Mobile

Abstract

To provide a constitution of a moving mechanism suitable for downsizing.SOLUTION: A moving body 1 includes a base 2, three wheels 30 attached to the base 2, and an actuator 32 that drives the wheels 30, and is movable in all directions. Out of the three wheels 30, one or two wheels 30 are of a first type, and the remaining wheel 30 is of a second type. The orientation of one wheel 30 is parallel with or orthogonal to the orientation of the other two wheels 30.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a mobile body that is equipped with a plurality of wheels and is capable of moving in all directions. [Background technology]

[0002] Omni-wheels and Mecanum wheels are known as wheels that can be used to realize omnidirectional movement mechanisms that allow movement in the forward / backward and left / right directions.

[0003] Figures 1(a) and 1(b) show the configuration of an omniwheel 10. The omniwheel 10 comprises a wheel body 11 and multiple barrel-shaped rollers 12. Support shafts perpendicular to the axle are inserted through the multiple rollers 12, and the rollers 12 are rotatably attached to the outer periphery of the wheel body 11. The omniwheel 10 has the wheel body 11 and multiple rollers 12 connected in the circumferential direction, and has a degree of freedom of movement in the axial direction without the wheel body 11 rotating. A mobility mechanism comprising three or more omniwheels 10 enables turning movement and omnidirectional movement.

[0004] FIG. 2(a) shows the configuration of the left Mecanum wheel 20a, and FIG. 2(b) shows the configuration of the right Mecanum wheel 20b. Hereinafter, when there is no need to distinguish between the left Mecanum wheel 20a and the right Mecanum wheel 20b, they will simply be referred to as "Mecanum wheels 20." The Mecanum wheel 20 includes a wheel body 21 and multiple barrel-shaped rollers 22. The Mecanum wheel 20 has the wheel body 21 and multiple rollers 22 connected in the circumferential direction, and the wheel body 21 has a degree of freedom of movement in a diagonal direction relative to the axle without rotating.

[0005] As shown in Figure 2(a), in the left Mecanum wheel 20a, multiple rollers 22 are inserted through support shafts tilted 45 degrees diagonally upward and left with respect to the axle, and are rotatably attached to the outer periphery of the wheel body 21. As shown in Figure 2(b), in the right Mecanum wheel 20b, multiple rollers 22 are inserted through support shafts tilted 45 degrees diagonally upward and right with respect to the axle, and are rotatably attached to the outer periphery of the wheel body 21. A movement mechanism equipped with two left Mecanum wheels 20a and two right Mecanum wheels 20b enables turning movement and omnidirectional movement. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In the omni-wheel 10, the support axes of the rollers 12 are perpendicular to the axle, so in order to realize an omnidirectional mobile mechanism using three or more omni-wheels 10, each omni-wheel needs to be positioned so that the orientation of one omni-wheel is diagonal (not parallel or perpendicular) to the orientation of the other omni-wheels. Rectangular box-shaped bases have traditionally been used as the base of mobile mechanisms, but when three omni-wheels are attached to a rectangular box-shaped base, the omni-wheels are positioned at positions 120 degrees apart in the circumferential direction, which leaves a lot of dead space and makes it difficult to miniaturize the mobile mechanism.

[0007] On the other hand, in a mobile mechanism consisting of four Mecanum wheels 20, the four Mecanum wheels 20 can be attached to a rectangular box-shaped base so that the wheels face in the same direction, reducing dead space. However, when a four-wheel configuration is adopted, a suspension device must be provided for each wheel to ensure contact with the ground in order to reliably transmit the driving force of each wheel to the ground, and the suspension devices provided for each wheel are an obstacle to miniaturizing the mobile mechanism.

[0008] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a configuration of a movement mechanism that is suitable for miniaturization [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to solve the above problems, a mobile body according to one embodiment of the present invention is a mobile body capable of omnidirectional movement, and includes a base body, three wheels attached to the base body, and an actuator for driving each wheel. Of the three wheels, one or two wheels are first-configuration wheels, and the remaining wheels are second-configuration wheels. The first-configuration wheels may be Mecanum wheels, and the second-configuration wheels may be omniwheels. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1(a) and 1(b) are diagrams showing the configuration of an omniwheel. [Figure 2] (a) and (b) are diagrams showing the configuration of a Mecanum wheel. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a moving body. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a wheel configuration of a moving object. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating another example of a wheel configuration of a moving body. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating another example of a wheel configuration of a moving body. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating another example of a wheel configuration of a moving body. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating another example of a wheel configuration of a moving body. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating another example of a wheel configuration of a moving body. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] FIG. 3 shows the configuration of a moving body 1 of the embodiment. The moving body 1 has a rectangular box-shaped base body 2, and three wheels 30 are rotatably attached to the base body 2. The base body 2 is provided with actuators 32 that drive each wheel 30, and a control unit 40 controls the three actuators 32 independently. The control unit 40 is a main processor that processes and outputs various data and commands, and controls the actuators 32 connected to each wheel 30 so as to move the moving body 1 in a desired direction. The three wheels 30 and the actuators 32 that drive each wheel 30 constitute a movement mechanism for the moving body 1. The actuators 32 may be motors.

[0012] The sensor 42 may include a three-axis acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor, a positioning sensor, etc., and supplies detected sensor data to the control unit 40. The camera 44 captures images of the surroundings and supplies the captured images to the control unit 40. Multiple cameras 44 may be arranged so as to capture images in all directions of the base 2, allowing the control unit 40 to acquire captured images of the entire surroundings of the base 2.

[0013] For example, the control unit 40 may control the actuator 32 based on sensor data supplied from the sensor 42 and captured images supplied from the camera 44 to cause the moving object 1 to travel autonomously. The control unit 40 may also control the actuator 32 based on a steering instruction from a user received by the communication unit 46 to cause the moving object 1 to travel.

[0014] The movement mechanism of the moving body 1 in this embodiment is configured with three wheels 30, allowing for omnidirectional movement, and does not have four or more wheels 30. Of the three wheels 30 attached to the base 2, one or two wheels 30 are first-form wheels, and the remaining wheels 30 are second-form wheels of a different type from the first-form wheels. In this embodiment, the first-form wheels may be Mecanum wheels 20, and the second-form wheels may be omniwheels 10.

[0015] The omniwheel 10 may be a wheel including a wheel body 11 and a plurality of rollers 12 rotatably attached to the outer periphery of the wheel body 11, with support shafts perpendicular to the axle inserted through them. The Mecanum wheel 20 may be a wheel including a wheel body 21 and a plurality of rollers 22 rotatably attached to the outer periphery of the wheel body 21, with support shafts inclined obliquely to the axle inserted through them. The inclination angles of the plurality of support shafts may all be the same. The three-wheel configuration of the moving body 1 ensures stable contact with the ground, so a suspension device is not required.

[0016] In the moving body 1, each wheel 30 is attached so as to be parallel to the mounting surface of the rectangular box-shaped base body 2, and therefore the orientation of one wheel 30 is parallel or perpendicular to the orientation of the other wheels 30. By attaching the three wheels 30 so as to be parallel to the mounting surface of the base body 2, the actuators 32 can be arranged more space-efficiently within the base body 2, and the base space can be used more effectively, compared to when the wheels are attached at an angle to the mounting surface.

[0017] Below, we will explain an example configuration of the three wheels 30. Note that Figures 4 to 9 below show the positions of the wheels 30 and actuators 32 relative to the base body 2, and do not illustrate the control unit 40, sensor 42, camera 44, and communication unit 46.

[0018] FIG. 4 shows an example of a wheel configuration for a mobile body. The mobile body 1 is equipped with a pair of right and left Mecanum wheels 20b and 20a on the front surface of the base body 2, and an omni-directional wheel 10 on the rear surface of the base body 2. The right Mecanum wheel 20b is connected to actuator 32a, the left Mecanum wheel 20a is connected to actuator 32b, and the omni-directional wheel 10 is connected to actuator 32c. The pair of right and left Mecanum wheels 20b and 20a are arranged to face the same direction. The wheel diameters of the right and left Mecanum wheels 20b and 20a and the omni-directional wheel 10 may be the same. In the wheel configuration example shown in FIG. 4, the orientations of the actuators 32a, 32b, and 32c can be aligned, allowing for efficient use of the space on the base body 2. Alternatively, the mobile body 1 may be equipped with a pair of right and left Mecanum wheels 20b and 20a on the rear surface of the base body 2, and an omni-directional wheel 10 on the front surface of the base body 2.

[0019] FIG. 5 shows another example of the wheel configuration of a mobile object. The mobile object 1 is equipped with a left Mecanum wheel 20a on the left side of the base body 2, a right Mecanum wheel 20b on the right side of the base body 2, and an omni-directional wheel 10 on the rear side of the base body 2. The left Mecanum wheel 20a is connected to actuator 32a, the right Mecanum wheel 20b is connected to actuator 32b, and the omni-directional wheel 10 is connected to actuator 32c. The left Mecanum wheel 20a and the right Mecanum wheel 20b are arranged to face the same direction. The wheel diameters of the left Mecanum wheel 20a, the right Mecanum wheel 20b, and the omni-directional wheel 10 may be the same. In the wheel configuration example shown in FIG. 5, a pair of left Mecanum wheel 20a and right Mecanum wheel 20b are attached to both sides of the base body 2, allowing the user to intuitively recognize the forward and backward directions of the mobile object 1. The positions of the left Mecanum wheel 20a and the right Mecanum wheel 20b may be interchanged.

[0020] 6 shows another example of the wheel configuration of a moving body. The moving body 1 has a left Mecanum wheel 20a on the left side of the base body 2, a right Mecanum wheel 20b on the right side of the base body 2, and an omni-wheel 10 on the rear side of the base body 2. The wheel arrangement shown in FIG. 6 may be the same as the wheel arrangement shown in FIG. 5.

[0021] In the wheel configuration shown in FIG. 6, the left Mecanum wheel 20a and the right Mecanum wheel 20b have the same wheel diameter, but the wheel diameters of the left Mecanum wheel 20a and the right Mecanum wheel 20b are different from the wheel diameter of the omnidirectional wheel 10. As shown in the figure, the wheel diameter of the omnidirectional wheel 10 is larger than the wheel diameter of the Mecanum wheel 20. With the wheel configuration shown in FIG. 6, the step that can be overcome during forward and backward movement depends on the diameter of the rollers 12 of the omnidirectional wheel 10. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6, by increasing the wheel diameter of the omnidirectional wheel 10 and the diameter of the rollers 12, the gap-crossing ability of the mobile object 1 in the forward and backward direction can be improved.

[0022] 7 shows another example of the wheel configuration of a moving body. The moving body 1 has a left Mecanum wheel 20a on the left side of the base body 2, a right Mecanum wheel 20b on the right side of the base body 2, and an omni-wheel 10 on the rear side of the base body 2. The wheel arrangement shown in FIG. 7 may be the same as the wheel arrangement shown in FIG. 5.

[0023] In the wheel configuration shown in Figure 7, the wheel diameters of the left Mecanum wheel 20a and the right Mecanum wheel 20b are the same, but the wheel diameters of the left Mecanum wheel 20a and the right Mecanum wheel 20b are different from the wheel diameter of the omniwheel 10. As shown in the figure, the wheel diameter of the omniwheel 10 is smaller than the wheel diameter of the Mecanum wheel 20. According to the wheel configuration shown in Figure 7, the small wheel diameter of the omniwheel 10 reduces the movement characteristics in the left and right direction, but the actuator 32c can be made smaller, which contributes to the overall miniaturization of the moving body 1.

[0024] FIG. 8 shows another example of the wheel configuration of a mobile body. The mobile body 1 is equipped with a left Mecanum wheel 20a on the left side of the base body 2, a left Mecanum wheel 20a on the front side of the base body 2, and an omni-wheel 10 on the rear side of the base body 2. The left Mecanum wheel 20a on the left side is connected to actuator 32a, the left Mecanum wheel 20a on the front side is connected to actuator 32b, and the omni-wheel 10 is connected to actuator 32c. The two left Mecanum wheels 20a are arranged so that they face in directions perpendicular to each other. Note that two right Mecanum wheels 20b may be used instead of the two left Mecanum wheels 20a.

[0025] 9 shows another example of the wheel configuration of a mobile body. The mobile body 1 is equipped with a left Mecanum wheel 20a on the left side of the base body 2, an omni-wheel 10 on the right side of the base body 2, and an omni-wheel 10 on the rear side of the base body 2. The left Mecanum wheel 20a is connected to actuator 32a, the omni-wheel 10 on the right side to actuator 32b, and the omni-wheel 10 on the rear side to actuator 32c.

[0026] In the wheel configuration examples shown in Figures 4 to 8, two of the three wheels 30 are Mecanum wheels 20 and one is an omni-wheel 10, but in the wheel configuration example shown in Figure 9, one is a Mecanum wheel 20 and two are omni-wheels 10. As shown in Figure 9, even if one of the three wheels 30 is a Mecanum wheel 20 and two are omni-wheels 10, it is still possible to achieve omnidirectional movement.

[0027] The present invention has been described above based on the embodiments. The above embodiments are merely examples, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications are possible in the combination of the respective components and treatment processes, and that such modifications are also within the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0028] 1···Mobile body, 2···Base body, 10···Omni wheel, 11···Wheel body, 12···Roller, 20···Mecanum wheel, 20a···Left Mecanum wheel, 20b···Right Mecanum wheel, 21···Wheel body, 22···Roller, 30···Wheel, 32, 32a, 32b, 32c···Actuator, 40···Control unit, 42···Sensor, 44···Camera, 46···Communication unit

Claims

1. A mobile body capable of moving in all directions, a substrate; three wheels attached to the base; an actuator for driving each wheel, wherein the moving body does not have four or more wheels, and the wheels do not swivel; Of the three wheels, two are omni-wheels and the remaining one is a Mecanum wheel. The orientation of one wheel is parallel or perpendicular to the orientation of the other two wheels. A moving object characterized by:

2. The Mecanum wheel is a wheel including a wheel body and a plurality of rollers rotatably attached to the outer periphery of the wheel body through support shafts that are inclined obliquely with respect to the axle, The omni-wheel is a wheel including a wheel body and a plurality of rollers rotatably attached to the outer periphery of the wheel body through which support shafts perpendicular to the axle are inserted.

2. The moving body according to claim 1.

3. The wheel diameter of the omni wheel and the wheel diameter of the mecanum wheel are different.

3. The moving body according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The orientations of the two omni wheels are perpendicular to each other.

4. A moving body according to claim 1, wherein the moving body is a movable body.

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