beacon detection unit 20 or a marker detection unit 30 provided in the main body 11 (described later), the drive control unit 13 controls the drive of each drive motor 16 of the travel unit 12 to independently drive each wheel 15, thereby causing the vehicle to travel forward, backward, turn left or right, etc.

[0019] The drive control unit 13 may stop the traveling unit 12 when an obstacle is detected based on information from the obstacle detection unit 45. The obstacle detection unit 45 is provided to stop the transporting vehicle 10 before it collides with an obstacle, and it is sufficient if it can monitor the surroundings of the transporting vehicle 10, the direction of travel, and the position of the transporting vehicle 10 within the facility. For example, a laser radar or a millimeter wave radar can be used as the obstacle sensor. The laser radar is a sensor that performs laser image detection and distance measurement using the TOF (Time Of Flight) method. Two-dimensional or three-dimensional sensors can be used.

[0020] The transport vehicle 10 is equipped with an inertial measurement unit 18 that uses a two-axis or three-axis acceleration sensor or a gyro sensor to measure the acceleration and angular acceleration of the transport vehicle 10. This inertial measurement unit 18 is also called an IMU. Furthermore, the drive control unit 13 calculates the travel distance of the transport vehicle 10 based on detection signals input from two wheel rotation sensors 15a that detect the rotation speed of each wheel 15, and detects the deviation in the traveling direction of the transport vehicle 10, i.e., the angular deviation, by referring to the detection signal 18a input from the inertial measurement unit 18. This allows the drive control unit 13 to correct for deviations in the travel distance and angle due to slippage of the wheels 15, calculate the corrected travel distance, and correct the angle of the traveling direction of the transport vehicle 10. The drive control unit 13 controls the drive of the travel unit 12 using travel information 50a and 25b (described later) based on the corrected travel distance.

[0021] The drive control unit 13 may be operated by an operation unit 19 attached to the upper part of the steering wheel 11b. As shown in FIG. 2(D), the operation unit 19 includes a so-called shift lever 19a, a joystick 19b, an emergency stop switch 19c as an emergency stop operation unit, and a main switch 37 (described later). The shift lever 19a has four modes, for example, P (parking), N (neutral), D (drive), and Fo (follow). Various input operations can be performed by tilting the joystick 19b in any direction. The emergency stop switch 19c outputs an emergency stop signal 19d to the CPU unit 36 ​​when operated. The operation unit 19 may further include a speed change dial 19e. The shift lever 19a and the speed change dial 19e may further include indicator lights 19f and 19g that indicate the mode position and speed. When the emergency stop signal 19d is input, the CPU unit 36 ​​interrupts the autonomous driving based on the driving information 50a based on the emergency stop signal 19d, generates emergency stop driving information 50b and sends it to the drive control unit 13.

[0022] The beacon detection unit 20 is well known and is provided in the front of the main body 11, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, and is composed of a pair of infrared cameras 21 and 22 as imaging means, a beacon calculation unit 24, a beacon processing unit 25, a beacon storage unit 25a, etc. The operations of the beacon calculation unit 24, the beacon processing unit 25, and the beacon storage unit 25a are executed by a program stored in the CPU 36. The beacon storage unit 25a can use a storage device within the CPU 36 or a storage device provided external to the CPU 36. The infrared cameras 21 and 22 are arranged laterally spaced apart from each other on the main body 11 and facing forward, for example, on both the left and right sides of the front end, to capture images of identification light from a beacon B to be tracked in front of the main body 11. That is, the infrared cameras 21 and 22 are arranged so that their optical axes extend forward, substantially parallel to each other and tilted upward, for example. The inclination angle of each optical axis is set to, for example, about 10 to 30 degrees so that the optical axis passes through a position about 1 meter ahead and about 50 cm high.

[0023] Each of the infrared cameras 21, 22 is a known infrared stereo camera, and is composed of an optical system such as an imaging element and a lens. When an infrared stereo camera is used as each of the infrared cameras 21, 22, it is possible to measure the distance and angle to the beacon B. By detecting the infrared light incident on the imaging element, the influence of ambient light such as sunlight can be reduced, and it is possible to reliably detect the identification light from the beacon B even in dark places such as at night. The imaging element that detects infrared light may be configured by arranging an optical filter that transmits only infrared light on the incident side of a normal imaging element. Each of the infrared cameras 21, 22 captures an image of the beacon B to be tracked at predetermined time intervals and sends the captured image signal to the beacon calculation unit 24.

[0024] The beacon calculation unit 24 processes the images of the beacon B captured by the infrared cameras 21 and 22 to calculate position information 24a of the beacon B, i.e., the direction and distance, using so-called stereo vision, and sends the information to the beacon processing unit 25. The beacon calculation unit 24 corrects distortions of the images of the beacon B due to the optical systems of the infrared cameras 21 and 22, and corrects the mounting attitude of the infrared cameras 21 and 22 on the main body 11, i.e., the deviation from parallelism between the optical axes of the respective cameras, to correct the center position on the captured image. The beacon calculation unit 24 may more accurately calculate the distance to the beacon by referencing the distance to the beacon measured by the obstacle sensor 46. When the beacon calculation unit 24 cannot calculate the position information 24a of the beacon B by image processing the images of the infrared cameras 21 and 22, the beacon calculation unit 24 does not create the position information 24a of the beacon B and does not send it to the beacon processing unit 25. The beacon processing unit 25 maps the position information 24a of the beacon B calculated by the beacon calculation unit 24 with respect to the area in which the transporting vehicle 10 should travel, registers it in the beacon storage unit 25a, and sends it to the CPU unit 36. Based on the position information 24a of the beacon B, the beacon processing unit 25 generates travel information 25b consisting of the speed and direction (steering angle) for causing the transporting vehicle 10 to follow the beacon B from the direction and distance to the beacon B to be tracked at that time. The beacon processing unit 25 calculates changes in the relative speed and distance between the beacon B and the transporting vehicle 10 by comparing the position information 24a of the beacon B with the position information 24a of the immediately preceding beacon B, and determines the speed included in the travel information 25b so that the distance to the beacon B falls within a predetermined range. The travel information 25b is control information for controlling the rotational speeds of the drive motors 16 that drive the left and right wheels 15. The left and right drive motors 16 are controlled at different rotational speeds, and the steering angle is realized by the speed difference. The beacon processing unit 25 sequentially maps the position information 24a of beacon B sent from the beacon calculation unit 24 at predetermined time intervals and registers it in the beacon memory unit 25a, and also sequentially reads the position information 24a of beacon B from the beacon memory unit 25a, generates driving information 25b based on the direction and distance to beacon B at that time, and sends it to the drive control unit 13.When the beacon B position information 24a is not sent from the beacon calculation unit 24, the beacon processing unit 25 generates driving information 25b based on the beacon position information 24a by mapping already registered in the beacon storage unit 25a and sends it to the drive control unit 13. As a result, even if the beacon B to be tracked travels along a curved route or turns left or right, tracking is reliably performed based on the mapped beacon B position information 24a.

[0025] The travel system 1 for the transport vehicle in this embodiment includes a marker 40 arranged in the travel area 2 and a marker detection unit 30 for detecting the marker 40. The marker 40 has at least one mark, and this mark is preferably configured in multiple marks arranged horizontally across the travel path 2a and / or vertically along the travel path 2a. When multiple marks are attached to the marker 40, the marker is preferably configured in the shape of a single strip. The markers 40 may be arranged in one or more lines, with multiple marks arranged consecutively in the vertical direction along the traveling path 2a. In this case, the markers 40 may be arranged in multiple lines at predetermined intervals in the traveling direction along the traveling path 2a, or in a single line. The markers 40 are preferably formed in a band, with multiple marks arranged horizontally and / or vertically on this band-like marker. The marks may be the same or different. For example, when band-like markers 40 are arranged across the traveling path 2a, multiple identical or different marks may be arranged in a horizontal row on this single band-like marker. As shown in FIG. 5, two or more rows may be arranged on a single marker 40, with multiple identical or different marks arranged in each row. Multiple markers 40 may be arranged side by side in the vertical direction along the traveling path 2a. The multiple marks on the band-like marker 40 may be the same or different marks as described above. For example, two markers 40 may be placed side by side in the center of the travel path 2a in the direction of travel, or they may be placed side by side with a gap between them on the left and right sides of the path. Furthermore, if the marker 40 in the center in the horizontal direction is designated as the first marker, second and third markers 40 may be placed side by side on either side of it. In these cases, the same mark or different marks may be placed on each marker.

[0026] FIG. 5 shows an example of the configuration of the markers in FIG. 1. The markers 40 are configured in a single strip across the traveling direction, and nine marks are attached to each strip in two rows, one above the other, in the figure. That is, the marker 40 is configured with nine marks 41 in a first row on the front side with respect to the traveling direction (indicated by the arrow) of the transporting vehicle 10, and nine marks 42 in a second row on the rear side. The marks 41 in the first row are 41a, 41b, 41c, 41d, 41e, 41f, 41g, 41h, and 41i from left to right, and the marks 41a to 41i are referred to as rows a to i. The marks 42 in the second row are similarly 42a, 42b, 42c, 42d, 42e, 42f, 42g, 42h, and 42i from left to right. The marks 42a to 41i are also referred to as rows a to i. The markers 40 may be arranged in a row, and symbols representing the marks 41 may be different, such as numbers or letters. When multiple marks 41 with different symbols are arranged in a column (horizontal direction), the symbols from left to right in the horizontal direction have placement position information 51, which will be described later. When detecting a marker 40, the transport vehicle 10 detects lateral deviation based on the placement position information 51 of the mark 41. Furthermore, when multiple markers 40 are arranged from the front to the rear in the traveling direction, arranging the same numbers or letters can eliminate failures or errors in acquiring data on the placement position information 51 of the markers 40 when the speed in the traveling direction increases. When the markers 40 are arranged vertically along the traveling path 2a, markers 40 may also be arranged horizontally across the traveling path 2a to detect lateral deviation. Furthermore, when markers 40 are arranged in the center and on the left and right sides along the traveling path 2a, the lateral placement position information 51 may be set for the marks constituting the markers 40 arranged on the left and right sides.

[0027] The first row of marks 41a-41i and the second row of marks 42a-42i are set with travel information 50 of the transporting vehicle 10 after it has passed the corresponding marker 40. This travel information 50 may be, for example, straight ahead, U-turn, left turn, right turn, stop, or follow mode switching. In the case of straight ahead, several travel speeds, such as low, medium, and high speed, are further set. For example, the 18 marks 41a-41i and 42a-42i shown in FIG. 5 are all associated with the same travel information 50. In the illustrated example, ArUco markers are used for the individual marks 41a-41i and 42a-42i, each measuring, for example, approximately 2 cm in length and width and spaced, for example, approximately 8 cm apart from one another. The size and spacing of the individual marks 41a-41i and 42a-42i are determined by the installation position of the camera 31 that detects the markers 40 and the angle of view of the lens attached to the camera 31, as will be described later. The individual marks 41a-41i and 42a-42i are not limited to ArUco markers, and barcodes, QR codes (registered trademark), and the like may also be used. Each marker 40 has a width sufficient to completely cross the travel path 2a of the transport vehicle 10. Each of the marks 41a-41i and 42a-42i constituting the marker 40 is set with placement position information 51, indicating the left-right direction and whether the mark is in the first or second row, from the left end to the right end. For example, mark 41c is set with placement position information 51 indicating the mark is the third in the first row. The travel information 50 and placement position information 51 for each of the marks 41a-41i and 42a-42i are each set in advance by the CPU unit 36 ​​(described later) and stored in the marker storage unit 34 within the CPU unit 36. In FIG. 5, the marker 40 as a whole is configured as a single sheet, and can be attached to a floor or the like by applying adhesive to the backside, for example. This allows the entire marker 40 to be easily placed in the correct position without adjusting the spacing between the marks. 5, if a part of the sheet of the marker 40 has a notation 43 of "RIGHT" indicating the content of the driving information 50, handling of the marker 40 becomes even easier. The illustrated "RIGHT" indicates a right turn.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 4, the marker detection unit 30 includes a camera 31 as an imaging unit and an image processing unit 32. Signals from the image processing unit 32 are output to a marker control unit 33 in the CPU unit 36 ​​and stored in the marker storage unit 34 as necessary. The operations of the marker control unit 33 and the marker storage unit 34 are executed by a program stored in the CPU unit 36. The marker storage unit 34 can use a storage device within the CPU unit 36 ​​or an external storage device of the CPU unit 36, similar to the beacon storage unit 25a. As shown in FIGS. 2(C) and 3, the camera 31 is positioned in a location that is less susceptible to sunlight. In the illustrated example, the camera 31 is positioned on the underside of the main body 11 of the transport vehicle 10, facing downward. The camera 31 includes a light-emitting unit 31a that illuminates the area within its field of view. The wavelength of light emitted from the light-emitting unit 31a may be visible light or infrared light. Preferably, the camera 31 and the light-emitting unit 31a are, for example, an infrared camera and an infrared light-emitting unit, which are less susceptible to ambient light. 6, the camera 31 is attached at a height H (for example, about 12 cm) perpendicular to the traveling surface, and has a field of view of a width W (for example, about 15 cm) on the traveling surface. The light-emitting units 31a are composed of, for example, light-emitting diodes, and are arranged on both sides of the camera 31 in the illustrated example so as to illuminate the range of this field of view. The arrangement of the markers 40 is determined by the installation position of the camera 31 and the field of view of the lens of the camera 31, i.e., the field of view. If the distance between markers is set so that three or more markers 40 can be seen within the maximum field of view, two or more markers will be visible no matter where the transport vehicle 10 passes over the markers 40.

[0029] Image processing unit 32 receives image signal 31b from camera 31, processes the image captured by image signal 31b, and detects markers 40 appearing in the captured image and arrangement direction 32a of markers 40. Image processing unit 32 identifies marks 41a to 41i in a first row closest to the center of the markers 40 in the captured image, and similarly identifies marks 42a to 42i in a second row closest to the center. If the horizontal positions of the identified first row of marks 41a-41i and the second row of marks 42a-42i are the same, the image processing unit 32 subsequently determines the detected mark information 32b based on the first row of marks 41a-41i. If either the first row of marks 41a-41i or the second row of marks 42a-42i cannot be identified due to a poor imaging image, the image processing unit 32 determines the detected mark information 32b based on the first row of marks 41a-41i or the second row of marks 42a-42i that can be identified, and outputs the determined mark information 32b together with the arrangement direction 32a to the marker control unit 33. If the image processing unit 32 cannot identify either the first row of marks 41a-41i or the second row of marks 42a-42i, the image processing unit 32 generates an error signal 32c and outputs it to the marker control unit 33.

[0030] Based on the detected mark information 32b from the image processing unit 32, the marker control unit 33 reads from the marker storage unit 34 travel information 50 and placement position information 51 previously set for the marks 41a to 41i or 42a to 42i identified by the image processing unit 32. From the arrangement direction 32a and placement position information 51, the marker control unit 33 detects the current travel direction and lateral deviation on the travel path 2a, as well as the deviation in the traveling direction from the inertial measurement unit 18, i.e., the angular deviation, and corrects the correct travel direction and lateral deviation. The detection and correction of the angular deviation are performed by a gyro sensor in the inertial measurement unit 18. By recognizing the marker 40, the marker detection unit 30 calculates the XY position and angle of the transport vehicle 10 relative to the marker 40 and outputs them to the marker control unit 33. Here, the X position indicates the lateral direction on the travel path 2a, and the Y position indicates the traveling direction. In detecting the markers 40, correction is possible if even one mark 41a can be detected, and by finding two or more consecutive markers 40 or the same marker 40, travel information such as going straight, stopping, turning right or left, etc. indicated by the markers 40, which will be described later, is recognized. By using two or more marks 41a, it is possible to avoid erroneous detection of dirt on the floor along the travel path of the transport vehicle 10. In this way, it is not necessary to prioritize the use of the central mark 41 among the marks 41 shown in FIG. 5.

[0031] The marker control unit 33 acquires the lateral deviation and current angle of the travel direction of the transporting vehicle 10 from the marker 40, corrects the travel direction to zero, and further corrects the angle deviation. The marker control unit 33 corrects the read travel information 50 by correcting the lateral position and current angle of the travel path 2a so as to return the lateral deviation on the travel path 2a to the center, thereby generating corrected travel information 50a and outputting it to the drive control unit 13. The drive control unit 13 drives and controls the travel unit 12 based on this corrected travel information 50a. Therefore, the transporting vehicle 10 moves and travels as specified by the marker 40 in accordance with the corrected travel information 50a. When the marker control unit 33 receives an error signal 32c from the image processing unit 32, it determines that reading of the marker 40 has failed, generates an emergency stop signal 33a, and outputs it to the drive control unit 13 of the transporting vehicle 10. The drive control unit 13 drives and controls the travel unit 12 based on this emergency stop signal 33a to stop the drive of the motor 16.

[0032] The marker control unit 33 receives wheel rotation speed information 15b from wheel rotation sensors 15a provided on each wheel 15 of the transporting cart 10 and detection signals 18a from the inertial measurement unit 18, calculates the travel distance of the transporting cart 10 based on this wheel rotation speed information 15b, detects slippage of the wheels 15 based on the detection signals 18a of the inertial measurement unit 18, corrects the travel distance, modifies the travel information 50 based on the corrected travel distance, and outputs the corrected travel information 50a to the drive control unit 13.

[0033] Furthermore, when the marker control unit 33 receives position information 24a of beacon B from the beacon processing unit 25 of the beacon detection unit 20 while controlling autonomous driving by the marker, it interrupts autonomous driving by the marker, hands over control of the drive control unit 13 to the beacon processing unit 25 of the beacon detection unit 20, and creates driving information 25b that causes the beacon processing unit 25 to travel a predetermined distance (e.g., 3 m) along the driving path 2a until it reaches the vicinity of the beacon and then stop, and sends this information to the drive control unit 13.

[0034] Furthermore, the traveling system 1 for the transporting platform vehicle in this embodiment has an area in the traveling area 2 where no markers 40 are placed. In this case, an obstacle detection unit 45 is provided that detects walls and obstacles in the traveling area 2 so that autonomous traveling can be achieved using the so-called SLAM technology (Simultaneously Localization and Mapping: performing self-location estimation and map creation simultaneously). In this specification, autonomous traveling using the SLAM technology is referred to as the SLAM traveling mode. As shown in Fig. 4, the obstacle detection unit 45 includes an obstacle sensor 46 and an obstacle processing unit 47, and a signal from the obstacle processing unit 47 is output to a SLAM travel control unit 48 in the CPU unit 36 ​​and stored in an obstacle memory unit 49 as necessary. The obstacle memory unit 49 in the CPU unit 36 ​​stores map data of the facility where the transport vehicle travels as map information. The operations of the obstacle processing unit 47 and the obstacle memory unit 49 are executed by a program stored in the CPU unit 36. As with the beacon memory unit 25a, the obstacle memory unit 49 can use a memory device in the CPU unit 36 ​​or an external memory device of the CPU unit 36.

[0035] The obstacle sensors 46, consisting of obstacle sensor 46a at the front of the main body 11 and obstacle sensor 46b at the rear of the main body 11, emit infrared light toward obstacles in front of and behind the travel path 2a (FIG. 1), detect the reflected waves, and measure the distance to the obstacle. Because obstacle sensor 46b is located at the rear of the main body 11, it can detect obstacles in front of the vehicle as well as the towed vehicle 120A (described later). This allows for nearly 360-degree detection of obstacles around the vehicle. The obstacle sensors 46 are obstacle sensors such as stereo cameras, LIDARs, and TOF (Time of Flight) cameras that are capable of map matching and can detect obstacles within a range of approximately 10 to 30 meters. LIDARs, also known as laser radars, are sensors that perform light detection and ranging (LIDAR) or laser imaging detection and ranging (LAS). Two-dimensional LIDARs and three-dimensional LIDARs are used. The TOF camera is a camera equipped with a distance measurement sensor that uses distance measurement technology, and the captured TOF image data 35b contains distance information to the subject for each pixel, which itself constitutes a three-dimensional image. The TOF camera may be a two-dimensional TOF camera or a three-dimensional TOF camera. For example, if a two-dimensional obstacle sensor capable of detecting obstacles up to a distance of 10 m is used, the transport vehicle can travel on flat indoor roads. Furthermore, if a three-dimensional obstacle sensor capable of detecting obstacles up to a distance of 30 m is used, the transport vehicle can travel indoors and / or outdoors.

[0036] The obstacle processing unit 47 receives an image signal 46c from the obstacle sensor 46, processes the image captured by this image signal 46c, detects the distance between the obstacle captured in the image capture screen and the moving vehicle 10, and outputs obstacle information 47a to the SLAM driving control unit 48. Specifically, the obstacle sensor 46 is composed of, for example, a laser scanner and a light receiving unit, and emits a laser beam using the laser scanner and collects the laser beam reflected by the wall surfaces inside a facility such as a logistics warehouse using the light receiving unit. The obstacle processing unit 47 calculates the current position and direction within the logistics warehouse and outputs the results to the SLAM driving control unit 48. The driving information 50 of the marker 40 includes information regarding the SLAM driving mode or the line tracing driving mode described below. When the marker control unit 33 detects control switching information to SLAM driving information 56 or line tracing driving information from the driving information of the marker 40, it generates control switching information and outputs it to the drive control unit 33. If the control switching information is SLAM driving information 56, the drive control unit 33 drives and controls the driving unit 12 based on the driving information 56 from the SLAM driving control unit 48, and the transport vehicle 10 drives autonomously along the driving path 2 specified by the map data.

[0037] Here, we will explain the operation of the transport vehicle 10 using various markers 40, i.e., markers 40-1 to 40-10. Markers 40-1, 2, and 3 are associated with low-speed, medium-speed, and high-speed straight-ahead travel, respectively, marker 40-4 is associated with a 90-degree left turn, marker 40-5 is associated with a 90-degree right turn, marker 40-6 is associated with a stop, marker 40-7 is associated with no entry, marker 40-8 is associated with a counterclockwise U-turn, marker 40-9 is associated with a clockwise U-turn, and marker 40-10 is associated with switching of the following mode. First, in the case of straight travel, as shown in Fig. 7, when the transporting vehicle 10 traveling ahead passes a marker 40 (marker 40-1, 40-2, or 40-3), the image processing unit 32 of the marker detection unit 30 detects the arrangement direction 32a and detection mark information 32b of the marker 40 from the captured image of the marker 40. The marker control unit 33 reads out the travel information 50 set for the marker 40 from the marker storage unit 34 based on the detection mark information 32b, and outputs the travel information 50a corrected for deviations in the travel direction and width direction relative to the travel path 2a to the drive control unit 13. The transporting vehicle 10 corrects deviations in the travel direction and width direction while slowly traveling within 2 m or approximately 3 to 10 m (settable) from the marker 40, and after the correction is complete, accelerates to the speed set in the travel information 50 and travels straight.

[0038] The slow-down distance can be set within the above range. In this case, if the speed instruction of the travel information 5 set in the marker 40 is the same, the cart does not need to slow down, and if the cart is traveling at a high speed, the cart may correct the deviation in the travel direction and width direction without slowing down. In this way, correcting the deviation in the travel direction and width direction without slowing down the cart can reduce errors caused by the cart being pushed by a towing object pushing from behind or by the cart slipping. If there is only a misalignment in the width direction relative to the running path 2a, the misalignment in the width direction is corrected as shown in Figure 7(A), and if there is a misalignment in both the running direction and the width direction relative to the running path 2a, both the misalignments in the running direction and the width direction are corrected as shown in Figure 7(B).

[0039] In addition to going straight as explained in FIG. 7, the traveling state of the transporting platform vehicle can be controlled by using markers 40 indicating left turn, right turn, stop, no entry, U-turn, etc. (see Patent Document 2).

[0040] (Beacon following) Next, in the case of switching to the beacon following mode, when the transporting vehicle 10 traveling forward passes a marker 40 (marker 40-10) as shown in FIG. 8, the image processing unit 32 of the marker detection unit 30 detects the arrangement direction 32a and detection mark information 32b of the marker 40 from the captured image of the marker 40. The marker control unit 33 reads out the travel information 50 set for the marker 40 from the detection mark information 32b, interrupts the autonomous travel of the marker 40, and hands over control of the drive control unit 13 to the beacon processing unit 25 of the beacon detection unit 20. Thereafter, the transporting vehicle 10 follows the beacon B detected by the beacon detection unit 20. The beacon B may be worn by an operator. When there is only a deviation in the width direction relative to the traveling path 2a, the deviation in the width direction is not corrected and the transport vehicle continues to follow the beacon B as shown in Fig. 8(A), and when there is a deviation in both the traveling direction and the width direction relative to the traveling path 2a, neither the deviation in the traveling direction nor the deviation in the width direction is corrected and the transport vehicle continues to follow the beacon B as shown in Fig. 8(B). By switching to such a following mode, the transport vehicle 10 can be guided by the beacon B to a position off the traveling path 2a midway along the traveling path 2a, where it becomes possible to load and unload cargo and the like placed on the platform 11a of the transport vehicle 10.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 9, when the beacon detection unit 20 detects identification light from beacon B (portable beacon) while the transporting vehicle 10 is autonomously traveling using the marker, the beacon processing unit 25 of the beacon detection unit 20 sends position information 24a of beacon B to the marker control unit 33 of the marker detection unit 30. The marker control unit 33 of the marker detection unit 30 creates travel information 50 to suspend the autonomous traveling using the marker 40, travel straight along the travel path 2a for a predetermined distance (e.g., 3 m) until the transporting vehicle 10 reaches the vicinity of beacon B and then stops, and sends the information to the drive control unit 13. In response to this, the drive control unit 13 drives and controls the travel unit 12, so that the transporting vehicle 10 travels straight along the travel path 2a for a predetermined distance until the transporting vehicle 10 reaches the vicinity of beacon B and then stops. At this time, no correction is made for deviation in the traveling direction or width direction, and the transporting vehicle 10 continues to travel straight regardless of whether there is no deviation in the traveling direction as shown in FIG. 9(A) or whether there is a deviation in the traveling direction as shown in FIG. 9(B). When the transport vehicle 10 resumes traveling, autonomous traveling by the marker control unit 33 is not performed while the beacon detection unit 20 is detecting the identification light from beacon B, and beacon tracking traveling is performed by the beacon processing unit 25 of the beacon detection unit 20. However, when the transport vehicle 10 no longer detects different light from beacon B, the transport vehicle 10 is positioned on the traveling path 2a, so the marker detection unit 30 can resume autonomous traveling by the marker.

[0042] When the emergency stop switch 19c provided on the transporting vehicle 10 is operated, an emergency stop signal 19d is input to the marker control unit 33 of the marker detection unit 30. Based on the emergency stop signal 19d, the marker control unit 33 interrupts the autonomous traveling based on the traveling information 50a, generates emergency stop traveling information 50, and sends it to the drive control unit 13. In response to this, the drive control unit 13 immediately controls the driving of the traveling unit 12 based on the emergency stop traveling information 50, and brings the traveling of the transporting vehicle 10 to an emergency stop.

[0043] The marker control unit 33 of the marker detection unit 30 controls the drive control unit 13 based on the marker travel information 50a. The marker control unit 33 operates as follows in accordance with the autonomous travel mode flowchart shown in FIG. 10. In the autonomous travel mode, first, in step ST1, the marker detection unit 30 searches for the first marker after autonomous travel has started and detects marker 40. Depending on the type of travel information 50 associated with the marker 40 detected in step ST1, the marker detection unit 30 determines whether the travel is "straight ahead," "turn left," "turn right," "stop," "U-turn," "no entry," "switch to follow mode," neutral mode, line tracing travel mode, SLAM travel mode, automatic connection to a towed vehicle (described later), or automatic detachment from a towed vehicle (described later).

[0044] In the case of "forward travel," the marker control unit 33 creates straight-line travel information 50a in step ST2, as shown in FIG. 7, corrects deviations in the travel direction and width direction in step ST3, and then causes the drive control unit 13 to drive and control the travel unit 12 to move the transporting vehicle 10 forward in step ST4, and returns to step ST1. In the case of "left turn" and "right turn," the marker control unit 33 creates travel information 50a for left or right turn in steps ST5 and ST6, respectively, and causes the transporting vehicle 10 to turn left or right, and then causes the drive control unit 13 to drive and control the travel unit 12 to move the transporting vehicle 10 forward in step ST4, and returns to step ST1. In the case of "stop," the marker control unit 33 creates stop travel information 50a in step ST7, corrects deviations in the travel direction and width direction in step ST8, waits for the operator's operation to resume autonomous travel in step ST9, and then causes the drive control unit 13 to drive and control the travel unit 12 to move the transporting vehicle 10 forward in step ST4, and returns to step ST1. In the case of a "U-turn," the marker control unit 33 creates U-turn travel information 50a in step ST10 and performs a U-turn. Then, in step ST11, the marker control unit 33 corrects the deviation in the travel direction and the deviation in the width direction. In step ST4, the drive control unit 13 drives and controls the travel unit 12 to move the transporting vehicle 10 forward, and the process returns to step ST1. In the case of a "no entry," the marker control unit 33 immediately stops the transporting vehicle 10 without correcting the deviation in the travel direction or the width direction in step ST12. In this case, the marker control unit 33 ends the autonomous travel of the marker in step ST13 and waits for an operation by the operator. During this time, the marker control unit 33 stops the autonomous travel and switches to neutral mode as shown in step ST14. In the case of a "following mode switching," the marker control unit 33 interrupts the autonomous travel of the marker in step ST15 as shown in FIG. 8, and switches to following mode in step ST16.

[0045] A specific example of using the travel mode using the markers 40 of the travel system 1 for the above-mentioned transport vehicle will be described with reference to Fig. 11. Within a travel area where the transport vehicle 10 should travel, such as a warehouse, a travel path 2a is set as shown by the dotted line, and markers 40 are placed at appropriate locations 61 to 72 to guide the transport vehicle 10 along this travel path 2a. The markers 40 at positions 61 and 69 are set with travel information for stopping, the markers 40 at positions 62, 63, 65, 71, and 72 are set with travel information for going straight, the markers 40 at positions 64, 66, 68, and 70 are set with travel information for a left turn (a 90-degree left turn), and the marker 40 at position 67 is set with travel information for a right turn (a 90-degree right turn).

[0046] In such a travel area, when the transport vehicle 10 stopped at position 61 starts autonomous travel using the markers, it travels straight at positions 62 and 63, turns left at position 64, travels straight at position 65, turns left at position 66, turns right at position 67, turns left again at position 68, and stops at position 69. At each position (61 to 69) on the travel path of the transport vehicle 10 shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 11, deviations in the travel direction and, in the case of travelling straight, deviations in the width direction are corrected, so that the transport vehicle 10 travels autonomously along the travel path 2a reliably. Each marker 40 is installed on the floor of the travel area by adhesive or the like, and when the travel path 2a is to be changed, the existing marker 40 can be easily removed, and the travel path 2a can be easily changed by installing a new appropriate marker 40 at a predetermined position.

[0047] (Switching driving modes) Next, switching from a traveling mode using the marker 40 to another traveling mode that does not use the marker 40 will be described. Fig. 12 is a schematic diagram illustrating switching of travel modes. The transport vehicle 10 can perform a combination of switching from a travel mode using markers 40 to a travel mode using line tracing (see A in Fig. 12), switching from a travel mode using line tracing to a travel mode using SLAM (see B in Fig. 12), switching from a travel mode using SLAM to a travel mode using line tracing (see C in Fig. 12), switching from a travel mode using line tracing to a travel mode using markers 40 (see D in Fig. 12), switching from a travel mode using markers 40 to a travel mode using SLAM (see E in Fig. 12), switching from a travel mode using SLAM to a travel mode using markers 40 (see F in Fig. 12), etc.

[0048] (Switching from marker-based driving mode to line-tracing driving mode) As shown in A in Fig. 12, switching from the marker 40 travel mode to the line tracing travel mode is performed by the transport vehicle 10 by reading the meaning of the change in travel mode of the marker 40. Travel in the line tracing area is performed by the marker detection unit 30 and the marker control unit 33, similar to the marker 40 travel mode. Line tracing can be performed using conventional white lines for line tracing attached to the floor of a facility or the like, or using the marker 40. The white lines for line tracing can be made of white resin or paper tape, magnetic tape, or the like.

[0049] When markers 40 are used as white lines for line tracing, one or more marks 41 are lined up in the direction of travel, and the transport vehicle 10 travels while correcting lateral deviation so that the marks 41 do not deviate from the horizontal recognition range, for example, 25 cm, defined by the camera's viewing angle. At this time, the horizontal deviation and tilt angle of the marks 41 recognized by the camera 31 are used as travel direction correction values ​​for the transport vehicle 10. In this case, the operation is as follows according to the flowchart of the autonomous driving mode shown in FIG. 10. In the line tracing driving mode, in step ST20, the marker detection unit 30 detects the marker 40l, and the marker detection unit 30 determines the "line tracing driving mode" based on the type of driving information 50 associated with the marker 40l detected in step ST20. In the "line tracing driving mode," the marker control unit 33 creates driving information 50a for the line tracing driving mode and causes the drive control unit 13 to drive and control the traveling unit 12 to move the transporting vehicle 10 forward. When the marker 40 indicating the end of the line tracing driving mode is detected, the process proceeds to step ST4, where the drive control unit 13 drives and controls the traveling unit 12 to move the transporting vehicle 10 forward, and the process returns to step ST1. In this way, when the control switching information indicates line tracing driving information, the marker detection unit 30 reads out the markers 40 for line tracing arranged in the straight direction of the traveling path 2. Next, the marker control unit 33 generates corrected driving information 50a to correct lateral and angular deviations of the moving vehicle based on the line tracing driving information detected by the marker detection unit 30 and outputs it to the drive control unit 13.The drive control unit 13 then controls the driving of the driving unit 12 based on the corrected driving information 55a from the marker control unit 33, and the transport vehicle 10 autonomously drives along the driving path 2 specified by the marker 40.

[0050] The line tracing driving mode allows the robot to travel accurately through narrow passages where travel would be halted in the travel mode using markers 40. Furthermore, the line tracing driving mode is effective on travel paths 2 where it is difficult to use the SLAM travel mode described below. Examples of such travel paths 2 include areas where there are no obstacles that can be used for SLAM travel and where accurate travel is desired, large warehouses with few fixed obstacles such as walls within the sensor detection range, truck berths, for example, areas where trucks are parked alongside warehouses, and areas where goods are constantly flowing.

[0051] (Switching from line tracing driving mode to SLAM driving mode) As shown in B of FIG. 12, the transfer vehicle 10 switches from the line tracing travel mode to the SLAM travel mode by reading the meaning of the travel mode change from the marker 40. In this case, the transfer vehicle 10 operates as follows according to the flowchart of the autonomous travel mode shown in FIG. 10. In the line tracing travel mode, the marker detection unit 30 detects a marker 40s in step ST20, and the marker detection unit 30 determines the "SLAM travel mode" based on the type of travel information 50 associated with the marker 40s detected in step ST21. To define the "SLAM travel mode," the travel information 50 attached to the marker 40s may be assigned an identification number indicating the type of map data used in the SLAM travel mode and the start and end positions of the SLAM travel mode. Unlike the marker 40 travel mode, travel in the SLAM travel mode is performed by the obstacle detection unit 45 and the SLAM travel control unit 48. Here, the obstacle memory unit 49 stores map data within the facility and also registers the SLAM travel path 12s shown in B of FIG. 12. Furthermore, the SLAM driving control unit 48 is updated whenever the location of the SLAM driving path 2s is changed, such as when a new path is established or abolished, and always has the latest map data.

[0052] The SLAM travel control unit 48 generates SLAM travel information 56 based on the map information 55 from the obstacle processing unit 47 and outputs it to the drive control unit 13. The drive control unit 13 drives and controls the travel unit 12 based on this SLAM travel information 56. Therefore, the transporting vehicle 10 moves and travels as specified by the map information 55 from the obstacle processing unit 47 in accordance with the SLAM travel information 56. When an obstacle signal 47c is input from the obstacle processing unit 47, the SLAM travel control unit 48 determines that an obstacle has been detected in the traveling direction of the transporting vehicle 10, generates an emergency stop signal 48a, and outputs it to the drive control unit 13 of the transporting vehicle 10. The drive control unit 13 drives and controls the travel unit 12 based on this emergency stop signal 48a to stop driving the motor 16 or perform an avoidance operation.

[0053] The SLAM driving control unit 48 receives wheel rotation speed information 15b from wheel rotation sensors 15a provided on each wheel 15 of the transport vehicle 10 and detection signals 18a from the inertial measurement unit 18, calculates the travel distance of the transport vehicle 10 based on this wheel rotation speed information 15b, detects slippage of the wheels 15 based on the detection signals 18a of the inertial measurement unit 18, corrects the travel distance, modifies the SLAM driving information 56 based on the corrected travel distance, and outputs the corrected SLAM driving information 56 to the drive control unit 13.

[0054] Furthermore, when the SLAM travel control unit 48 receives position information 24a of beacon B from the beacon processing unit 25 of the beacon detection unit 20 during the SLAM travel mode, it interrupts the autonomous travel by SLAM, hands over control of the drive control unit 13 to the beacon processing unit 25 of the beacon detection unit 20, and creates travel information 25b in such a way that the beacon processing unit 25 travels straight along the travel path 2a for a predetermined distance, for example, 3 m, until it reaches the vicinity of the beacon and then stops, and sends this information to the drive control unit 13. Note that when a marker 40 indicating the end of the SLAM travel mode is detected, the process proceeds to step ST4, where the drive control unit 13 drives and controls the travel unit 12 to move the transport vehicle 10 forward, and the process returns to step ST1.

[0055] In the SLAM driving mode, the transport vehicle 10 recognizes its own position by comparing map data of the facility created in advance by the obstacle sensor 47 with measurement data from the wheel rotation sensor 15a and the inertial measurement unit 18 during autonomous driving, and at the same time, calculates a route to the target point from the map data created in advance, and allows the transport vehicle 10 to autonomously drive to the target point. At this time, the SLAM driving control unit 48 stops or takes avoidance action to avoid contact with obstacles, people, other transport vehicles 10, forklifts, etc. on the travel path 2 while traveling, based on detection signals from the obstacle sensor 47 and the bumper sensor 38c. In other words, the transport vehicle travels along the travel path 2 by decelerating, stopping, or making detours as appropriate.

[0056] The SLAM driving mode allows the vehicle to travel based on pre-acquired map data and the actual position without using markers 40 or line tracing, and allows the vehicle to travel along curved paths, move forward and backward, or perform any other desired driving pattern.

[0057] (Switching from driving mode to line tracing mode using SLAM) As shown in Fig. 12C, the transfer vehicle 10 switches from the SLAM-based travel mode to the line tracing-based travel mode by reading the meaning of the travel mode change indicated by the marker 40l. The line tracing and SLAM-based travel modes are switched in the same manner as described in Fig. 12B.

[0058] (Switching from line tracing driving mode to marker 40 driving mode) 12, switching from the line tracing traveling mode to the marker 40 traveling mode is performed by the transporting vehicle 10 reading the meaning of the change in traveling mode of the marker 40. The line tracing traveling mode and the marker 40 traveling mode are performed by the marker detection unit 30 and the marker control unit 33, similar to the traveling modes described above.

[0059] (Switching from Marker 40 driving mode to SLAM driving mode) 12, the transport vehicle 10 switches from the marker 40-based travel mode to the SLAM-based travel mode by reading the meaning of the change in travel mode of the marker 40s. The SLAM-based travel mode is controlled by the obstacle processing unit 47 and the SLAM travel control unit 48, similar to the above-mentioned travel modes.

[0060] (Switching from SLAM-based driving mode to marker-based driving mode) As shown by F in Fig. 12, the transfer vehicle 10 switches from the SLAM-based travel mode to the marker 40-based travel mode by reading the meaning of the travel mode change of the marker 40m. The marker 40-based travel mode is performed in the same manner as the travel mode described above.

[0061] The travel mode using markers 40 simplifies route setting compared to the line tracing travel mode and the SLAM travel mode, and is suitable for transporting a wide variety of large quantities of transported goods.

[0062] (Second embodiment) Next, a mobile vehicle traveling system 5 according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 13. This mobile vehicle traveling system 5 differs from the traveling system 1 according to the first embodiment shown in Fig. 1 in that it further includes a network 80 connected to the transporting vehicle 10, and an external operation control unit 90 for the transporting vehicle 10 connected to the network 80. The transporting vehicle 10 has the same configuration as the mobile vehicle traveling system 1 according to the first embodiment, except that the CPU unit 36 ​​includes a communication unit including a transceiver connected to the network 80.

[0063] The network 80 may have any configuration, and may be a dedicated line network or a public line network such as 3G, LTE, or the Internet. The network 80 may be wired or wireless. Examples of the wired network 80 include LAN (Ethernet (registered trademark)), RS232C, and an in-vehicle network such as CAN (Controlled Area Network). The wireless network 80 may be a so-called wireless LAN. WiFi (registered trademark) and Bluetooth (registered trademark) are applicable as wireless LANs. The network 80 may be configured using electronic components such as transistors and relays capable of transmitting electrical signals as communication and input / output functions provided by the communication unit of the CPU unit 36, as well as transmission cables. The transport vehicle 10 and the external operation control unit 90 are connected to each other via the network 80. Various signals can be transmitted and received between them as necessary.

[0064] The external operation control unit 90 is configured by, for example, a tablet and a program stored in the tablet, but a control device such as a PLC (programmable logic controller), a sequencer, a remote control, etc. In this specification, a tablet storing a program for controlling the transport vehicle 10 is used.

[0065] According to the second embodiment, the external driving control unit 90 may control the transporting vehicle 10 via the network 80 as necessary. For example, the travel path 2a of the transporting vehicle 10 may be changed arbitrarily by a tablet serving as the external driving control unit 90. The travel information of the marker 40 may be changed by the external driving control unit 90. The external driving control unit 90 can arbitrarily change the travel path 2a of the mobile vehicle 10 by changing the travel information of the marker 40 via the network 80 as necessary as described below.

[0066] Furthermore, according to the mobile vehicle traveling systems 1 and 5 of the present invention, it is possible to provide an extremely excellent mobile vehicle traveling system that can easily set routes and can travel autonomously in a marker mode that is suitable for transporting a wide variety of items in large quantities, and can switch, as necessary, to a line tracing mode that can travel accurately in narrow passages, passages with few obstacles where it is difficult to use a SLAM traveling mode, or passages where the map data is constantly changing, and can travel based on previously acquired map data and the actual position, and can travel on a curved trajectory, move forward and backward, etc.

[0067] (Third embodiment) Next, a mobile vehicle travel system 100 according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 14 and 15. In the third embodiment, the mobile vehicle is composed of a towed platform 120 and a transport platform 110 that tows the towed platform. These vehicles are configured so that they can be coupled and uncoupled to each other using a coupling mechanism. The coupling mechanism on the transport platform 110, which serves as the mobile vehicle, includes a coupler 132 provided at the rear end of the transport platform 110, a coupler 134 provided at the front end of the towed platform 120, and a coupling member 130 that connects these, and the transport platform 110 leads the way by towing the towed platform 120. The towed platform 120 may be a basket platform (roll box pallet), a six-wheel platform (slim cart), or a platform capable of transporting pallets. In the coupling mechanism on the transporting platform 110 side, when the coupler 132 is movably attached to the coupling member 130, the coupler 134 on the towed platform 120 side is fixedly attached. Conversely, when the coupler 132 on the transporting platform 110 side is fixedly attached, the other coupler 134 can be movably attached. The load capacity of the towed platform 120 can be set to 100 kg to 300 kg. By appropriately selecting each motor 16, the load capacity of the towed platform 120 can be further increased, for example to 600 kg.

[0068] (Marker variant 1) The mobile vehicle 110 can use markers 40 indicating straight ahead, U-turn, left turn, right turn, stop, no entry, follow mode, neutral mode, line tracing driving mode, and SLAM driving mode, just like the mobile vehicle 10, but can also use markers 40 for autonomous driving on a trajectory that draws an arc (R), as shown in FIG. 14. Autonomous driving on a trajectory that draws an arc is called an arc-shaped left turn and an arc-shaped right turn, respectively, to distinguish it from a right-angle left turn and a right-angle turn. As a seventh variation of the marker, a marker 40 indicating a turn will be described. As shown in Figure 16, when the transport vehicle 110 towing the towed vehicle 120 makes an arc-shaped left turn, when the transport vehicle 110 passes a marker 40 (marker 40-12), the image processing unit 32 of the marker detection unit 30 detects the arrangement direction 32a and detection mark information 32b of the marker 40 from the image capture screen of the marker 40. The transport vehicle 110 first moves straight using the marker 40-12, and the position of the transport vehicle 110 is corrected so that it is located in the center of the track 2a after moving straight for 2 m, for example. Next, the turning radius R and the turning angle are set. For example, they can be freely set to move straight for 2 m and then turn 60° at a radius of 3 m (see trajectory A in Figure 16), or move straight for 2 m and then turn 90° at a radius of 5 m (see trajectory B in Figure 16), etc.

[0069] The marker control unit 33 reads out the travel information 50 relating to the straight-line distance, turning radius R, and turning angle set for the marker 40 from the detection mark information 32b, and outputs the travel information 50a corrected for deviation of the travel direction relative to the travel path 2a to the drive control unit 13. As a result, the transporting vehicle 110 travels straight from the marker 40-12 to a predetermined position, stops once, and then turns in a trajectory that draws an arc to the left. That is, the mobile vehicle 110 first travels straight in the same way as the straight-line markers (markers 40-1 to 40-3 in FIG. 7), and then makes an arc-like left turn according to the turning radius R and turning angle indicated by the marker 40-12. In this case, corrections are made for deviation in the width direction while traveling straight. As a result, the transporting vehicle 110 can smoothly turn in an arc-like left turn while towing the towed vehicle 120. In the case of an arc-like right turn, the operation is reversed with respect to the left and right sides compared to the above-mentioned arc-like left turn, and therefore detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0070] (Marker variant 2) The marker 40 may combine two or more functions, such as stopping at a predetermined distance when traveling in a specific direction, or traveling straight for a predetermined distance and then turning. That is, in addition to any of the above-mentioned traveling straight, U-turn, left turn, right turn, stop, arcing left turn, and arcing right turn, the marker 40 may be set with travel information that combines one or more of these. For example, it can be set to stop 5 meters ahead, arcing right turn 3 meters ahead, or arcing right turn, etc.

[0071] (Modification 1 of the third embodiment) A mobile vehicle travel system 100A according to a first modified example of the third embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 17 and 18. The transporting platform 110A is equipped with a coupler 142 that can be automatically attached and detached as a coupling mechanism for the towed platform 120A. The coupler 142 of the transporting platform 110A is equipped with an automatic coupling member 144 that has a mechanism that allows it to move up and down. The automatic coupling member 144 is driven by a solenoid or motor disposed within the coupler 142, and moves a pin 144a of the automatic coupling member 144 up and down. The towed platform 120A is equipped with a towed platform-side coupler 154 that is detachable from the coupler 142 of the transporting platform 110A. The towed platform-side coupler 154 has an insertion hole into which the pin 144a of the automatic coupling member 144 is inserted.

[0072] (Automatic connection between transport vehicle 110A and towed vehicle 120A) The automatic connection between the transport vehicle 110A and the towed vehicle 120A will be described. For example, on the warehouse travel path 2a, a marker 40 called marker D is installed at a location where the transport vehicle 110A and the towed vehicle 120A should automatically connect. Marker D is defined as the location where the transport vehicle 110A and the towed vehicle 120A will automatically connect, and is stored in the marker storage unit 34. The automatic connection between the transport vehicle 110A and the towed vehicle 120A is associated with the travel information 50. Upon detecting marker D, the marker control unit 33 controls the CPU unit 36 ​​to stop at the location of marker D and perform automatic connection using the automatic coupling member 144. In response to this, the CPU unit 36 ​​controls the solenoid to move the pin portion 144a of the automatic coupling member 144 upward, and the pin portion 144a is inserted into the hole of the coupler 154 on the towed vehicle side. An external operation control unit 90 connected to the network 80 may send a signal to the CPU unit 36 ​​of the transporting vehicle 110A to "connect to the towed vehicle 120A." If a PLC is used as the external operation control unit 90, the PLC can control the automatic connection between the towed vehicle 120A and the towed vehicle 120A. The network 80 connecting the PLC and the CPU unit 36 ​​may be configured using a switch or communication unit connected to the CPU unit 36.

[0073] (Automatic detachment of the transport vehicle 110A and the towed vehicle 120A) For example, on the warehouse travel path 2a, when the transport vehicle 110A and the towed vehicle 120A are to be disconnected, a marker E is placed as a marker 40 at a location where the transport vehicle 110A will be separated from the towed vehicle 120A. Marker E is defined as the location where the transport vehicle 110A will be separated from the towed vehicle 120A and is stored in the marker storage unit 34. The separation of the transport vehicle 110A from the towed vehicle 120A is associated with the travel information 50. Upon detecting marker E, the marker control unit 33 controls the CPU unit 36 ​​to stop at the location of marker E and then perform automatic separation using the automatic coupling member 144. In response to this, the CPU unit 36 ​​controls a solenoid to move the pin portion 144a of the automatic coupling member 144 downward, automatically separating the pin portion 144a from the coupler 154 on the towed vehicle side. In addition, similar to the automatic connection between the transporting cart 110A and the towed cart 120A, the external operation control unit 90 connected to the network 80 may send a signal to the CPU unit 36 ​​of the transporting cart 110A to "detach from the towed cart 120A," thereby causing the towed cart 120A to detach.

[0074] When connecting the transporting vehicle 110A to the towed vehicle 120A, the marker 40 may be set to indicate a reverse motion, and the transporting vehicle 110A may be moved backward to align the coupler 142 with the coupler 154 on the towed vehicle side. This alignment may be performed by the CPU unit 36. Alternatively, the alignment may be performed by an operator operating the handle of the transporting vehicle 110A. Alternatively, the alignment may be performed using a switch connected to the external operation control unit 90 using a PLC or a communication function. In this way, if travel information is set in advance to automatically connect to or disconnect from marker D or marker E, the transporting vehicle 110A will be stopped at marker D or marker E by the CPU unit 36, and then the solenoid will be controlled to automatically connect to or disconnect from the automatic coupling member 144.

[0075] As shown in FIGS. 18 and 19, the transporting vehicle 110A may further include a distance sensor 153 as necessary. Otherwise, the transporting vehicle 110A is configured similarly to the transporting vehicle 10 (see FIG. 4). While the obstacle sensors 46a and 46b primarily detect obstacles ahead and behind, the distance sensor 153 detects obstacles over a longer distance, including diagonal directions to the left and right, when towing a towed vehicle 120A that is wider than the transporting vehicle 110A. The distance may be set to approximately 5 m, for example, 5 to 10 m. The distance sensor 153 is preferably a distance sensor known as a two-dimensional laser range finder (2DLRF) or a distance sensor that measures distance by image recognition using a camera such as a stereo camera. When towing a wide towed vehicle 120A, the distance sensor 153 can detect obstacles ahead in the direction of travel in advance, allowing the transporting vehicle 110A to stop before a collision occurs or avoid a collision. Since 2DLRF can measure distances on the order of millimeters, it can measure the distance to obstacles around the transport vehicle 110A locally with high precision and density, thereby enabling earlier stopping operations for obstacles and quicker obstacle avoidance operations.The towed vehicle 120A carrying a heavy load takes extra time to brake after detecting an obstacle and stop, so the safety of the stopping operation is improved.

[0076] (Modification 2 of the third embodiment) 20(A) and 20(B), in the traveling system 100B of the third embodiment, a coupling mechanism by which the transporting vehicle 110B tows the towed vehicle 120B is provided on the transporting vehicle 110B side, including an operation unit 119, a pulling member 170 for connecting to a pin 160 of the towed vehicle 120B (described later), a restraining member 172, a link mechanism 174 connected to the pulling member 172, and a solenoid 176 for driving the link mechanism 174, but no handle 111b. The pulling member 170 has a hole 172a into which the pin 160 is inserted when coupling the towed vehicle 120B. The restraining member 172 is a spring-like member that prevents the pin 160 from coming off when the pin 160 is inserted into a hole 172a of the pulling member 170. In this embodiment, the transporting vehicle 110B is configured to tow and guide the towed vehicle 120B while sliding under the towed vehicle 120B. The operating unit 119 is disposed substantially below a position horizontal to the loading surface of the main body 111 so that the transporting vehicle 110B does not get in the way of sliding under the towed vehicle 120B. The connecting mechanism on the towed vehicle 120B side includes a pin 160 that protrudes downward from the bottom of the main body 122, and a pair of guides 162 provided on both the left and right sides that allow the transporting vehicle 110B to slide under the towed vehicle 120A and hold it. The spacing Wg between the guides 162 is formed to be substantially the same as or slightly wider than the width of the transporting vehicle 110B, and is set to a width that allows the towed vehicle 120B to slide under and hold it.

[0077] (Automatic connection between the transport vehicle 110B and the towed vehicle 120B) As shown in Figures 21(A) and (B), the towed vehicle 120B has a coupling mechanism on the lower side of the main body 111, which includes the pair of guides 162 and a pin 160 that protrudes downward. The transporting vehicle 110B slides under the towed vehicle 120B and moves straight along the guides 162, thereby inserting the pin 160 of the towed vehicle 120B into the hole 170a of the towing member 170 of the transporting vehicle 110B, thereby coupling the two vehicles together. To specifically explain the coupling operation by the coupling mechanism, first, as the transporting vehicle 110B moves in the direction of the arrow as shown in Figure 22(A), the restraining member 172 of the transporting vehicle 110B approaches the pin 160 of the towed vehicle 120B. As the towed vehicle 120B advances further, the pin 160 of the towed vehicle 120B presses down against the spring force of the restraining member 172, which is elastically held in a predetermined position by a spring 164, and the pin 160 enters the hole 170a of the pulling member 170 of the transporting vehicle 110B, as shown in Figure 22(B). When the pin 160 advances to the end of the hole 170a, the restraining member 172 separates from the pin 160 of the towed vehicle 120B and is returned to a predetermined position by the spring 154, as shown in Figure 22(C). As a result, the pulling member 170 is caught horizontally on the pin 160, and the pin 160 is inserted into the hole 170a of the pulling member, connecting the towed vehicle 120B to the transporting vehicle 110B.

[0078] (Automatic detachment of the transport vehicle 110B from the towed vehicle 120B) To release the connection by the connection mechanism shown in FIG. 22(C), as shown in FIG. 22(D), the solenoid 176 arranged at the bottom of the main body of the transporting vehicle 110B is driven to attract the link mechanism 174, thereby pulling the traction member 170 downward (arrow C) from the pin 160. This releases the horizontal connection of the pin 160 of the towed vehicle 120B from the hole 170a of the traction member 170 of the transporting vehicle 110B. In this state, when the transporting vehicle 110B moves forward, it separates from the towed vehicle 120B. The solenoid 176 stops after a sufficient time has passed since the transporting vehicle 110B has been sufficiently separated from the pin 160, and the traction member 170 of the transporting vehicle 110B returns to its predetermined position by the force of the spring 164. Since the transporting vehicle 110B slides under the towed vehicle 120B and couples it to the towed vehicle 120B, the towed vehicle 120B can move in the same way as the moving vehicle 100A alone, and when the towed vehicle is connected to the rear of the transporting vehicle, the towed vehicle can turn on the spot. Also, since the transporting vehicle 110B and the towed vehicle 120B move in a stacked state, the overall length is shortened and work efficiency is improved.

[0079] Here, in the SLAM traveling mode, the towed vehicle 120B is not registered in the map data and is determined to be an obstacle by the obstacle detection unit 45. A method for resolving this issue and automatically connecting and disconnecting the transport vehicle 110B and the towed vehicle 120B even in the SLAM traveling mode will be described. When the transporting vehicle 110B detects a marker 40 with travel information indicating automatic connection with the towed vehicle 120B during the SLAM travel mode, the transporting vehicle 110B automatically connects to, i.e., attaches to, the towed vehicle 120B. The travel information 50 attached to the marker 40 may be assigned an identification number indicating the type of the transporting vehicle 110B and the start and end positions of the automatic connection to signify "automatic connection with the transporting vehicle 110B." In this case, the obstacle processing unit 47 travels to a position where the coupling mechanism 142 on the moving vehicle side of the transporting vehicle 110B can automatically connect with the coupling mechanism 154 on the transporting vehicle 110B based on the shape of the main body of the transporting vehicle 110B, for example, the shape including the wheels, which is stored in advance in the obstacle storage unit 49, and automatically connects. Whether or not automatic connection has been achieved may be determined by the CPU section 36 detecting, by means of a switch or the like, that the pin 160 has been inserted into the hole 170a of the traction member of the transporting platform 110B, and determining whether or not this detection signal is present.

[0080] Here, after the automatic connection between the transporting vehicle 110B and the towed vehicle 120B is completed, the transporting vehicle 110B stops or moves forward to search for the next marker 40. For example, as shown in ST22 of the flowchart of the autonomous traveling mode in FIG. 10, in the case of "automatic connection with the towed vehicle," the marker control unit 33 creates traveling information 50a related to automatic connection with the towed vehicle, and causes the drive control unit 13 to drive and control the traveling unit 12 to move the transporting vehicle 120B forward. Then, when the CPU unit 36 ​​detects with a switch (not shown) that the pin 160 is inserted into the hole 170a of the towing member of the transporting vehicle 110B, it determines that automatic connection has been made and proceeds to step ST4, where the drive control unit 13 drives and controls the traveling unit 12 to move the transporting vehicle 12 forward, and then returns to step ST1.

[0081] Next, automatic detachment between the transporting vehicle 110B and the towed vehicle 120B will be described. When the transporting vehicle 110B detects a marker 40 indicating automatic detachment between the transporting vehicle 110B and the towed vehicle 120B during the SLAM travel mode, the solenoid 176 is driven to attract the link mechanism 174, thereby pulling the towing member 170 downward (arrow C in FIG. 22 ) from the pin 160. This releases the horizontal connection of the pin 160 of the towed vehicle 120B from the hole 170a of the towing member 170 of the transporting vehicle 110B, and automatic detachment from the towed vehicle 120B is performed. The travel information 50 attached to the marker 40 may be attached with an identification number indicating the type of transporting vehicle 110B and the start position of automatic detachment, in order to signify "automatic detachment from the transporting vehicle 110B." In this case, whether automatic detachment has occurred or not may be determined by the CPU unit 36 ​​detecting, by a switch or the like, that the pin 160 is not inserted into the hole 170a of the towing member of the transport cart 110B, and determining that automatic detachment has occurred based on the detection signal from this switch.

[0082] Here, after automatic detachment of the transporting vehicle 110B from the towed vehicle 120B is completed, the transporting vehicle 110B stops or moves forward to search for the next marker 40. For example, as shown in ST23 of the flowchart of the autonomous traveling mode shown in Fig. 10, in the case of "automatic detachment from the towed vehicle", when the CPU unit 36 ​​detects that the pin 160 is not inserted into the hole 170a of the towing member of the transporting vehicle 110B, it determines that automatic detachment has been performed and proceeds to step ST4, where the drive control unit 13 drives and controls the traveling unit 12 to move the transporting vehicle 10 forward, and then returns to step ST1.

[0083] We have explained the method for automatically connecting and disconnecting the transport vehicle 110B and the towed vehicle 120B in the SLAM driving mode, but this can also be done in the line tracing driving mode in the same way as in the SLAM driving mode.

[0084] (Fourth embodiment) Next, a traveling system for a mobile vehicle according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the traveling system for the transporting vehicle according to the fourth embodiment, the transporting vehicle 100C further has an autonomous traveling function using VSLAM (Vision Simultaneously Localization and Mapping: estimating the self-position using an image and creating a map simultaneously). By providing the VSLAM function, the transporting vehicle can travel autonomously in a virtual marker traveling mode that combines a traveling mode using a marker and a traveling mode using VSLAM. FIG. 23 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of the platform vehicle 100C, and FIG. 24 is a schematic perspective view of the platform vehicle 100C shown in FIG. 23, and FIG. 24 is a bottom view of the platform vehicle 100C shown in FIG. This transporting vehicle 100C differs from the transporting vehicle 10 shown in FIG. 4 in that it is equipped with a stereo camera 46d and a VSLAM control unit 45A connected to the stereo camera 46d. The stereo camera 46d is provided at the front of the main body 11 as shown in FIG. 24(A), and captures images of the front and the markers 40 to acquire position information. The field of view of the stereo camera 46d is approximately 120 to 140 degrees in the horizontal direction ahead, and by setting the elevation angle to approximately 20 to 45 degrees and the front elevation angle range to approximately 40 to 90 degrees, it is possible to acquire a three-dimensional image of the front. The other configuration is the same as the block diagram of the transporting vehicle 10 shown in FIG. 4, so a description thereof will be omitted.

[0085] The VSLAM control unit 45A includes an image processing unit 47A that extracts feature amounts and position information of luggage, doors, pallets, windows, walls, ceilings, etc. in a warehouse located in front of the transport vehicle 110C from image signals from the stereo camera 46d, a virtual marker generation unit 48B that generates virtual marker information from detected markers 40 (described later), and a virtual marker storage unit 49A that stores a map generated from the image processing unit 47A and the virtual marker information. As shown in FIG. 24(B), the VSLAM control unit 45A is disposed, for example, between the drive control units 13, 13 that are disposed on the underside of the main body unit 11.

[0086] (Virtual marker driving mode) The virtual marker driving mode is a mode in which, after driving a driving path on which markers 40 are placed within a facility a predetermined number of times in marker mode, the VSLAM control unit 45A creates a map of the driving path and estimates the vehicle's own position, and the acquired virtual marker information is sent from the VSLAM control unit 45A to the CPU unit 36, which then controls the drive of the driving unit 12 via the drive control unit 13 to cause the transport vehicle 100C to drive autonomously. That is, the VSLAM control unit 45A makes the carriage 110C travel on the travel path 2a in the marker mode a predetermined number of times, and the marker control unit 33 Driving information and location information The stereo camera 46d acquires the position coordinates of the marker 40, and the marker control unit 33 acquires the position coordinates of the marker 40. Driving information and location information and the position coordinates of the markers acquired by the stereo camera 46d are linked to create virtual marker information for the traveling path 2a, and the virtual marker information is stored as a virtual marker map in the virtual marker storage unit 49A of the VSLAM control unit 45A, and the virtual marker information is sent to the CPU unit 36. The CPU unit 36 ​​sends the virtual marker information to the drive control unit 13 as travel information and / or corrected travel information, and causes the transporting vehicle 100C to travel autonomously in the virtual marker travel mode. Specifically, the virtual marker generation unit 48B creates virtual marker information for the traveling path 2a from map creation and estimation of the transporting vehicle's own position, and sends this virtual marker information to the CPU unit 36 ​​as virtual marker travel mode information 57.

[0087] Fig. 25 shows a driving route along which the vehicle travels in the virtual marker driving mode, Fig. 26 is a diagram for explaining map creation in the virtual marker driving mode by the stereo camera 46d and the VSLAM control unit 45A when driving with markers 40, Fig. 27 is a flow diagram for explaining the map creation mode and virtual marker generation mode of the virtual marker driving mode, and Fig. 28 is a diagram for explaining virtual marker information in the virtual marker driving mode. As shown in Fig. 25, markers 40 for going straight, turning left, turning right, stopping, etc., as described in the first embodiment, are arranged on the driving route.

[0088] As shown in FIG. 26, the stereo camera 46d acquires position information of markers for map matching, and the camera 31 acquires detected mark information of markers 40 affixed to the floor. The markers 40 have 10 marks in a row. The stereo camera 46d is installed facing the traveling direction of the transporting vehicle 100C (see FIG. 24(A)), and the camera 31 is installed facing downward toward the transporting vehicle 100C (see FIG. 6). The camera 31 may be a visible light camera or an infrared camera. The virtual marker information is information (see formula (3)) that links the position information (see formula (1)) of each mark acquired by the stereo camera 46d with the position information (see formula (2)) of each mark acquired by the marker control unit 33. In the VSLAM control unit 45A, the virtual marker information and a map based on an image of the front are simultaneously acquired and stored as the virtual marker information and the map in the virtual marker storage unit 49A.

[0089]

number

number

number

[0090] The IDs of the ten marks in the horizontal direction of the marker 40 shown in formula (3) are estimated to be positions on the map in the virtual marker storage unit 49A and arranged as "virtual marker mark areas." Note that the map created for the road on which the marker 40 is arranged may be stored in the virtual marker storage unit 49A after the vehicle has traveled one to several laps around the road.

[0091] Next, the map creation mode will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 27, in step A1, a map creation instruction is sent to CPU section 36 by operating operation section 19. In response to this, CPU section 36 sends a map creation instruction to VSLAM control section 45A in step A2, and VSLAM control section 45A, which receives this, executes the map creation mode in step A3.

[0092] In step A4, the operation unit 19 sends a marker travel instruction to the CPU unit 36, and in step A5 the CPU unit 36 ​​sends a marker acquisition instruction to the marker control unit 33. In response to this, in step A6 the marker control unit 33 sends the detected mark information 32b detected from the marker 40 to the CPU unit 36 ​​and the VSLAM control unit 45A.

[0093] In step A4, the CPU unit 36 ​​receives a marker driving instruction from the operation unit 19, and in step A7, it sends driving information 50 and / or corrected driving information 50a to the drive control unit 13.In response to this, the drive control unit 13 controls the driving of the driving unit 12, and in step A8, the transport vehicle 110C drives autonomously in a driving mode using the marker 40.

[0094] On the driving route shown in Figure 25, when the vehicle is driven in a predetermined marker driving mode and arrives at the end of the driving route, a stop command is issued on the operation unit 19 in step A9, and in response, the CPU unit 36 ​​sends a driving stop command to the drive control unit 13 in step A10.

[0095] (Driving in virtual marker driving mode) Next, the virtual marker travel mode after the map creation mode is completed will be described. First, in step A12, the operation unit 19 sends an instruction to drive in virtual marker mode to the CPU unit 36. In response to this, the CPU unit 36 ​​sends an instruction to start virtual marker generation mode to the VSLAM control unit 45A in step A13, and sends a marker acquisition instruction to the marker control unit 33 in step A14. Next, in step A15, the VSLAM control unit 45A generates virtual marker detection information and sends it to the CPU unit 36. Furthermore, in step A16, the marker control unit 33 sends detected mark information 32b to the CPU unit 36 ​​if a marker has been detected. In this way, the CPU unit 36 ​​generates driving information 50 and / or corrected driving information 50a from the virtual marker detection information sent from the VSLAM control unit 45A and the detected mark information 32b sent from the marker control unit 33, and sends it to the drive control unit 13 in step A17.The drive control unit 13 then controls the drive of the motor 16 of the driving unit 12 in a driving mode based on the marker information and virtual marker information in step A18, and the transport cart 100C drives autonomously.

[0096] FIG. 28 is an explanatory diagram of running based on virtual marker information. In traveling using virtual markers, markers 40 are not placed on the traveling path, that is, traveling is possible even when no actual markers 40 are present. As shown in FIG. 28 , virtual marker information (ID, X, Y, θ)′) linked to map position information ((X, Y, θ)″) acquired by stereo camera 46d is sent from VSLAM control unit 45A to CPU unit 36, and CPU unit 36 ​​generates traveling information 57 and / or corrected traveling information 57a ​​from the mark information (ID, X, Y, θ)′ of the virtual marker and sends it to drive control unit 13. Based on this traveling information 57 and / or corrected traveling information 57a, driving control unit 12 is driven and controlled to perform autonomous traveling using the traveling mode using markers 40 and / or virtual marker information (see step A18).

[0097] For example, when creating a map, the information of the following formula (4) is recorded in the virtual marker storage unit 49A.

number

number

[0098] As shown in Figure 28, when the transporting vehicle 100C passes through the "virtual marker area" of ID1 recorded on the map, even if the transporting vehicle 100C has a tilted marker, the transporting vehicle 100C sends out travel information 5 and / or corrected travel information 5a to the drive control unit 13 via the CPU unit 36 ​​as mark information (ID: 45x, X, Y, θ)' of the virtual marker that assumes a deviation within the marker area.

[0099] Here, in step A18, the drive control unit 13 drives and controls the traveling unit 12, giving priority to the detection mark information 32b sent from the marker control unit 33 over the virtual marker detection information sent from the VSLAM control unit 45A. In other words, if the drive control unit 13 receives the detection mark information 32b from the marker control unit 33 in step A18, then in step A19, the drive control unit 13 transitions to autonomous traveling based on the detection mark information 32b, giving priority to the virtual marker detection information. As a result, in traveling in the virtual marker traveling mode, position estimation is performed using the map stored in the virtual marker storage unit 49A based on the virtual marker information, and traveling similar to that in the marker traveling mode can be performed while reproducing the markers 40 placed on the traveling path on this map (i.e., called virtual markers).

[0100] (Stopping driving in virtual marker driving mode) When traveling in the virtual marker traveling mode is to be stopped, a stop instruction is input from the operation unit 19 in step A20, and in response to this, the CPU unit 36 ​​sends a travel stop instruction to the drive control unit 13 in step A21.

[0101] (Control when a variable marker is detected) A case will be described in which variable markers are attached to the travel routes and the vehicle travels on a plurality of travel routes in the virtual marker travel mode. Figure 29 shows a case where a variable marker 44 is affixed to the first running path, and the vehicle travels from the first running path 2b to the second running path 2c and then to the third running path 2d, while Figure 30 is a flow diagram of control when the variable marker 44 is detected. When the marker control unit 33 detects the first variable marker 44a on the first running path 2b, it sends the detected mark information 32b to the CPU unit 36 ​​in step A20 and also sends it to the VSLAM control unit 45A in step A21. In this case, the first variable marker 44a is defined so that the vehicle travels straight from the first variable marker 44a onto the second running path 2c.

[0102] In response to the detection mark information 32b, the VSLAM control unit 45A sends an instruction to the virtual marker generation unit 48B to travel straight from the first variable marker 44a along the second travel path 2c, and in step A23 the virtual marker generation unit 48B sends the virtual marker detection information to the CPU unit 36. In step A24, the CPU unit 36 ​​sends the travel information 50 and / or corrected travel information 50a, i.e., the travel information, to the drive control unit 13. As a result, in step A25 the drive control unit 13 drives and controls the motor 16 of the travel unit 12 in a travel mode based on the marker information and virtual marker information, and the transport vehicle 100C travels autonomously along the second travel path.

[0103] When the transporting vehicle 100C autonomously travels along the second travel path 2c and passes the first variable marker 44a, which is defined as entering the first travel path 2b, the VSLAM control unit 45A reads map information from the virtual marker storage unit 49A and generates virtual marker information for the first travel path 2b. As a result, the transporting vehicle 100C travels along the first travel path 2b again and detects the second variable marker 44b on the first travel path 2b (see steps A30 and A30'). Then, the transporting vehicle 100C travels straight ahead (see steps A32 to A34) in the same way as the first variable marker 44a, and autonomously travels along the third travel path 3d (see step A35). Steps A30 to A34 are controlled in the same way as steps A20 to A24.

[0104] Thus, in virtual marker traveling mode, VSLAM control unit 45A estimates its own position based on the acquired map information. Because the map information stores virtual marker information, VSLAM control unit 45A transmits the virtual marker information to CPU unit 36 ​​when passing the position of a virtual marker while estimating its own position. CPU unit 36 ​​controls the drive of traveling unit 12 using drive control unit 13 in accordance with the virtual marker information. As a result, in virtual marker traveling mode, it is possible to control the drive of traveling unit 12 without using SLAM traveling control unit 48. As shown in FIG. 24(A), an obstacle sensor 46a using, for example, a two-dimensional lidar is provided at the front of the main body 11, and the detection of the distance to an obstacle ahead is performed by the SLAM driving control unit 48 of the CPU unit 36, in the same manner as in the SLAM driving mode.

[0105] In the virtual marker driving mode, the driving path 2a is formed using markers 40, and the driving path on which the markers 40 are placed is linked to the position coordinates of the markers 40 and the position coordinates of the stereo camera 46d to create a virtual marker, and the map and driving path can be created in, for example, one to two hours. This is a significant reduction in time compared to the half-day to a day required to create a map and driving path in the conventional SLAM driving mode. Furthermore, according to the virtual marker traveling mode, after the virtual marker 40 is created, the transport vehicle 100C can travel autonomously while estimating its own position using the stereo camera 46d and the VSLAM control unit 45A, even if the marker 40 is removed. This allows the transport vehicle 100C to travel on a travel path 2a where autonomous traveling was practically impossible, such as in facilities where the marker 40 cannot be attached or easily peeled off, or on oily floors that are easily soiled with oil, etc. For example, autonomous traveling with an accuracy of several tens of centimeters is possible with a horizontally elongated marker 40, and autonomous traveling with an accuracy of several centimeters is possible with a line-shaped marker 40. Conversely, in an environment where light changes drastically and it is difficult for the stereo camera 46d to extract feature points or detect matching points, the transporting vehicle 100C may be driven in a driving mode using the marker 40, rather than the virtual marker driving mode. This allows the transporting vehicle 100C to easily and stably drive autonomously by a flexible combination of the marker driving mode and the virtual marker driving mode according to the travel path 2a.

[0106] According to the control of the VSLAM control unit 45A using the virtual marker driving mode, position coordinates are detected from three-dimensional (3D) images taken by the stereo camera 46d, and features within the facility in which the driving path is located are also detected, thereby eliminating instability that occurs when the vehicle's own position cannot be detected in the SLAM driving mode using two-dimensional position coordinate detection.

[0107] Furthermore, the VSLAM control unit 45A may generate only virtual marker information without generating a map. In this case, the CPU unit 36 ​​treats the virtual marker information the same as the marker information, and marker traveling can be performed without using the VSLAM traveling control unit 48. If the virtual marker and marker 40 are not detected for a certain distance or more, the CPU unit 36 ​​may stop the transport vehicle 100C for safety reasons. This operation is the same as when traveling in marker traveling mode.

[0108] Furthermore, the VSLAM control unit 45A constantly transmits the probability of correct self-location estimation, i.e., the map matching ratio, to the drive control unit 13 of the CPU unit 36. The drive control unit 13 may stop the transporting vehicle 100C for safety reasons if the probability of correct self-location estimation decreases over a certain period of time. In areas where the probability of correct self-location estimation is likely to decrease, measures such as increasing the number of feature points detectable by the stereo camera 46d can be taken. Furthermore, in areas where the probability of correct self-location estimation is likely to decrease, markers 40 may be permanently installed and the mode may be switched from virtual marker traveling mode to marker traveling mode. This makes it easy to improve areas where autonomous traveling of the transporting vehicle 100C is unstable in virtual marker traveling mode.

[0109] (Example) The following stereo camera 46d and VSLAM control unit 45A were added to CarriRo (a product of ZMP Corporation) for virtual marker mode. Stereo camera (MYNT EYE, model number: S1030) Control Unit: CPU: Intel (registered trademark), model number: Core (registered trademark) i7 RAM (Random Access Memory): 8GB Storage device (SSD): 32GB

[0110] Fig. 31 is a diagram showing an actual travel path in the virtual marker travel mode. In Fig. 30, the autonomous movement of the transport vehicle 100C in the virtual marker travel mode was confirmed on a 60 m x 20 m indoor travel path, even though there were areas where sunlight was entering from outside and the stereo camera 46d could not be used.

[0111] The present invention can be embodied in various forms without departing from the spirit of the present invention. In the above-described embodiment, ArUco markers are used as the individual marks of the markers 40. However, various other marks, such as QR Code (registered trademark), can also be used. The markers 40 are arranged in two rows of nine marks, but they may be arranged in a single row, three or more rows, or two to eight or ten or more marks arranged horizontally. When the speed of the transport vehicles 10, 110, 110A, 110B, and 110C increases in the traveling direction, whether the markers 40 can be detected depends on the shutter speed of the camera 31 and the processing speed of the CPU unit 36. Therefore, by increasing the number of rows of markers 40 in the traveling direction, travel information can be reliably acquired from the markers 40 even when the speed of the transport vehicles 10, 110, 110A, 110B, and 110C increases. The marker detection unit 30 does not have to be provided separately from the beacon detection unit 20, and the marker control unit 33 and the beacon processing unit 25 of the beacon detection unit 20 may be shared. The emergency stop switch 19 serving as an emergency stop operation unit may be provided in an external operation unit for performing various settings, rather than being provided in the main body 11 of the transporting vehicle 10, or may be fixedly disposed within the travel area of ​​the transporting vehicle 10. This emergency stop switch 19 is not limited to one, and multiple switches may be provided, and may be included in the operation of the joystick 19b. The surrounding sensor for emergency stop is not limited to a distance sensor such as an ultrasonic sensor, but may also be detection by a bumper sensor 38a provided on the bumper 38. The emergency stop operation unit may be configured so that the worker can remotely stop the transporting vehicle 10, 110 using a beacon worn by the worker or another remote control device using infrared or wireless communication.

[0112] As a safety function of the traveling systems 1, 5, 100, 110A, and 110B of the mobile vehicles, if the marker 40 cannot be found even after traveling 10 meters, for example, the traveling systems may recognize that the mobile vehicles 10, 110, 110A, and 110B have deviated from the course and automatically stop. The transporting vehicles 10, 110, 100A, and 100B may be equipped with speakers. The speakers can emit alarm sounds or sound effects around the transporting vehicles before the marker 40 moves forward, turns left or right, makes an emergency stop, or performs other actions. In the above-described embodiment, the transporting vehicles 10, 110, 100A, 100B, and 100C have been used as examples of the mobile vehicles, but it is clear that the present invention is not limited to these and can be applied to any mobile vehicles other than transporting vehicles.

[0113] The virtual marker travel mode of the transport vehicle 100C may be applied to the moving vehicles 10, 110A, and 110B. In the virtual marker travel mode, the meaning of the marker information stored when the map was created may be set as a different virtual marker later. For example, a marker that was "straight ahead" when the map was created may be changed to a "variable marker A," and the marker 40 on the virtual map may be changed to the variable marker A.

[0114] In the virtual marker travel mode, when there is a change in the travel path 2a, a virtual marker that does not exist when the map is created may be placed later in the map information. For example, when creating a map, instead of placing an actual marker 40 on a long, straight travel path 2a to change the travel path 2a, a virtual marker may be placed later on the map to change the travel path 2a. Furthermore, a virtual stop marker may be placed at an arbitrary position to temporarily stop the transport vehicle 100C.

[0115] The addition of the above-mentioned "variable marker A", virtual marker, virtual stop marker, etc. may be performed according to the second embodiment by the external operation control unit 90 controlling the VSLAM control unit 45A of the transport vehicle 100C via the network 80 as necessary. [Explanation of symbols]

[0116] 1...traveling system of a mobile vehicle, 2...traveling area, 2a...traveling path, 10,100A,100B,100C...Transport vehicle (moving vehicle), 11,111...Main body, 11a...Placement platform, 11b,111b...Handle, 12...Traveling unit, 13...Drive control unit, 13a...Power supply, 15...Wheels, 15a...Wheel rotation sensor, 15b...Wheel rotation speed information, 16...Motor, 16a...Deceleration mechanism, 17...Caster, 18...Inertial measurement unit (IMU), 18a...Detection signal, 19,119...Operation unit, 19a...Shift lever, 19b...Joystick, 19c...Emergency stop switch, 19d...Emergency stop signal, 19e...Speed ​​change dial, 19f,19g...Indicator light, 20... beacon detection unit, 21, 22... infrared camera, 24... beacon calculation unit, 24a...position information of beacon B, 25...beacon processing unit, 25a...beacon storage unit, 25b...traveling information, 30... marker detection unit, 31... camera (imaging means), 31a... light emitting unit, 31b... Image pickup signal, 32... image processing unit, 32a... arrangement direction, 32b... detection mark information, 32c...Error signal, 33...Marker control unit, 33a...Emergency stop signal, 34...Marker memory unit, 36...CPU unit, 37...Main switch, 38...Bumper, 38a...Bumper sensor, 40, 40l, 40m, 40s...Markers, 41, 41a to 41i...First row of marks, 42, 42a to 42i...Second row of marks, 44...Variable marker 45... Obstacle detection unit, 45A... VSLAM control unit, 46... Obstacle sensor, 46d... Stereo camera 47... Obstacle processing unit, 47A... Image processing unit 47a... Obstacle information, 48... SLAM driving control unit, 48B... Virtual marker generation unit 49... Obstacle memory unit, 49A... Virtual marker memory unit, 50... Driving information, 50a... Corrected driving information, 51... Placement position information, 55... Map information, 56... SLAM driving information, 57... Virtual marker driving mode information, 61 to 72... Position, 80... Network, 90... External driving control unit, 120,120A,120B...Towed trolley, 130...Connection member, 132, 142...Connecting mechanism on the moving vehicle side, 134, 154...Connecting mechanism on the towed bogie side, 144...automatic coupling member, 144a...pin portion, 153...distance measuring sensor, 160...Pin, 162...Guide, 164...Spring, 170... towing member; 170a... towing member hole; 172...Restraint member, 174...Link mechanism, 176...Solenoid

Claims

1. a mobile vehicle including a main body, a traveling unit for traveling on the ground, a drive control unit for driving and controlling the traveling unit, a marker detection unit, an obstacle detection unit, and a CPU unit for controlling the drive control unit, the marker detection unit, and the obstacle detection unit; Markers are placed at a plurality of predetermined locations along a route along which the vehicle is to travel, and locations where no markers are placed; and a vehicle travel system for a vehicle, the vehicle travelling along the travel path, the marker detection unit of the moving vehicle comprises: an imaging means for imaging an image below the main body; an image processing unit for processing an image captured by the imaging means to detect the markers placed on the travel path; and a marker control unit for outputting to the drive control unit travel information set in advance for the markers based on the markers detected by the image processing unit, the obstacle detection unit of the moving vehicle comprises an obstacle sensor that captures an image including distances to obstacles around the main body, an obstacle processing unit that detects the obstacles by image processing the image captured by the obstacle sensor, and a SLAM travel control unit that calculates the current position and direction of the moving vehicle based on the position of the obstacle detected by the obstacle processing unit and pre-stored map data of the travel route, acquires SLAM travel information, and outputs the SLAM travel information to the drive control unit, The marker is formed in a horizontally long band and arranged in a transverse direction of the travel path, with a plurality of marks arranged in a horizontal row on the band-shaped marker, and travel information along which the moving vehicle should travel and placement position information with different symbols attached to each mark are set for detecting lateral deviation of the moving vehicle in the travel direction, the marker control unit generates corrected driving information for correcting lateral and angular deviations of the moving vehicle based on the driving information and the placement position information of the marker, and outputs the corrected driving information to the drive control unit, and the drive control unit drives and controls the driving unit based on the corrected driving information from the marker control unit, so that the moving vehicle autonomously drives along a driving path specified by the marker, the marker control unit acquires travel information and placement position information of the marker by causing the mobile vehicle to travel on the travel path a predetermined number of times in a marker mode, and the obstacle detection unit acquires position coordinates of the marker; the SLAM travel control unit creates virtual marker information for the travel path by linking the travel information and placement position information of the marker acquired by the marker control unit with the position coordinates of the marker acquired by the obstacle detection unit, stores the virtual marker information in a virtual marker storage unit as a virtual marker map, and sends the virtual marker information to the CPU unit; A traveling system for a mobile vehicle, wherein the CPU unit sends the virtual marker information to the drive control unit as the traveling information and / or corrected traveling information, and causes the mobile vehicle to travel autonomously in a virtual marker traveling mode.

2. A traveling system for a mobile vehicle as described in claim 1, wherein the obstacle detection unit is equipped with a two-dimensional lidar or a three-dimensional lidar.

3. 3. The traveling system for a mobile vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the mobile vehicle includes an obstacle storage unit, and the obstacle storage unit stores map data of the traveling route as map information.

4. the SLAM traveling control unit generates the SLAM traveling information based on the map information from the obstacle processing unit and outputs the SLAM traveling information to a drive control unit; 4. The vehicle travel system according to claim 3, wherein the drive control unit controls the drive of the travel unit based on the SLAM travel information.

5. the SLAM travel control unit, when receiving an obstacle signal from the obstacle processing unit, determines that an obstacle has been detected in the traveling direction of the moving vehicle, generates an emergency stop signal, and outputs the emergency stop signal to the drive control unit; 5. The vehicle traveling system according to claim 1, wherein the drive control unit controls the traveling unit based on the emergency stop signal to stop the driving of the motor or to perform an avoidance operation.

6. 6. A mobile vehicle traveling system according to claim 1, wherein wheel rotation speed information from wheel rotation sensors provided on each wheel of the mobile vehicle and a detection signal from an inertial measurement unit are input to the SLAM traveling control unit, and the SLAM traveling control unit calculates the travel distance of the mobile vehicle based on the wheel rotation speed information, detects wheel slippage or the like based on the detection signal from the inertial measurement unit and corrects the travel distance, modifies the SLAM traveling information based on the corrected travel distance, and outputs the corrected SLAM traveling information to the drive control unit.

7. A mobile vehicle including a main body, a running unit for running on the ground, a drive control unit for driving and controlling the running unit, a marker detection unit, an obstacle detection unit, and a CPU unit for controlling the drive control unit, the marker detection unit, and the obstacle detection unit; Markers are placed at a plurality of predetermined locations along a route along which the vehicle is to travel, and locations where no markers are placed; and a vehicle travel system for a vehicle, the vehicle travelling along the travel path, the moving vehicle further includes a stereo camera and a VSLAM control unit connected to the stereo camera, the marker detection unit of the moving vehicle comprises: an imaging means for imaging an image below the main body; an image processing unit for processing an image captured by the imaging means to detect the markers placed on the travel path; and a marker control unit for outputting to the drive control unit travel information set in advance for the markers based on the markers detected by the image processing unit, The marker is formed in a horizontally long band and arranged in a transverse direction of the travel path, with a plurality of marks arranged in a horizontal row on the band-shaped marker, and travel information along which the moving vehicle should travel and placement position information with different symbols attached to each mark are set for detecting lateral deviation of the moving vehicle in the travel direction, the marker control unit generates corrected driving information for correcting lateral and angular deviations of the moving vehicle based on the driving information and the placement position information of the marker, and outputs the corrected driving information to the drive control unit, and the drive control unit drives and controls the driving unit based on the corrected driving information from the marker control unit, so that the moving vehicle autonomously drives in marker mode along a driving path specified by the marker, the marker control unit acquires travel information and placement position information of the marker by causing the mobile vehicle to travel on the travel path a predetermined number of times in a marker mode, and the stereo camera acquires position coordinates of the marker; The VSLAM control unit creating virtual marker information for the travel path by linking the travel information and placement position information of the marker acquired by the marker control unit with the position coordinates of the marker acquired by the stereo camera, storing the virtual marker information as a virtual marker map in a virtual marker storage unit of the VSLAM control unit, and sending the virtual marker information to the CPU unit; A traveling system for a mobile vehicle, wherein the CPU unit sends the virtual marker information to the drive control unit as the traveling information and / or corrected traveling information, and causes the mobile vehicle to travel autonomously in a virtual marker traveling mode.

8. 8. The mobile vehicle traveling system of claim 7, wherein when the marker control unit detects marker information during autonomous traveling in the virtual marker traveling mode, the drive control unit controls the driving of the traveling unit by prioritizing the marker information over the virtual marker information.

9. Variable markers are provided on the travel path, A mobile vehicle traveling system as described in claim 7 or 8, wherein when the variable marker is detected by the marker control unit, the detected variable marker information is sent from the marker control unit to the CPU unit, and the mobile vehicle travels autonomously on a new traveling path based on the variable marker information.

10. a network connected to the moving vehicle; an external driving control unit of the vehicle connected to the network, 2. The mobile vehicle travel system of claim 1, wherein the external driving control unit can arbitrarily change the travel path of the mobile vehicle by changing any of the travel information in the marker, the SLAM travel information, and the virtual marker information in the virtual marker travel mode via the network as needed.

Images