Control device, cleaning device, cleaning device control method, and control program

Abstract

To achieve general-purpose movement control of a pipe cleaning device.SOLUTION: A control device (1) includes a deviation amount calculation part (103) for calculating a deviation amount from a predetermined reference position of a cleaning device (2) for cleaning a pipe, on the basis of detection values of proximity sensors (272L and 272R) mounted at bilaterally symmetric positions of the cleaning device (2), and a movement control part (104) for performing movement control of the cleaning device (2) on the basis of the deviation amount, wherein the proximity sensors (272L and 272R) are arranged so that the other proximity sensor becomes at a detection limit position of the pipe adjacent to the pipe, when the one proximity sensor is positioned right above the pipe, and the deviation amount calculation part (103) calculates the deviation amount, using an approximate expression acquired by approximating a relation between a difference in the detection values between the proximity sensors (272A and 272R) and the deviation amount.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

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

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

[0003] Because boiler water tubes are exposed to exhaust gases, fly ash generated in incinerators and other materials adhere to and accumulate on the surfaces of the boiler water tubes, reducing their heat exchange efficiency. Therefore, the surfaces of the boiler water tubes must be cleaned periodically. However, cleaning boiler water tubes manually is not easy, and automatic cleaning using cleaning devices has been considered.

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

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-138572 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

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

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

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

[0009] In order to solve the above problem, a control device according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises: a displacement amount calculation unit that calculates the amount of deviation of a cleaning device from a predetermined reference position based on the detection values ​​of a pair of proximity sensors that detect the pipes and are attached to symmetrical positions on the left and right sides of the cleaning device, and a movement control unit that controls the movement of the cleaning device based on the displacement amount; wherein the pair of proximity sensors are positioned so that when one proximity sensor is positioned directly above the pipe, the other proximity sensor is positioned at the detection limit of the pipe adjacent to the pipe, and the displacement amount calculation unit calculates the amount of deviation using an approximation equation that approximates the relationship between the difference in detection values ​​of the pair of proximity sensors and the displacement amount.

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

[0011] According to one aspect of the present invention, a general purpose movement control of a pipe cleaning device can be achieved. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a configuration of a main part of a control device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overview of a cleaning system including the control device. [Figure 3] 10 is a diagram showing an outline of pipe detection and inclination angle identification by the control device. FIG. [Figure 4] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating a specific example of pipe detection by the control device. [Figure 5] 4 is a diagram illustrating an outline of a method for calculating a deviation amount by a deviation amount calculation unit included in the control device. FIG. [Figure 6] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating the relationship between the positional relationship between a proximity sensor and a pipe and the detection value of the proximity sensor. [Figure 7] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating the relationship between the positional relationship between a proximity sensor and a pipe and an approximation formula for a detection value of the proximity sensor. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a function for calculating the amount of deviation from the difference between the detection values ​​of the proximity sensors. [Figure 9] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of the operation of the cleaning device during centering. [Figure 10] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating a method for calculating the travel time of the cleaning device during centering. [Figure 11] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a method for controlling the cleaning device based on the tilt angle. [Figure 12] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a method for controlling the cleaning device based on the amount of deviation. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of calculating a deviation amount in the second embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] [Embodiment 1] (Cleaning system overview) An overview of a cleaning system 5 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an overview of the cleaning system 5. The cleaning system 5 is a system for cleaning the surface of a pipe PI, and includes a control device 1 and a cleaning device 2. The control device 1 is a device that controls the operation of the cleaning device 2. The cleaning device 2 is a cleaning device for the pipe PI that operates under the control of the control device 1. The upper part of Fig. 2 shows a perspective view of the cleaning device 2, and the lower part of the same figure shows a side view of the cleaning device 2.

[0014] The pipes PI are straight pipes arranged in multiple rows at equal intervals in the horizontal direction. The pipes PI are also arranged in multiple rows in the vertical direction. In this embodiment, an example will be described in which the pipes PI are the piping of a boiler (not shown) used for power generation using waste heat from an incinerator, i.e., the boiler water pipes described above. Of course, the cleaning system 5 can also be used to clean pipes other than boiler water pipes, as long as they are strong enough for the cleaning device 2 to travel on them and at least a portion of them is straight.

[0015] As shown in the figure, the cleaning device 2 includes a main body 21, a crawler 22, a hose reel 23, and a hose 24, and a pantograph 25 is housed inside the main body 21. As shown in the side view of Figure 2, a water outlet 26 is provided at the tip of the pantograph 25. A housing 27 is provided at the front end of the main body 21.

[0016] 2 shows only the left crawler 22, but a pair of crawlers 22 are provided at symmetrical positions on either side of the main body 21. The crawlers 22 function as a traveling device that moves the cleaning device 2 forward, backward, and rotates it in a horizontal plane. Other types of traveling devices, such as wheels, may be used instead of the crawlers 22.

[0017] Hose reel 23 is used to wind hose 24, and hose 24 is a pipe that sends a cleaning liquid (e.g., water) for pipe PI to water outlet 26. Pantograph 25 is extendable by a link mechanism, and can be extended downward from main body 21 during cleaning and retracted during movement. Water outlet 26 is also connected to hose 24, and discharges the cleaning liquid sent from hose 24 to the side.

[0018] That is, the cleaning device 2 is configured to extend the pantograph 25, position the water outlet 26 to the side of the pipe PI to be cleaned, and in this state, cleans the pipe PI with water pressure by sending cleaning liquid from the hose 24 into the water outlet 26. Note that the method for cleaning the pipe PI is arbitrary, and for example, it may be configured to clean the pipe PI by pressing a cleaning tool such as a brush against it.

[0019] Since the cleaning device 2 lowers the pantograph 25 between the pipes PI to be cleaned to perform cleaning, it needs to move between the pipes PI to be cleaned as a preliminary step to cleaning. To perform this movement automatically, a camera and a proximity sensor are provided inside the housing 27 of the cleaning device 2 (neither of which are shown in FIG. 2).

[0020] The control device 1 then acquires the image captured by the image capture device and the detection value of the proximity sensor, and controls the cleaning device 2 based on these. This allows the cleaning device 2 to automatically move between the pipes PI to be cleaned, and have the cleaning device 2 clean the pipes PI.

[0021] (Control device configuration) The configuration of the control device 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the main parts of the control device 1. As shown in the figure, the control device 1 includes a control unit 10 that controls each part of the control device 1 in an integrated manner, and a storage unit 11 that stores various data used by the control device 1. The control device 1 also includes a communication unit 12 that enables the control device 1 to communicate with other devices, an input unit 13 that accepts various data input to the control device 1, and an output unit 14 that enables the control device 1 to output various data. The control unit 10 includes a pipe detection unit 101, an angle identification unit 102, a deviation amount calculation unit 103, and a movement control unit 104.

[0022] The pipe detection unit 101 detects the pipe PI from an image captured by an imaging device attached to the cleaning device 2. The image may be acquired via the communication unit 12 or the input unit 13. Then, the angle identification unit 102 identifies the inclination angle of the pipe PI detected by the pipe detection unit 101.

[0023] The deviation amount calculation unit 103 calculates the deviation amount of the cleaning device 2 from a predetermined reference position based on the detection values ​​of a pair of proximity sensors that detect the pipes PI and are attached to symmetrical positions on the left and right of the cleaning device 2. In this embodiment, an example will be described in which the reference position is the central position (a position equidistant from the two pipes PI) of two pipes PI arranged adjacent to each other in parallel, and the deviation amount calculation unit 103 calculates the deviation amount between the central position in the left-right direction of the cleaning device 2 and the above-mentioned central position.

[0024] Of course, the reference position may be determined as appropriate and is not limited to this example. For example, the center position of the pipe PI may be set as the reference position, and the amount of deviation between the center position of the cleaning device 2 in the left-right direction and the center position of the pipe PI may be calculated.

[0025] The movement control unit 104 controls the movement of the cleaning device 2 based on either or both of the tilt angle identified by the angle identification unit 102 and the amount of deviation calculated by the deviation amount calculation unit 103. As will be described in detail later, the movement control unit 104 performs, for example, rotation control to change the orientation of the cleaning device 2 and control to move the cleaning device 2 to the center position of the adjacent pipe PI. Note that here, rotation control that does not change the position of the control device 2 is also included in the category of movement control.

[0026] As described above, the control device 1 includes a pipe detection unit 101 that detects the pipe PI from an image captured by an imaging device attached to the cleaning device 2 that cleans the surface of the pipe PI, an angle identification unit 102 that identifies the inclination angle of the pipe PI detected by the pipe detection unit 101, and a movement control unit 104 that controls the movement of the cleaning device 2 based on the identified inclination angle.

[0027] The tilt angle of the pipe PI shown in the image captured by the camera attached to the cleaning device 2 reflects the orientation of the cleaning device 2 relative to the pipe PI. If the orientation of the cleaning device 2 relative to the pipe PI can be determined, it becomes possible to change the direction of the cleaning device 2 so that it faces in a predetermined direction relative to the pipe PI, move the cleaning device 2 along the pipe PI, or move the cleaning device 2 in a direction perpendicular to the pipe PI.

[0028] Therefore, the above configuration makes it possible to realize movement control of the cleaning device 2 based on the image captured by the imaging device. Furthermore, the above configuration is more versatile than the technology of Patent Document 1 in that it does not require a special configuration such as an arm for correcting the stop position. Therefore, the above configuration has the effect of realizing general-purpose movement control of the cleaning device 2.

[0029] (Overview of pipe detection and tilt angle determination) Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an overview of pipe detection and inclination angle determination by the control device 1. Fig. 2 shows a top view of the cleaning device 2 positioned on the pipe PI and an image IMG captured by the image capture device 271 provided in the cleaning device 2. Note that the appearance of the cleaning device 2 is simplified compared to Fig. 2. This also applies to Fig. 3 and subsequent figures.

[0030] 3, the front side of the cleaning device 2 is tilted to the left with respect to the extension direction of the pipe PI. Also, a photographing device 271 is provided at the front part of the cleaning device 2. This photographing device 271 is housed in the housing section 27 of FIG. 2 and is positioned so as to photograph the lower side of the cleaning device 2. The photographing device 271 may be any device that can take an image in which the outline of the pipe PI can be recognized, and may be, for example, a depth camera.

[0031] In this state, the image IMG captured by the image capturing device 271 included in the cleaning device 2 shows the pipe PI tilted upward to the right as shown in the figure. As will be described in detail later, the pipe detection unit 101 detects a line segment L1 that forms the outer edge of the pipe PI from the image IMG. The angle identification unit 102 then identifies the tilt angle of the line segment L1 detected by the pipe detection unit 101 relative to a line segment L2 as the tilt angle of the pipe PI. Note that the line segment L2 is perpendicular to the top and bottom sides of the image IMG.

[0032] When the front-to-rear direction of cleaning device 2 is parallel to the extension direction of pipe PI, i.e., when the line segment forming the detected outer edge of the pipe is parallel to line segment L2, Δθ is zero. Using the direction in which Δθ is zero as a reference, the inclination angle of the pipe can be expressed, for example, with a right-side inclination being positive and a left-side inclination being negative. In this case, as shown in Figure 3, when the front side of cleaning device 2 is inclined to the left, Δθ is a positive value, and when the front side of cleaning device 2 is inclined to the right, Δθ is a negative value.

[0033] (Example of pipe detection) FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a specific example of pipe detection by the control device 1. IMG1 shown in FIG. 4 is an image captured by the image capture device 271. In this image IMG1, in areas A1 and A2, etc., the outer edge of the pipe, which should be straight, is distorted and curved. This distortion occurs when the lens of the image capture device 271 is a wide-angle lens. Note that proximity sensors are captured in the lower left and right corners of image IMG1.

[0034] Since distortion hinders pipe detection, in the example of FIG. 4, prior to pipe detection, the pipe detection unit 101 performs distortion correction on image IMG1 to generate distortion-corrected image IMG2. In image IMG2, the outer edges of the pipes in areas A1' and A2' corresponding to areas A1 and A2 are straight. Since the distortion pattern depends on the imaging device 271, for example, a check pattern may be captured in advance using the imaging device 271, and correction parameters may be created to eliminate distortion in the captured check pattern. Distortion can be corrected using such correction parameters.

[0035] Furthermore, image IMG3 shown in FIG. 4 is also an image captured by the imaging device 271, but interference fringes appear in area A3 and the like of this image IMG3. Such noise can also hinder pipe detection. For this reason, the pipe detection unit 101 may perform noise removal prior to pipe detection. Image IMG4 shown in FIG. 4 is image IMG3 after noise removal processing. Image IMG4 is a clear image without interference fringes.

[0036] Any noise removal method can be used. For example, noise may be removed using a bilateral filter. A bilateral filter removes noise while leaving edges in the image clearly visible, making it suitable as a noise removal filter for use in preprocessing for pipe detection.

[0037] From the image that has undergone the distortion correction and noise removal as described above, the pipe detection unit 101 detects the line segments that form the outer edge of the pipe. Various edge detection methods can be applied to detect these line segments. For example, the pipe detection unit 101 may perform edge detection using the Canny method. In the Canny method, the target image is converted to grayscale, and then parts of the converted image where the change in brightness is equal to or greater than a threshold are detected as edges.

[0038] Figure 4 shows edge image IMG5, which is the result of edge detection using the Canny method from image IMG4. Edge image IMG5 is a binarized image in which various edges, including the outer edge of the pipe, are represented by white line segments, and the area other than the edges is a black background.

[0039] Thereafter, the pipe detection unit 101 detects straight lines from the edge image IMG 5. The detected straight lines include the edges of the outer peripheries of the pipes, so the process of detecting straight lines can be said to be a process of detecting pipes.

[0040] Any method can be used to detect straight lines from the edge image IMG5. For example, the pipe detection unit 101 may detect straight lines using a Hough transform. In this case, the pipe detection unit 101 expresses the equation of the straight line to be detected as ρ=xcosθ+ysinθ, and finds the pair (ρ, θ) of the straight line on which a predetermined number or more edge pixels (white pixels in the edge image IMG5) are located, i.e., the polar coordinates.

[0041] As a result, each straight line (each straight line consisting of a predetermined number of white pixels or more) of a predetermined length or more contained in the edge image IMG5 is expressed by polar coordinates (ρ, θ). Note that, in order to minimize the detection of straight lines other than the outer edge of the pipe to be detected, it is preferable to perform line detection while avoiding the image edge of the edge image IMG5 where anything other than the outer edge of the pipe is reflected. The area to be detected for straight lines may be determined in advance.

[0042] Next, the angle identification unit 102 identifies the tilt angle of the pipe from the straight line detected by the pipe detection unit 101. More specifically, the angle identification unit 102 identifies the tilt of the straight line expressed in polar coordinates (ρ, θ) in an xy coordinate system, i.e., a Cartesian coordinate system. Specifically, the angle identification unit 102 finds two points on the straight line expressed in polar coordinates (ρ, θ), and finds the distance x1 in the x-axis direction and the distance y1 in the y-axis direction between those two points. Here, if the tilt to be identified is φ, then tanφ=y1 / x1 holds, and therefore the angle identification unit 102 can identify the tilt φ from the found values ​​of x1 and y1. However, 0<φ<180° must be satisfied.

[0043] The angle identification unit 102 performs the above process on all straight lines detected by the pipe detection unit 101 to identify the inclination of each detected straight line. Here, the angle identification unit 102 excludes identified angles that exceed a threshold value. Then, the angle identification unit 102 identifies the average value of the remaining angles that have not been excluded as the inclination angle of the pipe.

[0044] The detection of the pipe and the determination of the inclination angle may be performed multiple times in time series, and the moving average of each determination result may be determined as the inclination angle of the pipe. In this case, for example, the photographing device 271 may take images, and the pipe may be detected and the inclination angle may be determined from the photographed images at a predetermined cycle (for example, several Hz to several tens of Hz), and the moving average of the determination results for multiple cycles may be determined as the inclination angle of the pipe for those multiple cycles.

[0045] (Example of control: turning) The movement control unit 104 can rotate the cleaning device 2 based on the tilt angle identified by the angle identifying unit 102 as described above, and direct the cleaning device 2 in a desired direction. Specifically, the movement control unit 104 determines the target tilt angle Δθ T After setting the above, the inclination angle Δθ=Δθ specified by the angle specifying unit 102 is T For example, when the cleaning device 2 is rotated so that the front-rear direction is parallel to the extending direction of the pipe, the movement control unit 104 sets Δθ T= 0. Then, the movement control unit 104 sets the tilt angle Δθ specified by the angle specifying unit 102 to Δθ=Δθ T The cleaning device 2 should be rotated until the value of the saturation voltage V is equal to 0.

[0046] However, there is a time lag between when the control device 1 transmits a control signal to the cleaning device 2 and when the cleaning device 2 operates in accordance with the control signal. Therefore, it is preferable that the movement control unit 104 performs turning control taking this time lag into consideration.

[0047] For example, the movement control unit 104 calculates the tilt angle Δθ expressed by the following formula: S The turning control may be performed using t as a threshold value. d is the dead time from the transmission of the control signal until the cleaning device 2 starts operating, γ is the angular velocity of the cleaning device 2 while it is turning, V is the running speed of the cleaning device 2 (the speed at which it runs at the rotational speed of the motor while turning), and a is the running acceleration of the cleaning device 2 (the acceleration while running at the rotational speed of the motor while turning). The coefficient of γ (1 / 2) in the following formula is set on the assumption that the angular velocity decreases linearly during the period from turning until the turning stops. The coefficient of γ is not limited to 1 / 2 as long as it corresponds to the pattern of fluctuations in the angular velocity during the period until the turning stops. Δθ S =t d *γ+V / a*γ / 2 Specifically, the movement control unit 104 outputs control signals for turning right, turning left, and stopping (ending the turn) according to the following conditions. Note that, depending on how the reference axis is taken, the positive or negative value of Δθ in the following conditional expression and the Δθ on the right side of the expression may differ. S The sign of changes. Δθ>Δθ T -Δθ S : Turn right Δθ<Δθ T +Δθ S :Left turn |Δθ|=Δθ T +Δθ S :Stop (end of turn) The process flow during rotation is, for example, as follows: In the following, rotation control when the cleaning device 2 is made parallel to the pipe, that is, ΔθT = 0 will be described.

[0048] First, the movement control unit 104 calculates the angular velocity γ of the cleaning device 2, and then the movement control unit 104 calculates the angular velocity γ after adding a predetermined dead time t d and multiplying it by the angle that changes during the time lag, i.e., the above Δθ S The movement control unit 104 also calculates the value of the first term on the right side of the calculation formula from the travel speed V and acceleration a of the cleaning device 2, using the above Δθ S Calculate the value of the second term on the right side of the formula, and use this to calculate Δθ S Find the value of .

[0049] Next, the movement control unit 104 determines whether the magnitude (|Δθ|) of the tilt angle Δθ identified by the angle identification unit 102 is Δθ S Here, the movement control unit 104 determines whether |Δθ|≦Δθ S If |Δθ|≦Δθ, a signal to stop turning is output. S This is because the required accuracy is met.

[0050] On the other hand, the movement control unit 104 determines whether |Δθ|>Δθ S If so, the cleaning device 2 is rotated. The conditions for determining the rotation direction are as described above. That is, the movement control unit 104 determines whether Δθ>Δθ S If so, turn right, Δθ<-Δθ S If |Δθ|>Δθ, the movement control unit 104 outputs a control signal for turning left. S This process is repeated until the determination is made as to whether |Δθ|≦Δθ S By repeating this process until d The change in the tilt angle (t d *γ) and the change in tilt angle (V / a*γ / 2) between sending the stop signal and stopping are taken into consideration to achieve turning that meets the required accuracy.

[0051] (Outline of how to calculate the amount of deviation) Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an outline of a method for calculating the amount of deviation by the deviation amount calculation unit 103. Fig. 5 shows a plan view of the cleaning device 2 positioned above the pipes PIL and PIR, and a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A' in the plan view. Note that the cross-sectional view does not show anything other than the proximity sensors 272L and 272R provided on the cleaning device 2 and the pipes PIL and PIR.

[0052] As described above, the amount of deviation is calculated using the detection values ​​of a pair of proximity sensors that detect the pipe PI and are attached to symmetrical positions on the left and right sides of the cleaning device 2. In the example of FIG. 5, proximity sensors 272L and 272R are provided at the front of the cleaning device 2. Note that proximity sensor 272L is provided on the left side of a center line L3 that bisects the cleaning device 2 in the left-right direction, and proximity sensor 272R is provided on the right side of the center line L3. These sensors are housed in housing 27 (see FIG. 2).

[0053] As shown in the plan view, the center line L3 is parallel to the pipes PIL and PIR, but is shifted to the left by Δy with respect to the intermediate line L4 that indicates the center position between the pipes PIL and PIR. The shift amount calculation unit 103 calculates this shift amount Δy based on the detection values ​​of the proximity sensors 272L and 272R.

[0054] More specifically, the deviation amount calculation unit 103 calculates Δy by utilizing the fact that when Δy is zero, the difference between the detection value of the proximity sensor 272L and the detection value of the proximity sensor 272R becomes zero, and when Δy is other than zero, the difference does not become zero.

[0055] 5, as shown in the cross-sectional view of the figure, the distance from proximity sensor 272L to pipe PIL is shorter than the distance from proximity sensor 272R to pipe PIR. Therefore, the difference between the detection values ​​of proximity sensor 272L and proximity sensor 272R is not zero. For example, if proximity sensors 272L and 272R are used, whose detection values ​​decrease as the distance to the target object decreases, the difference between the detection values ​​will be a negative value.

[0056] Therefore, since the difference between the detection values ​​of proximity sensors 272L and 272R is a negative value, it can be seen that line L5 indicating the center position between proximity sensors 272L and 272R is shifted to the left with respect to line L6 indicating the center position between pipes PIL and PIR. Furthermore, because the magnitude of the difference between the detection values ​​reflects the amount of shift, Δy can be calculated from the magnitude of the difference between the detection values.

[0057] (Proximity sensor placement) It is preferable to arrange the pair of proximity sensors 272L and 272R so that when one is located directly above a pipe, the other is at the detection limit of the pipe adjacent to that pipe. The reason for such an arrangement will be explained with reference to Figures 6 and 7.

[0058] 6 is a diagram illustrating the positional relationship between the proximity sensor 272 and the pipe PI, and the relationship between the detected value of the proximity sensor 272. Note that the proximity sensor 272 is the same sensor as the proximity sensors 272L and 272R.

[0059] 6 shows the relationship between the amount of deviation (unit: mm) from the initial position of the proximity sensor 272 and the measurement value (detection value of the proximity sensor 272, unit: volts) of the proximity sensor 272. The initial position is approximately 5 mm to the left of the position directly above the pipe PI.

[0060] As shown in the figure, when the proximity sensor 272 is moved to the right from its initial position, the detected value is approximately 1.2 V when the proximity sensor 272 is positioned directly above the tube PI, i.e., when the proximity sensor 272 is closest to the tube PI. This value is the minimum output value of the proximity sensor 272.

[0061] After this, as the proximity sensor 272 is moved further to the right, the detection value of the proximity sensor 272 increases, and when the tube PI is out of the detection range, the detection value (voltage value) is approximately 5.0 V. This value is the maximum output value of the proximity sensor 272, and is the value that marks the boundary of the detection range of the proximity sensor 272. In other words, if the detection value (voltage value) is less than 5.0 V, it can be said that the proximity sensor 272 is detecting the tube PI, and if it is 5.0 V, it can be said that the proximity sensor 272 is not detecting the tube PI.

[0062] The relationship between the position of the proximity sensor 272 and the detection value has a different pattern when the distance to the pipe PI is relatively short and when it is close to the boundary of the detection range. When the distance to the pipe PI is relatively short, the relationship between the position of the proximity sensor 272 and the detection value can be formulated as a function by approximation. This function is shown as an "approximate curve" in Figure 6.

[0063] 6, the difference between the amount of deviation when the voltage value (approximately 5.0 V) is outside the detection range in this approximation curve and the amount of deviation when the proximity sensor 272 is closest to the tube PI (when the proximity sensor 272 is located directly above the tube PI) is represented by D. When the proximity sensor 272 moves a distance D to the right from a state where the proximity sensor 272 is located directly above the tube PI, the detection value of the proximity sensor 272 does not reach the maximum value, but becomes a value close to the maximum value.

[0064] For this reason, if D is regarded as the detection limit distance, and the proximity sensor 272 is located in the section from the position directly above the pipe PI to a position D away to the right of that, the relationship between the detection value of the proximity sensor 272 and the amount of deviation can be approximated by an approximation curve such as that shown in Fig. 6. When the pipe PI is located further away than the detection limit of the proximity sensor 272, the detection value of the proximity sensor 272 can be approximated to a constant value (approximately 5.0 V).

[0065] Note that an experiment was conducted by changing the distance between the proximity sensor 272 and the pipe PI when the proximity sensor 272 was closest to the pipe PI, but the detection value at the closest point decreased as the distance became shorter, and the position of the detection limit did not change. From the results of this experiment, it can be said that it is reasonable to approximate the proximity part with an approximation curve such as that shown in Figure 6, and that it is also reasonable to set the detection value at a position farther away than the position of the detection limit obtained from the function showing the approximation curve to a constant value (the maximum value of the proximity sensor 272).

[0066] 7 is a diagram illustrating the relationship between the positional relationship between proximity sensors 272L and 272R and pipes PIL and PIR, and the approximation formula for the detection values ​​of proximity sensors 272L and 272R. In FIG. 7, the amount of deviation is set to zero when left proximity sensor 272L is positioned directly above pipe PIL, which is the left of two adjacent pipes. The figure also shows an approximation formula that represents the relationship between the amount of deviation x from the above position when proximity sensors 272L and 272R are moved horizontally to the right from that position, and the detection values ​​V1 and V2 of proximity sensors 272L and 272R.

[0067] As shown, V1=a(xp) 2 +q V2=a(xpD) 2 +q Note that a, p, and q are constants determined by the distance between the proximity sensors 272, the diameter of the pipe PI, the pitch of the pipe PI, and the distance between the proximity sensor 272 and the pipe PI. Also, D is the value of V1=V 1MAX (approximately 5.0V) and V1 = V 1MIN This is the difference between the deviation when the voltage reaches 1.2V (approximately 1.2V).

[0068] The proximity sensors 272L and 272R are positioned using D thus determined. Specifically, when the proximity sensor 272L is located directly above the tube PIL, the horizontal distance from the proximity sensor 272R to the position directly above the tube PIR is set to D. Furthermore, when the proximity sensor 272R is located directly above the tube PIR, the horizontal distance from the proximity sensor 272L to the position directly above the tube PIL is also set to D. To achieve this positional relationship, the distance d between the proximity sensors 272L and 272R should be set to d=(PD). P is the distance between the tubes PIL and PIR.

[0069] In this arrangement, when the proximity sensor 272L is located directly above the pipe PIL, the detected value V1 is the minimum value V 1MIN (approximately 1.2V). At this time, the proximity sensor 272R is at the detection limit of the tube PIR, so V2 is the maximum value V 2MAX On the other hand, when the proximity sensor 272R is located directly above the tube PIR, the detected value V2 is the minimum value V 2MIN At this time, the proximity sensor 272L is at the detection limit of the tube PIL, so V1 is the maximum value V 1MAX (approximately 5.0V).

[0070] In addition, in the section from when the proximity sensor 272L is located directly above the pipe PIL to when the proximity sensor 272R is located directly above the pipe PIR, the proximity sensor 272L detects the pipe PIL and the proximity sensor 272R detects the pipe PIR. The difference in the detection values ​​of the proximity sensors 272L and 272R in this section can be expressed as follows: V1-V2={a(xp) 2 +q}-{a(xpD) 2 +q} =2aDx-a(2pD+D 2 ) 2 5, when the detection values ​​of proximity sensors 272L and 272R are equal, that is, when V1-V2=0, the amount of deviation also becomes zero. Therefore, the function representing the amount of deviation can be expressed as the following linear function by setting the second term on the right side of the above equation to zero.

[0071] x=(V1-V2) / 2aD Now, let us assume that the proximity sensors 272R and 272L move further to the right from the state where the proximity sensor 272R is located directly above the tube PIR. In this state, the proximity sensor 272R is outside the detection range of the tube PIL, so V1 = V 1MAX (approximately 5.0 V). Meanwhile, the proximity sensor 272R is within the detection range of the tube PIR, and V2 = a(xpD) 2 +q. Therefore, the difference between the detection values ​​of the proximity sensors 272L and 272R in this state can be expressed as follows: V1-V2=V 1MAX -a(xpD) 2 -q As mentioned above, the deviation is set to zero when V1-V2=0. In other words, -a(2pD+D 2 ) 2 = 0. Since a ≠ 0 and D ≠ 0, 2p + D = 0. Therefore, when the proximity sensor 272L is outside the detection range of the tube PIL and the proximity sensor 272R is within the detection range of the tube PIR, the function representing the amount of deviation is expressed as follows: x = {-(V1 - V2 + qV 1MAX ) / a} 1 / 2 +D / 2 As described above, the difference between the detection values ​​of proximity sensors 272L and 272R can be expressed by simple approximations for the cases where only one of proximity sensors 272L and 272R detects a pipe and where both detect a pipe. By using these approximations, it is possible to derive a function for determining the amount of deviation from the difference between the detection values ​​of proximity sensors 272L and 272R.

[0072] Fig. 8 is a diagram showing a function for calculating the amount of deviation from the difference (V1-V2) in the detection values ​​of proximity sensors 272L and 272R. The vertical axis of the graph in Fig. 8 represents the amount of deviation (unit: mm) of proximity sensor 272L from the position directly above pipe PIL, and the horizontal axis represents the difference (voltage difference, unit: V) in the detection values ​​of proximity sensors 272L and 272R.

[0073] The function shown in Fig. 8 is a straight line (linear function) in the section where the deviation amount is from 0 to approximately 15 mm. Specifically, the function in this section is a linear function in which the deviation amount increases in proportion to the voltage difference (V1 - V2), as shown in Equation (1) in Fig. 8.

[0074] 8 is a curve in the range from 15 to 45 mm. Specifically, the function in this range is expressed as follows: 1 / 2 It is a function that decreases according to the value of V. 1MAX = 5. In other words, the "5" in (V1-V2+q-5) in formula (2) is V 1MAX is.

[0075] That is, when both the proximity sensors 272L and 272R detect the pipe (V1≠V 1MAX and V2 ≠ V 2MAX When only one of the proximity sensors 272L and 272R detects a pipe, the deviation amount x is calculated by the above formula (1). When only one of the proximity sensors 272L and 272R detects a pipe, the deviation amount calculation unit 103 calculates the deviation amount x by the above formula (2). Here, when only one of the proximity sensors 272L and 272R detects a pipe, it means that (V1=V 1MAX and V2 ≠ V 2MAX ) or (V2=V 2MAX and V1≠V 1MAX ) at that time.

[0076] In this way, by arranging the proximity sensor 272R so that when the proximity sensor 272L is positioned directly above the tube PIL, the proximity sensor 272R is positioned at the detection limit of the tube PIR, and when the proximity sensor 272R is positioned directly above the tube PIR, the proximity sensor 272L is positioned at the detection limit of the tube PIL, the amount of deviation can be calculated using the simple functions of equations (1) and (2).

[0077] Depending on the distance between the proximity sensors 272L and 272R and the pipes PIL and PIR, the value in the root of equation (2) may be negative. In this case, the deviation amount calculation unit 103 sets the first term on the right side of equation (2) to zero. Furthermore, depending on whether the value of (V1-V2) is positive or negative, in other words, the magnitude relationship between V1 and V2, it can also be determined whether the center position of the adjacent pipes and the center position of the proximity sensors 272L and 272R are shifted to the left or right. Specifically, if V1>V2, it can be determined that there is a deviation to the right, and if V2>V1, it can be determined that there is a deviation to the left.

[0078] As described above, the control device 1 includes the deviation amount calculation unit 103 that calculates the amount of deviation of the cleaning device 2 from a predetermined reference position based on the detection values ​​of the pair of proximity sensors 272L and 272R that detect pipes and are attached to the cleaning device 2. The movement control unit 104 controls the movement of the cleaning device 2 based on the tilt angle identified by the angle identification unit 102 and the amount of deviation calculated by the deviation amount calculation unit 103.

[0079] More specifically, a pair of proximity sensors 272L and 272R are arranged so that when one is positioned directly above a pipe, the other is at the detection limit of the pipe adjacent to that pipe. Then, deviation amount calculation unit 103 calculates the deviation amount using formula (2), which is an approximation formula that approximates the relationship between the difference between the detection values ​​of the pair of proximity sensors 272L and 272R and the deviation amount.

[0080] As described above, if proximity sensors 272L and 272R are attached to cleaning device 2 at symmetrical positions on the left and right sides to detect two parallel pipes, when cleaning device 2 is located at the center of the two pipes, the distance from proximity sensor 272L to pipe PIL and the distance from proximity sensor 272R to pipe PIR will be equal. In this case, the output values ​​of proximity sensors 272L and 272R will be the same or almost the same.

[0081] On the other hand, when the cleaning device 2 is positioned away from the center between the two pipes, the output values ​​of the proximity sensors 272L and 272R are different. In this case, the difference between the output values ​​of the proximity sensors 272L and 272R is a value that corresponds to the magnitude of the deviation between the center of the cleaning device 2 in the left-right direction and the center between the pipes PIL and PIR.

[0082] Therefore, it is possible to calculate the amount of deviation of the cleaning device 2 from the reference position based on the detection values ​​of the proximity sensors 272L and 272R attached at symmetrical positions on the left and right of the cleaning device 2. For example, it is also possible to calculate the amount of deviation between the center position of the cleaning device 2 in the left-right direction and the center position between multiple pipes arranged in parallel.

[0083] Then, by controlling the movement using this amount of deviation, it is possible to align the cleaning device 2 to a predetermined position relative to the pipe. For example, by controlling the movement of the cleaning device 2 so that the amount of deviation is zero, it is possible to align the cleaning device 2 to the center position between the pipes.

[0084] 6, the output characteristics of proximity sensor 272 differ when the detection target is near proximity sensor 272 and when the detection target is located far from proximity sensor 272, i.e., near the detection limit. For this reason, when approximating the output characteristics when the detection target is near proximity sensor 272 with a quadratic equation, strictly speaking, the output characteristics when the detection target is near the detection limit must be approximated with yet another equation.

[0085] In this case, however, the output characteristics of proximity sensor 272 are divided into three parts: a quadratic equation, the other equation mentioned above, and a constant. If two proximity sensors, proximity sensors 272L and 272R, are used, the equation expressing the difference between their detected values ​​becomes complicated, and the need for case distinctions increases, making the calculations more complicated.

[0086] Therefore, proximity sensors 272L and 272R of cleaning device 2 are positioned so that when one is positioned directly above a pipe, the other is at the detection limit of the pipe adjacent to that pipe. The detection value at the detection limit position is approximated to be the maximum detection value. This makes it possible to calculate the amount of deviation through a simple calculation: when both proximity sensors 272L and 272R are detecting the pipe, the above formula (1) is used, and when only one of proximity sensors 272L and 272R is detecting the pipe, the above formula (2) is used.

[0087] In this embodiment, an example is described in which the proximity sensors 272L and 272R are attached at symmetrical positions on the left and right sides of the cleaning device 2, but this is not limiting. The proximity sensors 272L and 272R may be arranged in a predetermined direction and at a predetermined distance from a reference position (e.g., the center position) of the cleaning device 2. For example, one proximity sensor may be arranged a predetermined distance forward of the center position of the cleaning device 2, and the other proximity sensor may be arranged a predetermined distance backward.

[0088] Furthermore, the detector for detecting the pipe is not limited to the proximity sensor 272. For example, any detector capable of detecting the pipe without contact, such as a distance measurement sensor (e.g., a laser distance measurement sensor) or an ultrasonic sensor, can be applied. Furthermore, the number of detectors installed is not limited to two, but may be three or more, and multiple types of detectors may be used in combination.

[0089] Furthermore, the approximation formula for approximating the relationship between the difference in detection values ​​of the proximity sensors and the amount of deviation is not limited to the examples of formulas (1) and (2). For example, depending on the type and arrangement of the detector for detecting the pipe, approximation can also be performed using a higher-order function (including a quadratic function or a cubic function), an exponential function, a logarithmic function, or a combination thereof. However, the configuration using formulas (1) and (2) described above is preferable because it has the advantage of being able to calculate the amount of deviation through simple calculations.

[0090] (Example of control: centering) As an example of control of the cleaning device 2 based on the above-mentioned amount of deviation and tilt angle, we will explain centering control of the cleaning device 2. Centering refers to moving the cleaning device 2 to a central position between the pipes, and by centering, the pantograph 25 can be lowered between the pipes to perform cleaning (see Figure 2).

[0091] Fig. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the operation of the cleaning device 2 during centering. Fig. 9 shows a view from above of the cleaning devices 2 on pipes PI1 to PI3 that are arranged parallel to each other and at equal intervals. In Fig. 9, the center position between pipes PI1 and PI2 is indicated by dashed line L7. Centering is complete when dashed line L8, which divides the cleaning device 2 into two equal parts in the left-right direction, coincides with dashed line L7.

[0092] For centering, first, the movement control unit 104 sets the cleaning device 2 in a state parallel to the pipes PI1 to PI3. Specifically, the movement control unit 104 acquires the latest tilt angle Δθ identified by the angle identification unit 102, and sets the target tilt angle Δθ T is set to zero and the threshold Δθ S Find |Δθ|=Δθ S In the example of FIG. 9, it is determined whether |Δθ|>Δθ S In this case, the movement control unit 104 calculates |Δθ|=Δθ S The cleaning device 2 is turned left until the arrow indicates the position (ST2).

[0093] |Δθ|=Δθ S Then, the movement control unit 104 obtains the latest deviation amount Δy calculated by the deviation amount calculation unit 103, and satisfies |Δy|=y S Determine whether y is true (ST3). S For example, |Δy|>Δy may be set to a value obtained by adding a predetermined margin to 0. The margin is determined according to the pipe pitch, pipe diameter, and pantograph width, etc. The margin is likely to be several mm. In the example of Figure 9, |Δy|>Δy S In this case, the movement control unit 104 performs control to bring Δy closer to zero.

[0094] Specifically, the movement control unit 104 moves the cleaning device 2 forward or backward while orienting it in a direction inclined relative to the extension direction of the pipes PI1 to PI3, thereby bringing Δy closer to zero. At this time, it is expected that centering by moving only forward or backward may result in moving away from the start position of straight travel. For this reason, it is preferable to perform centering by a multi-stage process in which forward and backward travel are alternately repeated.

[0095] When alternately repeating forward and backward movement, the movement control unit 104 determines whether the previous movement was forward movement or backward movement. Also, it determines whether to move leftward or rightward based on the value of Δy. For example, if the value of Δy at a position to the right of Δy=0 is output as a positive value and the value of Δy at a position to the left of Δy=0 is output as a negative value, the movement control unit 104 may determine to move leftward if the value of Δy is positive, or to move rightward if the value of Δy is negative.

[0096] Then, the movement control unit 104 determines the turning direction based on these determination results. Specifically, when moving leftward and the previous movement was forward, the movement control unit 104 determines to make a right turn. Furthermore, when moving leftward and the previous movement was backward, the movement control unit 104 determines to make a left turn. The same applies when moving rightward; the movement control unit 104 determines to make a left turn if the previous movement was forward, and to make a right turn if the previous movement was backward. In the example of FIG. 9, it is assumed that it is necessary to move rightward and the previous movement was forward, so the movement control unit 104 determines to make a left turn (ST4).

[0097] After determining the turning direction, the movement control unit 104 transmits a turning instruction in the determined direction to the cleaning device 2. The target turning angle Δθ T That is, after transmitting the turning instruction, the movement control unit 104 determines the angle Δθ=Δθ specified by the angle specifying unit 102. T At this timing, the cleaning device 2 is instructed to end the rotation (ST5).

[0098] After the above-mentioned turning is completed, the movement control unit 104 moves the cleaning device 2 forward or backward. Specifically, if the previous movement was a forward movement, a backward movement instruction is sent to the cleaning device 2, and if the previous movement was a backward movement, a forward movement instruction is sent to the cleaning device 2 (ST6). A method for determining the forward or backward movement time at this time, i.e., the running time of the cleaning device 2, will be described later with reference to FIG. 10.

[0099] (How to calculate driving time) Fig. 10 is a diagram explaining a method for calculating the travel time of the cleaning device 2 during centering. Fig. 10 shows the cleaning device 2 as viewed from above. Note that the cleaning device 2 is drawn small. In Fig. 10, the center position of the parallel pipes PIL and PIR is indicated by a dashed line L9, and the line dividing the cleaning device 2 in half in the left-right direction is indicated by a dashed line L10.

[0100] As shown in the figure, the angle between the dashed lines L9 and L10 is Δθ T The displacement of the cleaning device 2 from the broken line L9 is Δy. The moving distance from the center position of the cleaning device 2 to the position on the broken line L9 when moving forward along the broken line L10 is L P is.

[0101] At this time, the movement control unit 104 may calculate the travel time of the cleaning device 2 using equation (3) shown in FIG. 10. Note that V in equation (3) is the travel speed of the cleaning device 2. Also, Δy / sin(Δθ T )=L P In other words, the formula (3) expresses the travel distance of the cleaning device 2 as L P Not L P to (1+k b ) times L P *(1+k b )=Δy / sin(Δθ T )*(1+k b ) to calculate the travel time. Generally, the surface of the pipe is slippery, so by calculating the travel time after adding the travel distance in this way, L P It is possible to drive the distance closer to the target distance.

[0102] Above k b is the bias value. As shown in Figure 10, k b =(k p +k n ) / 2, that is, the bias value k at the time of the previous movement p and the bias value k during this movement n The arithmetic mean value of k b As shown in FIG. 10, the current bias value k n is the positional deviation Δy after the most recent movement n and the positional deviation amount Δy before the movement p The ratio (Δy n / Δy p )

[0103] For example, EX1 in Fig. 10 shows an example of centering by moving three stages from a state where the amount of positional deviation is Δy1. In EX1, the center position of the cleaning device 2 when the amount of positional deviation is Δy1 is indicated by point P1. Furthermore, the amount of positional deviation after the first stage of movement is Δy2, and the center position of the cleaning device 2 at this time is indicated by point P2. The amount of positional deviation after the second stage of movement is Δy3, and the center position of the cleaning device 2 at this time is indicated by point P3.

[0104] In the first stage of movement, the movement control unit 104 sets the default bias value k d The travel time is calculated using equation (3). Here, Δy1 is substituted for Δy in equation (3). k d For example, the last used bias value k b Alternatively, a predetermined value may be applied. Note that a predetermined constant smaller than Δy1 may be substituted for Δy to ensure that centering is performed in multiple stages. This constant indicates the upper limit of the shift width in one stage of movement, and may be set in advance depending on the space on the pipe, etc. The running time is calculated using this constant until the amount of shift calculated by the shift amount calculation unit 103 becomes equal to or less than this constant.

[0105] In the second stage movement, the movement control unit 104 calculates the ratio (Δy2 / Δy1) of the positional deviation amount Δy2 after the first stage movement to the positional deviation amount Δy1 before the movement as the current bias value k n Then, the movement control unit 104 calculates the calculated k n and the previously applied bias value k d The arithmetic mean value of these values ​​is used as the bias value for the second-stage movement. This allows the movement distance to be controlled in the second-stage movement according to the amount of deviation before and after the first-stage movement.

[0106] In the third stage movement, the movement control unit 104 calculates the ratio (Δy3 / Δy2) of the positional deviation amount Δy3 after the second stage movement to the positional deviation amount Δy2 before the second stage movement as the current bias value k n Then, the movement control unit 104 calculates the calculated k n and the previously applied bias value k b The arithmetic mean value of these values ​​is used as the bias value for the third-stage movement. This allows the movement distance to be controlled in the third-stage movement according to the amount of deviation before and after the second-stage movement.

[0107] In EX1, the position reaches the dashed line L9, i.e., the center position between the tubes PIL and PIR, after three stages of movement, but if the position does not reach the dashed line L9 even after the third stage of movement, the movement control unit 104 performs a fourth stage of movement in the same manner.

[0108] In this way, the movement control unit 104 may perform centering while repeatedly moving forward and backward and updating the bias value. Note that depending on the condition of the pipe, it is possible that the robot may pass over the broken line L9. In such a case, the sign of the deviation amount Δy before and after the movement is reversed, and k n =(Δy n / Δy p ) becomes a negative value. In this case, the movement control unit 104 n = 0 to control movement.

[0109] As described above, when moving the cleaning device 2 a predetermined distance, the movement control unit 104 may move the predetermined distance in multiple stages. In this case, it is preferable that the movement control unit 104 adjusts the movement distance in the subsequent stage of movement according to the amount of deviation before and after the movement in the previous stage.

[0110] When cleaning device 2 is moved along a pipe, even if it is controlled to move forward at the same set speed for the same amount of time, variations in the distance traveled may occur due to factors such as the slipperiness of the pipe surface. Therefore, with the above configuration, when cleaning device 2 is moved a predetermined distance, the predetermined distance is moved in multiple stages, and the distance traveled in each subsequent stage is adjusted depending on the deviation before and after the movement in each previous stage. This makes it possible to stably move cleaning device 2 a predetermined distance regardless of the surface condition of the pipe along which cleaning device 2 moves.

[0111] In the example of Fig. 10, adjustment is performed according to the amount of deviation before and after the previous movement, but adjustment may also be performed taking into consideration the amount of deviation before that. For example, in the third stage movement in EX1, the bias value used in the first stage adjustment, the bias value used in the second stage adjustment, and the newly calculated b n The arithmetic mean value of b Alternatively, a weighted average value or the like may be used instead of the arithmetic average value.

[0112] (Control example: straight driving) After centering and cleaning at the center position between the pipes, the movement control unit 104 moves the cleaning device 2 in a straight line while maintaining the center position between the pipes, thereby allowing cleaning at another position on the same pipe.

[0113] To control the cleaning device 2 to travel straight while maintaining the center position between the pipes, for example, the tilt angle specified by the angle specifying unit 102 can be used. This is because if the tilt angle can be maintained at zero, the state in which the center position between the pipes is maintained can also be maintained.

[0114] Furthermore, if the deviation between the cleaning device 2 and the center position before straight traveling is zero or a value close to zero, it is not difficult to keep the final deviation within the allowable range. On the other hand, if the deviation between the cleaning device 2 and the center position before straight traveling is within the allowable range but is somewhat large, it becomes more difficult to keep the final deviation within the allowable range.

[0115] Therefore, before performing straight-line traveling, the movement control unit 104 may determine whether the amount of deviation calculated by the deviation amount calculation unit 103 is equal to or less than a threshold, and may perform different control when the amount of deviation is equal to or less than the threshold and when it exceeds the threshold. For example, in the former case, the movement control unit 104 may apply a high-speed straight-line mode in which the cleaning device 2 moves at high speed, and in the latter case, the movement control unit 104 may apply a low-speed straight-line mode in which the movement speed is slower than that in the high-speed straight-line mode.

[0116] (High-speed straight-line mode) When the high-speed straight-ahead mode is applied, the movement control unit 104 may calculate the travel time as L / V, which is the distance to be traveled L divided by the travel speed V. After the cleaning device 2 starts traveling, the movement control unit 104 determines whether the tilt angle identified by the angle identification unit 102 exceeds the allowable value. If the movement control unit 104 determines that the tilt angle exceeds the allowable value, it adjusts the traveling direction of the cleaning device 2.

[0117] For example, if the cleaning device 2 is equipped with crawlers 22 as shown in FIG. 2, the movement control unit 104 can adjust the direction of travel of the cleaning device 2 by increasing or decreasing the speed of one of the pair of left and right crawlers 22.

[0118] Here, suppose that the tilt angle Δθ identified by the angle identification unit 102 after the cleaning device 2 starts traveling straight exceeds the allowable value. In this case, the movement control unit 104 may multiply the speed of the left crawler 22 by α (α=1+|Δθ|) if the tilt angle is positive (i.e., the cleaning device 2 is tilted to the left as in the example of FIG. 3). Also, the movement control unit 104 may multiply the speed of the right crawler 22 by α if the tilt angle is negative (i.e., the cleaning device 2 is tilted to the right as opposed to the example of FIG. 3).

[0119] When moving the cleaning device 2 backward, the control is reversed, and the movement control unit 104 multiplies the speed of the right crawler 22 by α if the tilt angle is positive, and multiplies the speed of the left crawler 22 by α if the tilt angle is negative. By repeating this process until the movement of the distance L is complete, it becomes possible to move at a relatively high speed while maintaining a center position between the pipes.

[0120] (Low speed straight-line mode) When the low-speed straight-line mode is applied, the movement control unit 104, as in the high-speed straight-line mode, may control the speed of one of the crawlers 22 to be increased by a factor of α if the inclination angle exceeds the allowable value while checking the inclination angle until the travel time is L / V and the distance L is completed. However, when the low-speed straight-line mode is applied, it is preferable that the movement control unit 104 also checks the amount of deviation and adjusts the direction of travel of the cleaning device 2 if the amount of deviation exceeds the allowable value.

[0121] For example, the movement control unit 104 may perform the above control when the tilt angle identified by the angle identification unit 102 exceeds the allowable value, and may check the amount of deviation calculated by the deviation amount calculation unit 103 when the tilt angle identified by the angle identification unit 102 is equal to or less than the allowable value. Then, when the amount of deviation exceeds the allowable value, the movement control unit 104 may perform an operation to move the object toward the center position. Note that when the amount of deviation is equal to or less than the allowable value, the movement control unit 104 may return to the tilt angle confirmation process.

[0122] In the approaching operation, if the amount of deviation is a value indicating that the cleaning device 2 is shifted to the left of the central position, the movement control unit 104 may increase the speed of the left crawler 22 by β (β > α). Then, the movement control unit 104 may run the cleaning device 2 for a predetermined time with the speed of the left crawler 22 increased by β, and then increase the speed of the right crawler 22 by β to return the vehicle body angle. Furthermore, if the amount of deviation is a value indicating that the cleaning device 2 is shifted to the right of the central position, the movement control unit 104 may increase the speed of the right crawler 22 by β. Then, the movement control unit 104 may run the cleaning device 2 for a predetermined time with the speed of the right crawler 22 increased by β, and then increase the speed of the left crawler 22 by β to return the vehicle body angle. When the cleaning device 2 is moved backward, the control is reversed to the above, and the movement control unit 104 causes the cleaning device 2 to run for a predetermined time with the speed of the left crawler 22 multiplied by β if the device is to the left, and causes the cleaning device 2 to run for a predetermined time with the speed of the right crawler 22 multiplied by β if the device is to the right.

[0123] In this way, by running the left and right crawlers 22 at different speeds for a predetermined time, it is possible to reduce or eliminate the amount of deviation of the cleaning device 2. After running the cleaning device 2 for a predetermined time with the left and right crawlers 22 at different speeds, the movement control unit 104 can return the speeds of the left and right crawlers 22 to the same speed and return to the process of checking the inclination angle.

[0124] (Example of control: column movement) When cleaning of the entire two adjacent pipes is completed, the movement control unit 104 causes the cleaning device 2 to move in a row. Note that the row in the row movement refers to the section between a certain pipe and a pipe adjacent to that pipe.

[0125] In the column movement, the movement control unit 104 first determines a target angle Δθ based on the tilt angle specified by the angle specifying unit 102. TThe cleaning device 2 is rotated until the rotation is complete, and then moved forward after the rotation is complete. The travel time for this forward travel can be calculated, for example, using the following equation (4). Note that P is the distance between adjacent pipes, and V is the travel speed of the cleaning device 2.

[0126] (Travel time) = P * sin(Δθ T ) / V …(4) Next, the movement control unit 104 returns the tilt angle of the cleaning device 2 to zero based on the tilt angle identified by the angle identification unit 102. Here, if the cleaning device 2 is positioned at the center of the row before moving in the row and the cleaning device 2 moves at a speed of P*sin(Δθ T ) after the movement. In this case, when the tilt angle is returned to zero, the amount of deviation of the cleaning device 2 from the center position of the row after the movement is P*{cos(Δθ T )} 2 This becomes:

[0127] Next, the movement control unit 104 moves the cleaning device 2 at a tilt angle (90-Δθ) based on the tilt angle identified by the angle identification unit 102. T ) In this way, the movement control unit 104 may rotate the cleaning device 2 so that the first and second rotation angles differ by 90°. Then, the movement control unit 104 moves the cleaning device 2 backward after the above rotation is completed.

[0128] Here, assume that the cleaning device 2 is positioned at the center of the row before moving forward, and that the cleaning device 2 moves forward by the first forward movement. T ), the cleaning device 2 is moved forward by P*cos(Δθ T ), the position of the cleaning device 2 after moving backward will be a position that has moved a distance P directly to the side from the position of the cleaning device 2 before moving in a row. Therefore, the traveling time for traveling backward is calculated by the following formula (5).

[0129] (travel time)=P*cos(Δθ T ) / V …(5) The row movement is achieved by a combination of turning, moving forward, turning, and moving backward as described above. Note that the cleaning device 2 may be moved backward after the first turning, in which case the cleaning device 2 may be moved forward after the second turning. The turning direction may be determined depending on which row the cleaning device 2 is to be moved to and the direction of travel of the cleaning device 2. For example, when moving to the left row and moving the cleaning device 2 forward after the first turning, the cleaning device 2 may be turned left.

[0130] Note that even if the cleaning device 2 is moved forward or backward for the above-mentioned travel time, the cleaning device 2 may not move to the desired position due to factors such as the slipperiness of the pipe surface. For this reason, the deviation amount calculation unit 103 may calculate the deviation amount Δy from the center position of the line after the first travel. Then, the movement control unit 104 may adjust the second travel time according to the deviation amount Δy calculated by the deviation amount calculation unit 103. In other words, the movement control unit 104 may calculate the second travel time using the deviation amount Δy calculated after the first travel ends.

[0131] After the above process is completed, the displacement calculation unit 103 calculates the displacement Δy from the center position of the column after the movement. If the displacement Δy exceeds the allowable range, the above-mentioned centering is performed.

[0132] (Processing before starting control of cleaning device) For example, if the photographing device 271 is not photographing normally, the angle identification unit 102 cannot identify an appropriate tilt angle, and the movement control unit 104 cannot perform appropriate control.

[0133] Therefore, prior to the various controls described above, the movement control unit 104 may acquire the tilt angle identified by the angle identification unit 102 and determine whether the tilt angle is within a preset invalid range. If the tilt angle acquired in time series from the angle identification unit 102 is within the invalid range a predetermined number of times in succession, the movement control unit 104 may transmit an abnormality signal and terminate control of the cleaning device 2. This makes it possible to prevent unintended control from being performed.

[0134] (Determining the action to be performed by the cleaning device) As described above, the control device 1 can perform operations such as centering, moving in a line, and traveling straight ahead. The determination of which of these operations to perform may be configured to be made by the control device 1 itself, or by a separate control device provided upstream of the control device 1. In the latter case, the upstream control device determines the operation to be performed by the cleaning device 2, for example, in accordance with an operator's operation, and notifies the control device 1 of the determined operation. The control device 1 operates the cleaning device 2 in accordance with this notification, and upon completion of the operation, notifies the upstream control device of a completion notification. After receiving the completion notification, the upstream control device determines the next operation to be performed and notifies the control device 1 of the determined operation. By repeating this process, the cleaning device 2 can clean the pipe. Control of the extension and retraction of the pantograph 25 and control of water discharge, which do not use the amount of deviation or tilt angle, may be performed by the control device 1 or the upstream control device.

[0135] (Processing flow: Control based on tilt angle) Of the processes executed by the control device 1, control based on the tilt angle identified by the angle identification unit 102 will be described with reference to Fig. 11. Fig. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of a method for controlling the cleaning device 2 based on the tilt angle. It is assumed here that the cleaning device 2 is placed on a plurality of water pipes arranged in parallel, and that the water pipes are photographed by the photographing device 271 attached to the cleaning device 2.

[0136] In S11, the pipe detection unit 101 acquires an image captured by the imaging device 271 attached to the cleaning device 2. Then, in S12, the pipe detection unit 101 detects a water pipe from the image acquired in S11. The method for detecting a water pipe has already been described, and therefore the description will not be repeated here.

[0137] In S13, angle identification unit 102 identifies the tilt angle of the pipe detected in S12. The method for identifying the tilt angle of the pipe detected in the image has already been described, and therefore the description will not be repeated here.

[0138] In S14, the movement control unit 104 determines whether or not to control the cleaning device 2 based on the tilt angle identified in S13. If it is determined that control will not be performed (NO in S14), the processing in Fig. 11 ends. On the other hand, if it is determined that control will be performed (YES in S14), the processing proceeds to S15, where the movement control unit 104 controls the cleaning device 2 based on the tilt angle identified in S13, and the processing in Fig. 11 ends.

[0139] Various control contents can be applied to S15, and the determination criterion of S14 may be set appropriately depending on the control contents of S15. For example, the movement control unit 104 may set the tilt angle of the cleaning device 2 to Δθ T When performing turning control to achieve this, in S14, the tilt angle specified in S13 is Δθ T If it is within the allowable range, no control is required. T If the difference is not within the allowable range, it is determined that control is necessary.

[0140] Also, for example, when the cleaning device 2 is traveling straight, the movement control unit 104 determines in S14 that control is not necessary if the tilt angle identified in S13 is within an allowable value, and that control is necessary if it exceeds the allowable value. Then, in S15, the movement control unit 104 adjusts the speed of the crawler 22 so that the tilt angle identified in S13 becomes zero or approaches zero.

[0141] As described above, the control method for the cleaning device 2 executed by the control device 1 includes a pipe detection step (S12) for detecting pipes from images captured by the imaging device 271 attached to the cleaning device 2 that cleans the surfaces of pipes, an angle identification step (S13) for identifying the tilt angle of the pipe detected in the pipe detection step, and a movement control step (S15) for controlling the movement of the cleaning device 2 based on this tilt angle. According to this control method, general-purpose movement control of the cleaning device 2 can be realized based on the images captured by the imaging device 271.

[0142] (Processing flow: Control based on deviation amount) Of the processes executed by the control device 1, control based on the amount of deviation identified by the deviation amount calculation unit 103 will be described with reference to Fig. 12. Fig. 12 is a flowchart showing an example of a method for controlling the cleaning device 2 based on the amount of deviation. Note that it is assumed here that the cleaning device 2 is located between a pair of adjacent water tubes among a plurality of water tubes arranged in parallel.

[0143] In S21, the deviation amount calculation unit 103 acquires detection values ​​from a pair of proximity sensors 272L and 272R attached at symmetrical positions on the left and right of the cleaning device 2. Then, in S22, the deviation amount calculation unit 103 calculates the amount of deviation of the cleaning device 2 from a predetermined reference position based on the detection values ​​acquired in S21. For example, the deviation amount calculation unit 103 calculates the amount of deviation between the center position of the cleaning device 2 in the left-right direction and the center position between multiple tubes arranged in parallel.

[0144] As described above, when calculating this deviation amount, the approximation formula used by deviation amount calculation unit 103 to calculate the deviation amount differs depending on whether both proximity sensors 272L and 272R are detecting the water pipe (when both detection values ​​are less than the maximum value) or whether only one is detecting the water pipe (when one detection value is the maximum value).

[0145] Specifically, when the detection values ​​of both proximity sensors 272L and 272R are less than the maximum value, deviation amount calculation unit 103 calculates the deviation amount by substituting the difference between those detection values ​​into the above-mentioned formula (1). On the other hand, when the detection value of one of proximity sensors 272L and 272R is the maximum value and the detection value of the other is less than the maximum value, deviation amount calculation unit 103 calculates the deviation amount by substituting the difference between those detection values ​​into the above-mentioned formula (2).

[0146] In S23, the movement control unit 104 determines whether or not to control the cleaning device 2 based on the amount of deviation calculated in S22. If it is determined that control will not be performed (NO in S23), the processing in Fig. 12 ends. On the other hand, if it is determined that control will be performed (YES in S23), the processing proceeds to S24, where the movement control unit 104 controls the cleaning device 2 based on the amount of deviation calculated in S22, and the processing in Fig. 12 ends.

[0147] Note that various control contents can be applied to S24, and the judgment criteria of S23 can be set appropriately depending on the control contents of S24. For example, when performing centering, etc., the movement control unit 104 determines in S23 that control is not necessary if the amount of deviation calculated in S22 is within an allowable value, and that control is necessary if the amount of deviation exceeds the allowable value. Then, in S24, the movement control unit 104 performs control to reduce the amount of deviation. For example, the movement control unit 104 performs control to rotate the cleaning device 2 to a predetermined tilt angle and then move it forward or backward, or control to increase or decrease the speed of one of the left and right crawlers 22.

[0148] As described above, the control method for the cleaning device 2 executed by the control device 1 includes a deviation amount calculation step (S22) for calculating the deviation amount of the cleaning device 2 from a predetermined reference position based on the detection values ​​of a pair of proximity sensors 272L and 272R attached at symmetrical positions on the left and right sides of the cleaning device 2, which cleans multiple pipes arranged in parallel, and a movement control step (S24) for controlling the movement of the cleaning device 2 based on the deviation amount. The pair of proximity sensors 272L and 272R are positioned so that when one is positioned directly above a pipe, the other is at the detection limit of the pipe adjacent to the pipe. The deviation amount calculation step calculates the deviation amount using Equation (2), which is an approximation formula that approximates the relationship between the difference in detection values ​​of the pair of proximity sensors 272L and 272R and the deviation amount, or Equation (1), which is an approximation formula that approximates the relationship between the difference in detection values ​​of the proximity sensors 272L and 272R and the deviation amount using a linear function. This allows for versatile movement control of the cleaning device 2. Furthermore, the amount of deviation can be calculated by a simple calculation using a simple approximation formula.

[0149] [Embodiment 2] Other embodiments of the present invention will be described below. For ease of explanation, the same reference numerals will be used to designate components having the same functions as those described in the above embodiment, and the description thereof will not be repeated.

[0150] In this embodiment, an example will be described with reference to Fig. 13 in which the deviation amount calculation unit 103 calculates the deviation amount of the cleaning device 2 from a predetermined reference position based on the detection result of the pipe detection unit 101, rather than the detection value of the proximity sensor 272. Fig. 13 is a diagram showing an example of calculation of the deviation amount based on the detection result of the pipe detection unit 101.

[0151] The configuration of the control device of this embodiment is the same as the configuration of the control device 1 of embodiment 1 (see FIG. 1) except for the content of the processing executed by the deviation amount calculation unit 103, and therefore the control device of this embodiment is also referred to as the control device 1. The cleaning device of this embodiment is also the same as the cleaning device 2 of embodiment 1, and therefore the cleaning device of this embodiment is also referred to as the cleaning device 2. However, the cleaning device 2 of this embodiment differs from the cleaning device 2 of embodiment 1 in that it does not need to be equipped with the proximity sensor 272.

[0152] As described in the first embodiment, the pipe detection unit 101 detects pipes from an image captured by the imaging device 271 attached to the cleaning device 2. In the example of Fig. 13, four contour lines of a pipe are detected from the image IMG6 captured by the imaging device 271.

[0153] More specifically, image IMG6 shows pipes PI11 to PI14, of which pipes PI11 and PI14 are located on the contact surface (top row) with the cleaning device 2, and pipes PI12 and PI13 are located behind them (second row). The contour line of the right end of pipe PI11 and its upper end point p1, the contour line of the right end of pipe PI12 and its upper end point p2, the contour line of the left end of pipe PI13 and its upper end point p3, and the contour line of the left end of pipe PI14 and its upper end point p4 have been detected.

[0154] When the image capturing device 271 is disposed at the center position in the left-right direction of the cleaning device 2, the amount of deviation between the center position in the left-right direction of the area sandwiched between the uppermost pipes PI and PI14 (hereinafter referred to as the inter-pipe area) and the center position in the left-right direction of the image IMG6 represents the amount of deviation of the cleaning device 2. Therefore, the deviation amount calculation unit 103 only needs to identify the inter-pipe area from the image IMG6 when calculating the amount of deviation.

[0155] To identify the inter-pipe region, the deviation amount calculation unit 103 identifies the bottom end points corresponding to the top end points p1 to p4 using the tilt angle identified by the angle identification unit 102 and the coordinate values ​​of the top end points p1 to p4, and identifies a rectangular region defined by the top end points and the bottom end points. Then, the deviation amount calculation unit 103 determines whether the identified rectangular region is an inter-pipe region.

[0156] For example, in IMG7 in Figure 13, the deviation calculation unit 103 identifies the bottom endpoint p6 corresponding to the top endpoint p4, and then identifies the bottom endpoint p5 corresponding to the top endpoint p3 adjacent to the top endpoint p4, thereby identifying a rectangular area defined by the four points p3, p4, p6, and p5.

[0157] Next, as shown in IMG8, ​​the deviation amount calculation unit 103 masks the area outside the identified rectangular area with black and converts it to grayscale. The deviation amount calculation unit 103 then calculates a histogram of pixel values ​​within the rectangular area, and if the median is less than a threshold value (e.g., 100), determines that the area is an inter-tube area. Since the area containing the topmost pipes PI11 and PI14 typically has higher pixel values ​​than the inter-tube area, the above determination makes it possible to distinguish between the area containing the topmost pipes PI11 and PI14 and the inter-tube area. In this example, the rectangular area defined by the four points p3, p4, p6, and p5 is determined to be an inter-tube area.

[0158] 13, the deviation amount calculation unit 103 identifies a bottom endpoint p7 corresponding to the top endpoint p1. Here, after identifying the bottom endpoint p7, the deviation amount calculation unit 103 identifies a bottom endpoint p8 corresponding to the top endpoint p3 adjacent to the top endpoint p2 without identifying a bottom endpoint corresponding to the top endpoint p2, thereby identifying a rectangular area defined by the four points p1, p3, p8, and p7.

[0159] In this way, when the distance between a certain upper end point and its adjacent upper end point is equal to or less than a threshold, the deviation amount calculation unit 103 may specify the lower end point only for the certain upper end point without specifying the lower end point for the adjacent upper end point, because it is unlikely that two adjacent end points are both the ends of a pipe.

[0160] The deviation amount calculation unit 103 identifies a rectangular area defined by the four points p1, p3, p8, and p7, and then, as with IMG8, ​​masks the area outside the identified rectangular area with black and converts it to grayscale (IMG10).The deviation amount calculation unit 103 then calculates a histogram of pixel values ​​within the rectangular area, and if the median is smaller than a threshold, determines that it is an inter-tube area.In this example, the rectangular area defined by the four points p1, p3, p8, and p7 is determined to be an inter-tube area.This process is performed for all rectangular areas formed based on the detected upper endpoints.

[0161] After specifying the rectangular area based on the detected upper end point and determining whether the rectangular area is an inter-pipe area in this manner, the deviation amount calculation unit 103 integrates the specified inter-pipe areas. Specifically, of the coordinates of the vertices of the specified inter-pipe areas, the deviation amount calculation unit 103 specifies the coordinate located closest to the upper left, the coordinate located closest to the lower left, the coordinate located closest to the lower right, and the coordinate located closest to the upper right, and determines the area defined by these coordinates to be the final inter-pipe area.

[0162] 13, the deviation amount calculation unit 103 identifies four vertices, p1, p7, p6, and p4, from the vertices of the two inter-pipe regions identified as described above ("p3, p4, p6, p5" and "p1, p3, p8, p7"), as shown in IMG 11. As a result, the final inter-pipe region is identified as a rectangular region defined by the four points p1, p7, p6, and p4.

[0163] Finally, as shown in image IMG12 in Figure 13, the deviation calculation unit 103 finds the midpoint between points p1 and p4 and the midpoint between points p7 and p6, and calculates the distance Δy between the line segment L11 connecting these midpoints and the line segment L12 that bisects image IMG12 in the left-right direction as the deviation amount.

[0164] As described above, the control device 1 may be equipped with a deviation amount calculation unit 103 that calculates the deviation amount of the cleaning device 2 from a reference position based on the detection result of the pipe detection unit 101, and the movement control unit 104 may be configured to control the movement of the cleaning device 2 based on the tilt angle identified by the angle identification unit 102 and the deviation amount calculated by the deviation amount calculation unit 103.

[0165] The position of the pipe shown in the image taken by the camera 271 attached to the cleaning device 2 reflects the positional relationship between the cleaning device 2 and the pipe. Therefore, by detecting the pipe from this image, it is possible to calculate the amount of displacement of the cleaning device 2. Then, by controlling the movement using this amount of displacement, it is possible to align the cleaning device 2 to a predetermined position relative to the pipe.

[0166] [Modification] The execution entity of each process described in each of the above-described embodiments may be any entity and is not limited to the above-described examples. In other words, any device configuration may be used as long as it is capable of executing each process described in each of the above-described embodiments. For example, among the processes executed by the control device 1, the process of identifying the tilt angle, the process of calculating the amount of deviation, and the process of controlling the operation of the cleaning device 2 may be assigned to different information processing devices and executed separately. Also, for example, a configuration may be adopted in which a first control device 1 performs the process of identifying the tilt angle and the process of controlling the operation of the cleaning device 2 based on the identified tilt angle, and a second control device 1 performs the process of calculating the amount of deviation and the process of controlling the operation of the cleaning device 2 based on the calculated amount of deviation.

[0167] The control device 1 may also be mounted on the cleaning device 2. In other words, the scope of the present invention also includes a cleaning device 2 that is equipped with the control device 1 and moves according to the control of the control device 1. The cleaning device 2 equipped with the control device 1 can move alone to a predetermined position on the pipe.

[0168] [Software implementation example] The functions of the control device 1 (hereinafter referred to as the "device") can be realized by a program for causing a computer to function as the device, and a program (control program) for causing a computer to function as each control block of the device (particularly each part included in the control unit 10).

[0169] In this case, the device includes a computer having at least one control device (e.g., a processor) and at least one storage device (e.g., a memory) as hardware for executing the program. The control device and storage device execute the program, thereby realizing the functions described in each of the above embodiments.

[0170] The program may be non-transitory and may be recorded on one or more computer-readable recording media. The recording media may or may not be included in the device. In the latter case, the program may be supplied to the device via any wired or wireless transmission medium.

[0171] Furthermore, some or all of the functions of the control blocks can be realized by logic circuits. For example, an integrated circuit in which a logic circuit that functions as each of the control blocks is formed is also included in the scope of the present invention. In addition, the functions of the control blocks can also be realized by, for example, a quantum computer.

[0172] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. Embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in different embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

[0173] (Additional notes) A control device according to one aspect of the present invention includes a pipe detection unit that detects the pipe from an image captured by an imaging device attached to a cleaning device that cleans the surface of the pipe, an angle identification unit that identifies the inclination angle of the pipe detected by the pipe detection unit, and a movement control unit that controls the movement of the cleaning device based on the inclination angle.

[0174] A cleaning device control method according to one aspect of the present invention is a cleaning device control method executed by a control device, and includes a pipe detection step of detecting the pipe from an image captured by an imaging device attached to the cleaning device that cleans the surface of the pipe, an angle identification step of identifying the inclination angle of the pipe detected in the pipe detection step, and a movement control step of controlling the movement of the cleaning device based on the inclination angle. [Explanation of symbols]

[0175] 1. Control device 101 Pipe detection unit 102 Angle identification part 103 Deviation amount calculation unit 104 Movement control unit 2 Cleaning device 271 Imaging Device 272 (272R, 272L) proximity sensor

Claims

1. a displacement amount calculation unit that calculates a displacement amount of the cleaning device from a predetermined reference position based on detection values ​​of a pair of proximity sensors that detect the pipes and are attached to symmetrical positions on the left and right sides of the cleaning device to clean the pipes arranged in parallel; a movement control unit that controls movement of the cleaning device based on the amount of deviation, The pair of proximity sensors are arranged so that when one proximity sensor is located directly above the pipe, the other proximity sensor is located at a detection limit position of a pipe adjacent to the proximity sensor, The deviation amount calculation unit calculates the deviation amount using an approximation formula that approximates the relationship between a difference between the detection values ​​of the pair of proximity sensors and the deviation amount.

2. A cleaning device comprising the control device according to claim 1 and moving under the control of the control device.

3. A cleaning device control method executed by a control device, comprising: a displacement amount calculation step of calculating a displacement amount of the cleaning device from a predetermined reference position based on detection values ​​of a pair of proximity sensors attached to symmetrical positions on the left and right sides of the cleaning device that cleans a plurality of pipes arranged in parallel; a movement control step of controlling movement of the cleaning device based on the amount of deviation, The pair of proximity sensors are arranged so that when one proximity sensor is located directly above the pipe, the other proximity sensor is located at a detection limit position of a pipe adjacent to the proximity sensor, The method for controlling a cleaning device, wherein the deviation amount calculation step calculates the deviation amount using an approximation equation that approximates the relationship between a difference between the detection values ​​of the pair of proximity sensors and the deviation amount.

4. 2. A control program for causing a computer to function as the control device according to claim 1, the control program causing a computer to function as the deviation amount calculation unit and the movement control unit.

Images