Traveling map creation device, autonomous traveling robot, traveling map creation method, and program

Abstract

To provide a traveling map creation device which can easily set a no-entry area in a map for traveling of autonomous travel type robots.SOLUTION: A traveling map creation device 100 comprises: an acquisition unit 121 for acquiring a positional relation from a position sensor 110 that measures the positional relation of an object detected around the self with respect to the self; a floor map creation unit 123 for creating a floor map on the basis of the positional relation; a self-position calculation unit 122 for calculating the self-position of the position sensor 110 on the floor map; a marker identification unit 124 for identifying a marker existing around the position sensor 110; a marker position calculation unit 125 for calculating the relative position of the marker with respect to the position sensor 110; a no-entry information generation unit 126 for setting a boundary between a travelable area and a no-entry area on the basis of the floor map, the self-position, and the relative position of the marker, and generating no-entry information that includes boundary information; and a traveling map creation unit 127 for creating a map for traveling in which the no-entry area is set on the basis of the no-entry information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a traveling map creation device, an autonomous traveling robot, a traveling map creation method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an apparatus and method for generating no-entry information, such as the location of areas where entry by an autonomously moving robot is prohibited, in which a person carries reflective material to a predetermined location and uses a position sensor to measure the relative position of the reflective material, thereby creating a driving map. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-005031 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, with the technology described in Patent Document 1, a person must carry the reflective material to a designated location, switch to a reflective material with a different reflectivity for each type of no-entry zone, and then measure the relative position of the reflective material with a position sensor, which makes it time-consuming to set no-entry zones on a driving map.

[0005] Therefore, the present disclosure provides a driving map creation device, etc., that can easily set no-entry areas on a map for driving an autonomous robot, where entry of the autonomous robot is prohibited. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, a traveling map creation device according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a traveling map creation device that creates a map for traveling of an autonomously traveling robot that travels autonomously within a predetermined floor, and includes: an acquisition unit that detects objects around the device and acquires the positional relationship from a position sensor that measures the positional relationship of the object relative to the device; a floor map creation unit that creates a floor map showing the predetermined floor based on the positional relationship acquired by the acquisition unit; a self-position calculation unit that calculates the self-position, which is the current position of the position sensor on the floor map created by the floor map creation unit; The autonomous robot is equipped with a marker identification unit that identifies markers present around the position sensor, a marker position calculation unit that calculates the relative position of the marker with respect to the position sensor, a no-entry information generation unit that sets a boundary between an area in which the autonomous robot can travel and a no-entry area in which the autonomous robot is prohibited from entering based on the floor map, the self-position, and the relative position of the marker, and generates no-entry information including boundary information that indicates the set boundary, and a driving map creation unit that creates a driving map in which no-entry areas are set based on the no-entry information generated by the no-entry information generation unit.

[0007] Furthermore, an autonomous driving robot according to one aspect of the present disclosure is an autonomous driving robot that autonomously drives within a specified floor, and includes a main body, a driving unit that is disposed on the main body and enables the main body to drive, a driving map acquisition unit that acquires the driving map created by the driving map creation device, a position sensor that detects objects around the main body and measures the positional relationship of the object relative to the main body, a self-position calculation unit that calculates the self-position, which is the position of the main body on the driving map, based on the driving map and the positional relationship, a driving plan creation unit that creates a driving plan for the specified floor based on the driving map and the self-position, and a driving control unit that controls the driving unit based on the driving plan.

[0008] Furthermore, a driving map creation method according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a driving map creation method for creating a driving map for an autonomous driving robot that autonomously drives within a predetermined floor, the method including: an acquisition step of detecting objects around the robot and acquiring the positional relationship from a position sensor that measures the positional relationship of the object relative to the robot; a floor map creation step of creating a floor map showing the predetermined floor based on the positional relationship acquired in the acquisition step; a self-position calculation step of calculating the self-position, which is the current position of the position sensor on the floor map created in the floor map creation step; The method includes a marker identification step of identifying markers present in the surrounding area, a marker position calculation step of calculating the relative position of the marker with respect to the position sensor, a no-entry information generation step of setting a boundary between an area in which the autonomous robot can travel and a no-entry area in which the autonomous robot is prohibited from entering based on the floor map, the self-position, and the relative position of the marker, and generating no-entry information including boundary information indicating the set boundary, and a driving map creation step of creating a driving map in which no-entry areas are set based on the no-entry information generated in the no-entry information generation step.

[0009] The present disclosure may be realized as a program for causing a computer to execute the driving map creation method. It may also be realized as a non-transitory recording medium, such as a CD-ROM, on which the program is recorded and which can be read by a computer. The present disclosure may also be realized as information, data, or signals representing the program. These programs, information, data, and signals may be distributed via a communication network, such as the Internet. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the navigation map creation device and navigation map creation method of the present disclosure, it is possible to easily set no-entry areas in the navigation map for the autonomous mobile robot, where the autonomous mobile robot is prohibited from entering. Furthermore, the autonomous mobile robot of the present disclosure can navigate appropriately autonomously based on the navigation map. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an outline of an autonomous mobile robot system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of an autonomous mobile robot system according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the navigation map creation device according to the embodiment, seen from diagonally above. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a front view of the driving map creation device according to the embodiment, as seen from the front side. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the external appearance of the autonomous mobile robot according to the embodiment as seen from the side. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the external appearance of the autonomous mobile robot according to the embodiment as viewed from the front. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a bottom view showing the appearance of the autonomous mobile robot according to the embodiment as seen from the rear side. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a first example of the operation of the autonomous mobile robot system according to the embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the detailed flow of step S18 in FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram for schematically explaining an example of boundary setting processing based on a first marker. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram for schematically explaining an example of boundary setting processing. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing a second example of the operation of the autonomous mobile robot system according to the embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the information terminal in the second example. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating an example of display information. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments of a driving map creation device and the like according to the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that each of the embodiments described below represents a preferred specific example of the present disclosure. Therefore, the numerical values, shapes, materials, components, component arrangements and connection forms, steps, step order, and the like shown in the following embodiments are merely examples and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. Furthermore, among the components in the following embodiments, components not recited in independent claims will be described as optional components.

[0013] The accompanying drawings and the following description are provided to enable those skilled in the art to fully understand the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the subject matter described in the claims.

[0014] Furthermore, each drawing is a schematic diagram and is not necessarily an exact illustration. In addition, in each drawing, substantially the same components are assigned the same reference numerals, and duplicated explanations may be omitted or simplified.

[0015] In addition, in the following embodiments, an autonomous mobile robot traveling on the floor surface of a specified floor may be described as a top view when viewed from vertically above, and as a bottom view when viewed from vertically below.

[0016] (Embodiment) [Autonomous Driving Robot System] [1. Overview] First, an outline of an autonomous traveling robot system to which a traveling map creation device according to an embodiment is applied will be described. Fig. 1 is a diagram for explaining the outline of the autonomous traveling robot system according to an embodiment.

[0017] The autonomous mobile robot system 400 creates a navigation map for the autonomous mobile robot 300 to navigate autonomously on a predetermined floor and provides the navigation map to the autonomous mobile robot 300. The navigation map includes no-entry areas where the autonomous mobile robot 300 is prohibited from entering. The navigation map creation device 100 identifies markers (e.g., a first marker 1 and a second marker 3) attached to the wall of a predetermined floor and sets the boundary between the area where the autonomous mobile robot 300 can navigate and the no-entry area based on the type of the identified marker and its position on the floor map. The autonomous mobile robot 300 acquires the navigation map created by the navigation map creation device 100 and creates a navigation plan based on its own position and obstacle information on the navigation map. This allows the autonomous mobile robot 300 to navigate autonomously on a predetermined floor safely and appropriately. Although FIG. 1 illustrates an example in which the navigation map creation device 100 and the autonomous mobile robot 300 are separate entities, they may also be integrated. In other words, the autonomous robot may be equipped with a driving map creation device.

[0018] The predetermined floor is, for example, a floor surrounded by walls within a building. The building may be, for example, a facility such as a hotel, a commercial facility, an office building, a hospital, a nursing home, an art museum, or a library, or may be an apartment building or other collective housing. Note that the predetermined floor is not limited to a floor within a building, and may be, for example, a space between buildings.

[0019] The markers include, for example, a first marker 1 that defines the boundary between a drivable area and a no-entry area, and a second marker 3 that is different from the first marker 1 and does not define the boundary. For example, the first marker 1 is entirely made of a highly reflective material, while the second marker 3 is made of a material with high and low reflectivity. These markers may be stickers, plates, or poles.

[0020] The first marker 1 is used to set a line connecting two paired first markers as a boundary. More specifically, when there is only one pair of the first marker 1 and another first marker 1 adjacent to the first marker 1 in a first direction parallel to the wall surrounding the first marker 1 or in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction in a top view of the floor map, the first marker 1 is a marker for setting a line connecting the pair of first markers 1 and the other first marker 1 as a boundary.

[0021] The second marker 3 is, for example, a marker for setting a boundary surrounding a no-entry area. The second marker 3 is, for example, a marker for setting a boundary surrounding an area of ​​a predetermined size and shape as a no-entry area around an obstacle (e.g., a flower pot, a fire extinguisher, or other object that is difficult to detect by the position sensor 110) installed on a predetermined floor. For example, the second marker 3 may set a boundary in a polygonal shape such as a triangle, a rectangle, or a pentagon, or may set a boundary in a circular or elliptical shape. Furthermore, if the second marker 3 is attached to a wall, for example, the no-entry area may be an area of ​​a predetermined size and shape surrounded by the wall and the boundary set by the second marker 3. In the example of FIG. 1, the rectangular area 4 surrounded by the wall surface to which the second marker 3 is attached and the U-shaped boundary is the so-called no-entry area. Note that the first marker 1 and the second marker 3 are merely examples and are not limited thereto.

[0022] [2. Configuration] Next, a description will be given of the configuration of the autonomous mobile robot system 400. Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the autonomous mobile robot system 400 according to the embodiment.

[0023] As shown in Fig. 2, the autonomous mobile robot system 400 includes, for example, a mobile map creation device 100, an information terminal 200, and an autonomous mobile robot 300. The mobile map creation device 100, the information terminal 200, and the autonomous mobile robot 300 are communicatively connected via a network 10. Fig. 2 shows an example in which the autonomous mobile robot 300 is a cleaning robot, but is not limited to this. Each component will be described below.

[0024] [2-1. Driving map creation device] First, the navigation map creation device 100 will be described. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the navigation map creation device 100 according to the embodiment, seen from diagonally above. Fig. 4 is a front view of the navigation map creation device 100 according to the embodiment, seen from the front.

[0025] The traveling map creation device 100 is a device that creates a map for traveling by the autonomous mobile robot 300 that travels autonomously on a predetermined floor. More specifically, while traveling on a predetermined floor in response to user operation, the traveling map creation device 100 sets boundaries between areas in which the autonomous mobile robot 300 can travel and no-entry areas where the autonomous mobile robot 300 is prohibited from entering, based on the floor map, its own position, and the relative positions of the markers. Then, the traveling map creation device 100 creates a traveling map in which no-entry areas are set based on no-entry information that includes the set boundary information.

[0026] For example, as shown in Fig. 1, the traveling map creation device 100 may be placed on a dolly 190 and moved on a predetermined floor by a user's operation. In this example, the user pushes the dolly 190 to move the traveling map creation device 100. Also, as shown in Fig. 3, the dolly 190 may have, for example, a handle 191 attached to a stand 192 on which the information terminal 200 is placed, or a presentation unit (not shown) of the traveling map creation device 100 may be installed. The presentation unit may be a so-called display panel.

[0027] 3, the driving map creation device 100 may be provided with a driving unit including wheels and a motor for rotating the wheels on the main body 101 of the driving map creation device 100, and may be driven within a floor by operation of a remote control, etc. Also, for example, the driving map creation device 100 may further be provided with a steering wheel on the main body 101, in which case the user may drive the driving map creation device 100 by operating the steering wheel.

[0028] Next, we will explain the configuration of the navigation map creation device 100. As shown in Fig. 2, the navigation map creation device 100 includes, for example, a position sensor 110, an imaging unit 112, a control unit 120, a storage unit 130, a notification unit 140, and a communication unit 150. Each component will be explained below.

[0029] [Position sensor] The position sensor 110 detects objects around the traveling map creation device 100 and measures the positional relationship of the objects relative to the traveling map creation device 100. For example, the position sensor 110 is disposed in the center of the top surface of the main body 101 and measures the positional relationship, including the distance and direction, between the traveling map creation device 100 and objects, including walls, that exist around the traveling map creation device 100. The position sensor 110 may be, for example, a LIDAR (Laser Imaging Detection And Ranging) device that emits light and detects the positional relationship based on light reflected by obstacles, or a laser range finder. The position sensor 110 may have one or two optical scanning axes to perform two-dimensional or three-dimensional measurement of a predetermined area around the traveling map creation device 100.

[0030] The traveling map creation device 100 may include other types of sensors in addition to the position sensor 110. For example, the traveling map creation device 100 may further include a floor sensor, an encoder, an acceleration sensor, an angular velocity sensor, a contact sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, a distance measurement sensor, etc.

[0031] [Image capture unit] The imaging unit 112 is an imaging device that captures images of the surroundings of the navigation map creation device 100. For example, the imaging unit 112 captures an image including markers around the navigation map creation device 100. The image may be a single image or a moving image. The imaging unit 112 may be disposed on the front surface of the main body 101 or may be rotatably disposed on the top surface. The imaging unit 112 may also be composed of multiple cameras. The imaging unit 112 may be, for example, a stereo camera or an RGB-D camera. The RGB-D camera acquires depth image data (Depth) in addition to color image data (RGB). For example, as shown in FIG. 4, when the imaging unit 112 is an RGB-D camera, the imaging unit 112 may include an RGB camera 112a, an infrared sensor 112b, and a projector 112c.

[0032] [Control Unit] The control unit 120 performs various information processes to control the operation of the driving map creation device 100. Specifically, the control unit 120 is realized by a processor, a microcomputer, or a dedicated circuit. The control unit 120 may also be realized by a combination of two or more of the processor, the microcomputer, or the dedicated circuit. For example, the control unit 120 includes an acquisition unit 121, a self-position calculation unit 122, a floor map creation unit 123, a marker identification unit 124, a marker position calculation unit 125, a no-entry information generation unit 126, and a driving map creation unit 127.

[0033] The acquisition unit 121, for example, detects objects around the position sensor 110 measured by the position sensor 110 and acquires the positional relationship of the objects with respect to the position sensor 110. In the embodiment, the position sensor 110 is disposed at the center of the top surface of the main body 101 of the navigational map creation device 100, and therefore, it can be said that the position sensor 110 measures the positional relationship of the surrounding objects with respect to the main body 101 of the navigational map creation device 100. Hereinafter, the position of the position sensor 110 will be described as the position of the navigational map creation device 100. Also, for example, the acquisition unit 121 acquires image data captured by the imaging unit 112. Furthermore, when the navigational map creation device 100 includes other types of sensors in addition to the position sensor 110, the acquisition unit 121 may acquire sensor information acquired by the other types of sensors.

[0034] The self-position calculation unit 122 calculates a self-position, which is the current position of the position sensor 110 (i.e., the traveling map creation device 100) on the floor map, using the positional relationship acquired by the acquisition unit 121 and the floor map created by the floor map creation unit 123. For example, the self-position calculation unit 122 calculates the self-position using SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) technology. Note that when the traveling map creation device 100 uses SLAM technology, the self-position calculation unit 122 and the floor map creation unit 123 create a floor map while calculating the self-position, and successively update the self-position and the floor map.

[0035] The floor map creation unit 123 creates a floor map showing a predetermined floor based on the positional relationship acquired by the acquisition unit 121. The floor map creation unit 123 creates the floor map based on information (i.e., positional relationship) obtained by measuring the positions and distances of objects around the device 100 using the position sensor 110. The floor map creation unit 123 may create a floor map of the surrounding environment (objects such as walls and furniture) of the traveling map creation device 100 using, for example, SLAM technology based on the information (i.e., positional relationship) measured by the position sensor 110. Note that the floor map creation unit 123 may create the floor map by adding information from other sensors such as wheel odometry and gyro sensors in addition to the sensing information from the position sensor 110 (e.g., LIDAR). Note that the floor map creation unit 123 may acquire the floor map from, for example, the information terminal 200 or a server (not shown), or may read out a floor map stored in the storage unit 130.

[0036] The marker identification unit 124 identifies markers present around the position sensor 110. In this example, the marker identification unit 124 identifies markers around the main body 101 of the driving map creation device 100. More specifically, the marker identification unit 124 identifies whether the marker is a first marker 1 or a second marker 3. For example, the marker identification unit 124 detects markers included in sensing data (e.g., sensing data for measuring positional relationships, data such as images) acquired by the position sensor 110 or the imaging unit 112. For example, the marker identification unit 124 may detect markers by analyzing images captured by the imaging unit 112 and identifying marker features such as the outline, pattern, and color of the marker. Furthermore, for example, the marker identification unit 124 may refer to marker information stored in the storage unit 130 and identify markers based on marker information corresponding to the identified marker features, or may identify markers and their types.

[0037] The marker position calculation unit 125 calculates the relative position of the marker with respect to the position sensor 110. Here, the marker position calculation unit 125 calculates the relative position of the marker with respect to the main body 101 of the traveling map creation device 100. For example, the marker position calculation unit 125 performs projective transformation based on the vertices of the marker's outline identified by the marker identification unit 124 to calculate spatial information. For example, the marker position calculation unit 125 performs projective transformation on the marker into a predetermined rectangle based on the position of the marker in the image and the distortion of the outline, which are determined depending on the angle and distance from the camera, and calculates a transformation matrix (view matrix) and angle of view from a marker coordinate system, which has the marker as its origin and the plane on which the marker is located as the horizontal plane (XY plane), to the camera coordinate system. Note that the origin of the marker coordinate system is set to, for example, a predetermined vertex or center of gravity of the rectangular marker. The calculation of such a transformation matrix can be performed using an existing method or library. Regarding the angle of view, for example, information about the lens included in the imaging unit 112 to be used may be stored in advance, and the information about the angle of view may be acquired based on that information. Furthermore, instead of a transformation matrix from the marker coordinate system to the camera coordinate system, a transformation matrix to the marker coordinate system based on the camera coordinate system may be calculated.

[0038] The no-entry information generation unit 126 sets a boundary between an area where the autonomous mobile robot 300 can travel (hereinafter also referred to as a drivable area) and a no-entry area where the autonomous mobile robot 300 is prohibited from entering, based on the floor map, its own position, and the relative positions of the markers, and generates no-entry information including boundary information indicating the set boundary. For example, the self-position of the mobile map creation device 100 on the floor map and the relative positions of the markers with respect to the mobile map creation device 100 are each timestamped. In this case, the no-entry information generation unit 126 may refer to these timestamps and calculate the position of the marker on the floor map (more specifically, coordinate information) based on the self-position and the relative positions of the markers at the same time. Based on the positions of the multiple markers calculated in this way (i.e., coordinate information), the no-entry information generation unit 126 may set a boundary between the no-entry area and the drivable area, and generate no-entry information including boundary information indicating the set boundary.

[0039] Furthermore, when the marker type is identified by the marker identification unit 124, the no-entry information generation unit 126 may generate no-entry information corresponding to the marker type. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the marker may be attached to a wall surface like a sticker or plate, but this is not limited thereto. For example, the marker may be placed on the floor surface like a pole. The markers include, for example, a first marker 1 for setting a boundary and a second marker 3 that is different from the first marker 1 and does not set the boundary. The first marker 1 is a marker for setting a boundary between a drivable area and a no-entry area. The second marker 3 is, for example, a marker for setting a boundary surrounding the no-entry area. For example, the no-entry information generation unit 126 may generate no-entry information corresponding to the marker type by referring to a database (not shown in FIG. 2) in which the types of markers or combinations of marker types are associated and stored with no-entry information. The no-entry information associated with the type of marker is, for example, information that cannot be acquired by the position sensor 110, such as the attribute of the boundary or the approachable distance to the boundary. The attribute of the boundary is, for example, information indicating whether the location is a place where the autonomous mobile robot 300 is not desired to enter, or a place that the autonomous mobile robot 300 cannot enter. Furthermore, for places that the autonomous mobile robot 300 cannot enter, information may be added, such as whether the place is a glass surface that is difficult for the position sensor 110 to detect, or whether it is a step such as a staircase.

[0040] The no-entry information generating unit 126 may correct the positional deviation of at least one of the first marker 1 and the other first marker 1 that define the boundary so that the boundary becomes a straight line.

[0041] The driving map creation unit 127 creates a driving map in which no-entry areas are set that prohibit the autonomous mobile robot 300 from entering, based on the no-entry information generated by the no-entry information generation unit 126. Furthermore, the driving map creation unit 127 may modify the driving map based on the no-entry information modified by the no-entry information generation unit 126.

[0042] [Storage] The storage unit 130 is a storage device that stores a control program for controlling the operation of the control unit 120, etc. For example, the storage unit 130 may store a floor map created by the floor map creation unit 123, a positional relationship measured by the position sensor 110, a relative position of a marker calculated by the marker position calculation unit 125, a database (not shown), entry no-entry information generated by the entry no-entry information generation unit 126, and a driving map created by the driving map creation unit 127. The storage unit 130 is realized by, for example, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), a flash memory, etc.

[0043] [Notification Department] The notification unit 140 notifies the user that the marker identification unit 124 has identified a marker, for example, by using at least one of sound, light, and an image. The notification unit 140 is realized by at least one of a speaker, a lamp, and a display panel, for example. The speaker outputs sound or audio. The lamp lights up or flashes. The display panel is a liquid crystal panel or an organic EL panel, etc., and displays an image.

[0044] [Communications Department] The communication unit 150 is a communication circuit that enables the traveling map creation device 100 to communicate with the information terminal 200 and the autonomous traveling robot 300 via the network 10. For example, the communication unit 150 may transmit to the information terminal 200 an instruction to notify the user that the marker identification unit 124 has identified a marker. Furthermore, for example, the communication unit 150 may transmit a traveling map to the autonomous traveling robot 300. The communication unit 150 may include a communication circuit (communication module) for communicating via a wide area communication network and a communication circuit (communication module) for communicating via a local communication network. The communication unit 150 is, for example, a wireless communication circuit that performs wireless communication. There are no particular limitations on the communication standard used for communication by the communication unit 150.

[0045] [2-2. Information terminal] Next, the information terminal 200 will be described. The information terminal 200 is, for example, a portable information terminal such as a smartphone or tablet terminal used by a user, but may also be a stationary information terminal such as a personal computer. The information terminal 200 may also be a dedicated terminal for the autonomous mobile robot system 400. The information terminal 200 includes a communication unit 210, a control unit 220, a presentation unit 230, a reception unit 240, and a storage unit 250. Each component will be described below.

[0046] [Communications Department] The communication unit 210 is a communication circuit that enables the information terminal 200 to communicate with the traveling map creation device 100 and the autonomous traveling robot 300 via the network 10. The communication unit 210 may include a communication circuit (in other words, a communication module) for communicating via a wide area communication network, and a communication circuit (in other words, a communication module) for communicating via a local communication network. The communication unit 210 is, for example, a wireless communication circuit that performs wireless communication. There are no particular limitations on the communication standard for communication performed by the communication unit 210.

[0047] [Control Unit] The control unit 220 controls the display of images on the reception unit 240, and performs processing to identify instructions input by the user (for example, voice recognition processing in the case of voice input), etc. The control unit 220 may be realized by, for example, a microcomputer or a processor.

[0048] [Presentation part] The presentation unit 230 presents the presentation information and the driving map output by the driving map creation device 100 to the user. The presentation unit 230 may be realized, for example, by a display panel, or may be realized by a display panel and a speaker. The display panel is, for example, a liquid crystal panel or an organic EL panel. The speaker outputs sound or audio.

[0049] [Reception] The reception unit 240 receives instructions from the user. More specifically, the reception unit 240 receives an input operation performed to transmit the user's instructions to the driving map creation device 100. The reception unit 240 may be realized by, for example, a touch panel, a display panel, hardware buttons, or a microphone. The touch panel may be, for example, a capacitive touch panel or a resistive touch panel. The display panel has a function of displaying images and a function of receiving manual input from the user, and receives input operations to a numeric keypad image or the like displayed on a display panel such as a liquid crystal panel or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) panel. The microphone receives voice input from the user.

[0050] [Storage] The storage unit 250 is a storage device that stores dedicated application programs and the like to be executed by the control unit 220. The storage unit 250 is realized by, for example, a semiconductor memory.

[0051] [2-3. Autonomous Robots] Next, the autonomous mobile robot 300 will be described. The autonomous mobile robot 300 acquires a map for navigation created by the navigation map creation device 100, for example, and autonomously navigates a predetermined floor corresponding to the map for navigation. The autonomous mobile robot 300 is not particularly limited as long as it is a robot that navigates autonomously, but may be, for example, a transport robot that transports luggage, a surveillance robot that patrols, a disinfection robot that disinfects floors, or a cleaning robot. Below, an example will be described in which the autonomous mobile robot 300 is a cleaning robot.

[0052] Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the autonomous mobile robot according to the embodiment as seen from the side, Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the autonomous mobile robot according to the embodiment as seen from the front, and Fig. 7 is a bottom view showing the appearance of the autonomous mobile robot according to the embodiment as seen from the back.

[0053] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5 to 7 , the autonomous mobile robot 300 includes, for example, a main body 301 on which various components are mounted, a communication unit 310, a position sensor 320, an obstacle sensor 330, a control unit 340, a memory unit 350, a traveling unit 360, and a cleaning unit 370. The traveling unit 360 includes, for example, wheels 361 for moving the main body 301. The cleaning unit 370 includes, for example, side brushes 371 and a main brush 372 for cleaning up dirt present on a predetermined floor. The control unit 340 processes various types of information related to the operation of the autonomous mobile robot 300. The control unit 340 includes a traveling control unit 345 that controls the traveling unit 360 and a cleaning control unit 346 that controls the cleaning unit 370. The main body 301 is a housing that houses the traveling unit 360, the cleaning unit 370, the control unit 340, and the like.

[0054] [Running part] The running unit 360 causes the autonomous mobile robot 300 to run based on instructions from the running control unit 345. The running unit 360 has wheels 361 that run on the floor, a running motor (not shown) that applies torque to the wheels 361, and a housing (not shown) that houses the running motor. The autonomous mobile robot 300 may also be a two-wheeled robot with opposing wheels that are equipped with casters (not shown) as auxiliary wheels. In this case, the running unit 360 independently controls the rotation of each wheel 361 of the pair of running units, thereby allowing the autonomous mobile robot 300 to run freely in directions such as forward, backward, left, and right turns.

[0055] [Cleaning Department] Based on instructions from cleaning control unit 346, cleaning unit 370 sucks dust on the floor through suction port 373 (see FIG. 7) and collects the sucked dust inside main body 301. Cleaning unit 370 includes a brush rotation motor (not shown) that rotates side brushes 371 and main brush 372, a suction motor (not shown) that sucks dust through suction port 373, a power transmission unit (not shown) that transmits power to these motors, and a storage unit (not shown) that collects the sucked dust.

[0056] [Position sensor] The position sensor 320 is a sensor that detects objects around the main body 301 of the autonomous mobile robot 300 and acquires the positional relationship of the objects with respect to the main body 301. The position sensor 320 may be, for example, a LIDAR that emits light and detects the positional relationship (e.g., the distance and direction from itself to an object) based on the light reflected by an obstacle, or a laser range finder.

[0057] For example, position sensor 320 is disposed in the center of the top surface of main body 301, and acquires the positional relationship, including the distance and direction, between autonomous mobile robot 300 and objects, such as walls, that exist around autonomous mobile robot 300. Position sensor 320 may be, for example, a LIDAR or laser range finder that emits light and detects the positional relationship based on the light reflected by an obstacle. Position sensor 320 may have one or two optical scanning axes, thereby performing two-dimensional or three-dimensional measurement of a predetermined area around autonomous mobile robot 300.

[0058] [Obstacle sensor] Obstacle sensor 330 is a sensor that detects obstacles that may hinder travel, such as surrounding walls and furniture that exist in front of main body 301 (specifically, in the direction of travel). In this embodiment, an ultrasonic sensor is used for obstacle sensor 330. Obstacle sensor 330 has a transmitter 331 that is placed in the center of the front side of main body 301, and receivers 332 that are placed on both sides of transmitter 331. The receivers 332 receive ultrasonic waves that are transmitted from transmitter 331 and reflected by obstacles, thereby enabling detection of the distance to the obstacle, the position of the obstacle, etc.

[0059] The autonomous mobile robot 300 may also be equipped with sensors other than those described above (for example, infrared sensors, etc.). For example, the autonomous mobile robot 300 may be equipped with floor sensors arranged at multiple locations on the bottom surface of the main body 301 to detect whether or not a floor surface is present. The autonomous mobile robot 300 may also be equipped with an encoder that is provided on the traveling unit 360 and detects the rotation angle of each of a pair of wheels 361 that are rotated by a traveling motor. The autonomous mobile robot 300 may also be equipped with an acceleration sensor that detects the acceleration when the autonomous mobile robot 300 travels, and an angular velocity sensor that detects the angular velocity when the autonomous mobile robot 300 turns. The autonomous mobile robot 300 may also be equipped with a dust amount sensor that measures the amount of dust accumulated on the floor surface. The autonomous mobile robot 300 may also be equipped with a contact sensor that detects the displacement of a bumper (not shown) to detect a collision with an obstacle.

[0060] Next, the functional configuration of the autonomous mobile robot 300 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. The position sensor 320, obstacle sensor 330, traveling unit 360, and cleaning unit 370 have been described above, so their description will be omitted here. Below, the communication unit 310, control unit 340, and storage unit 350 will be described.

[0061] [Communications Department] The communication unit 310 is a communication circuit that enables the autonomous mobile robot 300 to communicate with the mobile map creation device 100 and the information terminal 200 via the network 10. The communication unit 310 may include a communication circuit (in other words, a communication module) for communicating via a wide area communication network, and a communication circuit (in other words, a communication module) for communicating via a local communication network. The communication unit 310 is, for example, a wireless communication circuit that performs wireless communication. There are no particular limitations on the communication standard used for communication by the communication unit 310.

[0062] [Control Unit] The control unit 340 performs various calculations based on a driving map and sensor information obtained by sensing the environment around the autonomous mobile robot 300 using the position sensor 320 and the obstacle sensor 330. Specifically, the control unit 340 is realized by a processor, a microcomputer, or a dedicated circuit. The control unit 340 may also be realized by a combination of two or more of a processor, a microcomputer, or a dedicated circuit. For example, the control unit 340 includes a self-position calculation unit 341, a driving map acquisition unit 342, an obstacle position calculation unit 343, a driving plan creation unit 344, a driving control unit 345, and a cleaning control unit 346.

[0063] The self-position calculation unit 341 calculates the self-position, which is the position of the main body 301 of the autonomous mobile robot 300 on the map for driving, based on, for example, the map for driving acquired by the driving map acquisition unit 342 and the positional relationship of surrounding objects to the main body 301 of the autonomous mobile robot 300 measured by the position sensor 320.

[0064] The driving map acquisition unit 342 acquires a driving map created by the driving map creation device 100. For example, the driving map acquisition unit 342 may acquire the driving map by reading it from the storage unit 350, or may acquire the driving map output by the driving map creation device 100 via communication.

[0065] The travel plan creation unit 344 creates a travel plan based on the travel map and the robot's own location. For example, if the autonomous mobile robot 300 is a cleaning robot, the travel plan creation unit 344 may further create a cleaning plan. The cleaning plan includes the cleaning order for cleaning multiple cleaning areas on a specified floor, the travel path and cleaning mode for each cleaning area, etc. The cleaning mode is, for example, a combination of the travel speed of the autonomous mobile robot 300, the suction strength for sucking up dirt on the floor surface, and the rotation speed of the brush.

[0066] When the autonomous mobile robot 300 is traveling according to the travel plan and an obstacle is detected by the obstacle sensor 330, the travel plan creation unit 344 may change the travel plan based on the position of the obstacle calculated by the obstacle position calculation unit 343. At this time, the travel plan creation unit 344 may also change the cleaning plan.

[0067] The obstacle position calculation unit 343 acquires information about the obstacle detected by the obstacle sensor 330 (for example, the distance and position of the obstacle), and calculates the position of the obstacle on the floor map based on the acquired information and the self-position calculated by the self-position calculation unit 341.

[0068] The driving control unit 345 controls the driving unit 360 so that the autonomous mobile robot 300 drives according to a driving plan. More specifically, the driving control unit 345 performs information processing to control the operation of the driving unit 360 based on the driving plan. For example, the driving control unit 345 derives control conditions for the driving unit 360 based on information such as a driving map and the robot's own position in addition to the driving plan, and generates a control signal for controlling the operation of the driving unit 360 based on the control conditions. The driving control unit 345 outputs the generated control signal to the driving unit 360. Note that the details of deriving the control conditions for the driving unit 360, etc., are the same as those of conventional autonomous mobile robots, and therefore will not be described here.

[0069] The cleaning control unit 346 controls the cleaning unit 370 so that the autonomously traveling robot 300 cleans according to a cleaning plan. More specifically, the cleaning control unit 346 performs information processing to control the operation of the cleaning unit 370 based on the cleaning plan. For example, the cleaning control unit 346 derives control conditions for the cleaning unit 370 based on information such as a navigation map and the robot's own position in addition to the cleaning plan, and generates a control signal for controlling the operation of the cleaning unit 370 based on the control conditions. The cleaning control unit 346 outputs the generated control signal to the cleaning unit 370. Note that the details of deriving the control conditions for the cleaning unit 370, etc., are the same as those of conventional autonomously traveling cleaning robots, and therefore will not be described here.

[0070] [Storage] The storage unit 350 is a storage device that stores a driving map, sensor information sensed by the position sensor 320 and the obstacle sensor 330, and a computer program executed by the control unit 340. The storage unit 350 is realized by, for example, a semiconductor memory.

[0071] [3. Operation] Next, the operation of the autonomous mobile robot system 400 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0072] [First example] First, a first example of the operation of the autonomous mobile robot system 400 according to the embodiment will be described. In the first example, the autonomous mobile robot system 400 receives instructions from a user and creates a map for the autonomous mobile robot 300 to travel on. Figure 8 is a flowchart showing the first example of the operation of the autonomous mobile robot system 400 according to the embodiment.

[0073] First, when the reception unit 240 of the information terminal 200 receives an instruction to start creating a navigation map (step S11), the control unit 220 of the information terminal 200 outputs the instruction to the navigation map creation device 100 via the communication unit 210 (not shown). When the control unit 120 of the navigation map creation device 100 receives the instruction to start creating a navigation map output from the information terminal 200 (not shown), it causes each of the multiple sensors included in the navigation map creation device 100, including the position sensor 110, to start acquiring sensing data (step S12). More specifically, the control unit 120 of the navigation map creation device 100 outputs an instruction to start acquiring sensing data to each of the multiple sensors, including the position sensor 110.

[0074] Next, upon receiving the command to start acquiring sensing data, the position sensor 110 detects objects around itself, measures the positional relationship of the surrounding objects with respect to itself, and outputs the measured positional relationship to the control unit 120 (not shown). In this embodiment, the traveling map creation device 100 is equipped with the position sensor 110, for example, in the center of the top surface of the main body 101. Therefore, the position of the position sensor 110 can also be said to be the position of the main body 101 of the traveling map creation device 100.

[0075] Next, the acquisition unit 121 acquires the positional relationship of the surrounding objects with respect to the self output from the position sensor 110 (step S13).

[0076] Next, the floor map creating unit 123 creates a floor map showing a predetermined floor based on the positional relationship acquired by the acquiring unit 121 in step S13 (step S14).

[0077] Next, the self-position calculation unit 122 calculates the self-position, which is the current position of the position sensor 110 on the floor map created by the floor map creation unit 123 (step S15). Although not shown, the self-position calculation unit 122 adds a timestamp to the calculated self-position and stores it in the storage unit 130.

[0078] Next, the marker identification unit 124 identifies markers present around itself (here, the main body 101 of the traveling map creation device 100) (step S16). At this time, the marker identification unit 124 may identify the type of marker and store information indicating the identified type of marker in the storage unit 130. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the markers include a first marker 1 that defines a boundary with two markers, and a second marker 3 that defines a boundary (a U-shaped boundary in FIG. 1) that encloses an area of ​​a predetermined size and shape as a no-entry area with one marker. In the following, for ease of viewing, the reference numerals of the first marker 1 and the second marker 3 may be omitted and they may be referred to as the first marker and the second marker.

[0079] Next, the marker position calculation unit 125 calculates the relative position of the marker identified by the marker identification unit 124 in step S16 relative to itself (here, the main body of the driving map creation device 100) (step S17). Although not shown, the marker position calculation unit 125 attaches a timestamp to the calculated relative position of the marker and stores it in the storage unit 130. At this time, the relative position of the marker may be stored in association with information indicating the type of marker.

[0080] The control unit 120 determines whether the acquisition of the sensing data has ended, and if it determines that the acquisition of the sensing data has not ended, the process returns to step S13. For example, the control unit 120 may determine that the acquisition of the sensing data has not ended if the control unit 120 has not received an instruction to end sensing from the information terminal 200 and if a change is observed in the time-series sensing data acquired by the acquisition unit 121. On the other hand, the control unit 120 may determine that the acquisition of the sensing data has ended if, for example, almost no change is observed in the sensing data acquired by the acquisition unit 121 or if the control unit 120 has received a sensing end instruction accepted by the acceptance unit 240 of the information terminal 200.

[0081] When the control unit 120 determines that acquisition of sensing data has ended (not shown), the no-entry information generation unit 126 generates no-entry information including boundary information indicating the boundary between the area where the autonomous mobile robot 300 can travel and the no-entry area based on the floor map created in step S14, the self-position calculated in step S15, and the relative position of the marker calculated in step S16 (step S18). Step S18 will now be described in more detail with reference to Fig. 9. Fig. 9 is a flowchart showing a detailed flow of step S18 in Fig. 8.

[0082] As shown in FIG. 9, the no-entry information generation unit 126 calculates the position of the marker on the floor map based on the floor map, the robot's own position, and the relative position of the marker (step S21). The unit sets a boundary between the area where the autonomous mobile robot 300 can travel and the no-entry area, and generates no-entry information including boundary information indicating the set boundary. For example, the no-entry information generation unit 126 may refer to the time stamp attached to the robot's own position and the time stamp attached to the relative position of the marker, and calculate the position of the marker on the floor map (i.e., coordinate information) based on the robot's own position and the relative position of the marker at the same time. Based on the positions (coordinate information) of multiple markers calculated in this manner, the no-entry information generation unit 126 may generate no-entry information including boundary information indicating the boundary between the area where the autonomous mobile robot 300 can travel and the no-entry area.

[0083] Next, the no-entry information generation unit 126 links the position of the marker on the floor map calculated in step S21 with information indicating the type of marker identified in step S16 (specifically, information indicating whether the identified marker is the first marker 1 or the second marker 3) and stores them in a database (not shown) of the memory unit 130 (step S22).

[0084] After completing the process of step S22 for all identified markers, the no-entry information generator 126 extracts the first marker 1 from among the multiple markers on the floor map stored in a database (not shown) (step S23).

[0085] Next, the no-entry information generator 126 starts a loop process for each first marker (step S24). The no-entry information generator 126 determines whether there is only one pair of the first marker 1 and another first marker that is adjacent to the first marker 1 in a first direction parallel to the wall surrounding the first marker 1 or in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction in a top view of the floor map (step S25). If it is determined that there is only one pair (Yes in step S25), the no-entry information generator 126 sets a line connecting the pair of first markers and the other first markers as a boundary (step S26).

[0086] On the other hand, if the no-entry information generating unit 126 determines that there are two pairs of a first marker and another first marker that is adjacent to the first direction or the second direction in a top view of the floor map (No in step S25), it determines whether the other first marker is being used to set another boundary (step S27).

[0087] For example, the no-entry information generator 126 determines that there are two pairs of a first marker and another first marker adjacent to the first marker in the first direction or the second direction in the top view of the floor map when the no-entry information generator 126 determines that there are two pairs of a first marker and another first marker adjacent to the first marker in the first direction or the second direction in the top view of the floor map (i) among the first markers extracted from the database, there are two pairs of a first marker and another first marker adjacent to the first marker in the first direction or the second direction in the top view of the floor map, or (ii) there are one or more pairs of a first marker and another first marker adjacent to the first marker in each of the first direction and the second direction in the top view of the floor map. Note that "a first marker and another first marker are adjacent to each other" means that, of multiple other first markers existing on a straight line including the first marker, the other first marker exists next to the first marker in the first direction or the second direction. In other words, this means that there are no other first markers between two adjacent first markers (that is, a first marker and another first marker).

[0088] In step S27, if the no-entry information generator 126 determines that the other first marker is being used to set another boundary (Yes in step S27), it excludes the other first marker from combination candidates for setting a boundary with the first marker (step S29).On the other hand, if the no-entry information generator 126 determines that the other first marker is not being used to set another boundary (No in step S27), it determines whether the first marker and the other first marker are installed parallel to one another on a wall (step S28).

[0089] The process of step S28 will now be described in detail with reference to Figures 9 and 10. Figure 10 is a diagram for schematically explaining an example of boundary setting process based on the first marker.

[0090] "A first marker and another first marker are installed corresponding to one wall surface on a specific floor," means that the first marker and another first marker are attached to one wall surface, or are installed along one wall surface directly in front of the wall surface. In the former case, the first marker is a marker that is attached to a wall surface, such as a sticker or plate. In the latter case, the first marker is a marker that is installed on a floor surface, such as a pole. As described above, the other first marker is a candidate combination with the first marker, and is a first marker that is adjacent to the first marker in a first direction parallel to the wall surrounding the first marker in a top view of the floor map, or in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

[0091] Note that one wall surface refers to one surface. Referring to (a) of Fig. 10, the wall surface to which the first marker 1a and the first marker 1c are attached is one wall surface. On the other hand, the wall surfaces to which the first marker 1b and the first marker 1d are attached are different wall surfaces.

[0092] 9, if the no-entry information generator 126 determines that the first marker and the other first marker are installed parallel to one another on a wall surface (Yes in step S28), it excludes the other first marker from the marker candidates for setting a boundary with the first marker (step S29). On the other hand, if the no-entry information generator 126 determines in step S28 that the first marker and the other first marker are not installed corresponding to one another on a wall surface (No in step S28), it performs the process of step S26.

[0093] 10(a), the processing of steps S28 and S29 will be specifically described. First, the no-entry information generator 126 identifies two pairs of other first markers (in other words, combination candidates) that can be paired with the first marker 1a: first marker 1b, which is adjacent to the first marker 1a in a first direction parallel to the wall surrounding the first marker 1a in a top view of the floor map (here, the first direction is parallel to the wall closest to the installation position of the first marker 1a and is an axial direction including the installation position of the first marker 1a), and first marker 1c, which is adjacent to the first marker 1a in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction in a top view of the floor map (here, the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction and is an axial direction including the installation position of the first marker 1a). 10(a), of the two identified pairs, the pair of first markers 1a and 1c are placed along a single wall (in other words, parallel to a single wall surface). Based on the positional relationship between the first markers 1a and 1c and the wall on the floor map, the no-entry information generator 126 determines that the first markers 1a and 1c are placed parallel to a single wall surface.

[0094] 9, when another first marker 1c installed parallel to one wall surface is excluded from the combination candidates in step S28 (step S29), the no-entry information generator 126 returns to the process of step S25. Referring to (a) of FIG. 10, in the process of step S25, for example, the no-entry information generator 126 determines that there is only one pair of the first marker 1a and the combination candidate, that is, the first marker 1a and the other first marker 1b (Yes in step S25), and sets the line 2a connecting the first marker 1a and the other first marker 1b as the boundary (step S26).

[0095] When the processing for the first marker 1a is completed, the no-entry information generator 126 performs the processing of step S25 for the first marker 1c. Because the only pair of the first marker 1c and the first marker 1d exists (Yes in step S25), the no-entry information generator 126 determines that only one pair exists between the first marker 1c and another first marker 1d adjacent to the first marker 1c in the second direction in the top view of the floor map (Yes in step S25), and sets the line 2d connecting the first marker 1c and the first marker 1d as the boundary (step S26).

[0096] Next, when the loop process for each first marker 1 is completed (step S30), the no-entry information generator 126 extracts a second marker from among the multiple markers on the floor map stored in a database (not shown) (step S31).

[0097] Next, the entry no-entry information generating unit 126 sets a boundary that surrounds an area of ​​a predetermined size and shape from the position of the second marker on the floor map as an entry no-entry area (step S32). The boundary setting process will be described later with a specific example.

[0098] Referring again to Figure 9, the driving map creation unit 127 then creates a driving map in which no-entry areas are set based on the no-entry information generated by the no-entry information generation unit 126 in step S18 (step S19).

[0099] The driving map creation device 100 stops operation when the creation of the driving map is completed. Note that the driving map creation device 100 may notify the user through the notification unit 140 that the process of step S19 (i.e., the process of creating the driving map) is completed, and may stop operation when the reception unit 240 of the information terminal 200 receives an instruction to stop operation.

[0100] As described above, the traveling map creation device 100 can set boundaries on the traveling map simply and accurately because it performs processing using the first marker 1 and processing using the second marker 3 when setting boundaries. Therefore, the traveling map creation device 100 can easily set no-entry areas on the traveling map where the autonomous traveling robot 300 is prohibited from entering.

[0101] Other processing examples performed by the no-entry information generating unit 126 will be specifically described below with reference again to Fig. 10. In addition to the processing examples described above, the no-entry information generating unit 126 may also perform the following processing.

[0102] 10(b), the no-entry information generator 126 first identifies candidate combinations to be paired with the first marker 1e1 in the loop processing for each first marker 1. There are two candidate combinations: the first marker 1g1 and the first marker 1f1. The no-entry information generator 126 determines whether the first marker 1e1 and the first marker 1g1 are installed side by side on a single wall surface (step S28), determines that the first marker 1e1 and the first marker 1g1 are installed side by side on a single wall surface (Yes in step S28), and excludes the first marker 1g1 from the candidate combinations (step S29). Here, the only candidate combination that can be paired with the first marker 1e1 is the first marker 1f1 (Yes in step S25), so the no-entry information generation unit 126 sets the line 2c connecting the first marker 1e1 to the other first marker 1f1 as the boundary for the first marker 1e1 (step S26). Next, the no-entry information generation unit 126 identifies a candidate combination that can be paired with the first marker 1g1 for the first marker 1g1. The candidate combination is the first marker 1e1 and the first marker 1h1, but because the first marker 1e1 is used to set the boundary (Yes in step S27), the no-entry information generation unit 126 excludes the first marker 1e1 from the candidate combinations (step S29).

[0103] 10(c), when two opposing first markers are installed in a location where one of the locations is a wall and the other is a glass surface (or an atrium where detection by the position sensor 110 is difficult), the process of step S28 is performed. For example, when the first markers 1e2 and 1g2 are installed parallel to one another on a wall (Yes in step S28) and the first markers 1f2 and 1h2 are installed parallel to one another on a glass surface, the first marker 1g2 is excluded from the combination candidates to be paired with the first marker 1e2 (step S29). As a result, only the pair of the first marker 1e2 and the other first marker 1f2 exists (Yes in step S25), and a line connecting the first marker 1e2 and the other first marker 1f2 is set as the boundary (step S26).

[0104] Next, the process of setting boundaries by the no-entry information generating unit 126 will be described in more detail with reference to Fig. 11. Fig. 11 is a diagram for schematically explaining an example of the boundary setting process. Fig. 11(a) is a diagram showing the types of markers identified by the marker identifying unit 124 and their positions on a predetermined floor. Fig. 11(b) is a diagram showing an example of a floor map 50 in which boundaries have been set by the no-entry information generating unit 126.

[0105] In the operation example of Fig. 9, the no-entry information generating unit 126 extracts a first marker from among a plurality of markers on a floor map stored in a database in the storage unit 130, and extracts a second marker after completing the boundary setting process for all of the first markers, but this is not limited to this. For example, the no-entry information generating unit 126 may extract all markers on a floor map stored in a database (see, for example, Fig. 11(a)). Also, for example, the no-entry information generating unit 126 may perform boundary setting process for the first marker after completing the boundary setting process for all of the second markers.

[0106] For example, as shown in (a) of FIG. 11, the no-entry information generator 126 extracts all markers on the floor map 50 of a specific floor from the database in the storage unit 130. Here, the X-axis is the horizontal axis in a top view of the floor map 50, and the Y-axis is the vertical axis in a top view of the floor map. The following description will be made with reference to (b) of FIG. 11. In this example, the walls in the floor map 50 are arranged along the X-axis or the Y-axis, so the first direction and the second direction are either the X-axis or the Y-axis of the floor map 50, but this is merely an example and is not limited to this example. For example, if the walls in the floor map are arranged in an angular direction different from the X-axis or the Y-axis, the positional relationship between the first markers is determined in the first direction and the second direction.

[0107] Next, the no-entry information generator 126 performs a boundary setting process for the first marker among the extracted markers. The no-entry information generator 126 checks whether there are any other first markers adjacent to the first marker 11a1 in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction among the multiple first markers on the floor map, and detects the first marker 11a2 adjacent to the first marker 11a1 in the Y-axis direction as a combination candidate. The no-entry information generator 126 determines that only one pair of the first marker 11a1 and the first marker 11a2 exists for the first marker 11a1, and sets the line 21a1 connecting these first markers as the boundary.

[0108] Similar to first marker 11a1, no-entry information generator 126 performs boundary setting processing for each of first markers 11a5, 11a10, and 11a11. Similar to first marker 11a1, these three first markers also have only one pair with another first marker. Therefore, no-entry information generator 126 sets line 21a3 connecting first marker 11a5 and first marker 11a6 as a boundary, sets line 21a5 connecting first marker 11a10 and first marker 11a9 as a boundary, and sets line 21a6 connecting first marker 11a11 and first marker 11a12 as a boundary.

[0109] As described above, the no-entry information generator 126 may detect a first marker where only one pair of the first marker and another first marker exists, and set a boundary.

[0110] Also, for example, suppose that first marker 11a3 and first marker 11a4 are installed in front of a glass surface. In this case, no-entry information generation unit 126 checks whether there are other first markers adjacent to first marker 11a3 in the X-axis direction and Y-axis direction, and detects first marker 11a4 adjacent to first marker 11a3 in the X-axis direction. No-entry information generation unit 126 determines that only one pair of first markers, 11a3 and 11a4, exists for first marker 11a3, and sets line 21a2 connecting these first markers as the boundary.

[0111] Next, the no-entry information generator 126 performs a boundary setting process for the first marker 11a8. The no-entry information generator 126 checks whether there are any other first markers adjacent to the first marker 11a8 in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction, and detects the first markers 11a7 and 11a9 adjacent to the first marker 11a8 in the X-axis direction as combination candidates. The no-entry information generator 126 determines that the first marker 11a9 has been used to set the boundary and excludes it from the combination candidates. The no-entry information generator 126 then determines that only one pair of the first marker 11a8 and the first marker 11a7 exists for the first marker 11a8, and sets the line 21a4 connecting these first markers as the boundary.

[0112] Next, the no-entry information generator 126 performs a boundary setting process for the second marker among the extracted markers. Here, the second marker sets a boundary that surrounds a rectangular area of ​​a predetermined size (e.g., 60 cm x 60 cm) as a no-entry area, for example, but is not limited to this. As described above, the second marker may set a boundary that surrounds a polygonal area, a circular area, or an elliptical area of ​​a predetermined size as a no-entry area.

[0113] The no-entry information generator 126 sets a boundary surrounding a rectangular area of ​​a predetermined size from the position of the second marker 31a1 among the multiple second markers on the floor map, as a no-entry area. For example, the no-entry information generator 126 sets a U-shaped boundary 41a1 so that the position of the second marker 31a1 is the center of one side of the rectangular area on the wall surface side, thereby setting a no-entry area surrounded by the wall surface and the U-shaped boundary 41a1.

[0114] The no-entry information generator 126 performs boundary setting processing for each of the second markers 31a2 and 31a3, similar to the second marker 31a1. The no-entry information generator 126 sets a boundary 41a2 that surrounds a rectangular area of ​​a predetermined size as a no-entry area from the position of the second marker 31a2, and sets a boundary 41a3 that surrounds a rectangular area of ​​a predetermined size as a no-entry area from the position of the second marker 31a3.

[0115] [Second example] Next, a second example of the operation of the autonomous mobile robot system 400 according to the embodiment will be described. In the first example, no-entry information indicating a no-entry area including a boundary was generated, but in the second example, an example of operation when an instruction to modify the no-entry information is received from a user will be described. Note that the second example will be described focusing on differences from the first example, and descriptions of similar processes will be omitted or simplified.

[0116] Fig. 12 is a flowchart showing a second example of the operation of the autonomous mobile robot system 400 in the embodiment. Fig. 12 shows only the processes that are different from the first example shown in Fig. 8. Fig. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the information terminal 200 in the second example. Note that the presentation unit 230 of the information terminal 200 may include a display unit (e.g., a display panel) that displays images and an audio output unit (e.g., a speaker), but an example will be described in which the presentation unit 230 is a display panel and the presentation information is display information such as an image.

[0117] 8, the no-entry information generating unit 126 of the driving map creation device 100 generates display information to be presented to the user, including the no-entry information generated in step S18 (step S41). The display information is, for example, no-entry information including boundary information indicating boundaries set on the floor map.

[0118] Next, the no-entry information generating unit 126 outputs the display information generated in step S41 to the information terminal 200 used by the user (step S42).

[0119] 13, the control unit 220 of the information terminal 200 acquires the display information output in step S42 (step S51) and causes the acquired display information to be displayed on the presentation unit 230 (step S52). FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of the display information. As shown in FIG. 14, the control unit 220 of the information terminal 200 causes the presentation unit 230 to display the no-entry information generated by the no-entry information generation unit 126 of the driving map creation device 100.

[0120] When the receiving unit 240 of the information terminal 200 receives a user instruction (step S53), the control unit 220 outputs the user instruction received by the receiving unit 240 to the driving map creation device 100 (step S54). For example, to eliminate the gap between two no-entry areas surrounded by the boundary 41a1 and the boundary 41a2 displayed on the presentation unit 230, the user taps the correction button, then touches the right side of the boundary 41a1 with his / her finger and drags it to the right, touches the left side of the boundary 41a2 with his / her finger and drags it to the left, and taps the done button.

[0121] Referring again to Figure 12, when the navigation map creation device 100 acquires the user's instruction (here, a correction instruction) output in step S54 of Figure 13 (Yes in step S43), the no-entry information generation unit 126 corrects the no-entry information based on the acquired correction instruction (step S44). On the other hand, if the navigation map creation device 100 does not acquire a correction instruction (No in step S43), that is, if the user does not issue a correction instruction, the navigation map creation unit 127 of the navigation map creation device 100 performs the process of step S19 of Figure 8.

[0122] As described above, the autonomous mobile robot system 400 can receive instructions from the user to modify the no-entry information, thereby appropriately setting no-entry areas. Therefore, the autonomous mobile robot system 400 creates a driving plan based on a driving map in which no-entry areas are appropriately set, making it possible to more appropriately control the driving of the autonomous mobile robot 300.

[0123] In the second example, the no-entry information is corrected in response to a user instruction while the driving map is being created, but the no-entry information may also be changed in response to a user instruction after the driving map has been created.

[0124] [4. Effects, etc.] As described above, the traveling map creation device 100 is a traveling map creation device that creates a traveling map for the autonomous traveling robot 300 that travels autonomously within a predetermined floor, and includes an acquisition unit 121 that detects objects around the device and acquires a positional relationship from a position sensor 110 that measures a positional relationship of the object relative to the device, a floor map creation unit 123 that creates a floor map showing the predetermined floor based on the positional relationship acquired by the acquisition unit 121, a self-position calculation unit 122 that calculates the self-position, which is the current position of the position sensor 110 on the floor map created by the floor map creation unit 123, and a navigation unit 123 that detects the object's surroundings and acquires a positional relationship from the position sensor 110 that measures a positional relationship of the object relative to the device. 0, a marker position calculation unit 125 that calculates the relative position of the marker with respect to the position sensor 110, an entry prohibition information generation unit 126 that sets a boundary between an area in which the autonomous mobile robot 300 can travel and a no-entry area in which the autonomous mobile robot 300 is prohibited from entering, based on the floor map, its own position, and the relative position of the marker, and generates no-entry information including boundary information that indicates the set boundary, and a driving map creation unit 127 that creates a driving map in which the no-entry area is set, based on the no-entry information generated by the no-entry information generation unit 126.

[0125] This allows the travelling map creation device 100 to easily set no-entry areas on the map for the autonomous travelling robot 300 to travel on.

[0126] For example, in the driving map creation device 100, the markers include a first marker 1 for setting a boundary and a second marker 3 that is different from the first marker 1 and does not set the boundary, and the marker identification unit 124 identifies whether the marker is the first marker 1 or the second marker 3 when identifying the marker, and the no-entry information generation unit 126 calculates the position of the marker on the floor map based on the floor map, the vehicle's own position, and the relative position of the marker, and the calculated position of the marker on the floor map and information indicating whether the identified marker is the first marker 1 or the second marker 3 may be linked and stored in a database (not shown in FIG. 2).

[0127] This allows the driving map creation device 100 to generate no-entry information corresponding to the type of marker, making it possible to easily set no-entry areas on a driving map.

[0128] For example, in the traveling map creation device 100, the no-entry information generation unit 126 may extract first markers 11a1 to 11a12 from among a plurality of markers on a floor map 50 (see (a) of FIG. 11) stored in a database, and when there is only one pair of the extracted first marker 11a1 and another first marker 11a2 adjacent to the first marker 11a1 in a first direction parallel to the wall surrounding the first marker 11a1 in a plan view of the floor map 50 or in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction (in (a) of FIG. 11, the vertical direction (Y-axis direction) or horizontal direction (X-axis direction) of the floor map 50), the no-entry information generation unit 126 may set a line 21a1 (see (b) of FIG. 11) connecting the pair of first markers 11a1 and the other first marker 11a2 as the boundary.

[0129] As a result, the driving map creation device 100 sets a boundary at a location where there is only one pair of the first marker 11a1 and another first marker 11a2 adjacent to the first marker 11a1 in a first direction parallel to the first wall of the first marker 11a1 when viewed from above on the floor map 50, or in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, thereby ensuring reliable boundary setting.

[0130] For example, in the driving map creation device 100, the no-entry information generation unit 126 determines whether or not (i) there are two pairs of first marker 11a8 among the extracted first markers 11a1 to 11a12 (see FIG. 11B) and other first markers 11a7 and 11a9 that are adjacent to the first marker 11a8 in the first direction or the second direction (in FIG. 10B, the vertical direction (Y-axis direction) or the horizontal direction (X-axis direction) of the floor map 50) in the top view of the floor map 50, or (ii) there are two pairs of first markers 11a8 and 11a9 that are adjacent to the first marker 11a8 in the first direction or the second direction (in FIG. 10B, the vertical direction (Y-axis direction) or the horizontal direction (X-axis direction) of the floor map 50) in the top view of the floor map 50, or If there are one or more pairs of marker 11a7 and other first markers 11a6, 11a8 adjacent to each other in the first direction and the second direction (in (b) of Figure 10, the vertical direction (Y-axis direction) and horizontal direction (X-axis direction) of floor map 50) when viewed from above on floor map 50, and if other first markers 11a6, 11a9 are used to set the boundary, then other first markers 11a6, 11a9 may be excluded from the marker candidates for setting the boundary with first marker 11a8.

[0131] As a result, when there are multiple marker candidates for the first markers 11a7 and 11a8, the driving map creation device 100 excludes the first marker that has already been used to set the boundary from the marker candidates, thereby enabling accurate boundary setting.

[0132] For example, in the traveling map creation device 100, in the case of (i) or (ii) above, the no-entry information generation unit 126 may further exclude the first marker 1a (see (a) of Figure 10) and another first marker 1b from the marker candidates when the first marker 1a and another first marker 1b are installed parallel to each other on a single wall on a specified floor.

[0133] This allows the driving map creation device 100 to set the boundary as a line connecting the first marker 1a with another first marker 1b arranged in a direction perpendicular to the direction along one wall surface, thereby ensuring reliable boundary setting.

[0134] For example, in the driving map creation device 100, the second markers 31a1, 31a2, and 31a3 (see (b) of Figure 11) are markers for setting a boundary surrounding a no-entry area, and the no-entry information generation unit 126 may set a boundary 41a1 that surrounds an area of ​​a predetermined size and shape (e.g., a rectangular area) as a no-entry area from the position of the second marker 31a1 on the floor map.

[0135] This allows the driving map creation device 100 to generate no-entry information corresponding to the type of marker, making it possible to easily set no-entry areas on a driving map.

[0136] Furthermore, the autonomous mobile robot 300 is an autonomous mobile robot that travels autonomously within a specified floor, and includes a main body 301 (see Figure 6), a travel unit 360 (see Figure 2) that is arranged on the main body 301 and enables the main body 301 to travel, a travel map acquisition unit 342 that acquires a travel map created by any of the above-mentioned travel map creation devices 100, a position sensor 320 that detects objects around the main body 301 and measures the positional relationship of the object relative to the main body 301, a self-position calculation unit 341 that calculates its own position, which is the position of the main body 301 on the travel map, based on the travel map and the positional relationship, a travel plan creation unit 344 that creates a travel plan for a specified floor based on the travel map and the self-position, and a travel control unit 345 that controls the travel unit 360 based on the travel plan.

[0137] This allows the autonomous mobile robot 300 to create a driving plan using the driving map created by the driving map creation device 100, allowing it to travel safely and appropriately on a specified floor.

[0138] For example, the autonomous mobile robot 300 may further include the mobile map creation device 100 described above.

[0139] This allows the autonomous mobile robot 300 to create both a map for driving and a driving plan by itself, eliminating the need to obtain data (i.e., data on the map for driving) from an external device (i.e., the map creation device for driving 100).

[0140] For example, the autonomous mobile robot 300 may further include a cleaning unit that cleans the floor surface by performing at least one of sweeping, wiping, and vacuuming dust, and a cleaning control unit that controls the cleaning unit, and the travel plan creation unit may further create a cleaning plan, and the cleaning control unit may control the cleaning unit based on the cleaning plan.

[0141] This allows the autonomous mobile robot 300 to clean a predetermined floor safely and appropriately.

[0142] The travel map creation method is a travel map creation method for creating a travel map for the autonomous mobile robot 300 that travels autonomously within a predetermined floor, and includes an acquisition step (step S13 in FIG. 8) of acquiring a positional relationship from a position sensor 110 (see FIG. 3) that detects objects around the robot and measures the positional relationship of the object relative to the robot, a floor map creation step (step S14) of creating a floor map showing the predetermined floor based on the positional relationship acquired in the acquisition step, a self-position calculation step (step S15) of calculating the self-position, which is the current position of the position sensor 110 on the floor map created in the floor map creation step, and a self-position calculation step (step S16) of calculating the self-position around the position sensor 110. The method includes a marker identification step (step S16) of identifying existing markers, a marker position calculation step (step S17) of calculating the relative position of the marker with respect to the position sensor 110, an entry no-entry information generation step (step S18) of setting a boundary between an area in which the autonomous mobile robot 300 can travel and a no-entry area where the autonomous mobile robot 300 is prohibited from entering based on the floor map, its own position, and the relative position of the marker, and generating no-entry information including boundary information indicating the set boundary, and a travel map creation step (step S19) of creating a travel map in which the no-entry area is set based on the no-entry information generated in the no-entry information generation step. Note that the position of the position sensor 110 is the position of the main body 101 of the travel map creation device 100.

[0143] This allows the device that executes the method for creating a map for travel to easily set no-entry areas on the map for travel of the autonomous mobile robot 300.

[0144] (Other embodiments) Although the embodiments have been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments.

[0145] For example, in the embodiment, the driving map creation device 100 includes the position sensor 110 and the imaging unit 112, but it does not have to include the position sensor 110 and the imaging unit 112. For example, the driving map creation device 100 may be an information processing device that includes components other than the position sensor 110 and the imaging unit 112. In this case, a sensor including the position sensor 110 and the imaging unit 112 may be placed on a cart 190 and moved across a predetermined floor, and data acquired by the sensor may be output to the information processing device.

[0146] For example, in the embodiment, an example has been described in which the navigation map generated by the navigation map creation device 100 is transmitted to the autonomous navigation robot 300 via the network 10, but this is not limiting. For example, the navigation map creation device 100 may transmit the navigation map to the information terminal 200 via the network 10, and the information terminal 200 may transmit the acquired navigation map to the autonomous navigation robot 300 via the network 10. Note that the network 10 is a wide-area communication network such as the Internet, but may also be a local communication network such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark).

[0147] Furthermore, for example, the autonomous mobile robot 300 may acquire the map for travel via a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory or the like in which the map for travel created by the map creation device for travel 100 is stored.

[0148] For example, in the embodiment, an example has been described in which the traveling map creation device 100 and the autonomous traveling robot 300 are separate entities, but the traveling map creation device 100 may also be realized as a single device incorporated into the autonomous traveling robot 300.

[0149] For example, although autonomous mobile robot system 400 is implemented by multiple devices in the embodiment, it may be implemented as a single device. Furthermore, when the system is implemented by multiple devices, the components of autonomous mobile robot system 400 may be distributed among the multiple devices in any manner. Furthermore, for example, a server device capable of communicating with autonomous mobile robot system 400 may include multiple components included in control units 120 and 340.

[0150] For example, the communication method between the devices in the above-described embodiment is not particularly limited, and a relay device (not shown) may be used in the communication between the devices.

[0151] In the above-described embodiment, the processing performed by a specific processing unit may be performed by another processing unit. The order of multiple processing operations may be changed, or multiple processing operations may be performed in parallel.

[0152] In the above-described embodiments, each component may be realized by executing a software program suitable for that component, or by a program execution unit such as a CPU or processor reading and executing a software program recorded on a recording medium such as a hard disk or semiconductor memory.

[0153] Furthermore, each component may be realized by hardware. For example, each component may be a circuit (or integrated circuit). These circuits may form a single circuit as a whole, or each may be a separate circuit. Furthermore, each of these circuits may be a general-purpose circuit or a dedicated circuit.

[0154] Furthermore, the general or specific aspects of the present disclosure may be realized as a system, an apparatus, a method, an integrated circuit, a computer program, or a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM, or may be realized as any combination of a system, an apparatus, a method, an integrated circuit, a computer program, and a recording medium.

[0155] For example, the present disclosure may be realized as a navigation map creation method executed by a computer such as the navigation map creation device 100, or as a program for causing a computer to execute such a navigation map creation method. Furthermore, the present disclosure may be realized as a program for causing a general-purpose computer to operate as the navigation map creation device 100 of the above-described embodiment. The present disclosure may also be realized as a computer-readable non-transitory recording medium on which such a program is recorded.

[0156] In addition, this disclosure also includes forms obtained by applying various modifications to each embodiment that a person skilled in the art would think of, or forms realized by arbitrarily combining the components and functions of each embodiment within the scope that does not deviate from the intent of this disclosure. [Industrial Applicability]

[0157] The present disclosure is widely applicable to creating maps for the navigation of autonomously traveling robots. [Explanation of symbols]

[0158] 1, 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 1e1, 1e2, 1g1, 1g2, 1f1, 1f2, 1h1, 1h2, 11a1, 11a2, 11a3, 11a4, 11a5, 11a6, 11a7, 11a8, 11a9, 11a10, 11a11, 11a12 First marker 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, 21a1, 21a2, 21a3, 21a4, 21a5, 21a6 lines 3, 31a1, 31a2, 31a3 Second marker 4 rectangular area 10 Network 41a1, 41a2, 41a3 boundaries 100 Traveling map creation device 101 Main Unit 110 Position Sensor 112 Imaging unit 112a RGB camera 112b Infrared sensor 112c projector 120 control section 121 Acquisition Department 122 Self-position calculation unit 123 Floor Map Creation Department 124 Marker Identification Unit 125 Marker position calculation unit 126 Entry prohibited information generation unit 127 Driving Map Creation Unit 130 Storage section 140 Notification Department 150 Communications Department 190 carts 191 Handle 192 Stand 200 Information terminal 210 Communications Department 220 Control Unit 230 Presentation section 240 Reception 250 Storage section 300 Autonomous Robot 301 Main Unit 310 Communications Department 320 Position Sensor 330 Obstacle Sensor 340 Control Unit 341 Self-position calculation unit 342 Driving map acquisition unit 343 Obstacle position calculation unit 344 Driving Plan Creation Department 345 Travel control unit 346 Cleaning control unit 350 Storage section 360 Running part 370 Cleaning Department 361 wheels 371 Side Brush 372 Main Brush 373 Suction port 400 Autonomous Driving Robot System

Claims

1. A travel map creation device that creates a travel map for an autonomous travel robot that travels autonomously within a predetermined floor, an acquisition unit that detects an object around the user and acquires the positional relationship from a position sensor that measures the positional relationship of the object with respect to the user; a floor map creation unit that creates a floor map showing the predetermined floor based on the positional relationship acquired by the acquisition unit; a self-position calculation unit that calculates a self-position, which is a current position of the position sensor on the floor map created by the floor map creation unit; a marker identification unit that identifies a marker present around the position sensor; a marker position calculation unit that calculates a relative position of the marker with respect to the position sensor; an entry prohibition information generation unit that sets a boundary between an area in which the autonomous mobile robot can travel and a no-entry area in which the autonomous mobile robot is prohibited from entering, based on the floor map, the self-location, and the relative position of the marker, and generates no-entry information including boundary information that indicates the set boundary; a driving map creation unit that creates a driving map in which the no-entry areas are set based on the no-entry information generated by the no-entry information generation unit; Equipped with the markers include a first marker for setting the boundary; the marker identification unit identifies whether the marker is the first marker in identifying the marker; The no-entry information generating unit calculating a position of the marker on the floor map based on the floor map, the vehicle's own position, and the relative position of the marker, and storing the calculated position of the marker on the floor map and information indicating whether the identified marker is the first marker in a database in association with each other; extracting the first marker from the plurality of markers on the floor map stored in the database; When there is only one pair of the extracted first marker and another first marker that is adjacent to the extracted first marker in a first direction parallel to a wall surrounding the extracted first marker in a top view of the floor map or in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, a line connecting the pair of the first marker and the other first marker is set as the boundary. Traveling map creation device.

2. The no-entry information generating unit (i) when there are two pairs of the extracted first marker and another first marker adjacent to the extracted first marker in the first direction or the second direction in a top view of the floor map, or (ii) when there are one or more pairs of the extracted first marker and another first marker adjacent to the extracted first marker in each of the vertical and horizontal directions on the floor map, and when the other first marker is used to set the boundary, the other first marker is excluded from the marker candidates for setting the boundary with the extracted first marker. The driving map generation device according to claim 1.

3. The no-entry information generating unit further In the case of (i) or (ii), when the first marker and the other first marker are installed parallel to each other on one wall surface on the predetermined floor, the other first marker is excluded from the marker candidates. The driving map generation device according to claim 2.

4. The marker includes a second marker different from the first marker; the marker identification unit identifies whether the marker is the second marker in identifying the marker; the second marker is a marker for setting a boundary surrounding the no-entry area, The no-entry information generating unit calculating a position of the marker on the floor map based on the floor map, the vehicle's own position, and the relative position of the marker, and storing the calculated position of the marker on the floor map and information indicating whether the identified marker is the second marker in a database in association with each other; setting the boundary surrounding a rectangular area of ​​a predetermined size as the no-entry area from the position of the second marker on the floor map; The driving map creation device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. An autonomous robot that autonomously travels within a predetermined floor, The main body and a running unit disposed on the main body and allowing the main body to run; a driving map acquisition unit that acquires the driving map created by the driving map creation device according to any one of claims 1 to 4; a position sensor that detects an object around the main body and measures a positional relationship of the object with respect to the main body; a self-position calculation unit that calculates a self-position, which is the position of the main body on the map for driving, based on the map for driving and the positional relationship; a driving plan creation unit that creates a driving plan for the predetermined floor based on the driving map and the vehicle's own location; a travel control unit that controls the travel unit based on the travel plan; Equipped with Autonomous driving robot.

6. The autonomous traveling robot further includes the traveling map creation device. The autonomous mobile robot according to claim 5 .

7. The autonomous traveling robot further comprises: a cleaning unit that cleans the floor surface by performing at least one of sweeping, wiping, and dust suction; a cleaning control unit that controls the cleaning unit; Equipped with The travel plan creation unit further creates a cleaning plan, The cleaning control unit controls the cleaning unit based on the cleaning plan. The autonomous mobile robot according to claim 5 or 6.

8. A method for creating a map for travel of an autonomously traveling robot that travels autonomously within a predetermined floor, comprising: an acquisition step of detecting an object around the user and acquiring the positional relationship from a position sensor that measures the positional relationship of the object with respect to the user; a floor map creation step of creating a floor map showing the predetermined floor based on the positional relationship acquired in the acquisition step; a self-position calculation step of calculating a self-position, which is a current position of the position sensor on the floor map created in the floor map creation step; a marker identifying step of identifying markers present around the position sensor; a marker position calculation step of calculating a relative position of the marker with respect to the position sensor; a no-entry information generation step of setting a boundary between an area in which the autonomous mobile robot can travel and a no-entry area in which the autonomous mobile robot is prohibited from entering, based on the floor map, the self-location, and the relative position of the marker, and generating no-entry information including boundary information indicating the set boundary; a driving map creation step of creating a driving map in which no-entry areas are set based on the no-entry information generated in the no-entry information generation step, the markers include a first marker for setting the boundary; The marker identifying step includes identifying whether the marker is the first marker, The driving map creation method includes: calculating a position of the marker on the floor map based on the floor map, the self-location, and the relative position of the marker, and associating the calculated position of the marker on the floor map with information indicating whether the identified marker is the first marker and storing the information in a database; extracting a first marker for setting the boundary from among the plurality of markers on the floor map stored in the database; when there is only one pair of the extracted first marker and another first marker that is adjacent to the extracted first marker in a first direction parallel to a wall surrounding the extracted first marker in a top view of the floor map or in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, setting a line connecting the pair of the extracted first marker and the other first marker as the boundary; Including, How to create a driving map.

9. A method for causing a computer to execute the driving map creation method according to claim 8, program.

Images